Chapter 307: Ripples Across Timelines Makes Waves

"Of course it's…"Boruto started to answer instinctively but at the last moment, he bit his tongue and stopped himself.

Naruto looked at him, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"Uh…" Boruto scratched his head. "I think talking too much about the future… kind of ruins the surprise, you know?" He trailed his finger along his cheek, searching for the right words. Then his eyes lit up. "Yeah! It ruins the sense of looking forward to the future."

"Hmm… yeah, I guess that makes sense." Naruto nodded, dropping the subject.

Seeing that Naruto didn't press further, Boruto let out a deep breath of relief.

He had just remembered something, this world's Naruto might not marry the same person as in his world which meant… maybe he wouldn't be born in this timeline at all.

But as he looked at the Naruto walking ahead of him, Boruto felt a quiet wish in his heart. Even if this version of his dad was different… He still wanted to be born here, too.

And if his dad fell in love with someone who wasn't his mom…

"What's up?" Naruto turned back and saw Boruto zoning out behind him.

"Nothin'." Boruto smiled and jogged to catch up.

Naruto didn't think much of it and started explaining things around them.

"That's the Yamanaka flower shop. It used to be run by Ino's mom, but now someone else manages it. Ino still helps out sometimes. You know Ino, right?"

"Yeah! She's Inojin's mom." Boruto nodded.

"Inojin? You mean the son of Natsuro and Ino?" Naruto blinked in confusion.

Boruto froze.

Right… this world really was different. He had expected that, but it was still jarring to encounter it so directly.

So… this world's version of him might really not exist at all.

"No, it's nothing…" Boruto forced a smile, trying not to look too disappointed.

After a moment, he asked, "Um… Dad, do you know Sai?"

"Sai? Never heard of him." Naruto thought for a second, then shook his head.

"I see…" Boruto nodded.

Naruto glanced at him. Probably another person from the future, he thought. Maybe he just hasn't appeared yet.

"Wanna take a look inside the shop? Ino's probably not there right now, though."

"No, that's okay!" Boruto quickly waved it off. Then he asked, "That Natsuro guy, is he older than you guys?"

"Nope. Same age. You just think he's older because he always looked more mature. Even as kids, he was taller than us by a whole head!" Naruto grinned, lost in nostalgic memories.

Boruto smiled too, realizing just how close this Naruto was to Natsuro. They must've had a strong bond.

Naruto went on to introduce Boruto to various places: Chōji's family's BBQ restaurant, Tenten's ninja tool shop, even the bookstore run by the "pervy old man."

"You know this village inside-out, huh?" Boruto asked in awe. Naruto had something to say about almost every store and street they passed.

"Of course! When I was a kid, I ran all over this place every day. I know every corner!" Naruto said proudly, nose practically in the air.

"Can you tell me more?" Boruto asked eagerly, eyes shining. He wanted to learn more about his dad's childhood.

"Eh… not much to tell, really." Naruto scratched his head, memories of being hated by the village surfacing.It had all passed, and he didn't hold grudges, but he didn't want Boruto to remember that part. He wanted to leave him with only good memories.

"Oh, come on, just a little?" Boruto insisted.

"There's really nothing worth mentioning," Naruto said, quickly redirecting the conversation as his eyes lit up. "Let me show you this place instead, it's where the largest clan in the village lives: the Hyūga Clan! You know them, right?"

"Of course." Boruto nodded. The building was different, but the location was the same. He often visited this area to see his grandfather.

Just then, they heard the sounds of sparring from the partially open Hyūga compound gate.

Naruto and Boruto peeked in, and saw Neji and Hinata sparring.

Neji was clearly holding back, focusing on defense while Hinata practiced her strikes. It looked like he was coaching her.

Both Naruto and Boruto's eyes lit up. Neither said a word, they instinctively knew not to interrupt.

Naruto was smiling at the sight of Hinata.

Boruto, meanwhile, was stunned. Not only was he seeing a younger version of his mom… He was seeing his uncle Neji alive.

Up until now, he had only seen Neji in old photographs. Seeing him alive, in motion… it was surreal.

Eventually, their sparring session ended.

"You've made solid progress, Lady Hinata," Neji said with a rare smile.

"Mm-hmm. Thanks, Neji-niisan. I really appreciate you taking time to train with me," Hinata replied, smiling too. She had noticed Neji smiling more these days. Something had clearly changed in him.

She didn't know what it was, but she was happy for him.

As the two wiped their sweat with towels, they both glanced toward the half-open gate.

"You can come out now. You've been watching for a while, haven't you?" Neji called out.

Naruto stepped forward with Boruto.

"M-Mr. Naruto…" Hinata blushed slightly, suddenly shy in front of him.

"Neji, Hinata! Still training hard, huh?" Naruto said cheerfully.

"No choice but to train hard. But usually you're still at the back mountain around this time. What brings you back so early? And… who's this?" Neji asked, glancing at Boruto.

"Oh, this is Boruto. He's my, um… my…" Naruto trailed off.

Boruto quickly stepped in. "Nice to meet you! I'm Boruto, Naruto's junior."

"Ah, yes! He's my junior," Naruto repeated quickly.

Neji eyed them both, noticing how similar they looked. He accepted the explanation, though it seemed odd he hadn't seen this "junior" before. Still, ever since that red-haired girl Karin randomly showed up, he'd stopped being surprised by newcomers.

"Mr. Naruto… would you like to come in for some tea? I'll make some," Hinata offered, cheeks pink.

"No need, really…" Naruto scratched his head shyly. "Boruto just got here. I still need to show him around the village."

"You're already here, come in for a bit," Neji said with a smile, helping Hinata out.

This time, Naruto didn't refuse.

Boruto watched it all with glowing eyes. He was delighted. Sure, it was a bit awkward for Inojin's sake… But at least this world's version of him might still exist.

And then Boruto grinned to himself. Other people shipped their favorite characters. He was shipping his actual parents' teenage romance. Who else could say that?

"Neji… you've changed, haven't you?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"Changed?" Neji blinked.

"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "You're more approachable now. You smile more."

"…Is that so?" Neji paused, thinking it over. He hadn't noticed it himself, but now that Naruto mentioned it… he realized it was probably true.

Ever since he walked out of the Hokage's office after the Caged Bird Seal had been removed… Maybe he really had changed.

He thought back to his childhood, the pain of the cursed seal… And to Hinata, who had always treated him kindly, never looking down on him, never using her status as main branch to bully him.

Yet back then, he had taken out his resentment on her, even injuring her once.

He now felt he deserved some punishment. Just enduring the Caged Bird seal's pain and being spared further consequences was a sign of Lord Hiashi's mercy. If it were another clan, the punishment might've been far worse.

Neji considered all this and slowly replied, "Maybe it's because I've finally found a goal to pursue."

"Is that so? Well, congrats," Naruto said.

"Thanks." Neji bowed his head slightly.

Ever since that day, he had trained even harder than before. Though of course, one couldn't train non-stop like Naruto, rest was important too.

Sparring with Hinata, for example, was Neji's version of relaxing.

Hinata had indeed improved a lot lately… But unfortunately for her, Neji had improved even more.

Still, he hadn't told anyone that his Caged Bird seal had been removed. He kept it hidden, wearing a forehead protector to cover it.

Lord Hiashi had warned him: If he revealed it, the other branch members would ask how he got it removed.

And then what? If he told the truth, it would put pressure on the Hokage, should he help them all too?

That kind of trouble… wouldn't fall on Neji. It would fall on the Hokage.

If the Hokage were to help them, then with so many upper-ranked Hyūga branch members around, there would suddenly be a large number of Hyūga without Caged Bird Seals. And with that… the risk of the Byakugan being stolen would rise significantly.

And when the Byakugan is lost, who takes the biggest blame?

That's right, the Hokage.

But if the Hokage refused to help, those same Hyūga branch members would likely resent him… and probably Neji as well, for being treated differently.

So, in order not to cause trouble for the Hokage who helped him, Neji had no choice but to keep the removal of his Caged Bird Seal a secret.

If he were to reveal that it was removed, but refused to explain how, that would only invite resentment from the branch family and become an obstacle to the very goal Neji now aimed to achieve.

In other words, no matter how you looked at it, the best move was to keep it secret.

Neji's eyes grew resolute. He still had much to improve on, his strength was not yet enough.

The group moved into the guest hall, where Hinata had already prepared tea to welcome Naruto and Boruto.

Normally, this would be Neji's job, but since Naruto was here, he decided to let Lady Hinata have the honor.

Boruto immediately sat down next to Neji, leaving two adjacent seats open.

Neji glanced at Boruto. The kid was… pleasing to the eye. And sharp, too.

When Naruto and Hinata saw this, they also sat down next to each other, both with slightly flushed cheeks.

"Haaah~~" Boruto groaned dramatically, covering his eyes. It was almost too much to take.He never thought his parents' teen romance would be like this. It was too perfect.

The parents he knew had long since gotten over their shyness, they were well into their "old married couple" phase. Watching this was like seeing a whole different world.

Hinata glanced at Boruto. She didn't know why, but… something about him felt very familiar and he looked so much like Naruto when he was little.

She watched him quietly, then noticed his teacup was nearly empty, and gently poured him more.

"Thanks, Mo—" Boruto bit his tongue mid-word, catching himself just in time. If he said it… the whole thing would fall apart.

He glanced nervously at Naruto… but fortunately, his dad didn't seem to notice.

Whew… Boruto let out a breath of relief. Good thing Dad's a little slow sometimes. Otherwise, he definitely would've caught that…

Then he saw Naruto do something that left him dumbfounded.

Naruto quickly chugged the rest of his tea, then glanced bashfully at Hinata, clearly hoping for a refill.

Boruto stared in disbelief. Was he… jealous that his "son" got tea before him?!

He looked at Naruto with a weird expression, then broke into a huge grin. This was peak shipping content.

Neji noticed the whole exchange, too. He found it strange, Hinata wasn't usually this warm to strangers, especially not on a first meeting.

Maybe she felt the same kind of strange familiarity?

Neji looked at Boruto again. There was something oddly likable about the kid. A kind of charm… but surely not something someone could be born with?

Still, Naruto had brought him, and claimed him as his junior. That was enough for Neji to drop the subject.

Eventually, Naruto and Boruto said their goodbyes and left the Hyūga compound.

After more wandering around the village, they finally arrived in front of a familiar storefront.

"You must be hungry after all that walking. Let me treat you to something!" Naruto said.

"Let me guess... Ichiraku Ramen?"

"Huh?! How'd you know?" Naruto blinked.

Boruto rubbed his temples. "You brought me right to the front of Ichiraku… and besides, I do know ramen is your favorite food…"

"Ahahaha! Ramen is the best!" Naruto gave him a huge thumbs-up.

Then he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, that means Ichiraku's still around in the future, huh? That's awesome!"

Boruto's expression shifted, but then he shrugged it off.This kind of info probably wouldn't affect the timeline much.

"Then let me try the past version of Ichiraku Ramen!" Boruto grinned.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto pumped his fist and marched inside like he was going into battle, dragging Boruto along.

Inside, Boruto's eyes lit up. "Whoa! Young Teuchi-ojisan and Ayame-neesan!"

"Don't call me Auntie! Call me big sis!" Ayame snapped, brandishing a ladle threateningly.She stopped herself when she realized how young Boruto was.

"S-sorry! Ayame-neesan!" Boruto broke into a cold sweat.

"Hey! Teuchi-ojisan! Two bowls of miso tonkotsu ramen!" Naruto shouted, unfazed.

"Oh, Naruto! Back early today?" Teuchi looked up in surprise.

"Yup! Got a mission, so I finished early!" Naruto grinned.

"Mission, huh? Alright, since you brought a new customer, extra noodles today!" Teuchi laughed.

"Thanks, Teuchi-ojisan!"

"Hey Dad, everyone's saying you're back early today. Were you always coming back late before? What were you doing?" Boruto asked curiously.

"Training, of course! I'm super busy!" Naruto puffed out his chest. "And I'm gonna be Hokage! No time to slack off! Especially since Sasuke's trying to beat me to it!"

"Ohh, so that's it…" Boruto replied, less interested in the training part.

Still, wanting to be Hokage, huh?

Boruto looked at Naruto again.His dad had never changed, his dreams had stayed the same from boyhood to adulthood and come to think of it, in this timeline, Sasuke was a strong contender for Hokage too.No wonder Naruto was working so hard.

Boruto couldn't help but wonder… In this world, would Naruto still get to become Hokage?

Meanwhile, Teuchi frowned slightly. Was his hearing going bad? He could've sworn that kid had just called Naruto "Dad"… Nah, must've misheard.

After finishing their ramen, Naruto and Boruto walked out of the shop, both rubbing their full bellies.

To any outsider, they looked just like a pair of brothers. No one would believe they were father and son, not with only a few years' difference between them.

After all… no kid that age could possibly father someone Boruto's age.

"That was amazing! No wonder you love it so much!" Boruto said.

"Hehe, told ya!" Naruto beamed. He glanced at the darkening sky. "You don't have a place to sleep yet, right? Come with me."

"Alright." Boruto nodded. He wasn't worried about where Sasuke would stay, he was a grown man, after all.

"This is your place, Dad?" Boruto looked around, surprised. It didn't quite match his memory.

"Yep. It's kinda messy," Naruto said as he led Boruto inside.

Boruto looked around curiously. His eyes landed on a familiar bright-orange jacket hanging on the wall.

For a moment, he felt nostalgic. He had thrown that jacket away once… That was the moment he first met his teacher, Sasuke.

He wandered around the small home and opened the fridge.

"…Whoa. There's actually vegetables and meat in here? I thought you only ate ramen!"

"Uhh, yeah, I used to only have ramen. But Kakashi-sensei started bringing me veggies, and Natsuro forces me to eat meat every day," Naruto scratched his head. "Honestly though, ramen still tastes way better."

"I think… Kakashi-sensei and Natsuro were right. You can't just eat ramen for every meal," Boruto replied, deadpan.

"Why not?! There's tons of flavors! Miso, shio, shōyu..." Naruto began counting on his fingers.

"Okay okay, stop! I get it!" Boruto cut him off. If he didn't, Naruto would probably list off dozens of ramen varieties.

And with that, night fell…

Boruto lay on the bed, while Naruto slept on the floor. Boruto had originally offered to sleep on the floor, but Naruto wouldn't allow it. How could he let a child sleep on the floor?

Naruto asked, "Actually… I still want to know, what kind of person am I in the future?"

Boruto froze. Before he could respond, Naruto continued, "You don't need to tell me about my rank or power. I just want to know… was I good enough?"

Naruto hadn't said it clearly, but surprisingly, Boruto understood exactly what he meant. After a moment of thought, a gentle smile spread across his face.

He had always complained that his father had no time for him, complained that the Naruto at home was practically useless, always messing things up, even ruining his little sister's birthday...

But even so, deep down, Boruto had always liked and respected his father.

"Yeah… definitely good enough. Just a little dumb sometimes," Boruto said with a nod, that warm smile still on his face.

"I see... that's good enough for me." Naruto smiled too, visibly relieved.

The moment he heard Boruto call him "Dad" earlier, he had felt something quietly take root in his heart.

He had grown up without parents. Even though he never lacked food or shelter, he had always lacked that warmth, that family bond.

Even after entering the Academy, even after meeting Natsuro and finally having peers who didn't hate him… those things couldn't fill the hole left by that missing piece.

So, even knowing they weren't from the same world, when Boruto called him "Dad," Naruto decided one thing:

He would be a good father. He didn't know what it meant to be one. But… he would try. He would work hard.

Turning away slightly, Naruto reflected on his own childhood. He had always dreamed of having a warm, loving home…

"Good night…" Naruto said, holding back the emotions welling in his chest. He was afraid his voice might crack and give him away.

"Good night," Boruto replied softly.

Meanwhile, with Sasuke and his older self…

Sasuke didn't take adult Sasuke anywhere special. Instead, he brought him back to the Uchiha compound once again.

And then, he handed him… a broom.

"Help me clean up. The house is pretty big. You should know where everything is, right?" Sasuke said casually.

Adult Sasuke took the broom silently, not refusing. As he looked around the familiar house, he suddenly found himself lost in memory, he hadn't seen this place in so long.

Young Sasuke glanced at him. He knew the man was reminiscing. He didn't say anything, the figured his older self probably hadn't seen this place in years.

That was also why he brought him here.

Sasuke headed toward his own room first. As he'd said, the house was too big for one person. Keeping it clean was a hassle.

Adult Sasuke came to himself, looked at the broom, and without a word, turned and headed toward his parents' room.

It was just as he remembered it—familiar in every way. Only now, it was far cleaner than his memory. Clearly, this version of Sasuke had been diligently maintaining it.

Adult Sasuke smiled faintly. This version of himself really was gentler.

If it were his world, the younger version of him probably would've snapped back, even if he believed the time-travel story…

Let alone bring him back to the compound to reminisce like this.

"...How nice," he muttered, a hint of envy in his voice. Truly, comparison was the thief of peace.

After cleaning, Sasuke brought him to the training grounds.

"What's this for?" adult Sasuke asked, confused.

"Training," young Sasuke replied. "I'm competing with Naruto for the next Hokage seat, I can't afford to slack off."

Then he turned to his older self. "You may not be this world's future me, but you probably know a lot, right? Think you can help me out?"

Adult Sasuke hesitated, then sighed.

"There's no danger of me altering the future of my own world by doing this, right?" young Sasuke asked.

"No… that's true," adult Sasuke replied. If this wasn't his world, then his actions here shouldn't affect his timeline.

And truthfully, he was curious how far this version of himself could go.

"What kind of jutsu do you know?" adult Sasuke asked.

So young Sasuke began to demonstrate: Chidori, its variations, Kirin, various Fire-style techniques…

He didn't use Sage Mode, though, after all, that was something he'd only learned thanks to Natsuro's help.

Since the older version didn't even have Natsuro in his world, there was no point.

"Figures. You didn't learn snake-style jutsu," adult Sasuke noted.

"Snake-style?" young Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, stuff I learned from Orochimaru."

"Was it useful?"

"Back then? Yeah, somewhat. For you though… probably not much."

He thought about it. With this Sasuke already having awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and likely Susanoo, then snake jutsu probably didn't matter much, maybe just the Body Replacement variant might still help.

"As for Fire and Lightning styles… yeah, I know all the ones you showed. Maybe I've refined them a bit more, but that's something you get through repetition."

"Hmm." Sasuke nodded, sounding a little disappointed.He glanced sideways at his older self.

No wonder you're so weak…

Adult Sasuke felt that look. His fists clenched, what was that look supposed to mean?!

But the worst part was… he couldn't even argue with it. If he didn't show some value, he deserved that look.

After a moment's thought, he said, "I have something that might help you."

"Hm?" young Sasuke tilted his head.

"I can teach you how to better use your Mangekyō Sharingan, and how to achieve Complete-Body Susanoo," adult Sasuke said.

"But I'll need to use Genjutsu for that. And this time, you can't use your Tsukuyomi again."

"You sure?" young Sasuke looked at him, then at the glowing six-pointed Mangekyō in his elder self's eye.

After a pause, he nodded. He would trust this older version of himself and he trusted his own strength too.

Even if the guy tried anything shady, he could break out of it.

Seeing that Sasuke agreed, adult Sasuke activated his Genjutsu.

"What is this…?" young Sasuke blinked, surprised.

"These are my memories. I thought they might be helpful for you," adult Sasuke said. Standing beside him in the illusion world, he watched it all unfold with a calm gaze.

Under normal circumstances, he'd never share his memories with anyone.

But… this was him. So, maybe it was okay to make an exception.

What he didn't expect… Was that this memory-sharing would lead to something completely unforeseen.

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Currently on Chapter 362 - Sasuke vs. Uchiha Madara