"Sasuke, unbelievable, you actually gouged out your own eyes!!! Wait, your current eyes are... I get it!! Wasn't there a medical ninja who reattached your eyes at the time! Hahaha, you're so foolish!!" In the "Boruto" series, Naruto's emotions went through several changes, culminating in a moment of realization followed by hearty laughter as he vigorously patted Sasuke's shoulder.
"Idiot Naruto..." Sasuke's eyebrow twitched with a vein popping on his forehead.
"Haven't you realized yet? The world has developed differently from ours."
"Both you and I have undergone significant changes. Someone like Naruto is now composed, deeply thoughtful, unlike you... you're acting like a fool," Sasuke remarked ruthlessly.
Naruto chuckled and scratched his head. "That's right. The development in that world has completely changed. Do you think you'd still have significant strength after losing the Sharingan?"
"Impossible," Sasuke asserted.
"I was too confident. So, after gouging out my eyes, he must have become stronger."
Though unbelievable, Sasuke firmly believed that the version of himself in the footage possessed qualities superior to his own.
"The limit of the eyes, huh?" He subconsciously caressed his Rinnegan, sighing.
Honestly, he didn't like, even abhorred, the Sharingan. Yet, time and again, he succumbed to its power.
The Sharingan had led to the tragedy of his life.
Even now, he hadn't escaped it; he had, in fact, embraced it.
His entire life had been a pursuit of power.
For him, the Sharingan was the very source of that power.
Each evolution of the Sharingan represented a painful memory.
But he was compelled to pursue the power of the Sharingan.
Until now, he had heavily relied on his eyes.
He had never considered parting with the Sharingan, yet that Sasuke had achieved just that.
"Getting rid of one's bloodline limit sounds simple to say, but it's tough to do," Sasuke sighed.
Now more composed, he was increasingly astonished by the caliber of that Sasuke.
Since the exposure of the battle between Sasuke and Itachi, turmoil had spread among the ninja villages, and relations between Konoha and the Uchiha had once again become ambiguous.
Both sides started making overtures.
Eventually, Itachi returned to the Uchiha clan, joining Konoha's ANBU Black Ops. Fugaku became the clan's deputy head, assisting the clan head in handling affairs.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was assigned numerous ANBU and Uchiha ninjas for personal protection.
The Uchiha clan also moved to a more central area in Konoha, fostering deeper interactions with other clans and residents.
After deeper conversations, the residents realized that despite their seemingly cold exterior, the Uchiha harbored kindness.
Though somewhat arrogant, they could be quite endearing at certain moments.
Following the footage, tensions eased between the Leaf and the Uchiha in many parallel worlds.
Both sides foresaw possible consequences if they continued their conflicts, leading to different approaches.
After temporarily addressing the Uchiha's issue, a new problem emerged.
The Collapse Plan for Konoha.
What was that?
"Who would covet Konoha and even devise a Collapse Plan for it? Could it be other ninja villages? No, it has to be some other villages," the Third Hokage's expression turned grim, his mind racing through countless speculations.
"Could it be... Danzo?" As the thought crossed his mind, even he was startled, shaking his head to dismiss it.
Regardless of Danzo's madness, he was his ally. It was impossible for him to do something that harmful to Konoha.
Inside Otogakure.
Orochimaru paused.
The Collapse Plan for Konoha was akin to the plans he had been devising for years. More precisely, he had preliminary concepts for such plans a few years ago.
During these years, in his spare moments, he contemplated the finer details of those plans.
Now it seemed, tomorrow's footage would expose the specifics of the Collapse Plan for Konoha.
"Fascinating. Let me see the differences in that world's version of myself," Orochimaru licked his vermilion tongue, musing to himself.
"It seems this footage is heavily tied to the future. Initially, I had decided to implement the Collapse Plan for Konoha."
The next day, the much-anticipated footage of the Collapse Plan for Konoha finally arrived.
Other ninja villages anticipated seeing Naruto and Sasuke's involvement in this plan and naturally wished for Konoha to truly collapse as written in the subtitles.
Konoha residents, on the other hand, worried about Konoha's fate.
Externally, various ninja villages coveted it.
Internally, an old silver coin, Naruto.
There might be significant actions by Naruto in this Collapse Plan, possibly even jeopardizing Konoha.
The footage began.
First, Sasuke's appearance caught attention.
A conflict arose between Gaara and his team from Sunagakure and Sakura's group, Sasuke stepped in, but the spotlight was swiftly stolen by Naruto.
The storyline here seemed relatively normal, except for Gaara drawing considerable attention.
Though young, he exuded a strong aura, evidently a character of significance.
At this point, they couldn't foresee Gaara becoming the renowned Kazekage and playing a crucial role in the Ninja World War.
Next was the first written exam, where Naruto remained quite inconspicuous, much to the disappointment of eager viewers.
Surprisingly, Sasuke drew a lot of attention, especially when he confidently, yet erroneously, answered all questions, ending with an audible snort that made the entire ninja world laugh.
"Oh my, this Sasuke is so adorable, I burst out laughing."
"I have to admit, his idea is not bad; it deserves respect."
"He's kinda cute, I kinda like him."
But in the ninja school, Sasuke's face turned red, almost wanting to hide in embarrassment.
How could he have done such a thing? Impossible!
"That's not me, absolutely not me," he tried to reason, but couldn't stop the odd looks from his comrades.
"Turns out, Sasuke's pretty good at pretending," someone murmured, munching on potato chips.
This sentiment echoed among many.
"Ugh, but his pretentiousness is still way below mine," Naruto remarked to himself with a tinge of amusement, eagerly anticipating himself doing something impressively cool in the footage.
The scene shifted to the appearance of Gaara with Zabuza.
The tasks performed by Team 7 were quickly glossed over, capturing only a few thrilling moments.
The narration was concise, providing the audience with a quick understanding of the situation.
Danzo had concealed certain details to save money, leading Team 7 to face the Jounin, Zabuza Momochi.
After discussing, Team 7 decided to continue the mission. On the night they reached their destination, Sasuke continued his training.
The nature of his training was terrifying, covering his entire body in lightning-chakra, using the feeling of imminent death to force himself to improve while standing on a lake's surface.
This level of madness was incomprehensible to everyone.
"Is he crazy? Is he suicidal?"
"What's the difference between this and suicide?"
"This Sasuke won't live for more than two years, mark my words." Countless ninjas discussed fervently.
Even Sasuke himself couldn't believe everything he was witnessing.
The version of himself in that world was this extreme.
And here he was, not daring to train extensively in Fire Release, afraid of burning himself.
His own self was so pitiful in comparison.
Sasuke clenched his fists, full of reluctance.
The training wasn't all that the footage intended to expose.
In a corner, a boy quietly observed everything.
The audience recognized him as Danzo's grandson, harboring hatred for everything.
Once, his father had protested, only to be killed.
Since then, the boy had lost his courage, becoming a self-blaming child.
["What a hero, more like an idiot. There are no heroes in this world!"]
Here's the translation:
"Inari clenched his fist and muttered quietly. Sasuke noticed the little brat Inari, his expression cold.
Inari, puzzled, questioned why Team 7 would come to their deaths, finding it completely unreasonable. He believed that Kado's power was overwhelming, while Sasuke's team consisted of only four people and was utterly incapable of putting up a fight.
Facing Inari's questioning, Sasuke, disdainful, didn't say words that would influence Inari for the rest of his life.
"How does strength matter? I will definitely defeat them. I vowed with the honor of the Uchiha that I wouldn't be afraid, wouldn't retreat, and would fight to the last second.
"As for you, crying like a little girl, always thinking you're the tragic hero.
"Let me tell you, this world has too much strength, but that's why effort becomes so precious. Being strong isn't scary; what's terrifying is not having the heart to grow stronger. I will continue to grow stronger, surpassing everything. Kado is just a stepping stone for me!
"Crybabies like you will only wallow in self-pity, immersed in the pain of losing loved ones.
"In my eyes, you're just useless!"
Faced with Sasuke's onslaught, Inari stood still, eventually leaving silently, but a fire had ignited within him.
The scene switched again. On the day of the final battle, Inari arrived with the villagers to help.
Sasuke saved a young boy.
After watching this scene, everyone was quite moved.
Sasuke had grown.
Before, Sasuke was a dead arrogant person, but now they saw the heart of a strong person in Sasuke.
He was strong, regardless of anything. Sasuke wasn't afraid of any challenge; all he could do was firmly grow stronger.
Break through whatever stands in the way.
Such a mentality laid a solid foundation for his future strength.
"No wonder he could defeat Orochimaru in the future, because he is a true strong one," Jiraiya couldn't help murmuring.
Sasuke had a stronger desire to grow than anyone else.
Unlike him, who had been avoiding it his whole life.
Sasuke's words affected many people and left many deeply moved.
Third Hokage: "Uchiha Sasuke seems to pursue strength, but deep down, he's soft. If cultivated properly, he can definitely become the inheritor of the Will of Fire."
Uchiha Itachi: "My brother is actually very gentle. He saved that young man."
Although Sasuke in the footage spoke in a cold tone, he had already sensed that something was amiss with Inari. While provoking the other person with his words, he also pointed the way forward.
This version of Sasuke undoubtedly gained the recognition of many.
"Is this another version of me?" Uchiha Sasuke stared at the footage in a daze, his eyes flickering.
He had never thought that he could one day save others.
This feeling unexpectedly felt quite good.
"Sasuke's growth rate is very fast, but even so, the gap between him and Naruto is still like heaven and earth."
However, the next sentence in the footage made Sasuke's face turn dark.
"But Sasuke didn't feel discouraged. He always regarded Naruto as his goal and made every effort to catch up."
The scene paused with Sasuke standing beside Naruto.
"Naruto vs. Orochimaru."
The subtitle that followed excited countless people.
Orochimaru!! That's the renowned Sannin.
Comparable to an elite ninja of Kage level.
Such a character was going to face Naruto!?
Everyone was full of anticipation. The moment when all of Konoha discovered Naruto's hidden strength would force Naruto into the spotlight.
All his concealment would be in vain.
This was definitely a major highlight.
But what shocked people even more was the title of Naruto facing Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had long been famous, while Naruto had just graduated from the Ninja Academy not long ago.
What made him qualified to be mentioned in the same breath as Orochimaru?
The battle began.
"Naruto uses Crimson Fireball and Blue Fire Drop as opening moves. The fire is fierce, with tremendous power, but Orochimaru easily dodges using his substitution technique."
"If he went all out, Naruto's spiritual pressure and chakra would be close to Kage level."
"Close to Kage level, damn, how old is he?" The audience was astounded.
Moreover, Naruto's Ghost Transformation was very peculiar. Was this all brought about by the Zanpakuto?
In the footage, Orochimaru used the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, but Naruto, calm and composed, effortlessly shattered it with his Zanpakuto.
"Orochimaru draws the Grass Long Sword and engages in close-range swordsmanship with Naruto."
"Orochimaru's Body Flicker Technique is exquisite, his swordsmanship sharp, stabbing at vital points."
"Naruto's physical skills are excellent, coupled with Shunshin, he can barely keep up with Orochimaru's speed."
"Under Orochimaru's attack, Naruto absorbs combat experience like a sponge."
"Orochimaru came for Sasuke. Ever since being defeated by Itachi, he has had a desire for the Sharingan. He plans to leave a curse mark on Sasuke and then take over Sasuke's body."
"But Naruto requests Orochimaru to cancel this plan. As a trade, he will use his own power to help Orochimaru achieve immortality."
When these two sentences appeared on the screen, the entire ninja world was shaken.
They were surprised that Orochimaru had actually lost to Itachi and desired the Sharingan.
What shocked them even more was the technique of immortality.
Orochimaru could achieve immortality by changing bodies! This sent chills down everyone's spines.
Ninjas with even a little talent had their faces drained of color."