Chapter 10:

As it turned out, Boruto had taken a wrong turn. Naruto went to the town that had sent for help and they mentioned that no one had shown up and now that Naruto was there, it was too late. Many of their belongings had already been taken because aid had not come to stop the thieves.

This meant Boruto was still out there. Alone and lost.

Naruto was getting worried. Boruto could have been anywhere. He thought about spreading his clones far and wide to search for his son, but even he couldn't make enough clones to cover the globe. If Boruto had taken a wrong turn, he really could have been anywhere after all this time. Naruto's search wasn't condensed to just this area. His son truly could have been anywhere.

Anywhere.

Pacing the ground, Naruto tried to think. He had to narrow his search somehow. There were so many factors. How far Boruto had traveled, the direction he took, the pace he was taking, possible dangers along the way, things that could have slowed his journey, including injury. There was too much to think about. The area was too vast.

"Screw it," Naruto growled and started running into the forest again.

"You could still use your clones, you know," Kurama told him. "Spread them out a-ways and see what happens."

"My son could be anywhere. What if I do that and they still end up missing him because I spread them too far to cover more ground? What if Boruto is hurt and can't move? What if he's underground or in a building? What if-"

"What if? What if? Tch! Who knew you would get so worked up like this? I don't think I've ever seen you like this before. This is a new kind of worried."

"You'd understand if you had kids."

"Yeah. You look like you understand a whole lot, Naruto. You're the one who went and lost their kid and can't find them."

"It's not like I was holding his hand when he ran off!"

"No. You just weren't around to see it happen. You didn't see him take off."

Naruto stopped in the middle of the path and stood still.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto looked at the ground. "I know I'm not always around. But I am home and I do try to spend time with him. I just can't be there every second of the day. Even when I am there, Boruto can be... I don't know... But you're right. I wasn't around when he took off. Maybe I could have stopped him. Or maybe he wouldn't have run off at all if I had been around."

Kurama was silent for a while. It actually wasn't his intention to make Naruto feel bad this time. When he said Boruto had run off when Naruto wasn't around, he didn't mean to call attention to him not being around.

"If it makes you feel any better," said Kurama, "your wife was home at the time and even she didn't notice him up and leave."

"That's your idea of making me feel better?"

"I'm not saying, I'm just saying."

"You think we're neglectful parents?"

"I didn't say that. Why are you putting words in my mouth?"

Naruto looked at the ground.

Kurama sighed. "Hey. You're out here looking for your son. That doesn't say neglect to me. You're out here searching for him yourself instead of making someone else do it for you. You left your village to look for him. I know you're not thinking clearly, but clearly your heart's in the right place. Right now, you know what's really important."

The village needed him, but not in this moment. Now Boruto needed him.

Naruto smiled. "Thanks, Kurama." He chuckled. "I had no idea you could be so..."

"Do not finish that sentence. I don't want you saying I'm kindhearted or something like that. Even calling me considerate is pushing it."

"I was going to say wise. Is that so bad?"

Kurama chuckled with pride. "Well, I am very wise. My intellect is superior to many, including you though that isn't saying much. But I don't want you complementing me. Feels weird."

"I'm having a conversation with a fox in my head. I'm not sure it can get much weirder than that."

"I don't know. I've seen some pretty strange stuff." Then Kurama said, "And just so you know, the kid's a ninja. Attentive or not, he would know how to sneak away. Just saying."

Naruto lifted his head and sprinted down the path until he came to a fork in the road. Should he keep going straight or to the left or right? Naruto tried to think, not with logic but with his gut. He knew his son was out here somewhere. Maybe the bond between father and son would be enough to lead him down the right path so they could reunite. Was that foolish thinking? He had been called a fool before so thinking like one actually made some sense.

Naruto turned down the left path.

"Why this one?" asked Kurama.

"A hunch."

"A hunch? Seriously? Why not sent a couple clones down the other paths? Why go down one path because of a hunch?"

"Because Kakashi-sensei did a lot of things based on hunches and they usually turned out correct."

"That's just plain old dumb luck. And you're not your sensei. Just because it works for him doesn't mean it will work for you."

"I'm taking a chance."

"Why?"

"A hunch."

Kurama growled.

Boruto stared at the boy who was now identified as Neji with mild wonder and confusion. That name sounded very familiar to him though he had never actually met anyone with that name in person.

"Neji," Boruto repeated. Hearing it spoken a second time gave him a strange feeling he couldn't identify. He knew that name from somewhere. "Neji, huh?" Saying it again only confirmed what he suspected. He did know that name.

He tried to think, repeating the name over again in his mind. He had to figure this out. He knew he knew that name.

Finally, he had it.

"I have an uncle named Neji. He's dead, though."

The boy turned his head slightly to the side and looked away. "Yup."

"Mom talks about him sometimes. She visits his grave with my sister a lot. Dad does, too, sometimes. When mom talks about him, I can tell he meant a lot to her. She said if it wasn't for him, she and dad wouldn't have ended up together. I'm not sure why. Something about a ninja war a while back. I wasn't born yet. But she's always bringing flowers to his grave and stuff like that. I don't think I've ever heard her say anything bad about him. I can tell she misses him."

The boy smiled. It was kind and loving and gentle. It made him look softer somehow. "Hinata is very kind. I'm glad she's doing well. She became so strong but she has such a gentle heart."

Boruto looked at Neji with surprise and confusion. "I never..." He never told Neji his mother's name. "How did you know my mom's name?"

"How do you think?"

Boruto had no idea. This person looked human but was clearly different. If he lived here with those strange animals, he must have been different from a normal human being. The light and feathers were proof of that. How could this person have known his mother? They could have met before somewhere. He had the same name as the uncle Hinata spoke of but this couldn't have been him. Could it? It must have been a coincidence.

Seeing that Boruto wasn't putting two and two together, Neji sighed and gave him the answer. "My full name is Neji Hyuga."

"Wait... But then..."

Neji opened his eyes wide, showing Boruto that he had no pupils, just like Hinata. His mother had the same eyes. His sister as well. He was indeed a Hyuga.

"What?! No way! You're my uncle?!"

"Finally get it?"

"But how can that be? We're close in age. You can't be my uncle. You're practically a kid like me."

"Young adult," Neji corrected. "I was a teenager when I died. It's only natural that I look this way. You tend to look the age you were when you died. Stuck in time, I guess you could say. Makes sense."

Boruto was in shock. He couldn't believe it. "So... So you really are my uncle? You're Uncle Neji?"

"I told you that already," Neji said with annoyance. "Yes, I am. What does it take? I swear, you're as thick as your father."

"What did you say?!" Boruto snapped.

"You heard me."

Boruto forgot his anger and realized something frightening. "Wait a minute. If you're my uncle... and I'm talking to you and seeing you here in front of me... Is this place..?" Boruto looked around fearfully. "Is this heaven? Holy crap, am I dead?!"

"No, no, calm down!" Neji told him. "This is just a part of the spirit realm. You're not dead. I told you that before. I thought I explained this to you. You don't need to worry. You were just transported here, body and spirit. Which is a good thing. The fact that your Jutsu and weapons don't work is proof that you're still alive and a human being. If they did then you should be worried. Not that Jutsu works here anyway. Don't worry. We'll get you back home."

Boruto started to calm down. "Ok. Ok..." He was still frightened and confused. It was overwhelming going through what he just experienced then discovering he was saved by his deceased uncle. It was a little too much at once.

Neji sat calmly where he was and glanced around the area. They were still alone.

"So, um..." Boruto began.

"Yes?"

Boruto crouched on the ground, wrapping his arms around his knees. "Nothing." He sat quietly without another word.

"Naruto."

"What is it now, Kurama?"

"I'm sensing something."

Naruto's legs stopped but his body was still in motion. He skidded across the dirt for a distance then to a complete stop. "What is it?"

Kurama did not answer him.

"What is it? You said you sensed something, so out with it."

"Give me a second. I can't really explain it," said Kurama. "It's been years since I last sensed this. It's strong, whatever it is."

"Are you sensing a ninja or something?"

"No. It's animal. But stronger. It's not a tailed beast or anything like that. It's... I suppose you could call it spiritual. It's a fox, I know that much."

"A fox?"

"Yes. I sensed it years ago, though it wasn't this strong, but the signature is about the same. It's when you had that ridiculous curse put on you and the whole village went nuts."

Naruto tried to figure out what the Nine-Tails was telling him. Within moments, he knew. A smile started to creep onto his face.

Excitement and wonder and nostalgia.

"We must be near that place." They must have been near the kitsune mountain and the human town just below it.

For a brief second, Naruto forgot about his son and felt so much joy and longing. He turned down the path and wanted to run. He was so excited to see his friends again, he could hardly think.

Then his mind and body settled down and realized something. "If we're near this place... maybe Boruto is nearby. He could be here. The town that called for help isn't that far away from here. Boruto could have taken a wrong turn and come here instead. It's possible. This place has a town and someone of nobility."

"Royalty," corrected Kurama.

"Same thing. Boruto could have mistaken this place for his mission destination. It's possible, right?"

"Are you sure you're not making excuses to see the kitsune again?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and started down the path. "I would think you'd be a little more willing to reunite with them. Being a fox yourself."

"Don't lump me in with them as if we're all the same. I am not a kitsune. I am in a league of my own."

"A fox is a fox, isn't it?"

Kurama snarled at him.

"Touchy."

"They are your friends, Naruto. I have never had the pleasure of meeting them. Or lack thereof."

"You don't get along with anyone, do you?"

The path through the trees was long and full of plant life. Even more since the last time Naruto had been through here. It had been years so it wasn't surprising to find certain areas overgrown or trees being taller with a few extra branches. Taking this path was also nostalgic. Like returning to a friend's house after many years apart. Naruto's mind was already overflowing with memories, good and bad. The history he had with the kitsune was one he would never forget.

He saw light. An eerie greenish blue light between the trees.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Naruto?" came a familiar voice. "Naruto!"

He couldn't help but smile. "Ryosuke!"

A fox appeared from between the trees and onto the dirt path. Ryosuke was a decently large size compared to normal foxes and he was sporting five tails which sent flickering flames into the air like light from a sparkler at a slower speed.

Naruto greeted Ryosuke with a humble bow which Ryosuke returned, dipping his head forward and bending his front legs.

"It's good to see you, Ryosuke."

"You, too, my friend."

"It's strange seeing you out this far from the mountain. Is everything alright?"

"We've actually had some trouble," said Ryosuke. "Some strange men came to the area looking for trouble so we kept them at bay with our fox fire. Unfortunately, though they left the town, they still managed to find something to make work for us."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain on the way. Follow me."

Naruto ran alongside Ryosuke down the dirt path between the trees. Ryosuke's steps were few and far between, gliding more than stepping. As a five-tailed kitsune, he now had the ability to fly if he so wished. Kitsune with fewer tails were a lower rank and could not do such a thing. Every now and again, Ryosuke would step and fling himself forward, soaring down the path by Naruto's side.

"These men are strangers. They do not belong to the town or even this area. We've never seen them before. But they were looking to cause trouble. They stole many goods and were carrying them in sacks on their backs. They wanted to rob the people in town and even the king's palace. The other kitsune kept them away with illusions and they fled shortly after, not daring to try it again."

"That's not the end of it, is it?" Naruto asked.

"I'm afraid not. It would seem that the young prince had gotten out of bed again and was looking to enter the mountain. He does this from time to time. We are usually able to keep him away until the guards bring him back home. It would be far too dangerous for him to climb a mountain alone and with no training."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"But tonight he got out again and the strangers found him and tried to capture him."

"They must have wanted to use the prince for ransom," said Naruto. "Trade him for gold or something."

"I managed to interfere just in time, but we still have a bit of a situation."

"Is the prince ok?" asked Naruto.

"He seems to be, but he isn't the main issue." Ryosuke galloped a short distance then glided again. "Reki spoke with me before I came here. He said he found a human in the forest wearing a headband with the symbol of your village."

Naruto gasped. His son was here after all. "Boruto."

"Yes. That is what he said his name was. Reki escorted him to town because he said he had a mission here and was summoned."

Naruto groaned. "So he did mistake this place for his mission... Is Boruto alright, though?"

"That's sort of the problem." Ryosuke gestured ahead with his muzzle. "I was in the spirit realm for a bit so I missed a few things like the strangers showing up. I came back and saw that the prince was in danger and went to help him. At the same time, someone dropped from the cliff side and into the portal I was leaping out of just before it closed. I think that was your son. I only saw him for a second before he disappeared."

Naruto was worried. "If that happened... Is Boruto going to be alright?"

"He should be. It's safer to drop into there than it is to drop to the ground from that height. I'm sure he's alright. But you must come quickly."

Naruto nodded and followed Ryosuke back to the town where their history first began.

They meet again.

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