Chapter 427: Running Late
"What? You're going to the Ninja Academy too? Aren't you a year older than me?" Boruto asked, surprised.
He was naturally quick-witted and possessed a sharp memory. If he recalled correctly, Saitama Tobitake was definitely older than him.
"...Yup! I'm actually starting my second year now! I'm super strong already," Saitama said with an innocent, goofy grin.
"Whoa, awesome! What do you learn in second year?" Boruto asked curiously.
Since it was his first day of school, he had no idea what second-grade curriculum looked like—only that the older kids were supposed to be really tough. His dad had warned him beforehand not to act arrogant at school just because he was the Hokage's son, warning that if he got beaten up, no one would bail him out.
Denki chimed in, "I heard second year marks the start of the Scientific Shinobi Tool development courses! That's the most popular trend right now. My goal is to become the world's very first Three-Star Scientific Shinobi!"
His entire face flushed with excitement.
According to current intelligence, no one in the Scientific Shinobi field had ever reached the Three-Star rank. That made him determined to be the absolute first.
Currently, there were only a handful of Two-Star Scientific Shinobi in the entire world. It was the highest honor in the field of Scientific Shinobi Tools, and he was determined to achieve it—to become even greater than his own father!
Boruto scoffed, "Scientific Shinobi Tools? Relying on external gadgets, huh? I'd never use stuff like that. I'm already strong using my own pure strength!"
He looked down on those gadgets. In his mind, true excellence as a shinobi looked like Uncle Sasuke.
The train guard interjected, "That's not true at all, kid! Scientific Shinobi Tools are a valid form of strength too, and their ongoing development is deeply sophisticated. Did you know that many years ago, the Hidden Cloud Village used Scientific Shinobi Tools to obliterate a massive wave of meteorites falling from the moon, and even had the tech to seal the moon itself? You shouldn't underestimate their power. Even Lord Orochimaru, Director of the Technology Development Bureau, relies heavily on advanced Scientific Shinobi Tools to assist his experiments nowadays. That's precisely why Konoha's technological progress has been so seamless."
The guard glanced out the train window at the passing scenery.
Towering skyscrapers had sprouted from the ground in just a few short years, completely replacing the low-rise buildings of the past. High-tech innovations were integrated into every corner of Konoha.
In particular, toward the western district of Konoha, a massive skyscraper stood tall, bearing huge painted characters: ICHIRAKU GROUP.
Even the Thunder Rail train beneath their feet was a product of recent years' technological breakthroughs, not to mention the high-tech airships ascending and descending in the sky above.
"Tch. I'm not underestimating it. I just feel like using Scientific Shinobi Tools isn't true personal strength in the end," Boruto muttered, pouting.
Denki countered, "But Scientific Shinobi Tools can be used to train your own personal strength!"
He held his own strong convictions on the matter. Scientific Shinobi Tools were unquestionably the most magnificent treasure in the Shinobi World. They could transport people vast distances without exhausting their legs, generate artificial gravity to train the body, and create training equipment to hone shinobi abilities.
It wasn't a simple binary conflict between traditional shinobi and technology like it appeared on the surface.
"Hey! Are you guys completely ignoring us?! Forget your stupid Scientific Shinobi Tools—fists are what matter most!" the three kids Boruto had previously beaten up shouted in frustration.
They were getting sick of being treated like invisible air.
Saitama offered softly, "My dad says Scientific Shinobi Tools are a stepping stone for a shinobi's growth, not an obstacle—it all depends on how you use them. I don't really understand it myself, but that's what he said, so I remembered it."
His dad said a lot of complex things that went over his head, but whenever he trained his body and abilities, new ideas would pop into his mind.
Still, he made a point to memorize them. Saitama knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, so he was determined to be like the early bird his dad always talked about—getting a head start by trying harder.
Hearing this, Denki nodded vigorously in agreement. He hadn't expected this bald kid, Saitama, to speak with such profound wisdom! Scientific Shinobi Tools are a stepping stone for a shinobi's growth—that's spot on! He was going to become a great Three-Star Scientific Shinobi and forge a brand-new path for technology!
Even Boruto couldn't find a way to argue back. After all, the video games he played every day were a direct product of Scientific Shinobi Tool advancements.
"Hey, I said you guys—"
"What's wrong?"
Flash!
Before the trio could finish their sentence, Saitama vanished and reappeared right in front of their faces.
To the three bullies, Saitama looked like a yellow flash. His blinding speed made his bright yellow jumpsuit blur into an incandescent glare.
"What were... your names again?" Saitama tilted his head, staring blankly at the three.
"Why bother with them? They're just bullies who pick on the weak," Boruto said with disdain, glaring at the three for picking on Denki before he had even become a shinobi.
Saitama replied, "Dad told me to make lots of friends. He said I'm kinda slow, so I should learn to make friends who can give me advice when I run into trouble."
Since he was little, Tobitake Tonbo had constantly encouraged him to make plenty of friends at school. Saitama took that advice to heart—every classmate in his grade was already his friend, and whenever he met someone new, he naturally wanted to befriend them too.
"..." Boruto was left speechless. Looks like this bald kid's brain really doesn't work right.
"OH NO! Look at the time—we're gonna be late!" Denki checked his wristwatch, realizing how much time had slipped by. Roll call at the Ninja Academy was already underway!
"Agh! We're dead!" Boruto groaned, his spirits crashing. It was his very first day of school—his dad was going to be so disappointed in him!
"Huh? Are we gonna be late? But didn't the teacher say it's fine to be late, or even show up super late?" Saitama's smooth bald head tilted in genuine confusion.
His teacher had explicitly told him that he just needed to check in at school whenever he arrived, and that being late didn't matter at all!
"WHAT?! What kind of teacher would ever say that?! That's impossible!" Boruto and Denki gasped in utter disbelief.
Even if they had never attended school before, they knew how strict attendance was—how could any student be allowed to be late whenever they wanted?!
...
Inside the Ninja Academy grounds.
Naruto stood before the crowd of newly enrolled students, reading off names from the attendance sheet.
"Boruto Uzumaki... Boruto Uzumaki..."
The teacher holding the roster called out the name several times to no response before turning his head toward the crowd of freshmen.
Naruto's brow furrowed. What is Boruto doing? Why isn't he at school yet?
"Never mind, next—"
BOOM!
Just then, a massive plume of dust roared down from the Hokage Monument high above, drawing everyone's startled gazes skyward.
Three figures plummeted from the sky directly toward the courtyard, having leaped straight off the top of the Hokage Monument!
"HOLY CRAP! THIS IS CRAZY! STOP STOP STOP, SAITAMA!"
Boruto, dangling from Saitama's left arm, turned pale as a sheet. Falling at this terminal velocity meant total doom!
Dangling from Saitama's right arm, Denki was in no better shape—his face flushed bright red from sheer terror, eyes rolling into the back of his head as the ground rushed up to meet them.
Saitama, meanwhile, looked completely bewildered as they fell. Didn't you guys just say we were running late and needed to get to school as fast as possible?
THUD!
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