How Kurama Leads Naruto Astray

This man was Uchiha Sasuke. Or rather, the future Uchiha Sasuke—one from a time even further ahead than the Uchiha Sasuke who had traveled back to this era through the Dragon Vein. 

Simply put, he was adult Sasuke. 

In the shadows, Boruto and Sarada were filled with tension. They pressed tightly against the rock, cold sweat covering their faces. 

There was no helping it—Madara's presence was overwhelming. Even though he wasn't releasing any killing intent, just standing there made them feel like they couldn't even look at him. 

"So this is the kind of enemy my dad and Seventh Hokage faced in the past? This is terrifying…" Sarada patted her chest lightly. Without her glasses, she looked even more delicate and cute than in the original story. 

"This is insane…" Boruto was completely stunned. "The enemies we fought before are nothing compared to this guy. Just standing in front of him feels impossible." 

Sarada forced a weak smile. "Now you understand why Uncle Kurama always makes fun of you, right?" 

Boruto swallowed hard but didn't respond. The nervous look in his eyes said it all. 

But come to think of it, Uncle Kurama really wasn't nice to him at all. Every time Sarada visited, Kurama would happily teach her a bunch of jutsu, give her snacks when she left, and treat her like a special guest. But whenever Boruto came by, he either got scolded or thrown out immediately. 

One time, Kurama even had the crazy idea of tossing him into Amaterasu to "test" if he could stop its flames from burning. If Dad hadn't used Flying Thunder God to save him in time, that might've been the last day Himawari ever saw her big brother. 

Did I do something to offend him when I was little? 

Boruto couldn't figure it out. 

Uncle Kurama was really nice—especially to Aunt Hanabi and Sarada. But with him? Not at all. 

Sarada sat on the ground, hugging her knees. She glanced at Boruto and said, "That 'pair of eyes' Madara mentioned… He must be talking about Dad's Tomoe Rinnegan, right?" 

"Probably." Boruto crawled forward a little and peeked at the two facing off. "But I remember Uncle Kurama saying that Madara had the Rinnegan too, though his eye power wasn't as strong as Uncle Sasuke's Tomoe Rinnegan." 

"Yeah." Sarada nodded. She had heard about that as well. 

On the other side, Sasuke sighed and lifted his head, letting Madara see his face clearly. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun and slowly merged, transforming into the Mangekyou Sharingan. Then, as the Mangekyou rotated once more, a purple light flickered, and a pair of Rinnegan with Tomoe markings appeared in his eyes. 

But Madara didn't seem to care. Or rather, the moment he saw Sasuke's face, he stopped caring. 

His mask hid his expression, but in that instant, Sasuke felt something strange from him. 

Was it… nostalgia? 

As Sasuke stood there in shock, Madara suddenly spoke. His tone, surprisingly, carried an unusual softness. 

"Your name." 

Sasuke was silent for a moment before replying. 

"Uchiha Sasuke." 

"Sasuke… huh." Madara repeated the name under his breath. "A good name." 

Sasuke hesitated before slowly speaking. 

"I'm not Uchiha Izuna, Madara. I just happen to look a lot like him." 

"You know about Izuna, huh?" Madara's tone became less indifferent, as if the topic interested him. "If Izuna were still alive, he'd probably be an old man like me by now. So I know you're not him. But… that sight would be quite amusing, don't you think?" 

Sasuke had no answer. 

Maybe it was because he hadn't seen his dear younger brother for so long, but at this moment, the aged Madara seemed like just an ordinary old man—someone who liked reminiscing about the past and remembering those who were gone. 

For a brief moment, the overwhelming aura around him disappeared, and even his Sharingan looked gentler. 

After a long silence, Madara turned his head and looked toward the shadows beside Sasuke. His tone carried both curiosity and a touch of sentiment. 

"Are these two your children?" 

Sasuke nodded. 

"The girl, Sarada, is my daughter. The boy, Boruto, is my best friend's son." 

"I figured as much." Madara nodded. "That brat's aura is nothing like an Uchiha's. In fact, he has this strong life energy that even I find annoying. Even if he's not from the Senju clan, he must have some deep connection to them." 

"Uh…" Sasuke wasn't sure how to respond. 

The Senju and Uzumaki clans were both descendants of the Otsutsuki, carrying powerful chakra and strong life energy. It made sense that there would be similarities. Boruto, being Naruto's son, had inherited the Uzumaki's bloodline, so it wasn't surprising at all. 

"Sarada, huh? Not a bad name." Madara looked up at the sky. "The future of the Uchiha… so, that guy failed, then?" 

Sasuke's expression turned serious, his Rinnegan with tomoe locking onto Madara. 

He hesitated, wondering if he should erase Madara's memories just in case. 

"But… whatever. I'm in a bad mood, and I've played around enough." Madara suddenly turned away, his presence fading completely. He now looked just like an ordinary old man as he slowly walked off. 

Sasuke watched Madara's back in silence, making no move to stop him. 

After a while, Madara's figure disappeared into the dense forest. Sasuke shook his head. 

Forget it. Madara didn't know that much. It was still within an acceptable range. 

Sasuke was certain he could defeat Madara. The current Madara was nowhere near strong enough to be his opponent. But he was still troublesome. Even at a fraction of his former strength, he was far more difficult to deal with than the three Otsutsuki that appeared in the future. 

If a fight could be avoided, all the better. 

Sasuke looked at the two people beside him. 

"Come out. Madara's gone." 

Boruto and Sarada peeked out from the shadows. After confirming that Madara had really left, they both let out a long sigh of relief. 

Sarada walked over to Sasuke and naturally clung to his arm. She looked in the direction Madara had disappeared and sighed. 

"That was terrifying. I never realized our Uchiha clan had someone that scary. When Uncle Kurama told stories about him, it didn't feel real. But after seeing him in person, I think Uncle Kurama made it sound way too easy." 

"Madara and I are the reincarnations of Indra, the son of the Sage of Six Paths. He carries the chakra of countless past Indra reincarnations. Of course, he would be terrifying." Sasuke explained. 

Boruto tilted his head in confusion. 

"Then why don't you have that kind of aura, Uncle Sasuke?" 

"Who said I don't?" Sasuke chuckled, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "If it weren't for Naruto and Kurama, my presence would probably feel just like Madara's. What you're sensing from me now is something I never had before." 

"I think Uncle Sasuke is pretty nice, way better than Uncle Kurama." Boruto pouted. 

"Uncle Kurama is nice too. He just doesn't like you," Sarada said bluntly. "And actually, Uncle Kurama told me why he doesn't like you, but I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone." 

Sasuke smiled at Sarada. "Is it about 'Earth'?" 

Sarada was slightly surprised, then flashed a cute smile. "Looks like Dad knows too. I bet Uncle Naruto knows as well." 

She turned to Boruto with a smug look on her face. "Only one person here has no clue. Ahh, I really want to tell him, but I promised Uncle Kurama I wouldn't. What should I do?" 

Boruto's face darkened, and he turned away like a sulking child. "I don't care!" 

"Oh, really?" Sarada acted like she just realized something. "In that case, I won't break my promise to Uncle Kurama. After all, he's always so nice to me. Don't you agree?" 

Boruto: "…" 

His childish pride lasted all of three seconds before he finally gave in. Half lying on the ground, he clung to Sarada's leg with tears in his eyes, pleading, "I'm sorry, Lady Sarada! It was my fault! I was too full of myself! Please, tell me!" 

"Being the only one left in the dark… I can't accept that!" 

Seeing Boruto's pitiful expression, Sarada blushed slightly with satisfaction. Hugging Sasuke's arm with one hand, she tapped her lips with the other, striking a queen-like pose. "Unless… you lick my shoes clean." 

Boruto hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Sarada with a completely serious expression. "Can I lick your feet instead? I'll do it every day if you want." 

Sarada rolled her eyes, her face turning red. "In your dreams." 

Sasuke: "…" 

"You two… stay away from Kurama from now on." 

The two exchanged glances before sticking out their tongues at the same time. "Ehehe~" 

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