"Damn stupid, dumb kid," was all she could mutter as she tightened the cloth bandage around the boy's torso securely. He recoiled to her movements in a pain that demanded he bite his lip so that noise wouldn't resonate as a wounded animal. As she removed the knives, all had expelled from his stomach and he had broken into a furious sweat. For it was then Lady Tsunade had seen that the kunai had been poisoned with a complicated toxin; it had taken her the better part of an hour to mix and prepare an antidote to counteract it.

"If your father had not rushed you back here as he did, you would have died a slow, painful, paralyzing death," Lady Tsunade scolded.

"You don't think I don't know that? It's not like I'm enjoying this." The boy argued heatedly. Eyeing him, she knotted the last piece of the bandage with a furious sting that rippled throughout his core. Slamming his head back into the pillow, all he could do was writhe and bite a leather belt that had been anointed to him. Lady Tsunade smiled crossly as she turned on her heel leaving the remaining nurses with Boruto,

"He'll recover, give him a week until he is allowed back on missions. Also no visitors today, but starting tomorrow his father and mother may be given permission to see him. Lastly, he should know that I can't take away the scars that he will have permanently from this injury." This was her order as she left. The nurses offered him a simple broth and some water, but he couldn't manage bringing himself to even look at it. Asking politely, his window was opened as a breeze fluttered the curtains and danced in his hair. Konoha greeted him welcomingly as he could hear children playing, gossip being shared, and prayer chimes singing sweetly.

"You should rest now, young man," a nurse suggested sweetly.

"Wait, before you go, is there any way for me to contact Konohamaru-sensei or Sarada? I haven't been informed of how our mission ended," he requested with a bruised, raspy voice. A sleepiness came over him, the pain medications began to take their effect.

"Don't you worry about that now, I'm sure they will come themselves to see you once you are fully recovered," before she had even finished her sentence, the boy found himself in an enduring sleep. It nourished his chakra, and encouraged his body to heel.

(At the Uzumaki compound)

It was beyond worriment, beyond insanity, and fear as the mother paced the floor of the living room in trepidation for any news. She rung her hands together, and kept tucking her hair behind her ears nervously. The front door slid open as she leapt to the foyer hoping to see both of them, but it was only Naruto.

"He's going to be fine, Grandma Tsunade confirmed this before I was forced to leave. You and I are allowed to see him tomorrow morning. He needs rest right now." Naruto attempted to calm her as he took Hinata into his arms tenderly.

"What happened to him?" She begged for an answer. Sleep would not be with her tonight.

"I'm still not entirely sure, Konohamaru hasn't given a report yet. But we will find out tomorrow. He'll be able to tell us what happened," he responded hopefully.

"Where is big brother?" A voice appeared at the top of the staircase, she rushed down as Naruto took her in his other arm.

"He is in the hospital, but don't worry," it was Hinata's turn, "he's going to be fine and he will be home soon." Himawari bit her lip,

"He was injured?"

"Yes. But he is going to make a full recovery," Naruto reassured her.

Himawari was sent back to bed as the couple sat down together in the living room. A bottle of sake was opened, as they drank it modestly. It was late, but neither of them had any intention of falling asleep. How could they when their son was gravely harmed? Naruto smiled tiredly at his wife,

"Our son is the strongest of them all. We should have a little faith in him, you know?"

"I know," Hinata spoke as she reciprocated the smile, "but parents will always worry about their children. What should I have expected from him joining Anbu?"

"You wish he hadn't?" Naruto asked gently. For it was his and the council's final decision that despite Boruto's age, he was ready for such a task. Never had Naruto doubted the capabilities of his son.

"No, I want him to do whatever it is he wants to do. I never want to hold him back from his dreams and ambitions. But even still…" she sipped her sake as her cheeks flushed slightly, "I'm his mother. A task that wants to protect him from the world. It makes my responsibility difficult when he's chosen such a path."

"I know the feeling," Naruto agreed as he clinked his cup against his wife's. They chuckled as they not so patiently waited for the sunrise to creep into the valley.

(Back at the hospital)

Sitting up in bed was all the boy could manage; boredom began to ensue. He inspected the bandaging around his torso, would look out the window, readjust his pillow, drink some water, doze half-heartedly and then go through this dull routine over and over again. Finally a nurse came in to announce he had visitors which excited him to have some human interaction. Before the nurse could even turn to let the visitors know that it was ok to go in, his usually sweet, patiently natured mother bolted into the room as she was by his side in an instant. Her arms wrapped around him as she minded his injury; burying his face into her as he weakly returned the hug, he realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Mother I'm alright," he insisted. He hated to see her cry, especially when he was the cause of it. The boy saw his father come in close succession; Naruto sat down on the bed next to his boy and ruffled his hair,

"You gave us quite the scare." Releasing him, Hinata took a better look at his injuries and saw the bandage. Using her byakugan, she was able to see through the bandage to distinctly notice two almost fatal knife wounds.

"What happened? Who did this?" She wanted to know.

"I didn't exactly catch his name," Boruto stifled a laugh as he bashfully put his hand behind his head, "I was too busy dodging knives, and well I didn't exactly do a spectacular job at that."

"A shinobi," Naruto began.

"A rogue, from our village. S-class. But beyond that I have no idea who he was. He used sealing jutsu on the poisoned kunai. My original tactic was to keep dodging until he ran out of knives, but his jutsu ensured that he didn't. The kunai relentlessly took out my rasengans and shadow clones alike." Boruto's core convulsed in anguish as he bent over tightening his arm around it in an attempt to make it stop.

"Nurse!" Hinata beseeched.

"No, it'll go away. It's normal for this to happen every few minutes. Lady Tsunade told me," the boy spoke through glued teeth as he closed his eyes and focused his chakra to the wounds. A nurse came in when she had heard, she went to Boruto's side and checked his bandages,

"Well it looks like we need to change the gauze, and it would appear you are ready for some pain medication." She gave him an herbal mixture that would kick in presently, two more nurses appeared to change the gauze. They unraveled it gently as the boy laid down with his parents watching him like protective hawks over their chick. Naruto could finally see the wounds, and they were grievous to say the least. Razed in texture, which were told signs of healing. But he was bruised purple and blue within a twelve inch diameter of each of the two wounds. Not to mention the poison did a number on his internal organs.

"Dad," Boruto spoke as they finished tying the last knot to keep the bandages in place, "any word from Konohamaru or Sarada about the mission?"

"Nothing from my end, I'll send for him today as soon as they kick us out. They'll want you to rest more." Naruto ensured. Boruto was about to resist to this fervently, his youth demanded his body to be in working condition and to be able to go home. He opened his mouth to protest, only to close it once more. He was too old to argue about something that was out of his control. Truth be told, his stamina wouldn't allow it either.

The nurses left once more, as both Hinata and Naruto bordered both sides of their boy; his weariness from the herbs was taking effect. But he did everything in his power to stay awake for them to stay. Hinata gazed at her boy, her baby. These were not the injuries of a boy, for they could only be tolerated by a man. He wasn't the lanky, little one she could once scoop up easily in an armful; he had muscles, a jawline that could cut through stone, calloused hands that were always bandaged should countless rasengans need casting, eyes that were flames of blue embers, hair that somehow caught the intensity and hue of the sun, but a smile that gave away the young teenager he was. He's the spitting image of his father.

"I have to tell you both something." Boruto explained languidly. Hinata and Naruto made eye contact with one another before they both looked at their son waiting for him to speak,

"I've been injured before, and have had multiple trips to the hospital. I've never been wounded like this in my entire life. For the first time ever, I felt death coming to me." He spoke placing his hand on his wound closest to his heart. "I thought about you both and Himawari," he would of course leave out Sarada for fear of embarrassment, "and somehow that saved me. But I feel like I have a better understanding of death and what it means to take a life. In a strange way, I think I was meant to have this injury for me to understand that. Am I crazy?" He asked.

"Not at all," his father spoke, offering a smile at how his son had grown and matured right before his eyes, "You have gone through an ordeal and have pushed your body to its absolute limit. I think your mother and I could safely say that we have both had a near-death experience, it is unfortunately a normal occurrence following the path of a shinobi. The best way you can process what has happened is to learn something from it, and if that is a greater understanding of death, I can only think that this will help you become stronger than you already are. For the shinobi who do not understand what it means to take a life, they go rogue with no allegiance to anyone or any principle, and that is a dangerous, meaningless path to take." Boruto didn't show any expression in particular, he would need time to ruminate about what his father meant. He nodded sleepily.

"Kid, stop fighting it and go to sleep. I'm seeing right through you. Try fooling someone else," Lady Tsunade spoke from the doorway.

Eventually, his eyes closed much to his disappointment. His parents were being ushered out for him to rest; Hinata took his chin and kissed his forehead sweetly as Naruto pushed the boy's hair back affectionately. They left as they found Himawari outside the hospital waiting for them and any news they could offer. Assuring her that he was fine, they explained that she could come with them tomorrow.

There was sprinting that was getting closer and closer; a pounding of feet was racing toward the Hokage in such an impressive, immortal speed. She skirted to a halt and clasped her hands as she bowed respectfully, before straightening her posture,

"How is he?" The raven-haired girl beseeched. Naruto put a hand on her shoulder,

"He's going to be just fine, Sarada," the Hokage ensured, "Grandma Tsunade has everything under control. In fact you are more than welcome to visit him tomorrow." Relief triumphed her expression as she smiled,

"I've been so worried."

"He's the son of the biggest knuckle-head to ever grace Konoha," a voice spoke from behind Sarada. Naruto didn't even have to look to know it was his old teammate. "But even so, he has some spark that kid. I'm sure he'll have a full recovery sooner than expected." Sasuke spoke kindly as Naruto nodded in acknowledgement.

"I have some urgent news to discuss with you. May we go somewhere private?" Sasuke asked. Furrowing his eyebrows in concern, Naruto replied,

"Of course. My office." He turned to Sarada, "Also, if you could, I'd like for you to bring Konohamaru to my office within the hour so that we may discuss what you have discovered on your mission."

"He is already at your office, I have arranged everything." Sasuke guaranteed as he was already walking toward the Hokage office. Unsure of the matters ahead, Naruto bid farewell to Hinata and Himawari, as Sarada and himself had to half power walk and half trot to keep up with Sasuke through the busy streets of Konoha.

"Highly odd of you to make such arrangements. Must be pretty serious for you to be back in the village." Naruto said.

"Yeah," Sarada whispered curiously. She hadn't seen her dad in over a month.

"We have much to discuss, you won't like even half of it." Sasuke replied.