"The Ten-Tails… really is something else."
In the distant future, Uzumaki Naruto recalled the Ten-Tails from that great war.
To be precise, even if he fought it again now, he wasn't confident he could win.
Back then, they hadn't actually defeated the Ten-Tails itself. What they defeated was its jinchūriki. In truth, Uchiha Obito had fallen at the hands of Uchiha Madara, and Madara had fallen to Black Zetsu. In the end, they hadn't truly defeated Otsutsuki Kaguya either.
They had only managed to seal her, and even that had taken everything they had.
And that "alien" mentioned in the diary…
Was it another Otsutsuki?
This was the first time Naruto had seen the diary updating in real time, and he couldn't help feeling a faint sense of novelty.
"The moon coming at you…"
Was that referring to Otsutsuki Toneri's attack?
That had been close—too close. He had almost lost his wife that time.
She had nearly been taken from him.
Looking back, Konoha really had suffered one disaster after another, just as Kaede Kitahara described.
And wasn't that exactly why he worked so hard now, even sacrificing time with his children? To protect those countless lights scattered across the village.
Kaede Kitahara seemed to carry the same resolve.
Maybe he really did have the makings of a good Hokage.
[The real danger was still Pain's surprise attack. If Naruto's Talk Release hadn't been at its peak back then, Konoha would've been wiped out on the spot.
It's not like after he became Hokage, when his Talk Release clearly declined to the point he couldn't even convince Uchiha Sarada, that little girl. (manual laugh)
Then again, Sasuke's never home, doesn't even recognize his own daughter, and almost stabbed her to death. Sarada even suspected Karin was her real mom, since Karin looked more like one.
And Naruto, supposedly the master of Talk Release, couldn't convince her. That's just ridiculous.
Sasuke's even worse. Middle-aged Sasuke's basically a silent bottle—he knows everything but says nothing, trying to handle it all himself. He's practically a copy of Uchiha Itachi.
Maybe once he got older, he finally understood his brother. Funny.
But seriously, did he even train properly after the Fourth Great Ninja War? Why did he run out of chakra so fast against Otsutsuki Urashiki? He even had to resort to the Uchiha Pile Driver. That weak? Come on, Sasuke.
Though to be fair, middle-aged Naruto doesn't seem that great either. Guess that's what happens when you hit middle age. In the end, the future belongs to the new protagonist—Uzumaki Boruto… no, Otsutsuki Boruto. (manual laugh)]
"Talk Release?"
Hatake Kakashi stared at the diary with a deadpan expression, though he more or less understood what it meant.
In Kaede Kitahara's diary, the two so-called saviors each had their own "signature techniques." Naruto had Talk Release, while Sasuke had… Pretend Release.
Kakashi could only sigh in disbelief at the sarcastic naming.
Still, what caught his attention was something else.
Pain's attack on Konoha.
He didn't know all the details, but even what he had seen in the earlier footage was already shocking beyond words.
Destroying the entire village in a single move—was that something a human could even do?
It was almost impossible to imagine.
But could Pain really have been talked down by Naruto?
No… that didn't make sense. If the village had already been destroyed, what was there left to persuade?
"Pain back then… really was dangerous."
Naruto's gaze lingered on the diary, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes.
That battle had truly been perilous.
He had nearly lost himself to the Nine-Tails.
At the time, his relationship with Kurama had been nothing like it was now. If Kurama had taken over completely, there would have been no coming back.
Even worse, if he hadn't ultimately persuaded Nagato, then even defeating him would have meant nothing. The village had already been devastated, and countless people—including Kakashi—had died.
As for calling his ability to connect with others "Talk Release," Naruto could only shake his head helplessly.
He had already realized that Kaede Kitahara had a sharp tongue and a habit of giving people strange nicknames.
Like calling Kakashi "Hatake 50/50."
Still, seeing Sasuke get roasted like this made Naruto grin.
"Silent bottle," huh…
He had to admit, it wasn't entirely wrong.
Sasuke used to love showing off, always chasing the spotlight. But as he grew older, he had become quieter, spending most of his time wandering alone.
Naruto understood why.
Sasuke might claim he was gathering intelligence for Konoha, but in truth, he was atoning in his own way.
Still… not recognizing your own daughter?
That was pushing it.
Sarada was a good kid.
Naruto recalled that in the diary, Sarada saw him as her role model—while his own son idolized Sasuke instead.
The sheer injustice of it made him grit his teeth.
And then there was the part about Sarada thinking Karin was her mother.
That was just absurd.
But soon, his focus shifted.
Otsutsuki Urashiki.
Another Otsutsuki he had never heard of.
Did that mean more of them were coming?
Was the terrifying clan that Kaguya had feared finally making its move?
And within his lifetime?
The diary even mentioned Sasuke fighting Urashiki, to the point of exhausting his chakra.
That alone was shocking.
Naruto knew exactly how much chakra Sasuke possessed. While it couldn't match his own, it was still far beyond what ordinary Kage Level shinobi could comprehend. Even during the Fourth Great Ninja War, it had never been pushed to true depletion.
So what kind of battle could drain him like that?
Days and nights of nonstop fighting?
As he read Kaede Kitahara's complaints about Sasuke, Naruto's expression grew serious.
Because he suddenly realized something.
He hadn't been training seriously either.
Not like he used to.
Back then, he had pushed himself relentlessly.
Now, that drive had faded.
Sasuke's strength could serve as a reference. If even Sasuke had been driven to the brink of exhaustion, then Naruto wouldn't fare much better—even if he still had chakra left.
A warning bell rang loudly in his mind.
But what troubled him most… was his son.
Uzumaki Boruto.
Or rather—
Otsutsuki Boruto.
Unlike others, Naruto had seen firsthand how Karma worked. Kaguya had used it to resurrect herself through Uchiha Madara.
Madara's power had left an indelible impression on him. Even now, Naruto wasn't certain he could defeat him without Six Paths Yang Power.
And yet, someone like Madara had been overtaken in an instant.
That was the horror of Karma.
If the diary was accurate, then his son's fate might be the same.
Taken over.
Consumed.
That was why Uzumaki Boruto became Otsutsuki Boruto.
Naruto's expression grew heavy.
If that was true, then it meant an Otsutsuki was behind it.
But which one?
Was it Urashiki?
Isshiki?
Or… could it even be Kaguya?
Still, something didn't add up.
When Kaguya used Karma, she took over completely, restoring her original form.
So why would Boruto become something in between—neither fully himself nor fully Otsutsuki?
Naruto didn't understand.
But he wanted answers.
Unfortunately, separated by time, there was no way for him to interfere.
"Why would Sasuke end up like that…?"
Uchiha Itachi frowned slightly as he read about Sasuke's future—silent, distant, rarely home, even nearly killing his own daughter.
That wasn't the Sasuke he knew.
He could only sigh.
Sasuke's personality, it seemed, was hard to change. Either extreme and intense, or withdrawn and silent.
And on top of that, he would even slack off in training.
Inside the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Sasuke's face flushed red.
"I… I wouldn't be that weak."
He couldn't understand why his future self would turn out like that—becoming the subject of Kaede Kitahara's ridicule.
It made his blood boil.
"Otsutsuki Urashiki, huh… fine."
He burned the name into his memory.
If he ever encountered that enemy in the future, he would crush him without hesitation.
He wasn't the same person he would be twenty years from now.
And being mocked for lacking stamina…
That was going too far.
[Pain: Naruto, my style is above yours!]
Just then, the diary updated again with a new video.
The title alone made everyone's expressions twist.
What kind of bizarre name was that?
Still, hands moved faster than thoughts as it was opened.
The scene began outside Konoha's walls.
At some unknown time, the Six Paths of Pain and Konan had already gathered, standing at a distance as they looked toward the village, preparing to invade.
Everyone watching felt their expressions tighten.
If it were anyone else, attempting to attack Konoha with such limited forces would be suicide.
But this was the Six Paths of Pain.
That changed everything.
Each of them possessed strength comparable to a Kage Level shinobi.
With six of them, plus Konan whose full abilities were unknown, the threat was immense.
"We'll split into two groups here—one for diversion, one for reconnaissance. The diversion team will be the Asura Path, Animal Path, and Preta Path. The reconnaissance team will be the Deva Path, Human Path, and Naraka Path."
Through the Deva Path, Nagato assigned the roles.
"Konan, you'll join the reconnaissance group."
"I understand," Konan replied with a nod.
Through the Deva Path's Rinnegan, every defensive barrier surrounding Konoha came into view.
"The village has set up a spherical barrier both underground and in the sky."
"It detects anyone who enters without permission immediately, right?" Konan said.