The streets of Konoha hummed with life, the late morning sunlight slanting through rustling trees, dappled across rooftops and stone paths.
Children chased each other past vendor stalls. Jonin strolled by with paperwork tucked under their arms.
The scent of miso broth, grilled squid, and clean rain lingered in the air, as if the village itself hadn't changed in years.
But Boruto had.
He kept his hood up as he walked, chakra still masked so tightly that not even the sharpest sensor could feel him pass.
His boots hit the ground in even, quiet steps, but the rhythm felt foreign here.
The hum of the village buzzed against the silence he'd been living in for months. The comfort of the noise only made him feel more out of place.
He passed Ichiraku's and paused, just for a second.
That ramen stall had been rebuilt a dozen times since he was a kid. The banners were still red, the counter freshly cleaned, steam drifting upward from bowls handed across.
It looked exactly the same, and yet... it felt smaller now.
Boruto exhaled, stepping under the curtain and sliding onto a stool at the end of the counter, furthest from view.
"Been a while," the chef said, already reaching for the ladle. "Miso with pork, right?"
Boruto didn't answer. Just gave a nod and pulled down his hood.
A beat later, the bowl hit the counter, fragrant and hot, broth still cloudy, pork melting at the edges, a soft-boiled egg tucked gently beside the noodles.
It smelled like a memory.
One that hadn't aged with him.
He ate slowly, not because he wanted to savour it, but because it was the first thing that hadn't tasted like ash in his mouth in weeks.
The first bite burned his tongue.
The second soothed something deep in his chest.
He didn't realise he was slouching until he felt the tension slip from his shoulders.
He was halfway through when a voice broke his silence.
"Back for five minutes and you're already inhaling ramen like a twelve-year-old."
He turned slightly, already knowing who it was.
Sarada stood there with her arms folded, dressed in the black jacket and half-framed glasses he hadn't seen in over three years.
Her eyes didn't quite match the tone of her voice, they looked softer than her words allowed.
"I missed lunch," he said, mouth full.
"Don't talk while chewing. You're disgusting."
"You came all this way just to insult me?"
"No," she said flatly. "I came because Mama told me to tell you she's waiting."
Boruto swallowed and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Could've sent a hawk."
"Yeah, but I figured I'd do you a favour. Let you finish your meal before she buries you in work."
Boruto let out a half-laugh, setting the empty bowl aside. "Thoughtful."
"Rare, I know."
A pause stretched between them. Long enough for the air to feel full of something unsaid.
YOU ARE READING
We're Different. | The Other Uchiha ✓ (Boruto)
FanfictionI was born an Uchiha. Raised by someone else. Forgotten by those who once knew me. In a village that never remembered my name, I chose to carve my own. A story about memory, belonging, and the pieces we can't erase, even when the world tries to. 𝐖�...
