Chapter 220: Niche Shinobi
"..."
The moment Naruto spoke, both Boruto and Sasuke were dumbstruck. How on earth did you reach that conclusion?
Boruto was especially speechless. He had assumed his dad must have been a genius as a kid to grow up to be the Hokage, but looking at him now, he seemed a bit hopeless!
"So, you're here to find your long-lost family? Well, since that's the case, I guess I'll accept you as my little brother."
Naruto crossed his arms, a sudden surge of responsibility rising in his chest. He seemed completely convinced by his own theory. Boruto was his brother. This kid had come all this way to find him—what a sudden stroke of happiness!
"I'm not your brother! I'm... I just look a bit like you, that's all." Boruto wanted to argue, but knowing he couldn't reveal the truth, he changed his tune. Being "brothers" with his own dad felt incredibly eerie.
Sasuke chimed in from the side: "That's right. We are travelers visiting Konoha. We were just discussing the best sights to see. Looking like you is merely a coincidence."
Naruto rubbed his chin, looking Boruto up and down before shifting his gaze to Sasuke.
"Big brother, you have a familiar aura about you too. Actually, you're a lot like my teammate!"
This guy had that same "vibe"—it was very suspicious.
"Big brother..."
Hearing Naruto call him that, even Sasuke's battle-hardened heart couldn't help but flutter. So, this guy acknowledged me as a companion this early on? What a tsundere. He even calls me a "teammate" in front of strangers!
"Ah—no, wait. That guy is way too grumpy; he's nowhere near as gentle as you. It must be my imagination," Naruto muttered. He felt strange today; his head was filled with weird thoughts.
"Um... could you show us around Konoha? We need a guide," Boruto suggested.
Sasuke didn't object. As long as they didn't expose their identities, it was fine. Their goal was to stay close to young Naruto and wait for Otsutsuki Urashiki to strike.
"Oh, show you around? But I have to train!" Naruto was tempted, but the final stage of the Chunin Exams was coming up, and he wanted to put in extra work. He couldn't afford to let Sasuke pull too far ahead of him—it would be embarrassing. Besides, Kakashi-sensei mentioned that Sakura was training with Uncle Tonbo; he couldn't fall behind.
Boruto replied, "Is it for the Chunin Exams? If you show us around, I can be your sparring partner later." He felt a surge of excitement. Getting a legitimate chance to beat up his dad? The thought was thrilling, as long as he wasn't caught.
Naruto looked suspicious. "You're a ninja too? Why don't you have headbands?" He scanned them several times but couldn't find a forehead protector anywhere. He even adjusted his own headband to show he was a "real" shinobi now, unlike before.
Sasuke explained: "We are 'Scenery Shinobi.' We're different from village ninjas. Our goal is to wander the world and experience various landscapes. We don't have specific headbands. We came to Konoha specifically to experience its unique scenery."
Boruto nodded in agreement. "We've been to so many places! The Never-Ending Wind Valley in the Land of Fire, islands overseas filled with summoned beasts, the famous hot springs in the Land of Steam... we've seen it all."
Of course, he hadn't actually been to these places, but he had read about them in books. That didn't stop him from bragging to Naruto.
"Whoa! That sounds amazing! I've been to the Land of Waves, and the scenery there was definitely different. But 'Scenery Shinobi'... what a weird term." Naruto looked at them with envy. They had traveled to so many places. Wasn't a ninja's job to protect people or things?
"It's a new type of shinobi," Boruto said, showing off his knowledge. "Because people grew tired of constant war, the profession—originally meant for espionage and assassination—began to evolve. New branches started taking root globally. Now we have Scenery Shinobi, Gourmet Shinobi, Jewel Shinobi, and others who pursue different goals."
This was a concept compiled by the future "Director" Tonbo Tobitake, the first Deputy Director of the Technical Development Bureau. He had taken niche ideas and made them widely known. Unfortunately, extraordinary power always brings conflict, so these concepts never truly became the mainstream.
"Wow, you guys are so smart! I had no idea," Naruto said. He didn't quite understand it, but he could tell the people in front of him weren't lying. He memorized the terms; he could use this "knowledge" to brag to Sakura later. Hehe, he thought gleefully. Sakura will be so impressed by how much I know!
"Even though we aren't combat-focused ninjas, we should have no problem helping you train. We have some skill," Boruto said, tilting his head up proudly. He was a prodigy, after all—ranked first in his class at the Academy.
"Alright! It's a deal. I'll show you the sights, and you help me train." Naruto figured this was a good idea, since the Pervy Sage was always busy peeking and wasn't training him properly. He was a little worried they might stand him up or that they wouldn't be strong enough, but his gut told him they were telling the truth.
"Mhm, no problem," Boruto smiled. He had heard from his uncle that Naruto was a force to be reckoned with even in his youth, so he expected a good challenge.
"Great! Let's go to the Hokage Rock first. I'm telling you, the view there is the best in Konoha. You can see the whole village!" Naruto tucked his hands behind his head and walked toward the mountain with a grin. Boruto and Sasuke shared a look and followed.
Their goal was to stick to Naruto like glue and wait for Urashiki. Sasuke noticed the ANBU signatures hidden in the shadows around Naruto, but he remained calm. The power of the Nine-Tails was currently a "walking bomb" for Konoha; he finally understood why Naruto had been treated the way he was.
Under his cloak, Sasuke secretly wove a seal and cast a Genjutsu—a technique he had learned from "Uncle Tonbo" in his own timeline—to lower the alertness of the guards.
"Hmm?"
In the shadows, the ANBU guards, who had been extremely tense about two unknown ninjas approaching the Jinchuriki, suddenly felt... different. Yet, they couldn't quite put their finger on why.
"Captain, what is it?"
"Nothing. Have we identified these two yet?"
"We checked. According to their own words, they are some kind of traveling ninjas who collect 'scenery.' They haven't asked about Naruto's movements, so they likely aren't after the Nine-Tails. However, there is one thing..."
"What is it?"
"They pulled a 'dine and dash' at Ichiraku Ramen. They didn't pay."
"..."
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