As night fell, the Hyuga household was calm and peaceful.
Hanabi had prepared a sumptuous dinner, and the delicious aroma filled every corner of the house.
"How is it? Do the dishes I made suit your taste?"
She leaned in close, her shoulder almost b**b Boruto's, smiling with a touch of playfulness.
"Mhm, they're really good."
Boruto looked at the table full of dishes, then met Hanabi's expectant gaze and nodded with a small smile.
"Really? Then eat more! Here, try this — my special beef and potato stew."
A flash of joy lit up Hanabi's eyes. She quickly picked up a piece of beef with her chopsticks and moved to feed Boruto, her voice gentle and teasing.
"Auntie, I can do it myself," Boruto said, reacting quickly and catching the piece of beef with his own chopsticks.
Hanabi blinked, then her lips curved into a sly smile. "Boruto, can you call me sister instead?"
"Huh?" Boruto looked up, confused.
"Auntie sounds so old," Hanabi said with mock irritation. "Come on, just once — call me sister."
Boruto shook his head firmly. "No way. You're my aunt. Generations are generations — we can't mix them up."
"Hmph! You will call me sister today!" Hanabi crossed her arms dramatically, pretending to be angry. But the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement.
As she spoke, she suddenly lunged at Boruto.
But Boruto had already predicted her move and dodged before she could grab him.
"Boruto, you're so stubborn! Himawari's much cuter than you!" Hanabi laughed, chasing after him around the table.
"Himawari, come on — help me catch your brother!"
Himawari, who had been quietly eating, perked up immediately.
"Okay!" She set down her bowl and chopsticks and happily joined the chase.
From the side, Hinata and Hiashi watched the playful chaos with warm smiles. Their eyes were full of love and fondness for the children.
"Big Brother," Himawari called softly as she caught up to Boruto, tugging at his sleeve. "Just call Aunt Hanabi sister, please?"
Boruto looked into his little sister's pleading eyes and sighed in defeat.
"Well… since Himawari said so, I guess I have no choice…" he said dramatically, pretending to hesitate.
Hanabi leaned in expectantly, holding her breath.
"Auntie… I mean, sister."
Boruto finally gave in — but his tone carried a mischievous lilt, as if to say he was only humoring her.
Hanabi's face instantly lit up with a radiant smile, like she'd just achieved a great victory.
"Haha! Did you all hear that?" she cheered proudly. "Boruto called me sister!"
Himawari clapped her hands excitedly, and laughter filled the entire house.
A few days later...
Boruto and Sarada sat atop the roof of a Thunder Train car, letting the wind whip through their hair.
"This feels amazing…" Boruto stretched and closed his eyes contentedly.
"Shikadai told me sitting up here is the best way to travel," he said. "Now I see why."
Sarada leaned lightly against his shoulder. "Yeah. The wind feels great, and you can see all of Konoha at once."
Morning sunlight filtered through the clouds, bathing the Hidden Leaf Village in a warm golden glow.
Boruto gazed out at the cityscape. "It's hard to believe how much Konoha's changed. All these tall buildings, trains, computers… it feels like a modern city now."
"Yeah," Sarada nodded. "Technology's really become part of everyone's life here."
After a pause, she asked quietly, "Hey, Boruto… the class rep hasn't been to school for days. Do you know what's going on with her?"
Boruto shook his head. "Don't worry. Sumire's fine. She just needs a little time to recover. She'll be back soon."
Hearing that, Sarada smiled in relief. "That's good. I was starting to get worried she might be seriously ill."
Soon, the Thunder Train slowed near Hokage Rock. Boruto and Sarada hopped off the roof even before it stopped moving.
"Hey! You two trying to get yourselves killed?!" the shocked driver shouted.
"Sorry!" Boruto and Sarada called back, laughing as they ran off toward the Ninja Academy.
In the classroom, Shino Aburame stood at the front, addressing the students.
"Today's lesson will be team-based combat training. You'll form groups of three to work on coordination and teamwork — skills essential for real missions after graduation."
A girl raised her hand. "Sensei, what about the class rep? She's been gone for a long time."
Shino nodded slightly. "We're still waiting for Sumire's condition to stabilize before she returns."
The room grew quiet. Everyone respected Sumire — she was a top student and always kind to others — and her absence left a noticeable gap.
Seeing the worried faces, Shino quickly added, "Alright, let's not dwell on that. Start forming your teams for this afternoon's exercises."
"Boruto," Sarada whispered, leaning toward him, "we've got two already. Who's the third?"
"No need to look," Boruto replied with a grin. "He's already here."
Sarada turned and saw Mitsuki standing silently beside them, smiling faintly.
She adjusted her glasses, studying him curiously.
"What is it, Sarada? Is there something on my face?" Mitsuki asked.
"N-no," Sarada said quickly. "It's just… your skin's so white. Even fairer than most girls'."
Mitsuki shrugged. "That's just how I am. Can't help it."
Boruto muttered with a smirk, "So this is the new Legendary Three, huh? Guess fate really has a sense of humor."
At that moment, Shikadai approached with Inojin and Chocho. "Well, look at you three — Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki. Pretty unbeatable combo, huh?"
Sarada smiled. "Shikadai, you guys are the new Ino-Shika-Cho, right? I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do."
Shikadai sighed, scratching his head. "Yeah, it's the family tradition. Not much choice there. Honestly, I'd rather team up with you, Boruto. Then I could just chill while you do all the work."
Everyone laughed, the classroom filling with energy as new teams began to form — the start of bonds that would soon shape the next generation of shinobi.