Time-Twisted Melody (Boruto - Twinkling Watermelon AU)

Chapter 32

Third Person POV

As Naruto stepped out of the Chinese restaurant, his hands slipped into his pockets, and he spoke without looking back at his band members.

"As you know, we don't have much time left until the festival..." His voice carried the weight of determination. "But they say, after a rainy day, the soil... Anyway, we can pull this off, believe it!"

His sudden burst of optimism came with a grin, but he didn't notice that Kiba, Shino, and Choji had already anticipated his pep talk and quietly walked away before he could catch on.

Boruto, standing beside him, raised his hand high in the air, trying to match Naruto's energy. 

"With that said, how about a cheer?" He eagerly placed his hand on top of Naruto's, but there was an awkward pause as they both realized—only two hands were there. Naruto blinked, glancing at Boruto with a frown.

"Hey, how come there's only two hands?"

Turning around, he saw Kiba, Shino, and Choji already a good distance away, their backs turned as they disappeared into the evening.

"Darn it, seriously. Hey!"

Naruto called after them, but they didn't bother to turn around, leaving him shouting into the empty street. He stood there for a moment, hands still outstretched. Then, realizing he was still holding hands with Boruto, he quickly shoved his hand away with a look of disgust.

"Ugh."

Boruto laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Before he could say anything, Naruto turned to him with a sudden shift in tone.

"So, you now work for the Hyuga family as a live-in tutor, huh?" There was a sharpness in his words that made Boruto freeze. His eyes widened in surprise—how could Naruto know?

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Why are you looking so surprised? Don't you know how fast rumors can travel? I heard some things, so I know that much, ya know."

Boruto scrambled to explain. "Well, what happened was... I met the Chairman of the Hyuga by chance, and he offered help—"

But Naruto waved him off before he could finish. "You don't need to explain it to me, ya know."

"Of course, it's much better for you to teach an obedient student and get paid more." He sighed, glancing up at the sky as if looking for something that wasn't there. With a final shrug, he turned to walk away.

"Anyway, bye. I'm off."

Not wanting to let the conversation end so bitterly, Boruto called after him, his voice softer this time. "Hey!"

"How's... How's Jiraiya doing? Is he well?"

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Boruto followed Naruto as they trudged up the narrow, lantern-lit path that led to the old, wooden guesthouse—Jiraiya's Toad Guesthouse. The moment they opened the sliding door, the faint scent of incense and warm food filled the air. There, in the dim light of the entryway, stood Jiraiya, his wide grin spreading from ear to ear.

"My gosh, Mr. Tutor is finally here!" Jiraiya exclaimed as soon as he spotted Boruto, rushing over with open arms.

"It's so good to see you, kid!" He slapped Boruto's shoulder a little too enthusiastically, nearly sending him off balance. Turning to Naruto, he scowled dramatically.

"And you! Why didn't you give me a heads-up? I could've thrown a party!"

"You always waste money for no reason! We don't need a party every time Boruto comes around, ya know!" Naruto shot back.