"Graaahhh!!" Kawaki roared as he charged forward with his grotesque left arm raised, his movement violent and ferocious. Boruto's eyes remained calm and sharp as he analyzed the attack. Fast… and his chakra is strong too. Is it because his Kāma is also at Stage One, like mine? But that left arm… it's not a function of Kāma, and it doesn't look like a ninjutsu either. A scientific ninja tool?
With that thought, Boruto formed a one-handed seal. "Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!" A massive earthen wall erupted in front of him. Kawaki didn't slow down in the slightest. His gaze was resolute as his left arm thrust forward. "Something like this… won't stop me!" The moment his arm struck, the lava-like spikes tore into the wall, cracking it apart before it completely collapsed.
Facing the oncoming Kawaki, Boruto gently pushed the stunned Sarada behind him, sending her into the snake arm Mitsuki extended, then raised his sword to block. A sharp clang rang out as the blade stopped Kawaki's attack—but the spikes on Kawaki's left arm suddenly branched out like additional blades, slipping past the sword and stabbing straight into Boruto's chest.
"I see. Your left arm is dangerous… I need to eliminate it first." Boruto held the blade with one hand while forming another seal with the other. "Dark Hidden Style: Portable Explosive Flame Array!" Dozens of explosive tags streamed out from beneath his black robe sleeves, instantly wrapping around Kawaki's left arm.
"You're trying to take me down with you!?" Kawaki shouted.
"No. Just this shadow clone… and your arm."
A deafening explosion erupted, flames swallowing Boruto's clone while completely destroying the scientific ninja tool in Kawaki's left arm. The blast sent Kawaki flying back into the rubble of the earlier earth wall.
Strictly speaking, his arm should have been capable of regeneration. But days ago, when he protected Himawari, it had been grazed by Delta's destructive laser. Even that slight damage had affected the regeneration core. If not for Tono Katasuke repairing it afterward, Kawaki wouldn't have been able to use that attack earlier. Now, however, Boruto's coordinated clone and explosive technique had completely destroyed the arm. It would no longer regenerate.
Kawaki frowned in confusion. "That shadow clone… the Seventh Hokage uses it too. It's supposed to disappear with just one hit. But Boruto's didn't vanish even after I pierced it… and it even counterattacked immediately. Why?"
Boruto's real body descended from above, his voice steady. "The 'one hit' you're talking about probably isn't as simple as you think. And your attack just now wasn't enough to instantly destroy my current shadow clones. That's all."
As Kawaki stared in shock, Boruto formed another seal midair. "Water Release: Jade Flow!" A surge of violent water crashed down, destabilizing Kawaki's footing. Boruto immediately switched seals, unleashing a concentrated bolt of lightning from his palm. "Lightning Release: Thunder Burst!"
Crackling electricity surged through Kawaki's body. "Aaaagh!!" he screamed as his muscles locked up.
Mitsuki watched with a faint smile. Boruto's ability to use ninjutsu has already surpassed reliance on scientific tools. Under Lord Shadow's guidance, and by learning to control Kāma, he's already reached elite jonin level…
"Don't underestimate me!!" Kawaki roared, activating Kāma to absorb the water and lightning.
"In real combat, your enemy won't stop attacking just because you can absorb ninjutsu." Boruto instantly closed the distance and kicked Kawaki away midair.
Boom! The sheer force slammed Kawaki into the mountainside, embedding him deep into the rock.
Damn it… even his taijutsu hits this hard. Our Kāma levels are the same, so the difference must be our own base strength…
Boruto rushed in again, but Kawaki's lips suddenly curled into a smirk.
"…Hmm?" Boruto's instincts sharpened instantly. Something's off.
Kawaki closed his eyes. A specially modified grenade dropped from his sleeve and rolled across the ground.
Boruto immediately sensed danger and stopped, retreating—but it was already too late.
A blinding flash and deafening explosion erupted.
"…Tch— a large-scale flashbang…" Boruto froze momentarily, his senses overwhelmed.
Kawaki's thoughts raced. I know I can't use ninjutsu. Against the Hokage's son, trained personally for years, that's my weakness. So before coming here, I snuck into Katasuke's temporary lab at the orphanage and took what I needed.
This scientific tool—high-intensity flash grenade—uses light and sound to instantly incapacitate anyone unprepared. As long as I close my eyes at the moment it detonates, I can avoid the blinding effect. As for the sound… I trained myself to endure it.
Kawaki opened his eyes, moving forward stiffly but with determination. A sword hilt dropped from his sleeve into his hand, and with a hum, a golden blade of light extended outward.
"This is a scientific ninja tool—laser sword. Its piercing power is no weaker than my destroyed arm. Die, Boruto!"
He thrust the blade toward Boruto's heart.
"Boruto!!!" Sarada screamed.
Mitsuki held her back with his snake arm. "Don't panic. His posture… he's still calm."
Scientific ninja tools still rely on chakra manipulation… as long as it's chakra, I can sense it—even if my sight and hearing are impaired.
The instant the blade approached, Boruto raised his left hand and met it head-on. The laser sword pierced through his palm, but he endured the pain, allowing it to slide through like a guided track. Using that momentum, he shifted his body, avoiding a fatal strike. As the entire blade passed through, he lunged forward, gripping Kawaki's right wrist tightly.
At the same time, a Rasengan formed instantly in his other hand. His vision stabilized, locking onto Kawaki's face—and he drove the Rasengan straight into his abdomen.
Crack!
The violent spiral force twisted Kawaki's body, his eyes bulging as pain contorted his face. He was blasted backward, the laser sword slipping from Boruto's palm.
The Seventh Hokage's Rasengan… why does something so small hurt this much!?
"Aaaargh!!" Kawaki screamed as he slammed deeper into the shattered mountainside.
Boruto exhaled steadily, his gaze calm. "My mission is to defeat you—not kill you. I held back and avoided your vitals."
Looking at his bleeding palm, Boruto formed a seal. "Medical Ninjutsu: Mystical Palm!" A green glow covered his hand, rapidly healing the wound.
Sarada stared in shock. "Boruto… can use medical ninjutsu?"
Mitsuki thought silently. Lord Shadow truly taught him everything… and Boruto absorbed it all in less than half a month.
Boruto looked at Kawaki. "So? Are you coming back with me on your own, or do I take you by force?"
Kawaki clenched his teeth. The gap between us… is this big? Is there really nothing I can do…?
At that moment, a thick black mist suddenly spread through the valley.
Boruto frowned, covering his nose and mouth as he retreated beside Sarada and Mitsuki.
A rough laugh echoed from within the mist. "Hahaha… Kawaki, looks like you got wrecked. As the vessel of Lord Isshiki, to be beaten like this by Momoshiki's vessel…"
Momoshiki: "'Beaten like this'…?"
Another eerie laugh followed. "Fufufufu… Kawaki, you're really pathetic. I wonder what Jigen would think if he saw this."
Cold sweat poured down Kawaki's face. "Th-those voices… Boro, Deepa!? Why are you here!?"
Inside the Kara base, in the monitoring room, Amado and Kashin Koji sat solemnly, watching the live feed transmitted by the surveillance drone. Delta, Code, Ao, and the rest of the Inner members were all present.
Jigen swirled the red wine in his glass, took a small sip, and set it down calmly.
"The actors are all in place… the real show begins now."
Enjoyed these chapters? Access 60+ ahead avanced chapters and exclusive content by visiting my Patreon. https://patreon.com/WillOFD129?