Teams

A few days have passed since the Graduation ceremony. Boruto is in his class at the Academy, seated in the front with Wasabi at his side. They both were now wearing the leaf ninja headband on their forehead.

He have known his classmates for a few years now. Some have purposely kept their distance from Boruto, but there were also a few that caught his attention.

The Academy teacher was now announcing the squads for this class, as well as the Jōnin that will be assigned to them. The class became silent as the names began being read out.

"Team 10, will consist of Inojin, Shikadai, and Chōchō. We will be expecting a squad that can surpass your predecessors. The Jōnin in charge will be Kurenai Yūhi, a genjutsu expert who can help improve your coordination and individual talents."

The three of them, who were already seated next to each other, didn't look at all surprised as they gave each other a fist bump.

"Team 8, will consist of Denki, Lee, and Hako. Hopefully you can work together to bring out each other's brain, brawn, and dexterity. The Jōnin in charge will be Rock Lee, a man of overwhelming physical prowess who won't find a problem in keeping up with you three."

These three were seated all the way at the back separated from one another as they quickly glanced at each other. They were the quiet ones of the class, and each focused on relatively specific skillsets that were different from most.

"Team 7, will consist of Sarada, Sumire, and Namida. Each of you have a hidden potential that is yet to be awakened. The Jōnin in charge will be Konohamaru Sarutobi, a hardworking prodigy since young who will give you three the push needed to reach the next level."

Sumire and Namida gave each other high fives, the two being quite close already. Meanwhile, Sarada was having the biggest smile on her face as she tries to hide it from the class. Team 7, the Hokage's squad when he was younger, was the one she hoped to be in for a long time.

"Team 11, will consist of Boruto, Wasabi, and Iwabee. With contrasting views and nature from each other, we hope you can learn from one another. The Jōnin in charge will be Kakashi Hatake, one of the top experts in the field. Ahem, good luck..."

Wasabi was overjoyed as she lunged at Boruto giving him a hug. Meanwhile, he was feeling slightly annoyed. 'Contrasting views and nature? As if… The real reason was probably to push anyone they found troublesome, to me…' Boruto thought in his head as he sighed loudly.

"This Iwabee guy… Looks like he's absent again." Boruto whispers to Wasabi.

"Hmm yeah, I've honestly rarely see him in class. Already forgot what he looks like." Wasabi whispers back.

The class went on for a few more hours of explaining and announcements, until it ended and everyone left. As usual, Boruto and Wasabi were walking home, the latter excitedly talking about being in the same squad.

After Wasabi had gone her own direction, Boruto was walking home alone when he noticed a face that seemed familiar. It was a boy of tall, muscular frame, brown skin, and had his long hair kept up in his red puffy rag. It took a minute, but he realized that it was Iwabee Yuino.

For whatever reason, Boruto decided to hide himself in a corner. 'What am I doing…?' he thought. Fortunately, Iwabee did not notice him. Not because he wasn't attentive, but because he seemed to be caught up in an argument with two other individuals.

It was on the front porch of a house, where a man and woman, who had similar facial features to Iwabee, were yelling angrily at him. Boruto quickly deduced that they were his parents.

What they were saying couldn't be heard from where he was hiding, but he could see that Iwabee wasn't arguing back at them. He was only turning his head away, not looking at them in the eyes, and had the body mannerisms which appeared as if he was rejecting them.

It soon got physical, as the father aggressively grabbed Iwabee's arm and started pulling on it hard, as if he wanted him to come into the house. Meanwhile, Iwabee was trying his best to resist until the mother slapped him in the face, leaving a red imprint. That's when he started giving in, and let himself be pulled into the house. But before so, Boruto suddenly intervened.

"Hey excuse me!" he ran to them and yelled out calmly.

The moment they noticed him, the parent's demeanor instantly shifted into a more friendly manner as if nothing was even going on beforehand.

"Oh my! Lord Hokage's son! What might you be doing here?" the mother spoke out, forging a wide smile without any trouble.

The mother's face now looked completely innocent, while the father was trying his best to hide his anger with a smile of his own. Iwabee was looking away, not wanting any eye contact, and barely had any response to their shift in character as if he had seen it time and time before.

"Well I noticed that Iwabee wasn't at the Academy today. I just wanted to inform him that he's in Team 11. The squad meeting should be tomorrow at 10am." Boruto spoke smoothly, pretending he didn't see their earlier dispute.

"Thank you very much young lord!" The father spoke out before forcefully grabbing Iwabee's head and pushing it downwards. "Bow your head Gizō! Tell him you're sorry for all the trouble!!"

"…S-Sorry for all the trouble I caused you…" he spoke softly.

"Haha… No worries! I hope to see you tomorrow." Boruto says cheerfully before waving goodbye.

As he walks away, in the glimpse of his eye, he noticed the parents' attitude immediately change again before closing the door behind them. 'Looks like it's about to get real bad for him. Should I have done something else?' Boruto wondered.

'Also…' There was something else that bothered him during their small talk. 'How come he called Iwabee, Gizō? Is that his nickname? But if I'm right, doesn't that word stand for… Fake… or Counterfeit? Hm…' Boruto thought about it all the way until he reach home, before deciding to brush it off for the time being.