Boruto Uzumaki wanted to keep talking, but Kushina Uzumaki pressed down slightly with the hand resting on his head, cutting him off.
"Child, the world may be fake as you understand it, but love is real. Have you ever considered that Little Sun and I might understand what you want to do, but could never accept our child having to suffer that fate?
"Grandpa Hashirama already told me what you intend to do. I don't agree. And... I've always known about what you said, about the world being destroyed.
"Grandpa Hashirama has been working hard all this time, too. Not only that, but many other people in this world have been working toward the same end.
"As for the savior you mentioned... although I really hope my child will become someone who stands tall and proud, I hope even more that he can grow up safely behind Little Sun and me. And the same goes for you."
The gentle female voice reached his ears. There was no reproach, yet every word struck deep into Boruto Uzumaki's heart, weighing on him until it hurt.
"But..."
Boruto Uzumaki's voice was hoarse, his eyes reddening.
"If he doesn't endure hardship, the Shinobi World will be destroyed over and over. Everyone will die. In the countless cycles the Will of the World showed me, there wasn't a single exception. I just wanted... wanted to find a way to save everyone."
"And then you would save everyone, leaving him as the only one you let down. Is that right?"
Kushina Uzumaki gently withdrew her hand and lowered her eyes to his face, her gaze full of tender concern.
"Wait, did you just mention... the Will of the World?!"
The next second, Kushina Uzumaki's expression changed, and so did her bearing.
Hashirama Senju had taken over.