bubblegum princess

chapter sixty six

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒
welcome to the final show;
STRENGTH AND
WEAKNESSES !
⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

𝞋𝞎

Cheers erupted in the bustling arena as the teams stood in line, the electrifying energy of the crowd filling the air. Seiren raised her chin high, her nerves barely hidden, as Rock Lee began announcing the instructions. "Round three consists of individual matches!" he declared, his voice booming over the excited audience.

In the large circle at the center of the arena, four teams, including Team 7, stood ready. Seiren glanced around nervously, her eyes briefly locking with Shinki's intense gaze. His scrutinizing look made her gulp before he looked away. Rock Lee's words brought her back to focus. "To be held tournament-style, we purposely did not pit teammates against each other in the first round."

Shikadai raised an eyebrow as Rock Lee continued, "However, if you win, you may end up facing each other." At that, Inojin and Seiren exchanged a quick, tense glance. "Make sure you verify what numbers your matches are," Rock Lee concluded.

"There will be three stages. The three winners in Blocks A, B, and C will square off in the final match. Are you ready?"

Seiren trembled slightly at his words, hugging her waist and covering her mouth. I'm starting to regret this, she thought to herself, her nerves swirling. Her gaze drifted to the roaring crowd. At the top of the arena's stairs, she spotted Keishi enthusiastically waving his arms, while Mirai stood beside him, looking bewildered by his over-the-top behavior.

Inside the arena corridor, the teams from Konohagakure sat on their bench, watching the mounted television displaying the matches. Seiren nibbled on her finger anxiously as Boruto and Yurui stepped into the arena.

"From the Hidden Leaf Village, Uzumaki Boruto!" Rock Lee announced. The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, their excitement reverberating through the arena. "Versus, from the Hidden Cloud, Yurui!"

"A-Ah! Boruto!" Seiren called out, her voice slightly breathless as she hurriedly stepped out of the locker room just as Boruto was about to head toward the arena.

Boruto turned at the sound of her voice, brows furrowing in confusion as he watched her rush toward him. "What are you doing?" he asked, noting the way her fingers fumbled to unclasp the necklace he had given her.

Seiren didn't answer, her expression unreadable as she closed the distance between them. His body tensed as she raised her arms, carefully looping the necklace around his neck and clasping it in place. The cool metal rested against his skin, but the warmth of her touch lingered far longer.

"Good luck," she whispered, her breath ghosting against his ear.

Boruto stiffened, his breath catching in his throat as her words sank in. His heartbeat hammered against his ribs, yet all he could focus on was the way her voice had sounded—soft, sincere, and filled with something he couldn't quite place.

Seiren hesitated, her gaze lingering on his for a moment before she stood on her toes. Before Boruto could react, she pressed a gentle kiss against his cheek.

His mind went blank.

By the time he processed what had happened, Seiren had already spun around and dashed back into the locker room, leaving him frozen in place. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. His hands twitched at his sides, unsure of what to do with the sudden rush of emotions that surged through him.