"Fire Release: Burning Ash!"
On the screen, Asuma was still fighting with all his might, completely unaware of the eerie expression on Hidan's face as he licked his lips.
Amidst the thick smoke, Hidan didn't bother evading the incoming attack. Instead, he casually strolled over to the ritual circle he had drawn earlier.
As Asuma exhaled forcefully, the smoke covering Hidan suddenly turned fiery red.
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of violent explosions followed.
When the smoke cleared, Hidan stood unharmed—aside from a few strange markings now appearing on his body.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" He crouched down and asked Asuma softly.
The answer came in the form of a chakra blade clattering to the ground. When the people watching got a clear look, Asuma's body bore the same injuries as if he had been hit by the Fire Release.
"The judgement has been handed down."
"Has this helped you understand the pain that other people feel, even a little bit?"
"You have already fallen under my curse. The ceremony will now begin." Hidan stood up, casually drawing a long blade, and stabbing it into his own thigh with a laugh.
Instantly, Asuma, who had sensed something was wrong and was charging toward Hidan, stumbled and collapsed to the ground in agony.
Only then did the four Konoha shinobi realize Hidan's ability. However, it was already too late.
"Die!!" Hidan rambled on about pain being pleasure and the like, then raised the blade and drove it toward his own heart!
Realizing the danger, Shikamaru used his Secret Technique: Shadow Strangulation.
"Don't you dare!!"
In the end, Hidan's blade stopped just a few millimeters from his own chest.
For a moment, many people looking at the screen let out a long sigh of relief. After all, those two Akatsuki members didn't exactly look like good people.
And even knowing the final outcome, Hiruzen and the others watched intently, unwilling to miss any detail.
"If this drags on too long, I'll lend a hand." Kakuzu approached the group locked in a stalemate.
"I can't let my money slip away."
Hearing those words, the people of the Shinobi World remembered that Kakuzu hadn't even joined the fight yet. And he seemed even stronger than Hidan.
"Didn't I tell you not to interfere, Kakuzu?!" Hidan immediately became irritated.
"I can handle this alone."
[It has to be said, Shikamaru's intellect was indeed sharp. He quickly picked up on the information Asuma was conveying and understood all of Hidan's abilities.]
[Then, by using Shadow Imitation Jutsu to move Hidan out of the ritual circle, Asuma followed up and decapitated Hidan, securing the win.]
[Truly worthy of being the future "Eighth" Hokage—the man behind Naruto.]
[Of course, he never claimed that title himself. He always referred to himself as the Acting Hokage, protecting Konoha during the three years Naruto was away.]
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Team 10's location]
Choji, Shikamaru, and Ino—who had been grieving moments ago—suddenly widened their eyes. Even Asuma's half-smoked cigarette dropped from his mouth.
'The Eighth…'
'Hokage?'
'Shikamaru would become Hokage in the future?'
Even if it was just Acting Hokage—it was still Hokage!
After a long pause—
"Shikamaru!" Ino was the first to shriek, grabbing his arm so hard he instinctively flinched.
"You're going to be Hokage! The Eighth Hokage!"
Chōji also leaned in. "Shikamaru, that's amazing!"
Asuma picked the cigarette butt off the ground, dusted it off and put it back in his mouth, looking at Shikamaru with pride.
"Shikamaru, you really are a reliable guy."
Shikamaru's grief faded a bit as he shoved his hands in his pockets, his tone lazy. "The screen's talking about the future. And I don't really want to be Hokage—too much trouble."
"And besides… what happened to Naruto?"
Hearing that, Team 10's teasing came to an abrupt halt.
'Yeah—what happened to Naruto?'
A Six Paths-level powerhouse. The savior of the Shinobi World. The Seventh Hokage of Konoha. How could he just disappear?
---
[Konoha, Year 50. Hokage Office]
Minato's heart tightened instantly, while Kushina's hands fidgeted helplessly.
"Naruto… what happened to Naruto in the future?" She murmured, tears already welling in her eyes.
Through the screen, she had learned how hard Naruto's childhood had been. And that he would finally become Hokage, marry Hinata, and have two adorable children—Boruto and Himawari.
Everything had seemed so perfect.
Sometimes, Kushina even thought that even in the worst-case scenario—if she and Minato still died—as long as Naruto's future turned out like the screen showed, she could still accept it.
But she never imagined that even after becoming Hokage, Naruto would still not find peace.
Minato gently wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. His voice was steady, but carried an almost imperceptible tremor. "Kushina… don't worry. The screen hasn't finished yet."
His mind raced, analyzing the situation.
'This Shikamaru seems to be Shikaku's son. And Shikaku's wife, Yoshino, is pregnant right now—which means Shikamaru is about Naruto's age…'
'And yet he would serve as Acting Hokage for three full years?'
'Then how long would Naruto even serve as Hokage?'
'Surely… it would be longer than he himself had served… right?'
Minato prayed silently in his heart.
---
[Konoha, Year One. The village's outer vantage point]
Madara, Tobirama, and Hashirama stood side by side with solemn expressions, their robes fluttering in the wind.
"The screen said… Naruto would reach Six Paths level, right?" Hashirama spoke, his tone uncertain.
"And that Sasuke too would reach Six Paths level. So with two Six Paths-level fighters guarding the Shinobi World, how could Naruto just disappear?"
"And where did Sasuke go?"
A look of contemplation flashed in Tobirama's eyes, "Unless they encountered an enemy stronger than them. Or… they were forced to leave."
Hearing that, Madara snorted. "Stronger than Six Paths level? Does such a being exist in the world?"
Suddenly, the three looked at each other—and thought of the same thing.
'The Ōtsutsuki clan on the moon.'
The screen hadn't mentioned them for no reason. Ōtsutsuki Toneri, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya—beings capable of slicing the moon in half or destroying planets—were likely the true threat.
"There's no mistake." Madara's voice dropped low. "It's definitely them. Only the Ōtsutsuki has the power to make Six Paths-level fighters vanish."
Hashirama also clenched his fists. "Then we need to prepare. We can't just wait for them to strike."
Tobirama glanced at his brother but said nothing. He was thinking about something else—the screen had mentioned Boruto returning in three years. Was there a connection?
And why was Boruto called "Ōtsutsuki Boruto" after three years?
Furthermore, if even future Six Paths-level fighters weren't enough, then if they ran into the Ōtsutsuki now… they'd be in serious trouble.
Tobirama quickly assessed the power balance in his mind. Any single Ōtsutsuki would be Six Paths-level. And the strongest in the Shinobi World right now were his brother and Madara—and they hadn't yet reached Six Paths. At most, they were Super Kage-level.
So how were they supposed to fight?
And although they didn't know why the Ōtsutsuki would target Naruto in the future… they could not let their guard down.
*****
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