Prologue P.3
With Sarada's persuasive words echoing in his mind, Boruto found himself swayed by the promise of the Chūnin Exams. After all, what better way to grab his father's attention than with a display of skill and prowess?
"Alright, Sarada. Let's do it," Boruto declared, a newfound determination glinting in his eyes.
Sarada's face lit up with excitement as she realized they would be embarking on this journey together. The prospect of competing in the Chūnin Exams with her friends filled her with a sense of purpose and camaraderie.
As they discussed their plans for the upcoming exams, Boruto couldn't help but wonder about Sarada's father, Sasuke Uchiha. He knew very little about the elusive shinobi, and his curiosity gnawed at him.
"Hey, Sarada, do you think your dad will come watch you in the Exams?" Boruto asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
Sarada's expression faltered for a moment before she replied, "I doubt it. My father has always been... distant."
The mention of Sarada's father prompted Mitsuki to interject, his voice calm and measured. "My parent once told me that only Sasuke Uchiha can fight evenly against Naruto."
Boruto and Sarada exchanged curious glances, the revelation stirring a newfound sense of intrigue.
Before they could delve deeper into the mystery of Mitsuki's parentage, a familiar voice rang out, cutting through the air like a gentle breeze.
"Boruto, Sarada, it's time to go. Himawari's birthday party awaits," Hinata Hyuga called out, her voice warm and inviting.
Boruto turned to see Hinata and Himawari approaching, their smiles radiant as they embraced the evening with open arms.
...
*poof*
As Boruto arrived at Himawari's birthday party, his anticipation was tinged with a hint of disappointment.
His heart sank as he realized that the figure standing before him was not his father, but a mere shadow clone—a pale imitation of the real thing.
Anger bubbled within Boruto, his frustration boiling over as he confronted his mother, Hinata Hyuga, with accusatory eyes.
"You knew Dad wouldn't be here. You always knew," Boruto's voice trembled with resentment, his words cutting through the air like a razor-sharp blade.
Hinata's gentle gaze met Boruto's fiery stare, her expression one of sorrow and understanding. "Boruto, your father's duties as Hokage are very demanding. He has to make difficult choices for the sake of the village."
But Boruto was not appeased by her words. "Yeah, well, it must have been nice for Dad, growing up without parents. He never had to worry about disappointing anyone," Boruto's voice dripped with bitterness, his pain laid bare for all to see.
Hinata's eyes welled with tears at her son's harsh words, her heart breaking at the sight of his pain. "Boruto, unlike your father, you do have a father here," she pleaded, her voice filled with a mother's love and longing.
But Boruto's resolve remained unshaken. "It's not about me, Mom. It's about Himawari," he replied coldly before turning on his heel and walking away, his heart heavy with the weight of unresolved emotions and unspoken truths.
As Boruto disappeared into the shadows of the night, Hinata stood alone, her heart heavy with the burden of her son's pain and the knowledge that some wounds ran deeper than others.
[Auther: I wonder, does this make Boruto seem better or worse?]
As Boruto's anger simmered, he sought solace in the familiar confines of his father's study, the memories of happier times mingling with the shadows of the past.
His eyes fell upon a weathered jacket, a relic of Naruto's youth, its faded fabric whispering tales of adventure and camaraderie. But to Boruto, it was nothing more than a relic of the past—a symbol of everything he resented.
"Pathetic," Boruto muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with disdain as he flung the jacket out of the window with reckless abandon.
The jacket tumbled through the air, carried by the winds of change and the weight of unspoken truths, until it came to rest in the middle of the street—a silent testament to the rift that lay between father and son.
A sudden knock at the door shattered the stillness, jolting Boruto from his reverie. His heart pounded with anticipation as he prepared to confront his father, his fists clenched in readiness for the impending showdown.
But as the door swung open, Boruto's gaze met not his father's, but the piercing eyes of Sasuke Uchiha—his father's rival, his mentor, and a figure of legendary renown.
"Sasuke..." Boruto's voice trailed off, his awe-struck expression betraying the tumult of emotions that raged within him.
Sasuke's gaze softened with understanding as he surveyed the scene before him, his keen instincts attuned to the unspoken turmoil that gripped Boruto's heart. But sadly, he doesn't care enough.
"I'm here to see Naruto," Sasuke stated matter-of-factly, his voice carrying the weight of a thousand battles fought and won.
Hinata, who had been watching from a distance, stepped forward to inform Sasuke that Naruto was still at his office, her voice gentle and reassuring amidst the storm of emotions that threatened to engulf them all.
With a nod of acknowledgment, Sasuke turned to leave, his footsteps echoing in the silence that followed his departure.
As Boruto watched Sasuke's retreating figure, a newfound sense of admiration stirred within him—a recognition of the strength and resolve that had defined his father's rival for so many years.
And as the echoes of their encounter faded into the night, Sasuke found himself standing amid the deserted street, Naruto's old jacket lying at his feet—a silent reminder of the bonds that connected them all, and the challenges that lay ahead. "...My arm..."
...
In Naruto's cluttered office, the air was thick with tension as Sasuke stood before him, the weight of the world etched into the lines of his weary face. In his hands, he held Naruto's old jacket, a relic of days long gone but not forgotten.
Naruto's eyes widened with surprise as Sasuke handed him the weathered garment, a silent reminder of the bonds that had shaped their shared history.
"Sasuke, what's this?" Naruto asked, his voice tinged with curiosity as he accepted the jacket, its faded fabric a testament to the trials and tribulations they had faced together.
Sasuke's gaze hardened as he turned his attention to the scroll he had obtained from Kaguya's abandoned castle, its ancient script a puzzle that defied even the power of his Rinnegan.
"Naruto, I need your help deciphering this," Sasuke admitted, his voice heavy with the weight of their shared burden.
Naruto's brow furrowed with concentration as he examined the scroll, his mind racing with the possibilities that lay within its cryptic pages.
As they delved deeper into the mysteries of the past, Sasuke couldn't help but mention his encounter with Boruto—the son Naruto had sent a shadow clone in his place to Himawari's birthday party.
"You know, Naruto, Boruto is just like you," Sasuke remarked, his voice tinged with a hint of admiration.
Naruto's eyes softened with fondness as he considered Sasuke's words, a nostalgic smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, he is, isn't he? Reminds me of how you used to be when we were younger."
But Naruto's expression darkened as he reflected on Boruto's upbringing, his heart heavy with the weight of unspoken truths and unresolved conflicts.
"Sasuke, Boruto's not like either of us," Naruto confessed, his voice tinged with regret. "He's never had to work hard as a ninja. Just look at the pristine condition of his clothes—it's like he's never been in a real fight."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed with a familiar yet unfamiliar annoyance, "Pretty sure, Ninjas are still the same." With Naruto putting a stoic look, "Seriously? 10 years and you're going to start this? Wanna lose the other arm?" Sasuke gave him a 'look' while his arm moved slowly to his sword.
A moment of silence went on before they erupted into a large laugh with Sasuke taking the first breath before they felt a strange emptiness with Sakura & Kakashi.
....
As Sasuke traversed the shadowed streets of Konoha, his thoughts weighed heavy with the burden of the scroll's secrets and the challenges that lay ahead.
But his journey home was abruptly interrupted by a sudden attack from an unexpected assailant.
Boruto, fueled by determination and a desire for strength, launched himself at Sasuke with reckless abandon.
However, Sasuke's honed instincts and years of combat experience allowed him to effortlessly evade the boy's clumsy assault.
With a swift movement, Sasuke deftly tripped Boruto, sending him crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. As Boruto struggled to regain his footing, Sasuke regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.
"What do you want, Boruto?" Sasuke's voice was calm, his gaze unwavering as he awaited the boy's response.
Boruto, his pride wounded but his resolve unshaken looked up at Sasuke with a fire burning in his eyes. "Uncle Sasuke, I want you to take me as your student," he declared, his voice tinged with determination.
Sasuke's eyebrow arched with incredulity at the boy's audacious request. "And why would I do that?" he asked, his tone laced with skepticism.
Boruto's response was swift and unwavering. "Because there's someone I need to defeat," he replied, his voice tinged with resolve.
But Sasuke remained unmoved by Boruto's impassioned plea. "Can you perform the Rasengan?" he asked, his voice cutting through the darkness like a blade.
[Auther: This Naruto's son?]
Boruto's silence spoke volumes as he averted his gaze, his inability to answer serving as a stark reminder of his shortcomings.
Sasuke's expression softened with understanding as he delivered his verdict. "You can't be my student if you don't know how to use the technique," he declared, his words carrying the weight of finality.
Defeated but undeterred, Boruto turned to another mentor in his quest for strength and redemption. In the dead of night, he sought out Konohamaru—the student of the Seventh Hokage and a seasoned ninja in his own right.
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[Auther: I know, I know. Where's the MC?... I dunno, buy the merch or something.]