Chapter 147: Dark Naruto Ends
"What are you doing?!"
Boruto blocked Naruto's attack and questioned him.
"Obviously stalling you, to buy time for the leader and Sister Konan to escape!" Naruto said as he entered Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
The Tailed Beast cloak on Naruto reacted to Boruto's chakra, spreading along the arm Boruto was using to block him.
"What's going on?"
"Hey! Naruto, this kid's chakra feels really similar to yours!"
The Nine-Tails inside Naruto spoke up.
"Edogawa Boruto—just who are you?!"
Naruto kicked Boruto away, severing the connection between his Tailed Beast cloak and Boruto.
"What the hell is happening..." Boruto got up from the ground, staring at the Naruto in front of him.
"...Looks like Edogawa Jar never told you... The truth is, Jar and Tobi have teamed up. They're after the leader's Rinnegan—and my Nine-Tails," Naruto said, gazing at Boruto.
"What happens to you if you lose the Nine-Tails?"
Boruto already knew about the plan to capture the Tailed Beasts.
"I'll die."
"..." Of course, Boruto wanted to become stronger—a ninja worthy of his father's recognition. But if gaining that strength meant sacrificing someone else's life, he wasn't willing to accept it.
After a moment of hesitation, Boruto looked at Naruto and said, "Then let me help you."
Thanks to the Nine-Tails' ability to sense good and evil intent, Naruto could clearly feel whether someone bore malice toward him.
Looking at Boruto, Naruto gave a nod.
"So... who are you, really, Edogawa Boruto? Why does the Nine-Tails' chakra react to yours?"
As he chased after Konan, Naruto continued questioning.
"...Naruto, don't be too shocked. The truth is... my real name isn't Edogawa Boruto. I'm Uzumaki Boruto—your son, from the future. You and Hinata's son."
"I see." Naruto accepted it surprisingly easily and nodded. "No wonder the Nine-Tails' chakra responded to yours."
"Huh?" Now it was Boruto's turn to be confused. "You believe me that easily?"
"Yeah. I don't think you'd lie to me. Plus, we really do look alike." As a Jinchūriki, Naruto seemed to have developed beast-like instincts. "There—Sister Konan!"
Hearing Naruto's voice, Konan, carrying Nagato on her back, stopped and turned. When she saw Boruto by Naruto's side, she asked, "What's going on with him?"
"Well, Sister Konan..." Naruto began explaining, while Konan occasionally gave Boruto strange looks.
"You're really Naruto's son? From the future?"
"Yeah," Boruto nodded.
"Then tell me—what becomes of the Akatsuki in the future?"
"Well..." Boruto scratched his head awkwardly. When it came to history, he really didn't have a clue. "I don't really know what happened to the Akatsuki in the end, but... the ninja world did finally reach peace!"
"Is that so..."
"Nagato! You're awake!" Konan gently lowered Nagato from her back, gripping his emaciated hand.
With his other hand, Nagato slowly removed his own eyes.
"He took them out himself, huh? Perfect, saves me the trouble." The space warped, and a flashier, white-masked Obito emerged from Kamui space. Beside him stood Edogawa Jar, his trademark jar perched on his head.
"So you really are with them, Edogawa Boruto." Though he addressed Boruto, Obito's eyes were fixed on Edogawa Jar.
"You brat, get over here right now!" Edogawa Jar barked, hands on hips.
"No!" Boruto looked at Obito. "And I'm not Edogawa Boruto. I'm Uzumaki Boruto!"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to properly discipline this little rascal."
"Hmph." Snorting at Jar's words, Obito ignored him and lunged toward Naruto.
Getting the Rinnegan could wait. Konan and a half-dead Nagato weren't threats. But this perfect Jinchūriki Naruto? He was dangerous.
"Sister Konan, take the leader and go—now!" Naruto, already clashing with Obito, urged.
Meanwhile, Boruto and the Jar Merchant locked eyes.
"Jar Merchant, this ends here. It's fine even if we didn't get the Tailed Beast..."
"Boruto, don't forget the parallel ninja world. Whatever you do here won't affect your original world. Once you leave, no one will know what happened. I'll keep your secrets—I always do for my customers. And don't you want to bring Mitsuki back from S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Boruto looked down, hesitant. After an episode-length flashback, he raised his head, eyes filled with resolve.
"To hurt others just to protect my own companions... I really can't do that!"
"So negotiations failed..." As the Jar Merchant's voice trailed off, he vanished—appearing right in front of Boruto.
As his hand drew closer to Boruto's face, Boruto reflexively shut his eyes—but instead of pain, he felt a gentle pat on his head.
Boruto slowly opened his eyes. "What are you doing...?"
Even though he was disappointed at not getting the Nine-Tails or Rinnegan, the Jar Merchant still had to maintain his act as a righteous character. Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to say, "Boruto, you've gained Hydra's recognition. Power can be used to protect the ninja world—or to destroy it. There's no question: if someone obsessed with power obtains it by any means, it'll be a disaster for everyone."
In that moment, the Jar Merchant's shining hero persona was firmly cemented in Boruto's mind.
"Ah!"
Even as a perfect Jinchūriki, Naruto was no match for Obito.
"Wood Release: Cutting Sprout Technique!"
Naruto's body was impaled by countless branches. The only reason he was still alive was the sheer vitality of the Nine-Tails.
"Naruto, hand over the Nine-Tails," Obito demanded—only to be suddenly attacked by the Jar Merchant. His kick phased through Obito's body.
"So, you've decided to betray me, Edogawa Jar?"
"Your Mangekyō Sharingan ability is such a pain, Obito."
While the two stared each other down, Boruto rushed to Naruto, who was pinned in place.
"You okay?"
"Boruto... You said you're from another world, right?" Naruto wheezed.
"Yeah." Boruto nodded, deeply concerned.
"Give me your hand."
"What for?" Boruto asked, confused—but still extended his hand.
Naruto grabbed it, and once again entered Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
"Oi, you're not seriously gonna give me to this brat, are you?!" the Nine-Tails shouted.
Naruto smiled bitterly. "Sorry, Kurama. This is for your own good."
The Nine-Tails stared at Naruto with his blood-red eyes and said, "Fine. I'll let it slide. And I have a name. It's Kurama."
"Is that so... Kurama. Then... goodbye, Kurama."
Outside.
"What's happening?" Boruto looked down at his now golden-glowing body in confusion, then turned to Naruto, who had exited Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. "What's going on with me?"
"From now on... I'm entrusting Kurama to you, Boruto."
Even the Jar Merchant hadn't expected such a windfall.
Maybe... this is what it means to be the protagonist.
He had to admit—he was a little jealous.
"Let's go, Boruto," the Jar Merchant said, stepping up beside the golden-glowing Boruto.
"Leave the Nine-Tails behind!"
"I don't have the Nine-Tails... but I do have a Rasengan!" Naruto, barely conscious, forced himself to form a Rasengan, using it to block Obito and buy time for Boruto and the Jar Merchant to escape.
"Damn it!" Obito watched helplessly as they disappeared, his voice trembling with frustration. "Rin—!"
Without the Nine Tailed Beasts, there could be no Ten-Tails. Without the Ten-Tails, the Eye of the Moon Plan couldn't proceed. Without that, he could never create a world where Rin still existed.
Like a salted fish that had lost its dream, Obito collapsed to his knees, tears falling uncontrollably from his eyes.
And before him, Naruto—pinned to the ground by the Cutting Sprout Technique—slowly slipped into lifeless stillness.
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