"Who is he?" Naruto finally spoke, his voice low and a little uneasy.
Shinshiki stood in the center of the room, wearing a dark patterned robe, with a faint silver light in his eyes. He raised his head slightly, and his tone was calm but as cold as ice. "The leader of the Ōtsutsuki Clan... the strongest existence."
"What?!!" Naruto turned around suddenly, his pupils suddenly shrank, and looked at Shinshiki in disbelief, "Stronger than Kaguya?"
The air seemed to freeze for a moment. The wind outside the window stopped, and even the leaves no longer rustled.
Shinshiki nodded slowly, his voice echoing like an ancient bell. "Isshiki... is the source of all Ōtsutsuki bloodline. Kaguya She was once his most loyal servant, but later she betrayed and stole God Tree Fruit, which gave rise to the legend of Ancestor of Chakra. But her power was just a glimmer of light in front of Isshiki."
"He... can easily destroy a planet." Shinshiki continued, his tone did not fluctuate, but it made Naruto's heart beat wildly. "He once devoured three living planets with one person and turned them into a dead wasteland. But now - he has set his sights on the earth."
"When?" Naruto clenched his fists and dug his nails into his palms.
"Maybe tomorrow."
"Maybe next year."
"But he will definitely come."
Shinshiki's tone was breathtakingly firm. "Because there is something he wants on earth."
"What?"
"The fruit of God Tree." A complicated look flashed in Shinshiki's eyes, "That is the true source of power of the Ōtsutsuki Clan. It is not Chakra, but beyond The existence of Chakra - "Source Power". People who eat it can not only gain eternal life, but also control space and time, and even reshape reality. And the earth... happens to have the most suitable "spiritual soil" and "star veins" for planting God Tree."
Naruto gritted his teeth, and Chakra faintly rippled all over his body. "I will not let him succeed! This land, these people... I have protected them with my life!"
Shinshiki looked at him, with a trace of rare respect in his eyes, but then he calmed down. "You can't stop him. Now you can't even touch his shadow. This is not contempt, but a fact."
"Then I will become stronger!" Naruto roared, Nine-Tails Chakra surging around him, "Strong enough to defeat him! Or - find God Tree Fruit and eat him before he comes! In that case, I will be qualified to talk to him on an equal footing!"
"Where is God Tree Fruit?" he asked.
Shinshiki shook his head with a complicated expression. "Kaguya hid it too deeply. Before she died, she used the last space Barrier Ninjutsu to seal the fruit in a different space after "Infinite Tsukuyomi" was broken - maybe a crack on the back of the moon, maybe a secret realm deep in the earth's core, or even in a Oblivion dimension under our feet."
He paused and added in a low voice, "In short... it is difficult to find. There are almost no clues. Unless someone can decipher the text of Otsutsuki, or awaken an ancient tombkeeper."
The office fell into silence. Only the faint sound of knocking on the reconstruction site in the distance could be heard.
For a long time, Naruto took a deep breath and suppressed the anxiety in his heart. "Thank you for telling me this. I know this is not something you should get involved in."
The corners of Shinshiki's mouth raised slightly, and the smile was as stiff as if it was the first time he practiced smiling, but it was real. "This is what I should do. After all... I am also a member of Leaf now."
"Welcome to join Leaf." Naruto extended his hand.
The two shook hands. There were no words, but a belief was conveyed - from the top of the ninja, to the former enemy and now the companion.
After leaving Hokage Building, Shinshiki walked alone on the path of the village.
There were busy figures all around. Carpenters were nailing beams, women were carrying water and sweeping, children were running and playing, and laughter was ringing. On top of the ruins, new houses were being built, and flags with "Hope" written on them were flapping in the wind.
But all this seems so strange to Shinshiki's eyes.
"How strange..." He whispered to himself, walking slowly, "You have just experienced a war that could destroy the world. So many people died and so much was lost... Why can you still laugh?"
In his opinion, human emotions are too fragile and too contradictory. He once thought that pain would linger in his heart forever, like vines wrapping around a dead tree until it decays.
"Because there is hope." A young voice suddenly sounded.
Shinshiki turned around and saw Boruto leaning under a cherry blossom tree, holding a skewer in his hand and a lazy but warm smile on his face.
"Why are you here?" Shinshiki asked.
"Passing by." Boruto shrugged, "I see you are here alone, like a lost ghost, so come and take a look."
"I'm not in a daze."
"Yes." Boruto took a few steps closer and looked at him with squinted eyes. "Your expression just now... was like a person seeing the sun for the first time. He wanted to get closer but was afraid of being burned."
"The sun..." Shinshiki raised his head. The sun was dazzling, but he did not look away. The long-lost warmth seeped into his body along his skin, awakening some long-sleeping memory.
"It's true that I haven't seen the sun for a long time." He said in a very soft voice, "After becoming Otsutsuki... I have been living in the darkness. Traveling between the stars, harvesting lives, and executing orders. There is no day or night, only eternal silence."
"What about now?" Boruto asked.
"It's a bit uncomfortable." Shinshiki looked down at his palms, where destructive energy had been condensed, "But... it's not annoying."
"Get used to it slowly." Boruto smiled and patted his shoulder, "Leaf is a good place. You will like it here."
"Maybe." Shinshiki said softly.
The two walked side by side through the market and passed a ramen shop with a rich aroma.
"Would you like some ramen?" Boruto suddenly suggested, "I'll treat you."
"Ramen?" Shinshiki frowned, "What is that?"
"Ichiraku Ramen! The best in Leaf!" Boruto's eyes lit up, "My dad loves coming here the most. The first thing he does when he comes back from a mission is to shout "A bowl of special barbecued pork!" I'm tired of hearing it."
"Then let's try it." Shinshiki rarely showed a hint of curiosity.
Pushing open the curtain, hot air hits my face.
"Welcome!" Uncle Teuchi looked up and grinned, "Oh, Boruto! Long time no see! Did you bring a friend?"
"Yeah! Two bowls of the signature barbecued pork ramen!"
"Okay!" Teuchi skillfully fished out the noodles, added soup, and arranged the ingredients with smooth movements.
After a while, two bowls of hot and fragrant ramen were placed on the table. The golden soup reflected the light, the barbecued pork was oily and attractive, and the soft-boiled egg oozed amber juice when poked lightly.
"I'm starting!" Boruto picked up the chopsticks and devoured it.