In Naruto with the Flame-Flame Fruit-Chapter 496: Truly My Son

"Just knew you wouldn’t stay home and rest."

Shinichi could never sleep peacefully with such a loud commotion going on, so of course he rushed out.

After discovering something was happening here, he came over and quietly observed Mitsuki and Kakei Sumire’s fight. Naturally, he wouldn’t just watch Sumire die at Mitsuki’s hands—he only held back because he saw Kiyosuke arrive.

Kakei Sumire looked around. She had no advantage here. With Kiyosuke present, she couldn’t escape even if she had wings.

She pulled out a smoke bomb and smashed it onto the ground. A thick cloud erupted. Shinichi moved instantly, pinning Sumire down.

"Class Rep, don’t move. In this situation, it’s better if you don’t run around."

"So impressive, Shinichi. Your strength is actually this overwhelming. As expected of Kiyosuke-sama’s son?" Sumire was held down by the arm, pressed to the ground, completely calm.

"Class Rep, if you surrender now, we can still talk this out."

Shinichi tried advising her.

"Sorry, Shinichi. I live only for revenge on Konoha. I must fulfill my mission." Sumire smiled gently, but there wasn’t the slightest joy in her expression.

Boruto asked, "What happens if we hand the Class Rep over to the village?"

Kiyosuke gave him a look.

"Most likely she won’t be able to stay your classmate. Destroying the village is no small accusation. Unless she was obeying someone else’s orders—then the punishment might be lighter."

"Right! Class Rep, someone must’ve ordered you to do this, right?" Boruto perked up.

But Sumire shook her head.

"No. I chose this myself. I must carry out my father’s will and raze Konoha to the ground. I’m a revenger."

"You little grade-schoolers..."

Kiyosuke sighed, ready to act—but suddenly he looked up. A spatial vortex swirled open in the sky, and Nue’s tail lunged out. Shinichi instantly pulled Sumire away, but both were swallowed by the tail.

"Dad! Remember to grab me later!"

Shinichi shouted as he and Sumire were dragged into the vortex.

"Damn kid." Kiyosuke leapt up and flew straight into the vortex. Boruto shouted, "I’m coming too!"

"Wait for me!"

The two jumped in after him.

The vortex shrank, then vanished without a trace.

Kiyosuke burst through a wall and found himself in a dim space filled with roots and wood. His feet landed in ankle-deep water.

"Looks like this is Nue’s summoning realm. Leaving won’t be easy. Now, where’s that kid?" He sensed around and found Shinichi’s chakra was normal. Another chakra signature was beside him—Sumire’s.

"Mm, looks like they’re stuck pretty close together. Forget it, I’ll check on them later." He decided to postpone it and kept walking across the water. Hearing a scream, he spotted Boruto falling from above—saved only by a vine catching him.

"What is this place?" Boruto asked as Kiyosuke approached.

"You know, going to an unknown place when you’re weak doesn’t make you brave. It makes you stupid," Kiyosuke said. "Never go somewhere unknown. Don’t try to act brave. And don’t imitate your dad."

"Tch. He did the same thing back then." Boruto dusted himself off, unconcerned.

Your dad had plot armor. Do you?

Kiyosuke tapped his head.

"Stop running around. Follow me."

"Okay."

He led Boruto to a massive tree stump wrapped with huge thick ropes.

Nue suddenly appeared. Kiyosuke pulled Boruto onto one of the ropes and grinned.

"Now this is interesting. Looks like because of Kakashi and the others’ attacks, it’s way smaller now."

Without chakra to recover its wounds, Nue had shrunk drastically—now only the size of a truck.

"Raaah!" Nue roared. Kiyosuke was about to move when he saw Shinichi and Sumire jump onto the stump, fighting as they ran.

"Water Release: Water Spirit Wave!"

A Water Release technique similar to the Hozuki clan’s Water Gun blasted out. No one wanted to take that hit. Shinichi darted around.

"Wind Release!"

"Wind Release!"

Two wind blades clashed midair and vanished.

"Stop fighting! Both of you, stop fighting!" Boruto yelled. Kiyosuke gave him a look and shook his head. Words wouldn’t help. Only fists worked here. Why couldn’t this kid understand?

Did he inherit his dad’s talk-no-jutsu?

God help them.

Not everyone gets Naruto’s mouth-no-jutsu.

"Class Rep, can’t you just talk it out?"

"There’s nothing to talk about, Boruto. I exist for this purpose. I am my father’s weapon—created to destroy Konoha." Sumire dodged Shinichi’s flame bullets and flung several kunai.

They pierced through Shinichi. He dashed forward and engaged her in close combat.

Kiyosuke landed beside him. Shinichi retreated to his side. "Dad, the Class Rep is really tricky to deal with right now. And I can’t use anything too destructive—I don’t want to hurt her."

"You worried about her?"

"N-no! No, I’m not!" Shinichi’s face flushed. "Dad, don’t say weird things! We’re just classmates!"

"I’ve got a method. Want to hear it?"

"Say it."

Kiyosuke whispered in his ear. Shinichi turned bright red.

"Dad, what kind of ridiculous idea is that? I—I’m not doing that!"

"It works great—especially on confused kids like her. And you two have such pure classmate feelings, right? It’s fine." Kiyosuke encouraged him with a push.

"No way!" Shinichi shouted, then charged toward Sumire.

Damn old man, only ever full of terrible ideas!

The two clashed again while Kiyosuke went after Nue, dropping it with a taijutsu strike.

"Save it. Even with massive chakra before, you couldn’t beat me. You definitely can’t now." He jumped aside as Nue’s tail lashed toward him.

"Trying to absorb my chakra? Dream on."

"Ah!" Sumire screamed. Nue jumped onto the stump, trapping her.

It snarled at Shinichi, fangs bared.

"Come on, Nue! Eat my chakra and explode!"

Sumire let out a despairing smile. She wanted to end her fate here—finally put down the burden she’d carried all this time.

"Class Rep!" Shinichi grit his teeth, turned into flames, and appeared before her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and then—

"Uh... what..." Boruto’s eyes went wide.

"So that’s what you call a kiss?" Mitsuki murmured from the shadows.

"..."

"As expected of my son!" Kiyosuke clapped his hands, thrilled.