Chapter 36. Judgement Day

"Life is a test. You either pass or fail."

|Hinata|

"With this document, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Otsutsuki." The clerk smiled as he handed me the marriage license, "Congratulations."

I regarded him with a dumbfounded silence and Toneri patted my shoulder before thanking the man on my behalf. The clerk nodded and left us, and I lowered my gaze to the document, still somewhat miffed.

"We're…married." I stated after a brief pause.

"Legally, yes." Toneri nodded, "But we don't have to tell anyone until we have the actual wedding. That is, if it's correct to assume that you want the ceremony."

I turned to him and saw that his eyes had an inquiring glint to them, which let me know that he was expecting a response.

"Y-Yes, I would like a wedding. If that's okay with you." I added that latter part as an afterthought.

"Of course it is." He smiled and looked at his feet, "I always wanted…I'd like to see you in a wedding dress."

I nodded and the two of us stood in awkward silence for a moment before Toneri cleared his throat.

"Well, that's all I needed you for so—I mean, all you had to was sign the…" He sighed in defeat, "What I'm trying to say is: I don't want to waste any more of your time. I'll take you home."

I couldn't stop my lips from curling into a small smile. Despite how put-together Toneri seemed, even he had his clumsy moments. His faults aside, the thought of returning to an empty home made me sick.

With Boruto and Himawari having left the house early in the morning for a teen-friendly event in Senju Park, it wouldn't be wrong to assume that they wouldn't be home until ten at night. That left me over eight hours to myself, and without some form of occupation, I would only have thirty minutes of peace before I began overthinking.

"Actually Toneri, I…I want to spend the day with you." I offered my companionship in a low voice, "Unless you're busy. If that's the case, then—"

"No, no, no!" He instantly cut me off, waving his hands, "But I have to check out a couple company buildings that have been getting bad reviews, so we'll be driving around a lot. I hope that won't be a problem."

I shook my head, "Not at all."

"Well then," Toneri held his hand out to me, "Shall we get going?"

I took his hand and intertwined our fingers before letting him lead the way.

Just like he'd warned, the next three hours were spent driving around Konoha and inspecting various Otsutsuki investments. From an office building to a library, to a hospital, to a supermarket, it seemed like Otsutsuki Industries had a hand in everything, and I was surprised to find that they even had connections to some of the lower-end establishments that I frequented.

While Toneri noted a few things with his phone, it was clear that he was putting more effort into giving me a tour of all the locations than looking over them with an inspector's lens, and I couldn't stop myself from telling him so after he'd checked us into a room at the top floor of a high-rise hotel in the heart of the city.

"You're right." He admitted, looking out the window and down on all the people walking on the street, "I'll have somebody look over all the locations again."

Something about the way his voice wavered midsentence resonated with me, and I found myself touching his shoulder for his attention.

"Arigato." I quietly thanked him, "I appreciate all the little facts you shared with me."

His cheeks crinkled as he smiled and nodded, "You're welcome."

Time slowed down as I recognized our proximity, and I caught his eyes flick down to my lips.

'Oh Kami, he's going to kiss me.' I thought as he stepped forward, 'It's natural, it's natural...'

Repeating that phrase, I shut my eyes and leaned forward when I felt his hand on my shoulder. However, instead of feeling his lips against mine, I heard him clear his throat and opened my eyes.

"Gomen, I need a minute." He excused himself before releasing me and rushing into the bathroom.

The door clicked shut behind him and I was left surprised as well as disappointed. It wasn't like I had particularly wanted the kiss but for the attempt to be started and then abandoned made me a bit upset, but when Toneri returned to the room, things only got more confusing.

"I'm tired." He announced with a yawn, pulling off his shoes before sinking into the bed, "I just need fifteen minutes of rest, then I'll be good to go. Sorry about this."

"No, it's fine." I replied, looking around the room in search of a way to keep myself occupied.

Luckily, Toneri offered one before I started to think too hard.

He pointed at the dresser up front, "My wallet's on top if you want to get something to eat. Spend as much as you like, don't hold back."

"I-I'll do that." I nodded as I grabbed the wallet, "See you in fifteen minutes."

He hummed in response and I stepped out of the hotel room. Making sure to remember the room number, I went down the hallway and made a right before finding myself in front of the elevator. The ride down felt twice as fast as the ride up, and upon reaching the ground floor, I realized I wasn't all that hungry.

I decided to get a drink and something light instead of a hefty meal, but that was easier said than done.

The vending machines in this high-class hotel had an assortment of buttons and screens which overloaded my fast-tracking brain. Before I could get completely overwhelmed by the flashing colors, I inserted his card and pressed two random buttons, and thanked Kami after a drink and chocolate bar dropped down. Having grabbed the snacks, I looked at my phone and saw that five minutes had passed.

I shook my head in disbelief before slowly walking over to the elevator, and I took as long as possible getting back to the room once I'd arrived at the top floor. Despite all my delays, after shutting the room door, I was shocked to find only five more minutes had gone by.

The slow rise and fall of Toneri's chest let me know that he was asleep, which made me feel less anxious about taking a seat on the edge of the bed. However, the motivations for my nervousness had changed. We were a newlywed couple alone in a hotel room, and while Toneri hadn't hinted at wanting anything from me at this moment, it wouldn't be strange to imagine it considering how it was only a matter of time before we began engaging in such carnal acts.

Maybe this would be the start of a series of miscommunications between us. While his sleeping visage looked so calm and unbothered, I had to wonder if this situation was some sort of test. Was he expecting something to happen between us? No, it couldn't be; and if that was the case then why had he run away despite having the chance to kiss me earlier?

'I'm thinking too hard.' I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, 'All he wants to do is nap before we continue his Otsutsuki property tour. If he wanted something, he would tell me.'

But would he really? It hadn't escaped my notice that Toneri seemed intent on pleasing me, so even if he did have some kind of desire, I couldn't put it past him to hide it rather than share it. This notion worried me; my previous marriage had collapsed due to a lack of tolerance for certain fleshly…inclinations. I couldn't let that happen again. I wouldn't.

With a deep breath, I removed my shoes before climbing up to Toneri's side and shaking his shoulder. It took a few tries but eventually his eyes fluttered open and he turned to me.

"Mm…Hinata?" He mumbled as he rubbed his right eye, "Daijōbu…? What is it?"

I placed a hand on his chest and prevented him from fully rising up, "N-Nothing, I…"

"What's going on?" He questioned, voice becoming clear as he came into consciousness.

'Kami, I'm an idiot.' I berated myself, 'He really was just trying to sleep and I—'

"Hey." Toneri grabbed my wrist and urged me to look at him, "Talk to me. Is everything alright?"

I nodded before attempting to explain the situation, "It's just that—well, we're married now so I thought you'd, we'd…"

I could feel my cheeks heating up as I failed to completely clarify, but the glint in Toneri's eyes told me that he'd caught my drift. He let go of me.

"Oh…are you sure?" His eyebrows came together as he prodded my resolve, "You're shaking."

Shoving aside my feelings of embarrassment and anxiety, I climbed atop him and with quaking hands, took his hands and placed them on my thighs before giving him a weak look in hopes that he would take charge. Thankfully, Toneri did.

He sucked in a sharp breath before moving one of his hands to my lower back and sitting up. As he did so, he pulled me closer, and I felt his length harden under me. Even though I was willing to lie with him, I couldn't stop my body from shuddering at the contact, and when Toneri felt the tremor, he paused.

"Hinata, I will never make you do something you don't want to." He assured me, kissing the back of my hand, "If you're not ready, you don't…"

I silenced him with a soft kiss and only pulled back when I felt his tongue press against my lips, asking for permission to take things further.

"I-I want…" I paused and convinced myself to look him in the eyes before continuing, "I want to sleep with you, Toneri."

His eyes slightly widened as he processed my words, and to help him be sure of what he was hearing, I wrapped my legs around his waist and hugged him.

"If…If you change your mind or you feel unwell, promise that you'll let me know." He requested into the crook of my neck, planting light kisses along the side of my throat, "Please. I don't want you to force yourself."

I nodded, "I promise."

With a sigh of relief, he leaned us back until our positions were swapped, with him being on top and me being on the bottom, and he lifted a hand to my chest as he continued to nip at my neck.

"You have no idea how long I've dreamed of this moment." He rumbled against my skin as he twisted one of my nipples through my shirt, "Hinata…"

The way my name rolled off his tongue as he teased my breast sent a tingle straight to my core, and I bit back a moan before choking out, "C-Can I take off my clothes?"

"Of course." Toneri's enthusiasm bled through his voice as he lifted his head up to meet my eyes, "Gomen, I'm moving too fast, aren't I?"

I shook my head as the two of us sat up, "No, it's fine, I'm…used to it."

His mouth curved downwards into the beginnings of a frown, and I internally scolded myself for having referred to Naruto. Rather than let the mood be lost or worse turn sour, I pressed onward by lifting my hand to my collar and unbuttoning my shirt. When I was almost done, I glanced up at Toneri and found him eyeing me with a familiar hungry look that sent shivers down my spine. Naruto had also…

'Stop that.' I told myself as I removed my shirt and stood up, unzipping my skirt, 'There's nothing to compare.'

I stepped out of my skirt and looked up at him shyly, and he motioned for me to rejoin him on the bed, and after helping me unhook my bra, he climbed above me once more.

"Beautiful." Toneri murmured as he lowered his mouth to my chest, licking a slow trail from my collarbone to my left breast, "You're so beautiful, Hinata."

My hands flew to his head when I felt his tongue roll around my stiff nipple, lathering it in saliva before sucking it into his mouth, and I bit my lip.

"Toneri…" I tugged on his hair, "That feels…!"

"Good?" He wondered, voice partly muffled due to his occupied mouth.

I moaned in response to both his question as well as the increased strength he was using to suck me, and when he placed his hand just below my navel, I stuttered.

My core had been pulsing with anticipation from his earlier ministrations, but now that his hand was right above the affected region, the throbbing was in overdrive. All I could think about was the ache between my legs and how I wouldn't find relief in anything other than direct contact.

Toneri brought me out of my thoughts by slipping his hand under the waistband of my underwear and gently tapping my folds, and I jerked as the bit of contact sent little sparks down my legs.

"Hinata," He called my name tentatively, urging me to look up, "I love you."

He lowered his head and planted a kiss on my stomach, "I've always loved you."

As he pulled my underwear off, he pressed another kiss to my knee, and after tossing the piece of cloth aside, spread my legs apart before tracing my inner thigh with his mouth. I shivered as his warm tongue traveled higher and higher, until his breath was adding onto the unbearable heat I already felt, and soon enough, he was pressing his fingers against me.

I gasped as two of his digits pushed past my entrance, and a low moan slipped from my mouth when he began pumping them in and out. His tongue licked around the edges of his fingers, forcing my hips to roll against his touch, and when he curled his fingers against a mound further in, his knuckles rubbed against my stiff lower nub, sending fire racing through my body.

"Toneri, I—" The bone of his finger pressed against me harder, causing me to shut my legs on him, and I stifled a whimper as I clenched around nothing, "I'm…!"

He pressed his free hand against one of my legs, carefully opening them before lifting himself up and joining our lips with a kiss, and I shut my eyes. His fingers came to a slow as our tongues hastily ran over each other, and when he pulled away, I whined in frustration.

"Gomennasai." He chuckled, laying his forehead against my own, "But I need to see you."

Somehow, his words managed to cut through the fog that clouded my mind, and when I opened my eyes, I found his light blue eyes staring into my soul. Before I could become overly conscious of his intense gaze, he strengthened his thrusts, jabbing his fingers into me more energetically and pushing me closer and closer to my peak.

"That's it, Hinata." Toneri encouraged with a nod, alternating between stabbing and scissoring his fingers within me, "Let go for me."

To punctuate his request, he shoved his thumb against my aching bead and flicked it attentively, compelling my mouth to fall open with a quiet moan. My heart felt as though it was collapsing in on itself, and I grabbed Toneri's shoulder as tears prickled the corner of my eyes. Had climaxing always made me cry? Made me want to die?

My thoughts were interrupted by Toneri's unoccupied hand ghosting over my throat, and my body went rigid. Despite being pushed into the beginnings of my orgasm, I was paralyzed with the same residual fear from that night, that as I was experiencing one of the most pleasureful sensations a life had to offer, I would also take my last breath.

"W-Wait—!" I sputtered in between moans, gasping a lungful of air as Toneri continued to finger me over my peak, "Toneri, stop…please…!"

Despite how focused he was on making me come, when my tears rushed over my eyelids and down my cheeks, his eyes widened, and he removed his fingers from between my legs. Although my body protested the loss of fullness, I was immensely grateful, and my appreciation only increased when he moved his hand to the back of my neck and cradled my head.

"Daijōbu." He whispered, kissing my forehead, "I've got you."

All I could do was offer him a slight nod as I sniveled, and when my tears finally came to a slow, Toneri asked me what he had done wrong.

"You just…you put your hand on my neck and—" My breath hitched mid explanation and I blinked rapidly to avoid another wave of tears, "I can't—I don't like being held there."

"Gomen." He swiftly apologized, shutting his eyes as remorse took over his face, "I didn't even mean…it wasn't intentional."

Nodding, I brushed my hand against his cheek and encouraged him to sit up before speaking, "It's okay. You've done…done enough. I…"

I dropped my hand to his belt as I let my words fade away, but before I could unbuckle it, Toneri took my hand in his and seized my mouth with a kiss.

"You're my wife, Hinata." Toneri murmured against my lips as he pulled me to the edge of the bed, sinking to his knees before me, "It's time you learn what that means."

Before I could fully make sense of his words, his wet tongue swiped through my folds, reminding me of the fragile state my core was in, and I cried out. Toneri lifted my legs over his shoulders before firmly grasping my knees and jutting his tongue into me, but it was his assault on my unbearably stiff bud that ended things.

Closing his mouth around the nub, he sucked on it tenaciously, and quickened his pace when I threaded my fingers into his hair, trying to ground myself against the spine-tingling onslaught. Merciless and unforgiving, he continued to lap at my clit, his tongue hugging and tugging with each roll, and I groaned as he pressed his mouth impossibly closer to me.

A moan ripped from my throat as I climaxed, and the involuntary arch of my back pushed me closer to his still rocking tongue. A slave to my baser instincts, I couldn't stop myself from grinding against his mouth, and Toneri seemed to have no problem with it, his tongue dipping down to my opening to taste the evidence of my pleasure.

Eventually, my hips came to their senses, and I whimpered pitifully at the duality of the overstimulation beginning to take hold. With every swipe of his tongue, a somewhat painful pulse rocked my core, and yet I wanted more. Going off the sounds dribbling from my lips, Toneri crooked his fingers inside of me and shoved his tongue against my still-sensitive clit, but I pushed his head away in fear of what I would become if things went on any further.

Rising from the floor, he loosened his tie and unbuttoned the beginnings of his shirt before falling onto the bed beside me.

"Sleep." He advised delicately, pulling the covers over us before shutting my eyes with his hand, "You're tired, aren't you?"

I nodded and relaxed into the pillows he slipped under my head, my physical and mental fatigue properly setting in.

"Arigato." I quietly thanked him before giving in to my body's plea for sleep and drifting off.

|Toneri|

My eyes didn't leave Hinata from the moment she came, which was why I knew exactly when she fell asleep, as her change in breathing reflected in the way subtle way her chest rose and fell.

'You're beautiful.' I thought to myself as I continued to watch the sleeping woman beside me, 'And you're mine.'

We'd gotten married today. Of course, later on we would still have a wedding and the accompanying festivities, but as of this moment, in the eyes of the law we were one. The idea brought a smile to my face and I shut my eyes in hopes of getting some rest.

With any luck, Hinata would wake me just as she had done before, and we would pick things up from where we left off. The ringing of my phone interrupted my imaginings, and I quickly reached into my back pocket to silence the call and switch the ringer off. Moments later, the phone rang again, and as I sat up, I was filled with dread.

Aside from Hinata, there was only one contact I had designated to bypass the silenced ringer, and as I got up from the bed and read the caller ID, my worst fear was confirmed.

I stepped out into the hallway and cleared my throat before answering the phone, "Good afternoon, Jigen-ojisama."

"Toneri, congratulations." Jigen distinctly chuckled on the other end, "A little birdie told me you got married to the woman of your dreams. How's married life treating you?"

'He knows.' I ran a shaking hand through my hair, 'Of course he knows.'

"I'm not sure." I answered with a forced laugh, "We've only been together for a couple of hours so…"

"True." He concurred before his tone turned serious, "But a lot can be done in that time frame, Toneri. Word travels – fast. Do you know what else my birds have told me?"

I shook my head although I knew he couldn't see me, "No, sir."

Jigen sighed, "They're saying that the opposition wants to use you against me. Now that you've married the Hyūga woman, your status has risen far beyond that of an outsider like me. It makes them feel like they have a case. Do they?"

"They…they don't." I hesitantly answered, carefully choosing my words, "I have no intention of becoming clan head. And even if I wanted to, I renounced my claim to it years ago in the presence of everyone."

"Correct." He agreed, "And they know this. But if you can't become clan head, who might possibly come up in the future and pose the same problem in, let's say twenty or twenty-five years?"

I blinked as the meaning of his words dawned on me, "My–Our children."

"Exactly." He snapped his fingers, "If you and Hinata conceive, the opposition will fight tooth and nail to make sure that child is my successor, and that cannot happen."

"Sir, I'll have my children renounce their claims as soon as they're old enough." I swore, anxious to alleviate some of the fury in his voice, "I'll raise them to despise the position, I'll—"

"That won't be enough." He interrupted sharply, "With the blood of both the Otsutsuki and the Hyūga clan, they will always be championed as the better choice, whether they like it or not. Even if they show no interest, opposing forces will tout their existence as a reason to be disobedient. I cannot allow that."

The rational part of my brain told me to calm down, that I was jumping the gun with this discussion, getting ahead of myself. After all, who was to say that Hinata even wanted any more children? This discussion was over a possibility, not a guarantee, and yet the emotional side of me refused to back down.

Racking my mind for a way to prevent me from having to give up the chance of having kids, I settled on an answer. It was bloody and it was cold but considering how Jigen had gotten to his position in the first place, I figured he wouldn't mind.

"Then why don't we…" I swallowed hard as the words got caught in my throat.

"Why don't we what?" He encouraged, and I could almost hear the smirk on his face.

Clearing my throat, I offered my solution, "Why don't we kill the opposition? All of them."

He laughed on the other end, "There you go! So, the Otsutsuki within you isn't dead? Kill them, you say; good, and how exactly are we going to do that, my dear Toneri?"

"I'll call them." I blurted out, speaking as ideas came to me, "I'll tell them that I've married Hinata and that they should come to City Hall so we can discuss my takeover. Then they…they die."

"Brilliant." Jigen praised me, "You've outdone yourself, my boy."

"Arigato, sir." I thanked him, resisting the subsequent urge to bow, "I just—I just don't know how we're going to kill them."

He chuckled, "Oh, you don't have to worry about that; I know exactly who to call for something like this. As I said before, you've done a wonderful job coming up with this plan. Just leave the rest to your uncle, ne?"

Nodding, I stepped back into the room and bid Jigen a good day before shutting the door behind me, and it was as I went over to the window that guilt overtook my conscience, the realization of what I had set in motion beginning to sink in.

All those people that would die for going against Jigen, the innocent that would lose their lives just because they'd gone to City Hall on the wrong day…the guilt wasn't just eating at me, it was devouring me.

For a second, I thought about phoning the police and telling them every incriminating thing I knew about Jigen in hopes that he would be put away, or even sentenced to death, but then I recalled the news of the Commissioner-General passing away from a drug overdose. I had seen him at many of our fancy Otsutsuki events, and each time he and Jigen had been engaged in lengthy discussions; it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Jigen had something to do with his death.

This meant that the police were compromised and therefore not an option. What else could I do? Lure Jigen to a secluded location and get him to lower his defenses? Kill him myself and end this nightmare once and for all? Then again, even that wouldn't be enough; surely Code and the others would never forgive me, which meant that I would have to dispose of them as well. But how far was I willing to go for this? How far would I even be able to go? Could I even kill Jigen?

Shaking my head, I opened the Messages app and created a group with some of the most outspoken opposers to Jigen before putting the plan into motion. They all responded promptly with congratulatory messages before promising to be at City Hall in two hours, and I sighed before taking a seat on the bed.

Looking back at a peacefully-sleeping Hinata, I imagined her with one or more of our children by her side, all curled up in a vulnerable, yet beautiful state. It could happen, it would happen as long as I protected them.

I ran the back of my hand down Hinata's cheek and smiled.

"Cowards live…" I murmured to myself as I turned back to my phone and informed Jigen of the time they would arrive at City Hall, "…and heroes die."

|Naruto|

"You want to postpone telling the guys the truth?" Shikamaru questioned, his tone indicative of how unimpressed he was.

"Well, yeah. I mean, like I said, I called Sakura-chan three times and she didn't pick up so…" I trailed off, unsure of what else to say, "I just—If she hasn't spoken to Ino yet then it isn't my place—"

"To tell everyone, yeah yeah." He sighed before going silent.

I let a bit of time pass by and when there was still no word from him, I checked to make sure he was there, "Shikamaru?"

"Aa, I'm here." He assured me, "I'm here."

Understand that just like me, he was at a loss for words, I fell down into the couch and looked up at the ceiling.

"Shikamaru, I'm…I'm really glad we're friends, ya know." My voice wavered as I felt the sudden urge to cry, "I know you might not agree with everything I do, but the fact that you're by my side despite that is…I appreciate it."

"Naruto, you idiot." He replied, taking a loud drag from his cigarette, "We all have our own lives to live and choices to make. Just because I'm against this one doesn't mean I'll drop you. Eventually this situation will get resolved and I'll be talking your ear off about the next dumb decision you make. I promise."

A smile broke out on my face at his banter, and I covered my eyes with my hand, "Arigato. I'll hold you to that."

"Of course." He chuckled on the other end, "Now, do you have any idea what could be—? Uh, hold on, Sai's calling me, I'll call you right back."

"Sure thing." I nodded and he hung up.

Before I could begin to wonder what Sai and Shikamaru could possibly be discussing that required Shikamaru's immediate attention, Konohamaru called me.

"Are you listening, Naruto-nii?"

Snapping my head up, I fumbled for the phone and answer, "Aa, I'm listening!"

Clicking his tongue with skepticism, Konohamaru sighed and went on, "Just do your best to get better, okay? Call me when you're sure your head won't explode. There's something we need to talk about."

"That sounds…like a plan!" I exclaimed as I sneezed, "I'll talk to you later, ya know."

"Peace, Nanadaime." He bid me farewell before the call dropped.

Falling back against my sofa, I groaned at the pounding headache currently holding me hostage.

"How the hell can you catch a cold in the summer?" I asked out loud, pinching my nose to alleviate it of its stuffiness, "This shouldn't even be possible, ya know."

Aside from the late-night drinking session I'd shared with Toneri on Friday, I hadn't really been in contact with anyone to contract the sickness. On Saturday, Boruto and Himawari had rejected my attempts to hang out, giving me vague excuses about being occupied with something else. I told them that it was no problem and encouraged them to text me whenever they felt like it, but my last message was left on read.

There was no doubt in my mind that this was one of the first instances of backlash I would feel as a result of my infidelity coming to light. It saddened me to know that the kids were distancing themselves because of the news, but when I put myself in their shoes, I figured that I too would choose to stick by my mom if I learned that my dad had cheated on her.

Maybe that was the real cause for my sickness. Although my itchy throat and runny nose were real, there was a possibility that my mental state was subconsciously affecting my health. Whatever the case was, it had me feeling sluggish and flustered. Something was off about today.

The ring of the doorbell interrupted my contemplations and as I struggled to get up, I wondered if Ino had decided to drop by. After calling and failing to reach Sakura around 10 a.m., I'd reached out to Ino to find out if the two had spoken to each other. Ino had given me a cryptic response, saying that she would tell me when the time was right before hanging up, and I was left to wonder what that meant.

Whoever was outside rang the doorbell again, and I called to them as I hobbled to the front door, "Give me a minute!"

When I finally reached the front, I unlocked the door and found a tall, muscular man with a spiky white mohawk standing outside.

"Are you Uzumaki Naruto?" He asked, digging in his ear and flicking away whatever debris he had found to the side.

"Yes?" I answered with a bit of confusion, "Can I help—?"

I was cut off by a loud crack followed by an explosion of heat in my chest, and when I looked down, I could see that the man had brandished a smoking gun. Once my mind put all the information together, I got over my initial surprise, making room for panic and pain to set in.

Even though I had been shot in my chest, fire raced throughout my body like I'd jumped into a lake of lava, and I fell on my back. Taking slow, shallow breaths, I lifted my head up just as the man stepped over me and into my apartment.

"Nice place you got here." He complimented as he stopped by the pictures that I'd hung up on the wall, "Poor kids, your death is gonna ruin 'em."

"W-Why did you…?" I wheezed as I tried to question him, "Shoot me…?"

"Three days ago, a man by the name of Jigen came here to pick up his son." The man's voice became slightly muffled as he entered the kitchen, "Assuming what I heard is true, you got in his way; even knocked out his niece. You didn't really think you'd get away with that, did you?"

I coughed up a bit of blood as I attempted to respond and heard him step out of the kitchen and go down the hallway. He returned slowly, and as his footsteps drew nearer I could hear some sort of liquid being splashed onto the floor. Whatever it was, he was making sure to pour it in every room, and on every surface. When he finally came back into my eyesight, I saw that he was holding a big jug of vegetable oil.

"It isn't gasoline, but it'll do." He shrugged as he lit a match and flicked it into the hallway behind me.

I heard the floor erupt into flames and within seconds, the smell of burning wood, cloth, and various other elements wafted into my nose.

"Wait…" I choked out, reaching out to him, "Who are—?"

The rest of my words died on my tongue as I gagged on some blood that had filtered up my esophagus and into my mouth.

"Sleep well, Nanadaime." The man snickered before placing something above the door and pulling it shut.

As soon as he was gone, I planted my hands down on the ground beneath me and pushed through the stinging in my arms to force myself up into a sitting position. Although the front door was just a few meters away from me, the lack of feeling in my legs told me that I wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. I attempted to use my hands to push myself forward, but they too had lost their strength, collapsing under me and leaving me stuck on my stomach.

It was with this fall that I got an idea of how much blood I had lost, as the pool I landed in essentially encompassed my entire body.

Although I'd felt the pain when I'd first noticed the wound, adrenaline must have prevented me from immediately blacking out, but as time went by, I grew more and more sluggish.

"Damn it…" I gasped as the heat from the fire tickled my feet, the apartment becoming dark with smoke, "Is this really how I'm gonna go?"

The fire alarms in the hallways began to ring, and I swallowed hard as I began my apologies.

'Gomennasai, Boruto, Himawari, Hinata…'

A bunch of ceiling tiles fell on top of me, and aside from their impact, I could feel the flames of the apartment engulfing my body. It hurt, but compared to the immediate, intense agony of getting shot, the fire licking my limbs was more of a dull burn.

'Konohamaru, Shikamaru, Sasuke…'

I could hear a commotion out in the hall, and I presumed it was my neighbors scrambling to get out of their apartments. Part of me thought that if I mustered all my strength, I would be able to yell for help and have someone rescue me, but as my body stopped transmitting any of the painful sensations to my brain, I realized it was the end.

"Sakura-chan." I whispered her name with finality as I shut my eyes, "Gomennasai, *min-na."

I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see, and I couldn't feel, and while the loss of these three necessary functions would've sent anyone into a frenzy, I relaxed as the calm sensation of peace swept over me.

'Ka-chan, Tou-chan, soon I'll be—'

"Tou-chan?" Boruto's voice permeated the smoke that had invaded my mind, "Tou-chan?!"

"Nanadaime!" Kawaki called with matching hysteria, "Are you in there?!"

The doorknob jingled for all of two seconds before Kawaki cursed, undoubtedly having been burned by his attempt to open the door despite the roaring flames on the other side.

"Give me your sweater." Kawaki's muffled order came through the door, and a few seconds passed by before he tried again.

'Wait.' I thought as the knob turned, 'That guy, he put something…!'

"Don't…open…!" I croaked as the door swung in.

As the two distressed teens reached towards me, a small metallic green ball fell from the head jamb of the door and when it hit the floor, everything went white.

When my vision came back, I was shocked to find myself standing in shallow water, and upon recognizing voices further upstream, I moved towards them. I froze when I saw a slender red-haired woman bent over in the river, her face tightened in an expression of focus, with her hands hovering just above the water.

'No way.' I thought to myself as I approached them, shaking my head in disbelief, 'There's no way.'

She fell into the river trying to hold onto a fish she'd managed to catch, and the spiky, blond-haired man beside her burst into laughter. Embarrassed and red-faced, she grabbed his outstretched hand and pulled him into the water, and the two looked at each other before laughing together.

"Um, excuse me…" I began with a raspy voice before clearing my throat, "Gomen, but are you two…?"

They turned to me as they stood up and the red-haired woman's hands fell to her sides once she got a good look at me. It was only then that I realized how hard my heart was beating, and I remained completely still as she came over to me. Lifting her right hand to my cheek, she gently caressed my face with her thumb, and I instinctively leaned into her touch.

"You didn't even hear my question, ya know." I murmured as I brought her hand down from my face.

At this, her eyes widened, and she turned to the man behind her, "Ya know? Minato, is he…?"

My mouth twitched as she called his name, but before I could decide whether to cry or smile, Minato stepped up beside her to question me.

"Who are you?" He asked with increasingly furrowing eyebrows.

"Oh, uh, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, ya know." I nervously introduced myself as I scratched the back of my head.

The flecks of hope that had previously shined through his eyes were now covered with anguish, and as the look on his face morphed into one of sorrow, the red-haired woman wrapped her arms around me.

"No…" She whimpered remorsefully, shaking her head as she tightened her hold on me, "Oh no…"

"Kushina, wait." Minato counseled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

As her name left his mouth, I confirmed their identities and stopped suppressing my joy.

Returning my mother's embrace, I lifted her up a few feet off the ground and confessed, "I've always…always wanted to meet you, Ka-chan."

"You too, Tou-chan!" I turned to him after I set her down, reaching out to him, "I have so many things I want to ask you guys, ya know!"

The enthusiasm I felt came to a screeching halt as Dad held his hand up, preventing me from coming closer. I opened my mouth to ask him what was wrong but when Mom turned and went to his side, I saw that misery was etched on her face. She pressed her face into Dad's chest and Dad placed an arm around her and before turning to me with a somber look.

"Naruto…why are you here?"

Now was my turn to frown, "Whaddya mean 'why am I here?' You two haven't seen me since I was a baby because you died! And now that we're together, you're acting like—like I'm some kinda pest, ya know!"

"…Do you know where we are?" Dad faltered after I'd finished speaking, "Do you know what it means for you to be here?"

Becoming frustrated, I rolled my eyes, "Gomen Tou-chan, but I was never book smart so can we drop the riddles and—"

"You're dead, Naruto." He interrupted, and I noted the grim tone of his voice, "You have to die to get to this place."

His words completely killed the happiness that had been swelling within me, "I…died?"

Flashes of what had occurred moments before my awakening in this space came to mind, and I touched a hand to my head as two youthful faces came to mind.

"Boruto and Kawaki," I sucked in a sharp breath and looked around before turning back to my father, "What happened to them? Are they okay?"

"I don't know who you're talking about but if they were with you when you died and you're the only one here, then my guess is that they're still alive." Dad explained.

That positive reinforcement caused me to bend over and sigh with relief, "Thank goodness."

"Naruto…" Mom's voice was weak and still trembling as she fought off tears, "What happened to you?"

"It's kind of a long story." I admitted with a scratch of my head.

Dad placed a hand on my shoulder and pulled me forward, "Then come on. We have all the time in the world here."

*min-na means you guys/everyone

|Sasuke|

Deidara stuck another charge to the wall and gently plugged the red wire into the black panel on the front, and I watched as it lit up with a blue light and beeped, signaling that it was armed. We moved about three meters from that spot before I handed him another one, and he began the process all over again.

I had been doing a good job keeping my mind off of the task I was participating in, but with every beep of completion, I would be forced to face the facts in front of me. The last time the Akatsuki had blown something up, Karin and I had been out of town, free of liability or blame. Now? I was actively helping them set up their explosives, and in City Hall, no less.

The Shinobi Square Precinct and Konoha Bank explosions had claimed tens of lives, but those tragedies would pale in comparison to the carnage of this act. I'd lost track of how many charges Deidara had placed after 250 and considering how we had emptied one duffle bag and only dug into half of the second one, it was clear that this blast wasn't going to be used as a distraction. No one was meant to survive.

When Deidara had knocked on my door with orders about an urgent job from Pain, I had wondered what we could be doing, and despite my attempts to get Deidara to talk, he wouldn't reveal anything, simply telling me that I would understand when we were there. Yet almost half an hour had gone by and he still hadn't said a thing.

Cracking my neck as I handed him another charge, I decided to bring it up, "Will you tell me what's the aim of this job now or are your lips still sealed?"

"It was a request from that guy, Jigen." Deidara answered, bending down to place this particular charge along the floor, "His enemies are meeting here today so he wants us to take 'em all out in one fell swoop, hm."

"Why?" I inquired, interested in the timing of his request, "He's got more than enough funds to take 'em out on his own, doesn't he?

He shrugged, "There's probably some politics to it. As far as Konoha is concerned, Gekkō's group is the one responsible for the bank robbery and probably the explosions, so to avoid any suspicion, he'll have us blow his enemies up and blame it on terrorism."

"And that doesn't…that doesn't bother you?" I questioned.

"Why should it?" He straightened up and patted his pants free of dust before turning to me, "My hands have been stained with blood for a long time, hm. I don't think this will make things any worse."

I followed him and shook my head, "But don't you feel…guilt? Maybe not for scum like Jūzō, but for the innocent lives you've taken? The pain you've caused other people?"

"You're funny, Toshiaki-san." Deidara chuckled as he set up another bomb, "The only reason you see Jūzō as scum is because you know what he's done, hm. Who says anyone in this building is innocent? Maybe everyone in here has killed someone before; would knowing that make you feel better?"

I didn't say anything.

"I don't consider myself a murder-loving psychopath like Hidan, but I'd be lying if I said death doesn't…interest me." He took another charge from me and continued down the hall, "Someone has been living their life so creatively, so passionately, and in an instant, it's swept away, hm. To me, that's art."

"…I don't agree." I mumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose, "Maybe there's something I'm missing."

"Or something you're hiding from yourself." He suggested with a laugh, "When I first met you, I thought you were a normal guy, hm. And then I heard about Shojoji. About what you did to him."

"At first, I couldn't believe it." Deidara turned and admitted to me, "Toshiaki-san torturing someone? Impossible. And then I learned of what he'd done to Misaki-san and I thought, 'So that's what it took.'"

"I—"

"But you've always had that side in you." He continued, placing a hand on my shoulder, "You could've just killed him but instead you chose to cut him over, and over, and over. You're not normal, Toshiaki-san, but that's okay. None of us are, hm."

I bit my lip at the assertion, and he let go of me before turning to continue his work. The worst part about what he'd said was that deep down, I knew he was right.

I had wanted to vomit after Shojoji's torture session because I was sickened by my lack of guilt from my actions. Although I had told myself that he deserved it, that he was a terrible person who needed to die, a little voice in the back of my head had been whispering that I didn't need a reason.

"Wanna know something else I find funny?" Deidara interrupted my mental admonishment, "A couple of weeks ago, I overheard Suigetsu and Jūgo talking about a letter that they'd found in Haguruma's apartment, hm. The firefighter that made the bombs we used? Anyway, Suigetsu's telling Jūgo how the letter was written by Misaki to her niece, but the address it was supposed to be sent to leads back to the apartment of a woman named Uzumaki Karin."

My heart stopped.

"The two of them must know this Karin because Jūgo says that can't be possible. Suigetsu goes on to tell him that after doing some research Karin is an inspector working at the Nagi Street Precinct in Konoha, and she happens to sit beside Uchiha Sasuke, hm." Deidara stretched his arms, "Through Suigetsu's research, I find out that Karin and Sasuke applied for a three-month vacation a while ago, but still haven't returned. And then I started thinking; I know two people who joined the Akatsuki around that time, hm. What are the odds?"

Unsure of how to deny his claims, I stood there with a blank look.

He slapped a hand on my back and grinned, "Relax, Sasuke. I've been sitting on this information for weeks without sharing it. I don't plan on telling anyone, either."

My confusion must've been evident on my face because he laughed, "Everyone in the Gedō likes you; you've killed for us, you protected me…you've gone above and beyond what a spy would do, which is why I want you to talk to the boss. Tell him who you really are and I'll vouch for you, hm. Make him see that even though you're a cop, you stuck with us. He'll accept you, Sasuke."

I took in Deidara's jovial expression with a pound of salt, and doubt immediately set in, 'It's a trap.'

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied and turned away, "I don't know who this Sasuke person is, but whatever joke you're playing at, keep me out of it."

"It's too late to play dumb." He asserted, coming around to stand right in front of me, "To tell you the truth, I didn't even fully believe Suigetsu's ramblings until I saw how you reacted to the news about Sakura. I can't imagine what you must be going through, finding out your wife killed herself while you were undercover, hm. Then again, it must not be that devastating seeing how close you and Karin are, hm."

I bit back a sharp response and tried my best to calmly respond, "Misaki. Her name is Misaki. I don't know who Karin is."

"Right, right." He snickered, "But you get my point. Knowing how twisted you are inside, maybe you're somewhat relieved, eh? Now you don't even need to go through the hassle of a divorce since Sakura decided to blow her—"

Unable to take any more of his taunts, I grabbed him by his neck and slammed him into the wall, but my impulsive fury was abated by the subsequent grin that spread out on his face.

"There we go. If only you could see yourself right now, hm." Deidara beamed, "You've got this real nice look in your eye; the type that sends shivers down a grown man's spine."

I dropped him and began to pull away, but he stopped me by grabbing both of my shoulders and cementing me in place.

"Join us, Sasuke. You can't go back to society now, not after what you've done." He gently persuaded me, "The boss can give you anything, everything you'll ever want, and you can start over. You changed your name for this spy mission, right? You can change it again, we'll help you."

His slanted light blue eyes shined with enthusiasm, and I shut my own as I tried to think.

"Come on," He encouraged me with a light shake, "What other choice do you have?"

Perhaps if I had heard these words when I'd been at a lower point, like when I'd learned that Sakura and Naruto were having an affair, I might have accepted his offer, but I was beyond that now. Although Karin and I's relationship hadn't become any clearer, thanks to her empathy and willingness to bear with my faults, I had come to understand something about myself.

I was my father's son, and this fact had been proven true in the worst way, causing irreparable damage to the woman I had sworn to love and protect until death did us part. Even though it pained me to admit it, part of me believed that Sakura and I would've been better off had we never gotten together. I was too…broken, and if her suicide told me anything, it was that she wasn't exactly mentally sound herself.

Two broken people trying to fix themselves with each other could never work. Karin had been the one to say it, and deep down I'd known it all along, but with the pressure to prove my father wrong always weighing on my mind, I'd forced us to live a strained life that had ultimately led to her death.

'If Orochimaru can bring her back, I know what I'll say to her.' I resolved as I opened my eyes and punched Deidara in the gut.

Not giving him a moment of rest, I kneed him in the face as he doubled over, and once he was on the ground, I let my fists fly. It wasn't until he hacked up a glob of blood that I stopped, and when I did, he laughed.

"Go on…kill me." He breathed, shutting his eyes as an odd look of compliance settled on his mangled face, "That's what your…heart told you t-to do, right? Because you're…not normal, Sasuke. And you never will be—not after this."

It was only then that I realized how terribly mashed up his face was as a result of my incessant barrage, and as I stood up, I saw that my knuckles were red and dripping from the blood I'd drawn from him.

"I won't kill you." I said as I tapped his pockets, disarming him of his gun and the detonator before grabbing his phone, "I'm done killing. I'm done with everything. This all ends today."

"…Are—Are you sure about that?" He coughed as I dialed Itachi's number, "What about…Sakura? Orochimaru has—hasn't brought her…back yet. If you call…the police, she'll stay de—dead for good."

I hesitated for a moment before deciding to ring Itachi's direct line. Hopefully, it would take a bit of time for Itachi to get the forces necessary to apprehend them together. Knowing that the Akatsuki wouldn't go down without a fight, the police would need heavy artillery in order to defeat them, meaning they would need at least one day of preparation.

'That should be enough.' I thought to myself as the line connected, "Nii-san? Are you there?"

"Sasuke?" Obito's voice called in surprise on the other end, "Has something happened? Why are you calling?"

"Obito-nii, I'm ending the mission." I informed him as I crossed my arms, "City Hall is filled with explosives that I was ordered to plant by the Akatsuki boss, but after comparing the potential gain to the losses, I realized it wasn't worth it. We paid off the staff of the second floor so you'll find us in one of the rooms."

"Okay, I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Obito assured me, "Don't call anyone else, we don't know if they're—"

"Tracing the signal, I know." I finished for him, "I'll see you so—"

I was interrupted by the beep of an explosive charge, and when I turned to the wall I watched in horror as the numerous blue lights indicating the bombs were armed turned to red. Deidara's warbled chuckle drew my eyes to him on the floor, and while his left arm remained by his side, I saw that his right arm was shakily being held up in the air.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that he held a small black detonator in his hand. My immediate response was to look down at the detonator I held and my eyes widened in horror as I flipped it over only to find a smiling mouth with a long tongue staring back at me. Before I could dwell on when he'd swapped this dud with the real one, I moved to him.

"Don't…move." He warned after my first step, "On—One press…activates them, another one det—detonates them.

"Deidara, you don't have to do this." I plead to him with an outstretched hand, "Give me the detonator. I can have your sentence reduced; I'll make it so you only serve ten years out of twenty, or fifty, whatever crazy number they give you."

"What a…life that would be." He hacked as he lowered his arm, "Gomen, Sasuke, but I ca—can't live in such a…boring way."

Sensing the finality in his words, I turned and rushed towards a window, and Deidara erupted in pained, crippled laughter before croaking, "Art is an explosion!"

The force of the ensuing blast shattered the windows as well as my eardrums, and despite the scorching heat eating away at my skin, I forced myself onto the windowsill and jumped out. Although the second floor was a considerable distance from the ground, I cushioned my head with my arms and let my body take the brunt of the damage. When I tried to stand up, however, I realized that my legs were out of commission.

I felt rather than heard another explosion and after turning myself over onto my back, watched City Hall turn to rubble from the series of charges going off. A chunk of debris fell onto my legs, crushing and sending even more bouts of pain through them, and I grimaced as I tried to sit up.

Noticing the dark shadow of another piece too late, I looked up just as a large chunk of concrete landed on me, and everything went black.

|3rd Person|

Shikamaru swiped a frustrated hand back over his hair and shut his eyes. How could this have happened? He'd casually spoken with Naruto just this morning, and now only hours later he was dead? It was impossible, at least, that was what Shikamaru told himself on the way to the hospital, but the next thing he found himself thinking was that it didn't make sense.

As he stood in Boruto's hospital room and listened to him and Kawaki recount what they'd seen, he still couldn't wrap his head around why this had happened to Naruto of all people. From Boruto's explanation, Naruto hadn't just got caught in some random house fire; there had been an explosion set on the door. This meant that someone was purposefully trying to take him out, but why?

Shikamaru couldn't help but feel like he was missing some sort of major detail, and based on the series of looks Kawaki and Boruto exchanged, he figured he was right. However, before he could press the boys on what they knew, news of the destruction of City Hall reached his ears as well as everyone else who was around at the time. Shikamaru noted how Kawaki's eyes widened at the mention of how many Otsutsuki's had been caught in the blast, and when he paired this information with what Sai had told him about Jigen, everything clicked.

"Of course." Shikamaru muttered to himself, "It all makes sense now."

A tearful Hinata came to check up on her son with a stone-faced Toneri in tow, and the two hugged Boruto once they were sure he wouldn't be hurt by the embrace. Shikamaru watched the interaction between Toneri and Kawaki keenly, but aside from a simple "daijōbu?" and an ensuing, "I'm fine," the two didn't share any words.

As more and more people came into the room, it became way too crowded for Shikamaru's liking so he stepped out. Almost all of Boruto's friends had come to visit him except for Shikadai, Sarada, and Inojin, and while Shikadai and Sarada's absences could be explained based on their respective situations, Inojin's could not be.

Some time went by before Kawaki stepped out of Boruto's room, and he had barely stepped away from the door after shutting it before Shikamaru grabbed him by his collar and pinned him against the wall.

"You…" Shikamaru growled, "You did this."

"Shikamaru, stop." Ino grabbed his arm, "He's been through enough."

"If Naruto had never taken you in…" Shikamaru continued, undisturbed by Ino's pleas, "If you had never bothered Naruto, then he'd still be—!"

Shino grabbed Shikamaru's shoulder, causing the latter to turn his head to him.

"What?" Shikamaru barked, clearly still under the effects of his rage.

Shino shook his head before calmly replying, "Take a good look at the person you're yelling at."

Following Shino's suggestion, Shikamaru returned his attention to the young adult in front of him, and as his anger faded, he was able to take in details he had missed before. Although Kawaki's teeth were digging into it, Shikamaru could clearly see his lower lip was trembling, and even if he managed to miss that, there was no way he could ignore Kawaki's glistening grey eyes.

"You think I don't know that?" Kawaki questioned in a weak voice, slapping Shikamaru's hand down, "You think I haven't been thinking the same thing since we found him?"

"He's dead." The boy's voice broke as he continued, "He's dead and it's my fault, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Shikamaru's shoulder slumped at the boy's morose admittance of guilt, and he reached out to him, "Kawaki, I—"

"Oi!" Kiba called from down the hall, "Did Boruto come down this way?"

"Boruto?" Shino repeated with clear confusion, "Why would he? He's supposed to be resting."

"Aa but he's not in his room." Kiba agreed before informing the group of Boruto's disappearance, "I went in there and found his sheets hanging out of a wide-open window. The other kids are gone too, so I'm thinking they're trying to pull off a great escape."

Shikamaru frowned, "That's ridiculous. Boruto has a cast on his right leg and is covered in bandages. What do they think they're going to accomplish by leaving the hospital with him like that?"

"We can ask them once we find him, but we gotta do it fast." Kiba shrugged before turning to leave, "Hinata went home to get some clothes so she could stay the night; if she comes back and finds her son missing…"

"Aa, we'll help." Shikamaru nodded before turning back to Kawaki, "Kawaki, why don't you—?"

Shikamaru cut himself off, realizing that sometime during Kiba's interaction with them, Kawaki had managed to slink off.

"Look what you did." Ino smacked him in the chest as the two moved to join Kiba's search party, "I get that you're hurt by Naruto's death, but you can't take it out on him. He may look mature but he's still just a kid."

"Right." Shikamaru sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "A kid."

While the adults informed the staff of their missing patient, Kawaki took the elevator to the hospital garage. If he had learned anything about Boruto from the few hours that he'd been around him, then he knew exactly where he would be, and when he reached the spot where he'd parked his motorcycle, his guess proved to be correct.

Boruto and his friends were a few meters ahead, and with the help of a dark green-haired boy with glasses, he hobbled over to the shiny red motorbike. A purple-haired girl with one long braid glanced back before stepping aside, and the dark-skinned girl beside her followed suit, allowing Kawaki to approach Boruto.

A tanned taller guy moved to intercept Kawaki but at the purple-haired girl's direction, he crossed his arms and gave Kawaki room.

"What are you doing?" Kawaki questioned Boruto in what he hoped was a tender tone.

"What does it look like?" Boruto snapped, the rage in his voice making the boy beside him jump, "I'm gonna find the bastard that did this."

"…How?" Kawaki inquired, understanding Boruto's fury needed some form of escape.

Boruto took in a deep breath and calmed himself down enough to explain his plan, "Tou-chan's apartment complex has a CCTV system. The police took a statement from us a while back, which means they're on the case, ya know. Old man Sasuke's a cop, so if I ask, I'm sure Sarada can get me the footage. All I need is to see this fucker's face, then I'll find him."

"You haven't spoken to Sarada in a week." Kawaki reminded him, "What makes you think she'll help you?"

"She will when I tell her Tou-chan's dead." Boruto spat, "Denki, help me get on this bike."

"No, Denki won't." Kawaki countered Boruto's order and placed a hand on the blond's shoulder, "Boruto, I can't let you do this."

Boruto turned to him with unbridled hatred evident in his sky-blue eyes, "You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do, ya know. Don't forget you're not my brother.

"I—"

"And Tou-chan isn't your father either." Boruto continued, poking Kawaki in his chest, "Your dad is that Jigen guy you told me about, and he was the one who had Tou-chan killed, ya know. I should be going for him instead."

"You're—You're right." Kawaki agreed with a nod, "But—"

"If you know that then get out of my way." Boruto interrupted him, shoving him back, "Or are you trying to keep me here so you can give your father enough time to finish the job?"

"Boruto!" The purple-haired girl called with a sharp tone of disapproval.

"I'm being realistic, Sumire." Boruto called over his shoulder, keeping his eyes on the taller boy, "I know too much, all of us do. I bet his dad's goons are on the way to the hospital right now, ya know."

Kawaki remained silent at Boruto's accusations, prompting the injured blond to shove him again.

"What's the matter?" Boruto sarcastically questioned, "Did I get it right? Can't think of a lie to save yourself?"

"I…never wanted this to happen." Kawaki answered, voice barely audible, "Nanadaime…Nanadaime said he would protect me."

"Of course he did!" Boruto barked, "Tou-chan would protect anyone, ya know! But you knew Jigen would come for you! You knew what he would do to Tou-chan for not giving in!"

A singular tear slipped down Kawaki's cheek at Boruto's abuses, but the show of emotion only fanned Boruto's outrage.

"It's not Jigen's fault that Tou-chan died. It's yours." Boruto bunched up Kawaki's shirt in his hand and pulled him close, "You killed Tou-chan."

After taking a deep breath, Kawaki shakily exhaled and replied, "…I know."

The following gut-punch Kawaki delivered to Boruto knocked the wind out of him, and he caught the blond as he fell forward.

"Kawa…ki…!" Boruto uttered his name brokenly as he lost consciousness.

The taller tanned guy raised a fist but stopped when Kawaki hugged Boruto close for a moment before releasing him into his friend's arms.

"You got him?" Kawaki questioned as the friend adjusted his hold on Boruto.

"Aa." The guy assured him, carefully scooping Boruto up into his arms, "I've got him."

With a nod, Kawaki swung his leg over the seat and climbed onto his motorcycle.

"He's right." He told the group as he twisted the key in the ignition, "I never should have gotten Nanadaime or anyone involved. Gomennasai."

Kawaki lifted the kickstand and revved his motorcycle, and within seconds he was flying down the ramp and approaching the parking gate.

Holding out his phone to the radar, it scanned the onscreen QR code and confirmed his parking payment before slowly raising the barrier. It was as it reached its height that he heard a yell behind him and turned to look.

"Kawaki!" Shikamaru waved his arms as he ran down the ramp, "Wait!"

Kawaki gave Shikamaru a sad smile before speeding off into the city, and Shikamaru cursed.

"Did you catch him?" Sai questioned as he stepped up beside Shikamaru.

Shikamaru shook his head, "The kid took off."

"Then we'll leave him for later." Sai turned to go, "So long as the Akatsuki is in the way, Jigen will continue to act from the shadows."

Shikamaru nodded and followed him, "But aren't the police handling the Akatsuki?"

"How well has that worked out?" Sai questioned rhetorically and Shikamaru sighed, "Don't worry, we'll be meeting with The Six in an hour. I'll need you to take note of how they react as we talk, Agent White Tail."

"…Why?" Shikamaru questioned, slightly miffed by the usage of his old code name.

"Because The Six have been compromised." Sai informed him as the two stepped into the elevator, "One of them is working with the Akatsuki."

A/N: Is now a bad time to say I'm not a fan of happy endings? (◔◡◔)Just kidding! But then again...( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) Fear not, however! All is not lost. Yet.