Chapter 10: Seize the Night
'5 minutes left.'
Midnight couldn't get here any sooner.
Takeda glanced away from his pocket-watch, focusing his full attention back on the new Uzumaki household: On Boruto's room. He had fallen asleep already hours ago, tossing and messily rolling around amid his blankets and pillows unaware of his presence. The toads supposed to be on guard were fast asleep from his concoction, bodyguards paralyzed below as well.
Everything checked out.
The scientific ninja tools of the future really do come in handy when your opponents are just a little bigger and refuse to stay down the first time.
Commander Sugawara hadn't even told him Naruto and Hinata had moved, he expected them to go forward with his original plan tomorrow afternoon during Boruto's birthday party.
Not tonight.
Maybe in an alternate timeline they would have, or perhaps they should've have just broken officer protocol and simply told Naruto and Hinata they needed to take their kids back before things got screwed up any more. Typical rules meant keeping to the guise of shadows, interacting with as little people as possible in order to keep the flow of time normal however it was really was just two kids who were the perpetrators behind this all.
And for once, he was truly interested in studying the people they needed to capture instead of just turning them in as normal. He refused to let this opportunity slip by.
So that meant sticking to his own hidden agenda, despite what the Commander would say once he found out...
The backyard was already set in preparation for the moment, blue and yellow balloons and streamers shimmering against the porch lights. He had seen a few of the invitations Boruto had passed out during class, watched as Hinata and her sister had made his cake while he was at school through the windows. Even Naruto had switched around his schedule after much prodding he could finish memorizing some files before the end of the week and begging to Kakashi to be able to make it to the event...
'Right, the Commander thinks I'm letting this case affect me too much.'
No matter, the gossipy old woman at the convenience store had had no problems in telling him the street address and house number of the recently completed home, giddily happy to have been the ones to welcome the 'War Hero and Hyuga Princess' to the neighborhood.
"Oh, they're just the sweetest young couple aren't they, Ayuka?! We should make them a welcome basket! Make your famous batch of pies and cookies!" Hiromi eagerly suggested to her friend.
Ayuka bared a near toothless grin from Takeda then to her friend, nodding along with her suggestion. "Ah, great idea! Those little kids they have will probably love the apple cinnamon cookies or blueberry tarts I make!"
He had barely restrained the urge to roll his eyes at all their high praises of the duo and bragging of their baking skills, nodding along with them as if he was just as eager to meet the pair and that he was there biggest fans too.
The wind howled through the air once more, shaking at his branch and he moved to steady himself before the pressure caused another painful crackling to reach his ears. This all felt a bit too easy with no other apparent people around, fingers growing damp with sweat and a cold fear tugging back at his chest he swallowed down before he felt the urge to abort this plan.
He couldn't stop this rising curiosity, Boruto always seemed a step above his peers from his observations. He always knew what to do to get through a problem or break up a fight between his classmates.
Surely there was more to him than just that, an ability he had yet to unlock…
And he could be the one to trigger it finally.
Boruto's window is shut as he expects and he moves to slide his kunai along the edge breaking glass and creating a space large enough for his fingers to reach through as they move onto the latch.
"Alright, just a little twist there and…I'm in." Takeda murmurs, grinning as he tiptoed forth into his room.
It's not over yet after all.
He steps forward until Boruto's light snores grow loud enough that he quivers and goosebumps barb his skin, reaching out a hand to gently shake him awake.
Azure eyes drearily open halfway, confusion lighting them as he awakens enough to recognize him. Takeda gestures for him to stay quiet with a finger to his lips, getting close enough now to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Mr. Hirose? What…What are you doing here?" Boruto questions, looking around curiously. He wasn't dreaming, was he? No, he was clearly in his room and hadn't sleepwalked to school by accident.
Takeda grins, pointing to his frog wall clock above his bookshelf. "Don't tell me you forgot what today is? You've only been mentioning it all week and right now it's exactly 2 minutes after midnight!"
Boruto cocked his head in puzzlement before realizing what he meant as he brightened, tossing off his covers as he hopped up and down excitedly. "It's my birthday! It's my birthday! I'm 7 now and can-"
Takeda cut him off quickly, mouth fastening around his lips and nose. "Shh!"
He waits until Boruto nods his understanding before releasing his hold on his mouth, moving instead to grab his hand.
"I have an early gift for you, the first one of today you'll be getting." He explained, pleased Boruto giddily straightened up to follow him.
"What is it?! What is it?!" He whispered-yelled, watching as he slid open his window all the way up letting scattered leaves and moonlight pour in.
The silver of the moonlight seems to make his grey eyes shine as he glances back to him, gleam with an unbidden darkness Boruto is too unaware of to see.
Because Boruto trusts him, he isn't the stranger he's been told to avoid or be afraid of.
Even when he should.
He believes in him already after establishing this student to teacher relationship, seen that he's just the cool teacher's aide who can do a few jutsus here and there.
Takeda lifts Boruto up into his arms, slinking them back onto the same branch he used to go in.
"Tonight, you'll get to be a ninja!" He exclaims quietly, Boruto becoming so wide-eyed and red in the face with naïve enthusiasm as the words leave his lips.
And just as there about to disappear into the night, does a kunai come to rest at his throat. The action draws the faintest trickle of blood and he looks up to see piercing crimson orbs staring him down with malice. To his side he can feel the byakugan observing him, waiting for his next move.
Takeda smiles inwardly, he expected this to happen; just not so soon…
'Oh well, Plan B is fun and exciting too.'
Naruto growls, voice deep and almost animal-like. "Let go of my son. Now."
-X-
In one second Takeda Hirose, part of the duo that has been tracking his family, his son and daughter down is right in front of him. Every night he and Hinata had been waiting for one of them to show, for the moment when they would try to truly take one of them away.
And as soon as he no longer had contact with Gamataro and Gamaharu he knew one of them had struck.
But in the next second he's already gone, poofed out of his hold like a ghost.
Multiple copies of him and Boruto rush off in all directions, snickering in delight.
'Shit.'
"Shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto yells out, unleashing his own clones to scatter after him.
"The real one most likely is taking to Boruto to some hiding spot." Hinata states as her gaze tracks the one seeming to head not in a haphazard, random direction.
When they get close enough, they launch a pair of shuriken at him, tips cutting and drawing more blood as they dig and imbed into him. The pain doesn't register in his expression, as if they never struck him at all.
Stormy grey orbs glance back their way and abruptly Takeda stops, all three of them landing on one of the still damaged metal rooftops construction hasn't gotten to.
Boruto shivers, attempting to bite and scratch out of his hold to no avail. Glancing from his parents to Takeda only makes him try and twist harder, wincing when Takeda forces him to stop. His nails jab and break skin each time he wiggles and a sinking feeling weighs down into his stomach that this present won't be fun like he imagined, that being a ninja can wait if it means Mama and Papa won't look so furious…
So worried.
"Here is good." Takeda mutters, loud enough for Naruto and Hinata to hear him.
And it's then he pulls out the shuriken lodged in his cheek, pushing it up against Boruto's neck eliciting a shriek of fear.
"Not as great when it's happening to a loved one, is it?" He beams, tightening his hold and freezing Naruto and Hinata from moving any closer.
"Bastard, what do you even want with our son?!" Naruto hisses, aura of scarlet encompassing him.
Takeda stepped back, frown replacing his grin. He didn't need him to lose control, for Kurama to come out and ruin everything. Any second now one of his clones could rush in and knock him out, snap him apart making him drop Boruto.
'Crap, running out of time. I'll have to do it now.'
"Relax Lord Seventh or I guess I should just refer to you as Naruto, you and I want the same thing after all. For your son and daughter to be returned back to their rightful place in time to before that little scroll incident happened. That's why I and my partner have stepped in, the flow events have been altered due to their interference." He explained.
Hinata pursed her lips, somehow this man already seemed to know Boruto and Himawari's way of time traveling.
How?
Takeda taps at a button against his watch, holding it up to the sky as its beeping gives way to a flash of white surrounding his hand that quickly rushes down his arm to his body.
"Boruto, get away!" Naruto and Hinata yell in unison, racing forward before the light pools over him.
"Mama, Papa!" Boruto's cries becoming drowned out as he vanished with Takeda.
All that's left in their place is a swirl of leaves, a deafening silence.
They can't trace their chakra signatures anywhere, Naruto's clones immediately beginning to run through every street, every alleyway as seconds turn to minutes then hours.
And eventually it becomes painfully clear as the sunrise begins to creep over the horizon, as pale orange and yellow streams of light fall across all the shadows, grasslands, and dark corners they've checked hundreds of times…
They're no longer in Konoha.
-X-
The Future
"Dear, I don't think gluing it together is going to make it activate." Hinata stated softly, watching her husband attempt to piece off the last shredded edges of the scroll Kurotsuchi's advisors had managed to find.
Time, weather, and previous wars had ravaged the scroll into being next to impossible to decipher. It had been hours now they had sat together putting everything the researchers found back into one section, enough to make out the words that if one wanted to travel back, they needed to…
The rest was cut off.
"Ugh, damn it we're right here though! So close to going back, to reaching them!" Naruto scowled, slamming his hands down against the table, rattling books and papers to the floor.
Hinata leaned her head against his shoulder, calming him back down as he reached out to hold her hand.
"Sorry, I know getting worked up isn't going to change things." He muttered before rubbing at his eyes. Sleep, the one thing the two had been trying to avoid was creeping back up on him again.
Hinata peered up towards him not holding back on her yawn making him smile. "We need to rest. We've been up all night and probably halfway into today."
Naruto nodded, guiding them both to stand and stretch out their legs. Moving away from the quieter areas of the library brings them back to where the windows light the shelves. The sun is already high up, streets of Kumo bustling with various citizens; it must afternoon.
"Let's go check in to the hotel. I know Kurotsuchi mentioned that she made reservations for us at the Jade Palace Resort and Spa, they're probably wondering what happened to us considering we haven't even checked in yet." Hinata mused, pulling out a pamphlet explaining the resort's details one of Kurotsuchi's advisors had given her before they had left the tower.
They must look so haggard, exhausted.
Still, it doesn't stop the citizens of Iwa from gawking or staring. Some even brazen enough to snap a rare photo of the duo out and about away from Konoha no less.
"Ah, Lord Seventh and his wife are visiting? I hadn't heard anything on the news about it!" One man grumbled as they passed. The woman beside him shrugged, completely star struck despite the notice of the bags underneath Naruto and Hinata's eyes, the slight messiness of their hair and crumpled clothes.
"Oh, who cares why they're here?! Odd though, where is that troublemaker son of theirs's and sweet lively daughter?"
Hinata froze, chills running up her back and the singe of bile climbs up her tongue. Her vision blurs briefly, weight of lack of sleep and food pounding at her body. Naruto gently places a hand on her before she truly starts to breakdown and she forces back on a smile to keep up the façade.
'It's not her fault. She doesn't know, don't let it get to you.'
But their conversation carries in her ears even as they walk further and further away.
"Probably just on a little honeymoon or vacation away from the kids for a bit; nothing wrong with that! All parents, especially when their children reach that rambunctious, rebellious stage need a good break from time to time!"
Naruto practically dives head first into the bed once they finally check in and confirm their identities, sinking into plush sheets.
"I feel like I could sleep for days." He mutters when he eventually unburies himself, kicking off his shoes.
Hinata plops down beside him with a relieved groan, small grin erupting when he abruptly tugs her in to the tangle of pillows and blankets with him.
"We'll be fine. We're getting closer after all, Kumo might have the second half the scroll we need or even better, all of it!" He pep talked her and himself, wiping at tears starting to sting her eyes before lightly pecking her lips and cheeks. Once they knew everything the scroll had to say, they could go back...get Boruto and Himawari home.
When had those come? Crying wasn't going to solve anything and yet still Hinata could feel more coming, the taste of salt passing by her lips.
"I know." She eventually croaked out with a tiny grin, sliding into a more comfortable position beside him. A good couple of hours sleep then a long meal and bathe would at least be a temporary fix before they got back out on the roads traveling again.
Naruto brushed his thumb along her fingers, pressing her hand gently to his lips before pausing and holding her right hand up to the light.
"Hmm, what are you doing?" Hinata asked drowsily reopening her eyes, sitting up when she saw the look of concentration in his expression.
His thumb trails a path across her hand once more with a bit more pressure, confusion then worry settling across his cerulean eyes.
"I would remember seeing this. I know all of my beloved's body from head to toe from multiple occasions." Naruto mutters, talking more to himself than her making Hinata's skin flush red.
"W-What are you talking about?!" She stammers out, fully alert now as she follows his gaze along her hand.
And it's then she sees it too.
A long jagged scar rests against the palm of her hand, a bit faded at the edges though still very visible from a quick glance. Once upon a time she must've been injured there deeply, a story she wouldn't be able to recall if someone asked…
'From when did I get such a mark?'
-X-
"Where's big brother?!" Himawari questions again.
Panic seeps into her voice the more Naruto and Hinata evade her question, the more they attempt to distract her or change the topic.
Why hasn't he come down for breakfast yet? Why wasn't he in his room? Why won't Mama and Papa tell her?!
Between Papa and Mama's whispers and all the various people that have come and gone to the house this morning she knows something is terribly wrong. Her nightmares are becoming a reality…
'Don't worry, I'll protect you from any monsters.'
But now Boruto wasn't around to do such a thing.
Appetite gone, she lets her plate of eggs and sausage drop to the ground. The smash jolts Naruto and Hinata from their thoughts as the both look at her in a mix of worry and shock.
"Himawari, be careful!" Naruto states, pulling her back from the shattered glass before it could cut at her fingers or toes.
"Was the plate too hot or too heavy? We could've have carried it to the table for you." Hinata adds in.
"No! I want Bolt back!" Himawari snaps.
And white flickers in her eyes before she lets out an exasperated huff, pushing out of Naruto's hold and stomping away from the table back up to her room with a loud slam of her door.
Hinata moves to follow after her to keep up with their now 24/7 monitoring. This is all their fault, if only they had known sooner about the man from the photos, created a better plan to stop him, distracted him with another jutsu or trap…
Still, it seemed like he had been ready for this day, for any tricks or tactics they may have tried to pull.
And whatever technique he had done with his watch hadn't been a normal jutsu.
The ANBU were currently out doing another sweeping search through Konoha and nearby vicinities, however they were only going to reach the same conclusions she and Naruto had already made.
They couldn't find Boruto or the odd man's chakra signatures anywhere.
'Gone. Boruto is gone.'
It sinks in with such finality and her whole body begins to shake again.
'We underestimated him, though it sounds like he's from the future as well. If so, how could he have gotten here without the use of a scroll like Boruto and Himawari? That watch perhaps, it's not like anything I've seen anyone use before.' She wondered.
It left so many unanswered questions, Naruto coming up beside her and rubbing at her back.
"She's hurt and frustrated, though it will pain her even more if we tell her he's missing. We're going to have to keep her from school, have someone guarding her at every part of the day." Naruto reasons.
Hinata sighs, looking up to meet his full gaze. "Such restrictions may not be a good idea. It may make her get tricked into following the wrong person."
"There isn't much other options we can go with at the moment." Naruto murmurs.
Luckily as they peek through her doorway Himawari has concealed herself among her sheets, tuff of violet hair sticking out when she turns over.
"I'm going to meet up again with Kakashi-sensei to get any updates. I'll keep a clone here with you in the event something happens with Himawari."
Hinata nodded, whispering for him to not do anything reckless before lightly kissing and hugging him goodbye.
Part of her knows if Naruto hears the worse, he will act even if his clone tries to convince her otherwise.
And as such, she goes after him once Father and Hanabi arrive at the house.
If Kakashi has been up all night, his expression doesn't show it. Stony and firm as a myriad of assistants and soldiers pass in and out of the room with new reports and new photographs citizens have brought in to help in the case.
He doesn't even need to announce his arrival, waving him forward when he steps in.
"Any word?" Naruto questions.
Kakashi says nothing for a moment, holding up a hand halting all movement that had been going on.
"I need to speak with Naruto alone."
The commotion instantly falls to silence then, guards and aides bowing in respect before turning to go.
Naruto takes a seat at his gesturing, sighing. Standing would be better, at least he could better shake off this continued jitteriness.
"That other man in the picture you gave me. He's goes by Sugawara Jin apparently, he was taken into custody early this morning around 6:00 am." Kakashi speaks once they can no longer hear the sound of footsteps outside the Hokage's door.
"Great." Naruto spits, it was probably the first good news he had heard since the incident.
"He's currently in police custody in a specialized room for interviews. The Yamanaka clan has already begun their interrogation tactics on him, however…" Kakashi trailed off.
And Naruto frowned, feeling himself grow listless again. He presses a hand against his leg to keep it from moving, trying to focus on whatever bad news he must give him.
"It doesn't seem like he's going to break. He's refusing to talk and scoping out his mind doesn't seem to be giving anyone a clear answer besides this being a mission of some sort. It seems as if he knew there was the potential for this to happen and prepared himself with some type of technique prior to be ready if he was taken in." He finished.
Naruto growled, standing up so roughly his chair slid to the ground with a screech.
Whatever Kakashi tries to tell him doesn't go through, eyes focusing out the window to the police station.
It's clear out, he should get there in less than 5, no maybe 4 minutes if he's fast enough.
'If they can't make him talk, then I will.'
-X-
"Don't you want to eat something? You should really eat, I'm sure you haven't had anything on your stomach since yesterday." Takeda repeats.
He holds out another apple to Boruto, sighing when he only slinks further back from him. His hunger isn't going to help matters going forward, he won't be able to test any of his ideas or theories if he passes out on him.
This is the first time he's probably heard Boruto be so quiet, cobalt orbs gloomy and downcast as he refuses to meet his gaze.
"Papa and Mama will hurt you really bad for this!" He spat out with emphasis, abruptly speaking up since they had gotten here.
The barrier between timelines.
It had spooked him when Commander Sugawara had taken him here the first couple of times, an endless void of black surrounding various paths that led to colorful doorways and portals each to different periods. It was always so quiet here, their voices seeming to echo for miles in all directions.
"Remember, each path leads to a certain decade or era of time. The left side is restricted normally to the Warring State Eras and back. As you slowly move to the right it leads up to current modern society with the far right being the future." Sugawara explained, pointing out the extended pathways.
"What about the doors? Where do they go?" Takeda asked in wonder, holding himself back from running forth like a child.
"Specific points in time. Certain battles that had dramatic outcomes, deaths or births of important figures." He went on.
Takeda nodded, swallowing when Sugawara sent him a firm look. "I picked you for a good reason Takeda, not just for your high scores on the exams and your calmness under the high stress time scenarios. I know you'll do me proud!"
"Yes sir!"
And he beamed, letting him put the time watch onto his hand proudly. This was his badge of honor, to show he had graduated from the academy and come into his own as a true time police enforcer.
He wondered now what Sugawara would say if he saw him, the fury and upset at knowing he had taken things into his own hands without him…
Or maybe he would just gaze at him emptily, questioning himself where he went wrong in his training regime.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of chewing, surprised Boruto had finally let his stomach win.
"I can get you more if you want." Takeda pointed out, though Boruto only quickly shook his head.
"…Can you show me your byakugan? Or any of those skills I'm sure Lord Seventh or your mom taught you?" He pried further considering they were talking somewhat now.
Boruto frowned, confusion in his eyes. "I can't do that…only Hima and Mama know how."
'What?'
Takeda leaning his head against his palm, bored with the excuse. "Liar."
"I'm not lying! I've tried to do it, but it doesn't seem like I can make it work right like they can!" He exclaimed.
Takeda arched a brow, curiosity piqued again. He knew Boruto had been hiding something from him, he would be the first now to witness what he was capable of. To research and investigate truly just how strong the eldest Uzumaki child was.
Excitement coursed through him, ignoring the faint beeping of his watch buzzing to life again.
Whatever was going on with the Commander could wait.
The fear that was once in Boruto's eyes comes back as he moves to stand up, getting into formation.
"Well you've been wanting to train so that you can show off and improve upon your lightning affinity and skills, right? Let's get started then."
-x-
Well, this was probably one of the harder chapters to write so far. I'm not sure if I made Naruto and Hinata too weak, but then again Boruto was being held as a hostage so I don't imagine they would fight at their full force without worrying they would injure him in the process. Fight scenes aren't my forte. So we're finally moving into a new stage, be ready and let me know your thoughts as always!
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!
