Chapter Text
Boruto’s opponent in the first round was Kumogakure’s Yurui. He was a guy who was hard to read, but he had a terrible suppressive power within hisjutsu that turned his bubblegum into bombs.
However, Boruto overcame him.
But his opponent for the second round, Shikadai, was definitely a guy above that level.
Boruto’s tone was light as they greeted each other, but Shikadai’s ability was the real deal.
Even Yodo, the kunoichi who’d been rumored to be ‘Sunagakure’s Hope’ had been easily defeated when faced with Shikadai’s analytical skills.
'I can’t lose...'
His mother and little sister were watching.
His Dad was watching.
Somewhere in the shadows.
He could feel it.
It didn’t matter that victories didn’t count or that his judgment was being quizzed.
Boruto couldn't lose.
Both Shikadai and Boruto were fully aware of the scope of the others' abilities.
They moved carefully, keeping a distance between them. Running randomly from place to place wouldn’t help your score. There was more to this than your fighting style being assessed. You couldn’t make any unseemly movements.
Shikadai’s shadow stretched out.
Boruto avoided the shadow and simultaneously made a hand seal to create clones.
He made four of them.
This was Boruto’s maximum number of shadows clones, which he’d used in the second round, but Shikadai hadn’t watched that fight. On all the missions up until now, Shikadai had only seen Boruto use two clones.
'I’m sure he can stretch out his shadow and catch two of me, but the remaining three will knock him out, and it’ll be my victory!'
“Just as I’d expect from you, Boruto.” Shikadai commented and grinned widely.
His shadow expanded.
“This is....?!”
Shikadai’s ‘shadow’ expanded into a circular shape, dyeing the arena’s field black.
It caught every single one of the five Boruto’s, and immobilised them.
“What do you think, Naruto?”
Shikamaru was smiling proudly.
“Us two generations, parent and child, devoted our efforts to studying this.” He said, “Scattering a ‘shadow’ that’s no more than an optical phenomenon - it took a lot of trouble to pull off. Well, it’s something that can only exist thanks to Temari working with us, though.”
“It’s quite a big thing.” Naruto said. Her eyes were gazing intently at her son.
'Boruto...it’s from here on out that a ninja’s essence is tested...'
Boruto couldn’t flex his fingers. At this rate, he wasn’t even going to be able to take any action.
Shikadai was using all his concentration to hold the five Boruto’s, but Boruto was the one who’d be worn down in the end.
The chakra he was using to keep up his clones alone would cause him to get fatigued far more quickly than Shikadai.
And the minute the equilibrium of their stalemate crumbled, Shikadai would definitely press his advantage.
'At this rate...I’ll lose...!'
His father's face crossed Boruto’s mind.
'!'
He wasn’t going to give up. He was going to take out his best play.
And like this.... His father would approve of him.
Then he will come home and stay. Things will go back to the way they were. They will be a family again.
Boruto desperately lifted one arm and made the shadows clones seal.
It was a fake move.
He didn’t have enough chakra to make more shadows clones than this.
He moved the cartridges hidden under his wrist.
As long as it was small muscle movements, Boruto could pull them off. Shikadai’s technique wasn’t at the point where it could totally control all five bodies.
Out of the cartridges Boruto deployed, several of him appeared.
Ten Boruto’s.
Twenty.
Thirty.
They increased more and more.
That number was far above the range of people Shikadai could immobilise. The copies of Boruto covered the arena far more than Shikadai’s produced shadow had.
Nobody could hide their shock over that overwhelming power.
“This is the same as the Seventh...!”
“Mm. Multiple Shadows clones. When did Boruto get that much chakra....?!” Even his teammates Mitsuki and Sarada were the same.
Naruto watched it all with a fixed stare.
Something had occurred to her.
She more or less understood why Boruto might have done it.
When she looked at the happy faces of her daughter and Boruto's teammates, her heart felt heavy.
But this was a duty she had to bear.
The arena was wrapped up in jubilation and excitement.
Boruto could use Multiple Shadows clones at this age, Boruto, who could use jutsu to this extent without a Bijuu.
That power was seen as incredibly fitting for the son of the legend Uzumaki Naruto, and the carrier of the Uchiha’s blood.
But, just one person was different.
Naruto was the only one who wasn’t smiling.
“....Hinata.” Naruto jumped down close to the boy who had once confessed to her.
“Eh?”
The Hokage gently placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in, whispering in his ear. “Do me a favour and look at Boruto with your Byakugan. Around his hand.”
Katasuke was grinning in satisfaction as he gave his subordinates several orders. Everything was thanks to the power of the technology he’d developed.
From now on, the higher-ups would never call his engineering ‘simply cutting corners by copy and pasting’ again. The sounds of the cheers he could hear from far off felt like fanfare that was praising him.
Boruto raised his hand as high up as it could go to answer the cheers.
The final verdict hadn’t been given yet, but in everyone’s eyes, his victory was already guaranteed.
He could use several nature transformation jutsu and freely manipulate multiple shadows clones. That was a power that surpassed Naruto and Sasuke’s powers when they were young.
It felt good to have all the adult’s eyes on him, full of wonder at how he was no longer at genin level.
'How was that, you shitty dad?'
He’d gained this result without having to dirty his clothes or get covered in pointless sweat.
He felt bad towards his Mom and Konohamaru, but at the end of the day, it turned out technology was the greatest thing.
“Ah....!” The crowd let out an even larger buzz of noise.
It was because the Seventh Hokage, Naruto, had just descended into the arena.
'Naruto...?'
Gaara, the Kazekage, tilted his head in puzzlement.
It was because his precious friend, Uzumaki Naruto, who he had been too late to confess his love to, was the type of woman who kept her private and work life separate, and wouldn’t go down to publicly congratulate her son.
'What’s going on...?'
"Ah...!”
His Mom was here.
Boruto felt a bit bad about deceiving his mom too, but he convinced himself it was necessary.
“Touchan, did you see?!”
Naruto was staring at him.
If Boruto had been a little calmer, he would have realised that right now, Naruto wasn’t happy.
However, right now, Boruto was drunk on the cheers of the spectators.
“Next up, the winner’s gonna be decided!” Boruto said, grinning wide.
Her son held out his fist, a huge smile on his face.
Naruto wanted nothing more than to go along with him, but her role as the Hokage obligated her to act otherwise.
As the village's leader, it was her duty to call him out.
But as his mother, Naruto didn't want to embarrass her son, or even worse get him hated by others.
Don't get her wrong, Naruto was indeed angry at Boruto for what he had done. And disappointed.
But perhaps the reason she didn't snap at him was because she felt like she herself had a share of the blame.
It looked like Naruto was going to reach towards that fist... but she grabbed Boruto’s wrist.
“?!”
The gauntlet and cartridge holder had come out into view.
“I’ve said it before. That the usage of the gauntlet isn’t approved. Using a ninja tool that doesn’t use your own chakra goes against the meaning of the Chuunin Exams, to raise new ninja.”
Naruto spoke with the stern face of a Hokage, but inside, she felt like she had just betrayed her son.
It was ironic, because it was actually Boruto who had betrayed her trust.
But she was a mother, and she loved her children deeply and never wanted to hurt them.
Still holding onto his wrist, Naruto turned to the jounin referee, Rock Lee, and said, “...Boruto is disqualified... Amend the winner to Shikadai.”
Shikadai was making a troubled face, but Lee loudly made the declaration anyway.
Lee was the fairest man in the village. Nobody would try to overturn a judgment he’d made.
“Uchiha-Uzumaki Boruto has transgressed by using a prohibited ninja tool and is disqualified from the Chuunin Exams! The winner has been corrected to Konohagakure’s Nara Shikadai!”
There was a commotion amidst the spectators, then comprehension, and then, finally, booing.
While booing came from all around him, Boruto did nothing but hang his head.
Naruto took off Boruto’s headband. She thought it looked like he might say something in protest, but Boruto didn’t say a thing.
He didn’t say a thing because of the very, very sad look on his mother's face.
Just what he had trampled over, what he’d insulted. Boruto finally started understanding what he’d done.
That was how sad Naruto’s eyes were.
“Let’s go...we’re in the middle of the exams now...there’ll be a lecture later.”
But. Even if Boruto had understood, there was more.
Being told ‘there’ll be a lecture later’ made one thought burst out from Boruto.
"A lecture later...? Then what?! Going back to pretend?? Pretends everything is fine, and not feeling like crap because I'm always going to be my parents' second choice above their stupid job. My whole life is a mess! You always keep secrets, Dad never around. I can't trust either one of you! If you had just put us, your kids first, maybe things wouldn't have turned out like this!!"
Boruto was shouting out his feelings, fueled by anger and frustration.
Naruto froze. She had heard many things in life.
But, seeing her child this hurt...saying these words...
She really felt like the worst mother alive.
Boruto felt awful for taking out his emotions on his mom like this.
Again.
She had always been there for him, despite her busy schedule as the Hokage.
And perhaps that's why he had done it again, because she was the only one there for him—and therefore the only one who could handle his emotions, both positive and negative.
Boruto was no longer a child. He was fully aware that his father's absence did not justify his wrongdoings.
But, he couldn't stop himself from shouting.
He wanted to be scolded by his dad.
He wanted his one and only dad to face his son.
“Boruto...” Naruto looked like she was about to say something, and at that moment, Katasuke and the others stampeded into the arena.
“Squad leader Katasuke?!” Lee exclaimed.
“You bastard...!” Naruto said.
“We’re all also disappointed that Boruto couldn’t become the champion... Seventh.” Katasuke said.
Katasuke had a look in his eyes that Boruto didn’t know.
It was the look of sly adult who would make victims of children. A person who had forgotten he had been a child once, and who would trample on others without shame.
The face of a disgusting adult.
“We’d really been planning to unveil the Scientific Ninja Tool after he won, after all.” he said.
“You....!?” Boruto had finally realised that he’d been duped.
“Everyone gathered here today! This is the Scientific Ninja Tool used by Boruto! He may have been disqualified, but the thing that got him all the way here is without doubt this Scientific Ninja Tool!”
The crowd had gotten very noisy. Katasuke was brandishing the gauntlet and cartridges with a very triumphant look on his face.
“Katasuke!” Naruto looked as if she might restrain him, but Katasuke wouldn’t stop.
It was at this moment that the two ogres appeared in the arena.
It was plain to everyone’s eyes that these two were unknown enemies.
“Hmm...” The younger ogre had fixed his eyes onto Naruto.
Boruto couldn’t move.
It was because he was feeling something he hadn’t experienced yet: He could feel an extremely intense presence, one that threatened to crush him if he made one wrong move.
“It’s this one...” The young ogre’s were darker than thre river styx, “This one holds the strongest and biggest chakra in this seed-plot. If we recover it, we should be able to plant the Tree again...”
“Hey, hey! What’re you people doing?! Right now, this is my--....!”
Katasuke had approached without understanding the situation, and before he could even show off the gauntlet, he was blown back by a single blow from the ogre.
“My Byakugan sees a fox...” the young ogre said, “Fox, come here.”
“So your target is me, huh...” A slight bit of sweat had appeared on Naruto’s face.
It was obvious to the other Kage as well, that this was no trivial matter.
“Let’s go,” Darui said, and Gaara and others began moving as well.
Helping the spectators run away was first priority.
The arena was already falling into panic. The Daimyou and villagers were ordinary people. Before they gained secondary injuries from falling all over each other, they had to be held back.
The giant of the two ogres raised his arms.
"Run, Boruto! Lee, get to everyone!” Naruto ordered, standing in front of the ogre.
Multiple Shadows clones.
One thousand copies of Naruto appeared.
The giant’s fist hit the ground.
And the arena began to crumble.
Various things happened.
Many ninjas used their individual jutsu to protect their loved ones. Amidst them, Himawari was running to save the village children who hadn’t run away in time.
She had hugged a crying child and was just helping them to their feet when...
Above Himawari, a giant piece of wrecked concrete, was flying towards her.
She couldn’t avoid it.
Even if she could avoid it, she wouldn’t be able to support the child.
In front of Himawari's frightened eyes, that large piece of rubble was shattered by the fist of her auntie, Sakura.
However, even if the broken rubble was now scattered into sail pieces, it could still cause plenty of damage.
“Himawari!” Inojin had appeared beside her.
“!”
Without hesitating in the slightest, Himawari immediately gave the child to Inojin. There wasn’t enough time for both her and the child to make it out.
In which case, there was nothing to hesitate over.
Since her auntie had shattered the debris to pieces, it wouldn’t kill her.
She’d be fine if it was just a bone or two....
Just as she thought that, Himawari suddenly found herself softly flying up through the air.
“Are you okay?” Her rescuer asked.
“H-Huh...!” Himawari was too stunned to speak.
It wasn't because she was still in shock about the chaos that surrounded her. No, it was because she couldn't believe her ears.
That voice...!
It was a voice Himawari hadn't heard in a long, long time.
She was not even sure how she could possibly remember that voice after so many years.
But, maybe it was because the person the voice belonged to, was a person Himawari wished every birthday to meet again.
Sharingan eyes just like hers were looking gently at Himawari.
Her father, Sasuke, had saved her with his strong skill.
The figure of Uchiha Sasuke, the extraordinary shinobi, was clearly visible.
Now back on solid ground, Himawari finally found her voice.
She managed to stammer out, "D-Dad?"
Sasuke looked towards her, and his expression immediately softened.
He could see the countless questions in her eyes, and he knew that he had a lot to catch up on with his family.
But, at that moment, it wasn't the right time.
Sasuke gently placed his hand on her head, offering silent assurance that everything would be alright.
His serious expression returned as he looked up to see Sakura. “Sakura, please look after these two.” Sasuke said, turning to glare at the ogres. “...That’s the enemy. Those things I found out about with Kaguya’s scroll.”
Sakura nodded, her own expression serious. She was surprised to see Sasuke back in the village, but recognized that now was not the time to catch up with an old friend.
Sasuke took his Susanoo sword in hand and charged towards the giant ogre. It was the same male he’d failed to kill at the castle.
Himawari saw that sight, and started to run. She left Inojin with her auntie and just ran.
There was no logic in it.
She didn’t have any winning chances.
But it wouldn’t do if she didn’t fight.
Because she was a ninja, and Uchiha Sasuke’s daughter.
Boruto was still frozen in place, unable to move. He had never felt so terrified before. He wanted to act, to save his sister, but his body refused to listen.
Right when he was sure he was about to witness something horrible, his sister got rescued by someone.
And the person who saved her left Boruto in a state of complete shock.
He was already feeling quite shocked by all the events happening around him, but this was a different kind of shock.
Boruto couldn't believe his eyes.
The source of all his anger, frustration, sadness, and longing was right in front of him.
He had heard that his dad was back in the village but had never confirmed it.
Maybe he was scared it was just a rumor, or orperhaps he was afraid to face reality.
But none of that mattered anymore, because his father was right there.
Boruto couldn't even muster up anger towards his dad or feel any joy that their family was finally back together again. Instead, he was consumed with fear and uncertainty, unsure if they would make it out alive.
The ogre who seemed to have given Sasuke an incapacitating blow then noticed Himawari running towards his flank.
He swung his axe sideways.
“Himawari!” A figure jumped in and saved her from the blow.
It was her Mom.
The chakra enfolding Naruto's body was partially combined with the Bijuu. She looked like a fox that had taken the form of a human.
“So there you are! Fox!”
However, carrying Himawari inhibited Naruto’s movements, and the ogres didn’t overlook that fact. The younger one started to approach Naruto.
It was that moment Boruto shook off his fear and moved.
He didn’t think about how he wasn’t a shinobi right now. His body just moved on its own.
He fired every single one of the ninjutsus stored inside the Gauntlet’s cartridges at the ogre.
However, the results were not good at all. One after another, all the jutsu that Boruto threw were swallowed up by the young ogre’s right hand.
The ogre looked irritatedly at Boruto.
Boruto thought he was going to be killed. He saw no way out of it.
“Wait!” His Mom forced her way between them.
It looked like Boruto had been able to buy time. Right now, he could only be satisfied with having done that.
“Who are you guys?!”
“I am Ootsutsuki Momoshiki.” The younger ogre gave his name.
“I’m Ootsutsuki Kinshiki.” The giant ogre gave his name as well. He had a thundering voice.
“What are you after?!”
“We only want to start over what Ootsutsuki Kaguya, who used to be in this seedplot, failed to carry out.”
“That being retrieving the scattered chakra by gathering it into one fruit." The ogres had given their objective.
In other words, they believed that even if Naruto and the others knew what they were after, they couldn’t be able to do anythign about it. It was a sign of their contempt.
"And what do you guys want to do after you obtain that fruit?”
“We will cultivate cinnabar panacea.”
Those were words you didn’t hear often.
“Cinnabar?” Naruto said. “So this is about a drug!”
“Exactly. Perpetual youth and longevity, supernatural phenomena, all can be gained by simply eating that cinnabar panacea.”
The ogre named Momoshiki turned his hand to show the curiously coloured pill in his hand. “You can easily achieve results without any hard work, after all.”
Those words of his stabbed at Boruto’s insides.
It was because he thought: he and I are the same.
“It’s something you inferior beings couldn’t understand.” The ogre said.
With a cold look on their eyes, as indifferent as if they were merely looking at pebbles on the side of the road, the two ogres rose up into the sky.
“Kaguya’s scroll said that some day those guys who come to take the chakra fruit."
It was Sasuke who spoke.
“It looks like the reason Kaguya was gathering White Zetsu soldiers was so she could fight against them...”
In other words, they were enemies who even Kaguya wouldn’t have been able to oppose without an army.
This was the worst possible development.
For Momoshiki up in the sky, the ninja down below had nothing to do with him. For him, this whole business was just a miscellaneous task.
“...Since it wouldn’t do if we didn’t nicely put this seed-plot into order...Might as well get to it now...”
Momoshiki took out the cinnabar panacea pill from before, and threw it into his mouth.
“Fox...you won’t die.”
Momoshiki held out his right hand with the pattern on it. The design began to glow.
"But the rest of you...."
And a storm of fire rained down.
X