Chapter 426: Saitama and Boruto
As time drifted by, Konoha exhausted every trick in the book, yet Lady Tsunade's whereabouts remained a complete mystery.
They did, however, manage to pull on a crucial thread: a shadowy faction known as Kara had planted an extensive network of spies across various forces throughout the Great Nations.
Some served willingly, others were coerced through specialized ninjutsu or controlled via scientific shinobi tools, while still others were manipulated by threats against their families.
Regardless of their methods, their primary goal was to siphon high-level intelligence from every land and funnel it back through secret channels to Kara's inner ring.
According to Konoha's investigations, Kara was split into Inner and Outer members. The Inners constituted the core leadership, while the Outers consisted of operatives who embraced Kara's grand vision.
Konoha had captured plenty of Outer members, but the Inners remained elusive phantoms—hidden away in absolute secrecy.
...
Four years slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Many of the little ones began to grow up, with a new batch of young children getting ready to enroll in school.
At the Academy:
"It's finally school time! I heard the Academy cafeteria has a Two-Star Chef running the kitchen—they serve the absolute best food around!"
A cute, dark-complexioned little girl munched on a bag of potato chips as she chattered away to the kids around her.
"Chocho, you really shouldn't eat so much," yellow-haired Inojin chimed in. "I heard that if you get too chubby, training in the Taijutsu Training System gets way harder."
He honestly couldn't wrap his mind around how a six-year-old like Chocho could pack away so much food. He took a glance at his own slender frame—now this was a perfect physique.
Chocho Akimichi swallowed a chip with a satisfying crunch, utterly unbothered. "My dad said that doesn't apply to us! In fact, it actually boosts the training results. All this stored fat turns into fuel for the body, making you even stronger! Besides, you can't even enter the Taijutsu Training System until second year, after you've mastered refined chakra control."
"Mastering refined chakra control? That's a piece of cake. I can already use Super Beast Scroll," Inojin smirked, patting the scroll strapped to his back.
Wearing a white undergarment beneath a green jacket, Shikadai Nara chimed in, "That's just basic manipulation. I heard you have to achieve the absolute pinnacle of shape transformation before they let you use it early. Otherwise, you have to wait until after graduation when your body meets the physical requirements. It's the ultimate haven for all taijutsu shinobi right now—getting in isn't that easy."
As someone who relied heavily on his intellect, Shikadai knew it was far more complex than it sounded.
Both his grandfather and father had told him that entering the system ahead of schedule required mastering the Academy's advanced chakra control techniques, reaching a state of fluid, effortless manipulation.
Only then could a young shinobi's body endure the intense high-gravity environment inside without suffering developmental damage.
"Whatever, I'm definitely going to pull it off," Inojin stated confidently.
"Though speaking of which... for a taijutsu fighter like Chocho, isn't chakra control supposed to be really tough to master?"
Chocho crunched down on another chip. "Relax! My dad's been teaching me how to control chakra since I was little. My chakra control is actually top-tier!"
They were severely underestimating the Akimichi clan!
Their clan's chakra control ranked among the very best in all of Konoha. Take her father, Choji Akimichi, for example—he could trigger his Butterfly Mode without even needing secret pills. The sheer degree of chakra control required for that was insane.
After all, the Butterfly Transformation technique converted stored body fat directly into raw chakra, concentrating every bit of energy into pulverizing fist strikes. The level of precise control needed for such a secret art was off the charts.
"Alright, let me check the time... class is about to start. Where's Boruto? Why isn't that guy here yet?" Shikadai scanned their surroundings. Boruto, who was usually attached to his hip, was nowhere to be seen on school grounds.
...
Woo-hoo~!
Aboard the Thunder Rail train headed for the Academy, Boruto was locked in a brawl against three older boys alongside another kid his age. The skirmish was only brought to a halt when the guard shinobi stationed on the train stepped in to pull them apart.
"Hmph! Denki, if these three jerks ever try to pick on you again, just tell me and I'll beat 'em up! My dad is the Hokage!" Boruto declared, glaring at the three delinquent-looking boys standing across from them.
Beside him stood a boy clad in blue garments, the exact same age as him.
"Boruto, even if your dad is the Hokage, you can't just go around picking fights with people! You're gonna end up getting scolded by Lord Hokage," the train guard chided softly.
Naturally, the guard recognized the Hokage's son, though he certainly hadn't expected the kid to throw down in the middle of a speeding train.
Fortunately, guard shinobi were stationed aboard every train car precisely to prevent incidents like this.
Still, the Hokage's son was ridiculously strong for his age. Just moments ago, the guard felt that if Boruto had pulled out ninjutsu, he might not have even been a match for the boy.
It was only by leveraging his adult physique and the elite combat experience honed at the Academy that he managed to subdue the rowdy kids.
The geniuses in Konoha are just multiplying left and right these days... Back in my day, I was considered a genius too.
It's a shame times have changed. Ever since Lord Kakashi passed the mantle of Hokage to Lord Naruto, the village has put an even greater emphasis on cultivating the next generation. I guess Lord Kakashi handled all the post-war recovery, allowing the Seventh Hokage to finally focus on shaping the future.
Boruto pouted. "My dad? That guy only cares about work all day! I'm not listening to a word he says."
Boruto harbored a lot of resentment over Naruto rarely being home.
"Huh? Your dad has to work all day too? Same with mine!"
From the row of seats behind them, a little bald boy piped up after hearing Boruto's complaints.
"Who are you? You look kinda familiar..." Boruto turned his head toward the voice, his eyes landing on a gleaming bald head.
For some strange reason, the kid felt oddly familiar.
"Hello! I'm Tobitake Saitama," the boy greeted politely, extending a hand to Boruto.
"Hello, Tobitake... Wait, you're the son of the Deputy Director of the Technology Development Bureau—Tobitake Tonbo?!"
"Yup!"
"Wait, what did you mean by your dad being just like mine?" Boruto asked, puzzled.
He finally realized why the kid looked so familiar! Years ago, he had attended the biggest, most extravagant wedding ceremony ever hosted at their estate—the single funnest day of his life! He had originally wanted to visit often, but his dad never had the time, and the distance was a bit far, so he never ended up going back.
He did recall seeing a little bald boy running around the wedding venue back then.
But what did he mean by his dad being just like his? Was the Deputy Director super busy too?
Saitama nodded. "My big brothers and sisters told me that Dad loves using shadow clones to handle everything. It gets so confusing that people always think his clones are the real him! But I can always sense which one is the real deal."
"Whoa, what an irresponsible dad! Right?" Boruto vented.
He never expected a legendary shinobi—someone on par with his idol—to be just like his own dad. Uncle Sasuke would never do something like that!
Saitama giggled innocently. "Not really! Dad is super busy, but it doesn't matter anyway. Grandpa, Mom, and everyone else always tell me I don't need to pay him any mind!"
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