Standing on the wooden crate, Naruto Uzumaki looked at the street that had emptied after Konohamaru passed through. He scratched his head awkwardly, his lips pulling into a sheepish laugh.
He had tried this tactic countless times: belittling himself and lowering his head in hopes of winning a little tolerance from the villagers.
Every time, a brief burst of laughter ended with him standing there alone, left to deal with the embarrassment.
But he had never given up.
For Naruto as he was now, this clumsy approach was the only way he could think of to bridge the distance between himself and the village.
He was about to jump down from the battered wooden crate when he caught two figures deep in the alley out of the corner of his eye.
Sasuke and Boruto stood out in the dim shadows.
Naruto's drooping eyes instantly lit up. All his embarrassment vanished, and he perked up at once, bounding over to them with excitement and anticipation written all over his face.
"Wow! Two people actually stayed!"
"You must have heard what I said and been moved, right?"
"You must be full of confidence in the village's future!"
Boruto stood still, staring at the foolish young Naruto who was so deeply moved by his own words. The larger-than-life image of his father that he had built up since childhood shattered completely.
In the future, the father he knew was composed, powerful, and mindful of the bigger picture-a hero who protected the entire shinobi world, a great Hokage admired by everyone.
But the young Naruto before him was different. Completely different.
Boruto's mouth kept twitching. Overwhelmed by disappointment at the contrast, he muttered under his breath.
"How could a real Konoha ninja be like this..."
Sasuke, standing beside him, had remained cold and expressionless