Naruto: Boruto Returns to Shippuden

Chapter 99 Escape

In a dark corner, Kabuto Yakushi said to Orochimaru beside him, "Lord Orochimaru, I didn't expect this kid to be so alert." His voice was filled with surprise, as he was taken aback that Boruto had been able to sense their presence.

Orochimaru pulled down his hood, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips, and said softly, "There's no rush now, the time isn't right yet."

Kabuto asked, "Orochimaru-sama, what's next...?"

Orochimaru responded, "For now, let the Sound Four keep a close eye on Sasuke."

Orochimaru paused for a moment before continuing, "Kimimaro's health isn't very good right now, but he insists on participating in this operation. Let's see if his condition improves after this incident."

Orochimaru has had a suspicion ever since he met Boruto, but whether it will succeed depends on Boruto.

......

At Ichiraku Ramen, Sakura, Naruto, and Boruto are sitting around a table. The rich aroma of broth and noodles fills the air, whetting the appetite.

Uncle Ichiraku, holding a super luxurious bowl of seafood ramen with a kind smile on his face, walked to Boruto's table, handed him the carefully prepared bowl of ramen, and congratulated him, "Congratulations on becoming a Chunin."

Boruto took the ramen from Ichiraku-san and replied, "Thank you, Ichiraku-san. I'll keep working hard."

Naruto stared at the generously portioned bowl of special ramen in Boruto's hand, his eyes gleaming with envy, his mouth practically watering: "Ichiraku-san! I want this too!"

Uncle Ichiraku shook his head and smiled at Naruto, saying, "When you pass the Chunin Selection and become a Chunin, I'll treat you to two bowls, let alone one."

Naruto's spirits lifted upon hearing this, and he straightened his back and said loudly, "Alright! Just you wait!"

Sakura, however, seemed distracted, her gaze frequently drifting to the empty seat beside her. This time, Sasuke had not accepted their invitation.

Seeing that Sakura hadn't started eating, Naruto reminded her, "Sakura, if you don't eat soon, the noodles will get soggy."

When Naruto called her, Sakura snapped out of her reverie and said, "Sorry, I was spacing out for a moment."

Boruto put down his chopsticks and asked Sakura softly, "Were you thinking about Sasuke?"

Boruto's question startled Sakura slightly. She nodded and said, "Sasuke's attitude has been getting colder lately, I'm afraid..."

Sakura noticed that Sasuke's behavior had been getting increasingly strange ever since he got injured.

Naruto said, "Hasn't Sasuke always had this attitude?"

Sakura shook her head, her face full of worry, and said, "No, I feel that Sasuke is different this time. It seems like he's been deliberately distancing himself from us."

Boruto nodded; Sasuke's recent behavior was indeed quite unusual.

Whether it was Sasuke taking the initiative to challenge him or the conflict with Naruto today, it all seemed inconsistent with his usual calmness and self-control.

All these signs are definitely related to Itachi's previous appearance, which has stirred up Sasuke's desire for revenge.

After finishing his meal, Boruto said goodbye to the two in front of Ichiraku Ramen. While wandering aimlessly to clear his mind, he noticed a muffled groan coming from an alley.

......

The Sound Four were surrounding the injured Sasuke, whose injuries appeared to be quite severe. He leaned against the wall, his body trembling slightly.

Sakon sneered, "You're not the only one Orochimaru-sama has taken a liking to. Don't you dare use the cursed seal so carelessly. Besides, you still don't know how to control the cursed seal, do you?"

At that moment, Boruto suddenly appeared in front of the Sound Four, grabbed Sakon by the hair, and slammed him to the ground, angrily demanding, "What are you planning to do to Sasuke?"

Boruto's appearance surprised the Sound Four, who did not expect someone to suddenly intervene.

Tayuya looked at Boruto with disdain and said, "You dare to come and hinder us all by yourself?" With that, Tayuya was about to rush forward, ready to fight Boruto.

However, Kidomaru stopped them. Kidomaru reminded Tayuya, "Don't get too entangled with the others, let's retreat first."

Now that they have almost achieved their goal, the next step is to see if Sasuke will submit to Lord Orochimaru, so there is no need to cause any more trouble.

Tayuya scoffed in dissatisfaction and then fell silent, clearly unhappy with Kidomaru's decision.

Kidomaru threw a kunai at Sasuke, who was sitting on the ground. A burning explosive tag was tied to the end of the kunai, and the flames on the explosive tag were particularly conspicuous in the night.

Upon seeing this, Boruto immediately released Sakon from his grasp, flashed in front of Sasuke, caught the kunai that Kidomaru threw at him, and tore off the explosive tags.

Boruto removed the explosive tag from the kunai and threw it to a safe place to avoid the explosion harming Sasuke and himself.

By the time Boruto finished dealing with the explosive tags in his hand, the Sound Four had already disappeared from their sight.

Boruto dropped the kunai he was holding, turned to Sasuke, and asked, "Are you alright, Sasuke?" As he spoke, Boruto reached out a hand to Sasuke, trying to pull him up from the ground.

However, Sasuke only glanced at Boruto before getting up from the ground, clutching his injured area, and staggering away.

......

The streetlights were dim at night, and there were hardly any pedestrians. Boruto walked along the street feeling uneasy, as if something was about to happen.

This evening, Orochimaru's subordinates appeared in front of Sasuke again and said something to him, which left Sasuke somewhat dazed.

At that moment, Boruto noticed a person lying on a bench under a streetlamp not far away. When he got closer, he saw that it was Sakura, whose body was curled up on the bench.

Sakura stopped Sasuke, who was about to leave Konoha, on the only route out of the village, trying to persuade him to change his mind and not suffer loneliness alone.

However, she underestimated Sasuke's determination for revenge and the price he was willing to pay to achieve his goal. She was struck on the back of the neck by Sasuke and lost consciousness.

Boruto gently shook Sakura's shoulders, waking her from her unconsciousness.

Sakura's eyelids trembled slightly, then she slowly opened them, her eyes looking somewhat confused. Suddenly, she remembered what had happened earlier and anxiously called out, "...Sasuke!"

Sakura then realized that the person in front of her was not Sasuke but Boruto, and knew that Sasuke had already left.