The evening glow painted the western sky a magnificent, beautiful red.
The youngsters lay exhausted on the grass, admiring the fleeting beauty.
Rustle!
Boruto took a pill from a bottle and, without chewing, swallowed it directly.
"What's that?" Sarada asked curiously.
"A suppressant." Boruto carefully put the bottle away. "That Amado guy said this medicine can suppress Otsutsuki power."
"Does the Seventh Hokage know?" Kawaki's expression changed slightly, and he quickly asked, "Are there any side effects?" He really couldn't bring himself to trust Amado.
"Dad gave it to me. There might be side effects, but compared to my body's cells continuously Otsutsuki-fying, it's nothing," Boruto laughed heartily.
Shwoop!
A figure suddenly appeared.
Seeing Naruto return, the youngsters stood up. "Sensei, did something happen?" Sarada asked nervously. Sensei's sudden departure earlier, with such a grim expression, had terrified them.
"I was originally going to beat someone up, but your dad stopped me," Naruto said casually.
"Beat up who?" Boruto was taken aback.
The other youngsters were equally curious. After spending this period together, they felt they had some understanding of this temporary teacher's temperament. For such an easygoing person to actually have thoughts of beating someone up...
"The Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure," Naruto said, lighting a cigarette. After learning the details of what had happened from his shadow clone, he had genuinely considered flying to Suna to give the adult version of Gaara a thrashing. He didn't know why, but seeing that version of Gaara, so adept at scheming, ignited a fire of anger within him.
"Err..." Sarada and the others exchanged a look. Objectively speaking, their sensei indeed had the strength to do such a thing. But for him to talk about it like a street brawl, why did it feel so strangely out of place?
"That's enough training for today," Naruto said to the youngsters, looking at the gradually descending night curtain. "Training resumes as usual tomorrow."
"Yes!"
"Kawaki, wait a moment."
Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki looked at the two of them, puzzled.
"None of your business," Naruto said, not in the best of moods. "Want to run another ten laps?"
The three of them instantly scattered.
"Care to take a walk with me?"
Kawaki paused for a moment, then followed the man's footsteps.
"Your training these past few days has been a bit rushed. Is something on your mind?" Naruto asked. A teacher's duty is to impart knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts. Since he had promised the Seventh Hokage to guide these youngsters, he had a responsibility to address any problems they might have. Psychological problems were problems too. The existence of ninja had its inherent drawbacks—they were prone to psychological issues. Economic and technological development still couldn't fundamentally eradicate the mental illnesses of the new generation of ninja.
"This kind of training, can it really make us as strong as you and the Seventh Hokage, strong enough to defeat Code?" Kawaki hesitated for a moment.
Is he feeling lost because his Karma disappeared... Naruto withdrew his peripheral gaze. During combat training, he had noticed Kawaki instinctively trying to use the abilities of his vanished Karma. Although in casual conversation, Kawaki always expressed strong aversion to 'Karma,' actions didn't lie.
"To be honest, it can't." Naruto had no intention of deceiving him. The stronger one became, the more one could perceive the distortions of this world. In this world, if you didn't possess a powerful Kekkei Genkai, you simply couldn't reach the pinnacle. Even he, without Kurama and his Uzumaki lineage, wouldn't have reached his current level.
"Then why are we doing this training?" Kawaki couldn't help but ask.
"A ten-thousand-foot tower rises from flat ground; a solid foundation cannot be ignored. My training for you these past two days has focused more on methods and techniques," Naruto said. "I never intended to make you all incredibly powerful. I just want to teach you how to fight, how to correctly view various matters."
"You, Boruto, Sarada, Mitsuki, and even Himawari—your innate conditions dictate that you will inevitably become strong." Boruto and Kawaki's Karma, Mitsuki as a creation of Orochimaru's advanced technology, Himawari as a combination of Otsutsuki Hamura's and Hagoromo's bloodlines... They were born at the top of the pyramid. With the right opportunities and enough time, they could cross the threshold that most people in this world struggled with their entire lives.
"A strong person's battle is not just about powerful abilities and techniques. A resolute and decisive mindset, and combat skills superior to others, are equally crucial."
"Then, how exactly can I become strong?" Kawaki asked impatiently. His brother's body was about to be taken over by an Otsutsuki, and he could do nothing. He was deeply frustrated by his own weakness. He had only one thought now: to become stronger, no matter the cost...
"Have you ever thought about continuing to use Karma, treating it as a pure form of power?" Naruto asked, recalling his recent conversation with Amado as he looked at Kawaki.
Kawaki stared at him in shock.
"You don't need to look at me like that. Follow your own heart," Naruto said, continuing to walk forward. Night gradually enveloped the two of them.
"Amado and I carefully analyzed your situation. Although the Karma on your body has disappeared, the [Otsutsuki Information] that has already 'thawed' within you remains unchanged. In other words, eighty percent of your body is still Otsutsuki Isshiki. The power of an Otsutsuki still lies dormant within your body. I've checked; what he said is true. In a sense, you are no longer human."
"The reason you can't use this power right now is that you lack a 'gate.' You understand what I mean, don't you?"
"Karma?" Kawaki lowered his head, his expression hidden. "But isn't that something only an Otsutsuki can brand?"
"Amado said he has a way to help you open this gate." Naruto's tone shifted. "Of course, you should know better than I what kind of person he is. If he helps you restore Karma, he definitely has other motives. Due to a certain agreement, I need to inform you of this. The choice is still yours. As your teacher, regardless of whether you agree or not, I will provide you with a certain degree of assistance."
"...Thank you." Although Kawaki didn't understand why Naruto would tell him even this, one thing was true: the other person was genuinely consulting his opinion and respecting him.
"By the way, do you know Code?" Naruto asked.
"He, like me, was implanted with Karma by Jigen, but I don't know the specifics of his situation," Kawaki said.
"According to Amado, although Code, like you, was implanted with Karma, his Karma will not function as a [Vessel]. It has purely become power, or rather, a weapon in the hands of a warrior," Naruto said.
"Are you suggesting that I, like Code, can use Karma as a weapon?" Kawaki gradually caught onto his train of thought, his lowered head lifting slightly.
"Power itself has never been good or evil. How it is used depends solely on its wielder," Naruto stated his view. "Isshiki is dead. His Karma can no longer fulfill the function of a [Vessel]. It has harmed you for so many years; why not collect some 'rent' from it?"
"Tch~" Kurama snorted.