Sasuke felt a little moved.
"You've got real guts. I have to say, you're a lot like the Naruto in our world. You're both brave."
"Then it's settled."
Naruto raised his right hand and waved, indicating that neither of them needed to say anything more.
"Get some rest tonight."
His tone returned to its earlier calm, even carrying the consideration of a host attending to his guests.
"I'll go prepare your rooms. We can discuss the specifics of the Sealing Jutsu and barrier setup in detail tomorrow."
He never asked whether they agreed to the plan, as though their approval were a given.
That confidence, grounded in strength and judgment, once again made Sasuke feel the weight this "boy" carried within him, far beyond what his apparent age suggested.
Boruto watched Naruto head toward the inner rooms, then glanced at his teacher. Strangely, much of his earlier tension faded, replaced by a mixture of trust and anticipation.
The "Dad" of this world... seemed even more dependable than I imagined. Even more... impressive.
Sasuke gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
The next day.
A knock came at the courtyard gate.
Naruto, who had risen early, set down his pen and got up to answer it.
Sakura stood outside.
Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Sakura in a while.
"Oh, Sakura." A smile naturally spread across Naruto's face. "It's been a while."
Hearing the noise at the gate, Boruto, who had been about to go out and chat with this world's dad, had just slid open his room's door when he froze.
His heart nearly skipped a beat, and his pupils contracted slightly.
Oh, no!
Why was Aunt Sakura from this era here?
Mr. Sasuke was here, too!
What would happen if this timeline's Aunt Sakura met Mr. Sasuke?
Almost