bubblegum princess

chapter thirty six

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the end of the beginning:
A FLICKER OF REALIZATION!
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MAYBE THE UNIVERSE doesn't like her, or they want to test her as one of their strongest soldiers. But guess what, she's just thirteen, matter of fact, she was barely acting her age due to the troubles and shenanigans her friends would often do to make her a mother hen. Can the god enlist her? She isn't his strongest soldier. No! Never!

Nevertheless, her friends trust her. The class trusts her, her teachers handed her the responsibility of the group leader since they see her as a worthy student for the job. Seiren nervously prickles the skin of her finger and shoots Kagura a look "Hachiya," he calls the boy out, who marches his way with his goons behind him.

"Ha? Kagura? Are you in charge here?" the boy sneered, lifting his chin in a display of arrogance. His posture was intimidating, as if he believed he could scare Seiren and the others with just a look.

"Wagging your tail at the outsiders like a dog," he taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. Seiren, feeling a surge of anger rise within her, instinctively reached out and took Kagura's hand. The warmth of his grip grounded her, giving her the strength to respond.

"Excuse you," she retorted sharply, her voice steady despite the tension. "Kagura is under the influence of the Mizukage to show us around." Her eyes narrowed, and she met the boy's gaze with a fierce glare. "You really have no respect for the Mizukage, especially when you're spouting such nonsense towards Kagura, who is only doing his job."

The boy's face twisted with anger as he gritted his teeth and leaned in closer to Seiren, his breath hot with rage. But before he could get any closer, Kagura stepped between them, shielding her from the boy's hostile presence. "Ha? Who are you to butt into our conversation, pinky?" the boy growled, his voice laced with irritation at Seiren's intervention.

Ignoring the boy's derogatory tone, Kagura remained calm, but his protective stance made it clear that he wouldn't tolerate any further aggression toward Seiren. The boy's eyes flicked back to Kagura, and with a sneer, he pointed accusingly. "You're a candidate for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Bloody Mist," he spat, as if that title alone should invoke fear.

Kagura, however, was unfazed. "So what?" he replied evenly, his tone dismissive. The boy, Hachiya, scoffed at Kagura's naivety. "If you bow down to them, they'll underestimate us," Hachiya retorted, his voice filled with scorn. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Ever since they came here, they've been cocky, strutting around like they own the place."

Iwabe's patience snapped. Breaking free from Boruto's grasp, he marched up beside Kagura, his anger barely contained. "So, what if we're cocky?" Iwabe challenged, his tone defiant. Seiren, sensing the danger of the situation escalating, reached out and grasped Iwabe's wrist pleadingly. "That's enough, Iwabe," she whispered, her voice trembling with concern.

Hachiya smirked, clearly enjoying the rising tension. "Right, listen to pinky—" Before he could finish, Iwabe's glare silenced him. He stepped forward, his eyes burning with a dangerous intensity. "Don't fucking call her that."

"Iwabe," Boruto said firmly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder and forcing him to back away. His other hand found Seiren's, and he held it gently, sensing how close she was to collapsing under the pressure of the moment. "Don't go planning to ruin the field trip," Boruto advised, his voice calm but authoritative. But Iwabe was too angry to listen, his focus solely on Hachiya. "Don't try to stop me, Boruto!" he snapped, his eyes locked onto Hachiya's smirk.