Boruto stared at the chaos he had caused, at an angry Sarada, and at his classmates' shocked, confused, even accusing looks. He felt anxious and furious, but more than anything, he felt a crushing hurt he couldn't put into words.
He opened his mouth to explain that a monster had been about to attack her, but the words caught in his throat.
Who would believe him without proof? Saying it would probably make things worse. He would only sound like a lunatic making excuses.
"What happened?! What's going on?!" Iruka rushed into the cafeteria and stopped short. It looked like the aftermath of a food war. At its center stood a blond boy, motionless, stubborn-faced, and utterly lost.
The students immediately began talking over one another, recounting what had happened.
"Principal Iruka! Boruto suddenly used a Rasengan and blew up the serving counter!"
"Yeah! Out of nowhere!"
"Sarada got the worst of it!"
"My clothes are ruined..."
Iruka got the gist of it and rubbed his aching temples.
He walked up to Boruto. Looking at the boy he had watched grow up, he said with a complicated expression, "Boruto, that was far too reckless."
"Whatever your reason, using a Ninjutsu like that in the cafeteria, damaging school property, and putting your classmates in harm's way was a serious mistake."
"Come to my office first. We'll discuss why you did it and what to do about it later."
He turned to the other students, who were still shaken, and raised his voice. "Everyone, I'm sorry your meal was interrupted. Could you help clean this up first? Otherwise, no one will be able to eat."
Most of the students were unhappy, but they heeded their respected principal and began cleaning up.
Boruto silently lowered his head. Under the students' varied gazes, he