The moment his eyes flickered to life—
"Hum!"
The immense surge of energy around him rushed into his body like rivers converging into the ocean.
At that instant, his form became a vortex, drawing in the Dragon Vein's power.
The past, present, and future collapsed into fragments around him.
When the last of the visions shattered—
The boundless power of the Dragon Vein had fully merged with his being.
His eyes drifted shut once more.
In that moment, an understanding crystallized within him.
With a mere thought, he sensed his ability to traverse the layers of time and space.
"So this is the power of time and space..."
Jiang Chen whispered, recalling the faint silver-gray divine energy deep within the Lookout. Though clearly different, he couldn't shake the feeling that the two powers were fundamentally connected.
"Whoosh!"
He moved.
Yet, this time, it wasn't teleportation.
The moment he took a step—
"Splash!"
An illusory river materialized, and in the next instant, his form vanished.
…
Shikkotsu Forest.
"Splash!"
Water rippled outward as the Slug Sage's senses sharpened as it lifted its gaze.
Its pupils contracted in shock.
"The power of the Dragon Vein?" Its voice, usually serene, carried a rare note of astonishment.
In that moment, Jiang Chen stepped forward from the void.
"So it allows travel through dimensions… And even time itself." Jiang Chen murmured, awestruck by the Dragon Vein's might.
Even though he knew such power was likely limited to the Naruto World—and even if it worked beyond, it would be severely constrained— it was still an extraordinary ability.
"Brother!" A familiar, excited voice rang out in the surroundings and Jiang Chen instinctively looked down, spotting a figure soaring toward him.
The aura surrounding her made his brow lift in surprise.
In that moment, Jiang Xi's energy had clearly surpassed two hundred points— perhaps even three hundred.
More importantly, a vast power was brewing within her.
Once this power erupted, it had the potential to surpass a thousand points.
"You really did it?" Jiang Chen was momentarily taken aback.
For the first time, genuine surprise flickered across his face.
Although the Naruto World might appear to be a Tier 5 realm, the only being theoretically capable of reaching that level was the Ōtsutsuki god.
Most powerful figures barely touched Tier 4, with many lingering at Tier 3.
Crossing into Tier 4 was an immense hurdle, one that very few could overcome.
Yet Jiang Xi had not only broken through but had also achieved combat strength exceeding a thousand points— something previously thought impossible.
"I think I've finally done it!" Jiang Xi nodded with excitement gleaming in her eyes.
With a mere thought, three distinct Sage Technique (Senjutsu) Chakras radiated from her.
And yet, surprisingly, her body showed no visible changes— no Mount Myōboku's toad-like eyes, no Ryūchi Cave's snake-like horns, and no Shikkotsu Forest's mask.
Instead, the three unique Chakras coexisted in perfect harmony, slowly converging into one unified force.
Because of this, the full fusion of the three Holy Grounds' Sage Techniques (Senjutsu) had yet to take place.
"Guest, Xi possesses exceptional talent. In a thousand years, I have never seen anyone more gifted than her." The Slug Sage's voice resonated through the forest, its massive form now composed, the initial shock fading.
"Thank you for your guidance during this time, Slug Sage." Jiang Chen offered a respectful nod in gratitude.
"There's no need for thanks; this was our agreement." The Slug Sage's tone was calm, unwavering.
Compared to the other two Sage (Sennin) beings, its size was far greater, towering over even the giant snake or the Giant Toad.
Likewise, Jiang Chen could sense that its power vastly exceeded that of the other two sages.
The White Snake Sage's combat strength was around a thousand points, the Great Toad Sage's hovered around two thousand, but the Slug Sage's aura was pushing ten thousand.
Undoubtedly, this sage had lived far longer than the others.
Jiang Chen couldn't help but admire its strength before leading Jiang Xi forward to bid their farewell.
"Xi, take this! It should aid you on your journey." Just as they were about to leave, the Slug Sage seemed to recall something. A small slug split from its body, slithering over to Jiang Xi and presenting her with a green orb.
"Thank you, Slug Sage!" Jiang Xi quickly accepted the gift, bowing her head in gratitude.
"No need for thanks. Until we meet again!" With those parting words, the Slug Sage withdrew.
Jiang Chen took Jiang Xi's hand, and with a surge of Dragon Vein energy, the two figures vanished into thin air.
The moment they departed from the three Holy Grounds—
…
Beyond Konoha, within the Land of Fire—
A strange ripple disturbed the air, and in the next instant, two figures tumbled out of a spatial rift, crashing hard onto the ground.
"Ouch!"
"Where are we? I don't sense any Ōtsutsuki presence!"
Boruto groaned, rubbing his face as he hastily scrambled to his feet, scanning their surroundings.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged Sasuke landed gracefully, though his expression remained strained, his face pale.
After endless battles along the time river against Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, his chakra reserves were nearly depleted.
"We need to investigate our surroundings." His voice was calm but grave.
Having fallen through the unpredictable currents of time, not even he could tell whether they had landed in the past or the future.
"Yes, yes! We need to figure this out quickly!" Boruto nodded fervently, eager for answers.
The two made their way forward, searching for any clues.
And then, towering in the distance—
The Hokage Rock.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Wait a second—"
"What's going on? The Hokage Rock looks so small! Dad's face isn't here! Kakashi Oji San's and Granny Tsunade's faces are missing too!" Boruto's voice wavered in confusion, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
"Boruto, I think we've traveled back in time." Middle-aged Sasuke inhaled deeply before speaking, his tone laced with certainty.
"The past?" Boruto's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes!" Sasuke confirmed with a solemn nod.
At that moment, the artifact responsible for their journey stirred ominously—
"Time Space Error!"
"Time Space Error!"
The artifact known as "Plow" emitted a mechanical voice before black smoke began to rise from it.
"Sasuke Oji San, what's happening?" Boruto's eyes widened in shock at the sight.
Even Sasuke's expression tensed, but before they could react, "Plow" abruptly ceased functioning.
"Did this thing just break?" Boruto couldn't help but blurt out.
"Let's move! We'll figure it out later." Middle-aged Sasuke took a deep breath and swiftly tucked the artifact into his cloak.
"Alright, alright!" Boruto responded quickly and followed after him.
Before long, the two of them arrived in Konoha Village.
At this time, the village was still reeling from the recent Konoha Crush attack and the defection of Uchiha Sasuke, leaving the entire village on high alert.
However, thanks to middle-aged Sasuke's skill in stealth, sneaking in wasn't too difficult.
"So this is Konoha in the past?" Boruto's excitement was palpable, his eyes filled with curiosity as he took in his surroundings.
Over the next few days, Boruto and his companion crossed paths with Naruto, Sakura, Jiraiya, and Tsunade.
Under Tsunade's arrangements, Boruto stayed at Naruto's house, while middle-aged Sasuke remained in the shadows, avoiding attention.
Both of them remained extremely cautious.
(End of this chapter)
You can read ahead up to 60 chapters on my Patreon and I've also activated a (date-to-date) subscription model on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395