After Boruto and Denki left, two Kirigakure Anbu moved quietly toward the plaque Boruto had split in two.
"Kicking the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" one murmured.
"The Son of the Hokage is arrogant," the other replied.
The first Anbu frowned, a mix of displeasure and surprise on his face.
"But he's got the power for it. Shizuma and the others — even with the Seven Ninja Swords — couldn't beat him. They were tortured near death."
The second Anbu answered more calmly, a note of approval in his voice.
"Hmph. Shizuma and the rest are trash. A disgrace to Kirigakure. If the Son of the Hokage had met the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen, it wouldn't be certain who'd come out on top."
The first snorted, contempt dripping from his words.
At that moment, Chōjūrō overheard their low conversation, cleared his throat, and signaled them to be quiet.
In the hotel room, Sarada sat on the bed in pink pajamas, flipping through a thick book.
The door opened and Boruto entered slowly.
Seeing him return, Sarada snapped the book shut. "Boruto, is everything settled? Is Denki okay?"
"Denki's fine. They were just small fry," Boruto said, moving to pull back the covers.
"Wait!" Sarada blurted. "You just finished fighting — you still smell a bit burnt. Go shower first."
Her cheeks colored as she tugged at the blanket.
Boruto sniffed himself, confirmed the faint burnt odor, and grinned. "Alright. I'll go wash. Don't peek, okay?"
"Who would peek at you? Go!" Sarada shoved him playfully.
Water ran in the bathroom as Boruto hummed an odd little tune.
"I wash seaweed yo~ I wash seaweed yo~ Sono shigumi wa~~"
Sarada smiled under the covers at his off-key singing.
Moments later Boruto reappeared, hair still damp, wearing clean blue pajamas.
He looked refreshed and walked over to the bed. A mischievous smile crossed his face.
"Sarada, aren't you stuffed up like that? Want to come out and get some air?" he teased.
"No, I'm fine," Sarada mumbled from under the blanket.
Boruto lifted the blanket corner and slipped in beside her.
Their eyes met under the cover; warmth and a quiet intimacy passed between them.
Sarada's cheeks flamed. She parted her lips as if to say something, then—softly—pressed a kiss to his.
Startled at first, Boruto's expression melted into tenderness. He deepened the kiss slowly, and for a moment their heartbeats synced.
When they finally separated, Sarada whispered, "Boruto, we—" She looked down, shy as a blooming cloud.
Boruto chuckled, flicked her nose, and said gently, "Sleep."
He hugged her tightly and they fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, sunlight slipped through the curtains. Sarada woke with a jolt, broke free of Boruto's warmth, and sat up.
"Everything okay?" Boruto rubbed his eyes, puzzled.
"My Shadow Clone disappeared. I need to go back quickly," Sarada said, panic in her voice.
Boruto smiled and, just as she tried to leave, reached out, pulled her back into his arms, and kissed her again before letting her go.
Sarada opened the door and returned to her room.
Chocho still slept; Sumire Kakei sat on her bed, watching Sarada arrive with a puzzled look.
"Where did you go last night?" Sumire asked quietly. "Was that a Shadow Clone on the bed?"
Sarada hushed her. "Sumire Kakei — shh, don't wake Chocho."
She lowered her voice and lied smoothly, "I went to train. I left a Shadow Clone so you wouldn't worry."
Sumire's eyes flickered with understanding. "Oh. Make sure you rest, too. Don't overdo it."
Sumire's expression softened and, privately, she resolved to train harder — if only to be able to keep up with Boruto.
Relieved, Sarada sat on her bed and replayed last night's gentle moments in her mind, a blush spreading across her face.
Later, at a movie theater in the Hidden Mist Village, Boruto yawned and looked bored.
"This movie is terrible. I don't get why Iwabe and Shikadai are so hyped," he muttered.
Shikadai and the others were glued to the screen, whispering "Amazing!" every few minutes.
"Sarada, do you like it?" Boruto asked.
"It's okay. The male lead, Kagemasa, is a famous actor from Konoha. He's popular — lots of Academy students like him.
He had to pause filming the sequel six months ago for health reasons, so people were upset. Now he's back, so the movie's showing in the Hidden Mist, too."
"Kagemasa?" Boruto shrugged. "Never heard of him. Still — this is awkward to watch. If only I was playing here; now that's a masterpiece."
A thought suddenly popped into Boruto's head.
"Movie? Role-playing system?" He grinned. "If I shoot a film about Pain, can I add a progress bar?"
He considered the idea for a moment. "I can try filming a trailer. If it works, I could just turn the characters I play into movies directly — then I wouldn't have to act anymore."
He began mentally sketching a plan: film the Pain invasion of Konoha as a movie — a perfect blockbuster.
...
Author's Note:
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