Sasuke felt somewhat emotional.
"How bold. I have to say, you're very much like the Naruto from our world—both of you are very brave."
"Then it's a deal."
Naruto raised his right hand and waved it, signaling that there was no need for further words from the two of them.
"Get some good rest tonight."
His tone returned to its previous calmness, even carrying the attentiveness of a host entertaining guests.
"I'll go prepare rooms for you. As for the specific details of the Sealing Jutsu and the barrier layout, we'll discuss them in detail tomorrow."
He didn't ask if the two of them agreed with the plan, as if their approval was a matter of course.
This confidence, built upon strength and judgment, once again made Sasuke feel the weight contained within this 'youth'—a weight that far exceeded his apparent age.
Boruto watched Naruto's back as he walked toward the inner room, then looked at his teacher. The original tension in his heart strangely faded quite a bit, replaced by a mixture of trust and anticipation.
The 'Dad' of this world... seemed even more reliable and... more impressive than he had imagined.
Sasuke nodded slightly in response.
The next day.
There was a knock on the courtyard gate.
Naruto, who had risen early, put down his pen and got up to open the door.
Standing at the door was Sakura.
Speaking of which, it had been a while since he last saw Sakura.
"Oh, it's Sakura," Naruto said, a natural smile appearing on his face. "Long time no see."
Hearing the commotion at the door, Boruto, who was just about to go out and chat with his dad from this world, had just slid open his room's door when his footsteps suddenly froze.
His heart skipped a beat, and his pupils contracted slightly.
It's over!
Why is Aunt Sakura from this era here?
Mr. Sasuke is here too!
What would happen if Aunt Sakura from this timeline saw Mr. Sasuke?
Boruto almost reflexively held his breath, his body stopping stiffly by the door. He pricked up his ears to listen nervously to the conversation at the entrance while also paying attention to any movement in the adjacent room.
In the next room, Sasuke, who had been slowly recovering his Ocular Power and Chakra, stopped refining Chakra the moment the gate was knocked.
He silently moved into the shadows of the room's corner, concealing himself.
His thoughts coincided with Boruto's current worries.
Naruto knowing of their existence was a necessity, and it was based on the ability and mindset the other had shown, which was sufficient to handle such unconventional events.
But Sakura... at this point in time, she should still be on a relatively 'conventional' growth trajectory.
Letting her get caught up in the vortex of information from the future could lead to unpredictable chain reactions.
Avoid contact with those who shouldn't be contacted as much as possible.
Try not to change what shouldn't be changed.
This was his most basic prudence regarding this parallel world, as well as his self-restraint as an 'outsider'.
They weren't from the same world to begin with. If his appearance caused this world to...
"Yeah, long time no see, Naruto!"
"Come in and talk."
The two of them walked toward the main hall.
"Ino and I were taken in as Disciples by Lady Tsunade yesterday. Lady Tsunade told me to bring Aunt Kushina's wallet over to her."
Naruto's footsteps suddenly stopped.
"She lost it all again?"
"Huh? Ah! Most likely..."
Sakura only found out after becoming her Disciple that Tsunade was actually addicted to gambling.
The three Disciples of the Sandaime-sama were each more improper than the last!
Jiraiya is an old pervert, Orochimaru likes dark research, and Tsunade is a gambler plus a drunkard.
Naruto sighed, a look that said 'as expected' appearing on his face.
Then he took out three stacks of bills from the ninja tool pouch at his waist and handed them to Sakura.
"This is three million. Help me tell her that this is the last time; otherwise, she can forget about the resurrection of Kato Dan and Nawaki!"
Naruto didn't believe he couldn't cure Tsunade's gambling habit!
Tsunade had no income after returning, and Kushina had no income either. She borrowed money from Kushina in the name of being her elder sister, but in the end, it was his own money that had to be paid out.
Did she really think his money was blown in by the wind!
How much money would be enough for that woman Tsunade to gamble away!
It was normal for that woman Tsunade to lose a bet, but if she won, something bad would happen. Yet, she still gambled frequently.
Whether she won or lost, it did Naruto no good.
Hashirama couldn't control her and was even dragged along to gamble. Currently, in Konoha, only Uzumaki Mito and Senju Tobirama could keep those two, grandparent and grandchild, in check.
Hopefully, after 'Brother Eagle' is resurrected, he can keep her in check too.
——————————
Underground Research Lab.
The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant, preservatives, and a certain indescribable, peculiar scent.
The light was a soft, cold white, spilling evenly from light strips embedded in the ceiling and walls, illuminating this space filled with precision instruments, culture tanks, and various complex pipelines and symbolic markings.
The cold, hard touch of the operating table and the sluggish sensation of consciousness slowly floating up from a long darkness were Kato Dan's first impressions after regaining consciousness.
"Where... is this?"
He slowly opened his eyes, his pupils initially somewhat unfocused as they adapted to the light.
His vision began to focus, and he reflexively started to look around.
An unfamiliar environment—reflections from metal and glass, screens with jumping data, and in the distance, various... body outlines soaking in pale green nutrient solution?
Then, he saw two people standing at a console not far away.
One figure had upright silver hair and a cold, serious face, wearing deep blue Sengoku-era armor. That was the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
The other... their form was completely shrouded by a loose, white lab coat. Their specific appearance couldn't be seen clearly; their presence could only be judged by their faint outline and posture.
But that cold, inquisitive aura, as if it could see through the essence of life, made Kato Dan feel an instinctive chill.
Kato Dan's thoughts still carried the Chaos of just waking from the long sleep of death.
He looked at the Second Hokage, a figure who by all rights should have long since passed away, now standing here vividly.
A natural inference based on common sense surfaced in his mind.
He slowly sat up, his movements somewhat stiff, his voice carrying the hoarseness and uncertainty of a recent revival:
"Nidaime(2nd)-sama... is this... what the Pure Land looks like?"
Was the world after death like this? A research lab full of technology? And the long-deceased former Hokage?
Hearing this, Senju Tobirama shifted his sharp, hawk-like gaze from the data on the console screen to Kato Dan on the operating table.
He didn't immediately answer the question about the "Pure Land." Instead, with the eyes of someone examining an experimental subject and assessing its state, he carefully looked him up and down.
The edo tensei body had a clay-like texture in its details, with fine cracks at the corners of the eyes and cheeks.
But the number and distribution of these cracks were quite small. The fidelity of the edo tensei body was extremely high, almost perfectly recreating his state from when he was alive while ensuring his former strength.
Using White Zetsu as a sacrifice really works well, he noted silently in his mind.
After finishing his assessment, Tobirama spoke, his voice deep and serious, heading straight to another topic: "So you're Little Tsunade's boyfriend?"