Chapter 427: Naruto's Resolve Is To Neither Dodge Nor Evade
Arrogant to the absolute extreme.
Yet, possessing a terrifying, unfathomable power to back up every single word.
Adult Sasuke gazed at the imposing figure of the Fifth Hokage standing before him. The corners of his mouth twitched, curving into a bitter, self-deprecating smile.
If the Uchiha clan of his own timeline had possessed a leader like this man... why would Itachi have ever been forced down that suffocating, dead-end path? How would the conniving higher-ups of the Hidden Leaf have ever dared to exert an ounce of pressure on their proud clan?
Absolute strength dictated everything. That was the sole, unyielding truth of the ninja world.
"All right." Adult Sasuke exhaled a long breath, forcing his turbulent emotions back down into the depths of his mind. He straightened his posture, his lone hand resting near the hilt of his sword. "Since the misunderstanding between us is cleared up, let us get to business."
Now that he had personally confirmed the Fifth Hokage's unyielding stance and overwhelming strength, sharing critical intelligence took absolute priority.
"Hokage-sama." Adult Sasuke's voice dropped an octave. A heavy shadow fell over his mismatched eyes, carrying a lingering trace of deep-seated dread. "The man who arrived in this era alongside us is named Ōtsutsuki Urashiki. He is a direct member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan."
He held absolutely nothing back, laying bare every terrifying detail of Urashiki's arsenal.
"He wields a pair of metamorphic Rinnegan, capable of shifting forms to suit his needs." Sasuke's gaze sharpened. "The blue Rinnegan allows him to rewind time by a few seconds. In high-level combat between elites, that brief window is more than enough to completely reverse life and death. The red, six-tomoe Rinnegan grants him access to Yomotsu Hirasaka, a technique that lets him tear rifts in the fabric of reality and move freely through space. Tracking him is an absolute nightmare."
Here, Adult Sasuke paused. The grip on his scabbard tightened slightly, his tone turning even graver.
"But the worst of his arsenal is the crimson fishing rod he carries. It ignores all conventional physical and chakra-based defenses. The hook phases right through your guard, latches onto your chakra network, and rips the energy straight out of your body. He then refines that stolen chakra into pills he can devour to increase his own power. Once that hook lands, you do not just lose your chakra reserves. Your ninjutsu, and even your Bloodline Limit, are temporarily stolen and added to his own strength."
Hearing this breakdown, Young Sasuke's face darkened considerably. His jaw locked, a cold sweat prickling at the back of his neck.
Rewind time? Teleport freely through space? Steal chakra and jutsu directly from a target's body? Was there truly an enemy that absurdly strong?
Uchiha Akira, however, remained entirely unbothered. He sat back, his dark eyes calm and analytical.
"Hooks chakra?" Akira repeated, a low, dry chuckle escaping his lips. "Refines pills? Sounds like nothing more than a pathetic parasite that can only survive by leeching off the strength of others."
Adult Sasuke blinked, momentarily thrown off balance. He had certainly not expected the fearsome Fifth Hokage to casually label a terrifying, world-ending Ōtsutsuki as a mere parasite.
Yet, as the words settled in the air, Sasuke had to admit the truth. The description was entirely spot-on.
"Hokage-sama, his methods may be vile and cowardly, but the threat he poses is very real." Adult Sasuke spoke in a low, urgent tone. "His primary target in this era is the chakra of the Nine-Tails. In other words... this world's Uzumaki Naruto. To ensure Naruto's survival, I strongly recommend reinforcing his guard immediately, or moving him to an absolutely secure, hidden location. Urashiki's sensory perception is incredibly acute. As long as Naruto remains out in the open in this world, that monster will inevitably find him."
Uchiha Akira simply shook his head. A faint, dismissive smirk touched his lips.
With a mere thought, the surrounding space in the room rippled violently, distorting like the surface of a disturbed lake. The unique dimensional power of the Tianyu Space activated without a single hand seal.
"Come out, Naruto," Akira called out softly.
At the Hokage's command, a spatial vortex spiraled open, and a bright golden figure tumbled unceremoniously from the void.
"Waaah—!" A loud, energetic yelp echoed through the room. "Sensei! I was right in the middle of my training! You can't just yank me through space like that!"
Uzumaki Naruto staggered forward, his arms windmilling wildly as he barely managed to keep his feet from slipping on the floorboards.
Standing off to the side, Boruto stared wide-eyed at the loud, blond boy who looked to be exactly his own age.
"D-Dad?" he whispered, the word barely escaping his throat.
It was the exact same face, the same spiky hair, and the same whisker marks on his cheeks. But the aura radiating from this boy was worlds apart from the man Boruto knew. Had his constantly exhausted, perpetually serious father sitting behind the Hokage Office desk really been... this incredibly lively?
Finally regaining his balance, Naruto dusted off his bright orange jumpsuit. He blinked, suddenly sensing that the atmosphere in the room was entirely off.
"Huh? That's—" His bright blue eyes locked onto the familiar figure of Young Sasuke standing nearby. "Stuck-up Sasuke? What the heck happened to you?"
Taking in his teammate's heavily battered, bruised, and dirt-streaked state, Naruto immediately pointed a finger right at his face and burst into loud, obnoxious laughter.
"Hahaha! Serves you right for always acting so cool! Looks like someone finally beat you to a pulp!"
"Shut it, loser!" Young Sasuke snapped, a thick vein throbbing violently at his temple. He raised a bruised fist. "Try me again and I will deck you right here and now!"
"Nyeh-nyeh! You can't even touch me today with those injuries!" Naruto pulled a mocking face, sticking his tongue out before finally turning his attention to the other two strangers in the room.
One was a blond kid wearing a strange jacket, who looked weirdly similar to himself. The other... Naruto's eyes shifted, fixing squarely on Adult Sasuke.
Instantly, the young jinchuriki's gaze sharpened. There was a deeply familiar feel radiating from the tall man. A sharp, cold aura of a seasoned swordsman, even despite the empty sleeve where his left arm should have been.
"Who's this guy?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion as he looked up at Uchiha Akira. "Sensei, this one-armed geezer looks an awful lot like Sasuke. Is he some kind of long-lost dad of his?"
Young Sasuke nearly choked on his own spit, his eyes flaring with pure outrage. "Uzumaki Naruto! I am going to kill you!"
Uchiha Akira reached out and lightly rapped his knuckles against the top of Naruto's head, a dry, amused smile playing on his lips.
"Idiot." He corrected the boy smoothly. "That is Sasuke. Specifically, Sasuke from the future of a parallel world."
Rubbing his sore head, Naruto's bright blue eyes bulged out of their sockets. He whipped his head back and forth, glancing between the battered Young Sasuke and the stoic Adult Sasuke at least a dozen times in rapid succession.
Finally, he pointed a trembling finger straight at Adult Sasuke and let out a horrified scream.
"NO—WAY—!!" Naruto grabbed the sides of his face, utterly appalled. "Sasuke actually grows up to look like THAT? Missing an arm and looking all weathered and gloomy?"
His face crumpled in absolute despair as he slapped his thigh dramatically.
"I'm doomed! I swore on my life that I'd grow up to be way cooler than him! But if my future rival turns out to be a crippled old man, where is the challenge in that?!"
Adult Sasuke's visible eye twitched violently. His lone hand clenched into a tight fist.
At that exact instant, a universal truth crystallized in his mind—no matter the timeline, no matter the parallel world, Uzumaki Naruto would always remain an utterly infuriating idiot.
Boruto raised a timid hand, stepping slightly out from behind his mentor's cloak. "Actually... Uncle Sasuke is really cool," he muttered defensively. "And he's super strong, too."
Naruto finally seemed to notice the younger boy's presence properly. He leaned in close, squinting his eyes as he inspected Boruto's face.
"Who're you, anyway? You look exactly like me!"
Boruto stared back, rendered entirely speechless. "..."
"Enough clowning around." Uchiha Akira's calm, authoritative voice cut the comedic farce short.
The relaxed amusement vanished from his features, replaced by the cold, calculating demeanor of the Fifth Hokage as he swept his gaze over the assembled group.
"Naruto, I called you here for a specific reason."
Recognizing the sudden shift in his sensei's tone, Naruto immediately dropped the jokes. He straightened his spine, snapping into a perfect stance. "Yes, sir! What is the mission?"
Uchiha Akira gestured toward Adult Sasuke and Boruto. "They are from a parallel world, and a dangerous enemy from the Ōtsutsuki Clan named Urashiki pursued them here. His primary target is the chakra of the Nine-Tails sealed inside you."
Naruto blinked, processing the heavy information. Slowly, his hands curled into tight fists at his sides. "An Ōtsutsuki?"
The Fifth Hokage gave a curt nod. "He wields the Rinnegan and possesses the ability to steal chakra directly from his opponents. He is absolutely no pushover. Because of this threat, the future Sasuke standing right here advised that we hide you away in a secure location."
Hearing that, Naruto whipped his head around, shooting a fierce, disapproving scowl at Adult Sasuke.
"No way!" he rejected the proposal outright, his voice ringing with absolute conviction. "I am the Fifth Hokage's student! I am a ninja of the Hidden Leaf! Running away and hiding from enemies just because they're strong? That is not how a real man acts!"
The scowl melted away, replaced by a fearless, razor-sharp grin. He slammed a fist into his open palm, chakra practically buzzing beneath his skin.
"Besides... if he wants the Nine-Tails so badly, tell him to bring it on! I would love to see if this so-called Ōtsutsuki can actually handle a direct hit from my Rasengan!"
Uchiha Akira smiled, a genuine look of approval softening his sharp features.
"Well said." The Hokage's dark eyes gleamed with pride. "That is exactly what I expect from my student."
Having praised Naruto's unyielding spirit, Akira shifted his gaze back to the still-worried Adult Sasuke, the air in the room thick with anticipation.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]