Chapter 137: The Empire's Spectators, and the Arrival of Kawaki, the Initiator of the Tattoo Age!

Chapter 137: The Empire's Spectators, and the Arrival of Kawaki, the Initiator of the Tattoo Age!

"Do you all have them too? I actually have one as well."

Hinata had just walked out of the kitchen, carrying a cup of tea for Naruto.

Naruto thanked her and said with a smile, "Maybe we were once members of the same clan. After all, blood ties can be quite mysterious."

"Members of the same clan?" Boruto murmured, his mind involuntarily recalling his own journey to another world. Could it be...

No, it's impossible.

Sasuke and I have returned from our journey; it's unlikely we'll ever see the people from the Empire again.

"Members of the same clan? Perhaps... I've heard that many people across the world are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. If you trace blood relations far back enough, it's no surprise that we'd be related," Hinata said with a smile.

"That's true!" Boruto nodded, dismissing the suspicion that had just arisen.

Naruto and Boruto's family casually chatted away.

Until the door creaked open.

Everyone turned their gaze toward the sound.

A man dressed in a yellow tracksuit, looking somewhat weary, stood at the doorway.

"Dad!"

"Father!"

Boruto and Himawari exclaimed in delight.

Himawari immediately ran towards the man.

The Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, also spotted Boruto, Himawari, and Naruto immediately. He caught his daughter as she rushed towards him, smiling as he ruffled her hair. Then, with a look of surprise, he turned to Naruto and asked, "And who might you be?"

"Hehehe, Dad, this is Ming Ren. He's your fan and admirer. I was just telling him about your glorious deeds."

Boruto said excitedly.

"Greetings! Handsome and magnificent Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki. I am Ming Ren.

Since I was young, I have admired those who could become Hokage. For you to become the Seventh, developing Konoha into the splendid village it is today, is truly remarkable! So cool!"

Naruto's gaze intensified as he looked at Boruto's counterpart.

The words spoken by Boruto's doppelganger made him feel a bit embarrassed, and he scratched his head, laughing awkwardly, "Ahahaha... Greetings, Ming Ren. I'm actually not as amazing as you think. The development of Konoha is a result of everyone's efforts; I only played a small part."

"No, no, no, Naruto, you're truly amazing.

I heard that during the Fourth Great Ninja War, you and Sasuke-san defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, thus saving the world.

In my eyes, you, who achieved such a feat, are undoubtedly a hero!"

Naruto continued, giving Boruto's doppelganger a thumbs-up.

"Ahahaha... It was everyone's efforts... everyone's hard work... Hahaha..." Boruto's counterpart laughed awkwardly.

Naruto, on the other hand, kept laying it on thick.

It took quite some time for him to stop, and he then had dinner with Boruto's family.

Afterward.

Boruto could barely contain his excitement as he turned to his father and said, "Dad, you know what? This time, Sasuke-uncle and I had the most amazing adventure!"

Hearing his son's words, Boruto's father knew what he wanted to say. Instinctively, he glanced at Naruto, but the unusual sense of familiarity he felt made him refrain from stopping his son from continuing.

Instead, he smiled and said, "Oh? How amazing was it? You can tell us all about it."

"Hehe... Then, Dad, you'd better listen carefully!"

Boruto laughed happily and immediately began recounting his journey to another world.

He described in great detail how he had traveled to the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, then entered the city and met Konohamaru and the others.

Himawari listened with wide eyes, exclaiming in astonishment.

Boruto's father smiled and nodded occasionally, expressing his surprise.

Hinata, too, was taken aback, "So, Konohamaru from another world is that strong? He must be a taijutsu expert..."

"What? Moegi and Udon are strong too? Even Naruto is... How... How is that possible?"

"Wow, Dad turned into a muscular monster!"

"What? Muscles that can glow? Making people lose control of themselves?"

"So, the other Naruto is the real Naruto? Neji is still alive? That's wonderful... No Nine-Tails? Then Naruto must be living a happy life.

Minato-dad and Kushina-mom were resurrected? That's great! I'm so happy to hear that." Hinata exclaimed, covering her mouth in delight.

"They encountered Isshiki, and Naruto used Wood Release to seal him? Impressive, as expected of Naruto.

Ah? Isshiki turned into a bird-like monster, and the muscular Naruto defeated him with a single blow?

Wow... that's incredible."

Hinata's astonishment grew as she heard the tale's conclusion.

"He's indeed very strong, much more powerful than me." Boruto smiled and patted Naruto on the head.

"Even if he's strong, he's still another world's Dad! You can become just as strong as him in the future, right, Dad?"

Himawari looked at Boruto and Naruto expectantly.

"Yeah! I'll work hard to become stronger and protect everyone," Naruto affirmed with a nod.

On the side, the Ninja World Naruto listened to the conversation with a smile on his face. "The Great Naruto from another world is indeed very powerful. But as the Seventh Hokage, I believe that Naruto will also become as strong as him one day!

The Otsutsuki clan won't be a match for Konoha's power! Keep it up, Seventh Hokage!"

"Thanks, Ming Ren. I will," Naruto replied to the Ninja World Naruto.

The group continued chatting for a long while.

Eventually, the Ninja World Naruto bid them farewell and left.

Not long after stepping out of the house, the Ninja World Naruto spotted the Empire Naruto smiling at him.

"Big Naruto, are you also here to see our future selves?"

"Yeah! I heard it all. In the future world, we have a wonderful life, a complete family with children, and Hinata is a gentle and kind woman.

Little Naruto, you better seize the opportunity," the Empire Naruto said, raising his eyebrows at the Ninja World Naruto.

"Hehehe... Hinata is indeed wonderful, but... I'm still young, and getting married too early would hinder my growth in strength," the Ninja World Naruto laughed.

In his opinion, his strength in this world should be comparable to Future Sasuke's.

However, Future Sasuke's strength was... well, let's just say it left much to be desired.

If he were to marry and then slack off, allowing Ninja World Sasuke to surpass him, he would never be able to live it down! So, while marrying Hinata sounded nice, it didn't compare to the allure of surpassing Sasuke!

Unknowingly, Boruto's Sasuke had instilled a fear of marriage in both the Ninja World Naruto and the Ninja World Sasuke.

"Hahaha... That's true, but if you ever consider marriage, Hinata might be a good choice," the Empire Naruto laughed heartily.

"Then... what about you, Big Naruto? Have you thought about this... considering Hinata's situation..." The Ninja World Naruto trailed off, looking at the Empire Naruto.

He knew that in his world, he could consider marrying Hinata.

But for the Empire Naruto, it was a different story...

Because in the Empire, Hinata was a die-hard fan of Emperor Senju, and she had hardly any interactions with the Empire Naruto growing up.

"Me? No, no, no... I have zero interest in marriage.

In my opinion, the only thing in this world that deserves my dedication is my muscles!

More perfect, more robust muscles—that's my ideal partner," the Empire Naruto said, his muscles swelling as he struck a bodybuilder's pose to admire his physique.

"Hahaha... That's so like you, Big Naruto," the Ninja World Naruto laughed.

Soon after, the two Narutos parted ways.

From the shadows, a figure emerged—the Empire Hinata. She watched the direction the two Narutos had gone and then turned her gaze to Boruto's house, murmuring:

"In this world, I ended up marrying Naruto... It seems that the Ninja World's development is the most normal one.

With His Majesty's influence, our experiences have deviated from the original timeline.

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for me... At least, right now, I don't feel anything for Naruto."

On a street somewhere, a man with a watermelon-shaped head, dressed in a green bodysuit, sat in a wheelchair, slowly making his way forward. A smile played on his lips as he scanned the surroundings, taking in the sights of the village with delight.

"Konoha is truly remarkable these days! New leaves are growing, and the old flames will illuminate them once more.

The Will of Fire burns eternally, and I feel like I understand this more and more," the watermelon-headed man muttered to himself.

Suddenly, his wheelchair was engulfed in shadows, causing him to pause. He looked up to see a towering figure standing before him—a muscular man over two meters tall, also clad in a bodysuit.

The man in the wheelchair was none other than Boruto's Might Guy.

And the one who had stopped him was the Empire Guy in disguise.

"Who are you? I sense an incredibly strong aura of youth and passion emanating from you, something an ordinary person couldn't possess," Boruto's Might Guy asked.

"What about your legs... Can't they be healed?" the Empire Guy asked, ignoring the question.

"They can't be healed. The Eight Gates is not an ordinary taijutsu. Even though the Seventh Hokage saved me, my legs couldn't be restored," Boruto's Might Guy replied.

"Boruto's Kai didn't get angry because the visitor didn't reply. Instead, he smiled and responded, "Are you regretful?"

"Regretful?" Empire Kai asked again. "How could I possibly regret it! The battle with Uchiha Madara was the climax of my youth! It was the most brilliant battle of my life!"

Boruto's Kai laughed heartily.

"Is that so... Even in this world, people with your youthful passion are rare. To be confined to a wheelchair, your burning passion will eventually cool down," Empire Kai said with a smile as he slowly walked towards Boruto's Kai.

"No! My passion won't cool down just because of my injured legs. As long as I keep a fiery heart and high spirits, my youth will burn forever," Boruto's Kai asserted seriously.

He stared intently at Empire Kai as he crouched down and placed his hand on Boruto's injured leg.

In the next moment, a surge of warmth engulfed Boruto's leg, causing him to exclaim in surprise, "This is..."

"Let your youth burn forever in its hottest state, Kai!" Empire Kai exclaimed, raising his other hand and giving Boruto's Kai a thumbs-up.

"Thank you, I will!" Boruto's Kai replied excitedly.

Soon after, as he felt an itch in his leg, the strange man had already left. Before long, Boruto's Kai, who had been crippled for many years, miraculously recovered.

In the Hyuga residence, Empire Neji advanced with a stiff expression on his face. He found it hard to believe what he had learned: "I... died in this world... slain by the Ten-Tails during the Fourth Great Ninja War... What irony...

The greatest irony is that I died protecting the main house, even if it was for Hinata...

Hmph... This world's trajectory should follow the original history of the ninja world. I wonder if my world would have ended up like this if not for His Majesty... Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine... I really want to destroy all this garbage!"

He lifted his head and glanced at the sky, his eyes flashing with a cerulean light.

The Empire group settled into their lives in Boruto's Konoha, blending in seamlessly. They often investigated matters and wandered around casually, becoming a part of the village without anyone noticing.

During this time, Konoha experienced several incidents, but in the eyes of the Empire group, they were trivial matters not worth mentioning.

However, Boruto's Kai's sudden recovery from his leg injury brought great joy to many ninjas, who attempted to investigate Empire Kai but came up empty-handed.

Time passed...

Until one day, on the streets of Konoha, a loud shout echoed: "Give up without a fight!"

A group of men wearing blue Konoha guard uniforms chased after a man in a loose prison uniform with a bloody right arm.

"Don't joke with me!" the prisoner shouted angrily. His right arm swelled up, transforming into a giant hand made of intertwined steel spirals. With each swing of his arm, the Konoha guards were knocked down one by one.

The prisoner, breathing heavily, continued to sprint forward without looking back.

Pedestrians on the street screamed and scurried for safety.

Only one figure remained unhurried, maintaining a steady pace.

"Get out of my way!"

The prisoner, Kawaki, barged forward, swinging his right arm again to knock the man in front of him flying.

However, something unexpected happened.

Boom!!

With a deafening sound, Kawaki's giant arm struck the man, but to his surprise, the man didn't budge an inch.

This startled Kawaki, who quickly leaped backward to create some distance.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The man turned around, revealing an ordinary-looking face, but his eyes were sharp, cold, and carried an air of superiority.

"Kid, do you want me... to step aside for you?"

"You..."

Kawaki felt a sense of dread as he met the man's gaze, reminding him of someone he loathed intensely.

This man's eyes held the same composure and arrogance as that detestable person!

Damn it!

"You bastard, Isshiki!" Kawaki's eyes turned red, and he lost control, his right arm transforming into a long cone as he stabbed at the man.

"Stop! Don't!" shouted Uchiha Sarada, who had arrived on the scene without anyone noticing.

Unfortunately, Kawaki wouldn't listen to her.

Boom!!!

The long cone pierced toward the man's body, but just a few centimeters away, an energy barrier blocked it, preventing any further progress.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end