The timeline had reached the eve of Boruto attending the Tailed Beasts' meeting.
Moonlight stained the sky black, while the sea stretched across the smooth, flat surface like the night itself. Occasionally, fish surfaced and slapped against the waves.
After the night's revelry, the classmates had gradually grown tired. A few who could not stay up late had already gone to bed peacefully. Iwabee and the others continued playing games, while Mitsuki leaned against the windowsill, admiring the moonlight.
On the observation deck, Boruto and Sumire Kakei quietly gazed at the moon. The goose-yellow light illuminated them both. Neither spoke; they simply leaned close together.
The sea breeze drifted through their gentle dreamland, and the moon blurred their thoughts. They seemed to understand each other's hearts, as though drunk on the moonlight.
After a long while, Sumire emerged from that tender moment and asked with slight concern, "Mitsuki... he won't be in trouble, will he?"
"Trust in his strength. I've already helped him get used to diving into the sea. He should have some foundation for underwater combat," Boruto replied softly.
"So fishing was just an excuse?"
"Cough, cough." Having had his purpose guessed, Boruto coughed twice before changing the subject. "Still, this atmosphere is nice. At least you don't have to keep an eye on the classmates anymore."
"Uh~!" Sumire froze for several seconds.
Her shyness made the tranquil atmosphere even quieter. Amid the sound of the rolling tide, Boruto used his Jōgan to peer through the heavy sea surface and began observing the situation underwater.
Sensing that Boruto had entered a focused state, Sumire did not disturb him. She simply watched him silently. His skin was much paler than before, and his blond hair fluttered gently in the sea breeze.
Her eyes held only his reflection; not even the moonlight could intrude.
In the sea, Mitsuki was completely submerged in the water. The cold sensation stimulated his nerves and sharpened his focus.
He silently descended, holding the scroll Boruto had given him. Boruto had said it was specifically meant to imprison Three-Tails Isobu.
Once he descended to a certain depth, the water pressure rapidly increased to a terrifying degree, already exceeding the limits of what a human body could endure. Mitsuki immediately activated Sage Mode!
Emerald-green Chakra spread across his body, wrapping around and protecting every inch of his skin as it resisted the pressure of the seawater.
A small snake rested on his shoulder, sheltered by Sage Mode. From time to time, it flicked out its tongue, precisely guiding Mitsuki down toward Isobu's location.
At some point, Mitsuki, who was leaning against the cruise ship's window, opened his sage-like slit pupils. Another small snake rested on the windowsill before him, relaying the information from his mouth to Mitsuki in the sea.
They worked together with such perfect understanding that they seemed like two individuals split from one person. Mitsuki trusted "Mitsuki," so the Mitsuki in the sea followed "Mitsuki's" instructions.
Soon, he descended to a considerable depth. The water pressure had become so immense that even Sage Mode struggled to endure it, and the small snake on Mitsuki's shoulder began groaning in pain.
After all, its body was weaker than Mitsuki's.
Thus, electric light began surging within Mitsuki's body. The fine lightning coursing through his veins and cells stimulated his skin and cellular vitality, strengthening his body's resistance.
"That'll do, Boruto. I've already sensed Isobu's approximate location. It's blurry, and I'm probably still far away from it, but I don't need you to guide me anymore."
"Mitsuki" on the cruise ship fell silent for a moment, then reminded him, "Be careful. And stay in contact at all times."
"Mm." Mitsuki answered, then sent the small snake on his shoulder back to rest.
At five hundred meters beneath the sea, Mitsuki continued descending by stimulating his cellular vitality. At six hundred meters beneath the sea, he had barely reached his limit, but he continued diving without pause.
At six hundred and fifty meters beneath the sea, Mitsuki's body was being severely compressed and could no longer withstand the immense pressure. Realizing he had completely reached his limit, he raised both hands with difficulty and slowly formed hand seals.
Dragon Cry: Sage Mode!
The emerald-green Chakra grew several shades brighter, like a little sun on the ocean floor, illuminating a vast stretch of sea.
Several small snake-like manifestations of solid Chakra appeared around his body, slowly showing signs of transforming into dragons. This granted Mitsuki even stronger defensive power.
The density of his Sage Chakra was on an entirely different level from before. It even faintly rivaled the resistance of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!
This allowed Mitsuki to plunge all the way down to nine hundred meters. He had already vaguely sensed Isobu's location and began moving toward it with purpose.
Meanwhile, Isobu, who had been sleeping in the deep sea, suddenly woke up. It sensed a terrifying Chakra approaching, and it was clearly coming for it.
Could it be someone from "Moon"? I specifically dove into the deep-sea region, and they can still chase me here?
After the last Tailed Beasts' gathering, it had begun moving toward the deep sea to ensure its safety. One thousand meters was not its limit, but wasn't this deep sea a little too terrifying?
To humans outside, it was a gigantic monster. But in the deep sea, it discovered that it was just as insignificant as those humans. There were countless creatures several times larger than it, and some were even extremely aggressive.
Last time, a sea whale had nearly swallowed it whole. Fortunately, Isobu knew ninjutsu, and the whale could not withstand it!
After sensing the approaching danger, Isobu immediately swam deeper into the sea. It refused to believe that a mere human could truly ignore the pressure of the ocean floor!
Mitsuki also noticed this situation, and his brows furrowed slightly. Competing with Isobu in endurance underwater was undoubtedly a fool's dream.
After thinking for a moment, Mitsuki took out the scroll Boruto had given him. On the observation deck above the sea, Boruto sensed the ninja tool he had left Mitsuki being activated.
"What is it?" Sumire asked, noticing the disturbance.
"Nothing. Mitsuki ran into a little trouble," Boruto responded.
He instantly condensed Sage Chakra and entered Sage Mode. Forming hand seals, he established a connection with the ninja tool in the deep sea.
Before Mitsuki's eyes, four Black Rods shot out from the scroll and flew straight toward Isobu, far faster than Isobu could move.
Thus, Isobu was caught by the Black Rods without any suspense. They instantly spread out around its four sides. With a snap of Boruto's fingers on the surface, astonishing bolts of lightning surged from the four Black Rods, forming a barrier that trapped Isobu.
Sage Art: Lightning Release: Illusionary Lightening World!
Crackling lightning drew a curtain through the seawater, concealing Isobu within its radiance. It looked like protection, but the moment the barrier formed, Isobu lost all perception of the outside world.
It waited vigilantly, already gathering an incredibly dense Tailed Beast Ball in its mouth. A moment later, Mitsuki arrived at the Illusionary Lightening World.
Mitsuki saw Isobu gathering the Tailed Beast Ball, and Isobu naturally saw Mitsuki as well. It could not help revealing a provocative look, as though saying, If you've got the guts, come in!
Mitsuki merely pressed his hand against the wall of the lightning barrier and poured in a large amount of Lightning Release Chakra to activate it. Lightning from every direction linked together into chain-like lines, binding Isobu within the barrier.
Yet this still did not stop Isobu from releasing its Tailed Beast Ball.
Amid the humming thunder, the Three-Tails glared furiously at Mitsuki outside the barrier. It even gave up trying to break free from the chains binding its body as lightning traveled over its surface and burrowed through its skin into its body.
It was waiting—waiting for Mitsuki to fail to hold on and enter the barrier.
Because the pressure of the deep sea existed every moment. The instant Sage Mode was deactivated, he would be crushed into a mass of flesh and blood.
Yet this lightning world cleverly isolated the pressure of the deep sea. Entering it was like stepping into an ordinary reservoir; there was no need to worry about being crushed to death.
It was precisely because Isobu had sensed this that it calmly continued condensing its Tailed Beast Ball.
Mitsuki, standing in the deep sea, was equally composed. Though "salvation" was right before him, he did not rashly enter. But he was not overly worried either, because Boruto would help him solve every problem!
"I say, Three-Tails Isobu, we can talk," Mitsuki said, retracting the chains binding Isobu to show his sincerity.
"Human, stop playing these little tricks. If you really want to talk, why not come in and speak? Look, there's even a curtain specially prepared for us."
Isobu pointed at the barrier and spoke coldly.
"If I come in, you'll have a proper talk with me?" Mitsuki asked.
Isobu agreed almost without hesitation. "As long as you come in, we can take our time talking."
"Alright, then."
Mitsuki lightly pressed against the lightning barrier, slowly inserting his entire arm into it, then half his body, before finally squeezing his whole body inside.
The pressure of the deep sea vanished in an instant. One moment, his body had been under extreme tension; the next, he felt utterly comfortable, seized by an indescribable sense of ease.
At that moment, Isobu finally revealed its true intentions. It patiently waited until Mitsuki's entire body had entered the barrier, then fired the Tailed Beast Ball without hesitation.
"Die, you damned human!!" Isobu shouted excitedly.
"..." Mitsuki wore an expression that said he had expected this all along.
Before you continue