In the Heavenly Screen...
(Scene shows the Chunin Ninja Exams Konohagakure)
Suddenly, a dark crack appeared in the sky, Momoshiki Otsutsuki, Urashiki, and Kinshiki of the Otsutsuki clan descended like gods.
"This is... the ninja's 'festival'?" Momoshiki looked down at the terrified crowd below, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips.
The next second--
"Boom--!"
He suddenly kicked out, and the violent force sent Naruto Uzumaki flying dozens of meters, crashing through several buildings!
"Dad!" Boruto cried out in terror, frantically unleashing Ninjutsu from his Scientific Ninja Tools—
Fire Style: Flame Bullet
Water Release: Water Bullet
Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!
However, Momoshiki merely smiled dismissively, his right Rinnegan flashing slightly.
"Boring."
All Ninjutsu was instantly absorbed!
Naruto rushed out of the ruins, picked up Boruto, and retreated.
"Shikamaru! Now!" he shouted sharply.
In the shadows, Shikamaru Nara formed hand seals, and a calm voice rang out:
"Shadow Imitation Technique - Success!"
A dark shadow coiled around Momoshiki's feet like a venomous snake, forcibly freezing his movements!
However--
"A mere trick." Momoshiki's left-hand red Rinnegan snapped open. "Absorb."
The Shadow Imitation Technique's Chakra was instantly absorbed!
Momoshiki ascended into the sky, swallowed a dark red Chakra Pill, and his eyes emitted an eerie light.
"Takamimusubi-no-Mikoto!"
He waved his left hand—
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Ninjutsu Scientific Ninja Tool they had absorbed earlier were amplified several times over, raining down on the Chunin Tournament venue like a storm! Immediately afterward, a colossal Tailed Beast Bomb condensed, its destructive aura causing the air to tremble!
"Fire Phoenix!"
The Rinnegan in his right hand unleashed a giant, blazing firebird, instantly turning the entire Chunin tournament venue into a sea of fire!
Momoshiki hovered a thousand meters in the air, his pale hair dancing wildly in a storm of Chakra. He elegantly swallowed a dark red Chakra Pill, and the red Rinnegan in his left hand suddenly emitted an eerie light.
"Rumble--"
The entire Konoha trembled violently from the explosion, the shockwave shattering windows in buildings within a radius of several miles. Just as this devastating attack was about to strike the stands—
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Multiple Chakra Naruto, shimmering with golden chakra, scattered like meteors, each catching a falling villager with pinpoint accuracy. Naruto himself stood with his arms crossed in front, his nine golden tails flailing wildly behind him, managing to withstand the initial impact.
Sasuke, standing next to Naruto, said, "Use my Chakra. If you get killed, this place is finished."
Then, the purple Susanoo skeleton instantly enveloped the Nine-Tails, Chakra Armor formed at a speed visible to the naked eye. The fully-formed Susanoo Nine-Tails roared to the sky, but Momoshiki merely curled the corner of his mouth in contempt.
"Just a mere wild beast..."
His golden Rinnegan in his right hand rotated slightly, and a red light flashed. The Susanoo armor, which was powerful enough to withstand Tailed Beast Bomb, shattered like glass, and half of the Nine-Tails' body was reduced to ashes in the explosion!
"Cough!" Naruto coughed up a mouthful of blood, but still held onto Boruto behind him tightly.
Momoshiki took out several more Chakra Pills and swallowed them. The red Rinnegan in his left hand shone with a terrifying light. A colossal Tailed Beast Bomb with a diameter of over three hundred meters began to condense, and the Chakra contained within it caused space itself to distort.
"It's over."
As the sphere of destructive light crashed down, the fully-formed Nine-Tails roared and charged forward. The instant the two forces collided, a blinding white light engulfed the entire scene. When the light subsided, Kinshiki's Byakugan had already activated—
The space rippled like water as Momoshiki, carrying the unconscious Naruto, slowly sank into the void. The last thing to disappear was his mocking, Red Eyes.
The real Shinobi World...
The Hokage's Office in Konoha, Land of Fire
Looking at the scene in the Heavenly Screen, Momoshiki Otsutsuki ruthlessly ravaging Konoha — the Chunin Tournament venue was engulfed in flames, the ninjas fought desperately but were still easily crushed, and even Naruto was dragged into another dimension by the enemy!
"Bang--!"
Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk, instantly shattering the solid wood table and sending wood chips flying everywhere!
"Damn it! It's another enemy trying to destroy Konoha!" Her voice was low and angry, her emerald eyes burning with fury.
Shizune, holding Tonton, was pale and her voice trembled slightly. "Naruto... was kidnapped by that guy..."
She couldn't imagine that Naruto, who was always full of energy and never gave up, would be so helplessly taken away by the enemy in the future.
Shikamaru Nara stood by the window with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the Heavenly Screen where his "future self" was using the Shadow Imitation Technique, only to have it easily countered by Momoshiki.
"The enemies of the future... they really are exceeding expectations," he murmured to himself, his brow furrowed.
"That ability to easily absorb Ninjutsu... it's simply the bane of us ninjas."
Intelligence flashed through his mind—
"The first thing shown on the Heavenly Screen was Nagato Akatsuki... Among his Puppets, there was also a 'Preta Path' that could absorb Ninjutsu. And later, Madara Uchiha did the same. It seems that users of the Rinnegan all have this ability."
"But this time, the enemy... is on a completely different level."
The future Ōtsutsuki Clan will not only possess the Rinnegan's ability to absorb ninjutsu, but will also be able to reflect the absorbed Ninjutsu back at double the power! They will even be able to directly refine the Chakra of Tailed Beasts into pills and consume them!
"The future is going to be full of monster enemies..." Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his temples. "So troublesome..."
Even so, his gaze did not falter; instead, it became even sharper.
(Now that we know in advance... we must never repeat the same mistake!)
(Meanwhile, throughout Konoha-- )
Ninja Academy
Iruka clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with worry. "Naruto..."
Training Ground
Konohamaru gritted his teeth and growled, "Damn it! Our future enemy... is this strong?!"
Hyuga Clan
Hyuga Hiashi's expression turned grave. "An enemy that even the future Naruto and Sasuke combined would struggle to defeat, and they also possess the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan..."
Training Ground perimeter
The members of Team 8 stood in the crowd, staring intently at the image playing in the sky.
"Damn it!" Kiba slammed his fist into a nearby tree trunk, and Akamaru whimpered softly at his feet. "Another bunch of weird enemies! Why don't I, my future self, go and fight them?!"
Shino adjusted his sunglasses, his usually calm voice unusually grave. "Those guys playing on the Heavenly Screen are terrifyingly strong. Judging from their Chakra flow, even if we rushed in... we'd just be a burden."
His words caused the surrounding genin to Genin in shock. Shino, usually so taciturn, would actually say something like that?
"Naruto-kun..." Hinata clutched the front of her shirt, her Byakugan activating involuntarily. The image of the unconscious Naruto being dragged away like a trophy by the enemy in the Heavenly Screen made her heart clench with pain. Her nails dug deep into her palms, but she was completely unaware.
A street
Rock Lee clenched his fists, his green bodysuit billowing slightly from the surge of Chakra. He stared intently at the image of Naruto being dragged into another dimension in the Heavenly Screen, his eyes burning with resentment.
"Damn it! The enemy captured Naruto!!" He slammed his fist into the ground, kicking up dust. "I'm still too weak... I couldn't even go up and help!"
Tenten stood to the side, her fingers unconsciously tracing the scroll, her brow furrowed. "Seriously, why are there so many terrifying enemies in the future? And they're all coming to destroy Konoha..." She looked up at the sky and murmured, "Visitors from outer space? Aliens? And that eye—"
Her voice suddenly stopped, and she turned to look at Neji.
"Wait, Neji... those guys, their eyes are exactly the same as your Byakugan!"
Neji's pupils suddenly contracted.
In the Heavenly Screen, Momoshiki Otsutsuki's pure white eyes, devoid of any emotion, coldly gazed down upon the destruction of Konoha —it was indeed the Byakugan, but far purer and more... ancient than those of the Hyuga Clan.
"I don't know..." Neji's voice carried a rare hint of hesitation. "The Hyuga Clan... could there be other bloodlines outside the clan?"
He subconsciously touched his forehead; the skin bound by the Caged Bird Seal was slightly hot.
(Why... do I feel this way?)
He looked up at the Heavenly Screen again. In the scene, the ninjas of Konoha were desperately rescuing the villagers— Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu, Sasuke's Susanoo, Naruto's clones—everyone was doing the rescue... but he was nowhere to be seen.
(Where am I?)
"Neji?" Tenten noticed his unusual behavior and asked softly.
Neji snapped out of his daze, barely suppressing his unease, and calmly analyzed the situation. "At that time, I should already be Jonin... perhaps I was out of the village on a mission."
Despite this, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his chest, as if something important had been forcibly torn away.
(Why... am I so uneasy?)
Rock Lee suddenly stood up straight, his blood boiling, and shouted, "No matter how strong the enemies ahead, we must train even harder! Youth does not allow us to back down!!"
Tenten smiled helplessly, "You hot-blooded idiot... but you're right." She gripped the scroll tightly, her eyes resolute. "Now that we know beforehand, we absolutely cannot repeat the same mistake!"
Neji remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Um."
Konoha Commercial Street, in front of the Izakaya
The villagers gathered on the street were buzzing with discussion. An old man selling dumplings was so angry his beard was trembling. "That Naruto kid... he's going to be the Seventh Hokage?! Damn it!"
"Those damned guys must be after the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, right?" The vegetable shop owner wiped away her tears. "He's been treated like this since he was little... that child is so pitiful..."
"Damn it!" The young blacksmith's apprentice jumped to his feet, slamming his hammer heavily on the ground. "Naruto is our hero! If those guys dare to come, we'll fight them to the death!!"
A chorus of agreement immediately arose from the surrounding crowd. The villagers, who had previously avoided the "Fox Spirit Boy" like the plague, now had flames of anger burning in their eyes.
Land of Fire Border - Forest Outpost
The Konoha Ninja stationed there gathered at the foot of the watchtower, looking up at the future images projected on the Heavenly Screen, their voices rising and falling in discussion.
"Hey, did you see that? Naruto... he's really going to become Hokage!" A Chunin excitedly patted his companion on the shoulder.
"Hmph, that loser..." The other person said dismissively, but a look of satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.
However, when the scene switched to the Ōtsutsuki trio invading Konoha and kidnapping Naruto, everyone's expressions froze instantly.
"What a joke... even the Seventh was..."
"Just who are those guys?!"
Might Guy strode towards Kakashi Hatake, who was leaning against a tree, his eyes, beneath his thick eyebrows, glistening with tears of excitement.
"My dearest friend! Your disciple will become Hokage!" He grabbed Kakashi's shoulder, his voice so loud it startled a flock of birds in the forest. "This is the passionate legacy of youth!!"
Kakashi lazily raised his eyelids, revealing an eye that curved into a crescent shape. "Ah... at least I wasn't too embarrassed as a teacher."
However, their smiles didn't last long; the scene in the Heavenly Screen quickly turned their expressions serious.
Konoha collapsed in a sea of fire, Naruto was dragged into another dimension by Momoshiki like a trophy...
Kakashi narrowed his single eye slightly, and his previously nonchalant demeanor instantly sharpened.
(Are all the future enemies so overpowered?)
First came Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki with the Rinnegan; then Madara Uchiha, whose strength was exaggerated after his resurrection; and now the Ōtsutsuki Clan has arrived, capable of easily crushing Naruto and Sasuke...
(How many more monsters like these will the Shinobi World have to face?)
"Damn it!" Kai's roar interrupted his thoughts. "Naruto's been captured! And the village's been destroyed like that!"
He slammed his fist into the boulder beside him, and with a deafening roar, the rock shattered into pieces!
"Don't let me see them then!!" A surge of powerful Chakra erupted from Kai's body, cracking the ground beneath his feet. "I'll use this burning youth to teach them a lesson!!"
Kakashi sighed softly as he looked at his best friend's angry expression, but his eyes remained resolute.
"Ah... count me in." He slowly pulled down his Forehead Protector, covering his Sharingan. "After all... we can't let the students face this kind of enemy alone."
Inspired by Guy's passion, the Konoha Ninjas around him gripped their Kunai, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
"That's right! Who cares about extraterrestrial visitors!"
"Anyone who dares to touch our Hokage should be prepared to be besieged by Konoha Ninja!"
"Kakashi -senpai, Guy-senpai! Please lead our special training!"
Kakashi looked at his group of spirited juniors and scratched his head helplessly. "Seriously... they're all so passionate."
But the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
(This kind of Konoha... will not be easily destroyed.)
Land of Snow
Six Konoha Anbu Ninjas lay in ambush in the cedar forest, their breath condensing into frost in the cold wind. They gazed up at the future images projected on the Heavenly Screen, their Forehead Protector.
Gekko Hayate leaned against the tree trunk, his pale face appearing even more aloof in the snowlight. He coughed lightly twice, but a rare smile appeared on his lips:
"Naruto... he really did become Hokage in the future." He stroked the Ninja Blade at his waist, his voice hoarse but filled with satisfaction, "Just like his father... no, perhaps even more remarkable than his father."
Standing beside him, Uzuki Yugao's purple hair was covered in snowflakes that fluttered down as she shook her head. "Yeah, that impetuous brat who always shouted 'I want to be Hokage'... he actually did it." She chuckled softly, arms crossed, but a hint of emotion flashed in her eyes.
Aburame Muta adjusted his sunglasses, the insect swarm rustling in his sleeve. "The insect swarm told me that his Chakra is even more intense than the Fourth's back then."
Namiashi Raidō, chewing on a blade of grass, mumbled, "We're under immense pressure right now—" He deliberately dragged out the words, eliciting laughter from everyone, "We're not protecting ordinary Genin, we're protecting the future Seventh Hokage!"
Aoba Yamashiro adjusted his goggles, Crow cawed hoarsely over his shoulder. "The Crows seem to like him quite a bit, saying the light on him... is 'like the sun.'"
Tobitake Tonbo grinned, clutching the back of his head: "That kid has always been—"
Before the words were finished, the video on the Heavenly Screen continued to play.
The sight of the Ōtsutsuki trio descending upon Konoha and Momoshiki and his invading the Konoha caused all six Anbu to tense up simultaneously. The moment they saw Naruto being dragged into another dimension, Namiashi Raidō crushed the Kunai in his hand.
"Damn it! Those bastards invading Konoha again!" Gekko Hayate coughed violently, blood seeping from between his fingers, but his eyes burned with rage. "This time they even invaded the village..."
Uzuki Yugao's nails dug deeply into her palms. "So many Jonin were there... and they still couldn't handle them?!" She stared intently at Sasuke's shattered Susanoo in the Heavenly Screen, her voice trembling, "Those guys... they looked like monsters, and their strength was just as monstrous!"
Aburame Muta's swarm of insects suddenly rioted, frantically crawling out chaotic tracks on the snow. "Something's not right... The Heavenly Screen showed Naruto's future strength was terrifyingly powerful, how could this be..."
"He's on defense," Aoba Yamashiro suddenly interrupted, his goggles reflecting the cold light of the Heavenly Screen. "Look closely—such a massive Ninjutsu attack, yet Konoha's buildings are mostly intact." He pointed to the golden clone rescuing people in the scene. "All his Chakra... he used it to protect the villagers."
After a deathly silence, the Tobitake Tonbo suddenly kicked the snowdrift hard:
"Damn it!!" Amidst the splashing snow foam, the ANBU who always had a playful smile showed a ferocious expression for the first time, "Why is it always him... Why does that kid have to carry it alone every time?!"
Gekko Hayate suddenly removed his mask, a sickly flush appearing on his pale face. "Listen." His hoarse voice silenced everyone, "We may not see that future... but Naruto is in the Land of Snow right now."
Six Anbu masks rose simultaneously in the snow's light, the sounds of insects flapping their wings, Crows cawing, and Kunai being drawn mingling together.
"We must protect Naruto; he is the future of Konoha— "
On a distant mountaintop, Naruto was gazing at the Heavenly Screen, suddenly turned around and looked in confusion into the depths of the snowstorm. "Hmm? I think I just heard someone call me?"
Jiraiya pressed his head back and turned him around. "You're overthinking it."