rpbooks Chapter 337 Otsutsuki
Chapter 337 Otsutsuki
The Hidden Leaf Village was exceptionally quiet at night. Moonlight spilled onto the streets, and the night wind carried a chill, but this chill was nothing compared to the coldness in Sasuke's heart. Boruto and Sasuke stood side by side on a small bridge spanning a stream, the sound of the flowing water beneath them exceptionally clear in the silence.
To be fair, the world meant him no harm. Sasuke even saw his deceased parents again and said the words that had been buried in his heart for many years, words he thought he would never have the chance to say... Upon reflection, the price of this gift doesn't seem unacceptable.
However, for Sasuke Uchiha, whose pride remained at its core, these reasons were far from enough to soothe the surging shame within him. The absurdity of seeing "another version of himself" developing that kind of relationship with Naruto still lingered in his throat.
"...Sasuke-san," Boruto cautiously broke the silence, "were you two that close when you were kids?...I mean! Not really! You two..."
Realizing he had misspoke, Boruto stammered, unsure how to take it back. Sasuke couldn't help but think to himself, "When did this kid become so cheeky?"
"What I mean is! Under different circumstances! Your relationship with Dad could actually be... uh, 'normal'—" Boruto's explanation only made things worse, "Luckily, it won't affect us..."
He couldn't continue, because Sasuke was staring at him with a seemingly calm yet chilling gaze. Boruto swallowed hard and obediently shut his mouth.
"Yes," Sasuke's voice sounded particularly cold in the night wind, "so compared to that, you, who only caused me trouble, aren't so bad."
The remark, whether sarcastic or sincere, plunged the atmosphere into silence once more. The two simply stood quietly at the dimly lit bridgehead.
"...Then, Mr. Sasuke," Boruto couldn't help but speak again, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, "you said that the world without fathers is actually a girl's world?"
"...Sasuke slowly turned his head. "Do you want to talk about this?"
"Uh... I was just kidding." Boruto quickly waved his hand, realizing he had just added fuel to the fire.
A night breeze swept by, rippling the water beneath the bridge. Boruto gazed at the fragmented moonlight, his voice suddenly dropping.
"Sasuke-san... what about the mother in this world?"
His tone revealed an unusual vulnerability stemming from deep concern for his mother.
"My mother is very gentle, but sometimes she's very stubborn... What will she do if my father doesn't choose her?"
Sasuke was stunned by what he heard. He looked at the unease on Boruto's face and realized that the various possibilities of this parallel world were also causing the boy distress and discomfort.
"Boruto, remember, this isn't our timeline. Your mother is still in our future, she's still your mother, and that will never change."
Sasuke carefully crafted his words, something he rarely did. "And, although I don't know much about your mother, Naruto told me about her before." Sasuke's gaze drifted into the distance. "She 'chose' your father with her own resolve and brought him into her life. That power is something no other insignificant 'possibility' can shake."
"And Boruto, if Hinata in this world knew that Naruto was with... another girl," he paused subtly, "maybe what you're worried about won't happen in the first place."
Boruto was taken aback, clearly not expecting Sasuke to comfort him so patiently. After carefully considering Sasuke's words, the gloom on his face gradually dissipated, revealing a relieved smile. "Haha, that's right. We just need to protect our world and safeguard the possibilities we've already decided on."
Although he said that, Boruto secretly decided that he would find an opportunity to visit the Hyuga clan in this world.
As the atmosphere relaxed, Boruto jokingly added, "By the way, in the future of this world, should I call Mr. Sasuke 'Master Mama'?"
"Splat."
As soon as he finished speaking, Sasuke's hand, which was gripping the bridge railing, clenched so tightly that it left a deep indentation. Wood chips fell from between his fingers.
Sasuke's eyes turned menacing again, and Boruto immediately realized he'd said the wrong thing again, hurriedly adding, "Um! I mean! I think Sasuke-san's Sharingan is really cool! So... I..."
Realizing that his words might make the situation worse, Boruto wisely kept quiet.
"Boruto..." Sasuke's voice was so low it was almost a sigh, "Let's go, let's train."
"Huh? Now?" Boruto looked at the moon, which was already high in the sky, with some surprise.
"Yes," Sasuke turned around, "we don't know when Urashiki will attack, so let's hurry."
"I see... alright..." Boruto agreed verbally, but a sense of foreboding welled up inside him. He had a feeling that tonight's training would probably not be easy.
------
The following afternoon, four people gathered at the training ground on the edge of Konoha, each engaged in different training exercises.
Uchiha Satsuki was practicing ninja tool throwing with focused concentration, each shuriken hitting the bullseye in the distance with pinpoint accuracy.
Not far away, Naruto Uzumaki was sitting cross-legged under the shade of a tree, carefully flipping through a thick scroll. Sasuke felt that the scroll looked somewhat familiar.
Boruto Uzumaki stretched his body with some distress, occasionally grimacing from muscle soreness. Sasuke Uchiha's training last night was even more rigorous than he had imagined. Although Sasuke had clearly held back to ensure he wouldn't be seriously injured, the high-intensity training still caused his body to protest.
This morning, Boruto even went so far as to find the Hyuga main family's residence. He hid in the distance and saw the mother of this world—Hinata Hyuga. She was training with a boy she had only seen in a family photo; that was his uncle, Neji Hyuga, a relative who had sacrificed himself before he was born.
During his observation, Boruto noticed that the mother of this world acted gently and naturally around Neji, showing no signs of disappointment or regret. Could it be true, as Sasuke said, that the mother of this world chose a different path from the very beginning?
Unfortunately, he hadn't been observing for long when Neji's Byakugan sensed his presence. Boruto had no choice but to hastily flee the scene, his heart filled with mixed feelings about the discovery.
Uchiha Sasuke stood at the edge of the training ground, seemingly leaning casually against a tree trunk, but in reality, he remained vigilant at all times.
Although he was nominally under surveillance, he was actually carrying out a protective mission, quietly waiting for Urashiki's attack.
When exactly would Urashiki arrive? Ryou had previously said "a few days later," but this vague timeframe was unsettling. Sasuke mentally calculated the worst-case scenario—now!
Sasuke's eyes widened suddenly, and at the same time, a flippant and dangerous voice came from above.
"Finally arrived. The plan has been disrupted, but oh well... let's just take care of these troublesome guys as well."
Everyone looked up and saw a figure dressed in white, holding a red fishing rod, hovering in mid-air. A mocking smile played on his lips as he looked down at the training field, his pupil-less eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.