Boruto looked at himself in the mirror, combing his hair and putting on his black jacket.
This is my first day, he mentally conversed with himself. I've got to keep everything low and not attract any suspicions.
He shook his head. An ominous voice whispered in his head that Sasuke already knew, or at least suspected there was something odd about his origins. In fact, he was sure that his dubious background was one reason why he was picked. Hopefully, though, it wasn't the only reason.
I'll prove them wrong then, he declared internally. I'll be so normal, so boring that they'll have nothing on me! But would it work?
There was no point in ruminating on such meaningless things. He had a task to complete.
He strode out of the door with a strong sense or purpose and … stole one glance at his Konoha headband situated on his bedside table.
Sakura summoned her to the main office again. Sarada wondered what was the reason this time.
"How are you?" The woman asked with friendly warmth.
"I've been good," Sarada nodded. "How are things going for you?" She asked in return.
Sakura gave a huge sigh: "Two of our spies in Kirigakure have been caught. They took their own lies before they could endanger anyone. I…" She couldn't finish her sentence.
Sarada decided to give her an embrace: "It's okay, I know you do your best. From what I've heard, you always have."
"Oh? What do your new friends say about me?" The woman questioned with mock curiosity. "That I'm a middle-aged woman married to a lost cause? That I once possessed enough stupidity to fall in love with a monster?"
"No!" Sarada shook her head vigorously. "Nothing of that sort! You mustn't be so hard on yourself."
It was Sakura's turn to disagree: "You're too kind, Sarada. And you must also be wondering why on earth I summoned you."
"I-"
"I need your help with something," Sakura said bluntly. "This letter – it needs the sharingan to help decipher it."
"I see."
Welcome, Boruto!" Ayame greeted him as he entered the lower office. "Here's your tag – don't lose it, you'll need it to travel between the Hokage tower and other adjacent offices."
It looked like some tracking device, or so Boruto suspected as he took his nametag from her.
"Hey I met this kid!" The man who he bumped into earlier when he first arrived at Konoha remarked while approaching Ayame.
"Takashi, meet Boruto," she tried introducing them formally. "Boruto, this is Takashi. He's a jonin and he occasionally pops by for mission reports."
"Pleased to meet you," Boruto smiled curtly. He needed to make good impressions.
"I'm surprised you got it kid!" Takashi laughed. "But good job! You must have managed to satisfy the Hokage – not an easy task."
"Yeah it was a little scary," Boruto admitted.
"A little?! Kid, you can be honest with me…" Takashi trickled off sheepishly.
"Well, it was terrifying-"
"That's more like it! But don't worry," Takashi tried for a comforting voice. "You'll be fine so long as you're not some secret rebel spy. The last one did not end well."
"I remember you telling me about this," Boruto remarked.
"I did! Don't worry; we didn't actually pluck out his entrails. The Hokage merely pulled out his soul," Takashi's voice deliberately quieted.
"Oh…"
"Just kidding!"
"Takashi," Ayame interrupted them. "Boruto needs to pay a personal visit to the Hokage's office."
"Right! Good luck and don't die," Takashi winked. "Just so you know, I'm here for help!"
"Takashi," Ayame shook her head as Boruto was leaving the lower office, "someday you're … provocative rhetoric is going to get you into trouble."
"Come on Ayame! Folks like you need to learn to take jokes!"
The Hokage's personal office was at the top of the tower; it was the same office his dad held in another world.
Boruto traced the familiar stairs and the familiar walls. As expected, none of the portraits of the former Hokages remained. Chuunin assistants rushed up and down the stairs frantically, unwilling to waste a single minute for respite.
Taking a deep breath, Boruto gave the door a gentle knock.
"Come in," answered a soft voice from within, a voice Boruto knew only too well. Except this one had its edges sharpened.
"Good morning, Hokage-sama," Boruto greeted Sasuke with a bow.
"Good to see that you're on time," the man cooed. "I must confess, I did not have high expectations."
This Sasuke had similarities with his mentor. They both had jet-black hair, dark eyes and skin like ivory. They were both, objectively speaking, men young girls would squeal about in delight – in terms of physical features.
The difference starts here: this Sasuke had a gloomy air about him. It was as if his entire existence had distorted, twisted the atmosphere of the room to some menacing will. There was a bleakness and coldness about his eyes, like an infinitesimal abyss. He was donned in cold, wintry white Hokage robes. The Sasuke Boruto knew had been a hard man with hard features, but this one had his expressions honed by murkier vicissitudes and murkier deeds. If there was any trace of regret, Boruto couldn't sense it.
"Hokage-sama, I shatter expectations," Boruto pretended to laugh, masking his nervous interior.
"Funny, you're excessive confidence reminds me of someone," Sasuke stared intently at Boruto.
"Someone awesome, right?" Boruto grinned wildly, not wanting to betray any hint of suspicion.
"Someone stupid," was Sasuke's blunt reply.
"Gee, thanks," Boruto tried to give a crestfallen look.
Sasuke's amused chuckle surprised him.
"Very funny sir, very funny," Boruto went for a groan.
"Hn. Normally, such insolent behaviour would earn you disciplinary measures," Sasuke's expressions hardened again, his eyes peering into Boruto's like an autopsy. "But I suspect you haven't been around long enough to realise the … expected customs."
"I'm always willing to learn Hokage-sama," Boruto defended himself carefully.
"Interesting."
"I am interesting," Boruto agreed sheepishly.
"You must find yourself and your jokes so, so funny," Sasuke shook his head and handed Boruto an envelope. "Your first task will be to deliver this to the Hyuuga compound, or more specifically, to Hanabi Hyuuga. You have 30 minutes. Do not look into the envelope – I will find out if you do."
Boruto gulped at the last threat: "Got it. I'll be done 30 minutes spot-on!"
"Thank you Sarada," said Sakura gratefully.
It was a message to the Hokage from Kumogakure, something intercepted by Hi no Ishi rebels. It said roughly this: There is no knowledge or records of a child called Boruto. Neither within Kumogakure, nor in any of its surrounding villages.
Sarada's heart fell: "Something happened to Boruto."
"What's the matter?" Sakura was concerned.
"The message. It said something about there being no records of 'a child called Boruto.' Sarada uttered anxiously. "He – they must have caught him!"
"What?! Stay here Sarada, I'll get Kakashi and Shikamaru," Sakura ordered as she left the room.
"And this," Boruto bowed as he handed the letter to Hanabi Hyuuga," is a letter from the Hokage."
He had to suppress the internal urge to call her aunt. It worked well enough.
"I see," the woman nodded as she opened the parchment.
"My pleasure," Boruto said deferentially.
He was sweating madly, having frantically rushed his way towards the Hyuuga compound. No stops were taken.
"You may go now," Hanabi answered him curtly.
Taking a brief moment to re-orientate himself and a deep breath to sooth the aching in his legs, Boruto sped back to the Hokage tower.
"So you're saying Boruto has caught the attention of the Hokage?" hypothesised Shikamaru. "And his suspicions? This does not bode well."
"What could he have done?" Sarada was worried. "What if he's captured?!"
"We don't have enough information about this," Sakura sighed. "Our last spy at the Hokage office was uprooted a while ago."
"Sarada," Kakashi turned his attention to her. "Can you please tell us why do you think he left for Konoha?"
"I mean, I've shown you guys the note he sent already," Sarada bit her lip as she continued. "He's after a forbidden scroll, which we have concluded should be in the Hokage's office. My guess is…" She tried to pull herself together and be rational. "He would try to get as near there as possible. I don't know."
"There are three possibilities this could turn out," Shikamaru speculated. "One: Boruto illegally walks into the Hokage office and tries to steal it and gets captured-"
"-He did say that was a good idea," Sarada muttered under her breath.
"-Or Boruto has found a way to enter the Hokage office legally, either by government authorization or by miraculously finding a job there and this could play out in two scenarios. Two: he was caught trying to get near the scroll. Three: he hasn't approached the scroll yet but is raising suspicions," Shikamaru finished. "Which one do you think it is, Sarada? You know him best out of here."
"Boruto's stupid, but not that stupid," Sarada admitted. "It's probably the latter two."
"Not bad," remarked Sasuke upon Boruto's return. "31 minutes – that's one minute late." The last word was punctured with a heavy thud, which mirrored Boruto's interiors.
"I'm sorry," he muttered with his head down.
"Don't be late next time," Sasuke simply said.
"I won't."
"You know," Sasuke remarked, his voice laced with morbid curiosity. "Thirty minutes to the Hyuuga compound is no easy feat for a non-shinobi."
Boruto gulped. He chose to stay silent on this matter.
"Or are you familiar with chakra?" His eyes narrowed.
Boruto still did not speak.
"Go downstairs," Sasuke ordered. "My lower office workers may need you. Come back here late in the afternoon, just before you leave."
"Your first job was to deliver something for the Hokage?" Takashi sympathised in mock-horror. "Damn! I wanted yours to be making coffee for me!"
"I'll do that," Boruto nodded, as he walked over to the coffee machine.
Takashi followed him, remarking, "Don't get too scared okay? We don't bite. Well, the Hokage might. And Ayame might. And some other glum-looking faces might. But I don't."
"Here's your coffee," Boruto replied as he handed over the newly made espresso. "I get it, you think you're cool."
"I am," Takashi rolled his eyes indignantly.
"Okay…?"
"Tell you what kid," Takashi said as he sipped his espresso. "I'll take you out to dinner tonight. Ayame might join, depending on whether she agrees when I ask her later…"
His eyes momentarily drifted to Ayame, who was working in the other corner, her gaze fixed to her desk.
"I'm not crashing your date!" Boruto protested. That and he did not want any undue scrutiny about his background, especially given that dinners provide a platform for further private conversations.
"Shhhhhh… It's not a date! Yet."
Boruto took one glance at Takashi and then another fleeting one at Ayame in the other corner. He needed to make friends and earn favours: "I'll help."
They were assigned to a brief scouting mission, Mitsuki, Sarada and Shikadai were told by Konohamaru.
They were to travel to Konoha to garner information on the whereabouts of Boruto Uzumaki.
They were to leave in next morning and arrive by nightfall on the same day.
"You already know how to get back to us," Konohamaru nodded sternly. "You know where Sayuri's bookstore is."
"Yes we do," all three of them nodded.
"And Shikadai," Konohamaru addressed him specifically. "You know, and you can tell the others, what to do when you're captured. The security and secrecy of this place must never be compromised."
A kunai flew at his face the moment Boruto stepped into Sasuke's office. He deflected effortlessly it with his own shuriken, giving into his gag reflexes.
Crap.
"So you are a shinobi," Sasuke remarked with his brows furrowed.
"What-"
"There's no need in pretending, Boruto. Civilians don't go around carrying shurikens, much less know how to deflect kunais," Sasuke deadpanned.
"I was taught this as a child! To protect me, you know?" Boruto desperately searched for a plausible explanation.
"Really? Then care to tell me why you're using techniques specific to the Uchiha clan?" The man inquired, barely hiding his snarky undertones.
Crap, Boruto thought. He did use a technique that uncle Sasuke taught him in his own world. How could he be so stupid?
"Hey! Uchihas aren't the only people who know how to throw shuriken-"
"What you just did, kid, was use a technique that my mother taught me when I was young," Sasuke stared into Boruto inquisitively. "She and the rest of my family perished." For a moment, Boruto sensed a glimmer of emotion in his voice. "And… I'm sure you know why."
"I don't know – it could have been passed on to a non-member. You know how things are!" Boruto waved his arms frantically.
"All the way to Kumogakure?" Sasuke raised his brows in scepticism.
"Maybe?"
"Very well, Boruto," Sasuke sighed, not sounding convinced at all. "You may go."
"Alright!" Boruto beamed, his face slipping into a jovial mask once more.
"Remember," Sasuke warned. "I'll be watching."
"Man, kid, you're a saviour! Do you know how many times I've tried to get Ayame to go on a date with me?" Takashi was ecstatic as they arrived at the BBQ restaurant.
Boruto had helped him deliver a bunch of short, sweet messages to Ayame. Then he had not-so-conspicuously brought them together – he had files to deliver to them anyway from their boss in the lower office – and not-so-ceremoniously left the scene after implying Takashi had strange feelings for her.
"You just needed to be a little more explicit!" Boruto laughed.
"Okay, I owe you a favour. A big favour."
"My pleasure."
"What are you boys talking about?" Ayame asked cheerfully as she joined them.
"We were… talking about what a wonderful woman you are," Takashi winked.
Ayame rolled her eyes: "Come on, let's order food! I'm starving!"
The more the dinner progressed, the more awkward things got for Boruto. Sure, the barbequed beef was delicious and he was stuffed within minutes, but the longer the dinner, the more intimate Ayame and Takashi got and – thus – the more Boruto experienced the painfulness of third wheeling.
It started off with them holding hands beneath the table. Then they started throwing saccharine complements at each other like –
"- your eyes are beautiful!"
Yeah, that. Not to mention they began to play footsies under the table. It was weird.
"Sorry, Boruto! I meant to kick Takashi!"
Great, Boruto internally groaned.
Then, god forbid, they were sharing the same piece of meat: Ayame's mouth was at one end and Takashi's was at the other. Their mouths got closer and closer as they chewed more and more.
Boruto decided he'd had enough.
"Alright, it was nice meeting you two!" He stood up and shook both their hands. "But I've got to go – I still need to buy some pyjamas and toothpaste and all that."
Because he was smart enough to forget the day before.
"All the money's on me!" Takashi bellowed cheerfully. He was in seventh heaven, having just snatched a kiss from Ayame.
"Thanks, I'll find a way of paying you back!" Boruto called after as he left.
"Don't worry, you've already done that!"
"Are you sure you've made the right decision?" Shikamaru asked, his voice betraying a hint of concern. His son was going on a dangerous mission near Konoha after all, though Shikadai has yet to earn himself a place in the bingo book so his automatic presence would not imperil him.
"This is the only way," Sakura said. "Try to understand, out of all the kids, Shikadai is the most perceptive and intelligent, the one most suited to a scouting and infiltration mission."
Shikamaru nodded grimly.
"Still," Sakura's brows furrowed as she spoke. "Just in case, I should probably prepare a squad. Just in case the two and Boruto do try to leave this world. You know what to do, Shikamaru."
"Understood."
A/N: And... here comes another chapter! Things will start to heat up soon!
Please tell me how you feel about this chapter - and the story in general - in your reviews. In the past few days, writing this has been my one source of entertainment in the midst of all the revision I have to do, so I'd love to know more about your opinions!
Question: which reveal/change/character in this alternate universe has been your favourite?