Chapter 6:

Naruto returned to the village with Shikamaru, going to his home instead of the office. Informing his wife of what happened, the three adults at around the kitchen table to figure out a solution.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," Shikamaru said, keeping his eyes down. "I should have known he would try something but I had no idea he would do this. I kept an eye out behind us, thinking he'd follow us to the meeting place. Him going ahead was something I hadn't considered and I should have."

"It's not your fault," she told him.

"It's mine," said Naruto. "I knew he'd pull something like I did as a kid. I knew he was pissed off, but this? I didn't always think things through but I wasn't this reckless."

"Naruto…"

"I should have checked in on him before leaving. I should have talked to him more about it." Naruto sighed, holding his head in his hand. "He wouldn't have listened anyway. When he came to the office, I tried but…" He shook his head. "Why didn't he listen to me?"

Hinata reached across the table to hold his hand. "It's not your fault. He made his choice."

Naruto squeezed his hand into a fist under Hinata's gentle touch. "Why didn't he listen to me?"

"We can fix this," said Hinata. "The king is only holding him there until you can make a trade. As long as he's locked in a cell, he'll be safe. The king wouldn't do anything to him if he expects a trade to take place. Boruto must be in good condition otherwise things can fall through and he wouldn't want that."

Naruto scoffed. "How do we know he will be kept in good condition? After the stunt he pulled, all those soldiers are bound to be angry with him. How do we know they won't try to take their anger out on him? What if they're beating him senseless in a cell right now? What if they forget to feed him and let him starve?"

"Boruto can defend himself."

"And if he does, that'll make matters worse. As long as he's their prisoner, they expect him to take it. If he tries to fight back, he's given them reason." Naruto clenched his jaw tightly at the thought. "Boruto, don't make things worse, please…"

Hinata looked at Shikamaru, desperate for answers. She was trying to look on the bright side but Naruto's words were making her worry more. She feared for her son's safety and knew his recklessness would get him into further trouble. She wasn't there to advise him or stop him. All she could do was hope and worry at the same time.

"What's this trade they want, anyway?" she asked Shikamaru. "A person for a person, but who? Who is this person they want?"

"His name's Kai," he explained. "Boruto and his team first ran into him a couple months ago during a mission to the kitsune mountain in Ayahuasca. Kai worked under King Nita who was there visiting and became convinced there were kitsune in the mountains and aimed to not only prove it but capture them."

"Why?" Hinata couldn't understand why anyone would want the kitsune who kept to themselves and only took action in the presence of danger.

"Kai believed they could profit from their power. According to the report, Kai believed King Akio commanded them and that the kitsune were the reason his land was safe and managing fine without massive upgrades. He thought by capturing one or more, his king's kingdom would increase in power and wealth and that the kitsune would obey them."

"That's ridiculous. Akio does not own them. They just live beside each other. And the kitsune with their power wouldn't have to answer to a human."

"Kai didn't seem to believe that. He even went so far as to try killing the king's son in an attempt to flush them out. Boruto's friends lured Kai's king to their location to witness Kai's actions. He told him he had no use for kitsune even if they did exist," Shikamaru went on. "After that, they only met Kai once more when they were looking for clues to get Naruto back after his disappearance into the spirit realm."

"Boruto was entrusted with something from the spirit realm and Kai took it from him after being told not to," Naruto took over from there. "It was a bag of rice which he ate. Kai seemed to believe it would grant him power somehow. All it did was turn him into a donkey. And now for some reason, King Nita wants him back."

Hinata stared at Naruto for a longtime and said slowly. "But… he's a donkey. Right? So how..?"

"Unless this is a temporary transformation, I don't see how we can change him back. Something I was trying to convey to the king. I told him I have no idea how to do it and don't have the skills to reverse it. Something I was also trying to tell Boruto but he seemed to believe I was going to change him back even though it was impossible."

"Now we're going to have to find a way in order to get Boruto back," said Shikamaru.

Hinata's head slowly lowered, staring at the table in shock.

In order to get Boruto back, they would have to change Kai from a donkey back into a human. Which was impossible. But they would have to if they were to see Boruto again.

She couldn't see how this was doable.

There was nothing they could do which meant Boruto would stay in the kingdom's prison, forever.

"Can't you-" she began but they already knew what she was going to say.

"The king won't bend on this. He wants Kai in exchange for Boruto. Simple as that."

"And after Boruto's actions, there's no way he'd listen to me. He thinks it was an assassination attempt. Thinks we planned the attack."

"Tried to tell him we didn't and that Boruto had acted on his own but I doubt that would have made a difference. Boruto represents the Leaf wherever he goes. If he goes rogue, to a lot of people, that's on us."

"We were trying to keep Boruto and his friends safe since we knew the king was looking for them. He was willing to let them off the hook until Boruto…" Naruto gritted his teeth and lowered his head so they could not see his face. "He saw him and… Boruto, you idiot. He should have let me handle it."

As angry as he was with his son, he wasn't about to abandon him. If Boruto was anything like Naruto was as a child, his guilt would be punishment enough. Naruto's crushing guilt prompted him to do better in the future, learning from his actions and lack thereof. After seeing the devastation and being carted away by the guards, locked all by his lonesome, Boruto was probably beating himself up worse than any angry guard seeking recompense.

"Can't you have someone disguise themselves as Kai to get Boruto back?" Hinata asked.

"Back when Boruto wasn't at stake, we thought of that and decided it wouldn't be worth the risk. They'd want to make sure it was really him. Since we don't know much about him and no idea what he looks like, it's not a good idea. Boruto and his friends know what Kai looked like and how he acted, but that's not enough to pull it off. Besides, the transformation won't last forever. Once that wears off, then what?"

"And you told him it's impossible?"

"We did and he still insists we find a way. He's not bending on it. He threatened us before thinking that would make us move, but even that yielded nothing." Shikamaru leaned back in his chair. "Maybe he thinks using Naruto's kid would help motivate us to find a cure. But the impossible is the impossible. We just can't do it."

"Maybe we can't but what about the kitsune?" asked Hinata. "I know you try not to bother them, but this is important."

Naruto shook his head. "Even if it's me, they don't get involved in human problems."

"But if Kai was changed by something from the spirit realm, it's no longer a human thing. That's well within the rules, isn't it? You can go to them about this."

"But they aren't responsible for what happened. And their powers won't have any effect on Kai at this point. Their fox magic can only do so much."

"But they might know who or what can help. Naruto, please. It won't hurt to try, will it? They're your friends. They consider you one of them. Just asking won't make them turn their backs on you. They aren't like that."

Shikamaru looked at Naruto. "I know the king brought Boruto in because of his actions, but technically that's outside his jurisdiction. He should have turned him over to you to be scowled. The fact that he took Boruto means this is more about getting what he wants than for Boruto's actions."

"Yeah, I get that, Shikamaru. Your point?"

"My point is that there must be a very good reason why Kai is so important. And I'm still liking that third party theory of ours. Maybe the king wants Kai for his value, maybe it's someone else who's asking for him. We don't know. But now it's worth looking into even more because of your son." Shikamaru moved closer to Naruto's head to speak more softly so only those around the table could hear. "And I for one am very interested in learning why Kai went so far to prove the existence of the kitsune long after others have given up."

"He did seem to know a lot without actually knowing a lot about them. Just of them."

Kai knew where they lived and knew they were active at night. However, he didn't seem to know some of their weaknesses, such as dogs and strong smells. On the surface, this appeared to just be a case of a curious amateur, but Naruto was beginning to see it differently. After all, Kai had taken things a step too far on several occasions, backing off only when his king ordered it. No sane person would threaten to kill a child unless there was something deeper going on.

The bag of rice was yet another example of something deeper going on. Why did Kai believe it would grant him power? He was mistaken, but why did he believe that in the first place? What was also alarming was the fact that he knew the bag was not of this world. Anyone else coming across material they were unfamiliar with would usually not jump right to it originating from the spirit realm. How did he know that? That was actually one of the few things he was right about.

Perhaps talking to the kitsune was a good idea. All they had to do was ask. There was no harm in that. Naruto would be alright if they refused, but he had to make sure.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. "If we're going to the mountain, we have to plan on me being away from the office and the village for a couple of days at least."

"Got it covered." Shikamaru gave him a nod. "You've been putting in a lot of work recently, so nothing has really piled up. You should be good to go."

"You're coming with me."

"Eh?"

"The kitsune trust you and you've been turned into a fox once before. If that needs to happen again, you'll already have some experience."

"Uh…"

"Shikamaru," Naruto said, looking into his eyes. "I can't do this one alone."

This wasn't a question of power but tactics. The only reason they managed to make some headway with the king was because they worked together. It was a combination of Shikamaru's intellect with Naruto's personality. One knew how and when to address certain questions when dealing with people in power and one knew how to talk to people no matter their backgrounds and form connections.

If there was nothing the kitsune could do for them, Naruto would need Shikamaru to help him convince the king to release Boruto back to his family and leave the village in peace.

Shikamaru sighed and smiled. "Alright. Let me just tell my family I won't be home for a while. I'll be stingy with the details."

"Thanks, Shikamaru."

Naruto looked back and smiled at Hinata to reassure her in the only way he knew how. He held her hands tightly in the middle of the table as he spoke.

"Don't worry. I'll do everything I can to get Boruto back home safe."

Seeing the conviction in his eyes assured Hinata more than his words. He was no longer overwhelmed with worry but driven by hope.

She knew he would never give up, no matter what.

She smiled and nodded back to him. "I know you will."

Boruto's ride back to King Nita's kingdom was anything but pleasant. The damaged wheel on the wagon made for a bumpy ride. The wagon with the good wheels was reserved for the injured that had to ride back to their home and needed to be as steady as possible.

Once within the walls of the city, Boruto was roughly dragged out of the wagon and thrown into a cell with his hands still bound. It was another five hours before they untied him. No one spoke to him the entire time, even the guards shoving him down the halls and into his cage. They kept his bag and weapons, never telling him where they were going to put them.

Boruto knew they probably thought he was helpless without them, but he still had his jutsu, and after looking at the metal bars on his cage, felt confident he could blast them open with enough force. It would take time to weaken the cell bars, but his wind-style should have been enough to do the trick. After he blew the door down, he would fight his way out of the prison and back to the Leaf. His father would never have to bargain with this king again and Kai's condition would remain the same.

First, Boruto tested the bars of his cell, kicking them repeatedly and pulling with all his might. They didn't budge or creak, an indication of their strength. Jutsu seemed to be the only way to go.

"I don't think that's wise," said a voice in the next cell.

Startled, Boruto jumped and looked around for the person. They had been so quiet up until now, Boruto believed he was alone.

"I've been trying for some time as well and these things don't move. It's a well-made dungeon."

Boruto stepped closer to the next cell, seeing a thin person in the back corner of the cell, legs tucked tightly to his chest. He was young, his hair long and unkempt and his clothes filthy and worn.

After getting a look at the half-starved man in the next cell, Boruto took a deep breath and explained his intentions. "I have to get out of here and go home."

"As do I, but here I am."

"A prison like this can't hold a shinobi. Our prisons are built way stronger than this. With seals and everything to keep prisoners from breaking out. This is nothing I can't handle, even without my tools."

"It's not a question of ability but whether or not you should," said the young man. "It doesn't matter what you did. If you try to break out of here, they'll be angry with you. They'll add more time to your sentence."

"I-"

"Think about it. You're in a dungeon. There are guards all over the place. You won't make it far, even with your ninja skills. And even if you do manage to break out of this building, you still have to make it out of the city and all the way back to your home with the entire royal guard chasing you. Is it worth the risk?"

Boruto looked at the ground. He had already made one huge mistake today and got a lot of innocent people hurt. It might have been best if he didn't take any more risks today. Not without a better plan.

Boruto walked to the back of his cell and sat down against the wall.

"What ninja village are you from?" asked the man.

"Hidden Leaf."

"Is it nice?"

Boruto didn't answer. He knew this stranger was trying to offer him comfort but he didn't want it.

"Why are you here?"

That Boruto was willing to answer. "I messed up. I tried to stop something before it began and screwed up."

"Why?"

Boruto shrugged. "Something the king wanted from my old man. I thought this was the best way to handle it. It seemed to make sense at the time."

"What did the king want from your father?"

Boruto dug his nails into his arms, curling into a tighter ball. "He wanted my dad to find a way to get Kai back and I couldn't let that happen. I tried to stop it because my dad's the type of guy who has to help people, you know."

The man in the next cell made a chuckle of stunned surprise. "Kai? I was wondering why I hadn't been hearing about him in some time."

Boruto looked over at the man. "You know him?"

"Know him?" he chuckled. "He put me in here."

The tension started to leave Boruto's body as curiosity took over. "Really?"

"Yeah." He man chuckled again, as if it were somehow amusing. "I offered him advice and he didn't like it. It's been months since then. He's never been to visit me, but I'd hear the guards complain about him when they'd bring me my meals. Not recently, so I was starting to wonder what had changed."

Boruto chuckled at the word and told him, "Kai, actually. He changed into a donkey."

The man laughed. "Well, people have called him an ass, so…"

Boruto raised his brow at the man. "I'm surprised you believe that."

The man leaned against the wall behind him and said, "I've seen a lot of strange things in my time. I'm starting to believe nothing will surprise me." He sighed. "Sadly, even Kai's betrayal didn't surprise me."

"Betrayal?"

"Why I'm in here. It's not like we were friends, but I still felt hurt by his actions. All I did was offer advice. It was never an order and I didn't think I had overstepped my bounds. But then again, it's hard to tell in this world what's expected of you when everyone has different expectations and never bother to explain it."

Boruto scoffed. "That's dumb. But I guess it kinda makes sense. Kai does seem…"

"Well, I mean you expected your father to do a certain thing and you were mistaken."

Boruto felt insulted. "You comparing me to Kai?"

"Of course, not. I was talking in general. People tend to have certain expectations and don't always make it clear to another, which leads to confusion. Same way people have conflicting expectations and somehow expect one person to fulfill all of them. It's a strange world, that's all I'm saying. Especially after you're encouraged from a young age to ask questions in order to learn and then one day asking questions leads to you being scolded or thrown in a cell. Go figure."

Boruto didn't have anything to say to that.

However, he was wondering why this man was not only so quick to believe what happened to Kai but that he didn't question how it happened.