"Oi, about time you got here, woman," he said, a low-effort smirk still intact on his face.

Shikadai desperately tried to suppress his grin. Dad. He was Dad.

People would often tell Shikadai how unbearably lazy his dad once was, but he'd never really bought into it. His dad worked tirelessly, both as the Hokage's advisor and as a ninja, and though he'd throw in the usual comment of how troublesome the whole thing was, his dad still completed his tasks to the highest of standards anyway, and if ever summoned in cases of emergencies, he'd drop whatever it was he was doing and he'd be there in a heartbeat. How could a man like that possibly be so lazy once?

Now, this man? This man looked unquestionably lazy. He looked like he didn't do a whole lot besides sleep or lie around all day and stare up at the clouds, and it certainly didn't seem as if there was any emergency that would take priority over his sleep. He looked like someone who'd give up on a match despite having the upper hand, and would forge some lousy excuse as to why he couldn't pursue the fight any further. He looked... so care free. As if he had zero responsibilities to concern himself with, as if he could sleep his days away and face little repercussions. Hell, he looked like he had already slept his days away. It was almost as if he was an entirely different person to the Dad he was so accustomed to in the final few weeks leading up to that incident.

Shikadai adjusted his gaze from his dad to the woman beside him, and that was when he'd noticed it again; the smile. The special smile, as Shikadai would call it. It might not appear significant to anybody that isn't too familiar with his mother, but Shikadai recognized what it meant for her to display such a smile. She'd have to tear down her barriers for just a short period of time—that stoic and tough demeanor she constantly maintains in front of everybody would be temporarily put aside, and in that limited time, Temari, Princess of the Sand and sister of the fifth Kazekage, would be… vulnerable. So few people in her life was she willing to present such a smile to. Her brothers, of course, and… well, that's all the list really comprised of, so far. Not even her closest companions were fortunate enough. In fact, it wasn't even too long ago that she had it kept hidden from even her brothers. But it appears this list had finally been extended to make room for just one more name.

I see, so they must be seeing each other already…

Shikadai then noticed that his dad's attention was now on him. His raised eyebrow was complimented by a puzzled countenance.

Shikadai began experiencing discomfort in the form of sweat escaping the pores on his creased forehead. He was so concerned about not disclosing the truth to anyone that he hadn't even considered the possibility of somebody else figuring it out. And who better than the man whose effective strategic and problem-solving abilities had earned him a rank promotion in just a single round, a round he hadn't even won?

But surely that isn't likely? "The boy looks remarkably like myself, so he must be my son from the future." Who would ever theorize such an absurd thing? And yet, despite the desperate attempts to reassure himself, the longer his dad continued to stare at him, no, study him, the more and more it felt as though the inevitable was only being delayed.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "Oi!"

Shikadai's breath caught and heart skipped a beat. Or two. Or several. He couldn't have figured it out. He couldn't. That's ridiculous, even for him. He hadn't even said or done anything yet! How?! How could his dad have gotten it just by looking at hi—

"Did she abduct you or something?"

Wha…?

"Sheesh Temari, you miss my very presence so much that you just had to take one of our own back with you to your village?" he teased, making the first move of the playful verbal sparring the two regularly engaged in. "One that looks awfully like me, might I add?"

Oh. It looked like Shikadai was in the clear. For now, at least.

"Hah, please, don't flatter yourself," she responded, a devilish grin gracing her own lips. "You escaped my mind the moment I stepped foot outside the village, and frankly hadn't re-entered 'til I saw your silly mug just now."

Shikadai had to restrain his eyes from rolling; he was all she talked about the entire way here.

"I saw him alone, passed out on the floor far from the village. Honestly, is that all you Nara boys ever do?" She had to stifle a chuckle at the twitch of his eye when emphasizing 'boys.'

"Besides, you guys all look the same," she said. "Even if I did take one of you away with me, which I didn't, it wouldn't be any trouble at all to find one that looks like you."

"First of all, not true," Shikamaru said.

"Is so."

"Secondly, passed out on the floor…? Woman, did you do something to him?"

"What? No! Don't put this on me, Nara, I didn't do anything," she said, though Shikamaru still seemed unconvinced. She turned to Shikadai. "Right? Tell him."

Shikadai was almost tempted to lie in order to draw a reaction out of the two; he so longed to interact with them playfully after weeks of strained and uncomfortable silence between his parents. He eventually concluded that it'd be best to remain inconspicuous and divert as much of the attention away from himself as he could—as difficult as it'd probably be—simply returning a single nod. Temari let out a triumphant hmph.

"Yeah, well, try not to get on her bad side, or else she really will be the reason for you being passed out in the middle of nowhere. Believe me, I know."

"Don't worry kiddo, just don't be a lazy crybaby like him andI'll play nice," she said with a misleadingly comforting smile.

Oh, how he missed this. The playful insults. The smiles. Not insults with intentions to hurt the other, or tears streaming down cheeks. He almost forgot how much he'd missed this, of their unique relationship, and how it was perfect for them. God, he was so tempted to just blurt out the truth right there and then hold them in a tight embrace.

Dad seemed... bothered. Frustrated, even. As if he was missing something and just couldn't put his finger on it.

"You look really familiar kid," he said. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Yes damn it, you do know me from somewhere; I'm your son! "No, I don't think so," Shikadai responded calmly.

"Hmm. You sure? Feels like I've seen you around before. Do I know your parents?"

Aaaaargh! Yes, you're one of them, and my troublesome mom is standing right there! "Probably not."

"I see. Hey, you heading back home by any chance right now?"

"Uh… yeah, sure, I... I guess," Shikadai responded, though, now that he thought about it, where exactly is home? If he hadn't solved this mess by the end of day, where would he intend on sleeping? What would he eat? Takeout? He only had a couple of bills and coins on him, and it was unlikely that they'd accept future currency with later dates on them. That in itself would give him away.

"Well, if you don't mind sticking around for a bit, after I drop off this troublesome woma—" Shikamaru paused momentarily to defend against Temari's raised fist, "I plan on going home myself and getting some shut-eye for a bit. I can drop you off, if you want."

This may be of benefit to Shikadai. He could take advantage of this and perhaps try to convince his dad if he could stay at his place, forging some excuse like how his "parents" were away on holiday somewhere, and that he'd lost the keys to the house and needed a place to crash until they got back, or something. Just long enough until he had this whole thing figured out and wouldn't have to sleep on a park bench or starve to death. Sounds like a plan. "Sure, I'm fine with that."

"Alright." He ushered Temari with his hand to take lead. "After you."

Temari gently pushed Shikamaru aside and began walking, swaying her hips with slight exaggeration.

Shikadai looked away in disgust, at his mom's obvious flirtatious act, and at how his dad wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was staring.

As they furthered deeper into the core of the village, it became apparent to Shikadai that he couldn't recognize Konoha at all. The difference was so drastic that it almost seemed like an entirely different village altogether. Everything was so… underdeveloped. Stalls over stores. Transportation around the village was limited to using your feet, unless you had other means by use of chakra. Where were the giant screen monitors? The radios? Nobody appeared to be using their phones, either. He also noticed there were only five faces carved onto the mountain, so far.

The journey to the Hokage's office had been relatively uneventful. Well, at least to Shikadai, anyway. The conversation was dominated by Shikamaru and Temari, as the two caught up on everything that'd happened in their lives since they last saw each other months ago, neither allowing silence to settle for even a moment. Shikadai stood a few meters behind, somewhat forgotten about. He was sure at one point he'd heard something about a team 10 barbecue meetup occurring later in the day.

"Ah, Temari. You're here."

The three had eventually made it to the office of the Hokage. It was quite reminiscent to the environment his dad and the Seventh spent most of their time; large stacks of paperwork were scattered everywhere, and it was difficult to see over them from a seated position. A hand emerged from behind one of these large stacks and pushed them aside, unveiling a woman sitting behind the desk.

Lady Tsunade, the fifth Hokage. He hadn't really seen her too often, only being around long enough to see the Sixth's and Seventh's reigns, but he had seen her at important events nonetheless. She looked like she hadn't aged a day though, which was quite odd. Or perhaps he was just misremembering? For the little time he had seen her however, she somewhat reminded him of Mom, a strong, terrifying woman who you should probably make extra effort for to ensure not to get on her bad side. Shikadai stood behind his parents, hoping that she wouldn't acknowledge his presence and bombard him with questions he wasn't sure how to answer just yet.

"I hope things weren't too difficult on the way here," Tsunade continued.

"Oh no, don't worry," Temari said. "I've already gotten accustomed to the three day journey. You don't have to worry about that."

"Actually, I'd meant hopefully your guide over here wasn't his usual difficult self when escorting you to the office," said Tsunade with a smug grin of her own.

A short chuckle escaped Temari, another welcoming sound Shikadai hadn't heard in a while. "He didn't do too badly of a job this time, I assure you."

Shikadai was sure he heard Dad mutter something like "troublesome women" under his breath.

"Alright, that's probably my cue to leave." Shikamaru turned and drew out a hand from his pocket, using it to grip her elbow. She almost jumped at the sudden contact. "I'll see you later?"

She slowly nodded her head, then gave him a tender smile. Both continued to stare at each other for what was probably longer than necessary.

Shikadai had to restrain a gag. They were both still so gross.

There was a sudden knock on the door, prompting Shikamaru to immediately remove the hold on her arm. Everyone in the room whipped their heads round to the door.

"Come in," Tsunade commanded.

The door began slowly creaking open…

The spunky blond and the rich, pink-haired kunoichi he was conversing with both turned their heads to the source of the noise.

"I finally found you, Dad!"

Naruto Uzumaki, soon to be seventh Hokage, as well as soon to be father of Boruto Uzumaki. It wasn't too long ago that the sight of his dad would bring about fury and grief he wasn't aware he could feel for someone that wasn't a threat to him or his friends and family. The repeated missed birthdays and continuous negligence affected Boruto more than he'd ever be willing to admit or let on. Not until the events after the Chūnin Exams had their relationship steadily improved and their bond strengthened. It also wasn't until then had Boruto recognized the importance of Naruto's role and how much more there was to him than just being the bossy old man that barked orders from his desk. He had his own unique story, and Boruto intended to have his own unique story, too.

Naruto alternated from looking at Boruto to looking behind him, unsure of who the younger blond was acknowledging.

"I'm talking to you, silly old man! Well, guess you're not so old right now," Boruto said, slowly approaching the still very bewildered Naruto. "You're my dad!"

It was only then had Boruto noticed a terrifying, haunting figure nearing his dad. Its short hair was floating abnormally against gravity. Red blistering skin which looked as though could melt steel on contact. Indistinguishable raging fire in its eyes.

No, wait a second. It wasn't a monster; it was Aunt Sakura. She was so flustered her skin was burning bright red, so much so that it rivaled her attire, and made her vibrant pink hair appear an even lighter shade in comparison. The fire in her eyes were so ferocious that it was now difficult to see the emerald green of her pupils. She struck Naruto with a chakra-infused fist, hurling him far and towards the floor beneath him. The ground had erupted violently, making a dent deep enough to be visible from space.

"Y-y-you idiot! Y-you can't even look after yourself and yet y-y-you're having kids?! Why I outta—"

She simultaneously held him in a choke hold with one arm and repeated struck his dome with the other.

"W-wait! It's not like that, Aunt Sak—"

"Geez Forehead, do you always have to overdo it? A simple 'no' is enough, y'know?" said an approaching woman—another kunoichi. A blonde streak of hair covered half her face and her outfit was dominated by the color purple. Beside her was a more… bloated individual. He endlessly supplied his mouth with potato chips and showed no interest in stopping to take in air.

Boruto sighed in relief. Aunt Ino and Uncle Chōji! Thank God they were here to help!

Sakura dumped Naruto's lifeless body unceremoniously to the ground, her skin still illuminating.

"See that kid over there?" Sakura asked, pointing to Boruto. "That's Naruto's son. Naruto has a son!"

"A s-s-s-son?!" Now it was Ino's turn to get flustered. A potato chip had gotten caught in Chōji's throat, muffled cries for help barely escaping his mouth. Ino, who Boruto swore saw steam emitting from her ears, cracked her knuckles and walked towards the borderline unconscious Naruto. So much for help.

"No no no, it's not like that, Aunt Sakura! Aunt Ino! Naruto is my dad, but not in the way that you're thinking! He's my dad in the future! I am from the future!" Boruto said in one cry, hopeful that no further damage would be done to Dad.

Everyone now eyed Boruto carefully. Even Chōji, having somewhat recovered from his coughing fit, engaged in the uncomfortable staredown.

"The… future?" Sakura asked eventually. Boruto nodded his head. He was optimistic that they'd be more receptive of the revelation than Mom's team was.

"Did… you land on your head or something?" Ino asked.

Guess not.

"Hah, that's what I thought," Kiba said. "Kid's been annoying the crap outta me all morning. Something about how he's from the future and how Naruto's his dad. He wouldn't get a clue and leave me alone, so I thought I'd give him what he wanted."

"Wh-why… d-didn't you… s-say anything s-sooner… K-Kiba?" Naruto asked with a slurred speech and swollen cheeks.

"Hm? Oh, I just wanted to see you get your ass kicked. Still very bitter about our match."

Naruto then shot up to his feet, so fast it was absurd given the severities of his injuries. His face was so close to Boruto's that he could feel the heat of his breath. "A son?! My son?! From the future?! That's so cool! Hey, what's your name, Son?!"

Boruto cleared his throat. "Uh, Boruto, Boruto Uzumaki," he responded with a forced, nervous smile, taking a few steps back until there was a comfortable distance between the two. It was odd seeing him so… passionate. There was more life in him than he had ever seen from his dad. Future Dad, that is. He was usually always so composed and collected, even during combat.

"Boruto! That's a great choice for a name! Hey, hey Boruto, am I like, a super power ninja in the future? Like can I, can I… um… destroy a thousand ninjas all at once by myself? O-or, do I know a bunch of super powerful rare jutsus? Or do I—" Naruto let out a dramatic gasp and gulped. "D-do I… become Hokage?" he asked, his tone calmer, almost… anxious.

Boruto swallowed nervously and projected a distraught face, which was surprisingly successful in drawing out every spirit in Dad's body, much to his petty amusement. Content with his reaction, he then slowly held up seven fingers.

"The Seventh," Boruto said with a teeth-baring smile.

Boruto witnessed his dad's face slowly light up and mouth gape animatedly. He slipped his pinky fingers into his ears, already taking the necessary precautions for the reaction that was to undoubtedly follow.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

The scream was deafening—so deafening that he had managed to attract the attention of everyone within a 100 meter radius. Boruto questioned why he even bothered attempting to shield his ears.

"I knew it. I knew it. I-knew-it-I-knew-it-I-knew-it-I-knew-it-knew-it-I-knew-it. I knew I'd prove everyone wrong and become Hokage! I knew some day I'd have the whole village respecting me!" He let out a long, loud, howling laugh. Eventually, after he'd somewhat regained his composure, he looked to his left at the Ichiraku Ramen restaurant, reminiscing the conversation he had with his former academy teacher, Iruka Umino, a few years ago. "I… I told you I'd do it, Iruka Sensei," he said quietly to himself. He then directed his attention to his dog-like companion. "Hah! Suck it, Kiba," he said triumphantly, sticking his tongue out and lowering his bottom eyelid with a finger.

Kiba growled. "S-shut up, idiot! You don't actually believe him, do you?! Your son the time-traveler? Are you kidding me? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

"Y'know, I might have to agree with Kiba on this one, Naruto," Ino said. "I mean, he does look a lot like you, but the whole thing seems a little far-fetched, doesn't it?"

Both Naruto and Boruto frowned simultaneously.

"Boruto, was it?" Chōji asked, brushing his chip-stained fingers against his thigh. "Prove it. Prove to us right now that you're telling the truth. Prove to us that you are actually from the future."

Boruto placed a finger on his chin, contemplating how he'd go about doing that. "Alright." He raised both his hands towards his chest and performed a hand sign. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Among the group now stood four identical Borutos, each possessing a pleased grin on their faces. "See? It's your favorite jutsu, isn't it?"

"Shadow clones? Anyone can do that jutsu. That doesn't prove a thing," Sakura said, unimpressed.

"Forehead's right," Ino said. "You're gonna have to give us something a lot better than that."

Naruto gave him a look which expressed that he was in agreement with their sentiments. Boruto bit his lip and frowned. Alright, how about this…

Boruto extended his arm out and uncurled his fingers. He then hovered his other hand over it, and a small, white, spiraling light began forming in the space between.

Naruto's lips parted. "Is that… the Rasengan?" he asked in astonishment.

Boruto responded by curling up the corner of his mouth.

Naruto however still seemed unconvinced, the excitement that fortified within him now toppling, gradually. "Konohamaru must've taught you… right? I mean, I taught it to him only recently… I guess he's already started taking students under his own wing?"

"No! I-I mean yes, he did, b-but he's also my sensei in the futur—"

"Well you guys, I think I've wasted enough time on this brat for today," said Kiba. "I knew it was a ruse all along. Gotta admit, I'm a little underwhelmed that this is how it all turned out. Maybe I did sorta hope it was the truth. Might have made the day a little more interesting. Oh well. Got better things to do, later." He raised his hand and gave a low-spirited wave.

Everyone but Naruto eventually followed suit, parting in different directions.

Naruto watched Boruto with eyes that were half-expectant, half-disappointed. Almost as if he wanted to be convinced by him that it was the truth. That his dream was already set in stone. That every blood, sweat and tear that'd escaped his body was all worth it in the end. Naruto's shoulders slumped slightly, his expression transitioning from hopeful to despondent. His body almost subconsciously shifted towards Ichiraku Ramen, taking one last quick glance at Boruto before continuing.

"N-no! Wait! Wait! Dad! C'mon you guys, you have to believe me! Th-there was a man, he had a black cloak and a hood, and my friend was… there was a scroll, a-and then there was a green spinning thing, and now I'm here and I don't know how to get back! I need your help! Guys! Please!" It was becoming more and more apparent that his desperate pleas were falling on deaf ears. Think, Boruto, think! If his own dad couldn't be convinced, then who could he possibly call for help?

Then, that person's face interrupted his thoughts and flashed across his mind.

"Wait! I have one other thing! Look!"

Naruto stopped abruptly, though he didn't turn to face him. Boruto went to retrieve an item from the small bag strapped around his waist. Once he'd located it, with a firm grip, he pulled it out and ran towards Naruto, placing it right in his line of sight.

Naruto's mouth outspread involuntarily. His now wide eyes refused to blink. Boruto was sure his skin appeared vaguely paler than it was moments ago, making his blue eyes seem much more pronounced than they already were.

It was a Konoha headband, with a single, horizontal cut across the symbol on the plate.

Naruto appeared to be struggling to communicate, which seemed like a rarity to Boruto, even in the limited time he'd seen him in his younger, more energetic form. "How did… you get this?" he whispered.

"He gave it to me," Boruto responded, slightly uneasy at his sudden change in composure.

"…Who?"

"Uncle Sasuke, of course! Who else? It's his, isn't it?"

Boruto glanced up at Naruto, then at everybody else nearby. Everyone was frozen in place, as rigid as marble. Making eye contact with each person, he'd noticed they were all staring at him in… disbelief? Disorientation? Confusion?

"Wh… what? Why is everyone looking at me like that? Did… I say something wrong? Where is Uncle Sasuke, anyway?"

Naruto, having eventually broken from his reverie, turned to face Boruto completely. He was staring at him, observing him carefully. His demeanor was now one that had a greater resemblance to the man Boruto was more familiar with. "We're going to the Hokage's office. Now."

Everyone had decided to tag along, for some reason. What happened to having better things to do? The atmosphere was strained and oppressive, and everybody appeared disturbed, particularly his dad and Aunt Sakura. Even Uncle Chōji refused to continue indulging his potato chips. Was it… because of Uncle Sasuke? Did something happen to him? Was he okay? Dad was always was quite secretive of Uncle Sasuke's past and had never really said anything other than that he was his greatest rival. Boruto wasn't sure what was going on, or why exactly they were even heading to the Hokage's office. His initial assumption was that they'd finally agreed to help him, but it was clear something was off. Though, he knew better than to ask at a time like this.

Eventually, they'd all made it to the door of the office. Naruto tilted his head to the side, ushering Boruto to knock.

"Come in," a feminine voice commanded after he had done so.

Boruto securely clutched the handle and began rotating it—only then had he noticed that his hands were shaking. Once a click sound was identified, he pressed his other hand against the door and began shifting his weight onto it. The door scraped against the floor, making an unsettling noise as it opened.

The two then locked in a silent, unblinking stare.

"Boruto?!"

"Shikadai?!"