Fox Fire 6

by swirlheart

Two months after their mission, a certain king contacts the Leaf, which leads to another adventure. One which no one wants to go on because it involves the return of an old enemy, which threatens the lives of both human and kitsune. Things get more complicated when Boruto decides to take matters into his own hands, forcing Naruto into a precarious situation. R&R please!

16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

After a few days in their prison, the guards seemed to be less hateful of Boruto, though it was shown subtlety. They gave Boruto water without throwing it through the bars, but that was about it. If he looked at them or didn't look at them, they would taunt him or ask what his problem was. The food remained the same: cold mashed potatoes in the morning and some sort of vegetable stew at night. The stew was better but served at room temperature and tasted like boiled cabbage.

Sleeping on the cold floor without a blanket made Boruto long for his warm bed with freshly laundered sheets. He could feel himself grow steadily weaker the longer he was in his cell, but when he was found doing push-ups, a guard slammed his spear against the bars, ordering him to stop.

"What? It's not like I can do anything else in here. How else am I supposed to pass the time?"

That only angered the guard more and Boruto's water privileges were revoked that evening. It seemed the guards were worried Boruto's exertion was foretelling something else and needed to stop it.

With nothing else to do, Boruto spent his time in either silence or talking to his cellmate. Their conversations varied, but Boruto always refused to talk about the details of why he was in the cell. Yuji didn't push him to talk about it, but the longer he stayed in the cell, the more willing Boruto became until finally he couldn't resist it any longer.

Their current conversation touched on the subject when Kai was brought up and Boruto couldn't hold back, needing validation.

"The king told my old man to cure Kai," Boruto told Yuji through the bars. "I knew it was a bad idea and told him not to. The king said that if we didn't fix Kai, he'd attack our village and declare war. My old man doesn't want that, so I knew he'd try to help the king and I felt I had to stop it. All I was going to do was scare the soldiers. I wasn't going to hurt anyone, honest. But the traps I set up to scare them were… They were closer than I thought they'd be to them so they got caught up in it and people got hurt. Nobody died, but… I didn't think they'd set up that close to where I hid them."

Yuji chuckled lightly, listening to Boruto's story. "No wonder they hate you. Called you an assassin."

"I only meant to scare them, not hurt them. I figured they'd set up in the same place as last time. But they were too close and by then it was too late for me to…"

"You made a mistake. We all make 'em," said Yuji. "For a while I thought my mistake was telling Kai not to do something which landed me in here. I should have kept quiet like the others and just let him do as he pleased since no one could talk back to the king's pet. Then I thought my mistake was taking the job in the first place. Now I don't think it is my fault. I'm only in here because some jerk decided to throw his weight around. But maybe I'm wrong. I don't know."

Boruto moved closer to the bars, peeking in on Yuji in the cell next to his. "I thought I was making the right call because of what was at stake, but I know I messed it up. I didn't mean for…"

The image of that boy's head wound flashed through Boruto's mind and made him sick. He was innocent and caught up in his mistake. The soldiers were only following orders. They had no say if they went to war or not. Boruto should have realized that.

Actually, he did realize it, which was why he tried to scare them away so there would be no war.

Boruto shook his head at the thought. These were soldiers. They were trained not to run away so easily. He was trying to scare the king, too, but the king probably didn't lead his men into battle; just pointed them in the direction he wanted them to go. Other kings probably did lead the charge but this king seemed like the type to break tradition. And considering why Yuji was in a cell, something told Boruto that this same fate awaited any soldier who refused to fight on moral ground.

His plan was doomed from the start. What was he thinking?

Boruto looked into Yuji's cell and asked the question that had been burning within him for days. "If you were in my position, what would you have done?"

Yuji glanced sideways at Boruto, silently asking for clarification.

"I mean, it's change Kai back or go to war. You know what Kai's like. He put you in here. And for something stupid. He's an awful person. Changing him back would… He's better like this, you know. So…" Boruto swallowed. "I just want to know… If it were you, would you change Kai back? What would you do?"

Yuji gave a long sigh, hugging his knees to his chest. He took a long time to answer, giving this serious thought.

"It's actually kind of a loaded question for me," he said. "The guards know what Kai's like and I know none of them would lift a finger to help him, given the choice. He is not easy to get along with, to say the least. And yeah, he did put me in here. And yeah, I am pissed at him about it. I wasn't rude to him or call him names or threaten him. I just told him to reconsider."

Yuji's face grimaced, reliving something from his past.

Silence followed as Yuji saw it through and considered his answer once more.

"But… I don't think someone should be forced to change without their consent."

Boruto was confused by what this meant. Was he talking about Kai's initial transformation into a donkey, or him changing back into a human, or someone being forced to change him back? He didn't understand.

"As awful as Kai is, I don't think he should be forced to change. Not only would it be a lie but the change impacts others. Not a lot of people seem to get that."

"They probably do, which is why they tell a person to change," said Boruto. "They know that the guy being awful needs to change because he's making people miserable. Becoming a kinder person would positively impact others and they won't be miserable anymore."

"Advising a person to change is different from forcing them," Yuji told him. "I'm talking about making someone change against their will. Or them not knowing."

Boruto could tell that this meant a lot to Yuji but he didn't understand why.

"Are we talking about the same thing or..?" Boruto wanted to know what Yuji was talking about. He had a feeling it had little to do with a man becoming a donkey.

Yuji sighed, leaning against the wall of his cell. "When I was little, our home became uninhabitable and we had to leave. We and a few other families decided to travel together to search for a new home. Our migration led us through some dangerous territories, and a couple people volunteered to stand guard all night to protect us."

He remembered them well. Though he was only a small child at the time, he remembered his feelings of reverence towards these men. One was always kind to him in his previous home and Yuji often fantasized about the young man adopting him so he could have a loving family who wanted him.

"One night, I woke up and wandered around our camp to see the men in action. This stranger approached, wanting to cut through our camp to get somewhere and they refused. The stranger did something to them and the men left their posts, allowing him to pass. They didn't want to guard us anymore."

Yuji had been watching from his hiding spot and saw the entire thing. The stranger scared him, so he didn't make a sound as they passed through the camp. They walked by all the sleeping people, taking nothing, and disappeared into the night.

"A little while later, bandits came and raided our camp," Yuji went on. "The two guards didn't stop them and didn't alert us. They just stepped aside and lounged while people were screaming for help. Come morning, all our valuables and most of our food was gone and people who tried to fight back had gashes on their arms and faces. The adults confronted the two, demanding to know why they didn't help us. Why they allowed this to happen. Why? That's all we wanted to know. Why? The two just shrugged and said they didn't want to protect us anymore."

Yuji remembered the night so vividly despite being so young because it was traumatizing. The sight of the blood, the sound of people screaming, his hero falling in the blink of an eye. He didn't put up a fight and just let the stranger do what they wanted, standing aside along with another man.

"The people were pissed and the two didn't seem to care. We went our separate ways, the two no longer allowed to travel with us."

Boruto wondered who this stranger could have been and how they could have gotten the two guards to give up just like that. The only thing he could think of was a shinobi using a jutsu on them.

"Did you tell the people what you saw?" Boruto asked.

Yuji snorted. "They didn't believe me. Since I was so young, they said I had dreamed the whole thing. Said it was a child's imagination at work. No matter how much I insisted and described, they didn't listen and ignored me. I knew that stranger had done something to make them that way but no one would listen to the ramblings of a child. After a while, they ordered me not to bring it up again and I didn't, seeing how mad they were."

He got scared when his mother grabbed him by the arm and raised her hand, ready to strike, ordering him not to mention it again. Knowing he would receive a beating if he disobeyed, Yuji remained silent about it for the rest for the trip.

"Do you remember anything about this person?" asked Boruto. "Maybe they were with the bandits or a shinobi from another village. Did they have a headband? Did they say anything weird?"

Yuji sighed. "I was little at the time. I remember fragments, but I know those aren't a child's overactive imagination. And those fragments hold a lot of detail because it was so strange to me."

"And were they a shinobi?"

Yuji shrugged. "I didn't see any headband, but I don't remember one either. All I know is their name was Sugata and them saying they wanted to pass through."

Boruto rested his shoulder against the cell bars. "I see. I'm sorry."

Yuji shook his head. "It's fine. It was a long time ago." He sighed heavily and looked at the ceiling. "I knew those guys would never do that if they had a say. Which is why I know this Sugata did something to them. They changed them somehow. And that's why I think no one should be forced to change against their will. Even someone like Kai."

Boruto hadn't thought about this before. He assumed Kai changing into a donkey would be the best thing for everyone. The only person impacted negatively from this was Kai.

Maybe he was wrong. Though none of the guards seemed too upset by this, clearly the king was. He was actually threatening war just to get Kai back to normal. Clearly there was more to this than Boruto was seeing. This further proved that his actions were shortsighted.

---

The city was actually pretty small. There were no large walls protecting it unlike King Nita's city but the buildings towered above them like giant dominos. People airing out their bedding on balconies above them and people selling produce on the streets below welcomed Naruto and Shikamaru as they entered the strange new place. It was bustling just like the Leaf Village, making the two long for home. Though it was a city, it was easy to walk around without bumping into anyone.

Shikamaru spotted the coat of arms hanging above a store on a sign reading 'Devine Delivery'. Shikamaru pulled Naruto towards it to ask the owners a question.

"Oh, that coat of arms isn't ours," the man admitted. "The noble is part owner and insists on using it to advertise. He owns a lot of businesses around here. Some are happier about it than others."

"Why?" asked Shikamaru. "Is he a control freak of some kind?"

"You could say that."

Another person inside the store dropped their heavy load on a table to chat. "He buys out any store that doesn't comply with his vision or makes them close their doors. One of the two. I've heard rumors he does the second one but I've seen things. Family-owned places closing their doors after refusing him. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

The owner had a troubled look on his face as he turned to talk to Shikamaru again. "We've been in the delivery business for three generations. The store was even named after my grandmother. We've been so successful, we've caught the eye of the noble and he wanted to buy some shares so he could enjoy the profits."

"Not that he had a choice, like I said," the other man came over. "He's made the same proposition to a buddy of mine and when he refused to let him ride his coattails, their business went under."

"It didn't go under, exactly," said the owner. "I don't know what it was, but they suddenly decided to give up the business and sold it to the noble for a song."

"That's why it's just easier for folks to just let him have a share. Better than not having a business at all." The man scoffed. "Not that he needs any more money. Guy's a freaking noble."

The owner looked at Shikamaru. "He married into a noble family, but he comes from the same place we do."

"So he's a commoner who married a noble." Shikamaru smirked. "Sounds to me like he's reaping the benefits and then some."

"I don't trust him," said the worker. "Businesses closing their doors after talking to him, wanting his branding all over the place. What's his angle?"

"Don't you have boxes to send out?" asked the owner to the man who soon left to do his job. The owner looked back at Shikamaru. "Truth is, everyone in this city has a different opinion of him. Working class people like us don't care for him or are indifferent. The people either are neutral or like him because any business he owns he tries to improve the quality of. He does charity work, too, or so I've heard."

"What about people in the same social circle?" asked Shikamaru.

He shrugged. "I've heard different things, but it's not like I'm in that circle to hear it clearly."

Shikamaru glanced at the boxes adorned with the noble's insignia and remembered the letter the king received. "You send packages, right? What about letters?"

The owner shook his head. "We often don't do letters. We have sent posters through the mail and flyers but those aren't stuffed inside envelopes. Boxes and tubes."

"Do you ever send anything to other lands? Like kingdoms?"

"Or send things to kings?" Naruto added.

The owner's mouth formed an 'O' and nodded his head up and down slowly. "Well, the noble does do business with other lands from time to time. We are pretty far away from a bunch of resources. We don't handle many things coming into our city but we do send things to other lands he does business with."

"Are you familiar with a King Nita, by chance?"

The man rubbed his chin. "We get a lot of names but that one does stick out as familiar. We might have sent a couple things out to him. If we did, he'll be in the books. If you give me a minute, I'll check my records."

"That won't be necessary," said Shikamaru. If they only delt with packages, they wouldn't have sent a letter to the king directly and wouldn't have known what was inside. The purpose of his questions was to find out if they were in contact with King Nita and the meaning behind the insignia.

He asked the owner where they could find the noble and were soon on the move again.

They passed several buildings displaying the coat of arms, but not every building had one, showing which businesses the noble had an interest in and which ones they didn't. They didn't talk to any more people until they reached the noble family's home further into the city. It was an old building but well-maintained with sparkling pillars lining the walkway to the front steps. It was more traditional than the other buildings, making the two shinobi feel like they were stepping into a piece of history.

Servants greeted them at the front steps, seeing them walk up the long walkway from the veranda. Naruto introduced himself and Shikamaru then asked to speak with the noble. He wasn't given a name, but thankfully, there was only one noble in the house.

"The previous master passed, leaving everything to his second daughter and her husband. She passed not long ago and now he owns everything."

The nobleman had two daughters. One married another noble in a different area and the second one married a commoner, becoming a noble by marriage.

Naruto and Shikamaru learned something else from the conversation with the servants. Apparently, they had mixed feelings about the man.

"It's common for people to exaggerate when courting because you're trying to impress them," said one of the women. "But his claims were… Well…"

"They were more than exaggerations and white lies," said the other. "He claimed to be part owner of a company but gave most of the profits to charity. But the company he named is run by a family friend of mine, so I knew that was a lie."

"He probably said that to impress the girl's father," said Naruto. "Marrying outside of nobility is usually frowned upon unless the guy's super important in some way. If he made it sound like he ran a company and had an understanding of money, it would probably make him look better in the father's eyes."

"That's what we believed, so we didn't say anything."

"It seemed harmless enough, since he wasn't spending money freely or using the company's name to do anything bad. Their name wasn't dragged through the mud so…"

"I can't say I blame him," said the other woman. "It wasn't just to impress the young mistress. He was an outsider."

"He wasn't originally from this city?" Naruto inquired.

She shook her head. "No. He came from somewhere else, but little is known about where he came from. He's never mentioned a name and the area he described is pretty general. He just said that he had no family and nowhere else to go."

"His sweettalk won over the young mistress. He said that she made him the happiest he had ever been and knew where he belonged."

"Yeah, that's sweet," Shikamaru said deadpan. "Can we speak to him?"

The two women looked at one another. "Well…"

"Something wrong?"

"No," they answered. "He is a busy man, though. You'll have to give us a minute."

Naruto and Shikamaru waited on the veranda for them to return. While they waited, they went over their strategy. Shikamaru thought it would be too risky to say they were there on behalf of another and ask questions pertaining to the seaside kingdom. He also thought it would be too risky to say they were there on behalf of King Nita, but there was no other plausible way to explain why they were there or ask any questions without giving themselves away.

Hiding and spying would take too long and there were multiple things that could go wrong during it. They could jump to conclusions and make things worse or waste all this time finding nothing useful. Naruto and Shikamaru agreed that a direct approach would be better.

The two women returned and showed them to a room with a low table where their master sat, waiting for them. The man smiled warmly at them and welcomed them over with a wave of his hand. He seemed friendly enough, but the aura around him screamed 'businessman' so Shikamaru had his doubts this man wouldn't treat them like an establishment on the market.

He certainly looked the part of a noble, dressed in fine clothes and his dark hair pinned back to show off his handsome face. His charisma beckoned them to the table but it was the sly look in his eyes that had Shikamaru and Naruto on high alert.

"Hello, Naruto and Shikamaru," he said. "My servants told me you wanted to see me. Welcome, welcome. Would you like any tea?"

"No, thanks," said Naruto. "Well, they told you our names, so… you're..?"

The noble shook off Naruto's pulling and said with a smile, "You can just call me Young Lord. I am a noble, after all."

"Young..? But you're older than…"

Shikamaru nudged him. It was obvious that the man was a handful of years older than they were but age didn't matter right now.

"So," said the nobleman, leaning forward. "What brings you here to my home?"

Naruto tried to put their strategy into action.

"We were just doing work for a king and noticed that he got a letter with your coat of arms on it."

"I do business with many people," he said. "But if it's a king, it must be King Nita. My father-in-law did business with him and after he passed, I took it up. Not that he needs much, considering his vast wealth. I mainly do it to keep up tradition."

"Did you happen to know a man named Kai?" Naruto asked.

The noble's face fell for just a moment before recovering his polite smile. "Oh, him. Yes. Always around the king. Of course."

"We got a lot of complaints about him from people and it seems he went missing," Naruto told him, sticking to Shikamaru's plan. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

The nobleman gave a forced chuckle and rested his arm on the table. "My. I allow you into my home and you go straight to accusing me of something."

"No, I'm not accusing you of anything," said Naruto. "I just want to know if you have any idea who would want to harm him."

"Well, let's see…"

Shikamaru listened to what the nobleman was saying but it soon became white noise when a glint on the table caught his attention. A tiny oblong light quivered on the polished table. Where had it come from? Was it the table itself, the lights reflecting off its polished surface? Shikamaru studied it for a long time. It began to move, coming towards him.

The nobleman shifted in his seat. "There are many people who would want to exact revenge on him. If it were a one-time incident, it would be a bit extreme, but Kai's the type of man who keeps going and escalates. Because of that, and considering how long he's been doing it, any negative feelings towards the guy have been building and building."

The light flickered and crept closer towards Shikamaru. It sat and quivered on the table. Shikamaru lifted his hand and tried to catch the light, slamming it down on the table. The light moved to the side and he brought his hand down on top of it again.

"Am I boring you?" the nobleman asked, seeing what Shikamaru was doing.

Shikamaru looked up, suddenly aware of what he was doing. "Uh, no. Sorry." He pulled his hand back into his lap. "I thought I saw a bug. Sorry. Go on."

Embarrassed, he tried not to look at anything. These cat instincts were starting to get the best of him and he didn't like it.

They resumed the conversation.

"I noticed that your insignia is all over the place. Is it possible one of your businessmen got cheated by Kai and sent something to the king?" Naruto asked. "It doesn't have to be you but someone with access to your coat of arms."

The nobleman chuckled again. "Any letter sent to the king would have come from this building. I would have written him."

"Then I don't have to accuse you of anything," said Naruto. "You just admitted that you wrote the letter."

"A letter and Kai disappearing are two totally different things."

"Yeah," said Naruto. "But the letter seemed to get the king all worked up. I was curious."

The nobleman smiled at Naruto. "This work you were doing for the king… Did it happen to involve finding Kai?"

"… Maybe."

He chuckled. "I suspected as much. And now you're here thinking I had something to do with it."

"No," said Naruto. "I'm just following up on some possible leads. It could be nothing."

"Nonsense," said the nobleman. "What kind of fool do you take me for? He asks you to find him, you come here because of a letter you saw. Did the king send you or is this a personal mission?"

"The king didn't send us," said Naruto. "We're just trying to find out who's been doing business with the king and who would hold a grudge against Kai. A lot of people would be angry enough to do this to him and we want to narrow it down."

"Kai is no businessman," said the nobleman. "He thought he was but he wasn't. He bullied people into getting what he wants. It might be effective at the moment but bully tactics never really work. Any one of those people could have stood up to him or gone to the king and didn't. He got cocky. He made enemies. Lots of enemies. There are tons of people who'd want to do something to that jackass. Him getting turned into one is not my fault."

Naruto raised his brow at the nobleman. "I never said he got turned into a donkey."

The nobleman blinked. "I didn't say he did."

"You said 'jackass' and a 'jackass' is another word for 'donkey'. You said he got turned into one. I just said he disappeared."

He looked down, stiffening.

"You knew."

The nobleman sighed and looked back at him. "I did. During one of the king's visits, he told me."

Naruto folded his arms, keeping his eyebrow raised.

"You have to admit, it sounds ridiculous," the nobleman said. "You can't blame me for not saying it sooner. You'd think I was a lunatic."

Naruto grinned nervously. "We've seen some pretty strange stuff ourselves, so…"

The nobleman rested both arms on the table, leaning forward. "Whenever the king did business, Kai was always there. It struck me as odd when one day he wasn't. I inquired where he was and the king told me what his servant said. I could tell he didn't believe them. I wonder, though… After all, he still has the animal. He must believe it in some way."

Naruto gave the nobleman a questioning look. "Did you hate Kai, too?"

He looked at Naruto and looked down at the table. "He did a lot of under the table deals and was underhanded. If we denied him anything he wanted, he just took it and if we protested, he'd threaten to pull out of our trade agreement or keep the money he promised us. He'd threaten all kinds of things and the king couldn't be bothered to investigate, taking Kai at his word or just ignoring it."

"You saw him do this?"

He nodded. "My father-in-law could tolerate it up to a point. I heard him once tell Kai that trade works both ways. The king would also lose, so was it worth it? Not everyone would be willing to do business with them and some places didn't have what they wanted. The king couldn't lose something only we could provide. So Kai would target other things or send his men to do it instead. If there was a problem, the men would get the brunt of the blame and not Kai. The king would always take his side."

"What exactly was Kai's job, anyway?" asked Naruto. "How could he have had so much power to do all this and have the king look the other way?"

"I don't know what he did exactly. All I was told was that he was the king's right-hand man. Said Kai was irreplaceable compared to others. There were things only Kai could do that no one else could. That's what won him over in the first place and allowed him to go up in rank as quickly as he did. Kai took advantage of that."

Shikamaru wondered if the nobleman was also taking advantage of his new position attained through marriage. He didn't say anything but judging from all the coat of arms in business windows and on signs, he suspected that the nobleman wasn't entirely clean himself.

"You know," he went on, "if the king were a better man, he would have stopped Kai the first time it was brought to his attention. The king's so full of himself, he can't be bothered to see it. Or just doesn't care because he wins, too."

"But Kai works for the king. If he does things in the name of the king, people will blame him as well, so it's not like he wins," said Naruto. "The king will face problems, too, because of Kai's methods."

"Not that he sees it. The king thinks he can buy his way out of trouble with his dirty money. His kingdom is well-off and profitable. Being that close to the sea makes it sustainable with numerous exports. We're landlocked, our city." The nobleman scoffed. "The king didn't need Kai to gain more wealth. We need it more. But for whatever reason, Kai does what he does to aid the king. And the king allows it because he profits. Like I said, if he had shut Kai up the first time…"

"Maybe he didn't know," said Naruto.

The nobleman looked at him. "Didn't know?" he repeated in surprise. "Surely an adult would know that swindling other people for profit is wrong."

"That's not what I mean," said Naruto. "For whatever reason, Kai wants to help the king. It didn't start like this. He escalated because the king didn't say anything. Kai went overboard because his methods were successful. Anybody can lose their head over that. And you said Kai thinks he's a businessman but he isn't. Maybe he thought this was how business was done and messed up. And after a while, he got corrupted."

The nobleman crossed his arms on the table, looking calmly at Naruto. "You're a very forgiving man, aren't you? You look the other way when someone does something, too."

Naruto shook his head. "When someone does something wrong, you correct them, but there's a way to do that. Screaming and berating them is counterproductive. Calling them names is, too. They need to have things explained to them in a calm manner to make sure there's no misunderstanding and to make sure the other person doesn't shut you out thinking you're a jerk. Everyone's raised differently and everyone has different experiences. And in my experience, when you treat someone like a monster, they tend to become one."

Naruto wasn't making excuses for Kai or the king because they were both to blame, but Naruto also believed that Kai only did what he did because he thought he was helping someone else. Like when someone steals a loaf of bread to feed their starving family. It was wrong but done with the intent to do good. They were desperate and didn't think there was another way. Kai's methods worked and seeing that it pleased his king, he did more. Perhaps he wasn't underhanded in the beginning and only escalated later after it went to his head.

"When my son was little, he liked to throw things and I would praise him for it, because he was good at it. He was a toddler. He'd throw socks and pillows and I'd laugh and encourage him. Then one day he picked up something breakable and threw it and I scolded him and he didn't understand. I always encouraged him and praised him for throwing things and now suddenly it was wrong? I had to explain to him that there was a difference. One's breakable and the other isn't and he finally got it."

"That's a toddler," said the nobleman.

"But it follows the same principle," said Naruto. "Throwing is throwing but one's praised and the other isn't. He needed to know the difference because to him at the time the two were the same."

"I don't think it is."

"What I'm saying is that Kai could have been doing the same thing. He got the king something and was praised, so he did it again. Not wanting to go back empty-handed when it was expected of him at that point, Kai resorted to other means to get it. Kai might have only done this to earn his keep since the king says he can easily replace anyone. That probably scared him and that's why Kai did what he did later on."

The nobleman gave a weary chuckle. "You're so understanding, even when it's undeserved."

"Did Kai stop when the king said to?"

The nobleman didn't answer.

"That alone speaks volumes to me," said Naruto. "I heard that as soon as the king saw him doing something wrong, he stopped him and Kai listened. I think he's messed up but not a bad guy. He does what the king wants. He just went overboard."

The nobleman sighed and nodded. "I suppose. But I still disagree. I also think that the king doesn't really care about Kai being a donkey."

"What makes you say that?"

Leaning back slightly to look directly into Naruto's face, the nobleman said, "Because I'm the one who told him to change Kai back."

Naruto and Shikamaru looked at the nobleman in surprise, though Shikamaru was less so. He suspected all along that there was a third party involved and he was right.

This was why it took so long for the king to react. He didn't bother to find a cure for Kai until after attending a meeting in which he disclosed what happened to Kai to the nobleman. The nobleman probably told the king to change him back in exchange for something the king deemed valuable.

"Why?" asked Naruto. "Why do you want Kai to change back? Most would want him to stay a donkey and think that was punishment enough."

The nobleman shook his head. "I think that's too good for him, personally. I want to look him in the face when I throw him behind bars."

"I don't think you have the authority to do that," muttered Naruto. It would likely be the king's decision, not an outsider.

"Kai…" the nobleman said slowly. "He has information I want. And I can't get it while he's a donkey."

"That's why you want him changed back to a human? What makes you think he'll talk?"

"He knows things," the nobleman said. "And I know how to get it out of him. After a night in the dungeon, he'll talk. And if he doesn't, I'll take my wrath out on him until he does."

"He'd likely give you false information, telling you anything just to make the pain stop. Torture is pointless," said Naruto.

The nobleman scoffed. "And why are you here? The timing's too perfect. If the king didn't send you and you're just following leads…"

As the king shifted in his seat to lean closer to Naruto, Shikamaru saw the little light again and looked towards the ceiling where he saw numerous lanterns hanging from the rafters. Those, too, casted tiny beams of light in different shapes on the ceiling and Shikamaru looked at the floor to keep his cat instincts in check.

The nobleman gave Naruto a suspicious look. "What did he threaten you with?"

"Huh?" Naruto looked away and back at the noble, staring at his forehead instead of his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Kai likely learned his tricks from somewhere. He's just better at it. The king probably took something from you or threatened you in exchange for your help."

"We do get paid for our missions," Naruto told him.

"For this? Changing a human from a donkey back to a human? What shinobi would take such a mission? You didn't come here for clues. You came here to ask me to withdraw my request."

"No, we… I…"

"You know it's impossible to change a human in such a way but the king won't let up. Instead of quitting, you're still going. Why? It can only be because he has something you want. Because he threatened you in some way. If I give up, that all goes away. Isn't that right?"

Naruto's eyes darted left and right. "Uh… Uh…"

"You mentioned a son. Did something happen to him? Is that why you're so desperate?"

"It's not like that."

"Then why not do as he says? It's because it's impossible. Why not give up? It's because you can't." The nobleman narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "I've dealt with a lot of things in my life. I've been looked down upon and threatened. I've been cheated by Kai and could do nothing about it. You can't pull the wool over my eyes. I know the king contacted you for a reason and I know you can't quit for a reason. Just tell me and we might be able to help each other."

Naruto glanced at Shikamaru who discreetly shook his head.

Shikamaru thought they didn't know that much about this nobleman and couldn't trust him with this information. Not that he could do that much about it. Anything they told him couldn't hurt them any more than their current predicament, given his limited power. After all, he couldn't make Boruto a hostage if he was already in the king's prison. He had nothing to gain from threatening them because they were after similar things.

Naruto wanted his son back. The king wanted Kai to be returned to normal and the nobleman wanted Kai. Nothing they said would change that. It would make no sense to threaten Boruto if he was already being used to gain something he wanted.

Still, Shikamaru didn't think they should tell this man their personal woes. There was little to be gained from it. Other than trust. Something which already occurred to Naruto.

Naruto thought they could gain an alley by telling the truth about their situation. The nobleman even said that he might be willing to help them if they were upfront with him. Naruto didn't see the harm in telling the man anything.

If the man had been cheated before, he was probably unwilling to trust, so it made sense for Naruto to tell him what was going on.

However, Naruto wasn't naïve. He wasn't going to tell the man real names and wasn't going to mention the location of their village or what they knew about the spirits and what they were told. That part was dangerous to talk about.

"My son learned about what kind of person Kai was and decided he was a villain and didn't deserve to be changed back into a human because he was too dangerous. The king threatened to declare war, so my son thought he could deter him by setting up traps meant to scare and not injure. But the king's soldiers were stationed closer than he thought they'd be and by then it was too late to stop the traps. The king thought we had launched an attack and captured my son, saying I could have him back if I changed Kai back."

The nobleman nodded slowly. "I see. No wonder you're desperate."

"We came to the king and told him we couldn't do it. We tried our best and nothing seems possible. But he refuses to see reason. When I told him the situation, he still wouldn't listen. I think the only way he'll call all this off is…"

"If I call it off," said the nobleman. "After all, it is my request."

Naruto bowed his head to the man. "Please. I've done all I can and there's nothing more I can do. The king won't listen, he can't be reasoned with. If I tell him another option, he won't do it. Please, please, tell him to forget this. He's demanding too much."

The nobleman lowered his head, thinking. Naruto didn't interrupt him, watching the man sit hunched with his arms folded on the table.

"You would do anything for your boy, right? Even the impossible?"

Naruto was silent for a moment, then, inhaling deeply, said, "Even I have my limits."

"Tell me honestly. What would you do if you cannot change Kai back?"

Naruto was silent for another moment then said decisively, "I'd probably take him out of there by force. Or ask the king to allow me to sit in a cell instead."

Shikamaru was silent, knowing Naruto would say this and knowing he meant it. The village was his family, but he would never sacrifice one for another. If it was to protect them, of course Naruto would take Boruto's place.

The nobleman nodded again in understanding. "What I'm hearing is that you're asking me to call it off and forget my revenge on Kai, and if I don't, you'll simply trade places with your son or stage a prisonbreak."

Naruto didn't say anything which told the man all he needed to know.

"Tell me," he said to Naruto. "Do you think the king is wrong to do this?"

"To threaten people into getting what he wants when what he wants is impossible? Yes. I told him I couldn't do what he was asking and instead of accept it, he threatened war. When I still refused, he took my son. I think that's wrong. If I won't bend on anything, no matter the threat, it should tell him that, though I'm doing all I can and sparing no effort, I still can't do what he's asking should tell him that it's because I simply can't. No one will win."

The nobleman raised his brow at Naruto. "He didn't take your son so you'd obey him and do the impossible. He did it because your son struck first."

Naruto fumbled for words then said firmly, "He was making threats before that. My son just…"

"Messed up?"

"… Yeah."

"Was this not a bad mess-up? Were you handling this before he took action?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes."

"Did he know that?"

"Yes."

"But he didn't accept it and took matters into his own hands. Either he doesn't trust you or he's dangerous. A loose cannon."

Naruto shook his head. "He messed up but that's no reason for me to abandon my son."

"It was a big mess-up, though. Even if it was only meant to scare them, do you really think the king would have not taken it as a threat? These days, kings assume everyone's a threat. That's why they don't go anywhere without soldiers with them in droves. Did your boy not stop to consider that? Did he not think about how it would make you look?"

"He…"

"He's your son. Any action he makes is a reflection of you. He embarrassed you. Tarnished your good name. He led a king to believe you lured him there to be killed."

"He didn't mean it. He wasn't thinking."

"And you'll forgive him, just like that?"

"He's just a kid. He's made mistakes before and so have I. We learn from them."

"Yet he goes out and does something so foolish. How could he not have realized? Either he's stupid or does not care. In both cases, that means he'll do it again. Why bail him out?"

"Because…"

"If you do, you're no better than the king. Your boy's no different from Kai."

That remark had Naruto's body heating up with rage. He gritted his teeth to keep it from boiling over and glared at the man. "They're two different things."

"Do you really want Kai back? Do you not think he's dangerous? Your boy's dangerous. How can you forgive one and not the other?"

"Who says I wouldn't-"

"You're going to look the other way and allow your son to do something foolish again? How are you different from the king? Your boy needs to learn. After what he did to you, making the king think what he thought, all those lives he endangered, you're just going to pull him out of prison like that and forgive him? What's the lesson there? That he can get away with it simply because he's your son?"

It was hard for Naruto to see straight, his rage mounting. But not at the nobleman.

"So quick to forgive but all you're doing is giving him a second chance to do it again. If your boy's done foolish things before, what makes this any different? Shouldn't he be doing better? No, he's escalating. Just like Kai. Your son was bold enough to take matters into his own hands because he knows how permissive you are. He may be in a cell now, but what good's that do if he knows daddy's going to bail him out? He's not really suffering, is he?"

No, he wasn't.

Boruto was disrespectful and never listened. Naruto told him to leave things to him and he didn't obey. He took things upon himself in such an overly dramatic way. This wasn't taking someone's rake without permission because he needed to use it. This wasn't him walking out of a store with an unpaid item in his hand because he was distracted and simply forgot he still had it. This was his son rigging the land with exploding tags knowing a king and his men would be there. Exploding tags were dangerous. Falling rocks were dangerous. What was he thinking? There was no way he couldn't have known.

How many times had he shown up to defend Boruto? How many times had he allowed him to mouth off and walk away after being told to stay put? Boruto was like this because he was too lenient.

The nobleman was right. Why should he help Boruto?

Naruto was furious. Furious at his son.

Boruto didn't deserve his help.

Slamming his palms on the table, Naruto rose from his seat and stood, seething. "Sorry to waste your time," he snarled through his teeth and spun around, stomping towards the door. "Shikamaru, we're going home."

Taken aback by this abrupt turn of events, Shikamaru bowed to the nobleman, apologized and ran after Naruto.