Boruto bolted up and gasped heavily, quickly checking his surroundings as he noticed Himawari next to him, passed out. "Himawari, oi, HImawari wake up!" Boruto shouted, shaking her gently as he tried to wake her up. It worked as Himawari slowly opened her eyes and began rubbing them gently as she looked around, aware that she wasn't in her room and in an abandoned alley and that Boruto was with her. "Brother…" she began, her eyes ingrained with fear as Boruto placed his hand on her shoulder to reassure that he was there for her. "We're in Cypher territory. So we should be safe." Boruto pointed out as Himawari noticed they were in their 'sealed' Cypher forms.
Sealed Cypher Forms- when Cyphers enter territories belonging to their kind, their powers are sealed up and they are reduced to a 'proper age' that reflects their levels of power as Cypher. Being in the form of a child represents that they are young in power and that they need to acquire experience to grow; ages of sealed forms vary on individuals but it is said that on certain conditions, Cyphers can make their sealed forms resemble any age they prefer.
Looking at themselves now, Boruto was in a black tracksuit with the fire symbol on the back of the jacket while Himawari had that coat and skirt combo she wore when they both played snowball fighting with their parents that one winter morning…and they were both at the age of 5.
Himawari began to sniff at the memory, wondering of their parents were okay. "H-Hey now! I'm sure they're alright. After all, they are the strongest pair in Konoha!" Boruto told her as he hated seeing his little sister cry. "C'mon, maybe they're at home right now, looking to see if we're home safe and sound." He told her with a grin as he held his hand out. She calmed down a bit and reached out for his hand as the two proceeded to leave the alleyway and walked through the town.
It was Konoha alright, but the city looked different. There weren't that many tall buildings and the place didn't look as advanced as it was before. It was really unsettling Boruto when he noticed his sister taking in the details with confused shock, awe, and curiosity. When Boruto looked up at the Cypher version of the Hokage Monument, his blood turned cold. Only three heads adorned the monument as a fourth one was being carved. "Please don't tell me we've time-traveled. It was funny at first when I gave the normal counterparts of myself the chance to go back in time, but for me...this is bad." He thought as he pulled Himawari closer to him as they ran. "Hold it!" a voice called out to them. Boruto looked over his shoulder and noticed it was an officer chasing them. Reacting quickly, he picked up his sister bridal style and with strength his sealed form could take, leapt onto the roofs.
Boruto utilized his excellent memory to recall certain structures that were still there and used side streets and alleys to avoid officers that were now taking interest in capturing them. But to be on the safe side…
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
*40 minutes later*
"We made it!" Boruto cheered as he placed his sister down as he breathed in a bit. He used up a good amount of chakra in that technique and it wasn't fun at all. "That's great big bro, now let's go see mom and dad!" Himawari cheered positively as Boruto nodded in agreement. They walked together, side by side, expecting to see both parents looking outside for them, calling them to come inside and see if they were okay. But the fact that reality is cruel is when the truth is harsh, cold, and unforgiving. They both stopped, their mouths open in shock as they looked at the place where their house was supposed to be, only for it to not be there. Instead, it was nothing more than an empty plot of land with dirt. No grass, no flowers, not even a speck of life visible. This was their last hope of finding their family, maybe they did travel back in time, there was no dad to scold Boruto for his pranks and be proud of how strong he's become or to cuddle with Himawari and tell her stories of missions he had with their mother. There was no mother to welcome them back home, hugging them and smiling happily at them as they sat down together and had dinner. They were gone, swallowed by the darkness of whatever it was, to never be seen again.
Boruto had a single tear run down his eye as he knew this was the reality they lived in now. "They're gone…" Himawari spoke, her voice cracking as she fell onto her knees and began to cry. Boruto inwardly cursed himself of almost forgetting how sensitive Himawari has been. She was more mature than he was, but also the most fragile in emotional when things were beyond what she could handle, despair swallowed her. "H-Himawari, they're not gone! They're strong and knowing dad, he'll defy the very laws of the universe just to find us!" Boruto exclaimed, anxiety eating at him. He hated not being able to properly support his sister's emotional distress right now.
"Knowing your father, I have without a doubt he will do just that." An all too familiar voice spoke up. This startled the too Uzumaki children and they quickly turned to see the one person they know. Donning a Jōnin Hyūga attire and still in his teenage years, the warmth in his eyes, stood one Neji Hyūga.
"U-Uncle Neji!" Boruto and Himawari cried out as they tackled him into a very tight hug as he rubbed the back of their heads. "I've been looking for you two for quite a while." He told them, "Come, we must head for the Hyūga Compound. There is a lot that I have to explain to you two."
