As Boruto trailed behind Pakkun, his mind was rapid fire processing thoughts. Do I stop and complete the mission? If I do, what will happen to Mitsuki? If we make it to where Mitsuki is, will we be able to save him? What's going to become of that other guy now that his device is destroyed?

Most importantly, he had to keep his eyes off of Sarada. He knew she was confused and uncomfortable, but he had been so close. And the fact that she didn't pull back was somehow driving him mad and making him dizzy, both at the same time. It'll go away eventually, he told himself, racing ahead of her. It has to, right?

Boruto!

Boruto stopped. "Hebi?!"

"Boruto! Did you make contact with Hebi?" Sarada stopped and turned around.

"Where have you been?!"

We'll talk while you move. Sorry for taking so long, it's hard to type without arms… I did enough listening while I was sealed to figure out that there is someone capable of beating the troublemaker… And the person the troublemaker gave the mission to was Suzuno, another troublemaker. Who would have thought?

"Is that even allowed?"

I guess it is. I need to intercept him before the dogs get him back to the village… it'll be a race against time, but I think I can win it. If not, I'll just have to convince your dad to put an end to his life so that all of this stops… The boss is smarter than I thought. Capturing Mitsuki was just a diversion.

"A diversion?" Boruto jumped from tree to tree, ignoring the confused looks from Sarada and Pakkun.

He wanted us to think that he gave Mitsuki a mission so that we would try to kill him, and in the meantime, he would probably attack and kill you. There's only one person who can hold him off until I finish the business with Suzuno, and it isn't Kakashi. I'm worried about having to revive more people…

"Is there some sort of limit on the number of times you can revive someone?"

Well… I didn't want to freak you out, but there are some conditions. That isn't important right now, you just need to make sure you don't die. Based on the protections set up around his device, my plan is risky. But it seems as though the boss is a considerable fan of his... I need to go find Sasuke. Do you have any idea where he might be?

"No," said Boruto, signaling for Sarada to follow him as he continued chasing after Pakkun, "but Sakura oba-san might. Why Sasuke-san?"

He has the rinnegan, so seeing a random space time portal might not be as off-putting as it would be for someone like your father. Besides, Naruto needs to protect the village. If he left, it would cause too much of a scene. Sasuke is used to handling shady business… This should be right up his ally. If I summon him to your location, do you think Sarada could convince him to fight that guy?

"Sarada!" Boruto called behind him without turning around, "Hebi wants to have your dad fight their boss. If he shows up, do you think—"

I didn't say to ask her, I'm asking you!

"Huh? Oh. I mean, yeah. Probably. But before that, heal Mitsuki!"

Already taken care of, replied Hebi, I thought this was going to be an easy mission… The hardest part should have been getting you to say yes. I guess I thought wrong.

Boruto's cheeks reddened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

It means you already realized the answer to your question earlier. I've been watching you this whole time through my device, but my movements were restricted. I'll have to thank Kakashi when I catch up to him.

"Wha… Hebi! That's not fair!"

Fine fine, I won't look next time, so make sure you actually complete it! You only have until 7:25 on Thursday.

"Thursday?! That's tomorrow! What happened to having an unlimited amount of time?!"

I never said anything about having an unlimited amount of time. I just said I wasn't going home until you completed it. But either way, me and that other guy both get kicked out of this dimension at 7:25 tomorrow night.

"Then shouldn't we just avoid him until then? Why do we have to fight him?"

Because Kakashi is already risking his life, and we both could come back at 8:00 on the same day and do this all over again. He's already doing everything he can behind the scenes to stop you… I can't just rewrite Kakashi's memory, the memory of his summoning hounds, and the memory of your father back at the village who will be confused as to why they carried a twigly teenager into his office at four in the morning… There are also the memories of all the people who might see the dogs along the way, whose names I don't even know.

Boruto paused on the next tree. "You're not making sense…"

Anyways, it's better to get rid of him now so you can complete the mission safely. If you had completed it earlier and I vanished, Mitsuki wouldn't have gotten healed in time, and there would have been no one to revive him… I doubt Orochimaru could have fixed him after that. I know what was going through your mind, but that was dangerous. Don't try to complete it again until after we get rid of this guy.

"…You said the mission has to do with wording, right?"

Oh? Were you perhaps not planning on completing it fully?

Boruto tucked his face into the edge of his jacket.

Well well well. This is quite the surprise. Childish Boruto has grown wise enough to deceive an all-powerful being.

As Hebi's laughter echoed throughout Boruto's head, he felt a sudden loneliness and embarrassment at being a child.

Don't worry, replied Hebi, that's a skill you're going to need later on.

"…What do you mean?"

Defiance. As an all-powerful being, it would be strange if I couldn't see into the future. Don't you think?

Boruto blinked a few times. "I guess so."

Good, now here's the plan. It's still unknown that I'm not sealed off anymore, so we should have the upper hand. However. We need to make Sasuke angry.

"Make him angry?"

Sasuke fights at his strongest when he's mad or filled with hatred for someone or something.

"Hebi, how do you know so much about Sasuke-san?"

As an all-powerful being, I also know the past. And you're not going to like this plan, but I think it's for the best… Do you trust me?

"That's the second time I've been asked that question today…"

I'm aware. But if you say yes, I'll tell you the plan. If you say no, you get left in the dark about the plan, and I do it anyways.

"Fine, I'll trust you."

I need you to let Sarada get injured.

"…What?"

You can still try to protect her. In fact, it would be preferable if she didn't die. But don't keep her out of the battle. If she dies, I promise, I'll revive her just like I did before.

"Hebi… I don't know if—"

Mitsuki is also fine, I just fixed all of his internal organs and put him into a relatively deep sleep. His life isn't in danger. Please Boruto, Sasuke has to show up ready for an all-out fight. I'm going to give him unlimited Chakra.

"You can do that?!"

I can do anything with the people in your world, except for directly manipulate their actions and emotions without the use of ninjutsu. I can't give them the ability to use anything they don't have either… But I can steal from other reserves to lend people chakra. And your father just so happens to have a ton.

"…You're sure we can win?"

Positive.

"…Fine. I'll do it. But in return…" You can hear my thoughts, right?

Yes, replied Hebi, already knowing what Boruto was about to ask.

One hour… no, thirty minutes. If you're bringing Sasuke-san here, he might decide to stay at home until tomorrow. And if he stays home, Sakura oba-san might be there too… I can't… complete the mission… in places where people are around… and if Sarada's parents are home, she isn't going to want to leave the house for anything other than a mission assigned by Konohamaru. So somehow, give me thirty minutes alone with her…

What a bold request, thought Hebi with a laugh. Don't worry, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you can complete the mission. I'll teleport Sasuke in as soon as Sarada gets injured... And I'll be watching from my laptop, so make sure you don't look away. Good luck, Boruto.

"Alright… I'll do everything in my power to make sure this guy gets taken out. But you'd better heal everyone afterwards!"

You have my word.

"Boruto!" Sarada yelled from behind him as she caught up. "What did Hebi say?"

"She's going to go find Sasuke-san," said Boruto, "and give him unlimited chakra."

"What?! Unlimited Chakra… to papa? Does she think Papa can beat him?"

Boruto nodded his head. "Without a doubt."

"We're almost there," called Pakkun over his shoulder. "Be prepared for a fight."

"Shouldn't we wait until Papa gets here?"

"And leave Kakashi by himself to deal with that thing?" replied Boruto. "I know he was the sixth hokage and all, but what's an old man going to do against a monster your dad would have a hard time with?"

"That same old man trained papa, I'll have you know," retorted Sarada. "And I thought you said Papa would win?"

"He will," replied Boruto, "or at least, that's what Hebi thinks."

"Kakashi and Mitsuki are up ahead," said Pakkun, turning around. "The other thing seems to have unlimited knowledge and unlimited chakra… but he's not willing to give up his life to beat someone else."

Sarada paused. "You don't mean…"

Boruto looked over his shoulder. All it took was one glance at her horrified face to know what was going through her mind. "That's not what Hebi meant," he said, leaping over to her tree. It seemed like Sarada still didn't believe him. "Look at me."

Her eyes hesitantly met his.

"Sasuke-san isn't someone who would give up his life so easily. Especially not when he has you."

The moment the words left his mouth, he instantly felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. He turned his face to the side, "I mean, you and your mom. Either way, we just need him to stall this guy until tomorrow at 7:25… If anyone can do it, it's Sasuke-san. Hebi's free now, but they don't seem to have the confidence to face that guy themselves. Either that, or they think it would end up being a war that everyone would get dragged in to."

"…Boruto…"

He took his hands away from her shoulders and continued forward, his ears still slightly red. "For the time being, we should prioritize going towards Kakashi until your dad gets here…"

"I think we'll only get in the way," said Sarada, leaping after him, "but I suppose letting you go by yourself would be suicidal."

The two arrived where Kakashi was fighting to find him with his vest off, out of breath, and standing at the ready with two kunai. When Boruto's eyes met his vest, they were burning with black flames. Sarada looked at them, a horrified expression on her face.

"Amaterasu…?"

"What is that?"

"Papa's black flames that burn up everything… Boruto, I don't think it's a good idea for us to be here…"

But before she could back up, she was spotted.

"Hmm? The kiddos decided to join the fight… This could be interesting!"

It was then that Boruto noticed a figure behind the hooded man. "Mitsuki!"

"Oh, your little friend?" The boss turned over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I don't have plans of killing him. This old man on the other hand, doesn't really need to live."

"Old man Kakashi!"

"Boruto! Take Sarada and get out of here. I'll come back with Mitsuki later."

Boruto shook his head. "I'm not leaving you here!" He leapt out of the tree.

"Boruto!" Sarada called after him.

"Sarada… Stay there and don't move."

The boss smirked as Kakashi attempted to charge his body with lightning again. But he was almost out of chakra. "Not so high and mighty now without your sharingan, are you." He laughed down on Kakashi as his feat began floating. "An old man and two kids versus an all-powerful being. What do you think is going to happen? I think I am going to win."

"Over my dead body," said Kakashi, standing in front of Boruto. But it seemed as though the hooded figure was no longer interested in Kakashi.

Using the rinnegan to switch places with him, the hooded figure turned and reached out a claw-like hand towards Boruto's chest.

A wall of earth came up in-between the two just before his fist could make contact, but with that, the last of Kakashi's chakra was used up, and he fell to the ground in defeat.

"Hmm? Trying to stop me, were you… Too bad, I can quite literally use anyone's technique." Forming a fist and letting out a mighty "shannaro," the boss smashed right through the earth wall, sending Boruto flying backwards along with the scattered particles.

"Now… where were we. Ah yes, I think it was time to put an end to Boruto."

Sarada was done watching. She leapt out of the tree and caught Boruto before he could slam against a wall and fall unconscious. But in turn, she was crushed in between his back and the wall.

"Sarada..?" Boruto lifted his head and turned around. "Sarada?!"

"I'm alright," she mumbled, looking at the foe in front of them. "More importantly, when is papa coming?"

Boruto felt an overwhelming surge of anger course through him. He glared at the boss with all of his small might and formed a Rasengan in his hands. "He'll be here soon."

Cackling at the exchange, the boss lifted up one of his hands. "Oh? So you think your papa can defeat me?"

"Sasuke-san is more than enough to defeat scum like you."

"Scum?!" The boss put a hand over his chest. "How offensive. Funny how you think that little tiny ball of chakra will do anything… But I suppose it has its uses."

Enraged, Boruto leapt at the figure. Taking off his hood to reveal a bald head with an evil smile, the figure waited until the last second. And just before the Rasengan made contact, he switched places with Sarada.

Boruto knew about the rinnegan's abilities to an extent. He had seen Sasuke use it a few times. So he also knew that switching places was a potential ploy the boss could use.

And so it was that he sent a shadow clone out in front of him and left his real body back with Sarada. And now, he could send the real Rasengan straight into the boss man's temple.

"Die."

One word of malice later, the Rasengan connected, leaving a nice circular shaped indentation in the side of the man's head. Boruto materialized four more shadow clones and made eye contact with Sarada. That was all she needed.

As the man restored his temple back to the way it was, black flames began to surround his cloak. He threw it onto the ground for fear they would reach his device and looked up. "Sasuke… You came after all."

But Sasuke didn't move. The imaginary flames continued to burn at his arms. The feeling of pain wasn't there, but luckily for Sarada's illusion, the boss had already rendered himself incapable of feeling pain. He began waving his arms about. "Impossible… I ridded myself of my cloak! They should have stayed there!"

Pulling out his laptop, he typed a few lines of text into the screen. But the imaginary black flames that surrounded his body did not disappear. "What kind of magic is this?!"

Just as Boruto was starting to think their plan was working, he heard a voice directly over his shoulder.

"Just kidding."

Body tensing, he barely had enough time to turn around before he found himself being impaled by something sharp.

"Boruto!"

His vision blurred, the pain in his abdomen hardly registering.

"Boruto!"

All he heard was Sarada's voice as his vision slowly faded to black.