Stupid, stupid, stupid old man! He hadn't no right. No right at all! Yes, Boruto knows that he had screw up. Cheating was not the answer. But that shitty old man shouldn't have scolded him in front of everyone! Every shinobi in the village was there, for Kami sakes! Even from other villages… Oh, sure his father is the oh mighty Hokage and was embarrassed with his child actions, but scolding and screaming at him in front of everyone wasn't necessary.

Not necessary at all! Stupid, shitty old man…

Boruto is sulking in his room. His mom send him upstairs without a word. Just a stern "go to your room and don't leave unless is absolutely necessary". His sweet and gentle mom sounded so cold and angry… She's never angry with him… She understands him better them anyone else…

So, he is here, waiting… And sulking… He is furious with his dad! It was his fault, after all. Boruto just wanted to impress him, to show that he is better than the Great War hero… That's why he cheated, right?

As the minutes turn into hours, his angers starts to subside… Now he feels… Ashamed? Maybe… And scared… And lonely… And he will never admit that out loud but… he wants his dad… He misses him so much… The Seventh Hokage barely spends anytime at home, nowadays. He missed his bedtime routine. Dad used to tickle him, before pulls the blankets, tucking him just like Boruto loves. And he would pass him his plush fox and read him a story. Now he is never ther for bedtime. And Boruto is too big for tickles and plushes and stories…

But he misses all of that. Cuddling besides his dad, feeling his warmth was the most relaxing thing in the world. He used to fell asleep before the end of the story. Now, he tosses and turns for hours. And he feels always tired and irritated and can't concentrate properly. So, he can't train the way he should. And that's why he cheated… Right?

He doesn't know how long he was lost in these embarrassing thoughts, but now someone knocks in his door.

"Hima, go away please… not now…" He sighs, exasperated with his baby sister.

"It's me, Boruto" He hears his dad's voice and starts shaking. Why is he shaking? "May I come in?"

"Yes…" He hides under the bed covers, using them as a shield.. He doesn't even know why is he so scared. He is shaking, drenched in cold sweat, tears pooling in his eyes, stomach churning.

His dad enter the room and sits in the bed. "Look, son… I… I… Kami, I don't even know what I want to say to you… Look… I'm sorry, okay? Really sorry…"

Boruto peaks from under the covers, eyes so wide as saucers. "Sorry? For what? I'm the one who screwed up…" he whispers.

"Yes, you were. But I shouldn't scold you in front of everyone. You know the saying, right? Praise in public, punish in private, or something like that… What you did was very, very wrong and you'll be punished for that, but that wasn't the time or the place to scream with you…"

"It's okay… I know I deserved it" He mumbles…

"Not totally…" Boruto's head shots up at his father´s words. "I know why you did it… It's my fault to"

"You do? Your fault?"

"Yes, foxie. I know. You just want me to acknowledge you, you just wanted to prove yourself… I'm right?"

"Yes…" The kid feels so ashamed. His face is bright red and the tears finally start to run down his cheaks.

"Oh kid, come here…" Naruto pats the spot besides him. Boruto crawls and sits next to him. His father gently pulls him to his lap.

"I'm too old for this, old man"

"Don't push it, kid… And no, you are not. I miss you, and you miss me. That's the reason behind all this acting out, right? All these pranks, insults, arguments, misbehaving and cheating. I'm not the best father in the world, but.. I'm trying! I'm trying so hard to run this village, to be with you and your sister and your mom, to be better… But I'm only one person and I can't be everywhere at the same time…"

"You can… Your Kage bunshin…"

"That's not the same and you know it very well… I'm sorry, foxie, okay? I'm really, really sorry. For all this mess… When you were born, I promised you to be there. To never let you feel alone… And I messed up big time…"

"It's okay, I guess… Being an Hokage is your dream, since you're a little boy… I know the stories… You deserved it…" Boruto hides his face in his father's broad chest. "You don't deserve a shitty child like me…" He whispers.

"Hey, what was that? You are NOT a shitty child, never say that again! You are perfect. You are the sweetest kid around." Boruto hides deeply in his chest, his ears pink and mumbles something. "Yes, you are. You are a strong, confident shinobi. You are a prodigy, better than I was with your age. And it's okay to be like that outside. Maybe outsiders don't know, but I know your sweet side. How you care for your mother and sister. How you kiss them gently and hug them tight. And I know you are STILL a child. A sweet, gentle child that doesn't know what to do with all the anger and resentment he has bottled inside."

"I'm not angry… not with you…"

"Yes, you are. And that's okay. But you should come to me and tell me that. Not acting like a spoiled brat. I know for a fact that you are not a brat… Spoiled, maybe, but not a brat."

"You are ALWAYS working! You don't have time for me anymore. You don't even put me in bed anymore…" The last phrase was whispered so quietly that Naruto almost missed it…

"You miss our bedtime routine, don't you? That "I'm too big for that" crap on weekends, is just an act, right?" Boruto nods against his chest. "Okay, let's make a deal: I'll try to be home in time for that on weekdays and I'll ALWAYS do that with you on weekends. And when you need me, go to the tower and ask Shikamaru, he'll let you in, unless I'm in a meeting. Deal?"

"Deal… But uncle Shika will think that I'm a baby for that…"

"No, he won't. Shikadai comes at least twice a week to spend some time with his father. You can come too"

"Okay." Boruto smiles at his father.

"That's my little foxie boy!"

"Not little…" Boruto says, snuggling in his father's arms.

"Right, my big foxie boy…" Naruto indulges him. "So, bedtime now?"

"You are not mad with me anymore?"

"No"

"Neither disappointed?"

"No, it's okay. It's over. Just don't do that again! Ever! And tomorrow you'll apologize to Shikadai and your uncles" Naruto's voice is firm but gentle.

"I promise!" Boruto nods.

"So, off to bed!" Naruto tickles his son, until the kid screams "STOP" and squirms under the covers again.

His dad tucks him. "Hum…where is your fox?" He asks?

"To old for that…" Boruto blushes…

"Hum… under the bed, I guess?" Naruto smiles when his kid gives him a shy nod and picks the worn out plush from the floor.

"Here he is!" Naruto tucks the fox under his kid's arm, fluffy ears brushing his cheek, just the way he knows the kid loves. Boruto slept like that since he was a baby, the ironic orange plush next to him, since day one. Naruto smiles at the obnoxious gift, the first toy that the kid received, courtesy from Kakashi. His old sensei teases him until today, saying that his gift was his son's favourite thing in the world.

He shifts in the bed, preparing to cuddle with the exhausted kid. Boruto mistakes his actions, thinking that his dad is leaving. His eyes shot open (he's already drifting to sleep) and he sits up.

"No, daddy! Don't go!" If he were less tired and more awake, he would never say those words, but he is to tired and to sad and to lonely to care if he sounds childish. Right now, he just want his dad here, with him.

"Not going anywhere, foxie. Calm down and close your eyes again. I'm just lying next to you. Story?" Naruto says softly.

"Please…can you stay?"

"Too tired to go anywhere, scoot over" Naruto lays next him, his kind cuddle in his arms and he doesn't have time to start a story. Boruto is already fast asleep, contempt in his daddy's embrace, his fox's ears brushing lightly at his cheek.

"To big for this…right" Naruto smiles before falls asleep, his first night of undisturbed sleep in ages.

What he doesn't know is the consequences of that "come to me" deal. He and Shikamaru found themselves working with a kid hiding under their desks, head in their fathers lap, almost every day… Not that they are the ones to complain about that…