Chapter 8: Effects Of The Catalyst
"When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change.
The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back."
-Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym
Jiraiya, Boruto, & Himawari-Forest Of Death
'Yikes, so this is where Sarada gets that mean glare from!'
His stomach drops, fingers clammy and hot against his sides under the weight of Sakura's assessing stare. Emerald burns with unshed tears she quickly blinks away. Her gaze flickers to Sasuke, absently brushes away beads of sweat to his head, cheeks still flushed with fever.
"Err, I don't know what that mark is." Boruto admits quietly.
He shifts back uncomfortably as Sakura's features morph between upset and frustration, can't tell if he's lying or telling the truth.
"...Liar. If you don't want to truly help, you shouldn't have come here. Naruto, no none of us can have you or your sibling getting any further involved if it's just going to complicate our progress during this second phase of the exams." She asserts sharply.
Each word jabs at him as Boruto clamps up, nails digging crescents into his palms. His gaze skirts back to Naruto, passed out, but alive.
'Would Papa really be that mad Hima and I came here?'
He would if this was his adult self maybe, but as a preteen...
His mouth gets covered before he can dare say anything else, fingers squeezing at his lips.
Jiraiya refuses to meet his stare as he glances to him, squeezes his eyes shut when he sees his balled-up fist moving straight for his head.
"Ouch! There's no need to-" Boruto starts, words faltering at his stormy gaze.
"No. We're not doing this after you directly disobeyed my order." He snaps.
His gaze turns to Sakura as he twists himself and Boruto to go.
"Pretend we weren't here."
Sakura grits her teeth, looks at Sasuke and Naruto once more quickly before back to them. A dull ringing thrums in her ears from those earlier sound blasts and blood stings on her tongue and nose each time she breathes. There's no telling when those Sound nin will get back up to restart this fight and this man doesn't seem to want to make it his business to interfere any further.
He outclasses her in the same way that snake man was to her and Sasuke.
She moves to a standing position, takes in her reflection in the blade of her kunai, hand trembling.
'Ah, I've never seen so many bruises upon my face or seen my hair so matted.'
Marks of vanity just like Kin said, a weakness she must cut away...
If her hair hadn't been so long, she wouldn't have been able to catch her like that.
She tightens her hold upon the blade, calms her thoughts as she twists the pointed end to her hair, slices through unevenly. Her eyes then turn to the fallen duo, pulls out a series of kunai from her pouch.
'I may not be as strong as you two, but I know other ways to slow you guys down.'
Jiraiya watches as she rolls the pointed ends through mud and grass, drives them into their hands and feet pinning them in place. Zaku lets out a low grunt, Kin unmoving even as a slow river of red trickles out onto the dirt.
Sakura turns herself to meet Jiraiya's gaze once more.
"I...I can't pretend! At least tell me what this mark is! Who that man was!" She presses the duo, straightens her posture.
She wills her body not to shake as the man's stare darkens, keeps her main blade close should any other enemies be close by.
Jiraiya sighs, studies her with indiscernible eyes, onyx clouding over with melancholy.
He pulls Boruto behind him, points at Sasuke's neck.
"The man who attacked you goes by Orochimaru. As for what he's done to your teammate, he's marked him with The Curse Seal of Heaven. Time will tell if he pulls himself out of it or dies from its effects."
'Dies?!' Bile scorches the back of her throat, breath shattering into gasps.
But just as he says this does Sasuke slowly sit back up, eyes swirling a deep vermilion.
Straight to Boruto.
Ink black stretches across his body; a moving tattoo.
His gaze moves from Boruto and Jiraiya to Sakura, takes in the myriad of bruises and dried blood caked against her skin in purples and maroons. At some point, she must've moved their positions noting the difference in forestry up above, fingers brushing at this new mark upon his neck.
'Power. That man gave me power when I nearly let myself forget my true goals.'
"Sakura. Who did this to you? Was it Naruto? Did he start rampaging again?" He questions all at once, gestures with his head to Boruto.
Boruto freezes in alarm, clenches his teeth. He's only seen Uncle Sasuke in the future a handful of times and even then, mostly just through photos. From what Sarada and Dad say, he's typically away on an assignment only he can do. Past or future though, he doesn't think he looks that much like Papa for him to make such a mistake.
"I'm not Naruto, look behind you." He mutters while pointing to Naruto's still unconscious form, though Sasuke's gaze remains locked on him.
Sakura steps forward before Sasuke can move, stretches out an arm to block his path. Their eyes lock and her chest tightens seeing this new darkness swirl in his features, vicious grin rising to his lips to attack.
'What's going on with him?! That curse seal is messing with his mind!'
"Hold on, he's telling the truth Sasuke! They were the ones helping protect me!" Sakura explains.
Sasuke studies her for only a moment before firmly pushing her body aside.
"He's the only one here standing Sakura and we just learned how he can behave when enraged." He counters.
He draws in a breath, unleashes a torrent of fireballs.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flowers!"
The barrage of flames dance across the terrain in bursts of reds, Boruto drawing up his hands as one moves for Himawari.
"Water Release: Twisting Waves!"
Fire and water clash blanketing the area in steam, Boruto ducking hearing the whizz of shurikens coming. One manages to nick his cheek and through the gray mist he sees crimson eyes still following his every move.
'Those fireballs do normally hide weapons.' Jiraiya considers, stretches his hair covering himself and Boruto. He pulls them into the bushes before Sasuke can shoot out a new stream of fire, nods for one of his toads to go and cover Himawari.
His hair needles and pokes at Boruto until he fully looks at him once more. "Alright Kid, tell me how you're getting us out of this."
Boruto startles, azure turning questioning. "Ehh, me?!"
Jiraiya nods. "Yeah, you. You're the one who jumped down here wanting to play hero. Do you have a plan?"
Boruto withers before straightening himself. They just need to knock out or get Sasuke to come back to his senses. The Sound nin are still in the area as well and can serve as a distraction for them escaping if they wake back up.
"Well, Sasuke is our main opponent right now. However, if one of those Sound nin get back up, then Sasuke could just switch his attention to them." He guesses.
Jiraiya shakes his head. "Try again. Assume those two aren't getting back up anytime soon or are just going to escape considering you blocked their main methods of attacking. They especially won't try anything now that Sasuke's awake and his curse seal is activated."
Boruto balls his hands at his side, concentrates despite hearing Sasuke kick something aside, the sound of bones cracking followed by Zaku's yelp and low moans of pain.
'That's going to be us next!' Boruto panics, forces his mind to focus.
"Naruto! You can't hide forever!" Sasuke calls out.
The fog is starting to lift, he'll target them again soon enough.
"Clones? I can't make as many as Papa, but I should be able to make enough to overwhelm him to get him to calm down." Boruto decides.
Jiraiya nods, beams as he looks back over to Sasuke's current position.
"Hmm...well, it's worth a shot! Let's get back out there Kid; I'll back you up!"
Boruto jumps forward just as Sasuke ignites the thicket of leaves, 3 clones racing forward.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu! Guys, follow the plan just as we discussed!"
The trio nods, each running for one of Sasuke's limbs. The first two grab onto his arms, the third pinning his legs in place toppling him.
"Alright, hold him still!" The original Boruto calls out, draws up a swirl of wind poised for his chest. He hasn't fully perfected it yet, but if he can form just a partial rasengan to hopefully render him unconscious, then they can put this situation behind them...
"STOP!"
Sakura's shout startles him, pulls Sasuke's body backwards out of his pathway.
Boruto's body smashes into grass, chakra and wind and chakra smashing into earth.
Verdant twists to his remaining clones, shaking them off Sasuke as they fall away into puffs of air.
"Stop, please! Sasuke, this...this isn't like you! Relax, I'm okay and this isn't Naruto." She reaffirms, tightening her grip should Sasuke try to squirm out of it. He leans forward in a gasp, breathes in gulps of air.
Together, they watch as the black marks to his skin slowly recede. Boruto sighs in relief only for Jiraiya to roughly tug him back before Sasuke can take another good look at him or ask him of his future. Himawari lands beside them, only marred with a few scratches from thorns poking at her.
"It's time for us to go."
He looks up to the canopies before they take their leave, tosses a rock to the trees on the southeast side.
"Boy who's been hiding and watching this whole time, grab your teammates and get out of here!" Jiraiya orders.
Dosu drops down from the trees a moment later hesitantly, eye shifting between all of them before placing down his Earth Scroll slowly in a sign of peace. Lord Orochimaru truly did gift Sasuke with a curse seal and yet he assigned them to kill him. Nothing is adding up...
'And then there's kid who appeared out of nowhere who looks like that other blond boy. He shows skills atypical of the regular run of the mill genin. I'm sure I didn't see him or that sister of his during the written exams, so what's their purpose for coming in like this?'
One way or another, he'll find a way to get some answers.
"Yes alright, we'll go. But Sasuke Uchiha, be warned the next time we face off, you may not have the help of your friends and allies beside you."
Sasuke says nothing in return, Jiraiya turning his gaze to the opposite side of the area as soon as Team Dosu is out of sight.
"Alright. And as for Team 10, you can stop hiding now too. Figure out what you're going to do with that additional Earth Scroll." Jiraiya states.
Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino instantly go rigid, Sakura and Sasuke following his gaze as the three reluctantly move from their hiding spots.
"What, you guys were here too?!" Sakura exclaims, Ino shrugging with a flick of her hair.
"Don't act so surprised Forehead! We...We were about to join in until that Old Guy and his crew did so first!"
"No, we certainly weren't planning to take part at all." Shikamaru and Choji answer dryly in unison, stiffening as Ino turns her glare towards them.
Himawari peers over to Naruto, the only person still not awake...
'Why isn't he waking up yet? Does he need medicine?'
Boruto grabs her shoulder before she can take a step closer, shakes her head.
"We have to go; now."
Jiraiya grabs them by his hair taking them back into the trees, forces them to not look back. The way things are now, more enemies and teams have just been alerted to their position.
The best thing to do now is to leave the Forest of Death altogether and observe the rest of the Exams from the shadows.
'Don't know what type of ripple effects this is gonna have, but for now, we've gathered enough information.' Jiraiya determines.
He needs to have another meeting with Sarutobi.
"So...what happened to Naruto here?" Choji questions as the terrain falls silent, poking at his arm and chest with a stick just to be safe. He's still breathing, squirming from his prodding.
"Ugh. Boruto. Himawari. Hinata and I have some questions for you..." Naruto mumbles, Shikamaru's brows furrowing at the unfamiliar names.
Doesn't sound like anybody from their graduation class.
'Whatever. It would be too troublesome to delve into and it's none of my business.'
But that Old Man and his team muttered something about the future, hopefully that doesn't mean it will eventually be something they all have to deal with.
Boruto, Himawari, & Hanabi- Hyūga Compound
It's evening when they return, sun washing the sky in reds and pinks on their backs. They smell of sweat, dirt, and evergreen leaves, Hikari and Hotaru tsking at how long it will take them to be properly clean and presentable before Grandpa.
Jiraiya deposits them at the gates, only states he'll be back to check in when the Chunin Exams are in their final phases.
"I'm letting Hiashi take back over you two's care for now. There are other events at hand that I can't have you two a part of after that fiasco."
Boruto doesn't even argue.
'I really screwed this up.' He frowns, lets Hizami and another guard lead them to the medical section of the manor to fully assess him and Hima for any injuries.
"The 44th training grounds? I don't understand why Master Hiashi agreed to you two going to such a place." Hotaru mutters, scrubs at their arms and legs with some type of disinfectant until they've become a raw pink.
Boruto swings his eyes away from her scolding as Hikari draws up two vials of cloudy fluid.
"Well, we're making sure you didn't bring back any of those nasty creatures' home with you! Who knows what you two stepped in or brushed up against with how long you were in there. A quarantine would be difficult with how often Main members of the clan visit you two or pass by your rooms out the gates for a mission or grocery run, so a preventative vaccine will be best!" Hikari reasons, the brighter of the two.
Himawari nudges him, smiles lightly even as needles get poked into them to prevent any infections not yet visible on their skin. "It's okay Big Brother! At least we got to see Papa briefly!"
Boruto nods slowly, forces on a small grin in return.
On their way back to their rooms they see Hiashi in the meditation room, Boruto pausing making Himawari bump into him.
"Ouch! Why are you stopping all of a sudden Big Brother-"
"Shh! Look, Grandpa's still up!" Boruto shushes her, grabs her by the hand for them to tiptoe where the sun's shadows no longer fall.
"I heard both Naruto and Hinata were successful during the second phase of the exams. From what information I've gathered from the proctors who conducted the first phase, the final parts of the Chunin Exams will consist of one-on-one matches." Hiroko updates Hiashi.
'Good, Papa's injuries weren't too bad then or Kurama healed him!' Boruto beams in relief, Himawari matching his grin.
He leans his ear against the wall, strains to hear if there's more that they're discussing besides just the exams.
"-Well, I suppose this will just show where Hinata stands in comparison to her peers and without her teammates guarding her. However, her feats aren't anywhere near at the level I would like to them to be. I doubt this will change my decision to gear my training more towards Hanabi than her." Hiashi reasons.
'Grandpa is still pretty strict on Mom. I thought he was starting to mellow out!' Boruto frowns.
A hand tugs at his jacket sleeve, pulls at him when he doesn't immediately look away from the two men's figures.
They might sense their presence already, but neither have moved from their positions.
"Psst, Big Brother! Pay attention!" Himawari hisses.
He finally turns to follow her gaze to the mini version of their aunt.
Hanabi smiles lightly, teasing lilt in her voice.
"If Father notices you, he'll make you and your sister do a lot of exercises around the compound! Usually laps while reciting out quotes on why it's bad to eavesdrop."
'That's not something to grin about!'
Boruto stiffens, sighs as she waves them over to move away from the door.
Not like they can change anything about the exams now.
Hanabi peers them both over as they move to her room, lets the pair take in the area.
"It's nothing special." She considers as they meander over her half-written calligraphy in the corner, stuff animals the colors of fuchsia to pastel yellows along her bed.
Chrysanthemums shades of blue to purple that maybe Hinata collected from the garden rest neatly in a vase upon her desk, the only uncluttered spot in her room.
"You like stuffed bears too!" Himawari admires, Hanabi beaming in return before it cracks.
"Actually...some of this needs to get boxed away. Father said I must make room for the scrolls and weapons I will use for my training sessions. If I'm one day to lead the clan, I'll have no time for such frivolous things."
Boruto blinks, catches Himawari's eye at the haze that briefly passes through their aunt's eyes, shoulders dropping.
Grandpa, and the Hyūga clan in general in this time period, is locked in a coldness of traditions...
And for a moment, she looks just like Grandpa did the first day they met back at the Hokage tower, upset and annoyed at these forced changes put upon him.
But then, just as fast, the fog lifts from pearl.
She claps her hands in delight, peers to Himawari first.
"So, did you tell your brother here that I know who your parents are?!"
Himawari shakes her head, chuckles weakly at her pout. "Err, there hasn't exactly been time to."
Boruto startles, stares between them. "What?! Since when? Only Gramps is supposed to have that intel y'know!"
Hanabi shrugs. "I know Big Sister well enough that she cares deeply for Naruto Uzumaki. Lady Natsu would tell us both to avoid him, but Big Sis typically ignored her warnings."
Boruto clicks his tongue. "Wait, you...you didn't tell Mom or err Hinata; did you?"
Hanabi shakes her head, motions her lips are sealed with her fingers.
But a mischievous grin still plays at her lips, same bubbly nature they're used to rising across her face.
"Oh, I don't have to say anything because they're both suspicious of you guys anyways! I just wanted to ask what you'll do."
Himawari blinks. "Do what?"
Hanabi's smile widens. "When they find out the truth! Geez, as long as you're stuck here, the truth is going to slip out."
Boruto swallows, stomach lurching.
"It will be fine; Toad Gramps can keep such questions at bay."
His voice sounds cracked and wobbly even to his own ears, gaze twisting to falling twilight instead.
Hanabi arches a brow.
"Who? Oh, you mean that weird pervert author everyone was muttering about the other day. Can he really?"
"Why wouldn't he be able to?" Himawari prods at Boruto going quiet.
Hanabi opens her mouth to explain, Boruto abruptly speaking again.
"Because I haven't been honest with how much I told him of the future. I...I didn't mention the deaths and potential deaths I know about."
Jiraiya and Hiruzen- Hokage Tower
"Why did you bring them to the forest of all places? It's not like you to act so recklessly." Hiruzen scolds.
Midnight approaches and they've both been awake since 6:00 am, waning moon now high above the village. Hiruzen looks out over Konoha, restaurants and markets shuttered in dark, only the flashing neon lights of the red-light district awake like them.
Tomorrow he must head to the Forest of Death's tower to observe the preliminary matches, ensure Orochimaru doesn't interfere any further in the exams. Cancelling it now may prevent the invasion, but it could lead to mini skirmishes and Konoha being seen as weak to the other nations.
'Ugh, feels like I'm a child again being reprimanded like this!' Jiraiya silently bemoans when Hiruzen's gaze finally falls back to him.
"Well, I couldn't let them go alone since they were so adamant about it! Besides, Naruto and Hinata didn't even see them!"
Hiruzen moves for his pipe, tobacco doing little to settle his nerves.
"But other people did."
Jiraiya nods, expression turning sour.
"I'm sorry sensei; I didn't get there in time. Orochimaru placed his curse seal on Sasuke. Based on Boruto and Himawari's reactions though, they don't know what that seal is. This means its highly likely Sasuke won't have the mark in his adulthood, so I didn't interact with it."
Hiruzen shrugs. "Or with advancements in technology, he found a way to hide it or not let's it's power influence him. A similar case to Anko it sounds like. I'll ask her and Kakashi to keep an eye out on him."
Jiraiya leans back in his chair. "You know, Boruto said Orochimaru is alive in the future, even has a son that might be transferring to the Academy. I don't know if this means he isn't as obsessed with immortality or if this is a completely different person altogether. Himawari drew a picture of him and it matches what he looks like from the last time I saw him."
Hiruzen arches a brow, everything Jiraiya's gathered from those two just leads to more questions. "Orochimaru? A son? Are you sure they weren't mixing him up with someone else? Who would want to-"
He stops himself with a cough at Jiraiya's amused grin.
"Don't worry Sensei, my mind went straight to the gutters too! We both think alike that way!"
Hiruzen rubs at his face, time is of the essence. "The next phase of the exams will be the one-on-one tournaments. We'll need to keep a close eye on Suna participants in particular since they're the ones most likely to benefit from this planned invasion."
Jiraiya taps a finger against his desk, drops his voice an octave.
"Orochimaru will be in a different disguise, it would best to not spend any unnecessary time around the other Kage. Even if you have an assigned guard with you at all times. We don't know what time they'll start this invasion, so we'll always need to be on alert."
Hiruzen's features dampen, looks as if he's aged a decade just having to discuss this topic.
And Jiraiya restrains a groan at his old softheartedness for his former teammate.
He moves for his tea over another drag from his pipe, sighs.
"I know. I know. It's just...does Orochimaru really wants to destroy the village he once called home? Has he truly fallen that low?"
Jiraiya leans forward.
"I mean it Sensei. Orochimaru probably has already killed one of the neighboring nation's Kage and will come disguised as them. I don't have full evidence to back this up, but it would be his next likely course of action to keep an eye on Sasuke's progress throughout these last stages of the exam. That, or one of his subordinates will be watching Sasuke until he can step in himself."
Hiruzen stays silent, Jiraiya pushing on to the brunt of what they both know.
"In this worst-case scenario, he'll have already killed a Kage once. He won't be afraid to do the same to you."
Naruto & Hinata-Forest of Death/Central Tower
"Wake up already moron." Sasuke grunts, Naruto's head lolling against his shoulder.
Naruto sifts awake, ground moving beneath him.
Above, thin streams of amber yellow run through the trees.
Morning again.
His mind whirls back to being swallowed alive by that viper, its stomach acid burning his skin, that snake man from Kusagakure striking at his chest.
'Wait, hadn't Sasuke collapsed?'
He hops off of him, jerks his head around quickly.
Sakura sends him a light grin only furthering his confusion, skin marked with fresh bruises, hair sheared short and long in certain spots.
"Hold on, are you two okay?! Where's that crazy snake guy? Didn't he have some lackeys with him and-"
'And I swear I heard Boruto and Himawari's voices.' He stops himself from asking, pursing his lips.
'No, why would they have come here?'
Sasuke waves away his questions. "He left already and his subordinates have been dealt with. We're heading towards the Tower now with both scrolls."
Naruto gestures to his neck. "And that mark? That definitely isn't an insect bite."
Sasuke shrugs, cerulean narrowing knowing he's pressing his luck and mood with his prying for actual answers.
"I'm not sure yet what it is. Some type of seal." He mutters.
"The Curse Seal of Heaven; that was the name that older shinobi gave." Sakura cuts in.
Naruto glances back to her, brows furrowing.
"Which older shinobi?" He presses. From the way Sasuke and Sakura peer to each other silently, more happened while he was knocked out than just those Sound shinobi coming after them.
Sakura shakes her head at his frown. "It all happened so fast; I didn't catch his name."
And for now, he's going to have to drop the subject as the central tower of the forest comes into view. Red and tan brick shoot up beyond the trees, blasted with cool air as they enter the main facilities.
His eyes drift to searching the crowds for Hinata, cerulean brightening when he sees her moving back to her team's side from Neji. He weaves his way over to her, ignores the stares Neji and his own team send him at having rushed off.
If Sasuke and Sakura aren't going to give him full answers, maybe Team 8 knows something.
"Hinata! Looks like your team made it through the forest as well!" He chimes out in greeting.
Kiba snorts at that, points a thumb at himself. "Of course we did! Thanks to my nose and Akamaru's, we got through the forest pretty quick! Plus, we made it here before you guys!"
"A-Ah, you're a bit too close Naruto!" Hinata reddens as he leans his head in towards her.
Her tongue dries, knows they planned to talk to each other regarding Boruto and Himawari, but they had agreed for after the exams; didn't they?
Naruto pushes Kiba aside much to his scowling and complaining, looks her over for injuries despite coppery red blood that clings to the orange of his jacket and pants, dirt and leaves interspersed throughout his hair.
"Good, you're not hurt either!"
Shino's beetles start to form a barrier between the two, Hinata walking around it much to his and Kiba's surprise.
Her eyes drift to the cuts marking Naruto's skin, gaze softening.
'What happened with his team?'
"I...I should be asking you that Naruto." Hinata murmurs.
If anything, that just makes Naruto step a bit closer. His gaze turns smoldering focused only on her instead of the growing range of eyes studying them in confusion and interest.
He throws an arm around her shoulders making her skin flush a darker red, turns them away from their teams and the others. He only has perhaps a minute or two to ask her if she knows anything before one of the proctors or one of their sensei make an appearance once more.
"I'm alright! More importantly, I think maybe Boruto and Himawari were in the Forest of Death for a brief period. I don't know why they would feel the need to come in there though."
Hinata hums lightly. "They might've been concerned about us..."
Naruto nods slowly. "Hmm, yeah maybe! Probably some type of danger they wanted to warn us of, though we'll need to reprimand them on not interfering any further in future missions or assignments we do. Anyways, we'll find a way to dig the answers out of them after we kick ass in here y'know!"
"-Since when are those two so chummy?" Ino nudges Sakura who shrugs. Naruto didn't even wait to see what their scrolls said or hear what their sensei have to say for how the final phase of these exams will go.
"Who knows? But it seems he's helped Hinata come out of her shell and he's no longer pestering me for dates, so it's a win-win to me!" Sakura hums.
Ino giggles, fingers playing with her cut locks. "Well, don't think this means Sasuke is going to suddenly turn around and notice you Forehead! By the way, what's with your screwed up hair? Did it get caught in some thorns or something?"
Sakura blanches, crosses her arms. She says nothing noting from the corner of her eye Kakashi-sensei assessing Sasuke's curse mark in particular, speaking too lowly for her to hear.
'Will Sasuke be disqualified if he uses the power of that mark again? No, I doubt Sasuke would ever agree to that, he'd find another way to fight.' Sakura considers, forces her gaze back to Ino.
"Ugh, no Pig! I just figured it was time for a change of pace! You should look into a different hairstyle as well if you really want to capture any guy's attention." She teases right back.
Ino bristles, their attention shifting to the main screen above before she can answer as their sensei call for them to line up.
"Everyone, the last phases of these exams will soon commence! From now on, you will be conducting in one-on-one matches. The winner of each match will go on to the final rounds to be conducted a month from now!" Hiruzen announces.
His gaze briefly lands on Orochimaru still in disguise, Jiraiya's warning echoing in the back of his mind.
'And in this worst-case scenario, he'll have already killed a Kage once. He won't be afraid to do the same to you.'
He must know at least that they've realized he's infiltrated these exams, but he shouldn't know just how much intel they have on his plans for an invasion. They were too late in stopping him from placing that seal upon Sasuke, but that doesn't mean he'll automatically go to him.
They still have time.
Hiruzen's eyes narrow. 'Former student or not, I will put a stop to any ideas you have for destroying the village.'
He gestures for everyone to turn their focus to the monitor above which will randomly decide who will face who. Hayate Gekko steps forward to explain the rules for each match on how a victor will be declared with their opponent can no longer or fight or forfeits.
Everyone's gazes turns to the screen then for the first match to be held.
Naruto vs Kankuro.
Naruto grins, catches Kankuro's gaze who clenches his teeth.
He's already gotten on this kid's bad side once by messing with that one little girl. On top of that, he has little idea of his full abilities.
And the way he looked at him when he was mad reminded him too much of Gaara...
'It's fine. If I can slow him down with Karasu's poison and switch our bodies as need be, I should get out of this okay.' Kankuro decides as he heads downstairs for the main arena.
Gaara and Temari watch him go, neither speaking as he passes them. It's not like Gaara in particular cares if he dies, he's always been seen to him as an annoyance, somebody that constantly gets in the way of satisfying his near constant bloodlust.
A flicker of vermilion flashes in Naruto's eyes as he heads for the opposite side.
"Isn't this great? I've been wanting to deal with you ever since our first encounter."
Boruto-Training Ground 3
'I need to get stronger.'
He should be sleeping, insomnia gripping at him again when he wakes at half past 2:00 am to see dark bags beneath his eyes, eyes coated with red. Himawari thankfully stays fast asleep as he tiptoes past her room for the training grounds, sighs rubbing at face.
"Just a dream, was just another dream." He mutters, still can see leftover vestiges of it each time he closes his eyes.
"You're just another one of Papa's clones; aren't you?" Boruto huffs.
Naruto cracks a weak grin in return. "What gave it away?"
Boruto rolls his eyes, crosses his arms as he plops down on the ground. "Your gaze keeps flickering to the Hokage Tower; your attention isn't fully here. Let me guess, another meeting the real Papa has to be at is distracting you?"
The clone shakes his head. "That's not it! Err, I mean, there is a meeting, but it's not with any of my advisors this time-"
Boruto holds up a hand before he can finish. "I'm tired of your excuses y'know! I'd rather you not show up at all then constantly send a clone for me to spar with!"
The clone's shoulders slacken, follows after him as he moves deeper into the woods. "Boruto, it's the busy season with most of Konoha's schools and the neighboring region's academies all on break for the summer holidays. There's a lot of visitors in Konoha for either vacation or business that Papa-"
"Water Release: Typhoon Burst!"
He dodges the jet of water, matches him blow for blow as two clones leap for him before the original Boruto comes in, curiously steps forward seeing the swirl of chakra forming in his hands.
"Just go away already!"
The clone catches his arm before he can strike, eyes shining in delight.
"Hey, I didn't know you were working on the rasengan-" He starts only for this Boruto to poof into a log.
Oh.
The real Boruto sticks out his tongue when he hops to the top of the trees after him.
"I'm not wasting any more time with a clone! I'm heading to the tower to give the actual Papa a full-on wind and water blast y'know!" Boruto declares, scoffs as the clone poofs away probably to notify his actual Dad of his coming.
It's quiet enough when he gets to the main offices of the Hokage tower, most of the advisors and officials having gone home for the day. He hears Papa's laughter as he approaches his door, pauses when he hears a familiar giggle follow.
'Mom?'
Through the crack in the door, he sees her violet hair, opalescent gleaming against the coming sunset.
Hinata's fingers wrap around Naruto's arm as he gets to a standing position. "Goodness Dear, you're falling asleep midway in signing documents. I'm sure Shikamaru and Shizune don't want to see dried drool on these papers when they hand them over to each manager or executive planning for building those nearby waterparks up north."
Naruto laughs weakly, rubs at his face. "I'm just trying to get this all signed and done in time before the busy season truly begins. Or else-"
Hinata holds up a hand, pokes sharply at his chest. "Excuses Naruto. Being the Hokage isn't a one man show. You have Shikamaru, Sai, Shizune, and a slew of subordinates and advisors I know you can pass some of this paperwork off to. You must utilize emailing and your planner so that you have time to take breaks and come home to us...to me."
Boruto blinks in surprise, rare to hear Mom speak so bluntly to Dad.
Naruto catches her hands before she can fully pull back, looks them over curiously. A series of thin cuts and violet-red splotches line her knuckles to her palms. "Ah, your hands are all scratched up! Were you sparring again with Boruto and Himawari?"
Hinata shakes her head, smile turning crooked. "No, Hanabi stopped by actually. Both she and Father have been...concerned. They worry I should return with the kids back to the manor with how often you're not home to help out with other household duties."
'You shouldn't be here.' His thoughts warn, but Boruto digs his feet in, refuses to move.
Naruto frowns, fingers tightening around her. "What?! Ah, we should stop by the Hyūga compound on the way home then! We'll get a fruit basket too to show that everything is fine or maybe-"
Hinata giggles, leans her head against his chest. "That won't be necessary Naruto; you know I'm happy with you. The conditions were that I defeat her in a match. I may not go out on as many missions like we used to as teenagers, but I still like to keep up with training. Neji always used to say that the best skills he gained was in his downtime when he could concentrate on mixing Hyūga clan techniques with what he saw out on the battlefield. I do the same after doing a few simple C-rank missions or a shift helping out at the hospital."
Naruto blows out a breath as he dips his head down to her. "I'm terrible at all of this y'know. Hokage. Husband. Father. I'll take a leave of absence from work for 2 weeks. That should give me enough time to organize this place some and take you and the kids somewhere nice, yeah?"
Her fingers brush at his whiskers. "Let's head home first, we can discuss this more over food."
She turns to lead them out only for Naruto to spin her back to look at him.
"Wait! Since you're here and we're alone, let me heal those wounds the only way I know how to!" He smirks, presses her index finger against his lips making her skin flush.
Boruto squeezes his eyes shut as he pulls Mom against him, lips meeting.
He's leaning too close to the door, creak of the wood door echoing out.
'Crap! Crap!' Boruto scrambles back, only for the ground to suddenly give way to black, screech of wind in his ears.
A black hole forms at his feet.
And when he looks up again Papa and Mama gaze at him in alarm, too far out of reach to grab onto as he sinks down. His earlier thoughts turn into a sharp hiss in his ears, an endless ringing.
"You shouldn't have come here."
If he isn't going to be able to sleep, he rather as well practice knowing a few more skills to protect himself and Himawari from any shinobi who will take advantage of the chaos if the invasion still happens.
Moonlight guides him along up the grassy path in waves of silver, dew lingering along the grass and slabs of wood from earlier rains.
The bushes crinkle behind him midway between his stretching, startling as he sees white hair come into view.
Jiraiya.
"A bit late to be doing a solo training session, don't cha think Kid?!" He asks by way of greeting.
Boruto's shoulders fall as his tension fades, shakes his head. "Gotta get stronger Toad Gramps! I can't get rusty on all the skills I learned at the Academy or from Grandpa and Auntie y'know!"
Jiraiya rubs his chin thoughtfully as he studies his form. He'd thought at first it was a mistake on Gamahiro's part when he updated him that Boruto left the compound alone, but he's truly trying to train.
"Huh, seems you know quite a bit compared to Naruto."
Boruto's lips flatten, side-eyeing him. "Do you even teach Papa anything? Everyone thinks he's so weak!"
Jiraiya shrugs, grins as he puts his hands behind his head. "Hmm, well, I taught him something considering you and Himawari exist!"
"...Gross! I don't wanna hear this y'know!" Boruto snaps, covers his ears to move away from the pervert Sannin as he laughs.
Jiraiya gives follow as settles down opposite of him, points to the forming swirl in his hands. Boruto instantly dissipates it, unsure what to make of his bemused grin. Either he's going to press him on why he's truly here in the middle of the night training or he's upset at everything he's kept from him and hides it behind one of his usual silly smiles.
The Toad Sannin pats at his shoulders, hums curiously.
"You're just full of secrets, aren't cha Kid? When were you gonna tell me that you know the rasengan?!"
-x-
This story has truly been enjoyable to write, so I started on the next chapter early! As you can see, I've made changes to the matchups, because it would be boring to write the same ones as canon and I want to flesh out some ideas I have for the coming arcs! What that means for the future, time will tell!
As always, pa-tre-ons get early access to chapters along with bonus content for side stories for all my current works in progress and my original writings! I go by TheLovelyMidnightWriter there!
Appreciate any thoughts!
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