NARUTO: Getsuju Monogatari
Chapter 1 - Moving Shadows


Once upon a time, there existed a fox with nine tails

He was so powerful, that whenever he shook these tails, the oceans would rise, and the ground would crumble

The suffering people gathered the shinobi of their village to fight this menace

Finally risking his life, one shinobi managed to seal the Fox away within a young child

Having defeated the demon, the shinobi died

That shinobi was the Fourth Hokage, the strongest of Konohagakure - the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Over time the young child and the fox would become friends

Then a new threat arose: the Ten-Tails

But the child had now become a splendid shinobi

Becoming one with the fox and the shinobi of the world, they sealed away this new threat

This child was the son of the Fourth Hokage who himself would come to be known as the Seventh Hokage.


Konohagakure, The Land of Fire


Peacetime.

Largely a foreign concept to a world which had been warring with between tribes largely before the advent of "chakra" had come to exist. This world, however was experiencing its first large scale peace on generations. Before the Fourth Great Shinobi War, the after effects of the Third were still felt. Periods of skirmishes, national scandals, and the like. But that time was largely past: the Five Kage, the leaders of the Hidden Ninja Villages of their respective lands, were all old war-buddies. Veterans of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, fighting to defend the world from Madara Uchiha. While roving bands of missing-nin and other criminals did exist, many chūnin and jōnin could be trusted to police their borders. International conflicts were non-existent now.

Recently, the Kage had come together once again, to defeat a threat on the scale of Kaguya - Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki. The five Kage, together with the head of the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke Uchiha, as well as the young Boruto Uzumaki, had banded together to defeat him. A year had passed since then, and Konohagakure was continuing to grow in prosperity. It was here that the Seventh Hokage found himself with something of a rarity: free time.

It was part of his promise to Boruto; after the defeat of Momoshiki, father and son had assessed what exactly had led Boruto down his path of deceit. And Naruto knew better than to think he was blameless. To the Hokage, everyone in the village was family...but he needed to compromise, and make time for his wife and children.

So they found themselves at the old Third Training Ground. It held significance to the Seventh Hokage: it was, after all, where Team Kakashi had first been formed, so many years ago. To the Uzumaki Family, it was a family trip. Boruto and Himawari, while not competitive siblings - Boruto being the brother who would bend the world on half for his sister- still enjoyed sparing with each other. And so the two parents had agreed to spend their day here, undergoing mock exercises.

"Are you sure you really don't mind this?" Naruto Uzumaki scratched his temple, looking sheepishly at his wife. He was the one who encouraged their eagerness to polish their skills, since it was the easiest way he could relate to his children.

"I'm always happy to see them find something they want to do together," replied Hinata Uzumaki smoothly. Her smile was gentle as her pure white eyes shifted from her husband to her children - Boruto Uzumaki casually strolling with his hands in his pockets, and Himawari Uzumaki with a smile to match her mother's as she took in her father's nostalgic training ground.

To both of them, it wasn't particularly a spectacular location. A deep river divided the thick Nara Forest in half; the glade that rested centre was their current location, the easiest spot for heavy shinobi training. This location held the memories of the dreams of many aspiring shinobi - and Naruto wanted the dreams of his children to begin here as well, a tradition to be continued.

"Besides, this placed means a lot to you as well," Hinata continued. "And to me." The former Hyūga heiress as clearly as she could that time before Naruto went to compete against her now late cousin Neji. The first time she'd truly been able to connect with him was here. No, this place was perfect for their family to spend time. That much she was certain.

"Alright, let's get cracking, Hima!" Boruto grinned, punching his fists together. Though he was certainly a protective older brother, he'd been on the receiving end of an angry Himawari's wrath before. She was a perfect sparring partner, especially now.

"Right!" responded the gleeful younger Uzumaki sibling.

"Do it right, you two," encouraged Hinata. Following their mother's instruction, the two siblings took their respective places at the opposing sides of the battlefield, and formed the Sign of Confrontation: a half-time, the universal sign of engagement in battle among shinobi. It was an ancient tradition, dating back to before the formation of the Village system: Boruto did it reluctantly, but Hinata, who understood the value of the tradition, instilled it in both their children.

Naruto stepped forward, raising his into the air. He could detect the minute changes in chakra forming within his children, and the veins around both of their eyes began to blue. Brilliant blue irises became white, the faintest traces of a pupil within their centre. Both children had activated the Byakugan they inherited from their mother. They each slipped into their respective combat stances: Boruto bent at the knee, legs spread out, resting his right hand at his side, and levying his left hand in front of him. Himawari's stance differed: she bent her weight backwards, leaning it on her right leg, her left leg stretched forward. Her left hand rested at her side, her right hand was elevated to the fore.

Both children were ready.

"Alright, you two! Begin!"

Himawari struck first. Fluid as water, the Hyūga descendant moved quickly, her palms-laced in chakra. It was the standard Gentle Fist combat style, prided by the Hyūga and their descendants. Himawari's first strike connected. Boruto, however, reacting quickly, moved his own palms toward his younger sister's wrists, deflecting the blow skyward. Chakra dispersed into the air, the children's first clash resulting in a deadlock. Both of them knew that employing the Gentle Fist stance would result in a near-advantage for whoever landed the first successful strike: the damage to the tenketsu would begin to slow down the victim, and leave their opponent's victory assured.

"She's so fast!" Naruto, while acting as referee, couldn't help but be a proud father in moments like this. "I knew she had a natural talent for the Gentle Fist, but I'm not sure if it's the Academy or your teaching that's brought this out!"

"Maybe a little of both?" Hinata said, placing a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Ever since she unlocked her Byakugan, I've been teaching her bit by bit. But recently, Himawari's really wanted you to watch her, I think. Boruto unlocking his Byakugan only furthered that bit of a competitive drive; it helps, being able to teach both of them."

Himawari's really wanted to you watch her... So Naruto did. To make up for lost time, he kept his eyes firmly locked on his children's training match.

Between the two siblings, Himawari was the taijutsu specialist; the young girl performed a perfect manoeuvre, circling around her brother before continuing her assault. The older sibling, however, had excellent reflexes; pivoting on his heel, he deftely managed to avoid Himawari's strike, keeping his stomach just out of her reach. A palm rushed by his head. Boruto dodged and responded in kind; Himawari's fluid moment allowed her to match Boruto, and the two users of the Gentle Fist clashed, their blows cancelling each other as hand crashed into hand. Naruto never ceased to be amazed by the younger generation, all of whom were capable of much more than he and his friends had been. Both his children showed combat aptitude that put some chūnin to shame.

"You're not half-bad, Hima!" grinned Boruto in spite of himself. He meant it, too. He knew how hard Himawari had been working hard ever since she'd entered the Academy - and was fighting extra hard now that their old man was watching. He'd never tell her, but he wanted Naruto to keep an eye on what he could do as well.

Himawari grinned. "I can do more than that, Big Brother!"

"I won't give you the chance!" Boruto quickly began to weave seals. Himawari was his superior as far as taijutsu went, but ninjutsu...well, he was still the older brother as far as that went. He didn't have many options to not cause lasting harm to his sister - the Rasengan, Lightning Release, and Wind Release were out of the question - so that left him with only a single option. His seals of choice were the Tiger, Hare, and Ram. Kneading chakra within his body, the young man converted it as he expelled it from his mouth.

"Water Release: Surging Sea!"

Water erupted from his opened mouth, gushing forward like a powerful hose. His Water Release jutsu sloshed forward, intent on pushing Himawari back with water pressure alone. Boruto was about to discover, however, that he underestimated Himawari's ability to act. His Byakugan told him what intuition alone would not. Her keirakukei began to surge with chakra, all of it rushing towards the various tenketsu located at various points along the human body: he knew what was coming, and he could not stop it.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

Himawari spun rapidly, rolling waves of sapphire-hued chakra releasing from her body all at once as a protective shield. Boruto's Surging Sea crashed into the sphere, being swept up in the current of chakra his sister was emitting. The Revolving Heaven dispersed, spreading in every direction, bursting the Surging Sea into a spray of water droplets and mist. Boruto had to admit, the effect made Himawari look cool. His mother had definitely been giving the girl extra lessons he wasn't getting in on yet.

Naruto had vivid memories of the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven, though he had to admit, being on the side of the spectator, rather than being flung wildly by it like a leaf in the wind was certainly a refreshing change of pace. Chuckling to himself, he wondered what his father-in-law would think of the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven being used by his granddaughter. In any other circumstances, he might have been sterner; Hiashi Hyūga was far more prone to abandoning concepts of tradition now, where his grandchildren were concerned.

"Eight Trigrams..."

Lost in a mixture of admiration and shock, Boruto failed to notice Himawari re-adopt proper Gentle Fist form.

"...Sixteen Palms!"

She lunged before he could react. Two consecutive blows struck him in the torso, marking Himawari's first two "palms". Boruto desperately moulded chakra, already feeling the interference from the two struck tenketsu. He was now lacking in speed, and stumbled. Himawari's next two consecutive blows barely missed his body, and, sliding his legs along the ground, he avoided the next two of the next four intentionally this time, though two precise strikes jabbed him in the shoulder. Himawari, however, was relentless, preparing the final eight blows.

"S-Shadow Clone Technique!" Boruto was practically forcing his chakra to mould as Himawari closed in; a duplicate Boruto burst into being in a buff of smoke, a single clone being a far cry from what he was normally capable of. Nevertheless, Himawari tore through the clone, reducing it to a puff of smoke with two of her final eight blows, reducing Boruto's defences to nothingness. The final six consecutive blows found their home in Boruto's flesh, jamming tenketsu at multiple points along his body. The Sixteen Palms finale was packed with chakra, launching Boruto backwards and unceremoniously onto his back.

The older Uzumaki sibling was suitably stunned, and the moment he took to recollect himself and attempt to scramble up was the deciding factor. Himawari was standing over him, Byakugan gazing intently into his own, a palm raised just above her head, poised to strike.

"That's enough!"

Their father's voice rang throughout the clearing, bringing the two back to reality. "Himawari is the victor!"

Boruto smiled ruefully; the veins at his temples receded, his white eyes returning back to their natural blue hue. Himawari's eyes did the same, and the two made for the Seal of Reconciliation; two fingers clasped around the fingers of the opponents, signifying continued comradery even after a fierce spar. To Boruto, it was another tradition that they could do without.

"You two really are something else," grinned Naruto, pride etched into every line on his face. "I've never really gotten to see the two of you go at it like that. You two've really put in the work, following your mother and sensei's instructions."

"It's...not really all that much," Boruto put his hands back on his pockets, avoiding direct eye contact with Naruto. "Besides, Hima really walloped me at the end of it!"

Himawari let out a sort of chuckle, and felt her father ruffle her hair. "Your Taijutsu was amazing," Naruto made sure to praise Himawari directly. "Next time, we'll have to go give Grandpa a demonstration!"

The reaction from Himawari was expected. She always got excited at the idea of visiting their grandfather, though Boruto - who respected his grandfather immensely - found the experience far more stressful. And that was to say nothing of Hanabi's relentless teasing.

"Your father still has plenty of time left in the day," Hinata interjected, possibly sensing her son's incoming sigh and wishing to divert his mood. "How about we all go for an early lunch?"

It had the intended reaction. Boruto enjoyed few things more than Naruto's attention, but food was one of those things.

"Let's go to the Lightning Burger!" crowed Boruto, looking hopefully at his mother.

She nodded, smiling, and Boruto cheered. He took the lead, Himawari following close behind him, and the two parents making up the rear.

"You really do understand what makes them both tick," Naruto mused, shifting his gaze from his son's back to his wife walking alongside him. "Even after a year...I'm still trying to connect with them both - Boruto especially. Himawari is understanding but..." Naruto's words trailed off as Hinata's wife brushed his shoulder.

"When you're home, the burden of being Hokage disappears," Hinata's face matched her name, a sunny smile to counteract Naruto's helpless attempt at it. "Boruto and Himawari know you're trying. So smile for them both, just like you did here before the Chūnin Exams; these times are important to them."

"Actually...I think I like people like you. Alright...I'm gonna head over to the exam! You should come, and watch me blow Neji away! Later!"

Smile for them both, just like you did here before the Chūnin Exams...

Those words pushed Naruto ahead. Wordlessly, Hinata knew what he was thinking, and let him rush right on ahead. Naruto caught up to Boruto, before slipping right past him, a wide grin on his face.

"C'mon, Boruto! Race you to the Lightning Burger!"

"H-Hey, Dad, wait up!" Boruto's competitive drive was sparked, and the young man took off in chase after his father.

And so the Uzumaki Family continued their peaceful day.


Konohagakure, Uchiha Household


Sakura Uchiha exhaled slowly, enjoying the refreshing feeling of a finished shower. Clad in only a towel, the woman exited the washroom, walking down the hall towards her bedroom. Gently, she ran the towel over her head, drying off her short, damp pink hair. Working as the Head of Konoha Medical Department certainly allowed Sakura to keep her skills fresher than many other shinobi in the village during this time of peace, but one of the few things she wasn't afforded was free time. It was one of the few things the former Team Kakashi all still shared - Naruto was often swamped with official duties as Hokage, she had her own work in the Medical Department, and her husband, Sasuke Uchiha, was traveling the world, still on his journey of atonement.

It was hard to believe Team 7 had been formed so many years ago now.

The Uchiha matriarch entered her bedroom, thoughts still on the past, and flicked on the light. The room was relatively simple, as far as bedrooms went. The two person bed rested in the centre, a luxury her husband enjoyed during his sparse returns to the village, with a table and two chairs placed near the largest window, which gave a view towards on of Konohagakure's many forests. At the bedside table, a framed picture of the Uchiha family - Sasuke, Sakura, and their daughter, Sarada - rested. It was a smaller copy of one also in the sitting room. Sakura kept this one as a reminder for when her husband's letters arrived too late, or when she was simply feeling the weight on her heart too strongly.

Walking over towards the picture, that was when she noticed it.

The glass of the frame had cracked, from end to end. Over the face of her husband, the crack was particularly vicious, spreading wildly, and blocking the man's visage almost entirely. At this point, a chill entirely unrelated to her lack of clothing passed over her. Sasuke now came to the forefront of Sakura's mind entirely. It had been longer than normal since she'd last gotten a letter.

Sasuke...please be alright!


A/N: Hey, everyone! So, I got possessed by the mad desire to write a Naruto fanfic, and decided, you know what, let's give it a go. I promise that, to the best of my ability, this fanfic will not impact my Big Three - the Erased Chronicles, the Heart of Adventurers, and the Tale of the Sky Maiden. I cannot, however, promise the same for Little Miss Devil, or the Future is Black. I've been writing Dragon Ball for seven years now, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in penning a new fic. This one here is going to be the start of a new series. I don't intend to make it as long as Erased, and I want it to feel a little more like a Naruto film. This takes place after Boruto: Naruto the Movie but will be ignoring Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. I'll take my own spin on this, and focus more on the original characters as adults. I've got what I think is an interesting idea, though whether or not I can tell a proper story with it...well that remains to be seen! I hope to see you all soon!