BORUTO'S MASTERS – THE TRUTH

Boruto's Residence

This is Shikadai's night. His mind is his weapon and Tao Ma is going to pay for underestimating it. For years his lies have helped him to escape the best minds in Homeworld, they have overcome the deductive skills of prodigies and eluded the finest in the Imperial guard. However, this is the first time he has pitted himself against Nara Shikadai in this arena, and he is most definitely going to regret it.

Shikadai recalls when he first heard of Tao Ma, following the incident in which Boruto was abducted from the village, having just only proposed to Sarada the same day. The next time he fought against Tao Ma, he and his cousin battled him during the war between Lara and Clyde. That day, he and Shinki were totally outmatched, their opponent their superior in every way. That was a battle on the physical plane though, Shikadai admits he cannot defeat this opponent there, but on the mental plane, that is an entirely different story.

Shikadai draws his kunai and scrapes the top layer from the wooden walls of the building that Hashirama constructed from them. He does his best to be quiet, recognising that his friends and Boruto are sleeping. After one hour, he has cleared all four walls in this room, good, now he can use them in substitute of the paper that he would desperately like in this situation.

Shikadai has a rich family history, with he and his parents having learned from some of the best. In his young days he remembers his father giving Mirai pointers on her techniques. The two of them were like siblings growing up, and he listened many times to what she was doing. Harnessing her blades with wind techniques, magnifying their cutting power many times over, a technique that her father Asuma was very familiar with. Shikadai is not so proficient as Mirai, but his mother has covered wind techniques with him on occasion, and he is more than capable of using it to enhance the power of his kunai. So, he does, he concentrates all his chakra on the tip of his kunai, using it like a pen on the hard-wooden exterior of the room.

He begins to write, even as the pain in his hand increases over time, he continues to write on the walls. He begins with the sequence of events that pertain to Tao Ma. He writes down every detail that lead to the creation of this fragile group. He writes down the events that lead to Hashirama wanting to join, the death of his wife, Naruto's mercy during the captained-six contest, the budding alliance with Clyde and the battles the two shared in Homeworld. He then does the same for Boruto, recording every motivating factor that he has learnt about him, even why his team betrayed Naruto and joined the group.

These headaches that Tsunade has experienced are an important detail, as Boruto hinted to him previously, this should have happened to everyone. Boruto is an exception to that rule, having genuinely understood 'death' himself and never having been part of the hive mind, but Hashirama should be no different.

Did Hashirama ever experience headaches?

Did Hashirama understand 'death' by himself or was he part of the hive mind?

If Hashirama understood 'death' by himself, when did he work it out?

If he didn't experience the headaches why not?

Next Shikadai considers the possible consequences of the headaches. He is by no means an expert in biology, but he understands pain. Pain is perhaps the most important factor in driving someone's motivations in life. Understanding someone's pain is important to understanding a person, that was a lesson that Lord 7th insisted the village remember. Pain was what drove Naruto to want acknowledgement. It was what made Sasuke yearn for revenge. It was what made Boruto believe Homeworld was beyond forgiveness.

By controlling someone's pain perfectly, you could motivate them to do whatever you want. Of course, this is hard in practice, it takes years of painstaking work from an expert interrogator to get into someone's head like that, something the Hidden Leaf stopped doing after the last war. However, this is different, it is impossible to know how intricate the hive mind is. If it could make someone associate particular thoughts with pain, and even other thoughts with ecstasy, it could change their very way of thinking over time. An artificial evolution of the user's choice. Though that is just hypothetical, Shikadai knows that would depend upon the limitations of the divine ability, and the skill of its user.

So, what about Tsunade. She doesn't seem to have changed that much, she was still plenty happy to reunite with Sakura, and with her reaction to Tao Ma's revelation she at least acknowledged that he felt shame. Her personality hasn't changed completely, not yet, unless that itself is a smoke screen. It is possible that she has fallen so far into his trap that she is deliberately helping him to cover it up. He is more inclined to believe that about Lord 1st. However, going forward she could pose a greater threat each day.

Shikadai asks himself about Hashirama, has his personality changed. Of course, it has, he didn't know him for very long before the captained-six contest, but Shikadai has heard stories of Lord 1st's personality. Both Senju Tobirama and Sarutobi Hiruzen told him that Naruto reminded them a lot of Hashirama, that they were echoes of the same person throughout time. When Mito died, Hashirama definitely changed away from that, becoming more like Uchiha Madara than like Naruto. However, Tao Ma couldn't have possibly triggered this personality change. Hashirama didn't have control of 'death' during the captained-six contest.

Still, the truth of this personality change cannot be ignored. The more Shikadai thinks about it the less he buys it. People do not change so dramatically as a result of a single traumatic event; they do not change so much that they are not even recognisable anymore. Tsunade was still the same person, even when her grandmother died, when her partner died, when her grandfather betrayed the village. Someone like Senju Hashirama is even less inclined to change than his granddaughter, not unless there is an external factor driving the change.

Shikadai reaches his conclusion.

Hashirama's personality change and Tao Ma are connected. It's just a case of working out how, considering it was before they ever met.

The Next Morning

Inojin and ChouChou head just outside the front door come the morning, standing in the thin shade offered by the wooden structure they slept in. They dare not venture too far away as they look out and see Tao Ma's followers gathered together not far in front of them. There is an eery silence about them as the majority of them look over to the building. ChouChou can tell that they are scornful of them, that when the first opportunity arises, they are going to get rid of them. Unless Shikadai can get to them first.

As Mitsuki emerges from around the corner, Inojin realises that he has been awake for some time. Tsunade approaches as her mentor becomes visible, checking on him and his wellbeing. If there is a comforting thought available for them right now, it's that Tsunade still appears to be thinking of Mitsuki.

Shikadai emerges, seeing his four fellow shinobi just outside and greeting them.

"You look tired Shikadai," Inojin says, "Didn't you try and get some sleep last night?"

"I can't sleep right now," he answers, "Not until we are safe from that man over there. Not until I have proven that Tao Ma means to kill us."

Shikadai has just messed up.

Suddenly, Tsunade goes berserk. She grabs Shikadai by the scruff of the neck, violently slamming him into the wall behind as she growls like a wild animal.

"You should be more respectful Shikadai," she shouts at him, "That's the man who is giving us the power to fight back."

As Shikadai struggles for air, Inojin and ChouChou both pull at Tsunade's arms, desperately trying to pry the 5th Hokage off their gasping teammate. No matter how hard they try though, it's useless. Right now, compared to a 'death' enhanced 5th Hokage their power is completely inconsequential. The only one among the trio who could even begin to put up a fight would be Shikadai, but even as his mind calls out for oxygen, he knows better than to fight back.

Shikadai knows that if he fights back there will be an excuse to kill him.

Mitsuki shouts for Inojin and ChouChou to back off, putting his own hand on Tsunade's arm as they comply.

"Listen to me Tsunade, this isn't like you, you have to calm down," he says.

"Why?"

"This man is a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. You're the Hokage, remember, you're the 5th Hokage. This man is your subordinate!"

Tsunade shakes her head, no matter what Mitsuki says he cannot get through to her. It's like her mind snapped the instant Shikadai spoke the wrong word.

"Let him go."

Shikadai rolls his eyes to the right.

It's Boruto.

Tsunade glances in Boruto's direction but doesn't release her grip on Shikadai. Only a few more seconds left, the thoughts just keep running around her mind. Her brain screams at her to kill, to kill like her life depends on it.

In an instant, Boruto's position shifts, he now grips Tsunade's wrist firmly. 'Death' energy circulates his hand and an intimidating aura appears around him. His eyes changing, adopting the yellow tinge of the tenseigan. The forgiving patient aspect of Boruto is gone, he knows just as well as Tsunade that Shikadai doesn't have long left in her grasp. He intends to keep his promise no matter what. If he has to hurt her in order to protect Shikadai, he is willing to do it.

"Now!" Boruto demands.

Tsunade releases Shikadai and walks away as he gasps for air.

Shikadai is almost happy that Tsunade snapped in such a way now, it speaks to a dramatic change in personality, a completely different person to the one who spoke with Sakura yesterday. What's more Boruto was forced to intervene, something that will surely make him more convinced of the ever-present data towards the shinobi contingent. Thoughts begin to circulate his mind, realisations that he knows will help him to put the final nails in Tao Ma's coffin.

Shikadai smiles, the personality changes are real. Now he is sure of the truth. Now he has won!

Hashirama looks over to the group as Tsunade returns. He gazes at Boruto, his eyes full of enmity as he does his best to convey his displeasure at his student's latest intervention in the situation. However, Boruto notices, and the response is not what Hashirama hopes for at all. The Uzumaki Boruto who gazes back at Hashirama is not his student, searching desperately for his master's approval. This Uzumaki Boruto is the Shadow 9th Hokage, this Uzumaki Boruto is the student of Uchiha Sasuke, this Uzumaki Boruto is the son of Uzumaki Naruto.

They have just reached his turning point.

"You see what I mean now?" Shikadai says to Boruto as his teammates help him back to his feet. "Tao Ma did this, the hive mind just changed Tsunade's personality. Yesterday Tsunade would never have done that. This is just like Hashirama before the captained-six contest, back when he started to hate Homeworld. Boruto, both of them had their personality changed by Tao Ma."

"I'm inclined to believe you, but it still doesn't fit together for me," Boruto admits.

Shikadai practically collapses from relief just from Boruto saying that. Inojin and ChouChou catch their teammate, propping him up so that he can push Boruto over the line. They will all need to be on their toes from now anyway. If Boruto decides that he's going to take them away, there is no guarantee that he will be able to do so peacefully.

"My personality never changed," Boruto reminds Shikadai, "Plus, the hive mind can't have changed Lord 1st's personality. His personality changed when his wife died, that was long before Tao Ma arrived in our world."

"Your personality wouldn't have changed," Shikadai explains, "The personality changes are driven by the pain, the pain is controlled by the hive mind. Remember what you told me, you understood 'death' yourself, you were never controlled by the hive mind."

"Then what about Lord 1st?"

Mitsuki looks to Shikadai with curiosity. Boruto has certainly got him on this one.

"Tao Ma did that too."

"That's impossible," Boruto says again, "Tao Ma wasn't even in our world back then."

Shikadai smirks.

"Boruto, can you prove that?"

Boruto starts.

Shikadai is right. Hashirama claimed he made first contact with Tao Ma three years after they won their freedom against General Clyde, but what if he was lying. At that point, if Shikadai is right, Hashirama would already have been under Tao Ma's control. That means the first reliable account of his existence would have been when he attacked Boruto and Sarada. There is no knowing how long he was in their pocket world before that.

"You're right," Boruto says.

The Shadow 9th Hokage turns his back on Shikadai and the other three. He begins walking after Tsunade, approaching Hashirama, Tao Ma and all the others. As if the 'death' users all know what is going on, they have gathered together, forming a perfect split down the middle of the camp with themselves on one side and the shinobi on the other. Nevertheless, Boruto is not afraid, he walks across the gap as all eyes come to rest on him.

As Boruto reaches the half-way point, he shouts across the gap.

"Tao Ma! Come over here."

Other than Mitsuki, who remains calm, the shinobi all begin to sweat nervously. Boruto's voice has changed, as has his demeanour. Now he is seeing things from their point of view, now he is a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf again. Walking into the middle like this, turning his anger against the man the others all view as a leader, he is making himself the centre of a lot of bad attention. As soon as he says the wrong word this could turn very nasty, and he is not known for his delicate vocabulary.

Tao Ma shrugs his shoulders and chuckles, he walks into the middle of the two groups, standing so that only he and Boruto can hear one another. A stand-off in the middle of two groups ready to kill one another.

"How can I help you Lord Shadow 9th?" Tao Ma asks with a sarcastic bow.

"I have more questions about what happened to Shikadai. I hope you are willing to answer them."

"You know me young Uzumaki, I'm always willing to help you with my answers."

Boruto believes he knows the truth now, and he believes he knows the right questions to get Tao Ma to admit to it, but he must be careful. He realises that this man's ability to deceive is beyond any other he has ever met, so great that even Shikadai has been struggling to wrestle the truth from him. He has to ask the right questions; he can't let this go any further without discovering what is really going on.

"How did you manage to find our pocket world?" Boruto asks.

"It was a coincidence."

Boruto laughs aloud. Of all the lies he has told so far this is the most pathetic by far. It seems that Shikadai has uncovered the truth.

"A coincidence?" Boruto asks, "I am the only person here other than you who worked out 'death' for himself. I am the only person who was not part of the hive mind. You expect me to believe that you came to our world by coincidence. You must think that I was born yesterday."

"Oh, but it is true I assure you."

"You just happened to find all your strongest warriors in one pocket-world. Myself, Hashirama, Tsunade, the only ones with any noteworthy strength here, that was all by chance?"

"Yes, all a big coincidence."

Boruto shakes his head, he is aghast at this response. How audacious is Tao Ma? He knows that there is no way he can prove this last statement wrong without getting Tao Ma to admit it was a lie, but only an idiot would believe it. Even if Tao Ma's innocence is beyond reasonable doubt, his trustworthiness is nil now.

"Lord 1st's personality change makes sense now. He would never have reacted to Mito's death this way before," Boruto says. "Shikadai is right, isn't he? The pain, those headaches Tsunade is experiencing, those are your doing aren't they, you can control the hive mind! You have used that pain to change her personality and you used it to change Hashirama too."

"Why would I do that?"

"Manipulating others has increased the power of this group exponentially."

"But how?"

"I see Shikadai was right now. You came to our world a lot earlier than you said you did. Isn't that right Tao Ma?"

"No, I did not," Tao Ma chuckles menacingly, "Besides, even if I did, weren't you preparing for that captained-six contest. How could I have changed his personality without anyone noticing?"

"Because when Mito died, he went to train on his own. He left swearing that it would never happen again. He trained for a noble reason, just like my father and my grandfather. When he came back, he was a different man altogether."

Boruto watches as Tao Ma's shoulders shrink. He knows what this means now, and the adrenaline has prevented the true magnitude of the situation hitting him before. Now he gets how seriously he messed up by trusting Tao Ma in the first place. He should have been loyal to Sarada and to his father all along. There is only one way that Tao Ma could have altered Hashirama's personality, even if he had been in their pocket-world at the time. There is only one way he could have been drawn into the hive mind.

"You killed our 1st Hokage, didn't you?"

Boruto is initially met with silence, but then by a laugh. He has heard Tao Ma laugh before but never to this degree. He is not just insane, he is thriving on his insanity, a serial killer who has just had his genius recognised by his greatest adversary. Tao Ma laughs, louder and louder every second. The voice had never let him down before, so long as he listened to its instructions the hive mind wouldn't put him wrong. When he failed to kill Shikadai and the others his plan was ruined, perhaps stopping it was impossible.

"Very well," Tao Ma admits with an exaggerated of his shoulders.

"Very well?"

"I know when I'm beat. What you have said is true. I went to your world years ago. And I killed Senju Hashirama."

In Response to lovebolito's Question
About longer less frequent chapters

With my current plans in place it would take a lot of effort to change the chapter structure, though I do appreciate the feedback.
Additionally, with my current work schedule and the other commitments I have, it would be an awkward change to my routine.

I'll take on board what you have said though, thanks for reading.

In Response to sarada chan san's Question
About what era Sakura and Sasuke come from

You're right, it is from the days after the 4th shinobi war and before "Naruto the Last" or at least that's how I've pictured it.
Truth be told though, exactly where from in this time period doesn't make that much difference as character motivations don't shift much around there.

Thanks for reading.

In Response to XX104's Question
About the Sage of the Six Paths and Asura

It's an interesting idea. Of course, I can't comment on what I plan for the future of this story, that would be giving away spoilers.

Thanks for reading.

In Response to Anon's Question
About who can use divine energy

That's a good question, hopefully I can clear it up. So divine energy is the power of Homeworld which can be used if someone 'understands' an element, i.e. if they have the talent for it.

Anyone and everyone from Homeworld can use divine energy, that includes King Weiss Max, his experiments, the emperor, the previous emperor, and everyone else.

The Dark Dimension cannot use divine energy directly, although they have technology to use it indirectly. This will be explored more later in the story.

Emperor Furst believed that the pocket worlds would also be unable to use pocket energy, or at least lacked the talent for it, but Naruto proved otherwise.

Homeworld - Can use divine energy.
Dark Dimension - Cannot use divine energy.
Pocket Worlds - Can use divine energy.

I hope that clears things up, thanks for reading.

In Response to Guest's Question
Regarding Sasuke's divine ability

OK, so I'll have to clear up a couple of things here but I think I understand your question.

Sasuke, as a pocket-worlder, cannot use divine abilities. Divine abilities are only useable by people born in Homeworld.
Sasuke can though use divine energy, which I believe you are referring to.

I have previously described Sasuke's divine energy as being viridian in colour.
I have yet to reveal what the nature of this energy is and that has been deliberate, so I won't reveal it here.

Sorry to only partially answer the question, thanks for reading.

In Response to S's Question
About religion in Homeworld

I hope you meant Homeworld rather than homework, otherwise I'm kind of lost.
Yes, there is religion in Homeworld.

I haven't really developed any religion yet but it is there and I will be exploring it in the future.

Thanks for reading.