A Flightless Hawk
Dad and Boruto are?!
The hawk Sasuke uses to communicate is going to retire soon.
So, they're going to go look for a replacement.
They could've at least told me!
Hey, you're getting way too emotional.
I worry when he just leaves like that.
Are you fine with that, Mom?
Oh, totally.
I'm so used to it now.
You're too easy on Dad.
He suddenly leaves without a word, but then suddenly, he's home.
That's how he is.
If I get shocked each time, I wouldn't be standing!
A Senri Hawk?
Never heard of it.
It's a legendary hawk,
said to fly a thousand senri, or leagues, in one night.
And it seems a man named Maruta has one.
No kidding...
And that's why we're on the Thunder train.
Looks like there was a landslide up ahead,
and the train's changing course eastward to go around it.
Is that for real?
Yeah, I just heard it from the conductor.
That means we'll be going farther and farther away
from our destination, right?
We're disembarking here?
If we stay on, it'll only take us farther away.
But is there even a road?
Don't worry.
If there's a road, we'll find it.
Does he always have to be so reckless?
But that's what's so cool about him!
What's that flashy building?
BUYING AND SELLING
RAKUEN
AVIARY
OPEN
CURRENCY
I doubt that's Maruta's business.
What are you outsiders doing here?
We're just passing through.
You look sketchy.
We're not doing anything!
I'm the chief of security here in these parts,
and if I say you're sketchy, you're sketchy!
If you have no business here, hurry up and leave.
You don't have to tell us. That's our plan.
What a weakling.
What was with that attitude?!
So pompous!
How long are you gonna keep complaining?
But—!
Looks like this is it.
Mr. Sasuke! Look!
ORNITHOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER
Looks like a rockslide...
Let's go and check!
Whoa!
Go away!
No matter how many times you come, I'm not gonna tell you!
Why did you do that all of a sudden?
Don't act dumb, you money-grubber!
There seems to be a misunderstanding.
Huh?
This was my favorite too!
Forgive me.
I thought you came from Rakuen to harass me again.
We saw it on the way here.
Mozu Shitakiri, the boss of that place, is a terrible crook.
She gets a hold of every rare animal
that's on the brink of extinction,
then sells them to the highest bidder.
Isn't that a crime?
Crime? Far from it...
In this land, law enforcement does whatever Mozu says,
without exception.
Why are you being targeted, Old Man?
They're after the Senri Hawk.
Only I know where their habitat is.
At first, they came offering up huge sums of money
and tried to tempt the information out of me.
Lately, they've been resorting to dirty threats and violence.
They're behind the rockslide too?
It had to be them.
But without any proof, I can't do a thing.
And so, I'm sorry...
But I can't take you guys to the Senri Hawk habitat, either.
If they followed us, it would spell the end of everything.
But we came all this way... What a disappointment.
Boruto...
Let's check it out a little.
Now that's what I'm talking about!
Security doesn't seem that tight.
Hey, Mr. Sasuke... What do you wanna do?
Hey, Mr. Sasuke!
RAKUEN
You have some secret plan, right?
No, I've got nothing like that.
I'm a customer!
Open the gate!
Lady Mozu, please take a look.
Are they all of your customers?
Our company deals exclusively with celebrity clients,
like artists, movie stars, and heads of industry...
Judging from their looks, they seem to be poor.
We don't accept customers who have no money.
Just chase them away.
Yes, ma'am.
What? Tento's here too?
What's he doing here?
Wait!
I beg your pardon.
But do you know the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire?
Huh? Well, yeah!
Tento, his son, is a friend.
What about it?
Oh, my!
Making valuable clients wait here!
What is the matter with you?
I am Mozu Shitakiri, the owner of Rakuen.
You should have said from the beginning
that you're acquaintances of the Feudal Lord!
FEED
I'll show you the most exclusive and rare animals in our collection.
This way!
Hey, you!
Look at you!
You're covered in dirt!
I was cleaning the stable.
Since no one else will.
And in front of our customers! How embarrassing!
Go and shower. Hurry!
Yes, Mother.
That's my son.
I want him to take over this business, eventually...
But he's not the friendliest sort.
What you see are the rarest of the rare.
Oh...
Like it?
This is the Desert Snake,
found in only one region of the Land of Wind.
We went through such pains to capture it.
And it got locked up in a place like this.
Poor thing.
With this many rare animals, security must be very difficult.
Well, yes.
Take your shoes off.
What?
C'mon, hurry!
Our theft-prevention measures are foolproof.
Of course, our employees and customers are perfectly safe,
so please rest assured.
Why is this the only one that's empty?
I'm keeping that spot open specifically for the Senri Hawk.
It's almost in my possession,
but we've run into a bit of a problem.
So, you guys were responsible, after all!
Huh?
What's this, so suddenly?!
Threatening people is dirty...
no matter how much you want the Senri Hawk!
What?
You're not customers?
No wonder you look so shabby.
Making rockslides happen?
What if someone got hurt?
What are you talking about?
Do you have any proof?
Let's go, Boruto.
I've seen enough.
Tell Maruta...
To be reasonable, for his own sake.
I hear rockslides are quite common lately.
RAKUEN
Hey, Mr. Sasuke...
Isn't there a way we can free those animals from that place?
You have a way of sticking your neck into things
and that's a problem.
But don't you feel sorry for them?
I know how you feel,
but it would be wise to not do anything foolish.
Two shinobi are snooping around and giving me trouble.
Can you do anything?
You want me to threaten them?
Like I did with Maruta?
You catch on very quickly, Captain.
How's the wolf that I gave you?
Ah, thanks to that wolf...
everyone who gave me trouble is no longer around.
I'm depending on you.
I'm the only one being left behind?
I wanted to go and see the legendary hawk too!
Sorry, kid.
I can only take one person.
Damn shinobi!
Making a fool out of me!
I knew it, they're following us.
Let's hurry.
I want to make it out of the mountain before daybreak.
He said to just wait,
but there's nothing to do this deep in the mountains.
It's white, but...
That's a hawk, right?
All right...
Good hawk!
Is that hawk yours?
Oh, what? You're a customer of Mom's...
Quit being so uptight.
Besides, I'm not a customer.
But a white hawk sure is rare.
Boruto Uzumaki.
Nice to meet ya.
Tell me your name at least!
Yuki.
Yuki, huh?
It's not my name, it's his name.
Yuki, 'cuz he's white as snow.
I'm Tsuzura Shitakiri.
He's really used to you.
He's been with me since he was a chick.
But if he gets too used to people,
he won't be able to hunt for food by himself.
That's why I'm getting him used to the wild little by little.
Want some help?
You're training to get him used to the wild, right?
I have some time now.
Wait!
Hey...
I didn't say you could help!
Don't be so stuffy!
He fell near his nest, and I picked him up.
He can't fly well because he got injured back then.
If only I knew more about hawks, I could take care of him better.
I gotta start heading home.
If I'm late, Mom gets mad.
All right, I'll see you tomorrow.
What's that supposed to mean?
What else? A promise to meet tomorrow.
Let's continue this tomorrow.
A promise, huh?
That sounds good.
You'd better come.
I'll be waiting.
I know I saw a book about hawks around here...
Oh, here it is.
I'm gonna borrow this, Mr. Maruta!
LEAF PICTURE BOOK BIRD SERIES
Here...
What's this?
You said you wanted to heal Yuki's injury, right?
Try reading this.
It's fine.
I don't know how to read anyway.
Is that right?
Mom says studying isn't necessary.
Because she'll teach me everything I need to know
about the work we do.
Then I'll read to you.
Are you sure?
"And thus, the state of the habitat of the hawk"
"will grow increasingly severe."
Books are amazing.
So many things I never knew are written there!
Being able to read is great.
Do you want to take over Rakuen?
I've never thought about wanting to take it over or not.
I've just thought of it as something I'm supposed to do.
But how do you really feel?
I love animals.
But I don't like Mom's way of doing things.
My dad's the Hokage.
As his son, I've felt a lot of pressure.
But I've decided to go down a path that's different from my dad's.
You should live the way you want!
It's your life, after all.
There's no way I can do that.
Life at that place is the only one I know.
Then I have no choice!
I'll teach you how to read.
Huh?
Watch carefully.
We'll start with your name first.
At first, everything'll look the same.
But don't worry, okay?
TSUZURA
Thank you, Boruto!
RAKUEN
OPEN
What's the use of going to school?
If I learn to read, I'll be able to help you more with work, so—
Do you know how much it'll cost to send you to school?
On top of which, they teach you things you don't need to know.
School is a waste of time and money.
We're done here.
Go to your room.
TSUZURA
Hey, it's Yuki!
That guy!
SEE YOU TOMORROW -TSUZURA
Hold on. Let me write my reply here.
How far does this cave stretch?
Don't worry.
We're almost there.
Where's the hawk?
Senri Hawks are very guarded.
They don't just appear in front of humans.
So, that's the Senri Hawk.
You don't know the pains I went through
to train him this far.
As far as using him as a messenger hawk,
he has sufficient training.
However, it's from here that things will be difficult.
They don't obey just anyone.
They'll only listen to the one they acknowledge as their keeper.
You have to be chosen by them.
Now stand there and raise your arm.
Will it take half a day, or even two?
You just have to leave it up to fate.
I've seen many skilled shinobi.
Most of them reek of bloodlust, and even hawks won't go near them.
But they've never met a shinobi like you.
I knew it, you're amazing.
There's never been anyone they've taken to this quickly!
Whoa!
You can't go this way.
It went that way!
He did it! He did it, Boruto!
Yeah, he's something else!
You're amazing, Yuki!
Good job!
Tsuzura, you're amazing too.
What's all this commotion?
Mom!
I was wondering why you've been coming home late recently!
So, you're the one
who's been filling Tsuzura's head with strange ideas.
Mom, watch!
Yuki caught his own prey for the first time today.
So, what?
All right, hand that hawk over to me.
What are you doing?!
I've been too easy on you. We're going home!
Hold on!
Tsuzura did his best!
At least praise him a little!
Just because it caught some prey,
do you think a common hawk like this has any value?
We don't keep pets.
We raise them, then sell them. That's the work we do.
And you'll be taking over the business.
Don't even think about another way of doing things!
Why you—!
Just try it.
When you do, I'll throw you in jail.
In these parts, ninjutsu isn't worth anything.
Your threats don't work on me!
It's fine, Boruto.
Tsuzura!
Mom's right.
Are you really okay with this?!
I'll be waiting here tomorrow!
Come here again, Tsuzura!
Tsuzura loves animals and he's a good guy!
But he's tied to that way of life by his mom...
He's just like the old me.
Then you probably know what needs to be done.
My path opened up when I met you, Mr. Sasuke.
That's why I want Tsuzura to know
that he can choose how he wants to live his life!
Next time on Boruto: Naruto Next Generations:
INTO THE SKY AGAIN
"Into the Sky Again."
I want to encourage and help Tsuzura, ya know!