บท 28: Chapter 28: Sharingan

Training Hall,

Boruto was pushing himself to the limit, performing a one-finger handstand using only one hand. His muscles strained under the weight of his body, and sweat dripped down his forehead. He was training harder than ever before, determined to become the strongest shinobi he could be.

Sarada watched Boruto from afar, her eyes filled with concern. She knew that he was pushing himself too hard, and she worried about the toll it would take on his body.

"Is your father still staying with you?" Chocho asked Sarada, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, he's staying with us for a few days until the Five Kage Summit ends," Sarada replied.

As the two girls talked, the boys were discussing Boruto's abnormal behavior. They had all noticed that something was different about him.

"What's going on with him?" Inojin asked, watching as Boruto continued his intense training in the corner.

"It must be that he lost to someone or something similar," Shikadai speculated.

"But it's not just that," Mitsuki chimed in. "He switched seats with the person behind him so they could see the board, and he's always training during class."

"And the most impressive thing is that he dodged an incoming duster like it was nothing and continued his training," Inojin added.

The group watched as Boruto continued his grueling training, his determination never wavering.

Enko and Tsuru watched from a distance, their concern for Boruto growing with each passing moment. They could see the intense determination etched on his face, and they knew that he was pushing himself to the brink.

But as much as they wanted to approach him and offer their support, they were too afraid to do so. Boruto's expression was so intense and focused that it was almost scary, and they didn't want to interrupt his training or anger him in any way.

"He's really going all out, isn't he?" Enko whispered to Tsuru, her eyes fixed on Boruto's figure in the distance.

Tsuru nodded, her own worry for Boruto growing with each passing moment. "I just hope he doesn't hurt himself," she replied softly.

Sarada took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to approach Boruto. She knew that he seemed unapproachable with his intense expression, but she also knew that she had to try to help him.

"I'm going to ask something from Boruto," Sarada said to Chocho, who looked at her with concern.

"Okay, be careful," Chocho replied, her eyes fixed on Boruto's figure in the distance.

Sarada walked up to Boruto, who saw her coming and stopped his one-finger handstand push-ups. He landed on his feet and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm.

"What is it?" Boruto asked, his expression softening into a smile.

"Can you train with me, Boruto?" Sarada asked, her voice filled with determination.

"Sure, are you deciding to become Hokage?" Boruto asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Sarada was surprised at how he knew about her dream, as she had never told anyone. "How did you know? I've never told anyone about that," she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"I can tell by the look in your eyes that you want to achieve something great," Boruto replied, his voice filled with confidence. "Meet me at The Forest of Death."

Sarada hesitated for a moment. "Isn't that place dangerous?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"Dangerous? That place is child's play," Boruto replied, bending down to put his palms on his thighs as he caught his breath. "If you want to become Hokage, you have to become stronger than the weak-ass Kage."

Sarada bristled at his words. "The other Kage's are not weak," she protested.

"They are weak compared to your mom, who is stronger than most of them," Boruto said, his voice filled with determination. "And I will surpass all of them right here, right now."

Sarada was surprised to see this intense side of Boruto, who had always trained hard but had never been so driven before.

"Will you train with me or not, Uchiha Sarada?" Boruto asked, standing tall and looking her in the eye.

"Yes, I will," Sarada replied, her voice filled with determination. She knew that training with Boruto would be tough, but she was ready for the challenge.

As Sarada turned to walk away, she paused for a moment and without looking back, asked Boruto a question that had been on her mind, "Are you doing this because of the incident?" Her tone was laced with concern as she tried to understand the motivation behind his recent behavior.

Boruto's expression turned serious as he replied, "I have stopped being a coward and am now giving it my all because I have nothing to lose." His words were filled with determination and a sense of purpose that Sarada had not seen in him before. "Even if my body breaks, I will not stop," he added, emphasizing his unwavering resolve.

Sarada couldn't help but shudder at the sight of Boruto's newfound drive. She could tell that he was willing to push himself to the brink in order to achieve his goals. With a heavy heart, she turned and walked back to her friend, silently hoping that Boruto's newfound strength wouldn't lead him down a dangerous path.

As Boruto continued to express his unwavering determination, his friend Metal couldn't help but feel inspired by his friend's newfound drive. He decided to follow in Boruto's footsteps and began training his own body, determined to keep up with his friend's progress.

However, their training was interrupted by the arrival of their sensei, Shino. "Everybody is here, right? We can start our sparring match," he announced, looking around at his students.

Boruto raised his hand and spoke up, "I want to be excluded."

Shino was taken aback by Boruto's request and asked, "Why?"

"It's a waste of my time to spar with others when I could be using that time to get stronger," Boruto replied, dropping down to the ground to do some jumping and clapping push-ups.

Shino couldn't help but be reminded of Sasuke as he watched Boruto's intense training session. He considered Boruto's request for a moment before making a decision. "Okay, I will make the sparring matches randomized," he announced, looking over at Boruto. "The person who is not sparring can take a seat in the audience."

Boruto heard Shino's words and quickly did his jumping push-ups and he landed in the audience seat. He continued his training session, determined to make the most of his time and become even stronger.

As Boruto continued his intense training session, the other students couldn't help but watch in awe and a hint of concern.

Some whispered amongst themselves, "He's becoming a freak," while others openly questioned what was happening to him. "What is he?" one student asked, clearly confused and unsettled by Boruto's behavior. "Thank god we're not sparring him anymore," another added, relieved to be free from the intense pressure that Boruto's presence seemed to bring.

Metal, however, felt differently. As he watched his friend push himself to the brink, he couldn't help but feel inspired by his drive and determination. He knew that if he wanted to keep up with Boruto, he would need to work just as hard. With a sense of purpose, he raised his hand and spoke up, "I also want to be excluded."

×-×-×-×-×

Forest of Death,

As Sarada walked deep into the forest, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She was alone and vulnerable, surrounded by the dense trees and the sounds of nature. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Boruto standing behind her.

"Follow me, boss is waiting for you," he said, though something about his tone and demeanor seemed off.

Unbeknownst to Sarada, the Boruto she was following was actually a clone, one of many that the real Boruto had created for his training. As they walked deeper into the forest, Sarada couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. She had heard rumors about Boruto's intense training regimen, but she had never seen it for herself.

When they finally arrived at Boruto's training spot, Sarada was taken aback by what she saw. There were dozens of Boruto clones, all engaged in intense training exercises. She couldn't believe the sheer number of craters that had been created in the ground from their training.

As they continued deeper into the forest, Sarada suddenly caught sight of the real Boruto. He was standing in the center of his own Susanoo, a powerful and intimidating sight to behold. The upper half of the Susanoo was adorned with a skeleton, Boruto scarlet red eyes staring straight at her.

Sarada shuddered at the sight, feeling a mix of fear and awe at the power that Boruto possessed. She watched in silence as he deactivated his Susanoo and turned to his clone. "Continue your training," he said, his voice calm and collected despite the intense power he had just displayed.

As Boruto approached Sarada, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of training with her. "What training do you want to do with me?" he asked eagerly.

Sarada looked around at the multiple craters and even a hole in the nearby mountain, evidence of the intense training that Boruto had put himself through. "Teach me how to use Sharingan well," she asked, determined to master her abilities.

"Why didn't you ask your father to teach you?" Boruto asked, knowing that Sasuke was far more experienced in the use of Sharingan.

"I already did, but it won't be enough," Sarada replied, frustration evident in her voice. "He's going to leave the house again soon, and I need to be ready."

"If you want a better explanation and to learn how to use it well, ask Rokudaime," Boruto suggested, referring to Kakashi, the previous Hokage. "Your father learned how to use Sharingan from him."

Sarada was taken aback by this revelation, but before she could ask any more questions, Boruto spoke up again. "I understand you're trying to improve, but are you sure you want to learn my way?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Your body will be sore for days after training with me. I won't let you go easy."

Despite his warning, Sarada was determined to learn from Boruto. "Yes, I want to use your way," she said firmly. "I'll be glad to train with you, Boruto."

Boruto grinned evilly, already planning out the intense training regimen he had in store for Sarada. He couldn't wait to see how far she could push herself, and how much stronger she could become.