"You're really different from Naruto," young Sasuke said with a sigh. "Naruto would never say something like that."
Boruto nodded vigorously in agreement.
He had always thought of the man in front of him as his father's younger self. Only now did he finally understand—this Naruto, no matter how many years passed, would never become the exhausted, overworked Seventh Hokage he remembered.
There was something fundamentally different in their bones.
"That's because I'm telling the truth," Naruto said calmly. "Sasuke, you've gone down the wrong path."
For Naruto, the Sharingan, the Rinnegan—those were just tools. At most, they were flashy props. Like ninjutsu, they were about looking impressive.
As for actually fighting an enemy?
Wasn't that something you solved with a single punch?
"How dare you say that?"
Young Sasuke laughed dryly.
He'd seen too much of the ninja world—too many rises and falls—to lose control easily. His temperament had long since been tempered into calm restraint.
If this were his younger self, he would've exploded on the spot.
"Then try it," Naruto said, raising an eyebrow provocatively.
"…Fine. Let's try it," Sasuke replied with a light chuckle, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes.
No matter how much one refined the mind, what was carved into the bones never truly changed.
He was genuinely irritated.
---
*Whoosh!*
In an instant, Sasuke appeared in front of Naruto. His fists and kicks came like a violent storm—fast, relentless, overwhelming.
"Not here," Naruto said casually as he parried and retreated.
"If Hokage Rock gets damaged, I'll have to fix it. Let's change locations."
Sasuke didn't reply. He only pressed harder, his speed increasing, his figure turning into a streak of light.
"Whoa—this is Master Sasuke's real strength?" Boruto exclaimed, chasing after them.
"This is way more intense than when he fought Otsutsuki!"
He ran at full speed, but quickly fell behind. Soon, all he could follow were the traces of destruction left in their wake.
Two streaks of light tore through the forest like dragons.
Their collisions boomed like muffled thunder. Birds were blasted out of the sky, stunned midair, falling like rain.
"This should do," Naruto said when they reached a desolate valley hundreds of miles from Konoha.
"Now you can go all out."
He stopped.
Sasuke halted as well, his expression growing serious.
Pure physical strength… and he's still moving at this speed?
Sasuke felt shock after shock hit him.
This Naruto hadn't used the Nine-Tails. No Sage Mode. No chakra cloak. Nothing.
And yet, he'd handled everything with ease.
Sasuke knew his own baseline strength. Even a Kage-level opponent wouldn't last long against him at full pressure.
But this Fifth Hokage—this Naruto—was clearly far beyond an average Kage.
"I am Uchiha Sasuke!"
Sasuke grinned fiercely. His fighting spirit surged, pride flooding back into his heart.
His chakra exploded upward, vast and heavy, like a god descending upon the world.
"Master Sasuke… this pressure is insane," Boruto whispered, awestruck.
"Is this really still a ninja?"
Boruto had seen gods fall. He'd seen Otsutsuki. He'd seen Naruto's Nine-Tails form.
And yet, this still shattered his understanding.
Without the Seventh Hokage Naruto beside him, Sasuke felt freer—sharper, fiercer.
---
Naruto formed hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Clones burst outward in every direction.
"Four Red Yang Formation!"
A massive barrier slammed down, sealing the entire valley.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"Relax," Naruto said, casually hooking a finger at him.
"The world can't handle this much power. Let's keep the damage contained."
"Come on."
Sasuke laughed angrily.
The calm indifference in Naruto's eyes—the way he looked down on him like an adult humoring a child—infuriated him.
Too arrogant.
---
*Buzz!*
A kunai shot forward like lightning.
Naruto tilted his head. The blade skimmed past his ear.
*Whoosh!*
Sasuke vanished and reappeared behind Naruto, lightning screaming in his palm—
a thousand birds crying at once.
Naruto vanished.
Sasuke's Chidori tore through empty air.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"
A massive fireball, blazing like a falling sun, crashed down from the sky.
"Lightning Style: Raikiri!"
A flash of light split the fireball clean in two.
Sasuke descended from above, kunai in hand, stabbing down.
*Whoosh!*
Naruto appeared on the ground.
Sasuke followed instantly.
*Clang!*
Sparks exploded as kunai met kunai.
In a single heartbeat, they exchanged hundreds of blows—fast, brutal, precise.
Boruto stared, wide-eyed—then his vision blurred.
This speed was beyond him.
If he didn't push himself to the limit, he couldn't even see their movements.
If it were me… I'd already be dead, he thought.
Dad… no—this Fifth Hokage… he's terrifying.
Finally, Boruto shut his eyes, tears leaking out.
His eyes couldn't take it anymore.
Instead, he listened.
"Chidori!"
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flame!"
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
Lightning should break earth—why didn't it?
Gale Palm? I've never even heard of that jutsu.
Susanoo… he's using Susanoo!
And the barrier—nothing outside is shaking at all. Those clones are holding everything in.
Planetary Devastation? That sound—something huge just hit the ground!
Boruto's head felt like it was swelling.
He was learning too much, too fast.
At last, the battle quieted.
Silence fell.
---
"…Who won?"
Boruto rubbed his eyes and looked up.
The barrier was gone.
Naruto and Sasuke stood nearby.
Naruto smiled lightly, clothes spotless, expression unchanged—as if he'd just taken a stroll.
Sasuke stood silent. Dust clung to his black clothes. Compared to Naruto, he looked clearly worse off.
"…Master Sasuke," Boruto murmured.
He already knew the answer.
When he looked at Naruto again, awe filled his eyes.
The valley was gone.
Everything inside the barrier had been pulverized into dust. The valley walls had been shaved smooth—perfect, mirror-like stone surfaces.
After a long silence, Sasuke finally spoke.
"…How much strength did you use?"
Naruto smiled.
"What do you think?"
Sasuke trembled with rage.
He wanted nothing more than to punch that smug face—
but he couldn't.
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