Chapter 98: Why Is Fate So Cruel?
"The news of the Kazekage's death has already spread throughout the Land of Wind. We still don't know how the daimyo will react, but bandits and raiders have started popping up everywhere. The village's ninja have no choice but to go help deal with them for free…"
As they walked through the desert of the Land of Wind, Temari told Shiromo about Sunagakure's current situation.
The Land of Wind was vast and sparsely populated, mostly desert. The population was basically concentrated in a few fixed locations.
Aside from the villages near Sunagakure, when villagers in other areas ran into bandits, it was difficult for them to travel all the way to Sunagakure to post missions, and even harder for them to have the money to do so.
"So this is what you'd call 'a family that wasn't wealthy to begin with getting hit by snow on top of frost,' huh?"
"Mm."
Hearing Shiromo put it that way, Temari surprisingly didn't argue. She simply responded in a low voice.
"Did you forget something? You only remembered the swimsuit photos? The Economic Mutual Alliance, don't forget the Economic Mutual Alliance."
"..."
After Shiromo reminded her, Temari finally remembered that Shiromo had said before that if she wanted to develop things, she should come find him.
"When things settle down, remember to put together a list of the Land of Wind's specialties. The purpose of the Economic Mutual Alliance is to exchange what we have and develop the economy, this isn't charity, it's mutual need."
Shiromo explained the purpose of the alliance to Temari.
He vaguely remembered several specialties of the Land of Wind: unique flowers, tropical fruits, and although it didn't have as many types as the Land of Water, when it came to tuna varieties alone, the Land of Wind was top-tier.
That's right, the Land of Wind also had seafood.
Poor as it was, its land area was enormous.
In terms of sheer size, it was the largest among the Five Great Nations. Its southern and southeastern regions bordered the sea, and in the southeast there was even a bay that cut deep into the mainland.
"Mutual need…?"
Temari murmured the words, already starting to think about possible specialties.
But as she thought about it, something suddenly felt off.
How could Sunagakure possibly have that much authority?
Even if Gaara became Kazekage, his influence would only extend to the area around Sunagakure.
Temari immediately thought of the Lands of Water and Earth, both of which no longer had daimyos.
"You're not planning to have us assassinate the daimyo, are you?"
Temari looked at Shiromo in shock.
"Let me tell you a story."
Shiromo didn't answer directly.
"A story?"
"Yeah."
"Once upon a time, there was a believer who worshiped the Goddess of Fate. She believed that no one was more devout than she was, and that she would surely receive the goddess's favor."
"One day, her mother fell gravely ill. A wandering doctor passing through the village wanted to treat her, but she refused."
"She said, 'I worship the Goddess of Fate. She will naturally save my mother.'"
"Then her mother died, and she was overcome with grief."
"Another day, a merchant passed through the village and discovered that the village's specialty flowers could be used as medicine. The villagers began cultivating the flowers and became prosperous."
"Only she refused. She believed the Goddess of Fate would lead her to wealth, and she could not accept the filthy charity of a merchant."
"So she alone in the village remained poor and destitute."
"Later, heavy rain fell continuously near the village. Someone from a neighboring village came to warn everyone to leave, lest they be swept away by a mountain flood."
"She refused again. She believed that with the Goddess of Fate watching over her, she would surely be protected."
"This time, she died."
"She met the Goddess of Fate and questioned her. She had been so devout, why had the goddess never helped her even once?"
"Can you guess what the goddess replied?"
"The first doctor, the second merchant, and the third villager from next door were all sent by the Goddess of Fate to change her destiny. She was the one who rejected them."
—
Land of Fire, Konohagakure Village.
After experiencing the second, even more terrifying incident, Naruto no longer trusted Boruto.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen learned of this, he personally went to Naruto's home to counsel him, telling him that Boruto had his reasons and wasn't what Naruto thought.
Anyone in the world might hurt Naruto, but Boruto never would.
Naruto still greatly respected Sarutobi Hiruzen. After Hiruzen's earnest persuasion, Naruto finally reconciled with Boruto once more.
Hiruzen then brought along his grandson Konohamaru, and together with Naruto and Boruto, went to a forest outside the village to guide the three of them in training.
After some instruction, Konohamaru and Naruto quietly ran off to the river to catch fish, leaving only Boruto and Hiruzen behind.
Hiruzen knew the time for subtle probing had come. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Boruto clutching his head, looking as if he had a severe headache.
"Child, what's wrong?"
Hiruzen stepped forward with concern.
"Uh…"
Boruto didn't answer. He was communicating mentally with the voice in his head.
[Idiot! Urashiki is an idiot, and you lower life forms are idiots too!]
[Karasuki said it clearly, why didn't he follow it?!]
Hearing Momoshiki's angry voice, Boruto recalled the warning the turtle had given him and Sasuke when they first arrived in this era.
They had been told to minimize contact with people of the past and not change history, or it would trigger a chain of changes in the future.
Listening to Momoshiki's tirade, Boruto suddenly realized, wasn't Urashiki trying to go back in time to capture his dad, also a form of changing the past?
Could the current changes be caused by Urashiki?
[That shouldn't be possible. The fates of the three of us have no intersection with you lower lifeforms. We shouldn't be affected. How could I possibly disappear…?]
Boruto finally understood why Momoshiki was so anxious, it was because he had discovered that 'he himself' would also disappear.
"If you disappear, that's a good thing. Let's just disappear together in this era. There's no need to go back and cause trouble for Dad and the others."
At this moment, Boruto had found his resolve.
[Hmph! Did you forget what I told you? You don't care about your own disappearance, but what about your sister?]
[Not just your sister, your relatives and friends will all disappear too!]
"...What exactly happened?"
Boruto's resolve wavered.
[Hmph. I also want to know what that idiot Urashiki did! What you need to do now is correct this chaotic spacetime. Otherwise, you and I, and your sister and friends, will all die!]
Momoshiki's voice repeatedly emphasized Himawari and Boruto's friends in his mind.
"Then… what should I do?"
Boruto compromised.
[Correct all the errors, then use the 'Rinnegan' to adjust everyone else's memories with genjutsu, and return spacetime to its proper track.]
"I'm asking 'how' I'm supposed to do that!"
[...]
Momoshiki gave Boruto an example.
"No!"
[You only have two choices: let the destiny that has already happened return to its proper course, or let your sister and friends disappear.]
"..."
[Switch out, kid.]
"..."
"Boruto? Boruto? What's wrong with you?"
Seeing Boruto in extreme pain, Hiruzen grew anxious and prepared to contact Tsunade to take a look.
As Hiruzen turned around and performed a communication jutsu toward the crystal ball, the Boruto behind him had already lost all signs of pain and stood up expressionlessly.
A dim blue chakra surfaced around Boruto. One of his eyes turned into a Byakugan, and a horn grew from above his eye.
"Let me think… what was that move called again?"
"Oh. Rasengan."
'Shhk.'
Hearing movement behind him, Hiruzen was just about to turn around when he saw a hand forming a Rasengan pierce straight through his chest.
In an instant, his heart was shredded into pieces by the compressed Rasengan.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's vision went black, and he collapsed.
Before falling, he only heard one sentence: "Lowly monkey."
(End of this chapter)