At that moment, in Konoha.
Two figures were locked in a furious, high-speed Jutsu battle: Kisame and... Boruto.
Hinata, Neji, and Hashirama watched Boruto's movements with utterly baffled looks.
"It looks like something possessed him. He isn't acting of his own will."
With their Byakugan, Neji and Hinata had spotted the signs.
"Is it that Ōtsutsuki you mentioned before, the one living inside Boruto..." Hashirama held out a hand to stop the two from intervening, signaling that they should leave this to him. "Let's see what happens first."
On the battlefield, Kisame and Boruto were fighting neck and neck, and neither stopped talking.
"So this is the Nine-Tails' power? How terrifying!"
Kisame lashed out with a kick, only for that scrawny body to catch it effortlessly. Even though his plan had already failed, he couldn't help marveling.
"The Nine-Tails? You dare mistake me for that beast... Foolish lesser creature, let your body experience the consequences of offending me!"
Boruto, now sporting a strange marking on his face, spoke in an icy tone. It was Momoshiki Otsutsuki's will—
He hadn't expected to wake up only to find someone on the verge of damaging his vessel!
Of course, he didn't care whether that brat Boruto lived or died. In fact, he would have been delighted to wake up and see the brat who had killed him suffering.
But Momoshiki had engraved the Kāma that would resurrect him into Boruto's body, and their lives were now intertwined. If Boruto truly died, he would die too.
The astonishing murderous aura Kisame had unleashed while weathering Neji's attacks had caused the newly awakened, still groggy Momoshiki to misunderstand the situation instinctively and rush out to take over the fight...
Of course, the instant he struck and sent Kisame flying, Momoshiki had realized something was wrong.