Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.


Most of the monastery is simplistic, with sparse furnishings and minimal decor, so it's somewhat of a surprise when they enter the hondo of the main temple. The beautiful golden altar, softly illuminated by candlelight, is something to behold. Tendrils of smoke rise from the incense burner and dozens of monks sit silently on the floor with their heads bowed, hands nestled together in their nenju.

"It's time to meditate," Bhanti instructs. They quickly mimic the positions of the monks and sit respectfully.

When the resonating sound of the gong ends the meditation, rhythmic voices chant a soothing sutra. The experience is new but not unwelcome. There's something about the atmosphere here is that is open and inviting. These monks are dedicated to becoming enlightened and perhaps being surrounded with their presence is what makes it so peaceful.

Bhanti's friend Ananda soon takes his place upon the altar to share the Dharma message of the day. On the easel to the left, the words 'Right Conduct' are written.

"Greetings my friends. I am very honored to speak with you this evening," he begins. "But first, it is with great pleasure I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our new friends from Konoha. We are so happy you are able to join us for the service tonight," he says to them.

A short round of applause follows before everyone settles in.

"They've worked very hard to expand our central garden. The newly developed area will allow us to share more of our bounty with neighboring friends as well as our sister temple."

Immediately the audience reverently bows in their direction, showing deep appreciation. Their team is taken by surprise but flattered all the same.

"The garden is in full bloom, and it is wonderful to see so much goodness come from it. I overheard one of our helpers worked doubly hard today to make up the work of a missing friend. As a result, not only was plowing completed, but project plans have progressed ahead of schedule.

He smiles down at their team, causing Boruto to grin at the compliment. Mitsuki returns a weak smile, but unbeknownst to the others, he is lost in his own thoughts of pain.

"I also heard someone made a gift out of the prize tomatoes our friend Crow helped to establish," he continues, and Sarada blushes. She had shared this little tidbit with Ananda earlier when she learned he was the caretaker of the tomato vines. "Sharing is indeed a wonderful example of right conduct, and.." he adds as if disclosing a secret, "it can often bear a gift to both the giver and the receiver."

Bhanti sends a knowing look to Sarada and she shyly smiles back.

"Right Conduct is a virtue we must all strive to live by, for when wholesome thought leads to right action, a better path is realized. In many instances the example plants seeds for further good. Moreover, there is often something special that occurs when its effects pass from the giver to the receiver and a positive change results," he says happily. "Indeed, of the principles of the Eightfold Noble Path, I feel this one is special because it reaches beyond our immediate self and has the ability to instantly touch the lives of others in a delightful way."

He pauses a moment to look at those before him, a hint of seriousness on his face.

"Right Conduct is without a doubt a wonderful thing, but it is not always an easy thing to master. The truth is, there will be times when uncertainty hovers over us and the best choice or action isn't apparent."

"In these moments, we may feel confused and alone. The road ahead may appear to fork in three very different directions, and during this time, the urgency of making the right choice can be overwhelming. Worry may reign and it's easy to feel desperate. In these instances, with nowhere to turn, we may find ourselves urgently asking: what do I do? What path should I take? And when this happens, what should we do?"

Boruto raises his hand and Ananda grins as he watches Sarada lightly jab him from the side.

"Yes, Boruto?" he asks, inwardly grinning at his boldness.

"Take the 'Right' path of course!" he says cheekily.

"Not the left?" Ananda teases back as he chuckles. The audience laughs along as well.

Once they settle in he continues on. "Our young friend brings up a good point. Wouldn't it be nice if there were clear road signs when making life's big decisions? They could prevent us from making that huge mistake that escalates into something terrible."

Sarada teasingly shifts her eyes over to Boruto as he rolls his eyes and returns a playful frown.

"The truth is, a certain decision in one case may not be the right one in another. Every action leads to a reaction, and as circumstances constantly change, so will the situation and the best way to resolve it. Instead, we must accept that life is a bumpy road with many challenges, obstacles, and hardships, and in the process work toward finding the answers we seek, not by relying only on what we know, but by gaining wisdom from others and reflecting on the entirety of the situation, carefully observing the untainted truth, before ultimately deciding upon the best course of action."

Thoughtful silence lets them think on this.

"Of course this is easier said than done, and we may become frustrated and lost along the way, but honestly these feelings are simply due to our own selfishness and nothing more. Feelings like these surface only occur because results aren't realized as our ego hopes. In truth, these times may be hard, miserable even, but always remember, this can change in an instant if we just follow the advice of the Buddha."

The Konoha team looks up in wonder as to what he may say next.

"Take the middle path.'"

He waits a moment to let his words sink in.

"The middle path is the one that looks at things with the right mindset, using wisdom and compassion to guide us. It reaches beyond our immediate self, and as we become more comfortable relying on these virtues, we will find everything will become clear no matter what the situation."

He then directs his attention back to his guests. "Taking this path is not necessarily easy nor difficult but perhaps truly the right way to approach things." He then winks at Boruto, making him smile.

"Everyone's road in life is different," he stresses, "but by using heightened understanding we can learn to act with infinite wisdom and light, and practicing these virtues can make that difference. In closing, let us take the time to reflect on Right Conduct along with other virtues and work to live life focusing to stay upon the middle path."

He pauses for a moment, content with his speech then places his hands together in his nenju and bows back to the audience. "Thank you, dear friends, for allowing me to share this message with you tonight. I am honored."

Murmurs of 'Na Man Da' echo in the hondo as everyone puts their hands together in their nenju and bows reverently back to Ananda.


"I really enjoyed the service," Sarada expresses to Bhanti on their way back to their quarters. "Thank you for inviting us."

"It was a pleasure," he says, very glad to see such enthusiasm from his young friend.

"You may not know it," she shares, "but you and Ananda have helped me see and understand things I hadn't thought about before. I can see why Crow often visited," she mentions.

Her onyx eyes, filled with wonder bring a smile to his face. It's a huge compliment she pays and no doubt her similarity to Crow remains in the back of his mind. Nostalgia takes him back to the times he and Crow discussed the day's Dharma message when he visited the monastery and a stray thought makes it's way to his consciousness.

"If I may," he says suddenly, "tomorrow, I wish to share a special place my friend Crow established with my young friend Sarada as well as the rest of you. Would that be okay Mr. Sarutobi?

"Of course," Konohamaru agrees. "It's time for bed now but perhaps tomorrow evening would be good."

Bhanti nods and bids them 'good night."


After the grueling day, Boruto and Sarada are quick to fall sleep, and Konohamaru takes first watch. Mitsuki however has an especially terrible night waking frightfully twice from nightmares. He's having a hard time focusing and on two distinct occasions he thinks he may have heard voices in his head. He says nothing though and offers to take second watch so Konohamaru can sleep and his teammates are able to have a full night's rest.

In the morning, they are grateful for the help of the one of the monks who helped the day prior, while the other tends to Mitsuki. Unfortunately they find their third member is still ill and unable to do much. It's not as hot today, so his heatstroke is puzzling, but Boruto says nothing. He grumbles inwardly as he watches Mitsuki rest in the shade while he sweats. Ananda makes an appearance as he crosses the courtyard though, and Boruto soon remembers yesterday's message and calms the anger within. Right Action is soon in full gear.

Boruto, his clones, and Sarada work diligently to finish all the work needed in the garden. Konohamaru is watchful of his third Genin but helps with the fence construction. Priority is set for working doubly hard to finish the Mission, and at sundown, the goal is met and the job is complete.

After a shower and a delicious vegetarian dinner, it is decided that they will leave for Konoha the next morning once they've had a good night's rest. Boruto is dead tired and nearly depleted of chakra, so he is ready to head straight to bed. Mitsuki is no better off and still feeling queasy, with a head that throbs with no end, so the monks help him back to the monastery before heading off. Sarada however really wants to see what Bhanti's surprise is so she urges them to stay up just a bit longer, so they can all go with her. Reluctantly they agree, but only because following seems easier than dealing with an unhappy teammate.

Bhanti meanders down a long stretch of the East Wing. The uncharted territory is eerily unfamiliar to them. They traverse down some stairs and through a maze of hallways into the dark recesses of a tunnel track deep within the complex and arrive at an unused portion of the building below ground. Torches flicker light through hallways here. Suddenly Bhanti stops and looks suspicious.

"Strange," he speaks aloud.

"Who's there?" he speaks into the shadows as his voice echoes off the walls.

The group carefully watches him and is suddenly on edge.

"Ananda?!" he demands as his voice reverberates, but there is no answer.

"This is an unused part of the monastery," he informs them. "No one but Ananda and myself are allowed here. I wonder if he lit the torches?"

For a moment there is silence and a tension that's palpable, but he summons them on.

"Come. It's right over here."

As they make their way down the barely lit path, Mitsuki is suddenly overwhelmed with the pounding in his head. He holds his temples and lets out a low groan.

"Are you okay?" Sarada asks.

"My head hurts," is all he replies, cringing and nearly doubling over.

A scuffling down the hall brings their attention elsewhere and Bhanti runs to the center of the hallway as the Genin team and Konohamaru surround him.

"Who's there?" Bhanti asks again.

Sarada activates her Sharingan and immediately is aware that within a portion of the wall beside them is the same chakra she sensed in the forest. This must be Crow's special place. There's no time to ask though. Mitsuki suddenly crumples to the floor, unconscious. As she rushes to his aid, a group of monks with their faces obscured, appear from the shadows. Konohamaru confronts the one nearest him, but stops. Despite desperate calls of his name, he does not move. Scary as it is, it appears he is cast in some sort of trance, maybe a genjutsu, but there's no time to help. The others quickly rush toward them and charge at Bhanti pummeling him into Boruto. One grabs at Sarada, covering her eyes and binding her hands.

With all his might Boruto jumps back to his feet and scrambles toward Sarada. He is determined to protect her. Without a second thought, he flings his body feet first into the monk who holds her. He's able to loosen this grip just enough so she's free. In the next instant, Bhanti's alarm has him thinking quickly. He swiftly moves toward the wall, relaxes, and places his finger upon it. Unexpectedly, he then pushes Sarada back toward it.

"Protect the key!" he urges and it's the last words she hears. She's caught off guard by her friend's unexpected push and a rush of chakra to her Sharingan has her seeing the wall before her in an instant. She prepares to brace herself for the impact, but it never comes. Instead, she suddenly she finds herself in a room with a table and scrolls. Sarada bounds back toward whence she came, but the wall is solid.

"Bhanti! Boruto! Mitsuki! Konohamaru-Sensei!" she yells, but there is no response.

A quick test has her realizing her activated Sharingan allows her to see through the opening she came through, but the space is strange. The section is not really a wall, but more like an open spaced portal or clear window through which she can see through but cannot enter or exit. It appears only as a wall when she uses her normal sight. Momentarily stunned, she focuses her attention back to the hall outside, only to find Bhanti is now unconscious on the floor. She sees Boruto running off after his attacker and catches a glimpse of his profile. It seems Boruto has somehow managed to pull off his mask. Surprised, she notes it's one of the monks who helped them earlier in the garden. She struggles to find a way out to help Bhanti and her teammates but her efforts are in vain. The chakra sealed portal blocks any of her attempts to enter or exit and she watches helplessly as her friends struggle. What she doesn't miss is the silver canister that gleams on the monk's belt that would have normally been concealed beneath his robe. Bhanti is hurt. Mitsuki is unconscious. Konohamaru is paralyzed in the jutsu he's trapped in, and she desperately works to find a way back to the other side.


Author's Note:

A few of your comments have given me inspiration to add a little side plot to the story that happened to work along with my original story plan. See? Your feedback really does make a difference. A special thanks to those who left reviews and please keep them coming. They've provided incentive to write!

Lastly, the words Right Conduct and Right Action are sort of used synonymously in this chapter. I hope that was apparent.