Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Team Battle 4
"You guys, huh?" Hoki said, his voice filled with a mix of amusement and confidence. Standing in the middle of the dense forest, he found himself surrounded by Sumire, Namida, and Wasabi, who had assumed fighting stances. The tension in the air was palpable.
Whispering to her teammates, Sumire cautioned, "Be careful. We don't know if he has any backup waiting in the shadows." Her words were laced with concern, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of hidden allies.
Namida nodded, her gaze darting from tree to tree. "Right. We need to stay alert and watch our backs."
Wasabi, ever the calm and collected one, simply replied, "Alright. Let's do this."
Hoki smirked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He pulled out a kunai from his back pocket, the metallic blade glinting in the dappled sunlight. Gripping it firmly, he taunted his opponents, "So, the three of you are going to take me on, huh?"
The atmosphere grew charged with energy as the standoff between the four shinobi intensified. Each of them knew that this battle would test their skills, strategy, and teamwork. The forest seemed to hold its breath, anticipating the clash that was about to unfold.
×-×-×-×-×
Boruto winced as he massaged his right shoulder with his left hand. "Metal, we should end this. We've already taken up a lot of our precious time," he said, his voice filled with exhaustion.
Metal cracked his neck, his eyes narrowing in agreement. "True," he said, stretching his body to ease the tension.
Boruto, taking a cue from Goku, began stretching his legs. "So, let me show you something I've been cooking up," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Metal tensed up, his guard raised. He had a feeling that whatever Boruto had in store for him was going to be intense.
Suddenly, Boruto's body released a red chakra, his eyes turning fully orange. Metal took a step back, his eyes widening in shock. He had never felt this amount of chakra being released before, and it was even more surprising than the audience's reaction.
"What is that?" Sarada asked, her voice filled with wonder.
"What kind of power is that?" Iwabe asked, his eyes wide with amazement.
"It's Tailed Beast Chakra," Mitsuki said, his voice filled with recognition.
"Boruto has that?" Shikadai asked, his mind reeling with questions. "Is he a Jinchuriki?"
"That's what we have to ask him," Mitsuki said, his eyes never leaving Boruto's form.
Shikadai couldn't help but wonder how Mitsuki knew about this power. The answer to that question was something he was determined to find out.
×-×-×-×-×
Shikamaru's eyes widened in surprise as he realized he had forgotten to address Naruto with his proper title. "Oi, Naruto, how does your son have Tailed Beast Chakra?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
Naruto's face softened as he thought back to the day his son had met Son Goku. "It was by chance," he explained. "They happened to cross paths"
Anko nodded in understanding. "Ah, that explains the huge red gorilla sighting in Konoha," she said with a grin.
Shino, however, was more concerned about the ongoing fight. "Hokage-sama, are you not going to intervene before it gets too dangerous?" he asked, his eyes filled with worry for his student.
Naruto stood up. "I'll be going," he said, his body flickering away in a blur of motion.
'But that still didn't explain how he has Tailed Beast Chakra. Did Four Tail give it to Boruto? That's the only conclusion that I can think of' Shikamaru said inwardly to himself.
×-×-×-×-×
Boruto condensed the power, leaving him with only orange eyes. He knew that this was enough to end the fight. "This should be enough to end this," he said, tightening his fist.
Metal mirrored Boruto's move, tightening his own fist. Without a word, they both rushed towards each other, their eyes locked in fierce determination.
As they got closer, Boruto launched a series of multiple jabs with both hands, causing Metal to deflect and avoid them. He knew that if he blocked them head-on, his hand would feel the full force of Boruto's power.
"Tch," Metal muttered, feeling the pressure mounting. He remembered his father's words, "You're right, all efforts are pointless...if you don't believe in yourself." Taking a deep breath, he recalled Might Guy's words, "That's it, Metal! Let the power of youth explode!!"
Metal was on the brink of breaking point, but he knew that he had to push himself to the limit. He screamed, letting out all his pent-up frustration and anger, as he opened another Gate, increasing his power.
Boruto and Metal launched a final punch, their fists connecting with a loud thud. The impact was so great that it sent shockwaves through the air, causing the audience to gasp in unison. The two fighters were so focused on their battle that they didn't even realize that someone had caught both of their hands, stopping the fight.
"Yosh, you guys can stop now," Naruto said, his voice booming across the arena. Boruto heard his father's voice and powered down, sitting on the ground to catch his breath. Metal was surprised to see Naruto here, but he also powered down and took a seat on the ground.
"We can conclude this to a draw, Metal," Boruto said, his voice filled with exhaustion.
"Yeah," Metal agreed, nodding his head in agreement.
Naruto's voice echoed through the forest once more, "The team battle has finished. Come back to the starting point."
Every student breathed a sigh of relief and headed back to the starting point, except for Hoki and Sumire who were the only ones left standing in their fight.
"I guess that's it," Hoki said, his voice tinged with disappointment.
Sumire was a tad bit surprised by Hoki overall. She had expected him to be a pushover, but he had proven himself to be a worthy opponent. She nodded her head in agreement.
Boruto and Metal caught their breath and stood up, dusting off their clothes. They looked around and saw that all of the students had assembled, surprised to see the Hokage himself present at their match. Even the other teachers had come to watch the final battle.
Naruto stepped forward, his voice projecting across the arena, "Everybody, I was surprised by everyone's growth today. You all fought with courage and determination, and I couldn't be prouder of each and every one of you. I know that you all have the potential to become even better, so never give up and always believe in yourself."
The students listened intently to Naruto's words, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment wash over them. They had all worked hard to get to this point, and it was an honor to receive praise from the Hokage himself.
Naruto continued, "Remember, the road to becoming a great ninja is a long and difficult one. But with hard work, perseverance, and a never-give-up attitude, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. So keep pushing yourselves, keep training, and never forget the lessons you learned here today."
The students nodded in agreement, feeling inspired by Naruto's words. They knew that becoming a great ninja was no easy feat, but with the Hokage's guidance and support, they were ready to take on any challenge that came their way.
"So, what is that power?" Metal asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"A gift that I have already made mine," Boruto replied, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Did one of the tailed beasts give you his chakra, Boruto?" Mitsuki asked, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Yes, he is one of my friends," Boruto replied, his voice filled with pride.
"No wonder," Shikadai muttered under his breath, finally understanding the source of Boruto's newfound power.
Inojin and Chocho just sighed, feeling disappointed that they had lost the fight. Sarada, on the other hand, felt useless during the battle as she had been unable to do anything to stop Boruto. She hated herself for her perceived weakness, but something strange happened that no one saw coming - her eyes turned red.
Shino stepped forward, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, it's time to announce the winner," he said, his voice ringing out across the arena. "Give a round of applause to Mitsuki's team for collecting three flags."
"What?" Shikadai muttered under his breath, finally realizing why Mitsuki had disappeared during the battle.
"The second place goes to Sumire's team with two flags," Shino continued, a smile on his face as he watched the winning team celebrate with high fives and fist bumps.
"And finally, the third place goes to Boruto's team, Shikadai's team, and Iwabe's team with one flag each," Shino concluded, his voice filled with pride for all of the students who had fought so valiantly in the battle.
As the battle came to an end, Shikamaru made his way over to Boruto and his friends, a proud smile on his face. He patted his son's shoulder and said, "I'm proud of you, son. You showed great judgment and skill out there."
Shikadai, however, couldn't help but feel a little envious of Boruto's strength. "Yeah, but Boruto is just stupidly strong for his age, even Metal," he grumbled.
"That's just the normal rule of life, Shikadai. If you want to surpass someone, you have to work hard for it, not just be lazy like you used to be," Shikamaru replied, his voice stern but filled with love.
"But aren't you lazy around too, dad?" Shikadai retorted, a cheeky grin on his face.
Shikamaru chuckled, ruffling his son's hair. "Touché, Shikadai. But I know you have it in you to be great, just like your father."
As they shared a laugh, Boruto's teammates approached him, looking apologetic.
"We're so sorry, Boruto," Enko apologized, her voice filled with genuine regret.
"We failed the mission," Tsuru added, her tone reflecting her disappointment in herself.
Boruto, ever understanding and forgiving, stood up and gently patted the girls' heads. "It's okay, I'm not mad," he reassured them, his voice filled with warmth and kindness.
Both Enko and Tsuru smiled, relieved to see that Boruto wasn't holding their failure against them. However, in the back of their minds, they couldn't help but notice the transformation in Boruto's physique. Their eyes subtly lingered on his half-naked body, marveling at the unexpected muscularity that had developed.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Taidanotsumi
Taidanotsumi Support me at:
Pat_reon/Taidanotsumi
Remove _
Advanced chapter at patreon, now at Chapter 42
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone