"Hey, Minato. I'm so sorry for behaving like that yesterday. I wish you hadn't seen that..." Hanae apologised as Boruto and Minato were making their way into the Academy.
Minato's cheeks were burning, unable to stare at her for too long. He glanced at Boruto who looked quite displeased at the way she was ignoring him.
"It's...It's okay. Don't worry."
Hanae said nothing more for a while as she kept contemplating him in awe until a warm smile brightened up her face.
"What about we go have a drink once the class is over?"
His face only burnt even more as he looked down.
"Erm...I dunno." He started as someone elbowed him, glancing only to see it was Boruto. "Erm, sure, why not?"
"Great! See you then!" She skipped happily towards the classroom as Minato was left with his mouth agape and eyes wide.
"Oh my...She's so into you, man. I can't believe it, 'ttebasa!"
Well, Minato couldn't believe it either... Never had it happened to him before, so of course he didn't know how he should react...
Minato made his way to the classroom without a word.
"Hey, wait. Don't be so shy, 'ttebasa!" Boruto exclaimed as he grabbed his shoulder. "Wait. You don't feel the same way, do you?"
"I don't know! I mean I've just met her."
He didn't know what got into him, but he couldn't help it.
He glanced at his new friend who was looking thoughtful now.
"You know, Hanae isn't the kind of girl to be attracted by boys like a magnet. You must be very special if she offered you to have a drink with her," Minato's heart skipped a beat as Boruto elbowed him.
They kept walking until they reached Boruto's usual place. Shikadai and Inojin were already sitting there.
Boruto looked puzzled as he took a good look their surroundings.
"Wait... Nami isn't there...? I don't see her. She's always here early."
"Maybe she just didn't want to see you today after what happened yesterday," Inojin said plainly.
"No. She would never miss a class just to avoid seeing me."
Minato's stomach ached as Boruto frowned. His eyes shifted to the front rank.
"Hanae! Have you seen Nami today?"
"No. I haven't since yesterday," she replied innocently. She seemed to see how Boruto was worried so she proceeded. "But perhaps there is just something that delayed her arrival. Let's wait before getting worried."
Their Sensei arrived soon enough.
"Good morning, class."
The class representative made them all stand up.
"Good morning, Shino-Sensei," the class replied in unison and then they instantly sat back down.
Minato glanced at Boruto. Although he tried to hide it, he could feel he was still being worried as Nami still wasn't there. He looked down at his desk.
"Today, we will be staying outside to learn and practise shuriken throwing, so get ready."
Everyone sounded happy at the announcement. Boruto rushed outside and Minato followed suit, but Nami wasn't waiting there for them. Minato put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at him.
"Hanae is right. We shouldn't be worrying for now. You can trust us."
His mood seemed to brighten up instantly as a smile appeared on his face.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks."
Minato returned his smile.
"No problem."
Boruto was making him feel much more confident all of a sudden. He couldn't stop smiling now. It felt so good.
"Wait a minute, I'll be right back, 'ttebasa!"
Before Minato could say anything Boruto started running back inside, leaving Minato puzzled.
Meanwhile their Sensei started teaching them how to throw shurikens, but the students didn't even pay attention to his instructions as they started practising before he was even done speaking.
Minato kept looking around anxiously, holding a shuriken in his hand. He didn't dare try with all the other students who could observe him.
"Don't worry, no one will mock you if you don't get it right on your first attempt," he started as his Sensei appeared behind him. "It takes a lot of practice to master the art of shuriken throwing. Look how Sumire is struggling."
He looked in her direction and she was struggling indeed, but no one paid attention to how she was doing. They were all too engrossed in thir own doing. Minato glanced at his Sensei, giving him a shy smile before he focused on his target and threw a shuriken. He hit the edge of it, just like Sumire had, making him hum.
"Not that bad for a first time. With some training, you'll become excellent at it."
He smiled again. Of course, he wouldn't give up. He had never done that before, so it was normal that he couldn't get it right after a first attempt only.
"Do you mind if we train together?"
Minato started as Hanae was standing right beside him, a huge smile plastered on her dolly face.
"Erm... Sure..." he stuttered, his heart now racing.
Why was he so nervous around her?
"Oy, let me through ''ttebasa! The small size is for beginners, I shall start with the big size!" Boruto shouted.
Both Hanae and Minato as wella s the rest of the class turned their attention to him as he was springing forward to throw a tremendous shuriken. Minato went wide-eyed.
"What? No those ones! They're too dangerous," said Shikadai.
But Boruto didn't listen. "Shuriken-Fuma!" he exclaimed before he threw the Huge Shuriken.
"No problem I'm not scared of projectiles. I pulverise them with one kick," Metal Lee said as he was standing in Boruto's way.
"Be careful Metal!" Sumire told him.
Everyone's eyes were on Metal Lee, and next thing they knew, the huge shuriken got stuck in his leg and Metal swirled along with it, carried by great strength. He crashed on the ground none so gently, making everyone worried.
"Metal!" Hanae exclaimed before rushing towards him to help him. "Are you alright?" both her and Shikadai said at the same time.
Minato approached them as well, although his steps were much more hesitant.
"You're name's Metal? I'm so sorry, buddy." Boruto said.
"Yeah, I'm alright."
"I feel that your little gang is going to give me a hard time," their Sensei said.
"Where did you find that war machine? This is definitely not a weaponw e use at our level," Inojin pointed out.
"Well, I dunno, someone left it lying around in the locker room...
"Hey losers, you're the ones who've taken my fuma shuriken! I forbid you to touch my stuff!" Iwabe exclaimed while running towards them, a frown plastered on his face.
"Sorry'ttebasa I didn't know it was yours," Boruto apologised with a toothy grin, hands placed behind his head.
"The seven of you. You'll get detention. You'll come to see me in the teachers' room," their Sensei said, his voice firm and annoyed.
"But..." Boruto tried.
"There's no buts!"
"Why the seven of us?" Shikadai asked "We didn't do anything, Sir!" he protested
"It will teach you collective responsibility."
Wait... he said seven, so this means.... Boruto, Metal, Iwabe, Sumire, Hanae, Shikadai and Inojin. But why not him as well?
"Then I shall get detention too," Minato said. He surprised himself saying this. "I need to learn collective respinsability too."
"Minato, no!" Bortuo exclaimed.
Their Sensei stared at him for few moments before saying, "alright. The eight of you then. I wish you could take Minato as a role model."
Minato glanced down, some kind of unpleasant heat rising to his cheek. He hoped not every day was going to be like the first two days...
***
"I can perfectly understand that making a racket is normal for youth your age. I, myself, when I was your age did get into some mischief. But you went too far this time!" Their Sensei scolded them once they joined him in the teachers' room.
"Why do you lump us together?" Shikadai asked him.
Their Sensei sighed.
"Enough. I have to mark the occasion regarding your classmates. As punishment, you'll be assigned to make community service work."
"Me..Me too?"
"Me too?"
Both Metal and Sumire asked.
"No, you two as well as Hanae and Minato will just supervise others."
"And what about me?" Iwabe chimed in. "Why do I get detention?"
"Because it's forbidden to bring war weapons at school without being allowed to," their Sensei retorted.
Iwabe freaked out as Shikadai sighed.
Soon enough, they wre standing in front of a huge stone nonument.
"So we're going to repair the old man's face," Boruto grunted.
"This is called karma. That'll teach you to plow into it and half destroy it," Shikamaru told him.
Minato's eyes grew wide at the sight of all those heads.
"This is the Hokage monument," Hanae explained. "And Boruto unfortunately made a train plow into the Nanadaime-Sama's face the day we officially entered the Academy. What a day!" She laughed awkwardly as she finished speaking.
Minato only hummed in understanding, glancing at Boruto. Boruto was definitely something...
"Oh , you're the students that the Academy sent. Your Sensei explained everything to me. Come on, right this way," A man welcomed them.
They climbed up the scaffolding and got to work, except that after a hile, Boruto, Iwabe, Inojin adn Shikadai decided to take a break and played video games, but weren't ready to go back to work anytime soon.
"Come on Minato, it's much cooler than this stupid work 'ttebasa!"
But Minato didn't see the interest in those video game thing... he hadn't been raised with this kind of thing...
"Yeah...But we need to finish the work though..."
"Yes, please listen to Minato, can you help us finish please? I'd like to go back hom not too late," Sumire chimed in from above.
"They're right, what's more, there's not much left for us to do. There's only Metal who hasn't made great progress..."
Metal suddenly started driving the nail faster and harder into the stone.
"Metal What's up with you? Metal stop!" Shikadai said.
With a last knock, the stone started crumbling, making everyone panick.
"Move away, fast!" Boruto said, grabbing Metal's arm just in time before the stones fell.
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh" Metal shouted.
"Are you alright above?" Boruto asked.
"Yeah, no hurt," Sumire replied.
"Oh my God, we made it even worse now..." Shikadai pointed out.
"Oh boy.." Metal whispered.
Well, the Sensei would scold them even more after that...
***
"Oh finally, I'm glad this awful day's finally over," Boruto spoke up as they were going back to their respectives homes.
"Eh, you're kidding? This day was awful for us too," Shikadai pointed out.
"Hey, what about we all go eat burgers to take our minds off it?" Boruto suggested. "Are you up for it? I've got discount vouchers."
They all stopped walking as Metal was behind, staring into the distance thoughtfully.
"Stop feeling down, Metal. It's pointless. You're not the first one to rearrange his face if that can help you feel better. It wasn't that nice in the first place, so that's no big deal if we damaged it," Boruto told him.
"But..."
"Come on. Take a deep breath. You don't have to give your all all the time. You put yourself under way too much pressure, buddy. Instead of giving good results, the total opposite happens. I'm right, am I not? Everytime you're too stressed, you completely fuck up and fail everything," Shikadai chimed in.
"Am I that easy to read through?"
"Well, you clearly have a lack of self-confidence, evryone can see it. You always want do do everything right, too much, and you're straight as an arrow, so obviously sometimes, it ends up breaking."
"You think I'm ridiculous, right?" Metal Lee said, sulking some more.
"I didn't say that, but instead of training alone in the mountains until you fists bleed, you should start gain self-assurance and assert yourself."
"Why are you telling me this? You didn't need to. Erm... I'm going that way. See you tomorrow. Bye," Metal said before he started walking the other way round, disappointment obvious in his voice.
"Metal, wait," Sumire whispered.
"You went a bit too far. Did you see his face? You stabbed him," Inojin pointed out.
"You're one to talk. You're worse than him," Iwabe chimed in.
"It makes me sad to see him like him. Poor him, he works so hard and makes so much effort to succeed..." Sumire said, joining her hands together.
Shikadai sighed. Minato felt a pang in his heart although he didn't know him well.
He wanted to run up to him and tell him it would be alright. He was sure Shikadai hadn't meant to hurt him in any way.
"Come on, Minato. Let's go home," Boruto said, putting one hand on his shoulder. and forward they went, Minato with his heart heavy.
****
"Metal!" Minato exclaimed, glad he could run into him the following day.
He had left Boruto's home a bit earlier, telling him he had something to deal with but that he could join him soon after. He'd needed to take a good morning walk to think about the recent events. How things had changed overnight in his life....
Metal Lee turned around to face him, but Minato flinched as he was now near him, seeing how he glared at him. There was something changed in him, he could feel it.
"Metal...? You know about yesterday, Shikadai never meant to hurt you."
"You think I keep making a fool of myself too?" his words were harsh and threatening, matching his dark gaze.
"What? No! Not at all!"
"Stop it, you're just like them."
"No, I-"
"They'll regret the way they behaved with me, and you too."
"No Metal, please, calm down!" Minato exclaimed, putting his hands before his face in defense.
Metal suddenly jumped in the air, preparing to attack him, making Minato's breath catch in his throat.
"Minato!" Boruto shouted from afar. "Metal, no!"
"Konoha Senpū!"
Minato wasn't sure what happened then. Things happened way too fast...
He had his arm spread before him, Metal's feet pressing against it with great strength, but Minato it didn't even make Minato lose his balance.
"Wow, incredible!" Boruto exclaimed, now standing closer to them, Shikadai and Inojin by his side. "Did you see how he blocked his kick?"
"That's impossible..." Shikadai whispered. "No one can block such a powerful kick with such ease..."
"But you saw it with your own eyes though, as we just did," Inojin pointed out.
Metal stepped backwards, but got ready to attack him with another kick.
"Minato, come on, it's too dangerous," Boruto exclaimed, grabbing his arm and taking him away bfore he culd get hit by Metal.
The four of them ran away as fast as they could.
"My Goodness! What's got into him suddenly?" Boruto wondered aloud. "He could've hurt you bad!"
"I dunno... But he's definitely gained self-assurance," Minato replied, his breaths short.
"Damn it...I didn't mean it like this..." Shikadai chimed in.
"We'll find a way to reason him, don't worry," Minato told him.
Next things they knew, Boruto collided with a girl as they were turning around a street corner.
"Ouch!"
"You idiot! Can't you pay attention to your surroundings while running!" A grey-haired girl with teal eyes snapped, grabbing Boruto's shirt and lifting him off the ground.
Minato's heart skipped a beat. He had already seen that girl before.
Boruto tried to struggle free from her grip, but without much success.
"Sorry, but we're being hunted down 'ttebasa!"
"Hunted down, seriously? Are you kidding me?"
"That's true, I swear! Please, let me go now!"
The girl sighed, before releasing his grip on him, making him fall to the ground. "What did you morons do this time?"
"Nothing... Shikadai just told one of your friends he stressed too much and needed to get self-assurance and now he wants to kill us..." Boruto replied as he stood up.
"And you call that nothing?" she sighed again, a deep frown plastered on her face. "You morons are really something."
"Could you help us please?" Boruto asked her, panic filling his voice.
"No, we were never close, so why are you asking my help now? You'll never learn from your own mistakes if you don't solve your problems yourselves."
"But..."
"No buts. Fend for yourselves, boys."
She gave each of them a look, her gaze lingering on Minato.
She hummed while examining him. "We've already met before, haven't we?"
"Yes, at the orphanage. I grew up there."
"Oh yes, right. I remember... What are you doing with those morons then?"
"Hey, stop calling us morons!" Boruto protested.
"I'm not talking to you," she retorted, glaring at him, her voice harsh. (A/N : Tobirama mode 😂)
"They're not morons. They mean well and I'm glad I could finally make friends."
"Minato..." Boruto whispered.
The girl stared at him for some more time, her gaze hard and wary, making him flinch. "Didn't know they sent orphans here to make friends with Academy kids. Well, good luck with your enraged friend, morons."
She was quick to walk away in the sheerest indifference.
"Damn, I hate her," Boruto muttered.
"Boruto, forget it. We have a much bigger problem now. Come on," Shikadai reminded him.
"Yeah, that's right. Come on, he's gonna catch up with us!" Boruto exclaimed and they started sprinting again.
But as they were nearing the Academy, Metal appeared right before them, forcing them to stop in their tracks.
"Damn..." Shikadai muttered.
"Move away. I'll find a way to distract him while you prepare a tactic."
"Minato, no-"
"Don't worry, Boruto. I'll be alright. Trust me."
"No, I'm staying with you. Shikadai, Inojin, disperse!"
The two of them did as told without wasting any time.
"Alright, you'll be first then. And this time I swear you won't be able to block my attack. Then you, Boruto."
Minato frowned.
"Don't worry. I won't let him touch you," Boruto whispered.
Minato glanced at him and smiled. He was glad he now had a friend like him.
As Metal was ready to pounce on them to attack them, Minato realised he couldn't move any longer.
"Shadow Jutsu : Succeeded," Shikadai said. "Boruto. Knock him unconcious while he can't move. Hurry up!"
"What? I can't do that..."
"Come on!"
"But he can't move!"
"Minato please do it then!"
"Me?" He couldn't do that either...
Metal was pulling on his legs with all his might and even succeeded in lifting the sole of his foot. Coloured birds suddenly pounced on him, but he chased them away.
Both Minato and Boruto gasped as Metal finally managed to struggle from Shikadai shadow's grip. He pounced on them, his leg ready to kick them. Yet all of a sudden, he went all slow, his strength and speed leaving him and he fell to the ground.
"Metal!" Minato and Boruto exclaimed in unison before running towards him.
"Are you alright?" Boruto asked him.
Inojin and Shikadai joined them, their eyes wide.
"Metal, I'm so sorry about what I told you yesterday. Please forgive me!" Shikadai begged him.
"Oh, that's alright, don't worry," he said with an awkward smile.
He was now back to his normal self. That was really weird... "What happened? I don't get it..." Minato whispered.
Boruto and him looked at each other, Boruto seemingly deep in thought.
He grabbed Minato's arm and took him aside. "I saw a shadow leaving his body."
Minato hummed in wonder. "A shadow...? What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure... It's really weird. But that can definitely explain his sudden change of behaviour..."
Minato glanced at Metal and the others, pondering over Boruto's words.
Whatever had really happened, that could mean nothing good.
🌸🌸🌸
Hello everyone! :)
I hope you're all doing well :)
So......I've finally come back again after a long time and went across this draft that'd been there for quite a while but which I hadn't finished.... So I've just finished writing it now.
I'd love to know your thoughts about this chapter :)
Sorry, I really didn't want to give up on this story, but my mental health's been at the lowest for too long now....
I'd really like to continue and try to finish this story, so I'm gonna try (once again) to get back to writing it and post a chapter at least once a week. I have another story which I'd like to continue as well, so I'll do my best.
I really love the growing friendship between Minato and Boruto!! Things are going to get much more serious from now on after what happened in the previous chapter...
Thank you to all of you who'll still be reading this story, it means the world to me ❤️❤️❤️
Take care until next time! 🥰😘