Naruto: Boruto Returns to Shippuden

Chapter 180 Long Separation

Tsunade turned her gaze to Boruto and the others, her eyes sparkling with approval. She smiled and clapped her hands, saying, "You have all completed our trial admirably. However, I am truly surprised that you were able to take Kakashi's bell in such a short time."

Upon hearing Tsunade's praise, Naruto and Tsunade exchanged a glance, their faces beaming with pride. Naruto then raised the bell high, displaying it, and loudly replied, "Hahaha, that's for sure! Our teamwork is absolutely flawless!"

Tsunade crossed her arms, her expression turning serious, and her tone becoming earnest: "In that case, we should now discuss your future affiliations and assignments." Her gaze swept over the group before her.

Upon hearing Tsunade's words, everyone stopped joking and focused their attention on her.

Then, Tsunade called out their names one by one, and after receiving their responses, she officially announced her decision: "From now on, you will be part of a team with Kakashi Hatake, an elite Jonin from Konoha."

Upon hearing Tsunade's announcement, Naruto was visibly excited and eagerly asked, "Being on a team with Kakashi-sensei? What's going on, Granny Tsunade?"

Boruto pondered the meaning behind Tsunade's words, then offered his own interpretation: "So, next we'll be going on a mission with Kakashi-sensei, but unlike before, we won't be as master and student, but as equal Konoha ninja, right?"

Tsunade affirmed Boruto's understanding, nodding slightly to confirm his thoughts, and said softly, "That's right, which means you can graduate and become the backbone of Konoha Village."

Tsunade's gaze slowly swept over everyone present, and she said approvingly, "You have all fully demonstrated your strength and teamwork ability."

When planning their ninja team, Tsunade did consider having Boruto, Naruto, and Sakura form a team, especially given that Boruto had already demonstrated strength far exceeding that of an ordinary Jonin.

Although each of them possesses exceptional individual abilities, their extensive training outside over a long period has resulted in a significant gap in their experience in mission execution compared to Kakashi. After all, Kakashi has been involved in various missions since a very early age, and he has experienced countless battles.

Therefore, after weighing their strength and experience, Tsunade made a compromise decision to pair them with the experienced Kakashi Hatake so that they could better coordinate in actual combat.

......

After Boruto and his friends finished their trial, they strolled through the streets of Konoha Village. Their attention was quickly drawn to a sweet dumpling shop, and just then, Temari and Shikamaru came out of the shop.

Boruto turned to Shikamaru and Temari beside him and teased, "You two, are you on a date?"

Upon hearing Boruto's teasing words, Temari looked somewhat flustered and quickly retorted, "Huh? Don't joke around, why would you think I'd be with someone like that..."

She emphasized that she and Shikamaru were just ordinary friends, and that the situation Boruto described did not exist.

Shikamaru responded with his usual calm demeanor: "That's not true. It's just that the Chunin Exams are being held recently, so we've been frequently traveling between Sunagakure and Konoha for related matters. We've become quite familiar with her, but that's all. There's nothing else special between us."

Immediately afterward, Shikamaru seemed unwilling to continue the previous topic, so he changed the subject and complained to Boruto, "And you have the nerve to say that? We staff members are so busy and it's such a hassle. You have to help us this time no matter what."

Boruto listened and nodded in agreement without hesitation, indicating that he would be willing to help whenever needed during the Chunin Exams.

Upon hearing the topic of the Chunin Exams, Naruto couldn't help but interject, "The Chunin Exams? I really miss those days." He recalled the last time he participated in the Chunin Exams, when many unforgettable things happened.

Boruto turned around, looked at Naruto, and asked, "So, what are your plans?"

Naruto seemed a little confused by Boruto's question. He blinked, not immediately understanding what Boruto meant: "Huh? What do you mean, what are your plans?"

Seeing Naruto's puzzled expression, Sakura gently reminded him, "It's the Chunin Exams you've been talking about."

Shikamaru teased Naruto with a slightly mocking tone, "Speaking of which, Naruto, among our generation, besides that guy outside the village, you're the only one who hasn't become a Chunin yet."

"Huh?" Naruto's face showed a shocked expression after hearing Shikamaru's words, as if he had been struck by sudden news. He was so immersed in the joy of defeating Kakashi-sensei that he had forgotten that he was still a genin.

He quickly turned to Sakura and asked with a hint of disbelief, "So, Sakura, you're a Chunin too?" Sakura nodded.

Naruto was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that during the time he and Boruto had gone out to train with the Perverted Sage, his fellow ninjas had all made progress on their respective paths and had already advanced in rank.

Boruto, in particular, had already reached the Chunin level before his training, which made Naruto realize that he and Sasuke were the only two ninjas who were still at the Genin level.

Shikamaru continued, turning to Boruto, "Boruto, do you plan to participate in the next Jonin Exams? With your current strength, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Boruto stood there, pondering to himself that since he began training outside, he had indeed never had the opportunity to participate in the village's Jonin Exams.

As Shikamaru spoke, he pointed at Temari and continued, "Neji, who is ranked number one in Konoha, Kankuro from Sunagakure, and this person, they have all become Jonin."

Boruto then spoke up, "So, does that mean Gaara has become the Kazekage?"

After all, Temari and Kankuro, two of the three siblings from Sunagakure, already possess the strength of Jonin, while Gaara, as the strongest among them, has very likely become the Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure.

Shikamaru nodded slightly, not at all surprised that Gaara became the Fourth Kazekage. Gaara's strength was already outstanding several years ago, and the incident involving the Fourth Kazekage and Gaara's inner transformation all contributed to his becoming the leader of Sunagakure.

When Naruto overheard their conversation and learned that Gaara had become the Kazekage of Sunagakure, his fists clenched involuntarily, and a deep sense of admiration welled up in his heart.

Naruto muttered to himself, "That guy is amazing. You can't just become the Kazekage any day." To become the Kazekage of a village, you need not only great strength, but also the widespread recognition of the villagers and your comrades.

Gaara must have put in a tremendous amount of effort, right? But! I will absolutely not lose to him.

Boruto looked up at the Hokage Rock above Konoha Village, where the faces of the Hokage of all generations were carved. He couldn't help but feel a little emotional. A Hokage? To him, it really didn't have any real substance.

Although Boruto didn't understand the meaning behind the word "Hokage" before, he now has a deeper understanding of it. However, deep down, Boruto still longs to forge his own path.

......

After Boruto and Naruto had a hearty meal at Ichiraku Ramen, they returned together to the little house they hadn't seen for years. Although a long time had passed, everything felt so familiar.

Boruto slowly turned the doorknob, and with a slight creak, the door opened slowly. Boruto then stepped into the house. Everywhere he looked, the furniture and decorations were arranged as they had been when they left. However, a musty smell hit him, and he smelled a distinctive mixture of wood and dust.

A thin layer of dust covered the wooden floor, and Boruto left clear footprints with each step, accompanied by a creaking sound.

Boruto's gaze swept around, and he saw that the furniture was also covered with a thick layer of dust. He muttered to himself with a hint of helplessness, "After so many years without anyone taking care of it, it has indeed become covered in dust."

Boruto then walked to the window, reached out and pushed it open, letting fresh air rush into the room. As the window opened, some of the stuffy air was taken away.

After completing a series of cleaning tasks and making the hut spotless, Naruto sat at the tidy table, resting his chin on his hand, and said with anticipation, "This is so exciting! Tomorrow I can go on a mission with Kakashi-sensei."

Boruto looked at Naruto's expectant expression, but had to shatter his illusions: "I'm afraid tomorrow won't work, and we won't be able to go on missions for the next few days either."

Upon hearing Boruto's words, Naruto frowned slightly and asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Boruto sighed, looking somewhat helpless. He reminded Naruto, "Have you forgotten what happened at noon today? Kakashi-sensei is probably still recuperating somewhere."

Upon hearing Boruto's explanation, Naruto immediately recalled the incident, then looked somewhat embarrassed. He scratched his cheek and said in a slightly ashamed tone, "Really? I was also hit by Kakashi-sensei's move when I was a kid, but I recovered in no time."

Boruto was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, clearly surprised by the past he revealed. He hadn't expected that his father had also been subjected to Kakashi's "Thousand Years of Death" technique, which had violated his anus. No wonder he had such a deep obsession with Kakashi using his taijutsu techniques.

However, Kakashi-sensei is already around thirty years old, how can he withstand such torment?

As the two talked, time slipped by unnoticed, and before they knew it, night had fallen. Boruto lay quietly in his blankets, tilting his head back slightly, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, his thoughts drifting away, a strange feeling welling up inside him.

As they both grew older, the small house seemed to become less spacious. It had been enough for them before they grew up, but now it felt a bit cramped, so Boruto thought it might be time to find a new place to live.

......

The corridor of Konoha Village Hospital was very quiet. At this moment, in a special ward, Kakashi was lying on the hospital bed, reading Jiraiya's new book, "Icha Icha Paradise".

Although Kakashi's gaze seemed to move across the pages, his eyes were unfocused, and his mind was clearly not on the book in front of him. His expression revealed a distractedness, and the words on the pages were like background, unable to capture his full attention.

Since he was taken to the hospital by Guy this morning and was unconscious, he didn't know what Guy had said to the nurses. When he woke up, he was lying on the hospital bed and felt that the nurses around him were looking at him with an indescribable strangeness. Considering the location of his wound, Kakashi realized that the nurses might have misunderstood something.

As time went on, distorted rumors began to circulate within Konoha Hospital about him and Guy. These rumors spread rapidly within just one afternoon, and despite his attempts to explain, he was unable to stop their spread.

The intense pain coming from his back made it impossible for Kakashi to concentrate, even on the "Icha Icha Paradise" series, which he usually immersed in and lost track of time. After a deep sigh, Kakashi gently placed the book on his pillow, slowly turned over, and stared at the ceiling.

Kakashi lay quietly on the hospital bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. After a while, his brows gradually furrowed.

In the end, Kakashi silently rolled his body back over...

......

In the vast sky between the two ninja villages of Sunagakure and Konoha, a messenger eagle from Sunagakure is soaring high, its target set on the direction of Konoha.

The messenger hawk had a small bamboo tube tied to its back, inside which was a very urgent letter from Sunagakure.

In Konoha, Temari was preparing to embark on her journey back to Sunagakure. However, just as she was about to leave Konoha, she suddenly felt a tremor in her heart. This sudden sense of foreboding made her quicken her pace back to the village.