When Sasuke opened his eyes once more, the struggle within them had already settled into deep contemplation.
He was naturally unwilling to give in so easily.
However, in the instant before he had lost consciousness earlier—and through his observations since awakening—his keen instincts as a top-tier shinobi had caught far too many inconsistencies within this space-time.
"That Haku… at this point in time, he should have already died in the Land of Waves. So why is he here? And how did he even become a Genin of Konoha?"
"Naruto and the 'me' of the past… their coordination and combat strength are far beyond what I remember from that era…"
"And this Kakashi standing before me now… his power, and that Natural Energy he uses…"
Sasuke's gaze lingered on Kakashi for a brief moment.
All of these abnormalities seemed to vaguely converge on this silver-haired man who looked lazy on the surface.
"The history of this space-time had already undergone a massive deviation long before I arrived," Sasuke concluded inwardly.
"Since history is not fixed, but instead possesses some form of self-correction or branching law… then perhaps revealing certain information in moderation won't cause the future to collapse entirely. It might even strengthen this timeline instead."
With that thought, Sasuke finally relaxed his clenched fists, the guarded tension in his expression easing slightly.
"You win."
His voice echoed through the quiet medical room, heavy and oppressive.
"That monster's name is Ōtsutsuki Urashiki."
At those words, Tsunade and Kakashi both held their breath—Kakashi at least putting on the appearance of doing so—quietly waiting for what came next.
"The Ōtsutsuki Clan are interstellar predators from the depths of the universe," Sasuke continued calmly.
"Their purpose in coming to this planet is to plant a 'God Tree,' drain all the life force and Chakra from the entire ninja world, and produce a 'Chakra Fruit.'"
Tsunade sucked in a sharp breath.
"Drain… the life force of the entire ninja world?!"
"That's right."
Sasuke's gaze swept over her.
"Whether it's the Sage of Six Paths who founded the shinobi system, or the countless wars fought by ninja throughout history—tracing it back to the source, all of it is inseparably linked to this clan."
"They are the origin of Chakra… and the true blade of destruction hanging over the future of the ninja world."
Sasuke leaned back against the pillow, his tone steady.
"This time, Urashiki used an ancient Ōtsutsuki artifact called 'Karasuki' to cross space-time."
"In the future, he and his companions encountered fierce resistance from us and couldn't succeed easily. So he chose to return to the past—when Naruto hadn't yet grown, and the Nine-Tails' power was at its easiest to extract—to plunder its Chakra directly."
"So that's how it is…"
Tsunade gasped, her chest rising and falling sharply.
She had thought this was merely the work of some hidden, malicious organization. She never imagined it would involve interstellar beings capable of destroying the entire ninja world.
"If he had succeeded," Sasuke continued, "Naruto would have died—and the Nine-Tails' power would've been absorbed and used against you in the future."
Tsunade's expression darkened to the extreme.
"This is nothing short of a dimensional strike. Then where is that time-traveling treasure now?"
"During the crossing, Karasuki exhausted its energy and entered a dormant state," Sasuke replied.
Boruto timidly added from the side, "It needs a few days to absorb Natural Energy before it can activate again…"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and shot Sasuke a cold look.
"Since Urashiki is already dead, does that mean the future crisis is resolved?"
"No."
Sasuke shattered that hope without hesitation, his voice heavy.
"Urashiki was only a scout—or rather, a low-ranking member tasked with collecting Chakra. In the future, even more powerful and terrifying Ōtsutsuki will descend."
"As long as this world exists, they will eventually find it."
Tsunade closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled.
When she opened them again, the authority of the Hokage had fully returned.
"From this moment on, all information regarding the Ōtsutsuki Clan will be classified as Konoha's highest-level SSS-class secret."
"Other than the few of us here, no one else is permitted to know—especially Naruto and your past self."
"For the next few days, you will remain here in this underground medical room. I will personally oversee your treatment, and Anbu will provide round-the-clock protection."
"Before that artifact called Karasuki recovers its energy, you are not allowed to leave."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Sasuke inclined his head slightly. This was exactly the arrangement he had hoped for. Letting Naruto and his past self shoulder this destiny too early would only do more harm than good.
"Good."
Tsunade turned and strode toward the door.
Just as she was about to leave, she stopped and glanced back at Kakashi, who was leaning against the wall.
"Kakashi. Come with me."
Her tone left no room for refusal.
"There are still things I need to ask you."
Kakashi rubbed his temples, looking thoroughly inconvenienced.
"…Alright. I understand."
As the heavy iron door slowly shut, the underground medical room fell back into silence.
Boruto finally let out a long breath and slumped into his chair, as though he'd just endured torture more terrifying than fighting Urashiki.
"Sasuke-san… that Granny Tsunade is even scarier than the one in the future."
He patted his chest, his fear still lingering.
On the hospital bed, Sasuke ignored Boruto's muttering.
He turned his head, his gaze fixed on the tightly sealed iron door, replaying every movement Kakashi had made during the battle.
A faint glint of thought flickered beneath his messy bangs.
"In this space-time… what kind of transformation has that man undergone?"
——Hokage Office.
Tsunade sat behind her desk, fingers interlaced beneath her chin, staring at Kakashi standing before her.
"There are no outsiders here now."
"Kakashi. How credible do you think the words of that future Uchiha Sasuke are?"
"One hundred percent," Kakashi replied without hesitation, rare seriousness in his eyes.
"…I see."
Tsunade massaged her aching temples.
"Draining a planet's life force… something that absurd actually exists."
"If that's true, then our current wars and schemes are nothing more than children playing at house."
Kakashi looked at Tsunade, seeing the exhaustion and gravity intertwined in her expression, and spoke calmly:
"Then what will you do, Hokage-sama?"
Tsunade did not answer right away.
She lowered her hands and leaned forward slightly.
"If it were you…"
She asked instead, her tone carrying an indescribable weight,
"What would you do?"