Let's begin.

The mysterious Uchiha's words rang within Boruto's mind as he led Sasuke to where Boruto had first performed it-

The Rasengan.

It was almost early afternoon, and a calming breeze splashed across Boruto's stern face.

He pounced from tree to tree, conscious not to expend too much chakra.

I have no idea if I'll even be able to do it again.

Boruto inadvertently closed his eyes- a racing mind passing now to Mitsuki and Sarada.

I need to talk to both of them soon.

So much was happening.

Mr. Inuzuka.. the Chunin exams..

Himawari.

Boruto stomped upon the branch he leapt from, causing a loud crack to spread throughout an otherwise quiet forest.

Everything that's going on around me..

This is why I have to continue. This is why I have to become stronger, no matter what. This world.. something bad is coming. And I refuse to let whatever that is hurt the people I care about.

As Boruto opened his eyes, he saw that they were nearly upon his old training grounds.

He turned half way to regard the Uchiha, blue-silver eyes glaring from behind swaying black bangs.

"We're here, basically." Boruto turned back around, zipping from tree to soft, wavering grass.

Sasuke's shadow passed over Boruto-

The man landed a few meters away, back facing Boruto. His cape wavered softly in the wind.

"Based on what your Father told me.. it seems it's a rather fortunate day for you." Sasuke said quietly.

Boruto narrowed his eyes-

"The wind. But it's more than that, I think." Boruto stepped closer to Sasuke as the Uchiha moved to face him.

"You're right." Sasuke said with a slight nod.

Boruto opened his scarred hand, tracing the cut lines crossing a shaking palm-

That closed into a fist.

"Ion Release, Konohamaru called it." Boruto whispered.

Sasuke's eye widened in slight surprise, before he gave a dismissive sigh.

"According to Naruto, Konohamaru hadn't told you that part yet."

Boruto couldn't help but laugh.

"He probably.. didn't want to overwhelm me at first. But he ended up telling me a few days later."

Boruto looked away from Sasuke.

You realize what this is, don't you, Boruto? Ion Release.. That's a kekkei genkai. Konohamaru's voice faded from Boruto's thoughts as Sasuke spoke.

"Chakra control is one thing. But elemental chakra control is an innate skill. How did you visualize the jutsu?" The Uchiha asked.

Boruto shut bright eyes, picturing the Rasengan as memories made distant by near death surfaced.

"An.. equation, almost. A continuous loop of chakra fueled by its own rotation. I didn't really plan the rest." Boruto hadn't been conscious for it- but Konohamaru told him enough.

How his Rasengan was essentially incomplete- until it ionized the air around it, fueling his Rasengan with elemental energy and increasing its destructive force far beyond a normal variation of the same technique.

"I'm not surprised that your thought process led to such a complex jutsu. However, I'm sure you're aware of the risks." Sasuke spoke evenly, his dark gaze meeting Boruto.

"I am. That's why I sought you out." Boruto glared back.

Sasuke chuckled.

"Fair enough.. Boruto Uzumaki."

Sasuke then gave Boruto another nod, this one slower and more deliberate as he stepped back.

Boruto gingerly spread one leg ahead of his body, angling it in the Hyuga fashion while extending his right arm. He winced-

His muscles were still sore.

Focus.

Feel the spirit of the world around you, Boruto.

Hiashi's voice lurked underneath hidden arithmetic, Boruto once more constructing a hollow sphere of chakra that ran against itself.

Boruto gasped-

His chakra was burning.

Vision faded- but Boruto righted himself, biting down on his tongue to keep conscious. Blood crashed against the back of his gritted teeth-

once more, the wounds on his palm opened.

Despite the pain..

It was then Boruto saw it.

The vortex of elemental energy.. Air and lighting fusing into ion charged chakra that gathered whatever was around it-

And in turn completed his Rasengan.

The orb of chakra filled with a high pitched hiss- blue and yellow colors swirled within a chirping sphere that seemed to pulse between Boruto's bleeding fingers.

It was heavy-

Incredibly so.

Boruto pushed his legs into a strained run, thrusting the Rasengan into the nearest tree circling them.

Sound rang within his ears.

Then, his vision went black.

Boruto heard.. Voices. Multiple voices.. All speaking to him at once.

No.. that's not right.

It's.. only one.

Boruto's eyes opened.

I'm not in control of my actions.. Is it-

"..Ninurta. I wish.. I could be there for you. But this is the only way."

Boruto felt as if he was looking up at someone-

Until he realized he was.

Fear took over then-

The man looming over Boruto had cheek length white hair, with sharply cut bangs that fell above two Byakugan. His skin was a milk white, and six magatama symbols circled the man's lower neck and chest. He was dressed in white robes-

robes dirtied with blood.

"You will… save humanity, Ninurta. My treasured son."

Boruto then felt as if he was being carried. A baby's cry screamed within his consciousness-

Before he realized..

The cry was coming from...

Me..?

RUN, HUMAN! FLEE FAR FROM HERE!

The command shocked Boruto to the core. He jumped to his feet immediately, instant regret sending him back down to the grass as vision spun.

"You're awake sooner than I expected." Sasuke's voice echoed-

Boruto shook his head, tasting blood and breathing heavily.

He climbed to bent knees.

"It's a powerful technique, Boruto Uzumaki."

Boruto turned slightly to regard Sasuke, before following the direction of the Uchiha's pointed sword.

Boruto's eyes widened as he saw the full scope of his destruction. It was as if twelve ploughs had torn up a third of the surrounding wood.

The ground was upturned, pecked with the remnants of trees- of which only jagged trunks remained. The aftermath of Boruto's Rasengan seemed to spread for nearly 15 meters beyond.

He swallowed heavily.

I.. did that?

Boruto heard Sasuke give a curt, quiet laugh.

"It's a strange feeling isn't it. Power." Sasuke began walking away.

"Where are you going?!" Boruto said, uncharacteristically raising his voice as he scrambled into a run.

"You've proved you can perform it. In your state, there's nothing more we can do today." Sasuke replied without even stopping-

He didn't have to. Boruto fell once more, weakness forcing his body into an involuntary state of rest.

Boruto lifted himself from the ground-

Sasuke was gone.

He wanted to pursue him, but Sasuke was right. He couldn't even walk home now if he wanted to.

Boruto sighed, limping to a surviving tree before crumbling alongside it.

He closed his eyes-

Wait-

Boruto's senses flared-

He reflexively caught a water flask that fell from a belt of leaves above. Boruto glared at nothing, before taking grateful, quiet sips.

THE MAN- no.

Yoshika swallowed, sweat dripping from a tanned brow.

I can't even call this thing human.

The entity let a short breath pass between chapped lips, cruel amusement rolling off of his bare and muscled chest. Stolen organs squirmed underneath pallid skin-

Skin pockmarked by multiple Sharingan.

It wore shaggy black slacks while its feet were bare, bleeding, and cut open from the earth. Bits of stray and graying blonde locks fell from between vengeful eyes disfiguring the entity's scalp.

Its pink and fleshy mouth contorted into a snarled grin.

"There were more.. more of you.." The entity spoke.

Yoshika's senses blared in alarm-

This.. must be the one who's Kage level!

Dozens of Sharingan on the entity's body erratically flexed disjointed gazes across Yoshika and Han's clearing-

"Yes.. three here. One back in the ruined city. Three…South." It straightened.

Yoshika bore a hopeless smile.

This strength.. I'm going to die here.

"Relax, Yoshika." Jeishi said, bearing his characteristic smile.

Yoshika inhaled sharply at the sound of Jeishi's voice.

"I..I forgot you were there." Yoshika spoke as brown eyes fled past Jeishi and back at the Sharingan creature-

it began pacing.

Then, it spoke once more.

"An impossible task.. requires impossible will. Impossible will.. requires cruelty.. the amount of families..people.. children.. I've.." It stopped moving then.

The entity..began to sob.

"… Peace.. relies upon the burdened! The scorned. Depends on that.. of the Uchiha. It is for that reason I was given the gift of creation. By way.. of my divine eye.."

Jeishi fully turned to give both Yoshika and Han a somewhat sinister smile.

"Be sure not to die. This one… is actually quite strong."

Han's head shifted.

"I can sense the other two now as well." He said softly.

Yoshika felt a strike of fear leap up into his throat.

That's great, Han! I can't sense them! They're somewhere close? I can't even se-

Jeishi laughed.

"Have faith in my abilities, Yoshika." Jeishi spoke coolly-

Before walking forward with deliberate slowness. The Uzumaki's strange robes fluttered in the wind with an ethereal grace, giving him the appearance of some prophet from a bygone era.

The Sharingan creature stopped crying.

"You.. you seem to mock..not only humility..but..divinity.." The entity said.

Then, silence lurked between the precious moments preceding violence.

Within the seconds of a snap, the Entity's face flew into a horrifying, demonic visage- chakra exuding from it in invisible waves that could be felt across Yoshika's skin.

Despite this-

Jeishi sat.

He raised one arm above his head, while placing the other over his heart.

"Uzumaki Fuinjutsu:.. Duhkha." Jeishi whispered.

In the very next second, a thick spear of wood appeared within Jeishi's neck.

Jeishi fell over, blood pouring from his inexplicable wound.

"Jeishi!" Yoshika screamed. He began to-

"STOP!" Han yelled. Yoshika's wide eyes flew to the silver haired man.

"A screaming reprisal stung Yoshika's ears.

"You will be a vehicle of Uchiha will! My Will! The will of a reluctant..sorrowful GOD!"

The Sharingan creature was a mirage of speed. It rushed forward, bellowing- dust chasing behind a manic sprint as it bounded for Jeishi.

"We can't just-!" Yoshika's voice bled with fear.

Han's speech grew more stern. Cautiously approaching Yoshika, he continued to warn the younger rogue nin.

"There are some things that cannot be explained. You simply have to trust in the sacred art, and behold of its works." Han's voice grew louder over the sound of the Sharingan creature's laughter.

It beat Jeishi- Pummeling the Uzumaki while its muscles grew to inhuman limits- then beyond it.

Its sharingan seemed to spin-

Then, the dojutsu began forming into a completely different design- one of a black sun, with three spears pointing from it. The chakra around the Entity..grew thicker, crueler. More calculated- and eager to kill.

"It's ironic that it speaks of divinity," Han whispered.

Yoshika's throat closed-

Jeishi was thrown into the air-

Four bullets of flesh and bone shot from the Entity's body.

They punctured through as Jeishi's limp body fell, vanishing just as they cut past his robes-

The bullets reappeared directly within Jeishi's exposed chest. The sage fell to the ground like a felled hawk, his dressings splaying out from his body as if wings.

The ground below Jeishi pulsed, strange fuinjutsu markings writing themselves with the strange Uzumaki's spilled blood.

Jeishi's symbols glowed as light began to separate from the air, and onto the seal that now crawled onto Jeishi's skin.

"It is about to witness the one true expression of it." Han finished.

"So.. are you blessed as well? A false god, sent to test my resolve?" The entity cocked its head, new Sharingan bulging from every inch of its skin with bloody pops.

Yoshika's ears twitched at the sound of Jeishi's rasping hiss. Despite the quietness of it, it was as if the Sage was screaming.

Jeishi was still lying on his stomach, blood pooling from numerous wounds. His skin was pale, sickly. Black hair stuck to a sweat covered forehead. Jeishi slowly pulled himself upwards, staring ahead with haunting blue eyes as a trail of blood left smiling lips.

He then pressed his head down to the ground.

"Uzumaki fuinjutsu: Noble Truth.. Nirodha."

Disembodied screams filled the air.

Before chakra welled around Jeishi in such degrees it was fully visible to the naked eye.

"Watch carefully, Yoshika." Han's voice wavered with awe.

"You will soon understand just why Uzushiogakure deserved its fate."

NEXT TIME: SARADA, ITACHI! THEN, MARCH OF THE STATE SHINOBI!