Echoes of Time
Morning light bled faint through Konoha's rain-streaked windows, the Hokage's office steeped in a heavy stillness as Naruto Uzumaki stood before Tsunade's desk, Jiraiya's book clutched tight, the "Saruto" pendant a cold weight in his pocket. Sasuke leaned against the wall, Sharingan dormant, his expression carved from stone, Sakura sat beside Shikamaru, his arms wrapped in bandages, Kāma marks faded but etched faint into his skin, Temari and Hinata stood near the map, Kankuro slouched by the door, Saruto paced, his blade sheathed, blue eyes sharp with a storm of resolve and despair. Kurama's growl lingered from the night: *"Boruto's close, Saruto's your mirror, it's now."*
Tsunade's gaze pierced them, "Shikamaru's back, barely, Saruto's story matches the scroll, Sansuke, Echo, Boruto's Kāma, we're neck-deep in chaos, what's the move?" Her voice rang hard, the Uzumaki scroll lay open beside her, its cryptic lines, "time's curse in tow"... mocking their silence.
Naruto squared his shoulders, "We save Boruto, not kill him, he's my son, Ōtsutsuki or not, we bring him back." Saruto halted, his voice low, biting, "Grandpa, that's naive, this Boruto's from my time, saving him doesn't touch mine, Konoha's ashes stay, Mom's dead, I lived it, the only fix, I kill you now, or you kill him at birth, anything less, my world's still gone."
Naruto's eyes flared, "Kill me? Kill him as a baby? That's not an option, we find another way." Shikamaru coughed, leaning forward, "Then we go forward, to Saruto's time, stop Boruto there, before he burns the village, hit him at the source." The room shifted, heads turned, Tsunade's brow arched, "Time travel, again? How?"
Saruto crossed his arms, "Good idea, Shikamaru, but, I don't buy it, even if we went, we're not strong enough, Dad's beyond you all, I'm stronger than everyone here, fought him, lost, if I can't win, why would you? He's got Kāma, tailed-beast power, rogue armies, it's a slaughter waiting."
Sasuke's gaze narrowed, he stepped off the wall, "Strength's not static," he muttered, thinking aloud, "What if we had help, more than us, more than now." Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Help from who, Sasuke? Next villages won't cut it, Saruto thinks we're useless, what's the angle?"
Sasuke's voice steadied, "Lord First, Second, Third, Fourth, the Hokages, they'd tip the scales, raw power, experience, they've faced gods, they'd match Boruto, give us a shot." Sakura's eyes widened, "Reanimation? That's, possible, Tsunade-sama, Orochimaru's jutsu, we've seen it work." Temari smirked, "Dead legends, huh? Not bad, could actually work."
Saruto frowned, "Maybe, but, they're not invincible, Dad's Kāma's unnatural, Ōtsutsuki tech, even the Hokages might fall, I've seen him shred armies, what's four more?" Hinata's voice cut soft, firm, "Four Hokages, us, you, Saruto, it's not just power, it's will, we'd fight for Konoha, together."
Shikamaru nodded, "She's right, numbers matter, strategy too, First's Wood Style, Second's speed, Third's sealing, Fourth's speed, chakra, we'd corner him, wear him down, it's a gamble, but, it beats sitting here." Tsunade tapped the desk, "Orochimaru's the key, he's done it, brought them back, we'd need him, his lab, his cooperation, risky."
Kankuro shifted, "Risky's an understatement, snake's a loose cannon, but, if he can pull Hokages, why stop there, what about Madara? Guy took down gods, if we're stacking power, he's a nuke." The room froze, Naruto's jaw dropped, "Madara? You serious?" Sasuke's eyes glinted, "He's a weapon, unpredictable, but, against Boruto's Kāma, might need that chaos."
Sakura shook her head, "Madara's insane, he'd turn on us, Hokages we control, him, no chance, we'd lose more than we gain." Temari snorted, "She's got a point, Madara's a storm, Hokages are enough, we don't need a wild card screwing us." Saruto's voice hardened, "Doesn't matter who, Hokages, Madara, you're still not hearing me, Dad's beyond, I've fought him, you haven't, this plan's a dream, not a fix."
Naruto slammed a fist on the desk, "Enough, Saruto, I get it, your world's ash, but, mine's not, I'm not killing my son, not now, not at birth, we go forward, we fight, Hokages or not, we try, that's who we are." Sasuke nodded, "Grandpa Sasuke agrees, we adapt, we win, Boruto's family, we don't quit."
Tsunade sighed, "Fine, we scout Saruto's time, find Orochimaru, summon the Hokages, no Madara, too messy, Naruto leads, Saruto guides, prep fast, we're running out of clock." Saruto's gaze lingered, "You're betting blind, hope you're ready to lose," he turned, stalking out, "I'll wait."
The team broke apart, Naruto stood, Saruto's grim truth... kill or be killed... clashing with his fire, Shikamaru's plan a thread, Sasuke's Hokage gambit a spark, the pendant's weight heavier, Kurama growled, "Boruto's your shadow, brat, time's bending, move." The room emptied, resolve fragile, Sansuke's echo, Saruto's doubt, Boruto's fate a darkening horizon.