In Naruto with the Flame-Flame Fruit-Chapter 493: Boruto’s Mystic Eye

"Boruto?"

Shinichi opened the door and stared in surprise. He couldn’t figure out why Boruto would show up at this hour.

"Yo, Shinichi. Kiyosuke-san sent me."

Calling his friend’s dad that had always felt a little weird, but Boruto had been doing it since he was small. He was used to it—nothing to be embarrassed about.

Shinichi blinked. He couldn’t imagine why his dad would summon Boruto, but he still stepped aside.

"If that’s the case, then come in."

"Mm, sorry to intrude."

"Ah, Boruto? What brings you here today?"

Yuka smiled. In front of outsiders she was a gentle, elegant young lady. In front of Kiyosuke and Mei Terumī, she was a well-behaved, obedient girl. In front of her younger brother Shinichi... she was a demon.

"Yuka-san."

All in all, the seniority was a complete mess...

Kiyosuke came out of the kitchen with a dish in hand and said,

"You’re here? Good timing. Eat first—after that I’ll take another look at your situation."

"Oh, then sorry to trouble you."

It wasn’t his first time eating here, so Boruto acted naturally and dug in.

"This is great! Mei-san, your cooking just keeps getting better."

He couldn’t call her grandma, so auntie was the only option.

Mei Terumī chuckled.

"Not bad, I suppose. How are things at the academy?"

"Fine."

"’Fine’ as in: we blew up the school together," Shinichi muttered.

Yep. This year’s students were somehow even crazier than Kiyosuke’s generation—they literally blew up the entire Shinobi Academy.

"If it were back then, students like you would’ve been expelled on the spot," Kiyosuke said.

Blowing up the school? That’d be the end of you.

I never went that far... though I might’ve thought about it.

"Actually, back in my era in Kirigakure, you wouldn’t have lived long enough to graduate," Mei Terumī said. The memories of the Blood Mist era were harsh. Kids raised in today’s peace wouldn’t survive a day in it.

Well—maybe Mitsuki, the guest who’d stopped by last time, could.

"Mom... what kind of place was your village back then?"

Shinichi sighed.

Kiyosuke placed a bit of food into his son’s bowl.

"A village completely different from Konoha. There was a period where only one shinobi graduated each term."

"And the ones who didn’t?"

"They died," Mei Terumī said quietly. "Killed by the one who did graduate."

"..."

Everyone fell silent. Yuka whispered, "Blood Mist... it sounds so brutal."

Kiyosuke remained composed.

"It’s something you’ll never have to experience. Just listen—don’t dwell on it. Cherish the peace you have. We paid for it with our lives."

"Okay." Yuka nodded, smiling.

"It’s rare to see you this serious, Dad."

Shinichi nodded.

"Yeah."

"Your father was one of our greatest contributors. Back then, the Five Kage, your dad, Naruto and Sasuke, plus the revived First, Second, and Fourth Hokage—we all fought together. Add the entire Allied Shinobi Forces on top of that. Only then did we finally defeat the last enemy. It was a brutal, desperate battle."

Whenever she remembered, Mei Terumī still felt Uchiha Madara was terrifying—someone who required that many people and that much power to stop.

"Grandpa? Revived? There’s a jutsu that can do that?"

Boruto perked up. He’d seen his parents’ wedding photos—his grandparents who had died long ago were in them. He’d always wondered how that was possible, but his parents never said much, only that it came at a cost.

Kiyosuke rested his chin in one hand.

"A forbidden technique. Don’t pry. To revive someone, you pay with another person’s life. Understand?"

"Got it."

Boruto shut his mouth. He was smarter than Naruto had been at his age—he knew what to ask and what not to. But he was also more rebellious, often acting cleverer than he truly was.

After dinner, Kiyosuke picked his teeth, then had Boruto follow him into Shinichi’s room.He rolled up Boruto’s sleeve.

"Sit down. Try recalling the sensation when you used that eye technique."

"Okay."

Boruto sat cross-legged and focused, trying to remember.

That feeling of his gaze piercing through walls, seeing everything.

He stared until his eyes felt dry, but still nothing happened. His head drooped in frustration.

"Clear your mind—steady your breath."

Kiyosuke pressed a hand on top of his head. A strange chakra flowed into Boruto, and in that instant his right eye changed.

The eyeball turned pale blue, the sclera darkened to black. Unlike the Byakugan, it didn’t make his veins bulge—but it definitely had some special ability.

"I can see it! Yes! It’s there!"

Boruto jumped up excitedly.

"Kiyosuke-san! Did you see it?"

"I did. It’s similar to the Byakugan, and it reacts to senjutsu... hm? Looks like it’s losing control."

Even though he hadn’t stopped channeling senjutsu chakra, Boruto’s mysterious eye faded away.

"Kiyosuke-san, do you know what’s going on with my eye?"

Boruto asked.

"Let me think. Naruto has the Uzumaki bloodline. The Uzumaki are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. The Hyūga are descendants of Hamura’s line. With that combination, a unique kekkei genkai isn’t impossible."

From a certain perspective, Boruto technically carried traces of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline.

Six Paths’ sons’ descendants merging—though heavily diluted after thousands of years.

For now, the only thing confirmed was that Boruto’s eye shared some functions with the Byakugan. Except his vision wasn’t black-and-white—it was full color.

"If that’s the case, I need to take you to Naruto."

But Boruto clicked his tongue.

"That stupid old man’s probably working overtime. And he won’t believe me anyway."

So they were fighting again...

"Boruto."

"Mm?"

Whack!

A huge bump swelled on Boruto’s head.

"Oww! Kiyosuke-san! What was that for?"

"Nothing. Just felt like hitting you. Seeing you sulk reminded me of your dad when he was a kid."

"My dad?"

"Yeah. He was a mischievous brat. Every time I came back from a mission, he clung to me, begging me to play with him. I didn’t have the time. Just like he doesn’t have time for you now."

Boruto lowered his head.

"I know... but..."

"Because he’s the Hokage," Kiyosuke said.

"The Hokage protects the village—that’s his duty. He knows exactly what it feels like to grow up without a father. You’re much luckier than he was. Hinata and Naruto are with you. But Naruto had no parents at all. Even I was around only rarely. Did you know? I watched your grandparents die in front of him to protect him... when he had just been born."

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