Two figures landed heavily in a clearing not far from Konoha, stirring a faint cloud of dust. The noise was slight, but enough to put both travelers on edge in this unfamiliar time and place.
The adult Sasuke Uchiha stood silently where he had landed, his presence composed and cold. Even without his left arm, the oppressive aura of a seasoned powerhouse had not diminished in the slightest.
Beside him, Boruto Uzumaki stood stiffly, still dazed. His head buzzed, and his eyes were filled with bewildered disbelief.
He slowly raised his head, looking up inch by inch at the towering Hokage Rock ahead.
The imposing faces of successive Hokage were carved into the enormous cliff.
There was no statue of the Seventh, Naruto Uzumaki!
There was no statue of the Sixth, Kakashi Hatake!
Neither of them was there!
Boruto's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart sank. It felt as though the blood throughout his body had instantly gone cold.
Ever since he was little, he had been used to the Hokage Rock of the future Konoha. He was accustomed to seeing his father Naruto's statue, and Kakashi's face standing silently above the village.
But now, neither was there.
Everything before him looked old and weathered, familiar yet foreign.
The buildings lining the streets, the layout of the village... all of it looked unfamiliar.
"This is..."
Boruto's throat went dry. He murmured to himself, his voice trembling slightly.
At that moment, every last shred of wishful thinking vanished, and all his doubts were settled.
He was completely certain now.
This was no illusion.
They really had traveled through time.
They had truly, completely returned to the past, more than twenty years ago-to the Konoha of old!
Before Boruto could process that staggering revelation, Sasuke slowly spoke beside him. His cool, low