Sasuke's Misunderstanding
In the depths of the forest, two figures—one tall and one short—shook the dust off their cloaks. They looked down at the small, exhausted tortoise in their hands.
This tortoise, known as Karasuki, was an artifact of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, possessing the rare ability to travel through time and space. During their battle with Urashiki Ōtsutsuki, they had inadvertently disrupted his attempt to travel to the past, altering the course of events.
After relaying this critical information, the chakra-depleted Karasuki fell into a deep sleep.
Boruto Uzumaki frowned as he processed what the tortoise had told them. "Mr. Sasuke… did we really just travel back in time using this thing?"
Feeling the exhaustion from his dwindling chakra, Sasuke Uchiha nodded slightly. "From what I can tell, we arrived a few days earlier than Urashiki. That gives us time to prepare and stop him from targeting the Nine-Tails."
Boruto stretched his arms behind his head with a casual grin. "Then, how do we find my dad? I've never actually seen the old Konoha before…"
Before Boruto could say more, Sasuke swiftly covered his mouth, his expression turning sharp. His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan narrowed as he focused on a figure emerging from the tall grass ahead.
Boruto, now silent, followed Sasuke's gaze and widened his eyes.
Emerging from the foliage was none other than Sasuke Uchiha—his younger self.
Boruto's lips curled into a grin. Whoa… so this is Mr. Sasuke as a kid?
However, Sasuke himself wasn't amused. His younger counterpart's presence felt oddly unsettling. The two figures before him—the man with a missing arm draped in a high-collared cloak, and the blonde boy with an uncanny resemblance to Naruto—gave off an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
The young Sasuke, still in his days as a shinobi of Konoha, instinctively gripped his kunai, his Sharingan activating. Something about these strangers felt too calculated, too familiar—especially the older man, whose gaze seemed to pierce through him.
"Who are you?" young Sasuke demanded, forming a hand seal. A Chidori's crackling glow illuminated his palm. "You've trespassed into Konoha's territory without permission."
The older Sasuke raised a hand, signaling Boruto to remain calm. He studied his younger self for a moment before replying, "We're travelers. We make a living performing tricks and ended up here by accident."
Young Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "This is Uchiha territory. How do I know you're telling the truth?"
He took a step forward. "The Anbu will be here soon. If you're lying, we'll find out. What are your names?"
Boruto exchanged a quick glance with his mentor before answering, "I'm Boruto, and this is my teacher."
Upon hearing the name Boruto, young Sasuke's expression shifted slightly.
The name reminded him of Naruto, and the boy's hair color bore an eerie resemblance to the knuckleheaded ninja. Could this kid be related to Uzumaki Naruto? Maybe even a distant relative from Uzushiogakure?
Still wary but less hostile, young Sasuke deactivated his Chidori, slipping his kunai back into its pouch. "I'll let you off this time. But the Anbu won't be as forgiving. Be careful."
With that, he turned and swiftly made his way toward the Uchiha training grounds.
The older Sasuke remained silent for a moment before glancing at Boruto. With a subtle nod, they decided to follow, keeping their chakra suppressed to avoid unwanted attention.
As they moved, Boruto smirked. "Mr. Sasuke, were you always this cold when you were younger? You're way more serious than now."
Sasuke's expression didn't change. "People change. Back then… I was blinded by my past."
But deep down, a growing unease filled him.
Something was wrong.
By this point in the original timeline, his younger self should have already left Konoha to join Orochimaru.
Yet here he was, still in the village.
Could it be that Karasuki had deceived them? Had Urashiki altered the past before they even arrived?
His mind raced as they arrived at the training ground. The older Sasuke's eyes softened momentarily as he gazed at the familiar wooden training dummies. Nostalgia threatened to creep in, but Boruto suddenly pointed toward Hokage Rock, eyes wide with confusion.
"Wait… why is there a statue of Jiraiya carved up there?" Boruto blurted out. "Wasn't Lady Tsunade supposed to be the Fifth Hokage?"
Young Sasuke, overhearing this, turned back to them. "Jiraiya of the Sannin was Konoha's Fifth Hokage. Tsunade has the same authority, but he's the one who holds the title."
Boruto's jaw nearly hit the ground. He spun to face his mentor, eyes filled with shock.
"Mr. Sasuke… this isn't right. In our timeline, Tsunade was the Fifth Hokage, not Jiraiya."
The older Sasuke clenched his fists, his expression unreadable. This confirmed it—history had already been altered.
Without another word, he turned to Boruto and whispered, "I need to investigate. Don't reveal our identities."
Before Boruto could respond, Sasuke vanished.
Boruto sighed, scratching the back of his head. Great, now I'm stuck here alone.
Still, maybe this was an opportunity.
Grinning, he turned back to young Sasuke. "Hey, mind if I train with you? I want to see how strong my—uh, I mean, Konoha's ninjas were back in the day."
Young Sasuke studied him carefully. "Fine. Let's see what an Uzushio ninja is capable of."
Boruto froze for a moment before forcing a smile. "Oh, uh, sure… yeah, I'm totally from Uzushio."
Sasuke smirked as he tossed several kunai, all landing behind the training dummy's bullseye. "You're a terrible liar. That man with you was obviously Uchiha, and your hair reminds me too much of Naruto."
Boruto gulped. "Wait, you figured that out already?"
Sasuke scoffed, walking forward. "Your disguise is sloppy. That man looks like an Uchiha, and the only Uchiha outside Konoha live in Uzushiogakure. Plus, your hair color makes you an obvious Uzumaki."
Boruto felt his brain short-circuit from all the alternate timeline information being thrown at him.
Before he could process it all, young Sasuke took a step forward and held out his hand.
"If you're really a shinobi… prove it."
Boruto sighed. Well… guess I'm fighting my teacher's younger self now.
With a smirk, he stepped forward and clasped Sasuke's hand in a seal of opposition.
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