Boruto

The Chuunin Finals. The day had finally come. Konoha brimmed with excitement for this much awaited chapter.  They steadily filled into the seats of Konoha stadium chattering away about the prospective winner and potential Chuunins.

A huge suspended screen displayed the competition brackets on the side. The five Kages sat together on the viewing platforms with their aides guarding behind them. It wasn't often you'd see the legendary Kages from the five major Hidden Village nations lined up together and their appearance brought about more thrill to the entire audience.

Naruto and Gaara sat beside each other both expectant of their own candidates. 

Below the platforms stood Rock Lee. He surveyed the neatly arranged participants in front of him.

"I believe you've been informed already. The third test will be individual battles!" He spoke loudly worrying that the hidden mic wouldn't catch his words. His explanation was mostly for the audience to understand.

"Your own teammates who know your abilities and skills may very well be matched up against you! 

    This test will have three rounds. And the final round will be between the winners of each block, A, B and C!"

"Is everybody READY ?!"

"Yeah!"

The screen flickered to show the first matchup.

[BORUTO UZUMAKI v/s YURUI]

"Yeah!"

There was a clamour. The son of the Hokage would be the first to begin.

Hinata and Himawari inched forwards to the edge of their seats on the bleachers in anticipation of Boruto's first match.

The rest of the examinees filed into the stands awaiting their turn.

"Then! Without further ado... let the third test of the Chunin exam begin!" Announced Lee.

"Both examinees, step forward!"

Lee began introducing the contestants to the crowd.

"Konohagakure no sato, Uzumaki Boruto!"

"Kumogakure no sato, Yurui!"

Boruto and Yurui took their places opposite each other. Boruto had a serious face as he observed this foreigner.

Yurui looked relaxed with the leisure to be blowing a bubblegum, hands in pockets.

"First match! Begin!" Yelled Lee bringing his hand down.

They drew their blades and clashed in the middle.

Boruto dodged Yurui's second twin sword strike and counteracted with a shuriken.

Yurui was adept and swift. He swung his right sword and deflected it simultaneously striking with the left sword and he missed.

The next sword strike was blocked with Boruto's kunai. A pause.

"You're gonna get totally wontseed," taunted Yurui bringing his face closer as they pushed the blades edge to edge.

"What?" Boruto never heard of the term. "Wontseed?" He asked while straining against him.

The second sword swung towards his exposed armpit.

"Knocked out so hard you won't see it coming!"

"That's seriously lame. Don't just go cutting words off and leaving them out!" Said Boruto while blocking the sword with his other arm.



"Heh." Yurui smirked.

Pfffuuuu.

He opened his mouth and retreated.

The bubblegum had rapidly expanded into a bubble within the space between them and Boruto leaned back  to break away from the unexpected move in surprise.

"What the heck is this thing?" He stabbed his kunai into the oversized bubble to get it out of the way.

It ruptured and- Boouf!- softly exploded.

"Uwagh!"

Boruto was blown away by the sudden exlosion. "It explodes?!"

He regained his footing and looked back to his opponent.

In the while he was distracted by the close surprise bomb, Yurui had blown about fifteen air bubble bombs. They floated around him creating a defensive line between them.

His two face markings shifted as his mouth curved into a grin while blowing more floating bombs.

Boruto found that irritating. His eyes glanced at the Kage platform. Dad was watching.

The bubbles floated closer to him while he was distracted. If he didn't do something, he would be cornered to the edge of the arena. He reached into his shuriken pouch behind him to throw at the bombs and detonate them away from him but, he hesitated. Dad was watching. This wasn't enough.

He released his hand on his shuriken. There was a better method.

His right hand flexed and activated the device under his sleeve. A scroll shot out into his palm and activated.

He threw it out straight and as soon as it left his palm, it exploded into a shuriken.

The shuriken flew between the gaps and reached a few meters to Yurui's right.

Yurui watched it whiz out of his path from his peripheral. It wouldn't reach him. Ignore it.

He looked back to Boruto waiting for a few more shurikens to come through while blowing out another bomb.

Phtack!

The bubble on his lips burst. And exploded in his face. BOOMfssssshhh.

"Woah!"

The audience cheered loudly as Yurui was knocked back over.

"Incredible!" Exclaimed Sarada. That was her father's technique. "He curved it that far away!"

Shuriken curving. The Uchiha speciality. It seemed only yesterday that Boruto gave up trying to learn it. How did he get so good?

"Sorry. It looks like you're the one that got 'wontseed'," said Boruto as he stood over Yurui," err, Charai, was it?"

"It's Yurui," he corrected weakly from the floor and promptly passed out.

"Winner!" Lee, the referee, pointed his arm to the left.

"Konohagakure no Uzumaki Boruto!"

"He did it!" Cheered Himawari. Hinata clapped beside her with a huge smile.

On the Kage platform, Naruto observed quietly, pleased.

"That kid, he's not bad," complimented the Raikage, Darui.

"Alright! I can do it too," said a very pumped Sarada to Mitsuki. Boruto's match made her want to rush right  to the arena.

The matches proceeded orderly. The Konoha genin were pretty strong. Some won, some lost.

"Shannnaroooooo!"

Uchiha Sarada won with her super strength as she punched her opponent into the arena walls.

Battle cries stirred the audience into cheering louder at each exciting turn.

[NARA SHIKIDAI v/s YODO]

Winner: Shikidai

[MITSUKI v/s TOROI]

Winner: Mitsuki

[YAMANAKA INOJIN v/s ARAYA]

Winner: Araya

[AKIMICHI CHOCHO v/s SHINKI]

Winner: Shinki

Finally, they finished the prelims and reached the semifinals.  There was an interval with things getting more relaxed.

The Kages left the platform for a break. It was not easy sitting so stiffly so high up in everybody's view while their young ones were so hot blooded and passionate.

Naruto came down to the bleachers where his wife and daughter sat separated from the rest of the audience. The few people scattered around them on the seats were guards tasked to protect the Hokage's family.

Lee announced the start of the semifinal rounds.

[NARA SHIKIDAI v/s UZUMAKI BORUTO]

Naruto was excited. This was a matchup he was looking forward to. Afterall, that was a dear friend's son. More than any other person, he wanted his child to win against Shikamaru's.

"You can do it, Onii-saaan!!" Cheered Himawari, bouncing around in her seat.

Naruto got excited and stood up to lean forwards against the railing. His heart was filled with expectation and nervousness.

"He's not gonna lose this," said Shikamaru from behind him. His son had worked hard. Well, as hard as he was forced to work.

"Heh," Naruto felt the same.



The match began. As usual with most Konoha shinobi, they began with kunais and shurikens.

They jumped around a little testing each other then started throwing jutsus around. Shikidai created a long whip-like shadow that zigzagged around trying to consume Boruto's shadow and bind him.  Boruto created shadow clones to distract him and spread out Shikidai's attention.

It was a clear day but not  sunny so Boruto could dodge by leaping high enough into the air that his shadow disappeared. The problem was to time the jumps right and secure his landing before the shadow whip reached his forming shadow when he neared the ground.

A few seconds after jumping around like flies trying to dodge a frog's tongue, Boruto noticed Shikidai's shadows thinning near his feet and converging near his shadow clones and chasing them.

A chance! He leaped and landed beside him throwing a palm strike to Shikidai's right cheek. Just centimeters before it connected, he froze.

Shikidai exhaled out, "Phew! That was a close one," he sweated.

The shadow whip under him had ballooned out into a circle around six or seven meters from the centre where he stood. All five of Borutos were caught in the shadow circle.

Shikidai conducted some chakra through his shadow to disrupt the flow in the clones. The Boruto in front of him disappeared with a poof!

One by one he disabled each clone, narrowing his shadow to condense thicker and smaller until he was left with one- the real Boruto.

Boruto strained and stressed his muscles trying to break away from the shadow's control. He couldn't move at all.

"Now then," said Shikidai and pulled a kunai aut of his pouch, "It would be great if you could just be a good sport about this and give up."

On the stands Shikamaru cackled loudly with his hands on his hips, "Hehehehe, looks like this match is over!"

Naruto smiled,"...."

Well, looks like it's his loss this time.

They watched closely, waiting for the final outcome not wanting to miss a second.

Boruto gritted his teeth forcing his muscles to work. The shadow's control was strong due to it being condensed but it was  not so refined so he could nudge two of his right hand's fingers open into a one handed sign.

Pip. Pip.

A few tiny scrolls tumbled out of his sleeve and activated.

Pew. Pew. Pew. Pew. Pew. Pew.

The multi shadow clone jutsu. Shikidai was shocked as more than twenty of Boruto's shadow clones surrounded him right outside his seven meter shadow circle range he displayed earlier.



"What?" Shikidai was shocked. "No way, what the-"

"Damn, it's way too much trouble to count them all," he raised his hands,"I give up."

A quick surrender.

Ino, Sakura and Temari were amused watching this.

"Figures," sighed Ino with her chin resting in her palm.

"Where have I seen this before?" Laughed Sakura.

Temari leaned back and laughed loudly. Oh, Shikidai. Just as cute as his father.

"Uzumaki Boruto, Winner of the match! You advance to the finals!" Announced Lee.

"Yeaaahhhhh!" Cheered

Boruto.

Naruto gripped the railing with a frown. Boruto won. But he was quiet. Hinata noticed Naruto's quiet.

-------------------------------------

Sasuke didn't attend the Chunin Exams. He was deep in one of Konohas facilities watching a massive array of information being matched and repatterned. A worker in a white coat reported to him swiftly. ".... And those are the results of deciphering the scroll."

The scroll he salvaged from the ruins of Kaguya's Castle.

"I'm getting a very bad feeling about this."

"What shall we do?" Asked the worker.

He didn't know but it was important to do something.

"I need to tell Naruto immediately."

Sorry, Naruto.  But the exams will have to be postponed.

------------------------------------------

Hinata watched Naruto clench his jaw and climb up over the railing.

He jumped and landed in the arena.

"What's with the Hokage?" Asked the Godaime Raikage, Darui.

"Maybe he's overcome with emotion watching his son he's so proud of in action? Just another silly parent," chuckled the Yondaime Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi, pointing at how funny Naruto looked.

"Dad!" Boruto's face lit up seeing Naruto come down to him.

"Did you watch me?"

His dad was here!

He raised his hand out for a fist bump smiling broadly. "The finals are next!"

Naruto stared at Boruto's fist.

He brought his hand up too but- Snap!

He didn't return Boruto's gesture. He grabbed Boruto's wrist and lowered his sleeve.

The device was in full display.

"Boruto..."

He looked into Boruto's eyes. "What's going on?"

Boruto couldn't say anything.

He lowered his head.

"The use of Ninja technology was supposed to be banned from this exam. This technology doesn't utilise your own chakra and completely goes against the point of the Chunin exams.

Boruto stood there shamed.

Naruto's expression slowly became stern. He released his grip.

"Lee!" Naruto called.

"Uzumaki Boruto has been disqualified."

"Revise the results. Nara Shikidai is the winner."

Somewhere on a viewing deck, Katasuke cursed. "Damn! He's been found out! We have no choice. Move out now!"

The audience sat stunned. The Hokage's son cheated?

On the Kage platform, Darui and the other Kages were speechless. Gaara leaned back frowning in his seat with crossed arms.

"He's really gone and done it now..." said the Rokidaime Mizukage, Chōjūrō.

Darui crossed his leg in disappointment and narrowed his eyes. It was a small matter to cheat. But that was the Hokage's own son. Cheating in his own home turf while all the Kages were present.

It would almost be a major international issue that ruins the reputation of Konoha.



"Sigh. So this is the fool son who slings mud in the face of the Hokage," lamented Kurotsuchi.

The Chuunin exams were almost a replacement for war. The outcome would decide the future and entire economy and trade for the nation. All resources and rights were negotiated but the strength of the youth displayed here. It was lamentable to be sabotaged by one's own. What was that kid thinking to be so stupid?

"No... no way..." worried Sarada. Boruto's friends all had terrible expressions. They hadn't expected this.

Boruto couldn't meet his father's eyes. The shame consumed him and the ground became blurry.

Naruto raised his hand to Boruto's forehead in anger.

"You are not qualified to be a ninja."

The hitai-ate that all shinobi worked so hard for, the identity of a ninja, was pulled off his head.

This act... was no different from ending his life as a shinobi.

×××××××××××××××××××××××××

Author's Thoughts (in process of writing): when will this part end?? I am tired of part 3 Plot B.

Note to self:

There are about 20 parts for the plot A (past events) and around 25 for plot B (current and future) (can increase in future but plot A fixed)

Don't forget Mitsuki. You skipped a chapter.

Currently finished 1.5/20 [A] and 3.5/25 [B]

24/2/23:

Attempt 19 at writing: Some pep talk from inner me:

You gotta wrap up the Chunin exam arc here fast, bro. I know you don't like writing it but [it's important]. The last you published was in November, bro. It's February now, bro. You've written the future details and the end but don't let this annoying chapter stop you from writing the rest of the story. Look. It's just [one] measly chapter with the entirety of the parts you don't like. Just one. Swallow it like you do with your veggies. You can finish it it one gulp and water. You have 2 hours until dinner. So, begin!

This is my first ever attempt at writing an action scene. I hope I do good. Sigh. Idk if I'm enjoying this or not. Maybe a little. Okay. I am liking this. But only because I get to elaborate on small fun details like Naruto and Shikamaru and other tiny things in the manga.

I have noticed they don't shout out the jutsu names much in the manga.

Do people read my thoughts?

My readers are gonna hate me for not uploading.

Okay. It's 2 am. Sleep. Do this later.

25/2/23:

1k more to go. I think I should end here maybe. OK, I will end. Finally. The C exams are over. Now to go on ahead. Do not edit. Publish first.  You can edit later. Don't care about typos.

×××××××××××××××××××××

Author's Note:



While reading the manga, I really didn't pay much attention and just thought it was a design thing to make Boruto's clones stand around in a large circleto show the sheer number of clones bit while writing I realised that it is because it was drawn like that on purpose i.e. staying out of  Shikidai's range. Note, Boruto didn't measure out the radius. The simple solution was to just stand a little behind where he was bound. Look closely. And it's not just one time this happened either. This makes me think, maybe the Boruto manga (not anime) was not as bad as we think. There is a lot of thought put into it but it is badly executed. The plot is there but the scale, the art style, the proportions, the details, etc, are all wrong. Sigh. Too many wrongs make it bad that it covers up the good. Well, for my own satisfaction, I'll keep trying to figure out more things like this. Also, question. Do you prefer I keep my [ Author's Thoughts in the process of writing] section? Does it bother you?

Anyway, I did a Kankuro cosplay recently. Fun but I just looked like those cat girls instead of grumpy face puppet boy.

I could have written a lot more but I really want to put this chapter out soon so I can progress further.