Boruto Light Novel 4

Part 2 (Boruto vs Kagura)

Just like the hotels and the city streets, the academy in Hidden Mist Village far surpassed Konoha's. Among the many different facilities, the most impressive was the training hall where the students underwent battle simulations and practical exercise.

On top of being able to accommodate over 100 people at once, there were different modes and various settings that could be adjusted depending on the desired training course.

This time, kenjutsu (swordsmanship) training was on display, so the students didn't get to view any of the advanced functions. But it seemed like it was possible to make it rain and create wind gusts that rivaled those of a typhoon.

To top it all off, the highest-level kenjutsu class was overseen by none other than the Mizukage himself. With the students from Konoha on a field trip watching and Chojuro present, it was no wonder the Hidden Mist students were fired up and giving it their all.

There was a pretty big difference in the amount of effort put into swordsmanship training between The Mist and The Leaf. In contrast to Konoha, where taijutsu was the most prominent, it seemed like kenjutsu was the center of focus in The Hidden Mist. So naturally, there was a large difference in the proficiency of the students.

As for which one was more advantageous in a battle, that depended on the situation and the battle itself. But there was no doubt that The Mist students would mop the floor if it came down to a swordfight.

Seeing how Boruto was itching to join the fray, Chojuro called out to him. "If you're that anxious to fight, why don't you give sparing with Kagura a try?"

"Can I really? I'd love to, ya know!" He took the suggestion with glee.

Sarada wondered if this was perhaps an extension of Boruto's desire to get to know his new friend better. Kagura on the other hand wore a puzzled expression. He didn't seem too enthusiastic about the idea...

But nevertheless, the match started at the center of the training grounds on top of a pool-like area. It wasn't exactly the type of battle the students in Konoha were used to seeing. Boruto and Kagura stood on top of the surface of the water, swords in hand. They would have to fight while maintaining enough control of their chakra not to sink under the surface.

Facing each other, they both adopted their own unique battle stances. Boruto, a kendo stance with his sword pointed forward. Kagura, on the other hand, took up a rather unique stance with his sword over his back. The two locked eyes and gradually closed in. But neither made the move to attack.

"Why aren't either of them going for it?" Asked Cho-Cho, impatient with the unmoving swordfight.

"Because they can't," Shikadai responded.

And it was exactly as he said. Even from the distance that Boruto maintained, there were zero gaps in Kagura's defense. If Boruto threw a shuriken, Kagura would knock it down instantly and move into striking range.

From her position, Sarada could see the beads of sweat glistening like dew on Boruto's forehead.

"For generations, the role of Mizukage has been passed down to the strongest swordsman in the village. And the seven ninja swordsmen are the closest in ranking after that," said Inojin without taking his eyes off the battle.

"Boruto! Do your best!"

"Boruto-kun!"

The voices of their classmates cheered him on. And almost simultaneously, the match that seemed to be paused in time began to move.

Whether the encouragement of his classmates spurred him on or he simply just got tired of waiting, the one who took the first step was Boruto.

Over and over, the swords clashed. An hour seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye. Finally, the sword in Boruto's hands flew up into the air. It happened so quickly that Boruto himself couldn't process his own defeat.

He stared down at his hand and let out a sigh. "O... Oh! I lost!! You're strong, Kagura," he said with a smile.

It seemed like he was still frustrated by his defeat, but more than that, he was happy to be able to see a new side of his friend.

But.

Kagura was acting strange. With clenched teeth and eyes that seemed to stare past the ground, the expression on his face made it seem like he was desperately trying to endure something. He was sweating even worse than Boruto.

"...What's wrong?"

At those words, Kagura suddenly regained his sanity. And his gaze became fixated on Boruto. By staring at him, it seemed like he was trying to confirm something.

Gradually, the tension faded from his body, and his expression regained its calmness.

"Ah, sorry. Nothing's wrong. Thank you." By the time the words finished leaving his mouth, Kagura completely returned to the state he was in before the match. "But this was just a match using kenjutsu. If we included ninjutsu, who knows what would have happened?"

Boruto returned his words with a smile. "Tch, you say that with such a carefree face."

"That's not true. The tide just happened to be in my favor."

After that, the two came up from the water-filled training grounds.

Shikadai was the first to congratulate them. "You really were great out there. As expected of one of the seven ninja swordsmen candidates."

But upon hearing those words, Kagura's expression hardened once more. The only ones who seemed to notice were Shikadai, Chojuro who was nearby, and Sarada who was keeping a watchful eye on the situation. In fact, Chojuro was wearing a troubled look of his own.

I wonder what happened?

Judging by the fact that he tensed up twice in a matter of minutes, Sarada figured out that he must have been hiding some sort of secret.

"If I remember correctly, there aren't any other members, are there?" Inojin was the one who asked.

Denki followed up. "If that's the case, wouldn't that make Kagura-kun the next Mizukage?"

This time there was no doubting that their words were clouding over Kagura's expression. Finally, Boruto seemed to notice the second shift in Kagura's increasingly strange mood.

"What's the matter, Kagura?"

"A-Ahh, it's nothing," he said with an empty smile. But this time, everyone knew that it was insincere.

"...The position of Mizukage is awe-inspiring... But right now, my mission comes first."

And with that, the students of Konoha couldn't question Kagura any further.