Sai and Yamato's sudden appearance gave Boruto a thorough lesson.
That was — never underestimate the shinobi of this era.
"Sai? So that means..."
It wasn't until Sai and Yamato left that Boruto finally reacted to Yamato's form of address.
"Mm. That's right, he's Inojin's father. And the one behind him is your teacher Yukikaze's father — Yamato."
"No wonder. The moment I saw that guy behind him, I remembered the face Yukikaze-sensei used to scare us with." Boruto stuck out his tongue.
The "Yukikaze-sensei" he mentioned was their homeroom teacher back in the Academy.
Just as Boruto prepared to vent about that man's terrible behavior during a test-of-courage event, Sasuke suddenly turned his head, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"They're here."
Jiraiya and the others returned to Konoha with the bodies of their two fallen subordinates.
Watching the Internal Affairs autopsy division take away the corpses of their subordinates along with Hōki and Suiko, Jiraiya sighed and called Kakashi over.
"You'll report the detailed process of this mission to the higher-ups."
"Understood." Kakashi nodded, told Naruto and the others they were dismissed, and vanished from sight.
"It's finally over. Sasuke, where are you headed next?"
Naruto stretched lazily and asked about Sasuke's plans.
Hearing the question, Sasuke thought for a moment and answered,
"I'm going home. I heard my brother went on a mission. I want to see if he's back yet."
"… Fine. Karin, let's go home." Naruto had planned to treat Sasuke to a meal, but after hearing that reply, he clicked his tongue and headed home with Karin.
...
"No trace of Urashiki anywhere. Looks like he hasn't appeared in this timeline yet."
The two hidden observers — Sasuke and Boruto — heard the three clearly.
Only after seeing each of them go their separate ways did Sasuke step out from the shadows.
"We can't let our guard down. That guy might be hiding somewhere, watching and waiting for the right moment."
Naruto had no idea he was being secretly observed by people from the future.
In the days that followed, since there were no new missions assigned, he trained relentlessly.
His Uzumaki bloodline wasn't as pure as Karin's, so there were sealing techniques he simply couldn't learn.
Although Minato had already taught him the Flying Thunder God, for now he could only sense the location of a single marked kunai.
So during this period, he mainly focused on training his Flying Thunder God technique.
The busy Minato didn't have much spare time to accompany Naruto. All he could do was occasionally explain key concepts during rare breaks.
"Still no good, huh…"
After failing yet again to teleport between two Flying Thunder God–marked kunai, Naruto slumped onto the grass, frustrated, thinking about why he kept failing.
Could what his father said be true — that he simply wasn't well-suited for space–time ninjutsu?
Minato didn't have a particularly good solution either.
After all, learning space–time ninjutsu required a certain level of talent.
So Minato suggested that Naruto use his points to exchange for some Wind Release techniques that suited him better.
The so-called point exchange system had been refined by Sakumo based on Takeshi's original idea.
Shinobi could earn virtual points through missions, exams, and various methods, and use them to exchange for clan secret arts or rarer jutsu curated by Konoha.
Aside from the common Five Nature Transformations, shinobi could even exchange for S-rank forbidden techniques like the Flying Thunder God.
Of course, the required points were enormous.
And if someone exchanged for a technique but couldn't learn it due to lack of talent, they could only admit defeat and accept the wasted points.
So most ordinary shinobi focused on standard elemental ninjutsu.
For genin, having an offensive technique meant they could attempt the chūnin exams, or even aim for jōnin in the future.
But for Naruto — who had powerful backing — he didn't actually need to exchange for ninjutsu. If he wanted Wind Release, he could just wait for Takeshi to return and ask him. The Wind Release he had been using before was also taught by Takeshi.
"Whoa, Naruto — you mean to tell me you haven't fully mastered the Flying Thunder God yet?"
Just as Naruto was wondering how to spend his points, a slightly mocking voice sounded from above.
An instant later, a red fishing hook shot straight toward him.
"Don't even think about it!"
Naruto dodged instinctively, and Sasuke immediately countered with an Uchiha elbow strike aimed at Urashiki.
Boruto grabbed Naruto and pulled him away from the trajectory of the hook.
"Damn it, so you really are here."
Urashiki wasn't surprised. He easily slipped past Sasuke's attack, then retracted his red hook and stabbed it into Sasuke's back.
"Ugh..." Sasuke, whose chakra hadn't yet fully recovered, grew even weaker. He instantly lost the ability to activate his Mangekyō and could only force a desperate Uchiha slam.
Facing Sasuke's bear-hug, Urashiki responded with an Ōtsutsuki-style elbow strike, hitting Sasuke again and again until he spat blood.
"I'll help you!"
After confirming Naruto wasn't hurt, Boruto rushed forward.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet."
Several compressed air bullets shot from his mouth, directly targeting Urashiki.
Sasuke released his hold at that moment, letting go of the restrained Urashiki.
Urashiki dodged the wind bullets with ease, but when he prepared to strike back, he saw Sasuke and Boruto fleeing with Naruto in tow.
...
"Hey, who are you people?! And who's that guy flying in the sky?!"
Naruto, still confused, urgently questioned the two beside him.
"W-we're shinobi of the Shinobi Alliance. That guy flying up there is from the Akatsuki Organization. We're tracking him."
Sasuke gave the cover story he had prepared long ago.
"Akatsuki Organization? Shinobi Alliance? Then why don't you report this to Konoha's higher-ups?"
Naruto was puzzled.
"We have various circumstances preventing that. We hope you understand."
Sasuke glossed over the question.
Fortunately, Naruto knew the current Ninja Alliance was complicated, so he didn't doubt them too much.
But a more important question stood before them: "But if you don't inform the higher-ups—judging from what you just did—there's no way you can face him, right?"
Sasuke's Body Slam was still fresh in his mind; such a performance didn't inspire trust.
"My chakra isn't enough..." Sasuke lowered his head in frustration.
If not for the chakra issue, he would've long since used Chibaku Tensei to seal that bastard Urashiki.
"He's coming again!"
Feeling something was wrong, Naruto turned around and saw Urashiki flicking his fishing rod.
"Again?"
Sasuke quickly turned, intending to act before Urashiki attacked: "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
As expected, the fireball was pierced through by the fishhook, which stabbed into Sasuke once again.
This strike pulled out even more of Sasuke's already meager chakra, while the Great Fireball was effortlessly avoided by Urashiki.
Too humiliating!
Sasuke was furious enough to curse.
One Urashiki had actually forced him into such a miserable state.
Even against Momoshiki back then, he had at least been able to fight. But now he was getting overturned by Urashiki.
If future Naruto found out, he'd definitely laugh at him.
He needed to find a chance to wipe Naruto's memory.
Even half-kneeling on the ground, Sasuke was still thinking about how to preserve his dignity.
"Yare yare, what a racket."
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed.
The next second, Jiraiya—still not fully healed—appeared in midair and kicked Urashiki, who was preparing his second wave of attacks.
"You bastard!"
Caught off guard, Urashiki was kicked, but he quickly shifted his arm to disperse most of the force, taking little damage.
But that attack allowed him to clearly see Jiraiya's face. Realizing it was his old opponent, Urashiki's expression twisted.
This old man had caused him plenty of trouble in the future. If possible, he would kill Naruto and this old fool together.
Taking advantage of Jiraiya's vulnerability before landing, Urashiki launched his attack.
Countless fishhooks shot straight toward Jiraiya.
Jiraiya turned and used a jutsu: "Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet."
The spiraling flaming dragon erupted with a far more overwhelming presence than a Great Fireball, blocking Urashiki's assault.
When the flame dragon dispersed, Jiraiya and the others had vanished.
"Tch, ran away? But my Byakugan won't lose track of you."
Urashiki wasn't worried at all. He opened his eyes wide, veins bulging at the sides—signaling the activation of the Byakugan.
...
"Hey hey hey, Naruto, where did you pick up such a strange enemy this time?"
Confirming Urashiki hadn't followed, Jiraiya questioned Naruto, though his eyes were fixed on Sasuke and Boruto.
"I don't know! I was training there, then he… and him… and him came out. Then he hit him, he hit him, and finally he took me and ran, then you appeared."
Naruto's explanation made no sense logically, yet Jiraiya still understood the gist.
"By the way, this old man said he's a Ninja Alliance ninja, and that guy is an Akatsuki assassin."
Old man?
Sasuke was speechless.
Old man is just old man.
"Oh? Ninja Alliance?"
Jiraiya stared intently at Sasuke, his sharp gaze making Sasuke feel completely exposed.
Boruto swallowed nervously.
"Hahaha, I see. Well then, I have no choice but to step in and help you." Just as Boruto feared his cover was about to be blown, Jiraiya's cheerful laughter instantly changed the atmosphere.
"By the way, why are you here, perverted sage?"
Naruto suddenly asked Jiraiya.
"I was your father's teacher, after all. Not just learning the wrong things from that guy Obito. Hmph, I've been nearby conducting recovery training, you just didn't notice me."
Jiraiya's head was full of black lines, wondering why everyone kept giving him embarrassing nicknames.
He had appeared in time because Minato asked him to give Naruto some guidance.
Though lazy, Jiraiya agreed, but he hadn't approached Naruto recklessly; he had been observing his current level of strength.
That's how he encountered Urashiki's attack.
----------------
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (445 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)