Time-Twisted Melody (Boruto - Twinkling Watermelon AU)

Chapter 8

 Boruto POV

The rain poured down in sheets, each drop like a needle against my skin as I squared off against Shizuma and his gang. My clothes were soaked, clinging to my body, but the cold didn't faze me. It was nothing compared to the numbness that had taken hold of me, a void where my will to fight should have been.

But as the gangsters closed in, something instinctual kicked in, and I moved without thinking. My body remembered what my mind had forgotten—how to fight, how to defend, how to survive. I lashed out with a kick, sending one of the thugs sprawling. Another came at me with a kendo sword, but I sidestepped, delivering a quick jab to his ribs that left him gasping for breath.

POW!

I could feel the familiar rush of adrenaline, the way my senses sharpened in battle. Even in the rain, even with the odds stacked against me, I fought back with everything I had. A roundhouse kick to the jaw, an elbow to the face—each strike was precise, calculated, the result of years of training. I wasn't just some kid playing at being a fighter; I was a threat, and I made sure they knew it.

But the numbers were against me. For every thug I took down, two more took his place. I could feel my strength waning, my movements slowing as exhaustion set in. The rain made it hard to see, and hard to breathe, and every hit I took sent a fresh wave of pain through my body.

They started to surround me, their grins twisted in the dim light as they realized I was losing steam. Shizuma stood at the edge of the circle, watching with that same sadistic smirk I had come to hate. His eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction, knowing he had me right where he wanted.

POW!

I tried to push forward, to break through their ranks, but a blow to my side sent me stumbling back. Another hit to my shoulder, and I dropped to one knee, the cold mud squelching beneath me. I could taste blood in my mouth, could feel it trickling down my chin, but I forced myself to stand, to keep fighting.

"Ugh..."

It wasn't enough.

PUNCH!

A punch to the gut knocked the wind out of me, and I doubled over, gasping for air. Before I could recover, they were on me, fists and feet raining down in a brutal assault that I couldn't block, couldn't escape. I was cornered, and beaten, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Shizuma's voice cut through the chaos, taunting and mocking. "Is this all you've got, Boruto? You're supposed to be some kind of prodigy, right? But look at you now—a broken, pathetic mess."

I wanted to scream back at him, to lash out with all the fury I had bottled up inside. But the will to fight had drained out of me, leaving nothing but emptiness in its wake. I slumped against the wall, barely able to keep myself upright, and met Shizuma's gaze with hollow eyes.

He laughed, the sound cruel and sharp. "What's wrong? Where's that fire I saw in you before? Did your old man beat it out of you?"

His words cut deeper than any of the blows I had taken, but I couldn't muster the strength to respond. I was done. Finished. The fight had left me, and all I could do was let the rain wash over me, each drop feeling like it was dragging me further down into the abyss.

Shizuma stepped closer, leaning down to sneer in my face. "You're nothing, Boruto. You should know better than to mess with us."

Should I care about what he said? Of course not. I don't give a damn about anything anymore.

The world was a blur of pain and rain, my vision fading in and out as the gang closed in around me. My body was battered, my spirit broken, and I could feel myself sinking deeper into despair. The will to fight had slipped through my fingers, leaving me a hollow shell, barely able to stand.