While Hinata was searching for Boruto, he had already slipped out of the Hyuga estate and was wandering around their territory.
Every time he had visited before, he had never fully explored the entire estate. Today, however, Boruto suddenly felt the urge to thoroughly examine it, which is why we now find him strolling through the streets of the Hyuga clan grounds.
Boruto glanced around, noticing Hyuga members subtly avoiding him. A puzzled frown appeared on his face. At that moment, Momoshiki, with a tinge of sarcasm in his voice, remarked:
"Don't you realize your reputation in Konoha? Take the time you crashed the train into the Hokage Rock when you first enrolled that caused quite a stir. You know, the Hyuga clan cannot tolerate such recklessness. So, their distancing themselves from you is entirely your own fault."
"Can you really blame me? That was an accident, wasn't it? Besides, didn't I personally fix the Hokage Rock afterward? You could say half of my father's Hokage Rock was rebuilt by me, and I didn't even brag about it."
"Yes, yes, of course. You're always right." Momoshiki, seeing Boruto's shameless expression, decided it wasn't worth arguing and turned his attention back to studying ninjutsu.
With Momoshiki silent, Boruto continued wandering through the estate. The area was filled with small shops but lacked entertainment facilities like cinemas. Considering the Hyuga clan's overall image, this made sense.
The Hyuga clan typically wore traditional robes. During training, they wore only upper body chainmail (author's note: though it oddly resembles a mesh bra) and shorts on the lower body. Standard uniforms were only donned during missions. This was very different from Konohamaru, who wore the same outfit every day though Boruto himself also tended to stick to a pattern… why was he thinking about that now?
Boruto didn't realize he had wandered beyond the estate's central area, moving toward a more secluded part.
"Hey, isn't that the son of the clan leader's daughter? What's he doing here?" a nearby Hyuga whispered to a companion.
"I don't know. Maybe he's just wandering," the other member replied.
"I'll tell Second Elder. You keep an eye on him." The Hyuga member saw an opportunity and quickly passed the message along before rushing toward the Second Elder's residence. Meanwhile, Boruto continued his aimless stroll, unaware that someone was plotting against him.
"What is this place?" Boruto murmured to himself as he wandered into unfamiliar territory.
After a few more minutes, he spotted a building that resembled a small shrine. Curiosity piqued, he wondered how a shrine could exist in this place. What might be inside? He scanned the area and realized he had entered the forest adjacent to the Hyuga estate, which was technically part of the property. The forest's terrain was elevated, allowing a view over much of Konoha. Yet, Boruto had been walking along a series of steps, so it didn't feel particularly high.
Pushing open the wooden doors of the shrine, he stepped inside. Facing him was a statue of a rabbit goddess, clearly untouched for a long time.
"Who is this statue?" Boruto wondered. He didn't recognize the rabbit deity or rather, most children in this new era wouldn't know this ancient god.
After glancing around, Boruto realized the shrine was in ruins and, feeling bored, decided to leave.
"Someone has trespassed in the Northern Shrine! Go get help!" a shout rang out from outside.
Alarmed, Boruto sensed danger. Fearing that his Transformation Jutsu might be detected, he quickly scanned for an escape. His eyes landed on a suspicious wooden panel beside the statue a secret passage. He hurried over, opened it, and slipped inside, restoring the panel afterward to conceal his entry.
After a moment, hearing no sounds outside, Boruto exhaled in relief. Calmly, he became curious about what lay within this hidden corridor and ventured further inside.