Symbiosis Contract

That night, Boruto sat alone on the rooftop, watching the moon.

Isshiki's memories flashed through his mind from time to time, making it hard to tell which experiences were real and which were inherited illusions. He remembered that Isshiki had once felt something similar—a concern for someone, an attachment to something—but in the end, it had all faded away over the long years.

"Will you become me?" the voice in his mind asked. It was no longer mocking, but calmly curious.

"No," Boruto replied.

"Why?"

"Because I have them." Boruto looked down. Sarada's window was still lit, and light spilled from his father's study as well. "Even if my memories grow blurry, even if time passes, as long as someone remembers me, I won't disappear."

Isshiki didn't answer, but Boruto felt that power tremble faintly, as if it were thinking.

The next day, the genjutsu training began.

Naruto used the family's secret Mind Body Switch Technique to connect his consciousness to Boruto's mental world. He saw a strange sight: half was the familiar Konoha, half was an unfamiliar starry sky. They intertwined, forming an eerie fusion.

"Boruto?" he called.

"Father, I'm here."

The voice came from the direction of the stars. Naruto turned and saw Boruto floating at the boundary between the two worlds. The left half of his body looked normal, while the right was covered in white patterns. His golden eyes glowed in the darkness.

"Is this your current state?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Boruto smiled bitterly. "I'm trying to maintain the balance, but the starry sky keeps expanding. Isshiki's memories and instincts are trying to devour my reality."

Naruto walked toward him, each step feeling like he was treading on cotton. The instability of the mental world made gravity erratic, and direction no longer meant anything.

"Is there