After Sarada's test ended, the girls in the class immediately gathered around her.
"Sarada, you were amazing!"
They all exclaimed in unison.
Sarada smiled modestly.
"Thank you for the compliments."
As she glanced toward Boruto, she caught sight of him standing with his arms folded across his chest, a faint smile playing on his lips.
As time passed, Shino Aburame continued calling students one by one for their turn in the physical test.
"The last one, Uzumaki Boruto," Shino announced.
When it was Boruto's turn, he walked forward with calm confidence. Every eye in the classroom focused on him — some full of curiosity, others of expectation. After all, he was the son of the Seventh Hokage, and everyone was eager to see how he would perform.
"I'm the last one, huh? Guess I'll just have to be a bit more serious," Boruto muttered.
"Are you ready, Boruto?" Shino asked.
"Of course, Shino-sensei."
The test began — and Boruto shot forward like an arrow. His sudden burst of speed created a gust of wind strong enough to ruffle everyone's hair.
Even while moving at such incredible speed, Boruto's balance remained perfect. The obstacles ahead didn't seem to exist to him. He weaved between them effortlessly, even pulling off a flawless aerial spin that drew gasps from the watching students.
"He's so fast! Way faster than Sarada!" Denki exclaimed.
"This guy's really hiding some serious talent," Shikadai added in awe.
"With that speed, he's already at a Genin's level!"
"No, he's a Chunin-level at least," Shino thought, nodding approvingly. "As expected of Naruto's son."
When Boruto crossed the finish line, Shino checked his notes.
"Alright, Boruto, your test is complete. That wraps up the basic ability assessments for everyone in the class. Next time, we'll start practical training based on these results."
After the test, Sarada and the others crowded around Boruto.
"Boruto, you're incredible! You ranked first in the entire class!" Denki said excitedly, holding out his laptop.
Boruto gave a faint smile.
"First place? Easy."
He glanced at the rankings casually — the top name was, of course, Uzumaki Boruto, followed closely by Uchiha Sarada.
"Hey, Denki," Boruto asked with a teasing grin, "how come I don't see your name here?"
"Ah, uh… mine's on the second page," Denki admitted, embarrassed.
"Huh? There's a second page?" Boruto said, pretending to be shocked — making everyone around burst into laughter.
During lunch break, Boruto, Sarada, and the others returned to the classroom to grab their lunches.
"Sarada, where are we eating?" Boruto asked.
"In the classroom," she replied simply.
"Alright," Boruto nodded.
But when they entered, the classroom was completely empty.
"Huh? Where is everyone?" Boruto asked, puzzled.
Then, an irritated voice echoed from a corner.
"Go somewhere else! Don't bother me here!"
A boy wearing a red hat, with slightly dark skin, sat up from his seat.
It was Iwabe Yuino.
"This place is mine now," he said coldly.
Boruto frowned.
"Who's this guy? Acting all high and mighty. Even my dad, the Hokage, doesn't act like that."
Denki whispered nervously,
"That's Yuino Iwabe… He's repeated a year and failed the graduation exam twice."
Shikadai added,
"Yeah, he's strong, but his grades are terrible."
Boruto chuckled mockingly.
"Oh? I thought it was someone impressive. Turns out it's just a loser."
Iwabe's face instantly darkened. He slammed his desk and stepped forward, fury burning in his eyes. In one motion, he reached out to grab Boruto's collar—
CRACK!
Sarada stepped in front of Boruto, her hand snapping up to block Iwabe's grab. The force of her strike made him stumble backward, nearly losing his balance.
The noise drew attention from nearby students, who quickly gathered around the door to watch.
"Don't touch Boruto with your filthy hands," Sarada said coldly, her eyes sharp behind her glasses.
Iwabe's anger flared, but her glare made him hesitate. He gritted his teeth, then redirected his fury toward Boruto.
"You're just hiding behind a girl, Hokage's son! Without your parents' name, you're nothing!"
"If you've got any guts, fight me one-on-one!"
Boruto's grin widened.
"One-on-one? Sounds fun."
"Boruto…" Sarada said softly, worried.
"It's fine," he assured her, patting her shoulder. "Just gonna teach this guy a quick lesson."
The two boys faced each other, tension thick in the air.
Iwabe sneered.
"What's the point of being good at studying? Even the Hokage became Hokage because he was strong! I've got power — real Genin-level strength — but they hold me back for stupid grades!"
"Blah blah blah. Are you gonna fight or keep talking?" Boruto interrupted, rolling his eyes.
"Fine! I'll show you my strength, Hokage's brat!" Iwabe roared, charging forward—
But a trembling voice suddenly broke through.
"Stop!"
Sumire Kakei stood in the doorway, her hands nervously raised.
"This is a classroom, not a place for fighting," she said firmly, though her voice shook.
Iwabe froze, glanced at Sumire, then glared at Boruto again.
"Tch. Fine. I can't afford to pay for damages anyway. Let's take this outside, Hokage's son."
With that, he turned and stormed out of the room.
Meanwhile, in another part of the academy, Anko Mitarashi spoke with Shino.
"So, Boruto's officially started school today?" she asked.
"Yes," Shino replied calmly.
"Facing suspension on his first day, huh? That kid's really something," Anko laughed.
"True. I didn't expect to become his homeroom teacher either," Shino admitted with a sigh.
"He's the Hokage's son — you better teach him properly," Anko teased.
"Of course. I'll be strict. That's my responsibility," Shino said with determination.
With that, he turned and entered his classroom.
But when he stepped inside, he froze. The room was completely empty.
"Huh?" Shino muttered in disbelief.
"Where are my students?"
The textbook slipped from his hand and fell to the floor with a dull thud.