Hey guys it's me. I know. This a new story set after Boruto: Naruto the Movie. I know I still I have Boruto and the new Generation still hanging. I don't know when I'll get back to it, but for now this is something I had to publish. I've put more effort into this and I hope it shows. Expect some serious darkness and tragedy. There is a reason this story is M-rated. Enjoy and review!

The desert heat beat down on Kankuro's tattooed face, as he silently complained about his brother assigning him the mundane task of delivering extra supplies to an outpost town on the border of the Land of Wind. He turned to his squad behind him in their long flowing desert garb. He could see the frustration etched into their eyes beneath their hood. It was not that Kankuro didn't understand the importance of the mission, it was that it was beneath the office of the Kazekage's advisor. He imagined that his brother-in-law wasn't given such mundane tasks by the Seventh Hokage. Then again Shikamaru Nara's niche was not on the front lines.

Kankuro's hand habitually went to his right thigh where he kept the scrolls in which he had sealed his ninja puppets. These were the source of his power. Thinking about them made took him back to the stunt that the Seventh Hokage's son pulled four years ago. He couldn't engage the booing that the poor boy had pouring down on him, or even the silent disappointment that his peers fired at him. It's not that he didn't understand the boy's wrong doing. Were it his own son Shinki, he have gone down there himself. But Kankuro too relied on ninja tools and he was proud of his mastery of them and encouraged the development of more efficient ones. Though admittedly, the one Boruto Uzumaki used was a bit of a joke

There was something strange rising into the air in the distance. It was the pale color of sand in the shape of gargantuan mushroom. Shifting and turning. He signaled for his team to come to a complete halt.

"What is it Lord Kankuro?" One of the men behind him questioned.

Kankuro didn't answer immediately. In truth he didn't know what it was. An explosion? If so, why out here?

There was a figure running towards them. No it was more like he was running away from something. In his hand a great black coat billowing in the wind. Why isn't he just wearing the damn thing? As the figure came closer he saw the man was hilariously short

"Help me!" He screamed.

"Help me please." He panted as he stumbled to stop at Kankuro's feet. "He'll kill me!" The poor man was practically grovelling at Kankuro's feet.

Kankuro would've normally enjoyed this moment but the look on the man's face suggested that now was no the time. "What's going on? Who'll kill you?" Kankuro demanded in the Kazekage's advisor.

"I don't kn-". The small man crumpled to the ground as the sand began to turn red. Depp in his back was lodged a kunai. Kankuro drew a kunai himself and heard his team behind him shuffling for their weapons. There was a foul potent, presence on the air. The likes of which he hadn't felt since the 4th Great Ninja War

Turning forward he could see the vague from of man coming towards. This one was tall, and the grace and balance in his walking from suggested that this man was a ninja. The presence grew stronger as he neared them. He turned to the dead man sprawled out in the bloody sand. For him to have hit the man at this distance with a kunai, and burying it so deep within him?

There was no question that the man was skilled. As he neared he saw just what he was facing. The left side of his face was burned. The clearness left iris suggested that he was blind in it, making his kill all the more impressive. His right iris was a frightening dark shade of black. He had deep red hair tied up behind him and messy bangs hanging over his face covering his burns and menacing eyes. He wore a one piece black ninja training outfit, which was tight over well-built physique. He was built like a war horse. Built for battle. Built for killing.

"Who are you and what do want?" Kankuro immediately summoned his strongest puppet Sasori. It was once used by a rogue ninja who sealed his soul within it. Now it was Kankuro's greatest strength. "I'll ask again-".

He didn't get to. The red-haired man's hand flew up and threw almost ghostly objects flew forth. He heard his team pained cries behind him, along with the heavy spilling of blood. He turned back to see that his six members were now in the same state as the small panicked man that came out of the explosion. Six guys taken out by 3 kunai?

He turned back to his opponent. When he did, time seemed to slow down. He saw Sasori in pieces and the red haired man directly in his face. I only turned away for a second. How did he take down Sasori so fast? The man vanished. He looked at the ground knowing that hiding in the sand was common sense for any trained ninja. Instead he saw a pool of blood at his feet. He wondered where it came from since everyone else was dead. He felt strange. Empty. He felt around his left side, hoping he was thinking wrong. He wasn't. There was nothing there. He looked to find the left side of his torso a mess of gore, and exposed skeleton. What the hell? Before he knew it he was on the ground as well.

He looked to the small man from before to see the red-haired man picking up the black coat. As he put it on Kankuro heard the soft clanging of metal. He was keeping his weapons in it. The red-haired man looked Kankuro directly in the eyes. Eyes that were going to lose life in the next few second. "I'm Kaname Uzumaki and I just want my coat."

There was a gust of wind, the desert rising, and Kaname Uzumaki disappeared like a ghost.

"Uzumaki. Just like Naruto." Kankuro barely croaked out his last words. No one heard them.

"SURPRISE!"

Several figures jumped out from behind the expensive furniture. There was Sarada, Mitsuki, Himawari, and Shikadai (who looked like he'd rather be bored anywhere else). His mother, his Uncle Sasuke and Aunt Sakura stood to the side. Not to mention pretty much every other Chunin Boruto's age. Their faces beaming with pride and amusement. Though Uncle Sasuke's face looked more like it was shimmering. The man was a master of hiding his emotions. Though Boruto learned quickly enough how to read him.

"For me? You shouldn't have." Boruto said, not trying to hide his sarcasm nor his happiness that all his friends were here.

"Oh please." Sarada mocked. "We all know you love being the center of attention."

"Heh-heh. Not all the time." Boruto embarrassingly rubbed the back of his head thinking back to 4 years ago. Yeah. Not all the time.

He turned to Shikadai. "So scared yet Nara?"

"You mean scared of the last guy to become Chunin? As if." Shikadai scoffed.

"Just hang on to your seat. Because now that I'm finally here I'll be blowing you away like that ogre 4 years ago."

"What a drag." That was the famous Nara catchphrase. It made Boruto want to rip out his own hair. But decided his hair wasn't worth a boring catchphrase.

Boruto sister Himawari ran up to him from behind the couch. Giving him great bear hug that threatened to suffocate him.

As she finally let go he could her full appearance now. She matured into a fine young woman in the past 4 years. She wore ninja headband snuggly on her forehead, while he jet black had been grown out and was now tied back. Maybe she'd finally impress Mitsuki.

Boruto rubbed his arms hoping his sister hadn't broken them. Everyone else came for the as well to offer there congratulations and pride. First were his own peers. Then came the adults.

He fist-bumped with Uncle Sasuke, had his tousled by Aunt Sakura and received a perfect kiss on the cheek full of love from his mother. Lady Hinata. "I'm so proud of you." She wanted to cry. But had no desire to embarrass her son this special day. The day that he became a Chunin

The next few hours were full of sparring in the yard, bar-be-cue and an all-you-can-eat buffet at Ichiraku Ramen. Boruto won most of the sparring matches but was bested by Mitsuki and tied with Sarada. As for the food, Cho-Cho ate practically all the bar-be-cue, and Himawari the ramen. Everyone else only had enough so they won't be able to complain.

Then came the moment of truth. When all was settled they returned to manor where everyone circled around Boruto and Sasuke as the latter tied put the red armband around the sleeve of Boruto track jacket. Now Boruto wanted to cry. But he didn't want embarrass his mother and sister. He looked around at all the faces. Everyone proud of him. Even Shikadai couldn't hide. They would at last be able to compete as equals.

Boruto was woken from his trance by Sasuke poking in the forehead. Boruto rubbed that spot where he teach had left his mark. He turned to Sarada who standing beside her mother and Mitsuki. She turned away at the gesture her father gave Boruto. What her father had done was always a great show of love in their family.

"I'm proud of you Boruto." Sasuke said solidly.

"Thanks you Uncle."

There was whole other round of congratulations and everyone looking forward to working with him on missions. Following that most of the crowd cleared out. Leaving only Boruto with his family, Sarada's family, and Mitsuki.

All was quiet. Boruto looked around at everyone's faces, stopping at his mother's. There was something missing.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

"Oh. It's nothing." She replied with a bright smile.

Boruto knew it was a lie. That was her typical response when she'd yearn husband. Boruto and Himawari's father. The Seventh Hokage. Boruto decided who would tell her the truth.

"It's okay that Dad's not here."

All faces lit up.

Boruto continued. "I stopped by his office, before coming here. I was gonna pick up my Chunin armband, but he just sent home with a huge stupid grin on his face." Boruto couldn't help smiling at the memory as well.

That soothed his mother as eyes softened and posture relaxed. "That father of yours."

"Yeah. That father of mine." Boruto didn't try to hide his pride. He was prouder than he was ever 4 years ago to be the Hokage's son.

Naruto shakily put the phone down. He turned to Shikamaru who had been part of the conversation on speaker. His face was looked like a stone. He could only imagine the pain his second-in-command was feeling right now. Losing family member was never easy. Naruto couldn't help but despise the irony. Earlier today his son stopped by where Naruto gave him great congratulations for becoming a Chunin. There was huge party being thrown for son's promotion to Chunin, and he had to stay behind to realize that their peace was about to come to an end.

Shikamaru wondered how he was going to tell his wife Temari. How would tell his son Shikadai? That her brother and his Uncle had been slaughtered.

"Naruto." He turned to the Hokage.

"Yeah. I know. You go on home."

Shikamaru nodded and left.

Naruto alone again. He closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. He wondered how Gaara was handling it. Though he sounded fine on the phone, Naruto understood the Fifth Kazekage better than that. He must've been dying inside.

Kankuro was important figure within the Shinobi Union. He was one of its leading members. His passing would warrant a funeral attended by the Five Kage themselves. His murder meant that there was new enemy out there. Someone not only powerful enough to slay a ninja of Kage calibre but bold or very stupid as well. Either way, this meant a Five Kage summit. Naruto always loathed the summits. Normally it was because of he had no love of politics because that meant the comically tall stacks paperwork on his desk would keep growing.

This time it was because he already knew what would happen. They would declare manhunt for this mysterious assailant. The would declare war.

Hope you guys liked the first chapter. I know it's short and may be a bit slow but it will pick up I promise. I wanted to start of this story with a punch as opposed to Boruto and the New Generation where I just recreated the classroom with Team 7. Sorry about Kankuro, but I needed to make Kaname a credible and personal threat.

I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update. But I think I'll enjoy writing this story so hopefully soon. I've got quite a bit planned out as it is so stay tuned.

Thank you taking the time to read this and please review.