𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙐𝙕𝙐𝙈𝘼𝙆𝙄 𝙁𝘼𝙈𝙄𝙇𝙔

Part 77

As they continued their dinner, Naruto suddenly clapped his hands as if he’d just remembered something important.

Naruto: "Ah! In all this excitement, I almost forgot to ask—so, how was your first day, Mr. Temporary Hokage?"

Boruto groaned dramatically, slumping back in his chair.

Boruto: "Ahh! Don’t even ask, Dad. It was hectic! I think Hokages are some kind of aliens or something."

Both Naruto and Sarada froze mid-bite and glared at him.

Naruto & Sarada: "EXCUSE ME?!"

Realizing his blunder, Boruto sat up straight, waving his hands defensively.

Boruto: "Oh, crap—wait! What I meant was, how the heck did you guys even manage all that? I couldn’t even handle half of what Sarada did!"

He turned to Naruto first, then to Sarada, who smirked smugly, enjoying his struggle.

Boruto: "Seriously, Dad, Sara...How did you two manage this insanity without losing your minds?!"

Naruto leaned back, crossing his arms with a proud grin.

Naruto: "It’s not easy, is it? You finally get why I was always passed out on the couch when you were a kid, huh?"

Boruto nodded fervently, clearly traumatized by his one-day stint.

Boruto: "I do, Dad. I totally do. But Sarada! She’s like a machine! How do you do it every day and still find time to make me feel bad for complaining about my missions?!"

Sarada, enjoying his mini-breakdown, wiped her mouth with a napkin and leaned forward, her tone teasing yet confident.

Sarada: "Well, Mr. Uzumaki, unlike you, I don’t spend half my time coming up with excuses to sneak out of the office."

Naruto snickered while Boruto groaned, rubbing his temples.

Boruto: "That’s because sneaking out is the only way to stay sane! Seriously, how do you manage the meetings, the paperwork, the complaints, the politics?! It’s torture!"

Naruto: "And that, my boy, is why you respect the Hokage. Not just because of their strength, but because of the patience it takes to deal with that endless chaos."

Sarada nodded in agreement, adding her own two cents.

Sarada: "It’s not just patience. You have to care about the village more than yourself. You’ve got to be willing to put everything on the line, to ensure Konoha thrives."

Her words made Boruto pause. He looked at her with newfound admiration.

Boruto: "And that’s why you’re the perfect Hokage, Sara. You’ve got a heart big enough to handle all of that."

Sarada blushed faintly but tried to hide it by taking a sip of water.

Naruto: "Aww, look at you two getting all mushy. You remind me of me and your mom back in the day."

Hinata rolled her eyes again, though there was a smile on her face.

Hinata: "Naruto, they’re still eating. Let them finish before you start embarrassing them."

Boruto smirked, pointing at Naruto with his chopsticks.

Boruto: "See, Dad? This is why I take after Mom. She’s the only one who knows when to tell you to zip it."

Naruto chuckled while Hinata sighed playfully, and Sarada shook her head at Boruto’s antics. Despite the teasing, there was a warmth in the air—a shared understanding of the strength and dedication it took to lead, and the bonds that made it all worthwhile.