Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

Boruto couldn't help but cover his eyes, not wanting to see young Sasuke's impending misfortune.

Ding, ding, ding!

The relentless sound of clashing Ninja Tools filled the air, but no cries of pain followed.

'What's going on?'

Boruto slowly opened his eyes and looked towards the small lake.

There, he saw Sasuke held a kunai in each hand, swiftly deflecting each incoming projectile with skillful spins of his wrists.

Not only was he blocking every Ninja Tool that came his way, but each deflection sent them ricocheting into others, neutralizing the attack while making things increasingly difficult for his opponent.

'As expected of master… Even in his youth, he's extraordinary.'

Boruto felt a surge of pride, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for Sasuke's opponent. He estimated that the guy on the opposite side would be facing a harsh defeat.

However, upon closer inspection, Boruto's heart tightened again. He never expected that Sasuke's opponent was actually Neji.

Having seen the photos before, Boruto knew the boy with the white eyes had to be his uncle.

When he was at home, he often heard his mother, Hinata, say that Neji was a Hyuga Clan's genius. Now, he was about to witness just how skilled this 'Hyuga prodigy' really was.

Boruto stared at Neji intently, not wanting to miss any details.

Neji took a deep breath, then positioned his hands in the opening stance of the Gentle Fist. At the next moment, he stamped his foot, moving as fluidly as if the water beneath him were solid ground, beginning a rapid spin.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

This was one of the Hyuga Clan's secret techniques, reputed to be an Absolute Defense. It can generate a dome of Chakra to protect the user and rebound physical attacks.

As Neji spun, not only did the Chakra dome form, but a vortex of water also rose to shield him.

All the Ninja Tools that were flying toward him were slowed by the water vortex, losing all momentum by the time they touched the Chakra shield.

But would it stop at just defense?

Of course not!

Neji's Chakra-infused palm strikes redirected the Ninja Tools, not simply for defense but as part of his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Each strike accelerated the tools back towards Sasuke, adding offense to his defense.

They were relentless in their counterattacks… neither willing to give in.

Watching this textbook-level battle, Boruto was dumbfounded, utterly taken aback by the intensity of the scene unfolding before him.

Even after the fight ended, he remained speechless.

"More exciting than any magic trick, right?" Naruto said with a slight smile.

Boruto nodded blankly.

"How about you stop with the magic tricks? Wasting your talent like that really pains me. Why don't you join our training for a while?" Naruto suggested, subtly getting to his point.

Boruto shuddered and asked in surprise, "Really? I can?"

"Of course. I can at least make that call."

Naruto replied with a faint smile, clapped his hands and said, "Tenten, take a break. Sasuke and Neji, come here for a quick meeting."

Whoosh, whoosh!

Two figures shot up from the lake and quickly arrived before Naruto.

"It's like this. I'm going to increase your training difficulty. I want you two to train Boruto until he reaches Chunin-level strength." Naruto went straight to the point.

"Why?" Sasuke asked in doubts.

Naruto groaned and explained, "You two are progressing too quickly. This kind of rapid growth can make your foundation unstable, leading to basic mistakes in serious battles. Focusing on fundamentals while training Boruto will help you refine your own skills."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke nodded in understanding.

He knew very well that Naruto had his eyes on Boruto, but he had to admit that Naruto's words did move him.

Since it was a win-win situation, Sasuke said no more and agreed to the matter.

On the other hand, Neji shook his head and said, "I can't teach him much."

All his abilities are based on his Byakugan, which is something that ordinary people cannot learn.

"Just teach him Taijutsu, like you did with Sasuke." Naruto suggested after a moment's thought.

No matter what, Boruto is his and Hinata's child, carrying the Hyuga's bloodline. Even though he didn't display any Byakugan traits outwardly, learning Hyuga Clan's Taijutsu should still be possible for him.

"I don't think that's appropriate!"

At that moment, a figure flickered before Naruto and said sternly, "After all, Boruto is not from Konoha Village."

Naruto groaned and said, "Don't worry, Guy-sensei. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility!"

"Hmm?"

Guy was slightly surprised. It was the first time he had seen such a resolute expression from Naruto.

"In that case, any consequences will be yours to bear."

"No problem." Naruto nodded firmly.

Though he couldn't explain everything, Naruto understood Boruto's identity well enough to know there was no issue with training him.

Boruto, however, didn't realize Naruto knew the truth. He thought it was simply Naruto's warm-hearted nature, and this gesture deeply touched him.

'As expected of Father… Even when young, he's very kind.'

In Boruto's eyes, Naruto's small body now looked extremely tall and majestic.

"I'll do my absolute best!" Boruto declared, feeling a surge of determination.

If he was going to train, he was going to do it right… he doesn't want to let his father down.

"Then let me start us off."

Sasuke took the initiative to begin. The best way to understand Boruto's abilities wasn't through questions but through direct combat, as this would help Sasuke gauge Boruto's skills and tailor his training accordingly.

With a flicker, Sasuke appeared in front of Boruto and launched a powerful punch.

Whoosh!

To Sasuke's surprise, Boruto reacted instantly, retreating several meters to dodge the punch.

Not only that, Boruto swiftly formed hand seals and shouted: "Water Release: Surging Sea!"

He converted the condensed Chakra in his body into water, and suddenly spurted out a high-pressure water column from his mouth, hitting Sasuke directly.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and retreated, but the high-pressure water column that hit the ground instantly formed a huge wave and launched a second attack.

Under normal circumstances, Sasuke would avoid a frontal confrontation. However, since he'd learned to walk on water, the wave no longer posed any threat to him.

He leapt forward, dashing over the wave's crest as he charged toward Boruto.

Boruto quickly formed more hand seals and shouted, "Lightning Release: Thunderclap Arrow!"

He gathered Lightning Attribute Chakra his right palm, producing several white, arrow-shaped bolts of lightning. However, rather than directing them at Sasuke, he placed his right hand on the wave.

Using water's conductivity, he sacrificed some power from the Thunderclap Arrows to create a wide-reaching electrical charge that temporarily paralyzed Sasuke.

Unfortunately, Sasuke's Chakra was very strong, and quickly spread through his body, releasing the paralysis as one would dispel a Genjutsu.

However, that brief instant was all Boruto needed.

Or rather, he had planned this outcome the moment he chose to use water as a conductor.

Boruto launched a shuriken and clapped his hands, "Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

This technique compressed wind chakra into a violent blast of air, initiated by a clap. The basic attack alone could send someone flying, but its true power lay in its combination with projectile weapons like shuriken or kunai. Both the speed of the shuriken and the force of impact would be magnified!

The already fast-flying shuriken accelerated several times over under the influence of Gale Palm.

In a fraction of a second, Sasuke broke free from the paralysis, but in that same instant, the shuriken had reached his chest!

Dodging was no longer an option...