Makoto looked at Sasuke and Naruto. "So this is the welcome ceremony you arranged for me? Not bad. Being able to see what my students look like as adults ahead of time... I have to admit, that's pretty amazing."
Boruto excitedly said, "Makoto-sensei, this was Uncle Shikamaru's idea."
"Is that so? That was thoughtful of him. I hope the Shikamaru in my world grows up to become someone as loyal, wise, and dependable as you."
Shikamaru shrugged. "Well, as long as he doesn't grow up crooked, he probably won't disappoint you, Makoto-senpai."
"Don't worry. If he does grow up crooked, I'll beat him to death."
Shikamaru: "..."
He began silently praying for his counterpart in the other world, hoping his way of thinking wouldn't go astray.
Makoto then turned toward a certain medic whose temperament was slightly different from the Tsunade of his own world.
"Tsunade-sensei, no matter which world you're in, you're just as young and beautiful."
Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest.
"Oh? I didn't expect the me from another world to have that kind of relationship with you. Looks like you've had quite a few sensei."
"Not really. You taught me the techniques behind Monster Strength and indirectly taught me medical ninjutsu. Minato-senpai taught me the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Kushina-sensei taught me Fūinjutsu.
"And then there was my jōnin team leader, Gekkō Kumomi-sensei. When I first became a ninja, he taught me many important lessons about missions. By the way, is Kumomi-sensei doing well in this world?"
Tsunade searched through the records she'd read during her time as Hokage.
"As far as I know, he died during the Third Shinobi World War."
"Is that so? That's a real shame."
"There's nothing tragic about it. That's the fate of a ninja. If anything, I'm jealous of my counterpart in the other world. She got a disciple as outstanding as you."
"You don't need to envy her. In my world, I rarely call her Tsunade-sensei."
"Why's that?"
"Because when I was a kid, I glanced at a certain prominent part of her body once. Ever since then, she's kept calling me brat. Even now that I'm grown up, she still calls me brat. It's infuriating."
Tsunade instantly understood and burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! That's exactly what I'd expect from me in a parallel world. Brat, you brought that on yourself."
Makoto: "..."
Both Tsunades were gamblers cut from the same cloth.
At that moment, Tenten asked, "Makoto-senpai, in that world, am I really your disciple?"
Makoto nodded.
"Yes. The only disciple who formally performed a sensei-disciple ceremony. I've been teaching her since she was four years old. Even though she's only thirteen now, she's already far stronger than you. So, Tenten, work hard on your training. Stop rotting away in that shop all day."
"I will, Makoto-senpai."
...
These people were familiar to Makoto.
But to Makoto, they were complete strangers.
Aside from Orochimaru and Tsunade, who chatted a little more with him for various reasons, everyone else wasn't particularly curious about what their counterparts in another world were like.
Beyond satisfying a bit of curiosity, it had no practical value.
Life would continue as it always had. Even if their counterparts in a parallel world died, it wouldn't affect this one.
Besides, if they ever wanted to know later, they could just ask Boruto or Sasuke.
Right now, something far more important stood before them.
They were about to witness the spread of an entirely new Senjutsu system in this world.
For them—and for Konoha—that was what truly mattered.
"So this is the place you've chosen?" Makoto asked.
Naruto nodded.
"That's right, Makoto-niisan. This location is roughly at the geographical center of old Konoha. It's also directly beneath the center point of the barrier."
Makoto already knew that.
The Hokage Building and the bustling district around it were only Konoha's political and commercial center. Geographically speaking, they sat closer to the village's edge, beneath the Hokage Rock at the back mountain.
The true center of old Konoha—the center of the area protected by the barrier and surrounding walls—was this training ground.
In Makoto's world, this very training ground had been where he trained since childhood.
It was quite a coincidence.
"Then I'll begin."
As soon as he finished speaking, Makoto slapped his palms together and activated his famous Whatever-I-Call-For-Appears Technique.
Combined Ninjutsu: Dojo Construction!
In an instant, the empty ground beneath everyone's feet transformed without a sound.
The patchy grassland vanished, replaced by a broad plaza paved with thick stone tiles laid in neat, orderly rows.
The plaza was slightly elevated compared to the surrounding terrain, yet no one sensed even the slightest chakra fluctuation.
It was a display of Earth Release mastery so profound that ordinary shinobi could no longer comprehend it.
Perhaps it couldn't even be considered Earth Release anymore.
It was something on an entirely higher level.
Beside the plaza, a two-story wooden courtyard complex formed through Wood Release rose rapidly from the ground amid a rumbling roar.
The surrounding forest changed as well.
Eight enormous trees grew upward, positioned in the eight cardinal directions, forming an Eight Trigrams Protective Barrier.
Other than being slightly smaller in area, the entire place was virtually identical to the dojo in Makoto's world.
Back when he had built the original dojo, he had done it in several separate stages.
Now, however, he had fused those casually named construction techniques together and completed everything in a single step.
The only ones who didn't notice were the rookie genin. Everyone else was skilled enough to immediately realize that the area had already been enveloped by an extremely sophisticated genjutsu barrier.
Sarada exclaimed, "Amazing!"
Boruto puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course! In his own world, Makoto-sensei is the strongest person alive. He's recognized by every ninja village in the shinobi world as the second God of Shinobi."
"The God of Shinobi, huh?"
Tsunade felt that, in that parallel world's Konoha, her grandfather's ninjutsu and title truly had a worthy successor.
And not just a successor—a strengthened PLUS version.
After completing that step, Makoto explained, "From now on, the converted secondary white natural energy will first fill this dojo before gradually dispersing into the rest of Konoha."
Boruto grinned.
"I can finally continue my training!"
Sasuke asked, "And then? Will it change the natural energy distribution throughout the entire shinobi world?"
"It won't," Makoto replied. "That would only be possible if my true body were physically present in this world. So only Konoha will become a Sage Region for human natural energy training."
"Good. That's more than enough."
In truth, Sasuke only cared about Konoha. He couldn't care less about the other villages.
Unlike Naruto, who wore a disappointed expression, as though Konoha had secretly enrolled in extra tutoring classes and improved its grades, leaving him feeling somewhat guilty toward his friends in the other villages.
Makoto continued, "To keep the natural energy concentrated within Konoha, I need to modify the current barrier structure. That requires the approval of the current Hokage. So, Naruto, what's your decision?"
Naruto didn't hesitate.
"You have my permission, Makoto-niisan. Go ahead and do it."
Makoto raised his right hand high into the air.
A pillar of chakra shot from his palm, filled with countless runes drifting and circling within it like a dense school of fish swimming through a river.
The moment they touched Konoha's barrier, the entire barrier became visible, forming a vast dome of pale light over Konoha. It glowed softly beneath the moon, giving the village an almost dreamlike, mysterious appearance.
Under Makoto's control, the runes moved like soldiers within an army formation.
Each took its designated position, embedding itself into a critical node of the barrier and altering its original functions.
The modifications were completed quickly.
The barrier's glow faded away and once again became invisible.
Makoto said, "The barrier can now do more than just contain secondary white natural energy. It can also interfere with space-time ninjutsu. If you want the details, check the Barrier Team's control room."
"Now there's only one final step left. Once I complete it, this special clone of mine will disappear."
"So... farewell, my friends from this parallel world."
Boruto looked reluctant to part with him.
"Makoto-sensei, can't the clone stay a little longer?"
Makoto smiled.
"Just as you didn't stay long in my world, this isn't my world either. Seeing it once is enough. Staying a few extra days wouldn't mean much."
"Besides, you know that the Wood Release used to convert energy is fundamentally different from ordinary Wood Release. Fulfilling that role is the purpose of this special clone."
"Alright..." Boruto sighed. "I'll miss you, Makoto-sensei."
Still smiling, Makoto pressed his palms together once more.
A vibrant green sapling burst from the ground in the center of the courtyard.
It grew rapidly in the wind, becoming taller and taller until it finally transformed into a towering giant tree.
Its canopy spread wide, majestic and awe-inspiring.
Throughout the process, Makoto's clone gradually faded, becoming nearly transparent.
"Sasuke, I've already taught you and Boruto the methods and stages of natural energy training within the True Sage system. How it develops from here is up to you."
"Thank you, Makoto-senpai," Sasuke replied. "I'll make sure it flourishes in this world."
"I believe you're capable of that. Then, everyone... until we meet again."
After speaking those final words, Makoto's clone dissolved before everyone's eyes into countless points of light.
Like a river of stars flowing into the sea, every particle merged into the giant tree standing within the courtyard.
At that same moment, in the instant the clone vanished, Makoto's true body—who had been waiting within the dojo of his own world—received the stream of information transmitted back to him.
"Chakra really is remarkable. No wonder it's the fundamental power of the shinobi world. Even with an entire world separating them, the original body and its clone can still exchange information instantaneously."
Honoka, who had been standing beside him, asked, "Now that the clone has dispersed, did your plan succeed?"
"Of course. The clone's consciousness has returned, but the chakra that serves as the source of life is still there. It has simply become a tree and taken on a different form of existence."
"It's like a signal beacon. Even without relying on Karasuki, I can now clearly sense the existence of that other world."
Yūgao's eyes lit up.
"That's wonderful! Maybe we'll be able to travel to parallel worlds someday. By the way, Makoto, did you go find the other me while you were there?"
Makoto blinked.
"Why would I? She may look exactly like you, but she isn't you. Her life experiences are completely different. What, did you actually want me to go see her?"
Yūgao thought about it for a moment.
"On second thought, forget it. Having us is enough for you. Don't even think about chasing other women. Not even another version of me."
Makoto laughed.
"Look at you, getting jealous of yourself."
"No," Yūgao replied seriously. "That isn't me. Just like you said, different life experiences make us completely different people, even if we share the same face."