The scene fell silent. Iwabe slowly moved closer to the stone pillar on the platform. If nothing unexpected happened, Boruto would be hiding there.
To guard against a sneak attack, Iwabe climbed to the top of the pillar first. After taking two steps forward, he could finally see behind it.
Just then, before he could look down, Iwabe's body was suddenly thrown backward, slamming hard against the top of the stone pillar.
Audience: ???
"Could it be Boruto who made the move?"
From their angle, since Iwabe's back faced the audience, they couldn't see anything from the front.
"Damn it…"
Iwabe steadied himself, gathering chakra to his soles to cling to the vertical surface.
"Huh???" Denki blinked in confusion.
"Don't make a fuss," Shikadai said from beside him, arms crossed. "Iwabe's two years ahead of us—standing on vertical terrain's basic for him."
"That rock formation…" someone whispered.
"It must've been Boruto who attacked first. But how'd he climb up that fast?"
Even after a long pause, Boruto's figure didn't appear atop the pillar, only deepening everyone's confusion.
Is he planning another sneak attack? Or working with Iwabe?
Iwabe, meanwhile, jumped back up to the top, his brows furrowed. He genuinely had no idea how he'd been hit.
Just then, a cloud of smoke burst around him once again.
Iwabe instantly dropped into a defensive stance, eyes sharp. "Hey! You gonna keep hiding like a coward forever?!"
Suddenly, a faint blur moved within the smoke — something spinning rapidly toward him.
Wind Release? he thought.
Puff!
A tiny Rasengan hit him square in the stomach. Though small, its shape and power were nearly identical to the real thing — just compressed to palm size, like the version from the original story.
Iwabe was thrown back by the sudden impact, crashing to the ground. He hadn't even seen Boruto move.
"What… what was that?" Iwabe muttered, dazed.
"This is a new ninjutsu I just learned," Boruto's voice came from above.
All eyes turned upward. On top of the stone pillar, Boruto stood — covered in sweat, a confident grin on his face.
The crowd erupted. Just as expected!
"Shall we continue, Iwabe?"
Boruto looked down, smiling faintly.
"Don't get so cocky, brat! You're just full of tricks!" Iwabe shouted, grabbing his iron staff and charging.
"Ah…" Boruto sighed.
"Watch out, Boruto! He's going for his weapon!" Denki shouted.
Boruto tilted his head, calm. "Alright then. I'll make another one for you. This time, keep your eyes open."
Iwabe's power rose the moment he retrieved his staff. Some of his Earth Release techniques clearly depended on it.
Boruto didn't hesitate. A small Rasengan—barely the size of a tennis ball—formed in his palm. He threw it directly.
Iwabe reacted instantly, forming hand seals. "Earth Release: Earth Wall—"
But before he could finish, the Rasengan vanished midair.
"Huh?" Iwabe blinked. The hesitation cost him.
Bang!
The invisible Rasengan struck him again, sending him flying backward, his shirt tearing from the rotational force.
"What?!?!"
Everyone stared wide-eyed. Iwabe had been thrown back just like before.
"I see… a ninjutsu that disappears…" Shikadai muttered, half impressed. "That's not something Boruto should've been able to pull off yet."
"Alright then," Boruto smirked. "Now it's my turn."
He leapt down from the pillar, hands flashing through seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Iwabe, furious but still unsteady, gripped his staff and slammed it into the ground. The rod extended like a hammer and triggered another surge of earth.
"It's no use!" Boruto shouted. "I won't fall for the same move twice!"
One clone grabbed the real Boruto and threw him aside, dodging the attack as another charged in.
"Enough!" Iwabe roared.
"Earth Release: Earth River!"
The ground erupted again, a torrent of moving soil.
Boruto narrowed his eyes. With my chakra left… there's only one thing I can try — the compressed Rasengan.
He began circling Iwabe slowly, his remaining three clones forming glowing blue spheres in their palms.
Iwabe snorted. "That trick again? You think I'll fall for it twice? Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Four earthen walls shot up, enclosing him completely.
Boruto exhaled. "Perfect. Time to test compression for the first time."
His clones vanished, their chakra converging into his palm. The Rasengan grew larger — then rapidly shrank, glowing even brighter.
In the original story, the compressed Rasengan could shatter boulders. Now, he only needed to break through a wall.
Boom—!!
The impact echoed across the arena.
Iwabe's eyes widened as the earthen wall exploded outward. The shockwave threw him off his feet.
"Oh no!"
Shino-sensei appeared instantly, teleporting onto the platform. His swarm of insects formed a barrier, cushioning Iwabe's fall.
Iwabe hit the ground but only suffered minor injuries.
Boruto, meanwhile, had vanished.
Before anyone could blink, he'd replaced himself with a shadow clone, leaving the clone to take credit while the real Boruto slipped away unseen.
Through that brief link between clones, Boruto confirmed what he already suspected — during the fight, the Jōgan had activated again.
Exhausted and drained, Boruto wandered into a quiet park. He found a bench and lay down, eyes heavy.
He drifted into sleep almost instantly.
...
Moonlight.
Soft beams cut through the dark, illuminating a faintly glowing room.
A distant voice echoed in the stillness.
"I am speaking to you through a dream."
Boruto's eyes opened slightly. "Toneri, huh?"
He wasn't surprised.
The only person who knew anything about the Jōgan — the mysterious eye born of the Ōtsutsuki lineage — was Ōtsutsuki Toneri, Hamura's descendant who lived on the moon.
His clone's activation of the Jōgan earlier must have caught Toneri's attention. Boruto had been expecting this.
"Ah, good," Boruto said calmly. "I have a few questions for you myself."
Toneri appeared before him, glowing softly in the dim light. "Boruto Uzumaki… your eyes are a beacon of hope against the coming destruction."
"The power of hope lies dormant within you. With this eye, you will shoulder the destiny of the world."
Through the blue light, Boruto could vaguely make out crimson eyes in the shadows — like Nue's own stare.
"Your eyes will guide you," Toneri continued, "dispelling darkness with light."
"Wait," Boruto interrupted, lifting his gaze. "Let's meet on the moon."
Toneri froze. "…What?"
The boy's calm confidence startled even the ancient hermit.
"I'll come find you soon," Boruto said simply.
Toneri's composure cracked. "You—"
Boruto's voice was level, unwavering. "You said my eyes can see the future, right? Then I already foresaw your arrival… and what happened on the moon. But that's not my concern."
His tone hardened. "All I need from you… There's information on unlocking the Tenseigan."
Toneri was speechless.
Was this kid serious? The Jōgan hadn't even fully awakened yet—how could he talk about the Tenseigan so casually?
After a long pause, Toneri finally sighed. "…Very well. I'll be waiting."
The light faded, the dream dissolving into mist.
When Boruto opened his eyes again, night had fallen. The stars shimmered quietly overhead, the moon glowing pale and distant.
He sat up slowly, exhaling. His gaze lingered on the sky — on that distant white sphere.
The Tenseigan… it was no less powerful than the Rinnegan.
---
A/N: Many of you are waiting for Sarada to show up, but she is gonna show up a little bit late.