On the training ground of the Ninja Academy, more than ten wooden stakes stood in a line, each with a target attached tightly to it.
"Today, we'll be conducting field training on shuriken throwing," Aburame Shino announced, standing in front of the targets. His tone was serious.
"Many of you have not yet mastered this skill. But remember—when throwing shuriken, you must never injure yourself or your companions. You must—"
Before he could finish, an impatient student suddenly threw a shuriken straight toward him.
Startled, Shino quickly dodged aside. Before he could even catch his breath, several more shurikens came flying in succession, forcing him to retreat from the target area altogether.
"Why are all my students problem children!" Shino covered his face and sighed helplessly.
Although frustration filled his heart, as a teacher, he quickly regained his composure. He knew very well that his mischievous students each possessed remarkable potential and talent beneath their antics.
"It's so boring. Drawing is much more fun."
Inojin casually flicked a shuriken, hitting the bull's-eye with ease.
"Yeah. Our family's been doing this kind of training since forever," Shikadai added, tossing his shuriken with perfect precision.
"I once trained alone in the mountains, so this kind of thing's easy now."
Metal Lee, dressed in his signature green jumpsuit, spun gracefully in midair and threw two shurikens in quick succession. Both hit the bull's-eye dead center.
"Pa! Pa! Pa!"
Applause suddenly rang out behind him.
Boruto had been watching Metal's performance and couldn't help but clap.
"Rock Lee's son, huh? Didn't expect him to be this good. I thought he only did taijutsu."
"Boruto—he… he's looking at me!"
The moment Metal glanced at Boruto, his nerves spiked. His grip faltered, and the shuriken slipped from his fingers, landing weakly on the ground.
"Haha, my hand slipped. Weird…"
Metal laughed awkwardly, trying to cover his embarrassment.
"Huh? Didn't he throw perfectly fine just now?" Boruto asked, puzzled.
Inojin and Shikadai came over to explain.
"Boruto, you might not know this, but Metal's got a problem—he gets super nervous when people watch him."
"Ohh, so that's it?" Boruto said, finally understanding.
Meanwhile, Sarada stood some distance away, holding four shurikens in each hand. Her eyes focused sharply, full of determination.
She took a deep breath, adjusted her rhythm, then flicked her wrists lightly.
Eight shurikens flew out almost simultaneously, drawing elegant arcs through the air and landing perfectly in the center of the targets—without a single miss.
"Wow, Sarada, that's amazing! Eight at once, and all bull's-eyes! I can't even get one right," Inojin said in awe.
Sarada smiled modestly.
"Thank you, Inojin. With more practice, you'll get there too. The key is finding the rhythm and strength that suits you."
"As expected of Sarada. Her precision control is impeccable," Shino muttered approvingly.
Then, his eyes drifted to Boruto—who was lounging lazily under a large tree, eyes closed as if he had nothing to do with any of this.
He walked over and asked, "Boruto, why don't you give it a try?"
Boruto cracked an eye open and smiled lazily.
"Teacher, this kind of training's too easy for me. I can hit a bull's-eye with my eyes closed."
He casually raised his hand, threw a shuriken without even looking, and it landed dead center on the target.
The other students gasped.
"He hit it blind!"
Shino's lips twitched slightly.
"I feel like I'm teaching another Kakashi—lazy, but ridiculously talented…"
He sighed and decided not to press further.
"Boruto, you're really something. Everyone's training hard, and you're just relaxing here," Sarada said teasingly as she approached.
Boruto opened his eyes fully this time and smiled.
"Sarada, it's such a nice day—perfect weather for doing nothing."
He patted the grass beside him, inviting her to sit.
"Ah…"
Sarada blushed slightly, adjusting her glasses. After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she quietly sat down beside him. She curled her legs, leaned toward him, and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
The two sat there silently, basking in the warm afternoon sun and the soft breeze.
In the distance, students were still practicing shuriken throwing, their laughter and voices echoing faintly. Here, under the shade of the tree, only dappled sunlight and rustling leaves accompanied the peaceful moment.
By the time the sun began setting, the sky had turned a warm orange-red, and the training ground gradually grew quiet.
"Sarada… wake up. School's over," Boruto whispered, gently shaking her shoulder and brushing a few stray hairs from her face.
Sarada slowly opened her eyes, blinking sleepily before suddenly sitting upright, cheeks flushed.
"I fell asleep? That was… a dream?" she murmured.
Boruto stretched and stood up.
"Let's head home."
Sarada nodded, took his offered hand, and they walked side by side toward the exit.
All around them, other students chatted in small groups, their laughter full of youthful energy.
"Boruto, I had a dream," Sarada said softly. "In it, you were being hunted by ninjas from all over the world…"
Boruto chuckled.
"That sounds wild! My dad's the Seventh Hokage, the hero who ended the Fourth Great Ninja War. Who'd dare come after me?"
Sarada frowned slightly. "But in that dream… the one leading the hunt was the Seventh Hokage."
Boruto paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"Sarada, it's just a dream. Don't take it too seriously."
"Yeah… but it felt so real," she whispered.
After escorting Sarada home, Boruto headed back to his own house.
"I'm home!" he called as he opened the door.
"Welcome back, Boruto," Hinata greeted gently, wiping her hands on her apron. "How was training today? Tired?"
Boruto shrugged. "Not really. Just basic stuff—nothing tough for me."
Suddenly, Himawari jumped onto his back with a happy squeal.
"Big brother, you're home!"
Boruto laughed and hugged her legs to support her. "Yeah, I'm back, Himawari."
Hinata smiled warmly. "Dinner will be ready soon. You two go watch TV for a bit."
A short while later, the table was filled with a delicious spread that filled the house with warmth.
"I'm home…"
Naruto's tired voice came from the doorway.
"Dad!" Himawari ran over happily.
"Welcome home, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly, walking toward him. "You look exhausted."
Naruto managed a faint smile. "Yeah. Pulled an all-nighter, but I finally finished everything."
He started heading upstairs, visibly drained.
"The meal's ready. Do you want to eat first?" Hinata asked gently.
Naruto stopped, looking at her apologetically.
"Hinata, you've worked hard. But… I'm really tired. I just want to lie down for a bit. Is that okay?"
"Of course," Hinata nodded. "I'll save dinner for you. Eat once you've rested."
Just then, Boruto lifted his hand, and the Jōgan Eye quietly opened.
A subtle gravitational pull guided Naruto gently toward the dining table.
"Boruto…" Hinata looked shocked as her son's Rinnegan shimmered softly.
"It's fine, Mom," Boruto said casually. Then he looked at his father.
"Dad, how can you sleep now? You sleep at this rate, you'll have no future!"
"Hey! Boruto, don't use the Jōgan at home," Naruto groaned, smiling wryly as he broke free from the pull.
"Hmph. You don't seem that tired to me. Eat first—then you can sleep."
Boruto grinned mischievously.
Despite his exhaustion, Naruto couldn't help but laugh. During dinner, surrounded by his family, the fatigue in his eyes faded, replaced by quiet happiness.
Hinata looked at Boruto's face—still young, yet showing maturity beyond his years—and her heart filled with pride and warmth.