THE FOUNDRY – THE CROWN PRINCE
Above the Crystal Caves
Boruto walks over the tallest point on the hill looking for the person who trained him. The wind rushes in his face as he steps over the top but that doesn't stop him from marvelling at the countless crystals down below. Every direction one looks here there is beauty, and for those who know the true significance of these caves there is terror. The Crystal Caves have perhaps in recent days taken on more significance than any other location in Homeworld. Three important members of the true Imperial Family have understood 'fate' in this place, using it to escape a near death experience.
The experienced shinobi spots his trainer sat on a rock at the bottom of the hill, his sister sat on one next to her. He approaches the two of them and listens as they exchange words. It seems that Himawari is describing the story of the 4th Shinobi War to Enri. Boruto smiles faintly, it's a story he hated for large parts of his youth, a story everyone loved about how great his father was. Since his younger years Boruto has carved out his own legacy and has learnt not to resent his father but instead to admire him for the great warrior he is.
"It sounds like this 4th Shinobi War was very important for your world."
"I imagine it is our version of Homeworld's war against the Dark Dimension," Himawari says, "Those who knew the truth believed that destiny had been set in stone for hundreds of years. The people of the previous generation weren't having any of it though. They fought to the bitter end to change the course of history. Team 7 didn't waver, staying there to the end, and then they won, they defeated Kaguya."
"I am sorry that you had to go through that. Ultimately Homeworld must take responsibility. We created the pocket worlds and the terrible mechanism through which chakra is distributed."
"You don't need to apologise, you had no idea how it would work," Himawari says, "Furst is to blame. I will be satisfied when my mother claims her rightful place on the throne."
Enri smiles.
"Good morning Himawari," Boruto begins, "Good morning… grandmother."
"Good morning Boruto," Enri replies kindly, allaying any awkwardness.
"I see my little sister has been telling you about our world. It's a remarkable story, especially told from the Uzumaki perspective."
"Yes it certainly seems that way," Enri says, "I'm sure that the tail of your pocket-world will be particularly important to the people of Homeworld in the years to come. That is the story of the young prince and princess."
Himawari smiles to her brother, "I missed you Boruto. I'm glad you came to your senses."
"It's good to be back sis. I'm sorry that I was behaving that way for such a long time. One of the hardest parts of my decision was spending so much time away from my family. I'm still not certain about what is right, but I am certain that alongside you all is where I belong."
The irony of Boruto's decisions is not lost on Enri. Both she and Sora chose Uzumaki Naruto as their students, they saw him as a potential successor to her husband. However, Hinata has been distant with him despite being his wife, she has wished that he were anywhere but Homeworld. Boruto's decisions have been even worse, he opposed his father and wished to kill the people of this world. Naruto's family are all descendants of the Endou family, yet the true empress and the heir to the throne have made things difficult for him, despite his status as this world's greatest hope.
It is Boruto's bad decisions that have got him thinking as of late.
"Grandmother, one of the bad decisions I made since finding out about Homeworld was founding a bad alliance. I allied myself with a man named Tao Ma whose mind has been enslaved by an evil divine ability. The terror that he has brought to both our worlds is my fault. Would you be able to help me find him?"
"Why do you want to find him?" Enri asks.
"I have to put right my wrongs. I have to kill him."
"Oh brother, not this again," Himawari says. "Killing your enemies is wrong. Our father has always told us about the power of mercy. Our mother always used to say how amazing he was at turning old foes into new allies. Ignoring that wisdom was what separated us in the first place, why do you want to start killing again?"
"Killing Tao Ma isn't like killing any ordinary man," Boruto says, "He is a special case. His mind is not his own. For years now he has been doing the bidding of an evil divine ability, killing the people of his homeland. His thoughts are not his own, he just spends every moment suffering, watching his body obeying the commands of another."
"And what will killing him accomplish?"
"It will end!" Boruto shouts, "Isn't that what you would want in that situation? Letting him go on as he is, that would be cruel."
"The cost to your own soul will be too great."
"And what about the cost to the others," Boruto says. "Hashirama and Tsunade are both controlled by this hive mind as well. Killing Tao Ma is the only way to free them. Otherwise Dan and Mito will have died for nothing. If I go to the other side how am I going to explain that to them?"
"You tell them that you're not a killer!"
"Then what? I wouldn't be a killer; I would be the man who let their loved ones suffer. What sort of person would do that?"
"Dad would."
Boruto pauses and resists the urge to lash out. His dad's reputation is always hanging over his head. Even as he has learnt to respect his father, the pressure of his successes have never alleviated. What would your father have done? That's the question posed after each and every one of his decisions. A standard so high that it is impossible to live up to yet one that will haunt him until his dying day.
"At least run this past him, please," Himawari says, "I know that you trust his judgement. At least hear him out."
Boruto nods, "Very well."
Himawari goes to collect the others, leaving her brother and grandmother to their thoughts. Enri mostly agrees with her grandson, but she knows Naruto's type. Akashi would probably have refused to kill his opponent as well, at least until he proved that there was no alternative. She is not Akashi though; she sees the world through a more pragmatic lens as she knows is required for this war. Rogue elements like Tao Ma, in her opinion, will be their undoing if they are not quickly taken out of the equation.
Himawari arrives with the others. She has brought many with her, people with tremendous experience in battle like Michel the Horse and Sasuke, but Boruto knows their opinions are not the ones he will need to contend with. He looks only to the middle of the group, to his father.
Boruto is sure like many others that there is a limit to the power of people like his father. Naruto is a dreamer, someone with big ambitions who sets impossibly high standards for himself. Boruto believes that such dreamers will one day bump into an obstacle which they cannot climb, that only by deviating from their ideals will they pass. He has known a few dreamers in his life but they each came up against enemies they could not defeat. The only exception is Naruto.
The Shadow 9th Hokage doesn't want his father to stop being a dreamer, that is what makes everyone love him. He and Hashirama once agreed that the reason they followed Tao Ma's path was to protect naïve souls like Naruto. However, in his heart Boruto believes that there will come a day that his dad will be forced to admit his principles have defeated him. He is determined to stop this day from coming, to the realist on behalf of his father. Many would let him defend his father in this way but there is one unfortunate exception, Naruto himself.
"Tell them what the Hive Mind does," Himawari says.
Boruto explains. "The Hive Mind doesn't work for the user, it controls them, currently it is controlling Tao Ma. It infiltrates the minds of his subordinates, whispering commands to them, making suggestions that will lead to victory if it is at all possible. It strips them of their free will and turns them into killing machines with only one objective, a goal chosen long ago by the Dark Dimension. The Hive Mind and its many victims will try to kill the people of Homeworld at any cost."
"Grandmother, is there any way to remove this divine ability from Tao Ma?" Himawari asks.
"Removing a divine ability once it has been learnt is impossible."
"It doesn't sound like there is any way around this then. Boruto, if you want to save Hashirama and Tsunade you might have to kill Tao Ma."
Sasuke looks back to Naruto. He has known his best friend for many years, he has seen him speak up when others have stayed silent. He personally believes that the best approach would be to kill Tao Ma, but this is not his call. The Shadow 7th Hokage knows that Naruto will object to this strongly, and he believes that on the subject of his student, the father would be in the right advising his son.
"You can't kill him," Naruto says, "If you kill him someone else may emerge to kill you. You would be depriving us of a potential ally. You would be harming your soul in doing something you could never take back."
"Dad, I understand —"
"I'm not finished," Naruto continues. "You still have something to prove Boruto. How will you ever convince yourself that killing is wrong if your first step on that path is an assassination."
"I don't want to do it dad!"
"Then don't!"
"But what about Hashirama and Tsunade. He was my teacher; she was my friend. Every second the Hive Mind remains active it will continue to control them. You're condemning them to lose their free will forever. Are you really telling me that is the better path?"
"We will find another way."
Enri steps in. "Naruto, as your teacher I believe I can offer wisdom in this situation, to both of you. Yes, killing should be avoided when possible but sometimes it is necessary, especially in war. In the war against the Dark Dimension Akashi had to learn that the hard way. One day, if we win, there will come a day when you have to kill Furst, Naruto, if you are merciful at that moment then we will have forfeited the empire again."
"No," Naruto shakes his head. "I saw a man destroy my village, nearly kill Hinata and everyone I care about, we went on to understand each other, I didn't kill him. I fought against the man who started the 4th Shinobi War and I watched his allegiance changed, I watched him do everything he could to end that war. And I…"
"And what?" Boruto asks.
"He spared me," Sasuke says, "I swore that I would kill Naruto and change our world. If Naruto weren't right, I would be dead."
Boruto knows the extended ramifications of the statement. Killing Sasuke might have been the most logical decision for Naruto at the time, that would have left him to shape the world alone. By saving Sasuke he ended a cycle of retaliation. Because of Naruto's decision, Boruto gained a master in his younger years, made a friend he probably never would have met and fell in love with his fiancée who would never have been born.
"It's up to you Boruto," Naruto says, "I can't make up your mind for you, I can only tell you what I know is right."
"Yes, it's your decision," Enri reinforces.
"Before you make your choice, it might be a good idea to remember your responsibilities," Minato says.
Boruto has respected Minato for a long time now. When others rebuked him for his attitude towards the invaders from Homeworld, Boruto's grandfather encouraged him to have opinions of his own, saying that it would make him more valuable to the Hidden Leaf in the long run.
"You are not only the Shadow 9th Hokage," Minato says, "You are also the Crown Prince of Homeworld."
Boruto nods, "You are right. I don't just owe this to Hashirama and Tsunade, I owe this to the people of Homeworld who Tao Ma is going to kill. I haven't been much of a prince so far; I owe it to them to start representing their interests. I am going to kill Tao Ma."
Naruto nods to himself, he scratches his head before placing his hands on his hips and walking a small circle. He doesn't understand the way that others' minds work in times like these. Sasuke watches Naruto and knows what he is thinking. People are inconsistent, they set standards for themselves, but they don't always meet them, they claim to have rules but end up adapting to the situation, navigating it in the easiest way possible. Naruto cannot do that; he has lived a life in which the only way to gain respect has been to stand unwaveringly by his convictions.
"You told me you had changed," Naruto says with a shaky voice.
"I have. I am only going to kill Tao Ma, nobody else. He has a mind echoing in his head, it has been torturing him for years. He will only be able to rest if everyone else dies, or he dies."
"If you are so certain then at least ask him, do that for me Boruto. I want you to hear the final thoughts of the man you are about to kill, and then I want to know if you can honestly tell yourself that killing him is the right thing to do. When you're done you can come back here, and I won't say I told you so. I'll support you as your father and I'll wish I were wrong just as much as you will."
Naruto leaves alone. His voice is replaced by silence. On the one hand Enri is worried that he is too naïve, on the other she is glad that his words have the power to move people like this. She fears this may be how they lose the war. She worries that Naruto may defeat Furst, that he may reach the pinnacle of the world, and that when he gets there, he will lack the will to kill Furst. The Hokage's principles may be Homeworld's undoing, his childish belief in others may allow Furst to take over, just as Akashi's did before him.
Sasuke has thought the same things as Enri. Naruto's unwillingness to follow through once he has defeated his opponent may prove a problem, that is why it is a relief that Boruto is here. Although he disagrees with not giving your opponent a chance to redeem themselves, Sasuke also believes that some people are beyond redemption. Not everyone is as lucky as he was, not everyone has someone so close to them. Naruto was the person who could bring him back, but the Hokage can't be that person for everyone. That's why he is relived that Boruto is here, because Boruto is willing to do what Naruto cannot. Boruto will save this world if he is needed.
"Grandmother, can you help me find Tao Ma using your divine ability?"
"I can't use my divine ability for that," Enri admits, "But I know members of a hidden rebellion in Cheqitori. I organised them, prepared them for the day when we would fight Furst. I receive information from them regularly. In Cheqitori the information I receive is second only to King Erik."
"You already know where he is, don't you?" Boruto asks.
"I can't be certain that this is the person you seek, but I know of a man who matches his description. He crossed the border into Cheqitori not long before I summoned you, bringing a large group of followers with him. Are you certain you wish to know his location?"
"I am."
"Good, you are doing the right thing. If you head north-east from here, you will arrive at a forest. If you keep heading north-east through the forest eventually you will arrive at marshlands. Once you enter the marshlands you will have crossed the border into Cheqitori. I don't know exactly where he is now, but for a man of your talents it should be easy to track him."
"OK."
Boruto thinks about leaving, but a question comes to his mind and stops him.
"What is it?" Enri asks.
"What would he have thought about this? Our grandfather. The emperor."
"He would have agreed with Naruto, he would try to stop you," Enri admits, "Listen Boruto, I loved that man with all my heart, but he lost. He trusted Furst, we all did, doing so was a mistake. Our mercy and kind-heartedness cost the empire dearly, that is something we cannot afford to do again. It is not wrong to fight against evil and I have regretted that I didn't for years now. The empire needs it's crown prince, so you go and do what you believe in."
Boruto nods, "Thank you."
The Shadow 9th Hokage makes his way towards the forest that his grandmother spoke of. He goes knowing that the majority support him in-spite of his father's stubbornness. He moves to assassinate one of the greatest threats to the empire, knowing that this is his duty. He must act today not as the son of Uzumaki Naruto, but as the Crown Prince of Homeworld.
In Response to m'j doom's Questions
About various subjects
Pocket-worlders can't use divine abilities, but they can create divine oddities.
Creating a second divine oddity would be a first, but naturally I couldn't say if that were going to happen.
If Hinata had a divine oddity, or Himawari was going to get one, I couldn't say either I'm afraid.
Thanks for reading.
In Response to S's Question
About the effect of Death Mask on certain people
Death Mask would be less effective against someone who doesn't care about killing.
Furst mostly doesn't care about it but he did suffer the death of someone he thought he cared about once.
Queen Mauer Sabine would probably have the most Death Mask immunity.
Thanks for reading.