I, Naruto Uzumaki, don't need your approval.

Sasuke didn't quite understand his mother's meaning, but Mikoto explained with a light laugh, "Because neither I nor my clan have any intention of changing the status quo, and Sasuke, you've never been as good as Naruto since you were little, so it's probably unlikely that you'll catch up in the future."

Mikoto Uchiha's words were somewhat hurtful, but they also successfully eased the previously tense atmosphere considerably.

After talking about Sasuke, Mikoto looked at her eldest son, Uchiha Itachi, and said in a deep voice, "And what about you... what are your plans for the future?"

Uchiha Itachi's expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile, saying, "Whatever, I don't care."

Hearing Itachi's dismissive tone, Mikoto's face darkened. Itachi seemed not to have realized his mistake. If this continued, it would be difficult for him to survive the upcoming clan meeting.

Mikoto hoped that her eldest son could live; living in humiliation was better than dying.

With a soft sigh, Mikoto went to the kitchen to cook, while Sasuke followed to help... He wanted to enjoy the warmth of family a little longer.

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was dusk.

Shisui arrived at Mikoto's house with news of a clan meeting. He looked at Sasuke and Itachi with a complicated expression and slowly said, "In half an hour, the clan will hold an internal meeting. The topic of this meeting is how to deal with Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi nodded slightly, and then left the house under Sasuke's guidance.

Not long after, Shisui, Sasuke, and Itachi arrived at a conference room. From the moment the three of them stepped into the conference room, pairs of angry gazes fell on Uchiha Itachi.

Itachi was a genius of the Uchiha clan, and the most likely ninja in the clan to become Hokage in the future.

However, Itachi Uchiha, on whom his clan placed their hopes, became a traitor to his clan after joining Danzo's Root organization. When conflict broke out between his clan and Konoha, he resolutely chose Konoha and turned his sword against his clan.

Six or seven years later, the remaining Uchiha clan members have long since recounted the events of that Uchiha Night.

Given the mindset of the Uchiha radicals at the time, the chances of the coup failing were extremely high, and it was understandable that they were ostracized by Konoha and the villagers. However, they had already planned to leave Konoha, but Uchiha Itachi still wielded the sword.

At this moment, someone finally couldn't help but stand up and say, "Itachi, why did you attack your clansmen in the first place? You should know that apart from the Jonin in the security force, no one else poses any threat."

Uchiha Itachi fell into deep thought, then said, "Because of hatred, if I had held back back then, the conflict between the clan and Konoha would still exist, and new conflicts would still erupt many years later?"

"So, you'd rather kill your own people than abandon the elderly, weak, women, and children within your tribe?"

Itachi Uchiha nodded again. This was indeed his thought at the time, and his admission caused the emotions of the Uchiha present to completely explode.

“Kill this traitor, or we will be letting down the people of our fallen clan.”

“Killing him alone is not enough to vent our anger. Lord Ashina needs test subjects. Why not let Itachi Uchiha serve as a test subject and let him experience the despair my child felt back then?”

"Isn't this going too far? Lord Menma probably won't agree to it; it violates the law."

"If I could punish this traitor, I would rather be punished. At worst, I'd be sent to guard a remote area for ten years."

As his clansmen recounted Itachi Uchiha's crimes, Sasuke stood there clenching his fists, his body trembling slightly, unsure whether it was from excitement or anger.

At this moment, Shisui, the head of the Uchiha clan, stepped forward and looked at the crowd, saying, "Do you intend to let Sasuke, who has just returned to the clan, make a fool of himself in front of everyone?"

"Although Lord Menma said that Itachi Uchiha should be handed over to the Uchiha clan for disposal."

"But we must follow the village laws; nothing can be done outside the rules..."

Upon hearing this, the other Uchiha looked at Sasuke beside them and suddenly remembered that Sasuke was still there. Sasuke was able to defeat Itachi Uchiha, who had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, so he himself might have also awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan.

If he were to fuse with Itachi Uchiha's eyes, he might become the strongest member of his clan in the future.

In this case, dealing with Itachi Uchiha can't be left to their own devices, but if we don't deal with him, they'll feel frustrated and uncomfortable.

After a pause, Uchiha Shisui continued, "Before punishing Itachi, we must make him realize his mistakes. After this meeting, I will keep Itachi in the clan's shrine and use the genjutsu Izanami to control him."

"If Itachi cannot admit his mistakes, he will be trapped in the Izanami loop forever."

Before he could finish speaking, Uchiha Shisui grabbed Uchiha Itachi and used his chakra to cast the Izanami Technique, trapping Itachi in a recurring illusion.

Chapter 286 The Lunar Lineage Attacks

"Was the punishment Itachi Uchiha received Izanami?"

Naruto, sitting in his office, listened to Shisui's report with a strange expression on his face.

Shisui thought Naruto was dissatisfied and asked in confusion, "Lord Menma, this is only the first punishment. We must first make Itachi realize his mistakes before we can reform him through further education."

“You mean to say that the lightest punishment for a heinous criminal is to execute him? The only way to atone for his sins is to use the Impure World Reincarnation technique to annihilate his soul.”

“You’re right…” Naruto’s expression returned to normal as he continued listening to Shisui’s report.

He found it strange because Itachi Uchiha had been subjected to the Izanami Technique. In the timeline where Naruto was, Izanami was Itachi's weapon against Kabuto Yakushi, the Sage. He never expected that Itachi would also be affected by this ninjutsu.

It's unclear when Itachi Uchiha will wake up; what if he gets trapped in the loop and starves to death?

Shisui's treatment this time may seem lenient, but it is the greatest torment for Itachi Uchiha. After all, given Itachi's ability to withstand pressure, the cycle of torment will last for a very long time, and he may spend his entire life in the cycle.

After listening to Shisui's report, Naruto met with Himon, Nagato, and the others.

Although he was a hands-off ruler, he was still the monarch of three kingdoms, with thousands or even millions of people under his command who needed to be supported.

Meeting Nagato was even simpler. He planned to build a rapid reaction force to deal with the threats posed by Madara Uchiha and the subsequent Otsutsuki clan. The members of the reaction force needed to be at least elite Jonin level, otherwise they would just be cannon fodder.

After meeting with Himon and Nagato respectively, Naruto returned to the Uzumaki Shrine halfway up the mountain.

After entering the laboratory inside the Uzumaki Shrine, Naruto went to the deepest room, opened the box containing the Dragon Vein Core, and chakra instantly filled the entire room.

Just as he had guessed, the core of the dragon vein and the core inside the little turtle's body were almost identical.

The only difference is that the core of the dragon vein contains more power and has a subtle connection with the earth beneath its feet. Only through its connection with the entire planet can the dragon vein and the little turtle have the ability to travel through time and space.

It would be a waste to use such a powerful force capable of traversing time and space merely for producing and manufacturing puppets.

After a moment's thought, Naruto, based on Urashiki's memories, took out the tools used to create the little turtle 'Plow', intending to replicate this Otsutsuki Treasure and travel to the timeline where the older Naruto resided.

Soon, Naruto created the shell of the little turtle, intending to stuff the Dragon Vein Core directly inside.

However, the creation of the little turtle failed. Although the failed little turtle could manipulate time and space, it could not be used for stable travel. If it got lost in the river of time, the consequences would be very serious.

Urashiki Otsutsuki is the best example. Despite having the same bloodline limit as Kaguya, he died at the hands of the Rasengan.

After several attempts, Naruto gave up after the last failure. He could feel the instability of the surrounding spacetime and had to stop trying, otherwise he might be caught in the spacetime turbulence.

What exactly caused the failure?

Naruto sat on the stool and began to think about the plot of the original work, as well as the memories left behind by Urashiki Otsutsuki.

In Boruto, all the ninjas who use the plow share a common characteristic: they are all members of the Otsutsuki clan. Whether it's Urashiki, the original Otsutsuki, or Boruto, who has a Karma seal, they are all members of the Otsutsuki clan.

Could it be that the time-manipulating artifact he created did not fail, but was simply unusable because he was not an Otsutsuki?

Thinking of this, Naruto's lips twitched slightly. In such a short time, where could he find a pure-blooded Otsutsuki? Even if he found Otsutsuki Isshiki, he might not be able to defeat him.

At that moment, Naruto suddenly saw the bright moon in the sky, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

The ninja world isn't without harmless Otsutsuki. The moon is inhabited by Hamura's descendants. Those Otsutsuki descendants are different from the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga on Earth; their bloodline is extremely similar to that of the orthodox Otsutsuki.

However, there were consequences. Long-term intermarriage within the clan and infighting between the main family and branch families left very few people alive.

But how to get to the moon is a problem he has to face. He doesn't know the exact location of the Earth-Moon passage, nor does he know how to persuade those stubborn Moon Otsutsuki.

Just then, Naruto seemed to sense something and stared intently at the moon.

The moon seems a bit larger these past few days than it has been a few days ago. This is not good news; it means that the Otsutsuki on the moon is making a move and may be monitoring the ninja world right now.

Somewhat distracted, Naruto used the Flying Thunder God Technique to send a message towards Konoha.

Half an hour, then an hour passed, and Naruto still hadn't received a reply. Instead, his shadow clone, who remained in Konoha, brought back an extremely important message.

The Hyuga clan was attacked.

After processing the news, Naruto's expression turned extremely grim. He left his shadow clones to handle the situation, then activated Sage Mode and sped towards Konoha.

……

Meanwhile, inside Konoha Village.

Jiraiya and Tsunade arrived at the Hyuga clan's territory, which had been attacked. Upon seeing the destroyed houses, they both frowned.

Although the Hyuga clan usually flirts with Uzushio Village, they are, after all, a ninja clan of Konoha.

As high-ranking members of Konoha, they could not stand idly by and had to deal with the invading enemy.

Not long after, Jiraiya and Tsunade discovered the heavily wounded Hyuga guards. Upon seeing Jiraiya, they anxiously said, "Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade, the clan head and Lady Hinata are fighting the invaders... the invaders are..."

At this point, Hyuga hesitated, unsure how to bring himself to say it.

Tsunade, knowing that the Hyuga guards were too badly injured, summoned a small slug and followed Jiraiya toward the main family mansion. Soon they saw Hinata and Hiashi, who were facing off against a serious-looking enemy.

Hiashi Hyuga's strength is as strong as ever; his Bagua Palm strikes are powerful and his Rejuvenation Technique is perfectly executed.

Hinata, on the other hand, was much more fierce. With the Shikotsumyaku (Corpse Bone Pulse) growing from her arm, she resembled a maddened little beast, incredibly sharp and fierce.

Upon seeing the enemy's appearance and eyes, both Jiraiya and Tsunade were stunned.

The enemies who attacked the Hyuga residence also possessed Byakugan, but unlike the Hyuga of Konoha, these Byakugan ninjas were more powerful and could even levitate in mid-air.

"What's going on? Has there been a traitor in your Hyuga clan?"

Hiashi Hyuga shook his head, then smiled wryly and said, "I don't know them, but they're here for the Hyuga. Fifth Hokage and Lady Tsunade, you'd better not get involved. The Hyuga doesn't want to cause trouble for the village."

Jiraiya and Tsunade frowned and stood in front of Hiashi and Hinata, saying, "That's not up to you."

Chapter 287 The Caged Bird is Hyuga's Shackles

Traveling at full speed, Naruto arrived at Konoha, two thousand kilometers away, in just half a day.

The Konoha Anbu, who were under martial law nearby, noticed Naruto's figure and came over to say, "Lord Naruto, you've finally arrived. The Fifth Hokage and Lady Tsunade specifically instructed us to invite you to the Hokage Building for a meeting."

Naruto nodded and, led by the Konoha Anbu, arrived at the Hokage Building.

In the Hokage's office, Naruto saw Jiraiya and Tsunade looking defeated. Judging from their complexions, they seemed to have just gone through a major battle.

Seeing this, Naruto frowned and asked, "Where are the attackers now?"

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya said with a grave expression, "The attackers possessed strength comparable to the Five Kage. With them focused solely on escaping, Tsunade and I had no way to stop them. The Hyuga clan also didn't provide much information..."

After saying that, Jiraiya sighed softly.

After Naruto developed the concept of "Super Kage," he realized that his strength was at most that of an ordinary Kage, far inferior to the strongest Super Kage in the ninja world. However, apart from the deceased Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, there were other ninjas with Super Kage strength.

Only Naruto and Nagato remain alive in the ninja world, and he and Tsunade are still among the strongest ninjas in the world.

However, even with Jiraiya and Tsunade working together, they were still unable to defeat the group of Byakugan ninjas, which made Jiraiya somewhat doubt his own strength and whether he was already outdated.

Naruto saw through Jiraiya's thoughts and said with a smile, "They're not ordinary ninjas..."

After a pause, Naruto explained under Jiraiya's puzzled gaze, "Those attackers with Byakugan are from another Hyuga clan that operates outside the ninja world system. The strongest among them possesses the strength of a Kage and could even destroy the ninja world."