Hearing these words, Young Boruto felt his heart tighten involuntarily.
Young Boruto subconsciously raised an eyebrow, folded his arms across his chest, and began looking Sasuke up and down with a deliberate, scrutinizing gaze.
After a moment, the young man spoke up in a leisurely tone, asking in return:
"Why me?"
Sasuke pressed his lips tightly together, raised his chin slightly, and stared straight into Young Boruto's eyes with a deadpan, earnest expression.
"Because I think you're stronger than Kakashi!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Kakashi, standing off to the side, instantly sprouted a face full of question marks, a flock of imaginary crows cawing across the sky above his head.
While that might very well be the truth, was it really appropriate to blurt it out quite like that in a setting like this?
Young Boruto pondered this for a second, then the corners of his mouth hooked upward in a smile as he said:
"Well, if Kakashi agrees, I don't have any problem with it."
With that, he didn't forget to shoot an inquiring glance over at Kakashi.
Yet Sasuke seemed utterly indifferent to Kakashi's opinion.
Swiveling around to turn his back on Kakashi, he stated without a moment's hesitation:
"As long as *you* agree, that's enough. I don't need his permission for my business!"
Hearing this, a bitter smile crept onto Kakashi's face.
That smile seemed to harbor a countless number of unspoken grievances and helplessness.
Standing nearby, Young Boruto looked at Sasuke with a solemn expression and said in all seriousness:
"If Kakashi-sensei doesn't agree, then no matter how much you beg, I am absolutely not going to mentor you."
Having said that, Boruto deliberately laid extra weight on his tone to demonstrate his resolve.
Hearing this, Sasuke's brows knitted slightly. He clenched his teeth and fell into a deep inward thought.
A moment later, Sasuke slowly lifted his head and shifted his gaze to Kakashi.
Faced with the look Sasuke cast his way, Kakashi let out a soft sigh and shook his head with resignation.
In the end, Kakashi spoke up: "Fine, I agree."
Hearing this, Sasuke slowly turned his head back around, his eyes locking onto Young Boruto.
Meeting Sasuke's gaze, Young Boruto slowly began to speak:
"Let me make this clear beforehand: I'm only going to guide your training. I am not taking you on as my disciple."
Boruto's tone was firm and straightforward, as if this were an unquestionable decree.
A wave of confusion welled up inside Sasuke upon hearing this, but he didn't immediately press for answers or talk back; he simply gave a slight nod to indicate he understood.
Even though his heart was brimming with questions, Sasuke chose to keep quiet for the time being.
Right at that moment, Naruto walked over with a beaming grin plastered across his face.
Stopping right beside Sasuke, Naruto looked right at him and announced in a loud voice:
"Sasuke, let's have a rematch a month from now!" Naruto's voice was full of robust lung power, brimming with a challenger's spirit.
Hearing this, the corners of Sasuke's mouth twitched upward into a scornful smirk.
Sliding one hand casually into his pants pocket, he turned his face away and retorted in a mildly mocking tone:
"A month from now, I'm going to defeat you, loser."
With that, Sasuke stopped looking at Naruto altogether and cast his gaze back toward the front.
Yet Naruto didn't feel a shred of anger at Sasuke's disdain; on the contrary, he cracked his mouth open in a happy grin, his smile as brilliant and dazzling as sunshine.
Seeing the seemingly tense yet actually relaxed atmosphere between the two of them, Sakura finally let go of the tight, anxious string in her heart and breathed a soft sigh of relief.
Now, Sakura's attention gradually drifted over to the unfamiliar young man standing before them—Young Boruto.
For some reason, this newcomer she was meeting for the very first time seemed to radiate some kind of unique magic.
He actually had the power to make Sasuke—who was always so proud, arrogant, and stubborn—listen to his arrangements with such docility.
You had to realize that even Kakashi-sensei, who had taught them for so long, had a hard time managing that.
The more Sakura thought about it, the more her curiosity was piqued, and she couldn't help but want to understand this mysterious Boruto a little better.
All of a sudden, without any warning, Boruto reacted as if something had just provoked him. He whipped his head around, his eyes blazing like torches as he stared fixedly into the distance.
This sudden movement grabbed the attention of everyone around him, especially Kakashi, who had been keeping a close eye on him all along.
Spotting this, Kakashi hurried over and lowered his voice to ask with concern:
"What is it? What happened?"
Kakashi's eyes were filled with doubt and alertness.
Young Boruto replied in an equally quiet voice: "I have a feeling someone is secretly watching us."
Hearing this, Kakashi's expression didn't shift much; he remained entirely calm as he simply answered:
"Maybe it's just some Anbu members out on a mission."
It was as though such occurrences were already second nature to him.
Boruto gave a slight nod at Kakashi's words to show he understood, but he didn't say anything further, keeping his focus locked firmly on that suspicious direction.
Meanwhile, far off in the shadows, four figures were hiding and watching them quietly.
All four of them were dressed rather strangely, setting them apart from ordinary people.
Among them, a black-haired man frowned slightly, appearing somewhat doubtful as he muttered in a low voice:
"Did that brat already notice us?"
Standing nearby, Tayuya let out a scoff upon hearing this, retorting unconcernedly:
"As if! Kidomaru, you're being way too paranoid."
"Just him? As if he could spot us. We're way too far away for that."
At that moment, Jirobo chimed in with a warning: "Tayuya, it's better to be cautious. Don't forget, this is the Hidden Leaf Village we're talking about. Who knows..."
However, Tayuya wasn't about to appreciate the advice. She whipped her head around to glare fiercely at Jirobo and snapped without a shred of politeness:
"Shut your stinking trap, you fat pig!"
Having said her piece, she stopped paying Jirobo any mind.
Upon hearing those words, Jirobo's already gloomy complexion darkened even further, turning as grim as if it could drip water.
Jirobo clenched his fists so hard that the veins on the back of his hands bulged, laying bare his extreme discontent and fury.
Kidomaru, standing off to the side, appeared relatively calmer. He lowered his voice and gently advised:
"Tayuya, stop messing around!"
"Don't forget the vital mission Lord Orochimaru gave us."
"This operation is a huge deal. If anything goes wrong, you know what the consequences will be, right?"
Kidomaru paused for a second before adding: "A little caution never hurts anyone."
"Since Sasuke isn't isolated yet, if we make a rash move now, we'll likely scare the prey away and ruin the whole plan."
"So I think we'd better change our location and rethink our strategy from the ground up."
Tayuya had still been inclined to brush it off, but the moment she heard Kidomaru invoke Orochimaru's name, her heart gave a jolt and she quickly reined herself in.
After all, none of them dared to casually defy Orochimaru's orders.
With that, the few of them exchanged knowing glances, nodded in silent agreement, and then vanished from the spot like ghosts, moving with utter silence and blinding speed.