Let's go. It's about time.
Just as the sky began to lighten, Jiraiya stood up.
Hearing this, Shikamaru immediately scrambled up from the ground.
The two arrived at the door of Boruto's room.
Creak.
Jiraiya noticed the door wasn't closed. He pushed it open and walked straight in, simultaneously giving Shikamaru a look.
Last night, Jiraiya had already informed Shikamaru about the Ōtsutsuki Clan, as well as the information regarding the future Boruto and the future Sasuke.
Learning that Boruto, who killed the Third Hokage and Asuma, was the son of the future Naruto, made it even harder for Shikamaru to accept.
However, his hatred had certainly subsided a great deal, and he had calmed down.
The two planned to first restrain Boruto and ask him for the full explanation.
Naturally, the stronger Jiraiya was responsible for the attack, while Shikamaru was there to provide support.
After all, the Nara Clan's Shadow Paralysis Jutsu was excellent for restraint.
Jiraiya formed a hand sign with his left hand while holding a special sealing talisman in his right, slowly approaching Boruto, who was asleep on the bed.
Although the strength Boruto had previously displayed was, at most, Chunin level, the fact that he assassinated the powerful Jōnin Asuma meant Jiraiya could not afford to be careless.
"Stop. I want to question him about this matter too."
Suddenly! The talisman in Jiraiya's hand vanished, and a figure appeared before him, grabbing Jiraiya's hand.
"Uchiha Sasuke, you did follow us after all."
Jiraiya looked at the adult Sasuke who had appeared illuminated by the morning sun, showing no surprise, as if he had expected it.
The window was closed, and Shikamaru was blocking the door behind him.
Wasn't this a Space-Time Ninjutsu?
Shikamaru also noticed the sudden appearance of Sasuke at this moment, and after a brief moment of distraction, he quickly formed hand signs and deployed the Shadow Paralysis Jutsu, the shadow creeping along the wall toward the adult Sasuke.
Just then.
While both of their attention was focused on Sasuke, Boruto on the bed suddenly moved.
"Boruto" threw off the covers, Kunai in hand, and lunged, stabbing toward Sasuke's left eye.
Seeing this, Shikamaru hastily redirected the shadow, which had been prepared to restrain Sasuke, onto "Boruto."
The Kunai was stopped just centimeters from Sasuke's Rinnegan, restrained at the very limit.
Sasuke turned back, startled by Boruto, who was manifesting Momoshiki.
"Boruto, what are you—?!"
Sasuke spun around, his eyes wide.
"Tch, what a pity. I almost got my revenge for back then."
"Boruto" gave Sasuke a scornful, evil smile.
"You are... Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki?"
Sasuke's expression turned grim, and he clenched his fist.
The "revenge" he spoke of—didn't it refer to the time he and Naruto fought Momoshiki and used a Kunai to stab out the Rinnegan in Momoshiki's palm?
If the opponent was Momoshiki's consciousness, then what about Boruto?
Had Boruto's body been taken over by Momoshiki?
Sasuke grew anxious.
Naruto's son was like his own son.
How could something happen to him just because he came out on a trip with Sasuke!
At this moment, Sasuke was too worried to think straight, even forgetting the intelligence he had recently gathered.
"Ōtsutsuki?"
When Jiraiya heard those three words escape Sasuke's mouth, he felt all his previous confusion instantly dissipate, like seeing the sun after the clouds parted.
He hadn't expected that Naruto's son also had something similar to the Nine-Tails inside him.
No wonder he possessed ordinary strength but could unleash the power to kill the Third Hokage and Asuma.
"So you are the one who murdered Asuma and the Third Hokage? What exactly is your objective?"
Jiraiya asked "Boruto," who was restrained.
"Inferior creature, are you questioning me? You don't actually think your lowly tricks can restrain me, do you?"
"Boruto" proudly lifted his chin, and with a slight lift of his hand, Shikamaru's Shadow Paralysis Jutsu was absorbed by him.
"Damn it!"
Jiraiya cursed inwardly. He had overlooked the intelligence that the Ōtsutsuki Clan could absorb Ninjutsu.
The main reason was that when Tsunade mentioned it to him and the Third Hokage, she had only vaguely passed over this point with the ambiguous phrase, "It is said they can also absorb Ninjutsu."
She had focused primarily on her suspicions regarding Bai Mo and the Akatsuki Organization.
Only now, witnessing it firsthand, did Jiraiya retrieve that snippet of memory from the recesses of his mind.
Just as Jiraiya was about to move, Momoshiki had already used Kōtakemusubi to release the Shadow Paralysis Jutsu back, amplified, restraining everyone in the room, leaving them unable to move.
"Hmph hmph, next I shall... Pwah!"
Momoshiki was just about to deliver a triumphant speech when Sasuke suddenly Shunshined (Body Flickered) in front of him and punched him in the stomach.
"Momoshiki" spat out a mouthful of sour liquid.
—So he can absorb Ninjutsu? Fine then, if he absorbs, I'll absorb too.
Since Urashiki had previously stolen his Chakra, leaving him quite weak, now was a good time to replenish himself.
Using the absorbed Chakra, Sasuke activated Amenotejikara (Heavenly Hand Power) again, catching "Momoshiki" completely off guard. He even had enough residual power left for another strike.
However, this wasn't the same as fighting Momoshiki before. This time, Momoshiki was using the body of his best friend Naruto's son, so Sasuke couldn't kill him.
He needed to hit him a few more times, beat Momoshiki back, and see if he could wake up Boruto's consciousness.
"Shikamaru, hurry and help! We need to suppress the Ōtsutsuki's consciousness to save the kid's consciousness!"
Jiraiya froze for a moment when he saw Sasuke's actions, then yelled at Shikamaru behind him before charging forward himself, also starting to punch and kick "Momoshiki."
"Understood, Lord Jiraiya!"
Shikamaru quickly strode forward and covered "Momoshiki's" mouth. "I'll help you two restrain him."
"Mmph!"
"Mmph!!!"
"Mr. Sasuke, and you two, stop hitting me! It's me, I'm back..."
After struggling for a long time, Boruto finally had a chance to speak, his weak voice sounding out amidst the group's "Iron Fists of Love."
"What?! Your consciousness recovered already? When did that happen? Oh dear, why didn't you say so sooner!"
Jiraiya wore an expression of deep remorse as he pulled a small jar from his back pocket. "Come here, kid, let me put some medicine on you. We can discuss the rest later."
"Thank you, Uncle."
Boruto felt like crying but had no tears left.
What he and Momoshiki had agreed upon was that after Momoshiki absorbed the Ninjutsu, he would return control of the body to him.
—This was consistent with the situation of the mark, so there was no fear of giving away any flaws.
But the moment his consciousness returned to his body, he was met with a brutal beating from three people.
Shikamaru still didn't realize why he was covering his mouth.
Boruto was extremely heartbroken.
He had been risking his life for Shikamaru's son, only to be tormented like this now.
"Ah! That hurts!"
While Boruto was lost in thought, he suddenly felt a searing pain on his body and couldn't help but cry out.
"Good medicine tastes bitter... er, good ointments are like this, Boruto, bear with it."
Sasuke consoled him.
"Oh dear, I grabbed the wrong jar! This is the 'Lao Gan Niang Chili Sauce,' a Hidden Rain Village specialty Konan and the others gave me before leaving Konoha!"
Jiraiya slapped his forehead and put the jar away.
Boruto: ???
....
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