Shikadai's mouth twitched. He could imagine the scene.
"Sure, sure. You were going easy on her." Shikadai waved him off and followed the crowd out of the theater. "Anyway, the graduation exam's coming up. Made any progress with your training lately?"
Outside the theater, the afternoon sunlight was dazzling. Boruto raised a hand to shield his eyes, then suddenly stopped, barely able to contain his excitement.
"Now that you mention it... Shikadai, Mitsuki, I've been feeling something different lately!" He lowered his voice. "I think my eyes have been seeing things more clearly. It feels like they're about to awaken!"
"What do you think? Could that illusion back in Sunagakure have somehow stirred up the Hyuga blood I got from my mom? Maybe I'm about to awaken the Byakugan!"
"Come to think of it, when I faced Urashiki in that illusion, I vaguely remember my vision feeling different!"
Shikadai looked into Boruto's bright blue eyes, so full of hope and confidence, and swallowed the retort on the tip of his tongue.
He rubbed his chin and gave it some serious thought for once. "The Byakugan, huh? Your mother was the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Main House, so the odds of you inheriting it are pretty good."
"Maybe it just wasn't time for your eyes to awaken before. That illusion in Sunagakure was virtual, but the immersive brush with death and the mental shock might really have acted as some kind of catalyst. It's not impossible."
"Right? Right!" Even Shikadai's qualified agreement made Boruto more excited. He pumped a fist. "I knew it! I can feel the power welling up! I've gotta go train, so I'll see you guys later!"
"Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow as Boruto Uzumaki, the guy who can see through things! Ha!" With that, he turned