Chapter 9

Naruto stood calmly, staring at the sky above him, where intricate seals wove a protective web around the planet. These seals, which bonded the world to his unparalleled power, were part of the protective measures he had designed for the empire. It was a spectacular sight, and he had intentionally made it so—a reminder to his people of the peace and strength he had brought to their world.

"Shika," Naruto called out, his tone light, almost mischievous.

Shikamaru appeared from the shadows beside him, wearing his signature lazy expression. His posture was relaxed as ever, hands tucked behind his head, taking in the vast view above them. He knew when Naruto called him, it was rarely without a reason. But with Naruto, there was always an element of unpredictability.

"So, what does His Highness want?" Shikamaru asked, his voice full of playful sarcasm.

Naruto grinned widely. "I want to talk about something I'm working on at the moment, and I need your counsel."

Shikamaru groaned. "Please tell me it's not something troublesome."

Naruto's grin only widened. "No way. Why would you think such a thing? I'm always making it easy on my 'slaves,'" he teased, knowing it would get a rise out of Shikamaru.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, his voice dry. "You made me work on something pointless the whole week, and now you're calling us slaves?"

Naruto laughed, shaking his head. "Shika, it was your wife, and you must be hearing things," he said, his words laced with humor as he patted him on the back before quickly grabbing Shikamaru in a hold. Without warning, they shot into space at incredible speed.

Shikamaru barely had time to react, the pressure from the speed overwhelming him as he passed out from the sudden force. The last thing he remembered was the sensation of his body being pulled into the vacuum of space.

As they slowed, Naruto released Shikamaru, and the two floated in the vast emptiness of space. Shikamaru blinked his eyes open, his mind catching up with the situation. He was irritated, but there was a certain level of familiarity to this routine. He sighed, floating lazily in the void.

"Did you try to kill me?" Shikamaru muttered, still not fully recovered from the wild ride.

Naruto chuckled, hovering beside him. "Of course not. I just wanted to see if you've gotten used to it."

"Please, just ask next time," Shikamaru replied with a resigned expression, floating effortlessly beside his emperor.

Naruto leaned back, floating on his own, looking down at the planet below them. The sight of it stirred something deep within him—a sense of connection, as though it were an organ of his own body. The sun, glowing like the heart of his empire, pulsed with life. He had built this empire to encompass the entire galaxy, and despite the immense power he wielded, Naruto knew he still had much more to accomplish.

"I've connected to other universes and have been speaking with important figures from those worlds, but right now, I can only communicate through voice," Naruto began, his tone shifting slightly as he started discussing the matter that had been on his mind. "The video function isn't working, but I've been thinking of ways to bridge the gap. I want to make it work, but I'll need to sacrifice some enjoyment to get there."

Shikamaru eyed him for a moment, a small smirk playing on his lips as he realized what Naruto was saying. "Why not just use the Magic Lantern Body Technique to create a holographic version of yourself? Or have Katasuke work on a better holographic function?"

Naruto blinked, his face lighting up in amusement. "Shika, you wonderful friend, who spends most of his time staring aimlessly, I love you!" he said with a dramatic flourish, wrapping his arms around Shikamaru in a bear hug before pulling him back.

Shikamaru groaned under the pressure, his bones creaking slightly, but he knew it was all in good fun. "Asshole, careful with your strength," he muttered, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice. Naruto may have been a bit sadistic at times, but he wasn't truly trying to hurt anyone, just having fun at their expense.

Naruto released him quickly, his smile mischievous as ever. "You're right, though. Holograms are common in my empire. I was just playing around with you. But still, I wanted to see what you'd come up with. You're not just my strategist, you're my friend, after all."

Shikamaru sighed, floating lazily in space, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I can always tell when you're having fun with me. Just remember, I'm not your plaything."

Naruto laughed, the sound echoing across the void of space. "I'll remember, but you know you love it. Now, let's focus. It's not just the communication I'm working on. There's a bigger picture here, something I've been considering. Connecting with other worlds, expanding my influence... It's all part of a larger plan."

Shikamaru's expression shifted slightly. Though he always teased Naruto, he knew better than to underestimate his emperor's intentions. "And you think using holograms will help with that?"

Naruto nodded, his gaze fixed on the distant stars. "Exactly. It's just the beginning. Once I have a full visual connection, I can start influencing those other worlds more directly. But for now, this roleplay with you is helping me focus on the details." He chuckled. "You're always good at bringing me back to earth."

Shikamaru shrugged nonchalantly, though there was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Well, someone has to keep you grounded. But I can't deny, you're right about the bigger picture. You've got a lot more at play than just having fun with holograms."

Naruto nodded, his expression turning more serious, but his playful nature never fully disappeared. "Of course. But hey, the fun part is important too. Just because I'm an emperor doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself from time to time."

Shikamaru didn't argue. "I guess that's true. Just don't overdo it, okay? You've got a whole empire to run."

Naruto grinned, then snapped his fingers. "You've got that right, Shika. Now, let's get back to work... after one more round of roleplay." His eyes sparkled mischievously as the stars around them seemed to shimmer in response to his mood.

Shikamaru sighed, but this time, he couldn't help the small grin that tugged at his lips. "You really are impossible, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

As the two of them floated in space, the vast galaxy around them a testament to Naruto's boundless ambition, they both knew that the path ahead would require a balance of seriousness and fun—a delicate dance only someone like Naruto could master.

The air was thick with an unsettling tension as Shion's purifying energy crackled, weaving through the dark creatures that writhed and howled in agony. Each strike of her power sent waves of light and death through the creatures of the Dark Dimension, binding them in chains of excruciating purity that drew out their very essence. Her territory, nestled deep within the heart of the Dark Dimension, was a place where darkness reigned, and she was its relentless purifier. Her connection with Naruto's empire had taken her to strange places, but this was her work now. She had long allied herself with the Demon King, Lord Loss, and even the enigmatic Hell Girl, Ai—Naruto's student who operated on the edge of life and death.

Shion glanced up as she sensed a disturbance, her purifying energy faltering momentarily. Through the thick miasma of corruption and destruction came a figure. It was Hinata, stepping through the portal with calm determination. She wore simple casual clothes, but the quiet authority she radiated was unmistakable. She surveyed the grotesque scene before her with a look of practiced indifference.

"A surprise to see you here," Shion greeted, her voice almost playful but tinged with the weight of the horrors around them. "What brings you to the Dark Dimension today?"

Hinata, still eyeing the writhing abomination that had been forced into submission by Shion's power, simply shook her head, her gaze distant as though looking past the chaos to some greater purpose. "Are they still being so foolish?" she asked, her voice steady, betraying no hint of the unease that lurked beneath the surface.

Shion let out a small sigh, stepping over the broken bodies of the creatures she had slain. "I don't know. But at least it gives me some work, so I don't end up like our dear husband." Her voice softened with a hint of wry amusement. "I just saw him playing around with a phone like one of the children."

Hinata chuckled softly, despite the grim setting. "Can't blame him. He is too excitable, and staying on this world has caused him boredom. Adventure is just in sight for him, but the peace and predictability here only fill his desire for challenges."

Shion nodded, her expression darkening slightly. Unlike the others—herself, Sasuke, and Hinata—they didn't share the same yearning for peace that Naruto did. For Naruto, peace had become a curse. Having endured endless battles, endless wars, and conflicts that tested his limits, the current state of stability bored him. He longed for something new, something that would push him to his limits once again, something that would make him struggle, something that would force him to unleash his full power.

"I see," Shion said, her voice tinged with empathy. "And I am sad for dear. But he fears too much."

Hinata raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Shion's somber tone. "Tell me," she asked gently, "Did you see death when choosing that path?"

Shion closed her eyes and shuddered violently. A wave of pure, unrestrained power suddenly flared from her, the chaos of the Dark Dimension seeming to grow around them. Her voice, when it came, was almost unrecognizable. It was a deep, guttural scream that echoed from the deepest reaches of the cosmos.

As Shion's body trembled with the weight of her vision, her voice became distorted, layered with the echoes of countless fates converging into one. The chains of purifying energy that bound the creatures of the Dark Dimension flickered as if responding to the immense power surging through her. Blood trickled from her eyes, but she did not stop. The prophecy had taken hold.

Her lips parted, and the words flowed forth, heavy with inevitability.

"The Heavens tremble, and the stars weep... for the Devourers have set their gaze upon the Master of Storms. The Otsutsuki, eternal in their hunger, descend as locusts upon the garden he has nurtured. They are not as before; they come not as scavengers, but as kings reclaiming stolen land. The Elites stand at the gate, wielding powers that even we have yet to fathom. The battle shall shake the very foundation of existence—and in the end, the Empress of Tensaigan shall fall. The Immortal Rabbit, too, shall be no more."

Hinata's breath caught in her throat. But before she could speak, Shion convulsed, the prophecy dragging her deeper into its web.

"The Emperor shall stand, a titan against the storm, but the fates will not be kind. A curse, blacker than the void, shall take root in his soul—festering, rotting, draining him until the immortal falters. The strength that shaped worlds, the power that conquered immortals... will begin to fade. He will see the abyss creeping upon him, and in his wisdom, he shall make a choice. The throne shall pass to another. A successor of his will, of his fire. And he shall sleep, entombed in the void, sealed so that his power may yet be saved, so that hope may yet remain."

The air grew heavy, suffocating.

"But the Heavens will not wait. The enemy will strike when the stars align, when the old bonds fray. The children shall be taken, their cries swallowed by the silence of the Evernight Cage. And in that moment, when all seems lost, the black blade shall be drawn. He shall awaken to save what is his... and yet he shall not."

Hinata clenched her fists. "No."

Shion's eyes rolled back, her voice rising to a crescendo, resonating across the Dark Dimension itself.

"The Fang of the Void, his brother-in-arms, shall be the one to bring the end. As foretold, the Rinnegan's truth will guide his blade, piercing the heart of the Storm immortal—and in that moment, the Sun shall set upon the Empire. His dream, his dominion, his great realm will shatter into three."

Lightning crackled in the distance, illuminating the swirling vortex of darkness above them.

"One shall rise, the Heir of the Throne, carrying his will and his laws, ruling as the last shadow of the Storm Emperor's age. Another shall walk the path of Blood and Gold, the cultists of the Golden Dawn, led by the demon Shuten, their faith a twisted mockery of what once was. And the last, the Wayward Star, shall follow the Heralds into the void—Boruto, burdened by prophecy, marching to an end yet unwritten."

Shion gasped, her body collapsing forward into Hinata's waiting arms. Blood dripped from her nose, staining her pale lips. The vision had ended, but the weight of its words hung between them like a blade at their throats.

Hinata tightened her grip on Shion, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can we change it?"

Shion trembled, her golden eyes hazy and unfocused.

"...I don't know."

"I won't let that happen," Hinata murmured, her voice a quiet vow. She placed a gentle hand on Shion's shoulder, offering what comfort she could. "I'll help him. We all will."

Shion met her gaze, her face reflecting both sadness and determination. "We have to, Hinata. The Emperor cannot be allowed to fall into despair, not when the fate of all worlds rests in his hands."

The silence that followed was heavy, filled with the unspoken acknowledgment that the path ahead would be fraught with peril. For Naruto, for their world, and for all the universes that might be affected by the coming storm.

But as long as they stood together, they would fight—together.