Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

"You're awake! That's great!"

Boruto, who had been sitting anxiously by Naruto's bedside, finally breathed a sigh of relief as his father opened his eyes.

Naruto, still groggy, glanced around the room. "Is this… Konoha?"

Hinata, seated next to him, gently supported his chest. "Yes, we're back. How are you feeling? Is anything hurting?"

Naruto paused for a moment, scanning his body with his senses. "I feel fine," he replied with a smile. "No pain, just a bit of confusion in my head."

"Thank goodness…" Hinata whispered, relief washing over her.

"I'll let Kawaki and the others know!" Boruto said, practically leaping from his seat and dashing for the door.

"Boruto! Don't run in the hospital!" Hinata called after him, shaking her head with a mixture of affection and exasperation.

Watching Boruto leave, Naruto asked softly, "Who saved me?"

"Boruto and the others," Hinata replied. "They even found a helper to make it possible…"

"A helper?" Naruto furrowed his brow, trying to recall anyone Boruto might know with such power, but his memory came up blank.

"Yes, but I don't know all the details. Shikamaru and the others will explain it to you later," Hinata reassured him.

Naruto's face grew serious. "And Sasuke? How is he?"

"He was badly hurt, but he's recovering now."

Naruto exhaled in relief. "That's good… as long as he's okay."

Ignoring Hinata's protests, Naruto swung his legs off the bed, preparing to stand.

"Wait, Naruto! You're still recovering—you shouldn't move yet!" Hinata and Himawari rushed to his side, trying to stop him.

But Naruto just smiled. "I'm fine, really. Honestly, I feel like I've slept for ten days straight!"

Stretching his arms, he added, "Kurama's resilience is incredible—I didn't think I'd recover this quickly!"

Meanwhile, Boruto searched for Kawaki.

"Where is that guy?" Boruto muttered, frustrated. Of all times, when Dad's finally awake…

As he passed a laboratory, he heard a familiar voice.

"…Medical ninjutsu typically uses chakra to stimulate cell regeneration—this is the most basic application of Yang Release. But the limits of ordinary techniques stop at cellular healing," Kirito was saying.

Curious, Boruto opened the door slightly and peeked inside. He saw Kirito standing before a group of onlookers, including Sakura, Sarada, Kawaki, Mitsuki, and several medical ninjas. Kirito held a live fish in his hands as he continued explaining.

"For example, medical ninjutsu can heal injuries but cannot regenerate lost limbs."

He demonstrated by slicing off the fish's tail with a single motion. The wound healed into a smooth stump, but the tail didn't grow back.

"However, with the true power of Yang Release…" Kirito placed his hand over the stump, channeling chakra into the wound.

To everyone's amazement, the fish's tail began to regenerate, growing back completely in mere moments. Kirito tossed the fish into a nearby tank, where it swam in circles, seemingly unbothered.

"That's incredible," Sarada whispered, her eyes wide.

The medical ninjas around her murmured in disbelief. "How is that even possible? The differentiation of cells should be fixed. Regeneration of this level defies everything we know…"

Sakura, however, remained composed. She had witnessed similar feats before, like when Naruto restored Kakashi's eye during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Turning to Kirito, Sakura asked, "You said this ability can be taught. How can someone master it?"

Kirito nodded. "It requires immense natural chakra reserves, an 'Sage body' capable of extreme resilience, and mastery of Yang-based ninjutsu. Only those with such talents can even begin to learn it."

Hearing this, Sakura immediately thought of Naruto. But as she considered his… less-than-stellar learning ability, she sighed in resignation.

Seemingly reading her thoughts, Kirito added, "I'll leave you with the training methods and techniques. If you find someone qualified in the future, they can give it a try."

"Thank you," Sakura said sincerely.

"Tsunade worked on this research in my world," Kirito said with a small smile. "I think she'd be glad to see it passed on."

As the group marveled at the display, Mitsuki noticed Boruto at the door. "Boruto? Is something wrong with the Seventh?"

Boruto blinked, then smiled. "No, Dad's awake!"

"What?! The Seventh's awake?!" Kawaki bolted for the door without hesitation, followed closely by Sarada and Mitsuki.

Later, in Naruto's ward.

By the time Kirito entered, the room was filled with familiar faces: Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Sai, and others. The chatter quieted as all eyes turned to Kirito.

"Kirito, you're here!" Boruto greeted him enthusiastically.

Kirito walked to Naruto's bedside, his expression calm. "How are you feeling? Any discomfort?"

Naruto smiled. "I feel great—thanks to you. Shikamaru and Sasuke told me everything. You've done a lot for us. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kirito replied. "Boruto is my friend, and in a way, you're my friend too."

Naruto chuckled. "It'd be nice if all Otsutsuki were as friendly as you."

"Don't confuse me with the others," Kirito warned. "And don't let your guard down against them, either."

"I understand. Still, you've earned our gratitude. What do you plan to do next?"

Kirito shrugged. "That depends. If you need my help, I'll stay. Otherwise, I'll head back—I don't think everyone here trusts me yet."

Naruto thought for a moment. "We may need your help again. For now, why don't you stay in Konoha? You can stay at my house."

"Wait, Naruto!" Shikamaru interrupted. "Are you sure about this?"

Naruto nodded. "He's Boruto's friend, and he's proven himself. It's my responsibility to welcome him as a host. Besides," he added with a grin, "if he wanted to harm us, he could've done so already."

Shikamaru sighed but didn't argue further.

And so, it was decided.

(End of this chapter)