Friends (Final)

This alternate dimension was defined by ash and desolation.

Dense white vine-like branches intertwined in a tangled mess, crisscrossing and forming structures everywhere. The surrounding branches overlapped like the sprawling roots beneath some giant tree.

Boruto, who had followed close behind, finally arrived in Nue's dimension. In Sage Mode, he quickly sensed Nue's location and spotted Sumire Kakei standing on a high place not far away.

She stood atop a neatly cut tree stump, connected to Nue by Chakra that resembled a ghostly presence.

Here, Nue was nowhere near as enormous as it had been outside. It had shrunk considerably, looking more like a large canine.

Nue watched Boruto warily, as though it had encountered the enemy it feared most in its life. It had gained no advantage in their battle outside and had nearly gotten itself killed in the end.

Boruto could not be bothered to communicate with it. He had only come here to reinforce the seal and hide this alternate dimension from Starry Sky.

He raised his hand and rapidly formed seals. "Sage Art: Water Style: Water Prison Cage!"

A pool of water rose beneath Boruto's feet, flowing freely and moldable like clay. Boruto used it to engulf Nue, binding its body with water pressure and restricting its movements.

After finishing all that, Boruto floated into the air and laid down layer after layer of sealing techniques throughout the surrounding space, intending to completely isolate this place's presence.

Before long, Boruto and Sumire faced each other again in silence. Neither of them spoke. Sumire could only watch unwillingly as Boruto placed one seal after another around this place.

"Nue is a very dangerous creature. It is more threatening than you imagine."

After a long while, Boruto finally spoke to Sumire.

"I know. The power produced when complete-form Nue self-destructs is no less than one Shinra Tensei from the leader of the Akatsuki." Sumire sounded somewhat proud.

"No. Compared to Nue's true danger, destroying the Hidden Leaf Village is insignificant," Boruto refuted.

"?"

Sumire looked puzzled.

As Boruto continued placing seals, he explained, "Nue's creation involved something forbidden. I don't know whether you noticed, but the space beneath your feet is not part of the Shinobi World.

"It is a unique alternate dimension somewhere in Starry Sky."

Sumire frowned and listened to Boruto's explanation with interest.

"This place originally had nothing to do with the Shinobi World. Root forcibly established contact with it through their methods. Without knowing anything about this place, they wanted to use Nue's power to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village.

"But they still underestimated Nue's danger and destructive potential. Nue itself is not actually that strong. You could tell from my battle with it."

"That is only because you are too strong," Sumire said.

Boruto shook his head. "Do you know where this place is, or what kind of trouble it is connected to?"

"What does that have to do with me? I am Nue's master, not this place's master." Sumire's voice turned cold. "I only want to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village and complete my revenge."

She really was stubborn. Boruto casually manipulated the surrounding gravity and pulled Sumire through the air in front of him.

"So you finally want to kill me? I suppose it makes sense. We are enemies now, after all." Sumire stared straight at Boruto without fear.

Boruto's brows furrowed slightly. He was not angry, though. Ignorance was not her fault, and at present, only he, a transmigrator, knew how dangerous Nue truly was.

He sighed. A crisp snap echoed beside them—he had released Nue from its restraints.

"Class Rep, Nue's danger is better than nothing. I could even let it go and allow it to grow, or directly help it reach its complete form.

"None of that is a big deal. Its value does not even compare to that of the Tailed Beasts."

Sumire frowned. Seeing Boruto sighing, anger welled up inside her. "You look down that much on Nue, even though it nearly destroyed the Hidden Leaf Village?"

"Do you still not understand, Class Rep? Nue is not much of a threat to me. Then why do you think I am wasting my breath explaining all this to you?"

Sumire fell silent. Why? She had only seen Boruto setting up seal after seal throughout this space, as though he intended to hide it away.

She had originally thought Boruto wanted to exile her to this world. After all, that counted as one of the cruelest punishments imaginable.

"Because this alternate dimension is connected to the real enemies. They are true gods, powerful beings on the same level as Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the God of Chakra.

"Exposing this place's location is equivalent to revealing the Shinobi World to the Ōtsutsuki. Do you think the Shinobi World's current strength can withstand the arrival of possibly more than one Ōtsutsuki?"

"Th-This...!!" Sumire froze.

"But... the meaning of my existence..."

"There are no buts." Boruto interrupted her. His determined eyes met Sumire's as he said, "Putting aside that insignificant identity, you are still a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. You are my classmate.

"You have your own path to walk. You have a group of wonderful friends. You still need to manage me when I cause trouble, along with the other restless students in class.

"So, Class Rep, you are not alone. You do not need to carry out the orders of people who are already dead. From the moment they died, you became free. You belong only to yourself now!"

If you cannot find it by searching the book title, try searching for the author instead. It may have simply been renamed!

"Sniff..." Crystal-clear tears slid down Sumire's cheeks.

For someone who had hidden in the darkness while bearing a mission she did not want, having someone beside her who understood her was undoubtedly a form of salvation.

She was also deeply wronged. She wanted to shout desperately at the world that this was not her true wish. She only wanted to be an ordinary Hidden Leaf Village ninja, to meet teammates she could entrust her back to and grow alongside them!

Boruto continued setting up sealing techniques, ensuring that this space was completely sealed without any omissions and preventing its coordinates from being tracked.

Sumire sobbed at the side. There was no one else here, so she could safely vent her emotions. She had never poured out her feelings so freely before.

A long time passed, until Sumire had cried until she no longer wanted to cry. She wanted to wipe away the tears on her face, only to realize there were too many tear streaks, and even her sleeves had been soaked.

"Alright, stop being sad, Class Rep. Come back to the Hidden Leaf Village with me. You are still our classmate."

Boruto helped wipe away her tears and gently rubbed her head in comfort.

"But I cannot go back now. I released Nue in order to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village. The meaning of my growth was revenge. To me, this was a war from the start!"

"You fulfilled every mission you carried. It is just that I stopped all of it."

Sumire: ...

"So, you can always trust my abilities. I can protect you, and I will protect you!"

"But... I know your secret," Sumire said quietly.

"Then it becomes our shared secret. In exchange, I will help you conceal what you did in releasing Nue, and you can quietly pretend to be an ordinary bystander. You only know Boruto, not the leader of 'Moon.'"

"Why are you helping me this much?" Sumire truly could not understand. He could have simply killed her and eliminated every potential danger.

Was he not afraid that she would reveal everything?

Seemingly noticing Sumire's doubts, Boruto asked softly, "Then would you want to expose me?"

Sumire hurriedly shook her head. No matter what, Boruto was her savior. She could not do something so against her conscience.

"Then there you go. Good cooperation is built on mutual trust!" Boruto said with a smile.

Equal bargaining chips were the beginning of good cooperation. But there was another factor: value.

Sumire knew her own strength very well. To the current Boruto, she had no value whatsoever. He did not need her to pay any price to balance the scales of cooperation.

Maybe he was... just pitying her.

Sumire's eyes dimmed somewhat, and the faint hope in them faded. The light in her gaze was buried by reality and vanished without a trace.

Boruto: ...

Do all girls have delusions?

Why did she look like her whole family had died?

"What else is there to worry about, Class Rep? Come back to the Hidden Leaf Village with me now, and you can attend class normally tomorrow!"

"But... the mark on my back." Sumire temporarily cast aside those stray thoughts and focused on how she could return with him.

"Um... leave it to me."

Boruto lightly raised his palm and hovered it behind Sumire. His Jōgan activated, and his hand, covered in a faint blue glow, gently pressed against Sumire's back. The cool sensation paired with the warmth of his palm made her body tremble slightly.

"Jōgan: Divine Purification!"

"Though I do not know what the effect will be, I still wanted to try," Boruto explained only after finishing.

When the mark of the Ox-Head Heavenly King encountered the purifying light released by the Jōgan, it melted away like ice and snow beneath the blazing sun. Along with it vanished Sumire's obsession with revenge and her determination to avenge her father.

"How did you do that?!!" Sumire was shocked. She could feel the connection between herself and Nue constantly growing fainter until it disappeared completely.

"Believe in yourself," Boruto said. "Those things people always think are impossible—they make rash judgments before even trying them themselves. But in reality, they are not that complicated, are they?"

"...You succeeded, so whatever you say is profound wisdom!" Sumire could not agree. If something could not be done, then it simply could not be done.

"Actually, you can become stronger too. Rely on yourself, and rely on it." Boruto pointed at Nue.

"Nue? But it has already severed its connection with me?"

"You can still sign a summoning contract," Boruto said helplessly, rubbing his head.

"Oh..."

With that, the two left. Everything was quiet, as though nothing had happened.

The Nue Arc, complete.