"Ugh..."
Before Kawaki could even breathe a sigh of relief, Boruto clutched his chest and knelt on the ground.
"Hey! Boruto!"
"Urgh! Ahh!!" Boruto let out a pained cry.
Could it be the side effects of the medicine? Kawaki instinctively connected everything before him with the shifty-eyed Amado.
At this moment, deep within Boruto's consciousness.
"Long time no see, inferior creature!" a flippant voice sounded.
Boruto looked up and saw Otsutsuki Momoshiki floating in mid-air, looking down on him with contempt, but this arrogant posture was severely inconsistent with his broken horns. "Although that medicine can help you slow down the thawing speed, it can only buy you a little time."
Outside, because of their internal exchange, everything seemed to have been put on pause. Kawaki, who was just about to squat down; leaves, swaying halfway; and... Amado, who had just taken a cigarette from his mouth.
"This power... is it Otsutsuki Momoshiki?" Naruto lowered his left hand's sword fingers, carefully observing Amado beside him, who was in a state of 'time stoppage'.
"The dregs of Kara have already claimed the [Seedling] for themselves; it seems to be that guy from just now." Otsutsuki Momoshiki descended before Boruto. "Kid, let's make a deal. Give me your body, and I'll help you kill him."
"Your Excellency, is it really alright for you to look at me so intently?" Amado recovered, startled by Naruto's gaze.
Naruto: "..."
"Code, the opportunity has come." Looking at the bastard who had appeared at the base, Eida said, "Boruto's body has a problem. It should be the side effects of the medicine."
Code was taken aback, then returned to the battlefield again through a claw mark.
However...
"Rasengan!"
The moment he appeared, a Rasengan was the first thing he saw.
"I'm very curious, how did Code know that Boruto's body had an accident?" Amado took a deep drag from his cigarette, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
"The wind is rather clamorous tonight." Naruto closed his right eye again, a subtle, knowing air about him.
Phew... Amado's face was obscured by smoke. Kawaki, you absolutely mustn't have an accident. It took so much to get to this point...
Momoshiki launched several Rasengans, forcing Code to flee in all directions.
"What's going on?" Code shouted loudly.
"Boruto fell unconscious just now, and Momoshiki took advantage of the opening," Eida said casually, showing no shame at all for misleading her teammate with faulty intelligence. Or perhaps, she had never considered Code a comrade.
"What a waste!" Otsutsuki Momoshiki sneered. "It seems your Karma is still a defective product; it can't absorb ninjutsu."
"So this is an Otsutsuki... Compared to Boruto using Karma, they're not on the same level at all." Code knew he was facing an unprecedented crisis.
Kawaki also seemed wary of Momoshiki and didn't attack Code alongside him. But Kawaki's harassment from the sidelines was already making Code sick. Every time Code summoned a claw mark, Kawaki would shrink it. The use of his ability was severely restricted.
Otsutsuki Momoshiki was limited by Boruto's chakra reserves and couldn't casually use Great Ball Rasengans like the Seventh Hokage or Naruto. But Takamimusubinokami compensated for this shortcoming. This ability of Otsutsuki Momoshiki could directly amplify the Rasengan without consuming too much chakra.
Under Otsutsuki Momoshiki's relentless bombardment, the battlefield quickly transformed into a different landscape.
"Boruto!" A golden figure appeared on the battlefield. Nara Shikamaru, leading a group of ANBU, followed close behind.
Seizing the opportunity while Kawaki was momentarily stunned, Code dived headfirst into a claw mark.
BOOM!
Otsutsuki Momoshiki, seeing this, directly changed his target. He didn't sense the presence of that newborn Otsutsuki nearby, nor even Uchiha Sasuke's presence. This was his best chance to eliminate the Seventh Hokage.
The figures of father and son intertwined in battle. Kawaki, seeing this, immediately sided with the Seventh Hokage, attacking Otsutsuki Momoshiki together.
Otsutsuki Momoshiki's strength was limited, while his opponents, both the Seventh Hokage and Kawaki, could fight with all their might. Thus, he, who had been so arrogant just moments before, was steadily forced back. But he wasn't without leverage—Boruto's body. As long as he hadn't completely replaced Boruto, these two wouldn't deliver a killing blow to him.
Several minutes later.
Otsutsuki Momoshiki's body smashed a deep crater into the ground. From mid-air, a black cube plummeted directly down.
"Hmph~" A soft snort was heard. The Seventh Hokage instantly changed his attack direction, knocking the black cube away.
"I'm sorry, Dad..." Boruto looked at the man before him and apologized. Otsutsuki Momoshiki, seeing the situation was unfavorable, directly fled, and Boruto regained control of his body.
"As long as you're alright." The Seventh Hokage also breathed a sigh of relief. He was a father; even if his child made countless mistakes, the responsibility still lay with him. Moreover, Boruto was completely not in control of himself.
In the distance, Code, hidden in the shadows, saw this scene and sighed with regret.
"Boruto, do you know what you just did?" Kawaki suddenly asked.
"...I know." Boruto's expression darkened.
"Do you still remember our promise?" Kawaki clenched his fists. "I will definitely eliminate your Karma."
"Of course, I remember." Hearing his words, Boruto seemed to understand something. He propped himself up with his right hand and struggled to his feet. "Are we going to use that method?"
"That's right."
"I'm ready."
The Seventh Hokage listened to their cryptic exchange, puzzled.
"Sorry, forgive me," Kawaki said, raising his right hand.
Boruto formed hand seals. "Forgive me, Dad. Apologize to Mom and Himawari for me."
Hearing this, the Seventh Hokage instinctively felt something was wrong, but—
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
A strong wind blew against the Seventh Hokage. It had no killing power, merely blowing him away.
"Come on! Brother!" Boruto opened his chest to Kawaki.
Kawaki's hardened scientific ninja tool directly pierced through Boruto's body.
"BORUTO!!!" The Seventh Hokage's eyes nearly split with grief and rage.
Code: "Huh?! What's going on?"
Eida: "...?"
Nara Shikamaru's face changed drastically. He formed hand seals, and the shadow beneath him shot out, immobilizing Kawaki.
"Pfft! Thanks..." Boruto coughed up blood and, with difficulty, gave Kawaki a thumbs-up.
Thump...
His unconscious body crashed to the ground.
"BORUTO!" The Seventh Hokage felt as if his heart had been forcibly torn apart by someone's hands. Like a madman, he lunged forward and embraced his son's corpse.
"Boruto is already dead. You're not going to use Kawaki as a [Live Sacrifice], are you?" Eida asked pointedly.
"To be honest, I can't answer your question right now." Code shook his head slightly. The development of the situation was too convoluted.
BOOM!
A black cube crashed down towards him.
Kawaki, having gone berserk, appeared beside him. "Anyone who threatens the Seventh Hokage, I will eliminate. Even if it's my brother! So, Code, how could I possibly let you go?"
As he finished speaking, several black rods shot out. Code struggled to dodge but was caught by the pursuing Kawaki and sent flying with a kick.