Chapter 40:
"Dad!" Boruto rushed forward, pressing his hands against the dark bubble encasing Naruto. He couldn't tell what condition he was in, the inside of the bubble was so murky and Naruto was just floating inside, unresponsive.
The others were doing the same thing, looking inside the bubble to check on the one inside. They were all happy to see him but didn't know whether to celebrate or not.
Boruto peered over the side of the bubble to thank Naoya. "Thank you."
Naoya had a vapid expression as he nodded his head once in acknowledgement. He didn't seem pleased with the decision to return Naruto to the human world, but neither was he upset about it. Boruto imagined Naoya wasn't sure how he felt about this either. Although, he did see a glimmer of something in Naoya's orange eye upon being shown sincere gratitude from a human.
"Take him and return to your world," said Naoya, walking to the side of them and the bubble. Holding out his clawed hand, the air began to ripple. A portal was opening.
Neji began to push the bubble towards the portal. "Come on. Quickly." The bubble glided easily over the rusty plains, casting no shadow. The Genin hurried to the exit of Naoya's domain.
"Thank you, Naoya!" Sarada called quickly as they neared the exit.
Boruto looked back once to get his final look at Naoya who was watching them leave. To his surprise, Boruto could look upon him without feeling any anger. Maybe it was because he understood him a little better now.
He nodded to him, saying, "Thank you," and stepped through the same murky portal that took his father, this time, returning to the world they left.
The first thing he noticed was the fresh air. He could smell the grass and trees, felt the coolness in the air and saw the dimming light and purple and pink sky of sunset.
The portal connecting to the spirit realm had closed and Naoya was gone.
"The mountain," said Sarada, looking around. "We're back at Ayahuasca."
Sure enough, there was the mountain towering over the trees surrounding them. They were somewhere in the forest between the mountain and the town.
"The Hokage," said Mitsuki, drawing everyone's attention to the ground.
Stepping through the portal caused the bubble encasing Naruto to pop and he now lay lifeless on the forest floor, facing the sky.
Boruto knelt down, putting his hands on his father's chest. "Dad?" He shook him gently. "Dad?"
"Daddy!"
Boruto looked up and saw his mother and sister rushing over in their human form. Himawari ran to her father, throwing herself at his side. She grabbed his right arm in both hands and just held him, looking down at his face. Hinata sprinted to her husband and fell to her knees at his head. Fear in her eyes, she looked over Naruto's body and gently stroked his head, calling his name.
Ryosuke appeared, standing behind Himawari, looking down at his human friend.
Naruto had yet to give a response.
Breathing heavily, Himawari called again in a timid voice, frightened. "Daddy?" Her voice began to crack. "Daddy..?"
Hearing his sister sound like that and watching his mother look on helplessly put Boruto's heart in a vice. He moved closer and called to him softly, unable to bring his voice any louder. "Dad?"
Ryosuke moved around Himawari and placed his paw on Naruto's chest and waited.
"Dad…"
Ryosuke removed his paw and stepped away.
Boruto was clenching his jaw so tightly, it was giving him a headache. The fabric of Naruto's shirt wrinkled in his grasp.
Naruto gave a loud gasp, his chest expanding dramatically. His breathing returned to normal and he opened his eyes. "… Boruto..?" Naruto started to lift his hand.
Boruto grasped it tightly in his. "Dad!" he cried out joyfully. His father's hand was so warm in his.
Boruto felt a tear run down his cheek but was too numb to wipe it away. He didn't even think about how it made him look.
Then he felt a rush of emotion. As Himawari threw herself on Naruto's chest and Hinata kissed him repeatedly, holding his head in her hands, Sarada and Mitsuki celebrating in their own ways and Ryosuke howled to let the kitsune on top of the mountain know all was well, all Boruto could do was hold his father's hand and not say a word.
Hinata put her arm around Boruto, pulling the whole family into a big hug. Feeling his father's hand in his and his mother's head on his, all Boruto could do was smile and laugh.
Soon, Naruto was able to sit up and, with his family's help, stand weakly to take in his surroundings. He had no idea he had gone anywhere, much less the spirit realm. The incident at his office was a blur and now he was here.
Sarada concluded that Naoya must have put Naruto in that bubble until he could figure out what to do with him to diminish the damage of having a human in the spirit realm for that length of time. Mitsuki had his own theories but didn't share them. Boruto didn't care. He was just happy his father was back safe and alive.
Ryosuke nuzzled Naruto and Himawari went on and on about how happy she was he was alright and how she had spent so much time as a kitsune with her mother. Boruto wasn't sure how much Himawari knew about what happened but it didn't matter.
Boruto looked around at all his assembled friends and family and realized someone was missing. He looked this way and that until finally turning around.
Neji stood watching them a few feet away, looking relieved and happy. Boruto smiled at him and Neji smiled back, nodding his head. Then he turned and started to walk away without a word.
The laughter and chattering behind him quieted. Naruto was staring in the same direction as Boruto. His mouth fell open in disbelief. "… Neji?"
Boruto looked from his father back to the one walking away.
"Neji!" Naruto called, never taking his eyes off the transparent young man.
Neji halted at his name and slowly turned around. He stared back at Naruto questioningly.
Naruto gawked at him for a long time. "Neji… You're here. But how..?"
"You can see me?" Neji asked, but no one heard him.
Naruto pointed to his own ears. "I can't hear you."
Neji didn't seem too surprised by this.
Hinata gripped Naruto's arm tightly. "Neji." She could see him, too.
Himawari looked from her parents to Neji, unsure of what she was seeing.
"His protection is wearing off," explained Ryosuke. "He came to help with the mission and now that's done. He has to return to where he belongs."
Neji nodded sadly, cracking a halfhearted smile. He started to turn to leave again but Naruto stopped him, throwing out his hand imploringly.
"Wait!"
Neji stopped and looked back at him.
Naruto couldn't take his eyes off him. "Neji… I… Before you go, I…"
Neji waited patiently.
Naruto stifled a noise, clenching his jaw. Finally, he blurted out. "Neji, I'm sorry."
Stunned, Neji turned back, facing Naruto and his family, openmouthed. He hadn't expected Naruto to apologize.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you." Naruto looked pained. He hadn't expected to see Neji standing before him and now that he was, it brought back all that pain and regret. "I promised I wouldn't let my friends die and… Neji, I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you."
Neji stared at him, still stunned. Then he closed his mouth and enunciated carefully, hoping they could read his lips.
"What's he saying?" Boruto couldn't hear him either.
Ryosuke watched Neji form his words and, able to understand him, interpreted for them. "He says it's alright."
"You can hear him?" Boruto asked.
"He is a spirit."
Neji nodded.
Naruto still looked like he was about to cry. He didn't think it was still bothering him after all this time but seeing Neji standing before him stirred everything up and he knew it had affected him. He always felt terrible he couldn't protect Neji and felt he had broken his word and his word was something he took very seriously.
"I should have done more for you. If I had been stronger, you wouldn't have… I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. Neji, I…"
Neji was speaking again.
"What's he saying?" Boruto asked.
Ryosuke interpreted. "He says, 'It's alright, Naruto. I don't blame you. I'm not angry at you. So don't be angry with yourself anymore.'"
Now Naruto was crying.
"He says, 'It wasn't your fault.'"
Naruto wiped his tears away on the back of his sleeve. Hinata was crying, too.
Neji looked from Hinata to Naruto and smiled. He started speaking again.
"He says, 'I'm ok with it. I have no regrets. You became the Hokage that surpassed even my expectations. And I get to see it all. I'm happy.'"
Hinata wept quietly, hugging Naruto's arm.
Neji looked at her and smiled.
"He says, 'I'll always watch over you. All of you.'"
Neji's body started to fade and he looked tired. His was running on empty, his time almost up. He couldn't stay here anymore, but he wouldn't be gone.
Naruto sniffed and smiled. "Thanks, Neji. For everything." Neji told him what he needed to hear and that was a weight off his shoulders.
"Thanks for watching out for the kids," Hinata added and blushed, thinking she should have said something else.
The faint image of Neji smiled brightly but tiredly at them and started to turn away. He paused momentarily to say something then continued on his way.
"What'd he say?"
Ryosuke grinned. "He said, 'Thanks for the flowers. They're lovely.'"
Himawari smiled brightly and blushed.
She waved, holding her father's hand with the other. "Bye," she called softly.
Neji waved with a smile and faded from view.
Sarada and Mitsuki waited for Boruto to come to them, knowing this was a family moment. After Neji had disappeared, Boruto's family and Ryosuke went near the water to speak privately in the forest. Though Sarada hadn't known Neji for that long, he seemed like a good person and felt like she would miss him. He had been a big help to them, even if Boruto hadn't considered him to be one earlier.
Boruto walked over, leaving the adults to speak alone while Himawari played with some of the young kitsune who had come down the mountain to investigate.
"What's going on?" Sarada asked him.
Boruto gave a halfhearted shrug. "Guess those two are talking things over. Probably getting my old man up to speed. He doesn't seem to remember anything after being pulled into the portal. That bubble must have kept him in like a suspended animation thing or a time-freezing thing."
Sarada shook her head with a smile, knowing Boruto's guesses were based off the latest movies.
Boruto then smiled. "But Ryosuke said he should be fine to come home to the Leaf real soon. I think they're just checking to make sure he's ok to travel."
"The king could always send us back in a carriage so he wouldn't have to walk," said Mitsuki.
Boruto nodded, unable to wipe the smile off his face.
"I'm glad he's ok, Boruto," said Sarada, speaking sincerely.
Mitsuki looked to the side, spotting another fox. "Is that you, Reki?" he asked.
The kitsune with the twin tails stepped closer. "I've come to say that I'm glad Naruto is alright and will return to his home soon," he said meekly.
"Thanks for your help in that, Reki," said Sarada.
Reki lowered his head sadly. "I actually don't think I did all that much. Whether I was with you or not wouldn't've made a difference."
"That's not true. You did help."
"What could I have done that Mitsuki couldn't have if I hadn't replaced him in your group? That is my point. My being there was irrelevant." Reki sighed. "I don't think I was very important. I didn't really help you all that much. Nothing Mitsuki himself couldn't've done himself."
Sarada shook her head. "That's not true. You did help. Like in the snowy village. That bracelet you traded for the brooch was an illusion, wasn't it? If you hadn't conjured that up when you did, we probably wouldn't have gotten that brooch from her or have been able to rescue Boruto in time."
Reki wasn't convinced. "That doesn't really matter. You could have pried it from her hands if you wanted to and taken it by force. You didn't really need me."
"If we had done that, the brooch might have gotten damaged. If that happened, the snow woman might not have been able to leave or have been angry with us. Some kids are brats and think if they can't have something, no one can, and try to break it to spite us. And if we had stayed to bargain with her, it would have taken too long and we wouldn't have been able to leave the house or save Boruto from freezing."
"I suppose… But humans could use money to trade her for it or something…"
"And what about the forest? You helped us get here, showing us a path in a very confusing forest."
"You would have found your way eventually…"
"You still had good instincts," said Sarada.
Reki sighed heavily. "Still, I did it with the intention of doing more than I did. I had hoped I could have helped you solve the issue or my being with you would have allowed me to discover a clue I could then bring to Ryosuke to help him resolve all this. In that sense, I was pretty useless."
"You wanted to be the hero and fix everything," said Mitsuki, thinking he understood.
"I wanted to be of some help. Ryosuke didn't know why this was happening or how to stop it, and you had no idea where Naruto was or how to find him," said Reki. "I thought I could help solve the puzzle and bring answers. I thought I could do more, but…"
Boruto folded his arms. "I think you're looking at it the wrong way."
His friends and Reki looked at him, unsure of what he meant.
"You also said that you were doing this because you didn't want to be afraid of humans anymore. You hung around with us on the mission with the intent to help. Maybe you didn't help us or Ryosuke in the way you expected, but I think all this ended up helping you. I mean, look. You're standing right next to us in your fox form and before you wouldn't do that. You were either in a human form or hiding. I think this means you played an important part after all."
Reki looked at his paws and back at Boruto, as if suddenly realizing he was a fox in front of human eyes. Then he smiled a foxy grin.
"See? You being with us did help." Boruto knew he was right when Sarada bent down to pet Reki on the head and he didn't shy away. He would still be cautious but this meant Reki was healing, which was something Boruto was happy to see.
Just shy of barricading the office with the Hokage's heavy desk, Shikamaru secured the door with a chair to keep people from coming in to put more things on the desk and ask questions. He sat against the door, going over files that he had authorization to go through, occasionally calling out, "He's busy," to anyone who knocked.
It had been days and he knew there wasn't much more they could do without everyone knowing about the Hokage. With everything backing up and people asking too many questions, he knew there was only one direction this could head and couldn't postpone it any longer. Unable to know where the Hokage was, nor when or if he would come back, they had to find a replacement. That alone was causing Shikamaru some distress because he didn't want to give up and he knew Naruto was the best fit for the village during this time. Finding someone new would take time unless Kakashi was willing to come out of retirement.
The knob on the door rattled and was soon followed by a knock.
"Go away," Shikamaru called listlessly, fed up with turning people away. "He's busy."
"Open the door and I won't have to work so hard," came Naruto's voice.
Shikamaru shot up, throwing the papers to the floor and pulled the chair away. He flew the door wide open and saw Naruto standing there with Boruto and his friends, the Genin looking gleeful and proud.
"Hey, Shika-"
Shikamaru threw his arms around Naruto's shoulders in an embrace, which took everyone by surprise.
Shikamaru held Naruto at arm's length and said, "Where have you been? We were worried sick! We didn't know what to think. I was going to… Well, it doesn't matter now. You're back." As soon as he said those words, Shikamaru's face broke into a huge smile.
"Sorry for the trouble," Naruto said sheepishly. "I really don't know what happened. Thanks for taking care of things until I got back."
"Well, we all pitched in, really." Shikamaru looked so relieved. "I'm so glad we don't have to deal with that and our own work and keep things quiet anymore."
"I knew it," Boruto teased. "You're just happy you don't have to do extra work anymore now that my old man's back. Saved you from all the stress and people yelling at you, right?"
Sarada punched him in the back of the head.
Naruto turned around to look at the Genin. "Thanks for seeing me here and for an excellent job on your mission. Why don't you go home and get some rest? I'll take it from here."
Boruto gave his father a disappointed look. He just got him back and he was already going to lock himself in the office and avoid his family.
"Don't worry. I won't push myself. I'll be home for dinner. I'm not sure I'm fully recovered yet."
Boruto's face brightened slightly. "Better not be late. It'll get cold."
"I'll be there. Promise."
Boruto smiled and left with his friends.
Naruto looked at Shikamaru. "I need to talk to you about what happened. But this has to stay quiet, ok?"
Shikamaru nodded. He showed Naruto into his office and shut the door.
It was a very long talk, catching him up on everything that happened. Things Naruto himself knew and things he was told by others and the things he pieced together with the help of Ryosuke and the other kitsune. Shikamaru sat in a chair opposite Naruto's desk, taking it all in.
"I see," he said slowly. "I had no idea there were things other than kitsune, but I suppose that makes sense. If one exists, why not another?"
"I knew but never actually met one, that I know of. Ryosuke told me that he stays in the mountain to keep humans safe from the bad ones, but up until recently, I always thought it was other kitsune."
Shikamaru exhaled slowly, knowing this situation wasn't going to be easy to handle. "People like that shinobi are going to make a big deal out of this and I can't blame them."
"They don't need to know."
"Yeah, because it's kitsune business and you don't want to worry people needlessly. After all, it isn't a common occurrence. But Naruto, it is a big deal and one that must be addressed. If something should happen, people like that shinobi are going to use it to say they were right and that we need to do something to fight back. They're also going to accuse us of covering it up because we knew and didn't say anything."
"Because it wasn't an issue and I don't want to scare people needlessly. At any time, someone could declare war; that doesn't mean we strike first because what if it doesn't happen?"
"People like him are going to point out that it did. In the attack that happened years ago with the two bad kitsune and the situation we were thrust into now. The incidents are far apart and the numbers of those involved are small, but you saw the amount of damage they caused. It's good that we're friends with a bunch of good kitsune who want to protect us, but let's face facts. If a group of bad ones attack, there isn't much shinobi can do in terms of power. They outrank us."
"Not necessarily," said Naruto. "Every creature has its weakness. Even kitsune. Dogs, strong smells. They may be powerful, but they can die just like a normal fox. The number of tails determines their power. Using that, we can gage…"
"Their illusions are just as powerful as a master of genjutsu. The only difference is we can't snap ourselves out of a kitsune's illusion."
"But if they lose concentration or aren't very good or weaken because it does take strength to pull off, it will be broken. There are ways, Shikamaru."
He gave Naruto an intensely serious look across the desk. "You were taken right in front of us and there was nothing we could do about it. What possible defense could we have against something like that?"
Naruto had nothing to say.
"Boruto and his friends helped get you back thanks to the kitsune, but what if this kind of thing happens again?"
"Ryosuke said that this had never happened before. And what the spirit did wasn't done out of maliciousness. It confused me for a nine-tailed kitsune. It was trying to help."
"And what if that happens again?"
"It only did that this time because spirits kept disappearing and was trying to help them return to their world, like Ryosuke was doing."
"Ryosuke did a better job for differentiating the two," said Shikamaru snidely. "Is that because he knows you or because this spirit is so out of touch he couldn't tell?"
"I think most can tell, but this one might be out of touch or just got confused and…"
"You might be understanding, Naruto, but most people aren't going to make excuses for them, even if it was an accident. That one shinobi coming in here is the perfect example. They're going to judge someone by their action more than their intent. And what if the next spirit isn't like that? Didn't you just tell me that there are ones who don't like humans because of the past?"
"Which is why they stay in their own world and don't bother us."
"And the ones who stayed?"
"Not all of them are hurt by the past."
"Exactly," said Shikamaru. "Some do it for revenge and some do it because they're cruel. How do we sort them out? What's it going to be next time?"
"But there are good ones like Ryosuke who stay because they like humans and want to protect us. They stay out of our way."
"Do they?" Shikamaru said with a scoff. He sat back in his chair, feeling like there was nothing he could do to convince Naruto.
"I want to make bridges, not burn them," said Naruto. "Gaara was considered a monster and look how great things turned out. What about me and how people thought of me? Sometimes people are wrong and you need to show them. I didn't give up then and I'm not going to now."
"I'm not saying give up," said Shikamaru. "I'm saying we need a way to defend ourselves just in case something like this happens again."
Naruto put his elbows on the desk, maintaining eye contact with Shikamaru. "In order to do that, we need to understand them. Instead of taking one look at them and declaring them a monster, ask them why they do what they do. Ryosuke told me that a lot of those spirits that are powerful stay away from humans because they don't want to start something. It's not in their nature. Just because they have the power doesn't mean that's what they'll use it for. That's what I'm saying."
"We can't rely on the kitsune for everything spirit related, Naruto. We need to do something."
"I hear you, Shikamaru," said Naruto, "but I don't think we have to worry about it. I mean, spirits have existed longer than any of us."
"But two attacks happened within our lifetime. That's what people are going to dwell on."
"And this wasn't even an attack. It was a series of circumstances set into motion by numerous parties. So we can actually knock that number down to one incident."
Shikamaru slumped in his chair, resting his head on the backrest. "I would still like to know how that one guy knew so much about spirits in the first place. And how a spirit item ended up in our world."
Naruto shrugged. "Maybe Kai's like me and met some but instead of being their friend, he sought to use them like the people in the past. And if spirits can come into this world and go back and forth or just live here, that item could have come from anywhere."
Shikamaru lifted his head to look at him again. "It might be a longshot, but what if this sort of thing happens again? Or a situation like the one in the past with the bad kitsune. How would we deal with that if most of our jutsu won't affect them?"
"Key word there is 'most'. Our elemental jutsu can affect them. But if you notice, even back then, the bad kitsune didn't really fight us. They used other people to do that for them. There is a limit to their power, same with every spirit."
"Yeah, but if we need to fight back…"
"We might not have to," said Naruto. "Some things can be decided through talking. That's actually how I defeated Pein. How did Garra get everyone to work together during the war? He didn't beat them into submission, he gave a speech and got through to them. We don't have to fight in that sense. We can battle with our words and reach an agreement, which is usually how those kind of spirits roll anyway."
"That may be, but-"
"And the really powerful ones stay in their own world and don't come here. The only reason one did was because he was trying to help the lost and confused and mistook me for one. The chances of that happening again are slim to none. The spirits that live here have limited power and we have the help of the good ones to combat the bad ones, so we don't need to worry needlessly. And we can probably look up their weaknesses in any folklore book."
"What if those aren't accurate?" asked Shikamaru. "Some people lie because they have trust issues and some things are known by different names. Like how you call a person 'uncle' even though they aren't actually related to you. And what's in folklore is hardly something to take as fact. We should know that just by being with the kitsune. Some of the stuff in books isn't actually true and there are a lot of unknows."
"Do you suggest we cut ourselves off from everyone because of what might happen?" asked Naruto.
"No, of course not. That's a bit extreme. Not to mention all the repercussions in doing so. A lot of people rely on us, so for us to do something like that would actually be hurting the innocent. And that would damage us as a whole…" Shikamaru shook his head, getting back on track. "I'm not saying give up or cut our ties to anyone. I'm saying…"
"I know what you're saying and I realize there's merit to it," said Naruto. "I'm just reminding you that whether or not we're dealing with humans or spirits, there's always going to be good ones and bad ones. The bonds we make strengthen us. We have allies who are human and spirit. If something should happen, we have a lot of people who can help us. We don't have to do anything alone. We're there for each other. And even jutsu has its weaknesses. A spirit's power is no different. We're actually more prepared than you think we are. After all, Boruto and his friends managed to bring me back here unharmed. That's why I don't think it's worth worrying about."
"Yes, but-"
"I'm not brushing it aside. After all, I did bring it to your attention," Naruto continued. "I know it's important. I also know that we can handle it. Ryosuke and I spoke about this before coming back here. I know what to do. And I need you to trust me when I say we've got this. What some can do is similar to a shinobi. If we can handle that, we can handle this."
Shikamaru could tell that Naruto understood the gravity of the situation and believed he actually did know how to address it.
Some of what he told him was common knowledge and some things were only known because they were involved with the kitsune. The rest Naruto refused to document because it could damage both parties, so he kept the information to only the two of them. Some of the information regarding creature defense could actually be inserted in regular shinobi training because they were so similar. Some were on par with animal study and the rest could be transferred into negotiation study which was taught to shinobi for the purpose of diplomacy and hostage situations.
After delving into it even more, Shikamaru felt a lot better. He also understood why Naruto didn't want some of the information getting out to the public because it could be misused by people like the one shinobi or the man who wished to enslave spirits for personal gain.
Shikamaru agreed to take the necessary actions for what they would set into motion and leave alone the things that weren't yet relevant. He trusted Naruto's judgement. After all, he did know more about this than most.
Boruto climbed into bed and waited for his parents to come wish him goodnight.
Naruto had made good on his promise and came home early to have dinner with the family. He even arrived before the table was set. Hinata was too tired to cook and felt the family deserved a treat so they ordered something special for takeout. They feasted around the table, everyone laughing and talking and having a great time. Boruto couldn't remember when they last did this. Naruto even managed to stay awake the whole time, even when they decided to watch TV together on the couch.
Boruto smiled up at the ceiling, reminiscing about everything that happened that day.
Even earlier, after making sure Naruto was well, the kitsune had sent them off in a very special way. They wanted to make sure Naruto and his family got home safe, so they decided to go with them, just a little differently than Boruto expected.
Leaving a fraction of the pack at the mountain, Ryosuke stood near their border, looking back at Naruto and his family, hands or paws. Several kitsune pounced playfully on the humans, changing them into foxes. Even Sarada and Mitsuki were transformed. Sarada looked shocked while Mitsuki looked indifferent. Himawari bounced around them, insisting she give them lessons since she had done this before and enjoyed it.
Boruto looked up at his fox father who smiled and nuzzled him, telling him that they were about to share something very special.
Ryosuke rallied the pack and took off into the woods along the border.
Having never run in this form, Boruto had great difficulty keeping up. Grass whipped his face, it was difficult to see where he was going, being so low to the ground, and rocks tripped him up now and then, having two extra feet to move. Himawari ran ahead of him, giggling. Showing off how competent she was while still wanting her brother to enjoy himself, Himawari gave the Genin some pointers on how to run faster, the older kitsune flanking her, instinctively looking after the young ones.
Mitsuki picked it up fast, which inspired Sarada to hone her skills as fast as possible. Boruto was still stumbling, which slowed him down.
Naruto lowered his pace to run alongside his son and gave him pointers. "Keep your head up. Don't look at your feet. It's just like running, only you're better balanced than you'd be as a human on all fours. You can do this."
With Naruto's advice, Boruto did improve and was now able to keep up with the rest of the pack. Naruto playfully bumped Boruto's shoulder as he ran past, instigating a chase.
It was like riding the current of a steady river. Everywhere Boruto looked, he saw foxes, all keeping up with the others. They climbed higher up the hill, which was actually fun to climb on all fours. It felt easier. They ran along the forest edge, then jumped to the road, safely away from the human border of the town. It was so open and flat, making it easier to run. The kitsune fanned out, having more room to roam. Some went back to the incline alongside the road to have the high ground. Others actually used the trees themselves, jumping from branch to branch like shinobi to get ahead of the group and jump back onto the path.
They stirred up the wildlife to watch them scurry or fly off into the forest. Boruto and his friends were amazed to learn that they could understand the animals in their new fox forms, though few wanted to have a conversation with them. The kitsune showed them tricks they could use to move faster in the uneven terrain. They cast their fox fire further down the path so they could jump through hoops of blue-green flame. They raced each other up the hill and down the dirt road before they moved off the road and back into the forest where a natural path awaited them.
Along the way, they stopped to gather food for a snack. The humans-turned-kitsune held the food between their paws as they ate. All except for Naruto who ate like a kitsune. He and the Ryosuke reminisced about the past before and after he attained the position of leader and other kitsune joined in. Some of the stories Boruto had heard before but most were new and interesting. After a while, Boruto tried to eat more like a kitsune as did his sister; something that Naruto seemed very pleased by.
During one of their runs, Boruto noticed Reki running alongside another fox and knew it could only have been his older brother Seki. Having been living as a human for a time, Reki seemed gleeful to have Boruto and his friends experience living as a fox for a little while. He playfully bumped Boruto's shoulder as Naruto had done, urging him to race.
The long trek back to the Leaf Village was an adventure. The leaping and racing took them to the main road in front of the main gates by late afternoon. The kitsune nuzzled and rubbed against the humans before changing them back into their regular forms. The kitsune moved away from them to gather around Naurto's human body and nuzzled him affectionately. Naruto spread his arms to welcome them all. They moved aside for Ryosuke. The two leaders bowed to each other, then embraced, Naruto wrapping his arms around Ryosuke's neck and the kitsune bringing his head to rest on Naruto's shoulder, his paw lifting to touch the small of Naruto's back, returning the hug the best way a fox could.
They waved to the kitsune, thanking them once more and the kitsune answered them with a very specific howl.
"Narutoooo!" chorused as the kitsune took off into the trees and out of sight.
After that, it was just a short walk to the main gates of the village. No human other than them saw the kitsune come or leave, which they knew was best.
Looking back on everything that had happened, it all seemed like a very lucid dream. It had all started out as a mission Boruto couldn't wait to finish and now it was something he never wanted to forget.
The various spirits he met in the human world, like Lady Hanayuki, Nori and the old man. The spirits in the spirit realm, like the tiger spirit, the odd-speaking lizards, and the contrasting Sea King and Naoya.
Boruto wasn't sure what Neji was like in life, but he seemed like a cool guy when he saw him in the spirit realm. He could tell he meant a lot to both his parents and was glad he got to meet him in a way.
By far the best experience was being a kitsune for a short time. Perhaps it was because he had his father back and the whole family was together for the event. Maybe it was because he got to share something very special with his father along with his mother, sister and friends. He hadn't known much about the kitsune other than the stories he heard but getting to spend time with them as one of them made him feel connected to them. And his father.
The bedroom door opened and Naruto stuck his head inside. "Still awake?"
"Yeah." Boruto sat up on the bed.
Naruto opened the door wide and walked over to the bed, sitting down by Boruto's legs. He patted his son's knee. "Thanks again for having my back, Boruto. And helping me get back here. You and your friends did great and I just wanted to make sure you knew that."
Boruto scoffed lightly, looking away. "You already thanked me, you know. You don't have to keep saying it."
"I just wanted to make sure you knew how proud I am of you." Naruto chuckled. "Not too many people get to experience what you and your friends did and I'm glad. It's very special."
Boruto looked at him. "Dad?"
"Yeah?"
He couldn't say what he wanted to say but he said what he had been thinking.
"It was a lot of fun being with the kitsune." He smiled. "I can see why you like them so much."
Naruto smiled back. "Yeah. Yeah, I get it."
Getting to run with the kitsune as a fox again brought back a lot of memories. He was glad his family could share in it with him.
He patted Boruto's leg again and started to get up when Boruto leaned forward and hugged him. A usual fist-bump would have sufficed but Boruto chose to hug him. It was an unusual gesture from his son but a welcomed one and Naruto immediately understood. He sat back down and hugged his son.
"I'm glad I'm here, too."
He knew little would change after their adventure. Naruto might have taken a day off to travel and recuperate, but he had a lot of work to catch up on after being gone so long. Boruto would likely not see his father for long hours of the day and be finishing dinner by the time he came home, if he came back before they were in bed. Even so, it didn't matter in this moment. He was just happy for today, spending it the way they did.
"You've had quite the adventure. Better catch up on some rest." Naruto ruffled Boruto's head and stood up. "Goodnight, Boruto."
"Goodnight, Dad." When he looked up, Naruto was presenting his knuckles to him. Grinning, Boruto fist-bumped his father.
The end!
Hope you enjoyed the 5th Fox Fire fiction. Thanks for reading and please review! ^-^