"Hmph, you little brat from Konoha—you look so lost you don't even know your way around," the man in gray said contemptuously.
Upon hearing that, Iwabe's eyes widened in anger. "What did you say? You bastard from the Bloody Mist!"
"Little brat from Konoha, today I'll teach you some manners!"
Before the man in gray could finish, he swung a fierce palm strike at Iwabe, clearly trying to put the outsider in his place.
But Iwabe was ready. He calmly dodged sideways, gripping his iron rod tightly, prepared to fight back.
At that moment, Boruto appeared between them—transformed into Tendo Pain.
"How many floors does it take to carry a bag of rice?" he muttered coldly.
With a single glance, Boruto unleashed a wave of repulsive force.
In an instant, the man in gray was blown backward by the invisible power, rolling several times before crashing into the ground in a heap.
"Iwabe, are you okay?" Sarada called out as she ran over.
"I'm fine. That guy just wouldn't stop picking a fight," Iwabe replied, shaking his head but keeping his eyes on the man Boruto had just flattened.
[Emotions from Hassaku — Progress Bar +96 Points]
"You… who are you?" the man groaned, lifting his head with effort to look at the figure before him.
"I am God—Tendo Pain," Boruto declared, imitating Pain's deep and commanding tone.
"How dare you bully God's little brother? Looks like you're about to understand pain."
"Pain… God?" Hassaku muttered as he struggled to his feet. "Whoever you are, you'll regret ever setting foot on this land!"
"I like people who need pain. Keep feeling it," Boruto sneered, raising his hand toward the man.
"Stop!" a voice shouted urgently from a nearby alley.
Boruto ignored it completely. Another wave of repulsive force burst from his palm.
Hassaku tried to dodge, but he was too slow.
The blast hit him squarely, sending him flying again. He tumbled across the ground and slammed into a wall with a heavy thud.
[Emotions from Yasaku — Progress Bar +116 Points]
[Emotions from Hoshigaki Shima — Progress Bar +221 Points]
"What kind of ninjutsu is that?! It activates without even forming hand seals!" Hassaku groaned, spitting blood as pain wracked his body.
Boruto had only used a fraction of his power—if he had gone all out, every bone in Yasaku's body would have been shattered.
"Who is this guy? Yasaku couldn't even last a single hit…"
From the shadows, Shizuma Hoshigaki stepped out, his expression mixed with shock and curiosity as he eyed Boruto's Akatsuki cloak.
"That outfit… Akatsuki?" he muttered.
"Who are you? Do you also crave pain?" Boruto asked, his gaze sharp.
"Pain?" Shizuma Hoshigaki chuckled nervously. "You're too kind. I'd rather not experience that."
"Don't need pain? What a pity," Boruto replied indifferently.
Shizuma Hoshigaki's thoughts raced. This guy's strength… at least Jōnin level. Better not provoke him. Yasaku's miserable defeat had already proven that much.
"Sir, this is my friend. He's ignorant—please, show mercy," Shizuma Hoshigaki said, bowing slightly.
"Who is Hoshigaki Kisame to you?" Boruto asked coldly.
"Kisame?" Shizuma Hoshigaki blinked, trying to discern the meaning behind the question. "Senior Kisame was from the same clan as me… I suppose you could call him my uncle."
"Just the same clan? Boring." Boruto exhaled softly. "We're leaving."
He released his transformation, returning to his normal form, then waved to Sarada and Iwabe. "Let's go."
"Transformation Technique…" Shizuma Hoshigaki's eyes widened. "That blond hair—he's the Hokage's son, Uzumaki Boruto?!"
"Boss," Yasaku groaned, clutching his side, "that kid… he's really the Hokage's son."
"I saw," Shizuma Hoshigaki said quietly, watching Boruto disappear down the street.
"When do we move, then?" Yasaku asked impatiently.
"Move? With our current strength, we wouldn't stand a chance," Shizuma Hoshigaki replied grimly. "I didn't expect the Hokage's son to be that powerful."
"Then what do we do? If we don't kill him, how will we start a war between Konoha and Kirigakure—to bring back the glory of the Bloody Mist?"
Shizuma Hoshigaki's eyes hardened. "Not yet. Once we obtain the Seven Ninja Swords, even the Hokage's son won't stand a chance—even if he's as strong as a Kage."
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen…" Yasaku murmured, excitement flickering in his eyes.
...
"Where are we going?" Chōchō asked curiously, following Kagura through the misty streets.
Kagura smiled. "Lord Chojuro wishes to meet you."
"The Mizukage, huh?" Chōchō muttered under her breath. "And here I thought we were meeting some handsome guy."
"Oh, what a group of cute little guests."
A warm, graceful voice echoed from down the corridor.
Everyone turned to see Mei Terumi walking toward them, her beauty matured and her presence commanding.
"Terumi Mei-sama!" Kagura immediately saluted.
Then he turned to Boruto and the others. "This is the former Mizukage, Mei Terumi. She made great contributions to ending the Fourth Ninja World War and laid the foundation for our village's prosperity."
Mei chuckled softly and shook her head. "That's all in the past."
Boruto glanced at her, silently grumbling to himself.
So this is Mei Terumi?
Time really is a butcher's knife… she's turned into an old lady.
Well, not everyone has a Yin Seal like Tsunade to keep their looks forever.
The thought barely left his mind before Boruto weaved a Transformation Technique, once again turning into Tendo Pain.
"Boruto? What are you doing…" Kagura asked, confused.
But the others were already used to it. They exchanged helpless looks.
Here we go again—Boruto's about to start one of his Pain speeches…
Mei Terumi raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing at the Akatsuki cloak and the rippled Rinnegan pattern.
"Akatsuki? Pain?" she murmured, surprised.
[Emotions from Mei Terumi — Progress Bar +1516 Points]
Boruto raised his hand, spreading his fingers as his voice dropped into that familiar, godlike tone.
"Feel the pain!"