"If the Otsutsuki clan is that powerful... then the ninja world as we know it is doomed," Madara muttered darkly.
Uchiha Madara's expression darkened further as realization set in.
"I wanted to bring peace to the ninja world," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I never considered the possibility of its complete destruction..."
A deep hum filled the room as his chakra flared violently, sending a wave of pressure across the chamber.
Buzz!
The ground trembled beneath him, and a wave of invisible force cracked the wooden table in front of him. Senju Hashirama, standing nearby, felt his own rage simmering.
That damn Black Zetsu...
How dare he deceive Madara?!
Hashirama clenched his fists. He had always known Madara was stubborn, but to be manipulated so thoroughly... it was unforgivable.
Another surge of chakra burst forth.
Buzz!
Hashirama's chakra flared alongside Madara's, his emerald aura crackling with energy.
Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Izuna exchanged glances.
"Otsutsuki… truly a cursed existence," they muttered in unison.
Souta, watching the scene, knew he had to step in before emotions boiled over.
"The Otsutsuki are powerful, yes," he said, "but they are not invincible. The Rinnegan allows them to absorb ninjutsu, but they cannot absorb senjutsu. Taijutsu is also effective against them. That means we must prioritize training in both of these areas."
He turned his gaze to the room.
"Konoha already holds the summoning contracts for all three great sage lands. Hashirama-sensei has the sage mode of the Shikkotsu Forest. Jiraiya-sensei has the sage mode of Mount Myoboku. Orochimaru has access to Ryūchi Cave. It's time we use these resources to our advantage."
The murmurs of concern shifted into something more determined.
"From now on, every capable shinobi will train in senjutsu. Anyone qualified will be sent to one of the three great sage lands."
Tsunade furrowed her brows. "Ryūchi Cave won't be easy to negotiate with."
Souta smirked. "That's fine. If they don't want to cooperate, I'm sure Hashirama-sensei and Madara-sensei can 'persuade' them."
Madara chuckled darkly, while Hashirama scratched his head with a grin.
"But that's not all," Souta continued. He turned to Might Guy and Might Duy. "In addition to sage mode, taijutsu will be a key factor. You two will be on the frontlines against the Otsutsuki."
Might Guy's smile widened, while Might Duy's eyes gleamed with determination.
"With my ability to revive allies, you won't have to worry about the consequences of using all Eight Inner Gates," Souta added. "That means we can unleash unlimited Eighth Gate users against the Otsutsuki."
The room was silent for a moment.
Then—
"Hahahahahaha! That's insane!" Hashirama laughed.
Madara smirked. "Interesting. Truly interesting."
Souta's eyes gleamed. The Otsutsuki might be powerful, but Konoha would be ready.
A Sudden Arrival
Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room.
"Come in," Souta called out.
An ANBU ninja entered swiftly, kneeling.
"Hokage-sama!"
Souta narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"
"Two unidentified individuals have appeared in the village. One is a man in a robe, and the other is a blond-haired child. They claim to be acrobats, but they possess chakra signatures far beyond ordinary civilians. Captain Yamato found them suspicious and requested further orders."
A strange feeling washed over Souta.
A robed man and a blond child?
It couldn't be… could it?
"Bring them to me," Souta ordered.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" the masked ninja acknowledged before vanishing into a blur of movement.
The report had already reached the ears of Souta Kazuki, and a smirk crept across his face as he pondered the possibilities. He had his suspicions.
"Could it be them?" he mused, fingers tapping idly against the desk in front of him. "Uchiha Sasuke and... Uzumaki Boruto?"
It made sense. In the future, the Otsutsuki clan would inevitably return to the ninja world, posing an existential threat unlike any other. He had long known of the Otsutsuki's ability to manipulate time-space techniques, particularly Otsutsuki Urashiki. If Urashiki had been tampering with the past, then it wasn't far-fetched that Sasuke and Boruto had been dragged along in pursuit.
Still, there were gaps in the theory. Given his own existence, the future should have unfolded differently than what was originally destined. The Otsutsuki should have been dealt with far more efficiently.
"Then why?" Souta's smirk deepened.
There was also another amusing thought—if he did exist in the future, there was no way he would have let this kid keep his current name. Uzumaki Boruto? No, that wouldn't do. If Souta had any say in the matter, the brat's name would be Uzumaki Goudan instead!
"If I had named him, he'd have had a proper legendary name!" Souta chuckled inwardly.
But jokes aside, the fact remained that these two had arrived, defying the natural order of time itself. And that alone meant something significant was about to unfold.
Meeting the Future
Within minutes, the conference room grew silent as Yamato reappeared, leading the two unknown travelers inside.
As the figures stepped forward, the reaction was instant.
Uchiha Itachi's gaze sharpened, his lips parting ever so slightly in realization. He recognized the older man at once. That face—those cold, calculating eyes—it was undoubtedly his younger brother, grown into a man bearing the weight of a world he had yet to see.
Souta watched as Itachi's fingers twitched slightly, betraying a moment of emotion.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama tensed instinctively. The robed man standing before them exuded a terrifying chakra, one that was far from ordinary.
Even with their monstrous strength, both legendary figures felt a flicker of caution rise within them.
"This man... who is he?" Madara narrowed his eyes, his Sharingan spinning involuntarily.
At the same time, Uzumaki Naruto found himself frowning deeply. There was something wrong about all of this. He could feel it—the undeniable familiarity of the younger traveler, the way the boy carried himself, the warmth of his presence. It was as if Naruto knew him, yet couldn't place why.
Souta, however, simply leaned forward, hands steepled together as he observed the reunion unfolding. His suspicions had been correct.
"It really is them."