"Lingering, bottled-up anger never reveals the 'true colors' of an individual. It, on the contrary, becomes all mixed up, rotten, confused, forms a highly combustible, chemical compound then explodes as something foreign, something very different than one's natural self."
― Criss Jami, Healology
Chapter 1: The Beginning
Even with his corporeal form destroyed, his essence still lingered. Looking down on the insect that has defeated him, he saw the reason why the insect felt something's amiss.
"So you can feel our presence son of man?"
The blonde child, son of Uzumaki Naruto, looked on towards the source of the voice, none other than Otsutsuki Momoshiki. There Momoshiki sat, poised, crossing his left leg on his right with a stoic look painted on his delicate features.
"It's you, Momoshiki!". Boruto shouted.
Momoshiki scowled in a fashion befitting that of a king looking down on a slave. "Hmph, I see. You have the blood of one with the byakugan mixed within you".
"Nghk. Dad, we're in trouble. He's still...". Boruto turned on his back to alert his father, only to find out everything stopped.
'Dad? What is this? Something's wrong. It's as if...It's as if time has stopped'.
Boruto looked above him, only to find out that Momoshiki vanished, and now was breathing at the crook of his back.
"Even with the power I possess and the Byakugan, I'm unable to foresee my own fate. But yours, I can see it quite, quite clearly". Veins appeared on his alablaster face as his pupils enlarged with the Byakugan.
"Pay heed, those blue eyes of yours will one day take everything from you".
'I can't move'. Paralysed is not something to be described in Boruto's situation, instead it is unexplainable in mortal terms. He soon found himself face to face with Momoshiki.
"And be self-aware...That once someone has defeated a god, they cease to be an ordinary person". He gripped Boruto's right hand as he applied a surge of indistinguishable power. "That fate, bite down firmly on it and continue to walk the path, oh son of man". His last words became whispers in the wind as his remaining essence vanished, not leaving a trace of it. Boruto looked down on his palms to find out a marking that would determine his fate. Otsutsuki Momoshiki's fate is unfinished, as the mischievous element had some other plans for him.
His mind blank, no knowledge of where he is. Floating in the vast expense of the void was all he can conceive. On cue, his eyes opened, finding himself in an unfamiliar place with a child, with blonde hair and blue eyes the same as the one who defeated him.
"Hey, are you that light?"
Momoshiki looked on the child with a stoic expression as he didn't answer the question. His physical body, reduced into a size of the child. No footwear, only his aristocratic garments remained. His pale, blue hair untied, spread across the ground and his horns were back into its original form. Instantly he knew what happened.
'I travelled through time, thrown more than a decade in the one with Kaguya's chakra is a child...'
Momoshiki stood up and gracefully sauntered, turning his back on the young Naruto. His Rinnegan on the palms of his hands didn't open, his body in a vulnerable shape as he was reduced into a child, the same age as Naruto.
"By the way, you look really different. I was planning to go into Ichiraku ramen and I saw what appears to be a shooting star, then it became nearer as it fell. I just followed it and saw that you were the one in it. Did you come from the sky? Where do you live?", asked an oblivious Naruto.
He looked on towards the blonde and eyed him that sent shivers to the other. "Far away. Far from the confines of this world. Where I came from doesn't matter". His voice smooth despite in a childish tone.
'This body is vulnerable. Back in the olden days, my Rinnegan did not manifest until I reached my 16th year. Without the Rinnegan I woudn't be able to devour chakra'
"Um...", Naruto trailed off. "Why do you have horns? Are you a monster?"
"A god...", was Momoshiki's reply as his stomach growled.
"Oh you're hungry. You wanna come with me in Ichiraku? They have the best ramen in town."
'To be reduced into an insect...Fate is sure to be mischievous. My body doesn't make these disgusting sounds'.
"I'm accepting your invitation but just this once", Momoshiki replied as he walked near to Naruto again.
"Do you have money with you?"
"Money?"
"Yeah, the one you use to buy things", Naruto answered. 'He's really weird'.
"I don't have such item with me".
"Well then it's my treat. You can always pay me later". Naruto grabbed Momoshiki's hand as he ran, forcing the Otsutsuki turned child to run as well. As they walked, citizens glared at Naruto and Momoshiki noticed this as well.
"They're not looking at you, they're looking at me". Naruto said in a hushed tone as he walked.
"They fear you. Insects don't understand what true power is".
"Huh?".
"Is this it?", Momoshiki asked.
"Oh yeah...". Naruto scratched his head. Both of them entered then sat on.
"One order of Miso ramen please", Naruto exclaimed.
"Hey Naruto coming up. Who's that with you?". Teuchi then looked on towards the pale child with uncertainty as if he saw something otherworldy. Eyebrows cut short as a symbol of nobility, pale blue hair flowing with the wind. Teuchi saw a disguishing mark, the eyes, the byakugan. Fear gripped him as he saw the child has horns protruding on his head.
"I just saw him lying on the grass unconscious. You see he has horns?"
"Umm...", Teuchi trailed off.
"The same as he requested", was Momoshiki's reply.
"Alright, uhhh, coming up".
"So hey, horned guy, whats's your name? I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future hokage of Konoha and I will surpass all the hokage in existence. I will be the strongest and make the village acknowledge me".
"Otsutsuki Momoshiki"
"You seem to be the quiet type ya know. Do you have any dreams?"
"...Dreams...".
"Ummm"...Teuchi trailed off. "Here's your order".
As Naruto slurped on his noodles, Momoshiki gazed at the broth that has been served.
"If you aren't eating those, I'll be eating it".
"Is this the utensil you use?", Momoshiki asks as he lifts up the chopsticks.
"Uhhh...Yeah. Split it open then hold like this". Momoshiki followed on Naruto's instructions as he held the chopsticks on his right hand. He ate the noodles in a graceful manner as the food descends into his throat. He finished eating his share then look on towards Teuchi.
"The aroma is good. The taste is adequate".
"I told you, Momotsiki, it's great here. Hey old man, I'll be paying his share".
"It's Momoshiki".
"Oh, sorry about that. It's just your name is too long". The atmosphere became awkward as Naruto looked on towards the other with uncertainty.
"Ummm...Do you have parents?", Naruto asked. "I might be able to walk you home if you like or..."
"Again my home is far from this world. With my body in this vulnerable state, it would be years for me to come back".
"I'm sorry. You know, you can always spend the night in my place or so...", Naruto twiddled his fingers shyly.
"I'm accepting it. I have no other options. Afterall, beggars can't be picky".
Naruto smiled as he lead Momoshiki to his home. A dangerous and unlikely partnership has been borne.