If this had been a fight to the death, Yuki would have followed up with a massive fire technique to incinerate the entire Tree World.
But today's match was only about victory and defeat.
Not life and death.
So she chose to stop there.
"Whoosh!"
With two fingers forming a seal, the flowers throughout the Tree World released a powerful suction force, drawing the poisonous pollen back inside. The buds closed once more.
After finishing, Yuki leaped down and landed in front of Boruto.
She crossed her arms and waited quietly.
Seeing that the outcome was decided—and that Yuki had no intention of killing Boruto—Naruto finally let out a long breath of relief.
To Rock Lee, who had come to ask for instructions, he said,
"Don't rush. She probably has something she wants to say to him. Let's wait."
"…Huh? I'm… still alive?"
About a minute later, Boruto's eyelids fluttered open.
Through his blurred vision, Yuki's bare face came into focus.
"!"
He jolted upright in panic, instinctively raising his right arm toward her, his left hand hovering over the trigger of the scientific tool.
Yuki said coldly, arms still crossed,
"Save it. The aftereffects of that pollen are pretty nasty."
"Ugh…"
Before her words had even faded, Boruto's legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees in front of her.
Back then, when the Five Kage had been caught in the Flower Tree World and later freed, they could stand up and keep fighting.
Because they were Kage—far beyond ordinary people in both stamina and chakra.
Boruto, however, was nowhere near that level.
The power of the Flower Tree World was enough to utterly suppress anyone below Kage-class.
"…Sigh."
Boruto let out a breath and completely gave up resisting.
Looking at the girl who had utterly defeated him, he felt both awe and curiosity.
Gathering his courage, he raised his head and asked,
"Uchiha Yuki… who are you, really?"
"We're the same age. Why are you so strong?"
Yuki thought to herself:
Uzumaki Boruto… He's my opponent in this exam.
And he's someone who might, in the future, help push Father's plans forward.
Father doesn't have the time or energy to guide two generations.
So guiding the new generation… that's my responsibility.
Having made up her mind, she answered,
"My strength comes from three things."
"Two parts effort. Three parts talent. Five parts support."
"Support?" Boruto echoed.
Yuki brushed the dust aside and sat down in front of him.
"Support, simply put, is the resources given by our elders."
"Resources…?"
The last time he'd heard that word was from Katasuke.
Back then, Katasuke had said the Nine-Tails was Naruto's resource, and scientific tools were Boruto's.
He had believed it.
And now he was lying here in defeat.
So instinctively, he felt disdain for the word.
"So… half your strength comes from hand-me-downs too? Like my tool?"
Yuki replied calmly,
"Boruto, your elders' resources decide how high your starting point is."
"But how far you go… depends on yourself."
He asked softly,
"Why do you talk like an adult?"
"So calm. So real."
"You don't sound like you're pretending at all."
"Have you suffered a lot? Been through many hardships?"
She shook her head.
"No."
"My life has been smooth. I've never really suffered."
"I've never faced major setbacks."
"But my elders did."
"They suffered. They struggled."
"And that's what gave me wings to fly."
"From their pain, I learned what I lacked."
"And found my direction as a ninja."
"…My elders…"
Boruto murmured the word.
It felt distant. Abstract.
He couldn't truly grasp it.
Then Yuki asked,
"Boruto, let me ask you something."
"Do you really know what kind of person your father, Uzumaki Naruto, is?"
Boruto answered without thinking,
"Yeah. He was basically born Hokage."
"Always in the spotlight."
"He's a good guy. Helps everyone."
"But he always neglects his family."
Yuki shook her head.
"Then you understand him even less than I do."
"What!?"
Boruto stared at her in disbelief.
"How could you know my dad better than me? I grew up watching him!"
"Look into my eyes," Yuki said.
"I'll show you who your father really is."
They locked gazes.
Her Sharingan glowed.
—Genjutsu: Sharingan!
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, Boruto collapsed to the ground, gasping.
He clutched his aching forehead.
"H-How…?"
"My dad… went through all that?"
"He wasn't accepted?"
"He was rejected and looked down on?"
"And he earned everyone's respect through sheer persistence… and became Hokage step by step?"
"That… that was really him?"
"Where did you even learn this?"
Yuki replied,
"I only showed you what I saw from my elders."
"But it's real."
"That's the road your father walked."
Tears welled up in Boruto's eyes.
His voice trembled.
"I… I never knew…"
"No one ever told me."
"No one!"
"If I'd known…"
"I wouldn't have treated him like that."
"I wouldn't have done stupid things just to get his attention."
He wiped his eyes.
"Thank you."
"Really… thank you."
Yuki smiled.
"You're welcome. I just told you the truth."
"Come on. Let's go. Don't keep the others waiting."
"Wait."
Boruto suddenly said,
"One more thing."
"Who are your elders?"
"They sound amazing."
"They must know my dad, right?"
"Can you tell me? Please?"
Yuki replied flatly,
"Sorry. That's confidential."
"Eh!?"
"That's so stingy!"
"We fought so hard! We're practically friends now!"
"Why can't you tell me?"
She replied coolly,
"No means no."
"And 'fought hard'?"
"You just pressed buttons and sprayed techniques."
"We're not close."
"Still far from friends."
"Come on!"
"At least tell me his name!"
"He's not some shady nobody, right?"
"I'm begging you!"
"I never beg people!"
This guy… is he really this outgoing?
Yuki sighed inwardly.
She didn't want to be too heartless.
After all, she didn't know that her father had beaten Boruto's and Sarada's fathers senseless just days ago.
"…Fine."
"Just the name, then."
"His name is Uchiha—"
"Boom!"
A white figure suddenly crashed down from the sky, cutting her off.
Beneath a vicious single horn, golden Byakugan eyes lifted.
Together with the golden Rinnegan on his forehead, they locked onto a man on the Kage platform.
"I've found you."
Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki curled his lips into a cruel smile.
"Lowly… creature."
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