"Did you hear about the explosion last night?"
In the Ninja Academy classroom, a short-haired boy leaned over to his classmate, his voice rising a few notches. The excitement in his tone immediately caught the attention of everyone nearby.
"Yeah, I heard it too! It was so loud it shook the whole village!"
"I heard it was a meteorite that fell from the sky, but Hokage-sama destroyed it before it hit!"
"The Seventh Hokage is incredible!"
In one corner of the room, several students chatted excitedly, their eyes shining with admiration for Naruto. Inevitably, their gazes drifted toward Boruto.
"I really envy Boruto. His father is the Seventh Hokage."
Boruto listened quietly, shaking his head slightly.
Is this really the Hokage they're all talking about… my dad?
Sarada leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Boruto, was it really the Seventh Hokage who took action last night?"
Boruto recalled what Naruto had told him the night before and nodded. "Hmm… probably."
Sarada's eyes sparkled with admiration. "That's amazing. To destroy a meteorite like that—Hokage-sama really is incredible."
Boruto smiled faintly. "What's so impressive? It's just a meteorite. Your dad could've done the same."
At the mention of Sasuke, Sarada froze for a second. Her eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed again.
Right… she's never even met him.
Boruto's chest tightened as he watched her expression.
He's really such an irresponsible dad… not even coming home to see his own daughter.
Sarada noticed his look and asked softly, "Boruto, do you know my father well?"
Then, almost pleadingly, "Can you tell me what he's like?"
Boruto hesitated. Looking into Sarada's hopeful eyes, his heart wavered. He knew that to her, Sasuke was both familiar and distant—someone she longed for but barely knew.
"Sarada, your father is an incredible ninja," Boruto began.
"He's fast, powerful, and calm in every situation. He has a pair of Sharingan eyes that can see through everything. On the battlefield, he always analyzes things calmly and makes the right judgment."
Sarada listened quietly, almost seeing the image of her father through Boruto's words—an unshakable figure standing tall amidst chaos.
"Then why doesn't he ever come home?" she murmured.
Boruto fell silent. He didn't know what to say.
At that moment, Mitsuki appeared beside him. "Are you talking about Uchiha Sasuke?"
Sarada blinked in surprise. "Mitsuki, you know my father?"
"Of course," Mitsuki replied. "Sasuke-san was the hero who ended the Fourth Great Ninja War alongside the Seventh Hokage. He wields the Mangekyō Sharingan and possesses powerful eye techniques. He's both the Seventh Hokage's greatest rival and his closest friend. My father admires him deeply."
Boruto resisted the urge to comment.
Admires him? More like he admires the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and the Six Paths Rinnegan…
Sarada's curiosity was instantly piqued. "Mangekyō Sharingan? Isn't the Uchiha clan's ability just the Sharingan?"
Mitsuki tilted his head, surprised. "You really don't know about the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"Okay, that's enough," Boruto cut in quickly. "Let's wait until Uncle Sasuke comes back. I'll tell you about it then."
Mitsuki nodded slightly, dropping the topic. Then he turned to Boruto. "Boruto, I want to apologize for what happened before."
Boruto waved him off casually. "It's fine. But Mitsuki, you're pretty strong—you can use both Wind Style and Lightning Style. We should spar sometime."
Mitsuki smiled faintly. "Sure."
After classes ended, the sun dipped low, bathing Konoha in warm orange light.
Sarada stood at the door of her home, her face glowing in the sunset.
"Boruto," she said softly, "tomorrow's a day off. Do you want to train together?"
Boruto gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Sarada. I promised to visit my grandpa's place tomorrow."
Her eyes dimmed with disappointment.
Boruto hesitated, then stepped closer until their faces were just inches apart.
"Wh-what's wrong, Boruto? Is there something on my face?" Sarada stammered, her cheeks turning pink.
Boruto grinned, lifted his finger, and gently tapped her forehead.
"Forgive me, Sarada. Next time."
A light breeze swept through, rustling their hair. Sarada stared at his warm smile, her heart fluttering.
She smiled back. "Okay, it's a promise."
Not far away, Sakura stood in the shadow of a tree, holding bags of fresh groceries. Watching the two kids, a gentle, knowing smile formed on her lips.
After Boruto left, Sarada remained at the door, touching her forehead where Boruto had tapped her. Her cheeks were still faintly red.
Sakura sighed softly.
Boruto's nothing like Naruto. He's way too good at teasing people. Poor Sarada, she's already falling for it.
Sakura walked toward her daughter. "Boruto's gone," she said with a small smile.
Startled, Sarada turned quickly. "Mom, you're back!"
She hurried forward to take the shopping bags, and together they walked into the house.
At the dinner table, Sakura watched her daughter closely. "Sarada," she asked with a teasing smile, "are you and Boruto dating?"
Sarada's face turned crimson. "M-Mom! Don't say stuff like that! We're not!"
Sakura chuckled softly. "I'm just teasing. But I can see why you like him—Boruto does have a certain charm."
Sarada, desperate to change the subject, asked, "Mom… do you know when Dad will come back?"
Sakura's smile faded slightly. She reached out and gently stroked Sarada's head.
"Sarada, your father's on a very important mission—to protect us and the village."
She paused, her voice softening.
"I know it's hard, but we have to trust him. I'm sure Sasuke misses you too. He'll come back when the time is right."