The Land of Water.
The cruise ship finally reached its destination and docked smoothly at the shore.
The students disembarked and lined up neatly, waiting for roll call.
"Quiet down," Shino said. "Your guide will be here soon to show you around Kirigakure, so be polite."
Mitarashi Anko silently checked the attendance list, comparing each student's name to her notes.
"Welcome to Kirigakure. I'm Kagura Karatachi, and I'll be your guide for this trip."
Kagura walked past the group as she introduced herself.
Light green hair, purple eyes, a purple marking under her left eye—her presence carried a calm, humble sharpness.
"So handsome!!" a girl squealed.
"He is handsome, but who knows what he's like inside," another girl replied coolly.
"Your surname is Karatachi?" Boruto asked. "Are you related to the Fourth Mizukage by blood?"
Kagura froze for a moment, surprised. He hadn't expected someone to know his lineage before they had even started talking. Then he realized—it was Boruto Uzumaki, the distinguished guest of the trip.
"Yes. And if I'm not mistaken, you're the son of the Seventh Hokage, Lord Naruto Uzumaki."
"Likewise." Boruto smiled and extended his hand.
Kagura blinked, startled again. So he had already figured everything out just from his surname. As expected of someone who had already stirred the shinobi world.
He shook Boruto's hand. The two exchanged polite smiles, a brief moment of quiet understanding between people of notable status.
At that moment, the Mizukage arrived with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you all. I'm the current Mizukage, Chojuro. Thank you for coming all the way from Konoha to Kirigakure."
Applause rippled through the students. None had expected the Mizukage himself to greet them.
"Let's skip the formalities. Basically, we're here to have fun," Boruto said casually.
"Boruto…!" Shino hissed, flustered.
What happened to the manners I JUST taught you!?
"It's fine," Chojuro said with a laugh. "I was just being old-fashioned. The main thing is that everyone gets along."
He extended his hand, and Boruto shook it.
"Have fun," the Mizukage said.
"Okay," Boruto nodded.
…
Amid the stunned and confused looks of the students, Chojuro excused himself due to other responsibilities, giving Kagura a meaningful glance before departing.
Boruto saw it clearly. He understood why.
Another pitiful soul trapped by self-inflicted guilt. The so-called burden from the old era… had nothing to do with him.
Boruto had no patience for such childish issues. If nothing unexpected happened, the forces stirred by his presence were already moving.
The same person who once tried to take Sarada's eyes.
Boruto exchanged a glance with the class monitor. Without anyone noticing, he created a shadow clone to finish the school trip in his place. He himself had far more important matters to handle.
For example, cultivation in the remaining two Sage Realms, and information gathering about the other Tenseigan, as he had promised.
Also… shouldn't the guests from the stars be arriving soon?
…
Orochimaru's laboratory.
"It's been a long time, Boruto-kun," Orochimaru greeted him warmly.
"Long time no see, Orochimaru." Boruto looked around the lab with genuine curiosity.
This was one of Orochimaru's other strongholds, where many secret experiments took place. Mitsuki and Mikasa had been born here.
Bright incandescent lights illuminated the spacious room, casting distorted shadows of the advanced equipment everywhere.
"I wonder what interesting ideas Boruto-kun has brought this time?" Orochimaru asked, eyes shining with anticipation.
"As I mentioned before, it's time to learn the Sage Power of Ryuchi Cave," Boruto said calmly.
"Does Boruto still hold that view? Well… if it's you, you can accomplish anything. I've seen that with my own eyes."
More than once.
Orochimaru still felt a faint chill remembering it—phenomena that overturned every theory, performed effortlessly by Boruto.
His blood… was the blood of a god.
"Those abilities probably come from my right eye," Boruto murmured.
His special eye was unrestricted, penetrating all illusions, letting nothing escape its sight. No barrier could block it.
Wherever he looked became the path beneath his feet.
"I won't pry into Boruto's secrets," Orochimaru said. "But everything you've shown now undoubtedly comes from your bloodline."
"Bloodline refinement technology," Boruto added.
Both spoke the same thought. This was knowledge Boruto brought from his original world—knowledge explaining the shortened lifespan caused by Orochimaru taking in more power than his body could handle while studying and fighting White Zetsu.
Bloodline refinement was a method to strengthen bloodlines by extracting resilient bloodline factors, cultivating them, and implanting them into a subject.
The previous subject, White Zetsu, once infused with this power, gained several times more chakra and broke past all limits of talent and potential.
That was the cloaked man who later released the True Thousand Hands.
The white-robed figure had absorbed tremendous cellular power and a small portion of Boruto's soul power, creating a genetic miracle.
His genes had been rewritten.
He awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—with preserved vision and overwhelming ocular strength.
His first ability, Shadow of Time, hid the user in the gaps of time, projecting phantom images. A technique that surpassed Kamui.
The second, Drunken Life, spread a massive illusion field over hundreds of meters.
Within it, all natural laws could be altered according to the user's will. He once used it to make Naruto lose all sense of chakra and sever his mental link with Kurama.
Against Sasuke and the others, he altered the properties of their ninjutsu. Though its effects vanished once outside the field, its upper limit was terrifying.
Compared to Infinite Tsukuyomi, it was only one rank lower—a dreamlike illusion that engulfed all within it.
And this was only Mangekyō power. (Similar to "Road to Ninja" Tsukuyomi.)
Mitsuki, too—after receiving this refinement—gained a stronger body. He could activate Sage Mode freely, and its power awakened to a new level.
In Ryuchi Cave, the transformation from snake to dragon marked the true end of Sage Mode.
"Do you need me to accompany you, Boruto?" Orochimaru asked.
"Still obsessed with Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode?" Boruto asked.
"No." Orochimaru shook his head. "I fulfilled that dream when I created Mitsuki and helped him awaken Sage Mode."
That child born in the fourth month was supposed to fulfill my lifelong regrets. I thought I'd stop there—but Heaven showed mercy and let me meet you.
"I won't be in danger," Boruto said. "This is just a negotiation. A gamble."
Orochimaru looked at him with admiration. Their thinking… existed on entirely different planes. Boruto saw the world from a sky no one else could reach.
"Then I wish Boruto-kun a successful trip." Orochimaru bowed slightly.
"By the way," Boruto said, "you should start using my Cellular Power. There's no rejection—it's practically like 'golden cells.' Try adapting to it."
"Why bring that up now?" Orochimaru blinked in surprise.
"Because I'm destined to become a god. When that happens, I'll give you the true bloodline of a god. Consider this… like a vaccination."
Orochimaru's body trembled. He quickly bowed deeply.
"Thank you for the promise… Boss!"
"You're an indispensable member of Moon, too," Boruto said, smiling as he helped him up.
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