"I don't agree with that! For all I know, you might just be some bug flying through the sky!"
Kiyosuke laughed wildly, his eyes filled with madness.
"If humans on this planet could cross the void the way you do, they'd definitely be stronger than your kind. All you people do is reincarnate, but without real strength behind it."
"My power surpasses yours! The law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—that's the one eternal truth!"
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki laughed cruelly.
"When I plant the God Tree, you monkeys will become nothing more than dust, along with this planet!"
"That's not happening!"
Adult Sasuke stood up.
"Lightning Release: Kirin!"
The moment the words fell, thunder roared across the heavens. Lightning flashed and crashed down from the storm-filled sky.
Bolts of lightning gathered overhead. Wind and rain raged as a devastating force of nature shaped itself into a massive blue Kirin, which suddenly charged downward from the clouds!
BOOOOOOM!!!
A burst of violet-red chakra erupted in front of Urashiki. A gigantic serpent, formed entirely from chakra, manifested and opened its maw wide. An energy sphere gathered before it, clashing head-on with the descending Kirin.
Explosions shook the air. Violent chakra storms tore across the battlefield, ripping apart everything around them.
In the midst of the chaos, Kiyosuke and Adult Sasuke closed in on Urashiki. Jiraiya also moved into action.
"Insignificant ants! And yet you can muster this kind of power?!"
Urashiki's fury and surprise twisted his expression. Even as he poured more energy into the clash, his gaze locked on the three approaching shinobi. Violet energy gathered in his palm.
The violet blast shot forward. Kiyosuke's body instantly burst into flames, scattering into countless sparks that whirled away with the storm winds. With a mere thought, he reassembled his form, dodging the attack.
Adult Sasuke used Amenotejikara, swapping places with a nearby boulder to evade while still advancing.
As for Jiraiya… well, age had caught up with him. His legs weren't what they used to be. He was hit directly.
Awkward.
Kiyosuke and Adult Sasuke reached Urashiki's position.
"Chidori!!"
A red fist and a blue hand struck—one slamming into Urashiki's face, the other piercing straight through his chest.
Sasuke's Chidori punched a hole in his torso. Half a beat later, Kiyosuke's fiery fist detonated, unleashing a roaring pillar of flames that engulfed Urashiki's head.
Without even a scream, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki died on the spot.
Sasuke slowly pulled his hand free from the corpse. Watching the headless body collapse, he let out a breath of relief.
"It's finally over."
Above, the chakra serpent lost its support. The Kirin tore it apart, thunder faded, and the storm clouds began to clear.
"Yeah… it's over at last."
Kiyosuke gave a sigh, then kicked Urashiki's corpse.
"Kaguya-sama was actually afraid of someone like this? That really caught me off guard."
For someone so ridiculously powerful, Kaguya was overly cautious!
She could handle three-on-one battles, even kill a future version of herself, yet she feared this? Was this a joke?
Then again, Kaguya was always kind of a naïve, airheaded boss. Kiyosuke decided not to dwell on it.
From what he knew, Momoshiki and Kinshiki together were enough to push adult Sasuke and Naruto into a hard fight. That proved they were indeed strong. Add Urashiki on top, and maybe Kaguya really would have struggled—or even lost.
Still, it seemed clear to Kiyosuke that the Ōtsutsuki didn't have much actual battle experience. They relied purely on overwhelming strength to crush everything. That must've been their standard method.
Kaguya herself needed Black Zetsu to guide and assist her in battle. She had immense power but didn't know how to use it properly. Urashiki was the same. Probably most of the Ōtsutsuki were like that.
Of course, when faced with absolute power, schemes and tricks were meaningless.
And the Ōtsutsuki clan wasn't just three people—there were more to come.
At that thought, Kiyosuke's heart sank.
He had originally planned to outwit Kaguya, settle down with a wife, open a small shop in Konoha, and spend his remaining years lazing around. But now… if he didn't take action, the future would be far worse.
He had no desire to turn into ash in the void.
Who wants to die, when they can live?
Kiyosuke pulled the injured Jiraiya back to his feet.
"You alright, Jiraiya-sama?"
"I'll live. Not dead yet." Jiraiya gave a wry grin.
"Just flesh wounds. That guy's chakra control was sloppy. If it had been Orochimaru or Tsunade with that kind of power, this old sage would probably be writing his final chapter right now."
Checking over his injuries, Kiyosuke found several broken ribs, but nothing fatal. With some rest, Jiraiya would be back on his feet. Kiyosuke himself had a few injuries too. Both of them would need some time to recover.
"Kiyosuke-san!!"
Two little brats who had been watching from the sidelines ran over, waving.
Naruto called out, "Kiyosuke-san, you're amazing! You actually took that guy down!"
"Of course! Who do you think I am?!" Kiyosuke burst into laughter.
"I'm a reliable adult!"
"You don't look reliable at all!" Boruto muttered.
A second later, a steaming-hot lump appeared on his forehead courtesy of Kiyosuke's fist.
That was the kind of love only an elder could give.
"Ow! That hurts!"
Adult Sasuke sealed Urashiki's body inside a scroll, preparing to bring it back to their own timeline for Orochimaru to study.
"Alright, Boruto. Things are wrapped up here. It's time for us to leave."
Scroll stored away, Sasuke turned to go.
"You're leaving already? Can't you stay a little longer?" Naruto asked, reluctant to part with his new friends.
"Sorry. We need to return and report our mission. But it was great meeting you, Naruto."
For Boruto, meeting his father as a kid had been a rare experience. Who knew the old man used to be way dumber when he was young…
Hehehehe…
The thought made him snicker.
"Leaving, huh? This old sage doesn't have anything proper to give you… so take this instead." Jiraiya pulled out a copy of Icha Icha Paradise and slapped it into Sasuke's hand.
"…"
Wasn't this the book Kakashi was obsessed with?
"Oh? Icha Icha Paradise! I've always wanted to read this! Can I take a look?"
"No!" ×3
Sasuke, Kiyosuke, and Jiraiya all barked in unison.
"Eh? Why not?!" Boruto was bewildered.
Neither his mom, nor his teachers, nor any of the uncles in his life ever let him read Icha Icha Paradise. And now these three too? Why?!
"This is still too early for you," Sasuke said firmly.
"Kids should stick to kid stuff. This, you can't read!" Kiyosuke added.
"This is a book for adults! When you're grown up, then you can read it!" Jiraiya declared.