In the previous chapter: Boruto was promoted to jounin, and his new mission was to track down individuals who could pose a threat to the village. After receiving the assignment, Boruto left Konoha, in search of a special place that would help him become stronger. As he ran through the forest, the information he had received from Momoshiki left him shocked, causing him to reflect on his journey.
After a while, he arrived at a beach. There, his subordinate appeared and, after exchanging a few words, they both began walking on the water, heading towards their destination.
Boruto walked on the sea, the wind moving his cape, without turning to look at his subordinate, Kuroshhi. His voice cut through the sound of the waves:
—Tell me what happened, but above all, why Moku is hurt.
Kuroshhi looked at Boruto's back, lowered his head and replied in a serious tone.
Flashback
Kuroshhi walked through the rainy streets of Amegakure as people walked around him without any spirits down, people carrying umbrellas and raincoats, while the constant rain soaked the ground. Moku hid inside the Kuroshhi cloak, hidden so as not to be detected.
—That's amazing! We'll be able to see the master soon, don't you think, Kuroshhi? —Moku said joyfully, his big eye shining with excitement.
Kuroshhi smiled under his mask and replied:
—That's true. We'll finally be able to show you the results of the missions you gave us.
Suddenly, Kuroshi tensed, his gaze alert. He ran into a nearby alley with speed, pulling out a three-pronged kunai that glowed with the mark of the Hiraishin.
"Moku!" he said urgently.
Moku, without hesitation, activated his only Sharingan, and the two of them disappeared into a spinning vortex. They reappeared in a dark room, lit only by a lamp on a table, next to a simple bed. Kuroshhi quickly placed the kunai on the table.
At that moment, a scroll appeared in front of him. He quickly unrolled it and read it, addressing Moku, who had already jumped onto the bed:
—Prepare yourself, Moku. We may have visitors. We must protect them.
Moku nodded, his body small but firm.
"What's going on?" he asked, his tone more serious.
"Konoha was attacked. And it seems that the attackers are extremely strong," Kuroshhi replied, as he took out a brush with ink and quickly wrote on the scroll.
Sending chakra into the three-pronged kunai, the scroll disappeared in a flash of light. After a while, the scroll reappeared. Kuroshhi took it again and read it out loud to Moku, after which Moku, with a smile on his big mouth, activated his Sharingan, ready for action.
Both of them disappeared again in a spinning vortex of grey, leaving the room in complete silence, while the rain continued to fall on Amegakure without ceasing.
In the alley where they had been before, Kuroshhi and Moku reappeared. Moku quickly settled inside Kuroshhi's cloak and spoke in a low voice:
—It's time to go. We just need to get to this last spot and we can start the second phase.
Kuroshi nodded, and without saying anything else, he began to walk out of the alley. Upon reaching the streets of Amegakure, they blended into the crowd. The rain continued to fall heavily, and the people around them looked dejected, exhausted, and devoid of energy. The atmosphere was gloomy.
Moku, hidden in the cloak, whispered only so Kuroshhi could hear him:
—It's sad to see this. This country looks in very bad shape.
Kuroshhi turned his gaze to the ruined buildings. A broken sign barely hung from a closed shop. The streets were littered with rubble and the buildings were barely standing.
"That's why this place is perfect for hiding," Kuroshhi replied indifferently. "It's a mess."
Moku, looking around, replied:
-You're right...
Just as he was about to say something else, Kuroshhi suddenly stopped and looked to his side, noticing an imposing building with a large entrance.
—We have arrived at the place. The last one of all. So concentrate —Kuroshhi said.
In front of them was the imposing entrance of a building worn by time, but with a strange energy emanating from within. Moku, curious, pushed back Kuroshhi's cloak a little to get a better look.
"This place… seems strange. I can feel it," Moku said uneasily.
Kuroshhi nodded, looking intently at the entrance.
—You're not the only one who can feel it. But it's time to go inside.
As they walked towards the entrance, the people behind them glanced at them out of the corner of their eyes as they continued on their way, bewildered by their presence. Paying no attention to the stares, Kuroshhi continued forward. The steady sound of the rain faded as they crossed the entrance of the building.
Kuroshhi walked calmly through the corridors, carefully inspecting every corner. When he reached a crossroads of two paths, he decided to take the one on the left. After a short walk, he came to a strange room, full of scattered objects that didn't seem to make sense. Kuroshhi scanned the place quickly, without finding what he was looking for, and returned to take the path on the right.
The new path took him to multiple forks, which he carefully checked, until one of the last paths led him underground. There, he emerged into a huge sewer, where the water flowed strongly and the ceiling in the distance was made of glass where the light passed through. Moku, still hidden in the cloak, marveled at the place and spoke:
—This place is huge... I didn't think it was this vast. We've been walking quite a bit.
Kuroshhi observed the structure of the place, his eyes falling on a metal staircase attached to the sewer wall that descended even further into the depths. He was about to go down when, suddenly, an instinct made him react. He jumped nimbly to the side, just as several objects hit the place where he was standing, causing a loud bang.
—Boom ! —
The echo of the explosion reverberated through the sewer, as a cloud of debris and dust rose. Kuroshhi stood still, assessing the situation coldly, while Moku cautiously peeked out from behind his cloak, still on alert.
"It seems we're not alone..." Kuroshhi murmured, his sharp eyes searching for the source of the attack in the darkness.
From another entrance in the place, a mocking voice echoed:
—Look, it looks like a rat has snuck in here.
Kuroshhi, hidden under his mask, activated his Sharingan, focusing his sight in the direction where the voice came from. From the shadows emerged a figure wrapped in a cloak with a purple interior. The hood covered half of his face, leaving only an arrogant smile visible.
—Tell me, little mouse... what are you doing here? —he asked again, but Kuroshhi remained silent, his red eyes analyzing every movement.
The man laughed , interpreting Kuroshhi's silence as a challenge.
"Oh, you're not going to talk?" he scoffed. "Never mind. I'll get all the information I need out of you."
Suddenly, he raised his arm, closing it into a fist, and from it several black cubes began to form and flew towards Kuroshhi. With impressive speed, Kuroshhi dodged the attack, tilting his body and instantly appearing next to his enemy, throwing a kunai towards him. The person was surprised by the speed, but it was too late; Kuroshhi had already touched his body with the kunai. However, a metallic sound resounded. Kuroshhi frowned as he saw that his kunai had not penetrated; something had stopped it.
"Hahaha, are you surprised?" the man laughed , as black cubes descended from above towards Kuroshhi. The latter disappeared again, reappearing in the same place he was before, just as the cubes crashed to the ground with a loud bang.
—BOOM!
"Wow, you are fast, I admit it," the man said with a crooked smile, "but you won't be able to get through my defense. My body is as hard as carbon, there's nothing you can do to break it," he said with a mad laugh as he formed more carbon cubes floating on his shoulders.
Kuroshi watched him for a few seconds, and then, beneath his mask, he activated his eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. He spoke in a cold, firm voice:
—Do you think you're the only one who can create things out of nothing? I'm superior to you.
At that moment, black blades appeared in the air on the sides of Kuroshi's shoulders, spinning rapidly, with holes in their centers. The man stopped smiling for a second, surprised.
"Impossible!" he exclaimed as he launched his carbon cubes at full speed towards Kuroshhi. In response, Kuroshhi released one of his blades. The two attacks collided in midair, producing a metallic sound that echoed throughout the vast underground space.
The two continued to launch their attacks at high speed, filling the air with blades and cubes that collided and scattered all over the place, producing constant rumbling sounds. After a while, the attacks finally ceased, leaving the place filled with carbon cubes and black blades scattered across the ground.
"Wow, I didn't expect to find someone who could match me..." the man said with a mixture of surprise and respect.
Kuroshhi, still in combat stance, responded coldly:
—I say the same thing.
Suddenly, from the entrance where the man had appeared, another voice was heard:
—Deepa, what are you doing here?
A new figure appeared from the corridor. It was a short person holding a staff, wearing the same cloak as Deepa, but with a dark grey interior. The newcomer looked at Kuroshhi and then at Deepa.
—Why haven't you finished it yet?
Deepa smiled with interest, not taking her eyes off Kuroshhi.
—This guy has a similar ability to mine, he can create things in the air... Don't you find it interesting?
The man with the cane watched Kuroshhi for a few seconds and then spoke:
—So we take him with us.
Without warning, the being with the staff appeared in front of Kuroshhi with astonishing speed and, with a single punch to the stomach, launched him to the other side of the sewer, violently crashing him into the wall.
—BOOM!
The impact caused something to fly out of Kuroshhi's clothes, landing near the stairs.
The being with the staff spoke coldly:
—Go get him, Deepa. It's time to leave this place.
Deepa, with a playful smile, replied:
—Okay, but I would have liked to see more of that guy.
Suddenly, the being with the staff felt a disturbance in the air, a vortex trying to suck him in. He quickly jumped to the side and, looking in the direction the chakra was coming from, his eyes widened in surprise. In front of him, a small being wearing a cloak and hood materialized on the spot.
"What the hell is that?" Deepa exclaimed, also surprised.
The staff being wasted no time and spoke indifferently:
—It doesn't matter what it is. We capture him and take him away for investigation.
Moku, the small being, glared at them, his single eye shining with the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Immediately, several black blades appeared in the air and launched themselves towards the enemies with deadly speed.
Deepa and the staff being reacted instantly, jumping to dodge the blades. Deepa, with her ability, responded by launching carbon cubes towards Moku. However, Moku, with his Sharingan, created a spinning portal that absorbed the cubes before they reached him. Then, in a fierce counterattack, he launched more blades towards them.
But it wasn't enough.
The being with the staff appeared next to Moku in the blink of an eye and, with a single punch, brutally slammed him into the ground, causing a deafening roar that raised a cloud of dust.
—BOOM!
As the cloud dissipated, an unexpected figure appeared beside the staff being. With a swift movement, the figure launched a punch straight at the opponent, sending the opponent flying backwards. However, the staff being covered itself in time, and after spinning in the air, it stabilized itself and landed on its feet, with an arrogant smile.
Kuroshhi, now on his feet, watched the scene with fury. Looking at his small companion Moku, severely injured and pinned to the ground, a feeling of helplessness ran through him. He knelt down beside him, carefully picking Moku up in his arms. His companion's small body was barely clinging to life.
"He's barely breathing..." Kuroshhi muttered to himself, full of sadness.
With a look full of rage and pain, Kuroshhi screamed at the top of his lungs, his eyes shining with fury.
—DAMN YOU! How dare you...!
With Moku now on his left arm, Kuroshhi turned to face his enemies once more. Slowly, he raised his right arm, revealing it completely. It was covered in bandages.
The staff being spoke with an arrogant smile:
—To think you're still conscious after that blow... looks like I'll have to use more force.
But at that moment, blades appeared in the air, cutting the bandages covering Kuroshhi's arm, letting the remains fall to the ground.
Deepa and the staff being opened their eyes in astonishment when they saw what Kuroshhi was hiding: several Sharingans embedded in his arm.
"But what is this guy?" Deepa muttered, clearly intrigued.
The being with the cane calmly replied:
—It seems that this guy is like us... but he may be more dangerous than he seems.
Deepa, without losing her interest, smiled widely.
—So it's an experiment. How fascinating.
The Sharingans on Kuroshhi's arm began to activate simultaneously, evolving into Mangekyo Sharingans. And Kuroshhi spoke, his voice filled with determination:
—My master told me not to use this power unless absolutely necessary... but you will pay dearly for hurting my partner.
Vikta smiled disdainfully.
—Do you think I'm going to fear you just because you have those eyes on your arm? They're just relics of the past.
Deepa, ever alert, instinctively shifted her gaze to the other side of the manhole in the wall where Kuroshhi had crashed earlier, and her eyes widened in surprise.
—Vikta! Look at that! It's a stamp!
Vikta frowned, annoyed.
—Don't say my name in front of the enemies, you idiot!
—That doesn't matter! Look! —Deepa insisted.
Vikta finally turned his gaze to the wall, and what he saw made him open his eyes in shock. A giant seal covered the entire surface.
—But what...?
Kuroshhi, with a cold expression, intervened.
—If you know anything about the Sharingan, there is no need to explain further. This place is now under my control.
The eyes embedded in Kuroshhi's arm began to move erratically, focusing on Vikta and Deepa. At that very moment, the ceiling and floor of the sewer began to violently close against each other, causing a deafening roar.
—BOOM!
Deepa reacted instantly, hardening her entire body with her carbon ability, piercing through the floor and ceiling as she sawed out. Vikta, meanwhile, nimbly jumped to the side, but before she could land, the ceiling and floor collided again with even more force, generating another rumble.
—BOOM!
From the first impact, several cubes flew towards Kuroshhi. But he agilely dodged the attack by jumping into the air and, with a single gesture, created blades that positioned themselves under his feet, allowing him to stay floating over the sewer where all the water from that city of Amegakure arrived due to the heavy rains. From that position, he observed his enemies coldly,
From the first crash between the ceiling and the floor, a figure emerged, crumpling the cans and debris around him: Deepa. He had been wedged between the floor and the ceiling, but when he emerged, his entire body was hardened and no longer covered in the cloak, covered in that metallic black color. Returning to his normal state, his appearance was fully revealed: bright orange eyes and perfectly combed brown hair on the sides. On his face, a Roman numeral, "7", "VII", was marked with intensity.
Kuroshhi, now floating in the air above the sewer, spoke coldly:
—So this is your real face... I will remember it.
He extended his arm, and the Sharingans on his arm began to move erratically, focusing on Deepa. From the ground, sharp spikes began to emerge, aimed at him. But Deepa, with a malicious smile, stiffened his body once more, and the metallic sound echoed throughout the place as the spikes bounced uselessly against his armor.
"You are a very interesting toy," Deepa mocked. "You said you had a master… I wonder what kind of being that is. Hahahaha !"
Without wasting any time, she launched a wave of carbon cubes at Kuroshhi. Kuroshhi, reacting with precision, created a huge blade that spun like a shield, blocking each of the cubes. Deepa's attack lasted for a long time, filling the place with the constant metallic sound of the impacts. After a while, the cubes ceased and Kuroshhi's blade stopped spinning.
"Is that all?" Kuroshhi asked in an indifferent tone. "Don't you have anything else?"
The fury on Deepa's face became evident, and just as she prepared to leap towards Kuroshhi, a voice emerged from another part of the place.
—Vikta, it seems you have a rather annoying ability... but now it's my turn.
Vikta, from his position, quickly performed several hand seals and shouted:
—¡ Futon : Gofusen !
A powerful gust of wind hurled itself at Kuroshhi, violently pushing him into the wall behind him with a deafening crash.
—BOOM!
Vikta landed beside Deepa and, in a serious tone, said:
—You are a problem, but that's where it ends.
Kuroshhi struggled out of the crater that had formed in the wall, his eyes filled with determination as he looked at Vikta and Deepa.
—You are the real problem.
The Sharingans on his arm began to move erratically, and suddenly, two enormous shurikens made of black blades appeared and began to spin with fearsome force. Kuroshhi created a giant blade under his feet, staying in the air again. Then, he performed a quick hand position, and from his mouth came a powerful gust of wind that joined the shurikens, causing them to spin even faster and more dangerously, creating a layer of wind shuriken.
Kuroshhi launched the giant shurikens towards Deepa and Vikta with surprising speed. Both of them began to run, dodging the attacks that cut everything in their path. Vikta, determined, launched himself directly towards Kuroshhi, while the shurikens followed his trajectory, the eyes of Kuroshhi's arm moving erratically to keep control.
Kuroshhi, noticing Vikta's advance, quickly rose, dodging his attack. On the other hand, Deepa ran at full speed, sticking to the walls of the sewer and ascending with agility. The cubes surrounding him spun furiously, forming a protective ring. The shuriken hit him, but the impact launched him higher, allowing him to gain momentum and jump towards Kuroshhi from a higher position.
With a smile on his face, Deepa stretched out his fingers, and black ropes shot out from them, heading towards Kuroshhi at high speed. Deepa laughed with excitement, thinking he had him cornered, but before he could close the distance, one of the pipes in the place hit him hard. The impact slammed him violently into the opposite wall, causing a deafening roar: BOOM! Despite this, half of the Sharingans on Kuroshhi's arm did not take their eyes off Deepa, while the other half watched Vikta, controlling the trajectory of the shuriken.
Vikta, noticing the behavior of Kuroshhi's arm, frowned.
Kuroshhi spoke, determined:
—I just have to bury him in this building.
With astonishing speed, he began to ascend. Meanwhile, Vikta began to jump from wall to wall, climbing with determination to reach Kuroshhi. Deepa, who had emerged from the crater, did the same, launching herself into the air with astonishing speed.
Both of them attacked with all their power, while the shurikens spun at high speed in their direction, charged with futon chakra. The sound of explosions and metallic clashes resonated throughout the place, each impact causing a deafening roar. In one of those explosions, a wall was destroyed, revealing a laboratory full of strange artifacts. Huge serum-shaped bags hung, connected to hoses that reached vessels on the floor, all containing a black liquid. The entire place seemed to be in a state of abandonment and wear.
Kuroshhi, seeing the scene out of the corner of his eye, was surprised, but did not stop. With a burst of momentum, he shot upwards, breaking the glass of the roof and emerging from the building. Deepa and Vikta, in a synchronized jump, appeared on the terrace, ready to continue the battle.
Kuroshhi extended his Sharingan-clad arm, and the building began to move erratically, shaking intensely. Deepa and Vikta felt the tremor and prepared to jump, but the building's pipes caught them before they could react. Kuroshhi closed his hand into a fist, and immediately, the building compressed into a sphere with Deepa and Vikta trapped inside, causing a massive explosion. BOOM! The rumble shook the entire city of the Land of Rain.
The villagers, seeing what had happened, began to run away in fear. Meanwhile, Kuroshhi, standing in the air on the large blade and holding Moku in his left arm, watched from above. His mask was bleeding, with blood seeping from his eyes and dripping down the edge.
Moku opened his one eye and noticed drops of blood falling on his small body. He looked at Kuroshhi with concern and spoke, his voice trembling:
—Stop, Kuroshhi! You can't hold out any longer... your chakra is almost exhausted.
Just then, from the sphere that Kuroshhi had created, Deepa emerged, excited. His body was completely covered in armor, half white and half black. Behind him appeared Vikta, his body severely damaged, missing several limbs and his cloak, showing the appearance of an old man. Despite the injuries, Vikta began to regenerate his destroyed body, and a look of fury was fixed on Kuroshhi.
Kuroshhi, shocked, felt the sharingans on his arm slowly closing, while the ones in his eyes deactivated. The large blade he was holding on to disappeared into a dark mist, leaving him falling uncontrollably.
At that instant, Moku reacted quickly. With his single eye glowing, he activated his sharingan and created a spinning vortex that enveloped them both. In the blink of an eye, Kuroshi and Moku were sucked into the vortex, disappearing from the spot before they could be reached by their enemies.
Elsewhere, in a dim room, lit only by the light of a lamp on a table next to a bed, a spinning vortex appeared out of nowhere. From it emerged Kuroshhi and Moku. Kuroshhi fell backwards onto the bed, exhausted. Moku, realizing they were safe, could take no more and fell unconscious to the floor.
Several days passed in silence, until Kuroshhi finally woke up. Still weak, he slowly got up and, seeing Moku injured, rushed to help him. With shaky but determined hands, he took bandages and began to cover his little companion's wounds, making sure he was as well cared for as possible.
End of the Flashback.
Boruto and Kuroshhi continued to walk on the sea, with Moku resting on Kuroshhi's shoulder. Boruto, hearing his subordinate's words, stopped and looked at Moku. Spreading his hands, he spoke in a calm tone:
—Moku, come closer.
Moku jumped off Kuroshhi's shoulder and into Boruto's hands, who held him carefully in both palms. As they continued walking, a soft green chakra emerged from Boruto's hands, enveloping Moku and beginning to heal him. Without taking his eyes off his path, Boruto commented:
—Kuroshhi, I told you to learn the Mystic Palm jutsu so you could heal yourself and Moku.
Kuroshhi lowered his head in sorrow and replied in a low voice:
—I'm sorry, sir. I haven't found any user capable of running it to copy it.
Boruto raised his voice a little more, but without losing his characteristic calm:
—You rely too much on your Sharingan. You had to learn that jutsu yourself, to get stronger. You can't even do this... You're disappointing me, Kuroshhi.
Beneath his mask, Kuroshhi opened his eyes in surprise, feeling the weight of his master's words. Without saying anything, he lowered his head, dejected by the reproach.
Boruto, focused on his task, removed Moku's bandages, revealing that he was fully healed. He then turned and handed him to Kuroshhi, who carefully received him and placed him back on his shoulder.
After a few seconds of silence, Boruto, without turning around, spoke again:
—Kuroshhi, listen.
Kuroshhi looked up and watched his master's back as Boruto continued:
—Unlike me, you don't have what it takes to walk alone. That's why you have Moku. He's your companion. But that doesn't mean you have to depend on him. You have to protect him. After all, he's the only thing that anchors you to reality.
Kuroshhi was about to answer, but Boruto continued speaking, his gaze fixed on the horizon:
—I cannot be that anchor for you. Even though I was the one who improved you and gave you power, I am not your purpose. You must find your own path, while helping to fulfill mine.
Kuroshi just nodded, feeling Boruto's words sink in deeply. Beneath his mask, his eyes shone with a renewed determination. The two continued walking in silence, while, in Boruto's mindspace, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Well, well…" Momoshiki said lazily. "That's your subordinate, huh? How strange. Why did you say those words to him? All you're doing is pushing him away."
Boruto, unfazed, replied:
—You see it this way. But from my perspective, if one day he fails to protect his companion, that failure will haunt him until his death. But if he succeeds, he will remember my words until the end. On both paths, he will owe me something that he will pay until the end.
Momoshhiki spoke with a sly smile:
—Wow, you are really smart.
Karasugan, present in Boruto's mindspace, observed the conversation and added in a calm voice:
—You're a manipulator, Boruto. You don't even consider him your true partner.
Momoshhiki glanced at him and, with his usual coldness, commented:
—There is no need to recognize him as a companion. He just needs to be useful.
Boruto, without stopping his step in the real world, answered both of them, keeping his tone firm:
—I consider him my partner... but only if he's strong enough to deserve it.
Momoshiki closed his eyes, seemingly uninterested, while Karasugan let out a sigh, accepting the end of the conversation.
Outside of the mental space, Boruto and Kuroshhi continued walking on the water, in silence. Time passed, and after several hours of progress, they finally arrived at an island.
Boruto looked at the island from the shore and spoke:
—Kuroshhi, this is the island.
Kuroshhi took out a map, looked at it carefully, and then looked towards the island, confirming:
—Yes, this is the island.
Both of them jumped out of the sea onto the beach. Boruto, with an agile movement, quickly reached the trees, and Kuroshhi followed him without problems. Both of them began to advance between the branches, while heading towards the center of the island. After a while, they arrived at a ruined city. Boruto landed on the ground, and Kuroshhi, always by his side, followed him.
Kuroshhi spoke curiously:
—This place is the Land of the Whirlpool.
Boruto glanced at him and calmly added:
—This place is Uzushiogakure, a city where the Uzumaki lived.
With one leap, Boruto reached the top of a destroyed house and turned his gaze towards the center of the city, where a large temple stood out among the ruins. Without wasting any time, Boruto began to jump towards the temple, and Kuroshhi followed closely behind him. Upon reaching the center, they both looked at the enormous temple.
They walked towards the entrance, where a large door stood imposingly. Boruto pushed it open, causing the doors to creak with the sound of worn wood, kicking up dust in their wake. Light filtered in from the temple's tall windows, but the place was in ruins, covered in branches and dust.
As they made their way towards the center of the temple, Boruto looked at every corner carefully, followed by Kuroshhi. In the center of the place, there was a statue of the Uzumaki whirlpool. Boruto contemplated it in silence for a while, before turning around and leaving the temple, with Kuroshhi following him.
Once outside the temple, Boruto walked to a nearby tree and sat under its shade, observing the temple from the outside. With an almost imperceptible murmur, he expressed his frustration:
—This doesn't make sense.
Kuroshhi, standing next to his master, noticed Boruto's muttering and asked respectfully:
—Boruto-sama, is something wrong?
Boruto glanced at him and replied:
—This place makes no sense. It's like there's nothing on this island.
Kuroshhi tilted his head, unable to understand, while Moku, from his shoulder, interjected curiously:
—I don't understand, Boruto-sama. Why did we come here in the first place?
Boruto looked towards the temple and explained:
"This place has hidden treasures. When Uzushiogakure was attacked by the elemental villages, they supposedly destroyed everything, but I don't believe that version. The Uzumaki were too smart. They were masters in the art of sealing, Fuinjutsu. They had to have stored everything of value somewhere on this island. But this temple in the center of the city is empty, and it's full of explosive seals that will activate if you search too hard."
Kuroshhi was shocked, while Moku opened his one eye in amazement. Kuroshhi looked at the temple more closely and commented:
—But I didn't notice any seals on the building.
"This place was designed so that only the Uzumaki clan's sensors could perceive the seals," Boruto explained.
Kuroshhi, assimilating the information, suggested:
—Then we just need to find more seals, and that's where the Uzumaki treasures will be.
"There are no more seals on this island," Boruto said calmly. "I already scanned the entire island and found nothing else. That means the Uzumaki treasure wasn't left for them. What a problem."
Kuroshhi nodded, a little confused, and asked:
—So, what shall we do now, Boruto-sama?
Boruto slowly stood up, walked towards the temple, and while looking at the top of the building, he replied:
—I'll find out.
With an agile leap, Boruto attached himself to the walls of the temple and began to ascend towards the top. When he reached the highest point, he looked down, observing Kuroshhi, and said in a firm voice:
—Stay there, don't go up.
Kuroshhi nodded without hesitation, awaiting his master's orders.
Boruto, from the top of the building, sat down with his legs crossed and began to concentrate. His right eye changed, activating the Jougan in all its glory. The sky, which was clear, suddenly became cloudy, and Boruto sent his remote vision all over the island, searching every hidden corner. Clouds covered the sky, giving the feeling that rain could fall at any moment.
Kuroshhi, observing everything from the ground, looked up and commented in a low voice:
—What do you think this is, Moku? As Boruto-sama focused, the atmosphere changed.
Moku, from Kuroshhi's shoulder, replied:
—It seems that this change was caused by Boruto-sama, but it is quite strange.
Kuroshhi nodded, saying:
—I thought so too.
Meanwhile, Boruto's vision swept across every corner of the island, passing through walls and hidden places. After a while, a smile of amusement appeared on Boruto's face, and the Jougan deactivated. The clouds began to dissipate little by little.
Boruto looked up, watching the clouds disappear. In his mindspace, Momoshhiki commented in an indifferent tone:
—You don't have enough strength to control the Jougan, which causes abilities like control or dominance to activate unconsciously and intertwine with your Law of Thunder ability, allowing you to control the clouds.
Boruto, hearing Momoshiki's words, calmly replied:
—That's why I'm looking for something here that will give me more power. But it doesn't matter, I've already found the entrance to the place we're looking for.
Boruto jumped to his feet, landing firmly on the ground. His eyes turned to Kuroshhi.
"It's time to move," he said in a firm voice.
Kuroshhi nodded without hesitation and began to follow Boruto, who had already started his way by jumping between the ruined houses. After a few minutes of moving, both of them left the limits of the ruined city. They advanced through the forest, until finally Boruto stopped on a high branch. He observed the surroundings for a moment and then jumped to the ground, closely followed by Kuroshhi, who still carried Moku on his shoulder.
Boruto walked to the foot of an imposing mountain, stopping in front of the rocky wall. He observed the place carefully and, after a brief silence, he began to make a series of signs with his hands. With a firm and clear voice, he said:
-Release.
Immediately, several seals appeared on the mountain wall, shining brightly for a few seconds before fading away. A large stone door materialized on the wall, revealing itself before them. To one side of the entrance, a stone cup stood out.
Kuroshhi, surprised, watched the appearance of the door.
—Boruto-sama, is this the place we were looking for? —he asked, unable to hide his astonishment.
Boruto, with a slight smile, nodded.
—That's right. This is the place. But we're not going in today. I can feel it... that place is dangerous.
Kuroshhi nodded, understanding his master's words.
"We'll camp here tonight," Boruto ordered, his gaze fixed on the door.
—Don't worry, Boruto-sama. I'll take care of everything —Kuroshhi replied with determination.
Boruto glanced at him and nodded approvingly.
Some time passed, and when night had already fallen, the tents were set up and a campfire was burning in the center of the camp. Boruto and Kuroshhi were sitting in front of the fire, each on a fallen log, with the peaceful atmosphere around them. The crackling of the firewood accompanied the sound of the gentle wind moving the branches of the trees.
With a quick gesture, Boruto formed a seal with one hand and with a small puff of smoke a scroll appeared in the air. Calmly unrolling it, he revealed several seals. He tapped one of them with his fingers, and food immediately appeared, which he handed to Kuroshhi.
Kuroshhi gratefully accepted the food, removing his mask and began eating in silence, sharing the food with Moku. Boruto did the same, taking out another plate for himself.
Once they finished eating, Kuroshhi handed the plate back to Boruto, who, just as calmly, put everything back into the scroll, leaving it just as it was before.
Boruto and Kuroshhi stared at the campfire for a long time, until Boruto, breaking the silence, spoke with his calm and cold tone.
—Tell me, Kuroshhi, how is the mission going?
Kuroshhi looked up at his master before replying respectfully:
—The first mission is almost complete, there is only one place left to find. But it is only a matter of time.
Boruto smiled slightly, showing a flash of approval before continuing:
—And the other thing?
Kuroshhi paused briefly, making sure to choose his words carefully, and then calmly replied:
— Everything is going well. We already have four candidates. Since the Land of Rain is an abandoned territory, many people are hiding there. However, we have already identified four individuals who could be useful to us.
Boruto's eyes sharpened with interest.
"How old are they?" he asked. "What abilities do they possess or what clans do they come from?"
Kuroshhi maintained his composure as he replied:
—They are your age, Boruto-sama. But their abilities, so far, are weak. However, what is important is their lineage. One is from the Karatachi Clan of the Land of Mist, another from the Kaguya Clan also from the Mist, one more from the Uzumaki Clan of the Land of Whirlpool, and finally, one from the Sabaku Clan of the Land of Wind.
A malicious smile formed on Boruto's lips upon hearing that.
"So they're not strong… but their blood is." Boruto was silent for a second before continuing in an authoritative tone. "I want you to keep an eye on them from a distance. I don't want Konoha to find out about them, at least not for now. I'm a little surprised by the Uzumaki, but … nevermind."
With that last sentence, Boruto stood up, his indifferent expression returning as he walked towards his tent.
Kuroshhi stood up and looked at Moku, who was on his shoulder, and spoke to him in a low voice:
—You'll stand guard at midnight, and I'll take the second half.
Moku nodded and, with a nimble jump, reached the ground. Kuroshhi put on his mask and went to his tent, while Moku, with another great jump, reached one of the branches of a nearby tree, from where he would watch over the camp.
The night passed in complete calm. At dawn, Boruto emerged from his tent, stretching his body under the sun that was now fully in the sky. Kuroshhi, who had been on a nearby branch, jumped towards him and spoke:
—Did you sleep well, Boruto-sama?
Boruto looked at him and replied:
—I slept well. Tell me, how is the situation?
Kuroshhi, always alert, answered immediately:
—Everything is in order, Boruto-sama. Are you going to have breakfast?
"Yes, I'm going to have breakfast," Boruto replied calmly.
Kuroshhi nodded, and after that, the two of them ate breakfast quietly. Moku came out of the tent soon after, attracted by the aroma of the food Kuroshhi had prepared. He walked over and started eating as well.
Once breakfast was over, Kuroshhi packed up the tents and all the supplies, leaving the camp ready to continue.
Boruto, seeing that everything was ready, turned around and walked towards the stone door. Upon arriving, he inspected the surface with his hands and then turned his attention to the stone vessel embedded in the wall. He observed it for a moment, noticing something peculiar. Then, without hesitation, he removed his left glove, pulled out a three-pronged kunai and cut his palm, letting the blood flow into the vessel.
Kuroshhi, worried, watched his master as he held Moku on his shoulder. Boruto, noticing his reaction, glanced at him from the corner of his eye and then turned his attention back to the container.
—Don't worry, Kuroshhi. This is the only way to activate the gate —Boruto said calmly.
As time passed, Boruto's blood filled half of the vessel, but it was soon absorbed by some hidden mechanism, and the stone door opened. Boruto, seeing this, healed the wound on his hand with a green chakra that briefly appeared. Once healed, he put the glove back on and took a few steps towards the threshold, where he observed the spiral stairs that descended without visible end.
Glancing sideways at Kuroshhi and then at the stairs, Boruto spoke firmly:
—Kuroshhi, it's time for you to leave this place.
Kuroshhi, surprised, looked at the stairs and then at Boruto, who continued to stare at the descent.
"Is it because I made some mistake, Boruto-sama?" Kuroshhi asked with concern.
Boruto gently shook his head and replied:
—This place only allows those of Uzumaki blood to enter. If someone like you enters, you could die. It's best for me to go down alone.
Kuroshhi, though disappointed, nodded in understanding and took a few steps back, bowing his head.
"I understand, Boruto-sama," he replied with resignation.
Boruto turned his head and looked at him again, smiling confidently.
—Continue with the mission, Kuroshhi, and be careful out there.
Kuroshhi, with renewed determination upon seeing his master's smile, responded with a firm bow:
-Yeah!
Before taking the next step, Boruto spoke again, without taking his eyes off Kuroshhi:
—You told me that they have almost all the places marked. I want you to do something for me, Kuroshhi.
Kuroshhi, attentive, nodded silently.
—Pick one of those places and create a base. Also, create a clone of yourself —Boruto added, making Kuroshhi open his eyes in surprise under his mask.
"A clone of me, Boruto-sama?" Kuroshhi asked in disbelief.
—It doesn't have to be a clone exactly, but it has to have your DNA! —Boruto explained—. It can adapt to any genetics, like you do.
Kuroshhi nodded, slowly understanding Boruto's plan.
"We will slowly improve it until it is perfect," Boruto continued. "This clone will become the vessel I need."
Kuroshhi could only nod at the firmness of his master's words. Boruto took one last look at the stairs before entering through the stone door and beginning his descent.
"Go away. It's time," Boruto ordered with determination.
Moku, with his sharingan active, created a spinning vortex, and both of them disappeared in an instant, leaving Boruto alone to continue on his way.
Boruto walked through the stone door, and it closed with a dull thud, plunging everything into deep darkness. The atmosphere was dense, and the echo of his breathing resonated in the enclosed space.
He muttered to himself, almost in a whisper:
—It's very dark here...
He stretched his hand forward, channeling his chakra.
"Katon," he said calmly.
His hand immediately burst into flames, illuminating the surroundings in an orange glow. The dim light revealed stone stairs spiraling downwards, with moss and signs of neglect on the walls.
The silence was absolute, except for the soft crackling of the fire in his hand.
"This place... seems to have no end," he murmured, watching as the stairs seemed to stretch endlessly into the depths.
Boruto continued down for what seemed like endless hours. Finally, he reached the top of the stairs. He looked around carefully and began to explore, sliding his hands along the walls in search of any clues. After a while of searching, he found a hidden stone door. He inspected it with his hands, noticing the details and reliefs worn by time.
He inspected it by touch, searching the edges of the door until he found a hidden block. With precision, he pressed it, activating a hidden mechanism that caused the door to slowly open. Boruto stepped forward without hesitation, crossing the threshold into a new stone chamber, dimly lit by bright white crystals in each corner.
The room stretched imposingly long, with almost no end in sight. Boruto, observing his surroundings, stopped channeling his chakra, causing the flames in his hand to die down. With a glance, he verified that the door behind him had closed once more. Unfazed, he stared at the enormous room coldly.
Boruto crouched down and looked at the floor carefully. There were seals scattered all over the floor, extending to the other side of the room. He followed the patterns with his eyes until he saw a stone door at the end. As he stood up, he thought:
—This room is hundreds of meters long... What a problem.
Then he looked back at the stamps scattered on the ground and muttered to himself:
—These seals seem to form a path. Apparently, I have to align them. It's like a password...
He made several signs with his hands, and one of the seals written on the ground moved, placing itself in front of Boruto. Then, he stood on the seal and continued making more signs until, after several hours of effort, he finally managed to reach the other side of the room.
Boruto, standing in the doorway, took a step forward, and immediately, the door behind him closed with a thud. Torches along the walls lit up on their own, illuminating the room in a warm, dim light. The walls of the room were covered in seals of all kinds, scattered as if protecting or guarding something powerful.
room. This time, the atmosphere was different. The first thing that caught his attention was the large symbol of the Uzumaki clan in the center of the floor, standing out with its enormous size. Further back, on an altar, rested a large scroll.
Boruto walked with a firm step to the altar where the scroll rested. He took it in his hands and, without hesitation, murmured:
— Fuuton .
A gentle wind chakra swept away the dust that had accumulated on the scroll, dispersing it into the air. With the scroll now clean, Boruto turned around and walked to the center of the room, where the large Uzumaki clan symbol lay on the floor. He sat down in the center of the emblem, laid the scroll on the floor in front of him, and carefully opened it.
Boruto began to read the contents of the scroll and came across a handwritten message. Running his eyes over the words, he began to read quietly:
"If you're reading this, it means I'm no longer in this world. My name is Masaru Uzumaki, and for many years I was the guardian of this scroll. Although my name means 'victory,' my life was not particularly glorious. Since I was little, I suffered for not being like the others in my clan. For years I endured their rejection, their cruelty. My chakra was weak, and the Uzumaki genes running through my veins didn't seem as strong as the rest.
Despite everything, I never let it defeat me. I worked in silence, always alone. I longed for friends, but I never managed to find them. I turned to books, searching for answers, searching for ways to increase my chakra exponentially. Despite all my effort, I never quite succeeded. However, my perseverance caught the attention of the clan leader, who assigned me a crucial mission: to protect this ancient Uzumaki scroll.
When I first read it, I realized the immense wisdom it contained. Advanced techniques of Fuinjutsu, the art of sealing, techniques that had been hidden for generations. For years I studied every stroke, every symbol, until I memorized the scroll in its entirety. Over time, I even developed my own seals, and I captured them here, alongside those of my ancestors.
Today, I leave this scroll in this sacred place, for we are under attack by enemy villages. I have placed multiple barriers and traps to ensure that only someone from the Uzumaki clan can access it. If someone outside of our blood manages to find this place, a single mistake in the test of the seals will cause this place, and even the entire island, to explode into a thousand pieces. I pray that never happens.
I must now leave this refuge and join the battle. To you, who has come this far, I entrust the protection of this legacy. If you have the Uzumaki blood, I trust that you will know how to honor this scroll and continue the path you have wished to walk.
Keep going. Don't stop.
With hope,
Masaru Uzumaki."
Boruto was silent for a moment, absorbing the words. Afterwards, he sighed and continued to open the scroll. When he saw the first sealing technique, he opened his eyes slightly and smiled mischievously.