"Clang!"
After a brief clash, the two landed on the water's surface, ten meters apart.
—
Kawaki pulled out the photo in his hand and compared it to Boruto.
Boruto did the same.
—
"…So it really is you."
—
"Boruto!"
"Kawaki!"
They called each other's names at the same time.
—
Sarada and Mitsuki were stunned.
"Boruto, this is—?"
—
"He's my target."
"You two step back."
"This is my mission alone."
—
Boruto put away the photo and adjusted his Hidden Shadow forehead protector.
—
Seeing it—
Seeing Boruto's attitude—
Kawaki clenched his photo tightly.
—
"Uzumaki Boruto!"
"So you really have acknowledged a thief as your father!?"
—
Boruto tilted his head slightly.
"…A thief?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"My father is Uzumaki Naruto."
"That will never change."
"As for this 'thief' you mentioned—"
—
"Uchiha Akira!"
Kawaki roared.
"He attacked Konoha!"
"He disgraced the Seventh Hokage!"
"I heard everything!"
"You defected to that criminal!"
—
Boruto showed no reaction on his face.
But before fighting—
He needed clarity.
—
"…You seem to admire my father."
"What happened between you two?"
—
"…A lot."
Kawaki's voice trembled with emotion.
"Enough to shatter everything you believe."
—
He pulled out a crumpled photo.
—
"This."
"You recognize it, right?"
—
Boruto's eyes widened slightly.
"That's… our family photo."
"It's hanging in my house."
"How do you have it?"
—
"Because now…"
"I'm part of that family too."
—
"The Seventh Hokage gave me his name."
—
"I am Uzumaki Kawaki."
—
"…Huh?"
—
Kawaki sneered.
"Too shocked to respond?"
—
He carefully smoothed the photo and tucked it away.
—
"Even knowing what you've become…"
"I can't ignore you."
"After all—"
"You're my brother."
—
"…Wait."
Boruto made a strange face.
"Can you not call me that yet?"
—
"This feels like finding out my dad secretly has an illegitimate child."
—
Kawaki burst out laughing.
"…Haha!"
"A 'nice guy,' huh…"
"That fits him."
—
His smile faded.
—
"But that's exactly why…"
"I won't let anyone betray him."
"Especially you."
—
"Uzumaki Boruto."
—
"I'll give you two choices."
—
"Come home with me."
—
"Or die here."
—
"…So that's it."
Boruto said calmly.
"You came all this way—for me?"
—
"What else?"
Kawaki scoffed.
"You think I came to destroy your Hidden Shadow Village?"
—
"…I'd love to."
"But I know my limits."
—
"…You really hate my master."
Boruto said.
"What did he do to you?"
—
"…Your master?"
Kawaki's expression darkened.
"You don't even know…"
"What he's done to Konoha."
—
Sarada's heart skipped.
He means… the Chunin Exams incident?
But that was a misunderstanding…
—
Boruto asked quietly:
"…What did he do?"
—
Kawaki's fists trembled.
"Ten days ago—no…"
"Eleven days ago."
—
"He attacked Konoha."
—
"A night raid."
—
"120 shinobi…"
"All dead by his hands!"
—
"…What!?"
Sarada staggered back.
—
No…
That can't be true…
—
She immediately looked at Boruto.
—
His head was lowered.
His fists clenched.
His shoulders trembling.
—
He's going to break…
—
She stepped forward—
—
But then—
—
Boruto slowly raised his head.
—
"…Hey."
His voice was cold.
—
"You claim to be part of my family."
"Part of Konoha."
—
"And yet…"
—
"You don't even know the real death toll?"
—
"…What?"
—
"Not 120."
—
"180."
—
"You idiot."
—
"…!?"
Sarada froze.
—
Kawaki took a step back.
Sweat forming.
—
"…You knew?"
—
"…Yeah."
Boruto said quietly.
—
"My master told me everything."
"The night he returned."
—
"He told me the entire story."
"And asked what I thought."
—
"I couldn't answer."
"Not immediately."
—
"I thought for three days."
"Three nights."
—
"…And then I understood."
—
"Those deaths…"
"Could have been avoided."
—
"They threw themselves onto the blade."
—
"The one who killed them…"
—
"Wasn't Uchiha Akira."
—
"It was this rotten system."
—
"And the outdated beliefs…"
"Etched into this world."
—
"And besides—"
—
"If he truly wanted to destroy Konoha…"
—
"Why stop at 180?"
—
"1,800?"
"18,000?"
—
"Wiping out the entire village—"
"Wouldn't even be difficult."
—
"So…"
—
"I don't hate him."
—
"I only hate that I wasn't born earlier."
—
"If I had been…"
"That tragedy…"
—
"Wouldn't have happened."
—
"…What the hell is wrong with you!?"
Kawaki's voice shook.
—
"You're defending the one who killed your people!?"
—
Boruto stepped forward.
—
"…There's no point explaining."
—
"You and I…"
"Live in completely different worlds."
—
He stopped.
—
"…Uzumaki Kawaki."
—
"Is this all the resolve you have?"
—
"If so—"
"You're going to be disappointed."
—
"I'm not going with you."
—
Kawaki clenched his fists tightly.
—
Before coming here…
I wasn't ready to fight him.
To kill him…
—
But now…
—
If I let him continue down this path…
—
If he becomes someone who harms the Seventh—
—
Then I…
—
I'll destroy him myself.
—
"ZZZT—!"
Kawaki's Kāma spread—
Across his arm—
Up his face.
—
"…Resolve?"
He raised his head.
Eyes burning.
—
"The resolve I carry…"
—
"…is something you could never understand."
—
"SHHK—!"
His arm transformed—
Jagged molten spikes emerging—
—
He charged forward.
—
"DIE—!"
—
"UZUMAKI BORUTO!"
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