Visitor from Beyond the Heavens

"God Tree?" Tsunade frowned. "What is that?"

"It was an invader from beyond the heavens long, long ago—the origin of chakra and the root of all chaos." The little slug's voice remained soft and sweet, but its words were alarming. "However, there should no longer be any complete God Trees. Lord Qianyu's aura merely shares certain similar traits. At its core, it is pure life force."

Qianyu was shaken. The slug really could sense it! Was it because this body of his came from the cells of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, whose powers could both be traced back to the God Tree?

Though Tsunade was puzzled, hearing that there were "none now" and that it was "pure life force," she did not pursue the matter further. She simply took it as the unusual perception of an ancient creature from Shikkotsu Forest.

"All right, all right, Qianyu. You remember the summoning technique, right? If you encounter danger or need healing support in the future, you can summon slugs. Their ability to split makes them well-suited for support."

"I remember, Teacher." Qianyu composed himself and gave the little slug a friendly smile. "Please take care of me in the future, Slug."

The little slug shifted slightly. "Certainly, Lord Qianyu. I look forward to fighting alongside you." With that, it vanished in a puff of smoke as the summoning was released.

Only then was the apprenticeship ceremony truly complete. Qianyu touched the First Hokage's necklace around his neck. He finally had a bond in this world.

The next day, the atmosphere at the Ninja Academy had completely changed. News of Tsunade returning to the village and taking on a disciple had spread overnight, becoming Konoha's most sensational topic. The moment Qianyu stepped through the school gates, he became the absolute center of attention.

Whispers washed over him like a tide, and the gazes directed at him were filled with curiosity, envy, and even a hint of reverence. Yesterday, he had merely been "that somewhat unusual war orphan." Today, he was "the disciple of Tsunade-hime, one of the legendary Sannin." The change in status could not have been clearer.

Ino practically rushed into the classroom. Her golden ponytail was a little disheveled from running too fast, and the moment she saw Qianyu, her eyes lit up like little bulbs as she darted straight to his seat.

"Qianyu! Is it true?! Did Lady Tsunade really take you as her disciple?!" Her voice rose with excitement, and her cheeks flushed red. "That's Lady Tsunade! My idol! The strongest female ninja! The pinnacle of medical ninjutsu! And she's so... so beautiful and powerful!"

Seeing Ino acting like such a fanatical little fangirl, Qianyu found it rather amusing and nodded. "Yeah, it's true. Teacher Tsunade... she's actually pretty nice."

"That's incredible! Qianyu, you really are the best!" Ino clasped her hands together, her eyes filled with longing. "Someday, I'm going to become a powerful kunoichi like Lady Tsunade too! Oh, right, right—could you... could you introduce me to Lady Tsunade sometime? Just seeing her from far away would be enough!"

Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Qianyu readily agreed. "Sure, if there's a chance. She's currently... well, staying at my house." He lowered his voice slightly.

"Wha—?!" Ino's cry nearly blew the roof off, drawing even more glances from the surrounding students. She hurriedly covered her mouth, her eyes wide and round, filled with the words: "What kind of heavenly luck is this?"

The school was brimming with cheer, and no one noticed that atop the towering Hokage Rock in the distance, space near the First Hokage's stone head suddenly twisted and spun in an eerie manner, forming a pitch-black vortex.

Two figures stumbled out of the vortex.

One wore a dark, short robe and had spiky black hair, his expression cold and stern. The sleeve on his left arm hung empty, fluttering in the wind. The other had blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in strange white clothing accented with blue, his face carrying a young man's characteristic vigor and curiosity.

Once Boruto found his footing, he looked around curiously. Seeing how different the village below was from the future, he could not help asking, "Master, is this... Konoha in the past? It looks so different. Why does Konoha in our time seem to be... in a pit?"

"Ah, was there someone shouting about selling rice, saying something about carrying a sack of rice up several floors?"

Sasuke did not answer immediately. His deep Rinnegan swiftly swept over the entire village layout, confirming the era and key coordinates. "The details are irrelevant, Boruto."

His voice was low and grave. "We don't have much time. We must find Naruto from this era before Otsutsuki Urashiki does. If he takes the Nine-Tails' chakra from young Naruto, the consequences will be unimaginable."

The dismissal bell rang. Qianyu had originally planned to head straight home, considering there was now a "queen" in the house who needed feeding, but Naruto's relentless, enthusiastic invitation was impossible to refuse.

"Come on, Qianyu! My treat today! To celebrate you getting an super—awesome teacher! Ichiraku Ramen, all you can eat!" Naruto's eyes sparkled as he waved his arms around, as though he were the one who had become a disciple.

Ino also chimed in from the side, her eyes plainly saying, "I want to spend more time with Qianyu too."

Unable to refuse their enthusiasm, and curious about the legendary Ichiraku Ramen himself, Qianyu nodded. The three of them headed for the famous little shop together.

This was Qianyu's first time entering Ichiraku Ramen. The place was small but exceptionally clean and cozy, and the rich aroma of bone broth greeted him at the door. He curiously studied Uncle Teuchi, who always had his eyes narrowed and wore a kind smile, muttering to himself, As expected... he's never opened his eyes. Masaka...

Before long, three large steaming bowls of char siu ramen piled high with toppings were set before them. Naruto had already begun slurping eagerly, making satisfied rumbling noises.

Ino ate far more delicately. Qianyu took a bite—the broth was rich, the noodles chewy, and the char siu perfectly balanced between lean and fat... It really was delicious! He stopped holding back and began competing with Naruto in devouring their meals.

Just as Naruto drank the last sip of soup and let out a thoroughly satisfied "Hah—," the air beside the ramen stand rippled without warning.

A figure emerged like a ghost. He wore white robes, his skin pale, and held a strangely shaped fishing rod in his hand.

His scarlet Rinnegan locked precisely onto Naruto, who was wiping his mouth, and a greedy, eerie smile spread across his lips.

"Finally found you... Nine-Tails jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Huh?" Naruto looked up, staring blankly at the strange-eyed uncle who had suddenly appeared. "What are you talking about? What Nine-Tails jinchuriki?"

Qianyu's chopsticks clattered onto the table. In that instant, it felt as though all the blood in his body had frozen.

Otsutsuki... Urashiki?!

How was that possible?! According to the vague timeline he remembered, wasn't this guy supposed to appear shortly after Naruto became a genin, when he was training with Jiraiya? Why was he here? Why had he appeared in an era when Naruto was still just a little brat?!

Danger! Extreme danger!

Qianyu's mind raced. Naruto was a jinchuriki, so there had to be ANBU protecting him nearby! He abruptly rose to his feet and shouted into the street with all his strength.

"Enemy attack! Someone, hurry! A ninja from another village is trying to seize the jinchuriki!!!"

His shout was especially piercing on the relatively quiet evening street. Almost at once, several black shadows shot out like lightning from nearby rooftops and alleyways, instantly surrounding Urashiki. Kunai and short blades glinted coldly beneath the setting sun. Uncle Teuchi reacted quickly, yanking the still-dazed Naruto behind him.

"Ino!" Qianyu grabbed Ino, who had been frightened stiff by the sudden turn of events, speaking at an astonishing speed. "Listen to me! Right now, immediately, run to my house as fast as you can! Tell Teacher Tsunade something happened at the ramen shop—a terrifyingly dangerous enemy is trying to capture Naruto! Tell her to get here quickly! Go!!!"

"But Qianyu, you..." Ino's face had gone pale. She looked at the eerie man in white surrounded by the ANBU, then at Qianyu, her legs turning weak.

"Don't worry about me! The faster you run and bring Teacher Tsunade here, the better our chances of Naruto and me surviving! Understand?! Go!" Qianyu shoved her hard.

Startled by the resolve in his eyes, Ino instantly understood the severity of the situation. She gritted her teeth and nodded forcefully. "Hold on!" With that, she turned and ran desperately toward Qianyu's home, her golden ponytail flying behind her.

At that moment, Urashiki seemed utterly unconcerned by the watchful ANBU surrounding him. He did not even stop Ino from leaving. Tilting his head, his scarlet Rinnegan swept over the ANBU as he spoke disdainfully. "Annoying... trash."

The moment he finished speaking, he gave the red-glowing fishing rod in his hand a light flick.

There was no trajectory. The hook and line seemed to break free from the limits of space, appearing out of nowhere before several ANBU!

"Pfft!" "Aagh!"

Several dull thuds and brief screams rang out almost simultaneously. The three ANBU who reacted fastest tried to block with kunai or dodge, but the fishhooks seemed to possess wills of their own, piercing through their shoulders and thighs at unimaginable angles and speeds! The struck ANBU instantly felt their chakra being drained away like floodwater through a breached dam, leaving them limp and collapsed on the ground.

"It's a chakra-absorbing technique! Watch out for his fishhooks!" an experienced ANBU squad captain shouted sternly. At the same time, he pulled out a specially made signal flare without hesitation and ignited it.

"Whoosh—bang!!!"

An incredibly dazzling red firework exploded in the sky, clearly visible even at dusk. Accompanied by a shrill, ear-piercing alarm, it instantly spread throughout all of Konoha!

The highest-level invasion alert!

In front of the ramen stand, Urashiki watched the rising firework. Rather than becoming nervous, he wore an even more interested smile. "Oh? Calling more people over? Fine... saves me the trouble of looking for them one by one."

By then, Qianyu had already pulled Naruto back into a relatively safe corner, his back pressed against the wall and his heart pounding wildly. He stared fixedly at Urashiki, his mind racing. The way he looked at me just now... it was unfamiliar. He doesn't know me at all.

Something's wrong. If he's the Urashiki I know from the future, or if he came together with Boruto and the others, then he should at least know that I exist—the 'heir of Wood Release'... unless...

A startling conjecture flashed through his mind. Unless he isn't the Urashiki who should have appeared in my timeline at all! Or... he came from a parallel world where I had already died in the future?!

The thought sent a chill through his entire body. But now was not the time to dwell on it.

Urashiki seemed to have grown tired of playing. He raised his fishing rod again, and this time, the fishhook streaked toward Naruto, who was being shielded behind Uncle Teuchi, carrying a fierce red glow!

"Naruto, get out of the way!" Without even thinking, Qianyu instinctively tried to shove Naruto aside.

At that critical moment—

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"

A thick earthen wall abruptly rose from the ground, blocking the fishhook's path. At the same time, several shuriken wrapped with explosive tags shot toward Urashiki from different angles.

The Hokage's elite ANBU reinforcements had arrived!

Almost at the exact moment the Earth Flow Wall rose, Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in his Hokage robes, appeared in front of the ramen stand as if he had teleported. His pipe was still between his lips, but his gaze had already turned sharp as an eagle's.

From another direction, a golden figure crashed down like a cannonball, shattering several paving stones beneath her feet. Beneath Tsunade's golden bangs, amber eyes blazed with fury. She spotted Qianyu and Naruto hiding in the corner at once, and relaxed slightly—but the next instant, her gaze locked onto the white-clad man in the center of the street, who radiated a strange and ominous aura.

"So you're the bastard who dared to cause trouble in Konoha and scare my disciple?!" Tsunade clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking loudly.

Meanwhile, on a secluded street somewhere in Konoha, the young Sasuke, who had been using his Rinnegan's perception to search for Urashiki's chakra, suddenly raised his head. He looked toward the red alarm flare rising from the ramen stand and the intense chakra fluctuations erupting there.

"Looks like... I won't need to look for him after all."

He muttered under his breath. Purple light flashed in his Rinnegan, and his figure instantly vanished from where he stood.