The wind and waves on the sea were forcibly flattened.
It wasn't a natural phenomenon, but the stilling pressure produced by the collision of three massive chakra reserves. The golden flames around Naruto weren't as dazzling as they'd once been, but they were like a thick wall, shielding Boruto, Sai, and the unconscious little girl behind him.
"Ugh..." Boruto sprawled on the surface of the water, his face green. "Dad... next time, could you... not brake so violently?"
"Quit whining. You should be glad we made it in time." Naruto didn't even look back. His gaze was fixed on Code in the air. "This guy's one of Kara's remnants? He looks like some delinquent."
"Don't let your guard down." Sasuke shook the lingering heat from his lightning prosthetic and stepped beside Naruto. The Kusanagi Sword hummed in his remaining right hand. "His ability is 'Claw Marks.' He can move freely between any places he's marked. It's more versatile than the Flying Thunder God, and he doesn't need hand signs."
Code hovered in midair, his expression so gloomy it looked like rain might pour from it.
His flawless retrieval plan had first been disrupted by the one-armed Uchiha, and now the Hokage had arrived too. Though he looked down on Naruto for losing the Nine-Tails, Naruto's massive chakra reserves still posed a problem. More importantly, Code hadn't removed his limiter yet. His odds weren't good in a direct fight against Konoha's two strongest shinobi.
[Watermark omitted]
"What a touching reunion." Code clapped with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Since the Hokage himself has graced us with his presence, I'll leave you to catch up."
He raised a hand, and dozens of black, belt-shaped Claw Marks appeared in the air around him.
"Trying to escape?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"Escape? No,