BORUTO ALTER: CHAPTER 1

FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE BATTLE WITH ISSHIKI

Wind.

It blew through Boruto's hair, tousling it across his forehead as he ran ahead. He stopped, inhaling deeply while raising his hands into a ready position. He began striking rapidly, aiming pointed fingers at the joints of an invisible enemy.

He-

Boruto turned on his heels in surprise, sensing someone behind him.

He sighed.

"I'm not sure why you're so obsessed with sneaking up on teammates like that, Sarada". Boruto glowered.

Sarada chuckled, moving a strand of dark purple hair away from her mouth.

"I would barely call that sneaking- I was almost stomping."

Boruto tch'd as she walked past him, continuing.

"And you looked so at peace, so in the moment. Why are you even training? I thought you didn't want to take the exams."

Boruto scoffed.

"I don't. But that's no reason to be complacent."

Sarada turned to look at him then, making a face.

"So scary."

"Why are you here?" Boruto frowned. He didn't like being interrupted.

Sarada danced around Boruto, poking his head as he swiped at her.

"You oughta spend more time in the village.."

Sarada smiled, but her tone grew slightly serious.

"People are constantly worried about you. I never know what to say when they ask."

Boruto paused.

"People." He said dryly.

"My dad." Boruto finished, looking past Sarada. In the distance, he could see Konoha's great walls curving above green trees.

"Yup! Others too. Even Ma."

Sarada's face grew stern.

Boruto blushed, looking away from her.

"People care about you. Don't distance yourself so much." She said, smiling at the end of it.

"Hmph." Boruto offered her a half hearted grin. Then, he sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

He raised an eyebrow as Sarada chuckled curtly.

"But there is a reason you're here, right?"

Sarada explained on the way. They sped through Konoha's massive and curling trees, a blur of green and orange passing Boruto's gaze.

Despite the war being won, the world was not at peace.

Thousands of shinobi were now disenfranchised. Especially shinobi from lesser, smaller nations. Even the lands around Konoha were no exception.

In the absence of conflict, these rogue shinobi created it.

Sarada's gaze darkened.

"Mitsuki is already at the Hokage's office-with Konohamaru-sensei. Hima-Chan's team is there too."

Boruto perked up as Konoha raced ever closer in the distance.

A joint mission? He thought.

This wasn't ordinary.

"What's going on?"

Sarada's eyes narrowed behind her oval glasses.

"It'll be better for you to hear it from him."

They arrived into Konoha with little fanfare. It was still midday- there were barely any people in the streets. The faces of the previous Hokage loomed in the far distance. Boruto saw them- as he did everyday.

Of course he respected the others- Especially lady Tsunade. But as always, his eyes were drawn to the faces of Minato, and of course, his own father.

As they jumped building to building towards the high tower of the Hokage's office, Boruto curled his hand into a tight fist.

Their destiny is not my own.

Boruto and Sarada rushed through the building's curving halls. They met two jonin guards who were posted at the Hokage's office.

Sarada glanced over to Boruto.

"Are you rea-"

A loud shout and a crash was heard from within the office.

The two guards rushed into the room, Boruto and Sarada in tow.

The scene was quite the surprise.

Himawari was bellowing as she jumped in the air.

She had spiky blonde hair like Naruto, but the texture and shape of it favored Minato more than either of Boruto's parents- she even bore the same jaw length bangs and slanted eyes that Minato did.

She was dressed in flared black slacks, with a sleeveless black tunic that covered a fishnet undershirt. Her headband was worn around her neck, tied onto a scarf that flowed behind her every movement like a tail.

"Finally! An A-rank mission!" Himawari shouted in delight. Boruto moved past her, eyeing Naruto as the Hokage held his head with a bandaged hand.

"Hima.." Naruto began, before he noticed Boruto.

His eyes widened in surprise- it wasn't often that he saw both of his children in the same day- let alone room.

"I see Sarada found you, Boruto." Naruto said with a tired smile.

Boruto nodded brusquely- he looked about the office.

Aside from Hima, there was Hanabi, and Hima's teammates- Iwabe Yotsuki and Hijikata Hyuga.

The four of them formed Team 11.

Boruto bowed to Hanabi, then glared at Naruto as he folded his arms.

"Where's Mitsuki and Konohamaru?" He asked.

"They're preparing the teams for what I'm about to tell you. As you heard, this will be an A-rank mission."

Boruto's eyes narrowed.

Naruto- his voice was serious- it lacked the jovial, goofy inflection that Boruto had grown up with.

It was then Boruto saw pictures on Naruto's desk.

Two Konoha shinobi.

Naruto caught Boruto's gaze.

"Itama Manjirō and Toshizo Hatamoto. The village proper doesn't know yet.. but they were killed while on patrol last night. Their bodies were found this morning."

Despite himself, Boruto shuddered.

The unrest of the world had finally reached inside Konoha's borders.

"Killed? To kill two jonin without detection-" Boruto's brows furrowed.

It was Himawari's teammate, Hijikata who spoke next.

"And how did they get past the barrier team?" Hijikata asked.

Hanabi answered.

"Whoever did this had intimate knowledge of Konoha." She said steely, nodding at Naruto.

The Hokage returned the motion.

"After the murders, Sai reported multiple scrolls and files stolen- ones pertaining to summoning and sealing jutsu. During the theft, a banister was cut, leaving grooved marks on the wood. We were able to match the cut with kunai produced in the Land of Rivers." Naruto said, rising to his full height.

He turned away from them all, overlooking the village that waited silently outside.

Then, with piercing blue eyes, Naruto turned and looked each of them in the eye before settling on Boruto's frown.

"You genin are among the most talented in the village. Due to what just happened, we can't afford to let more than two Jonin leave to investigate the Land of Rivers. That is why I have selected each of your teams specifically."

"Do you think the Land of Rivers is.. preparing for war?" Iwabe asked.

Naruto settled back into his seat.

"We're not sure. That's why I'm sending two teams to investigate the border and see if anything can be ascertained there. These are not typical rogue ninja- that I'm confident of."

Himawari laughed darkly.

"I wouldn't want them to be regular shinobi. I've been waiting to use my Byakugan-" Himawari boasted with a wild grin.

Hanabi frowned.

"This is serious, Hima." She scolded.

"Hanabi is right. Things are getting dangerous, just like when I was your age." Naruto began, coming around the table. He towered over Boruto and Himawari, placing his hands on both of their heads.

"These shinobi- they're dangerous. It won't be like the sparring matches you've had here. They will kill you without a second thought."

Naruto leaned down then, between the two of his children.

"I want you guys- all of you- to be careful. I thought.. I could protect you from danger like this. When I found that I couldn't, I thought I could at least keep it away from your homes."

Everyone, even Hima, was silent as Naruto's gaze seemed to melt past them. After a moment, he smiled weakly as he jumped to his full height.

"The Land of Rivers grants Konoha military access- but be sure not to enter their lands detected.. if necessary. If they are in fact behind this, they can't be alerted to our presence."

Naruto smiled.

"Good luck, everyone." He beamed.

"Hanabi," Naruto motioned.

Hanabi nodded.

"Iwabe, Hijikata.. Sarada. let's go meet Konohmaru."

Iwabe scoffed.

"Yeah, sure." Iwabe said as he brushed by Boruto.

"Of course, Lady Hanabi." Hijikata pressed his palms together, bowing at Naruto and the others before following his sensei and Iwabe.

Sarada waved at Boruto and Himawari, before bowing politely towards Naruto.

"See ya at the gate!" She said happily.

As team 11 and Sarada rounded out of the room, Himawari spun to follow them.

"Wait, Hima." Naruto called.

Boruto looked back at his sister as she sulked towards them.

"Boruto, Himawari. I didn't want to say this in front of your friends.. but there's another reason your teams were chosen."

Naruto paused.

"We're not sure how many people we can trust from within the village. Only a few clans know of what happened- and even then, that information is restricted to their leaders." Naruto sighed, smiling.

"Of course, we can only keep this secret for so long. Just.. be aware of what you say, and to who, from now on." Naruto said.

Himawari frowned.

"So I can't trust my team? Iwabe and Hijitaka-" Himawari began.

Naruto offered a closed-eye grin to his daughter.

"Of course you can trust them! I'm just.. asking you guys to be careful. Your mom would kill me if anything happened to either of you, ya know?" Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

"And Boruto.."

Boruto looked away, crossing his arms.

"I didn't want to embarrass you... but you need to make sure you have your headband on when you enter the Hokage's office. Iwabe noticed."

Boruto tightened his jaws.

"Iwabe, huh?" Boruto hissed.

"We're going on a mission like this, and you're worried about Iwabe?" Boruto's voice was barely above a whisper.

He felt it again- the anger. The anger he felt when Naruto was away for days- when he would spend weeks without saying more than a few parting words.

Again, Naruto was putting the village ahead of-

Me?

Boruto paused.

"Iwabe.. He feels like an outsider. He lived in Kumogakure with his father for most of his life. When he sees you- his peer and the Hokage's son, getting away with not following the rules..."

Naruto placed his hand on Boruto's shoulder.

"Please-"

Himawari nudged Boruto, glaring at him before smiling at Naruto.

"He'll listen, da- er, lord Hokage." Himawari bowed her head slightly.

Naruto smiled, then nodded at the both of them.

"I've held you both up long enough. Good luck. Be sure to listen to Konohamaru and Hanabi." Naruto said, staring pointedly at Himawari.

Boruto sighed, reaching into his back pocket.

He felt the weight of his headband as his fingers curled across the cold, alien metal.

Konoha.

Boruto tied the headband around his head, blonde bangs parting as blue-silver eyes glared at the Hokage.

"Let's go, Boruto!" Himawari roared, fist in the air.

As Boruto's sister raced out the door, Boruto paused- giving his dad a sideways glare.

"Cya around, Hokage." Boruto's eyebrows furrowed, but a cynical smile was on his face.

Naruto grinned as Boruto's footsteps echoed down the hall, chasing Himawari.

the Hokage exhaled heavily.

"Sheesh.." Naruto said, crashing a cheek in a waiting palm.

"You were right, Hinata. He really does take after him." Naruto said almost wistfully.

"It was almost as if I was back in the Chunin exams.." Naruto's thoughts paused over Neji.

Then, like always, Jiraiya's face surfaced within Naruto's subconscious.

Despite the wave of sadness he felt, Naruto smiled.

I hope I'm doing the right thing. I miss you now- more than ever.