With a wide grin splayed across his face he followed his father towards the dining room — blue eyes took in the scene. The smell of ramen permeated the air — it was beginning to make his mouth water. Giving a small giggle of glee, he pulled out his chair and sat down, practically jumping in his seat waiting for his father to join in – chopsticks in hand. Dinner with his old man, quality time. He hasn’t felt this happy in so long — the type of joy that would make him physically squirm in a silent hallelujah.
The chopsticks broke, but not perfectly. It was more like a snap. Boruto felt the blood drain from his face. Flashbacks began playing in his mind — Mitsuki unable to move, Kawaki protecting his father, Sarada about to be crushed…the only thing he remembered: I must protect her. Her safety was all that had mattered to him at that point in time. The future Hokage should never fall in harm’s way. His job was simple: make sure she did not fail. It was his main objective and yet somehow…Momoshiki had gotten to him.
Iғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪsʜ ᴛᴏ sᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴇʀ, ᴛᴏ sᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴠᴇɴᴇ ʙᴏʏ.
Boruto had given in and blacked out. He wanted so badly to remember what had happened – So caught up in his own mind he hadn’t realized the chopsticks he’d been holding had completely broken, clenched fist-shaking, shallow breaths. What was going on with him ? Sarada was the one that finished off Boro, right ? His hand ran through his bangs, holding on tightly to his head. ❝ N-No. I can’t remember ! I-I didn’t do anything, it was Sarada, right ? Right, tou-chan ?! ❞ Pleading eyes fell onto his father. His old man wouldn’t know, would he ? No, he was out cold while they battled — so why did he …
ANXIETY PIERCED HIM LIKE A DAGGER as he rushed off his seat to hold Boruto, catching his chopsticks as they fell in pieces. Naruto gritted his teeth in anger - mainly with himself. He should’ve seen this coming. That sinister night left a scar on Boruto -- and, today, it bled. On his birthday. Symbolically and ironically. Reminding Naruto of his inadequacies. He held his son tightly, picking him up and carrying him over to the couch. He needn’t stay in the same environment that triggered him.
“Hey, calm down.” He tried to say soothingly. During a moment like this, he only wished Hinata-kun was home. “Listen to me. You didn’t do anything. What happened that day -------- you tried your best. We all did.”
Though he didn’t like to admit it, Naruto wasn’t always the greatest with words. Not when anxiety jeopardized his ability to think. He took a moment to collect himself, allowing a second of silence to pass by. It was difficult to hear his thoughts over the sound of his thrashing heart. But as he took a deep breath, he found Kurama’s voice and managed to re-establish composure, clear-mindedness finally returning to him.
When he opened his eyes again, he felt the world reach balance. The room stopped moving, and his heart stopped pounding. There was clarity again, and he hoped he could return some back to Boruto too. “Can I tell you a story? I don’t even think Hinata-kun knows about this one.”
He sat beside Boruto. Maybe if he acted calm, Boruto would follow suit. “A really long time ago, back when I was a Genin, only four years older than you, I did something really bad. Not intentionally -- really, it was out of my control. But it haunted me. I didn’t always have a bond with Kurama. On the contrary, he sort of... controlled me. Well, one day when I was in a confrontation with someone, and I lost control over myself, inconsequentially hurting those around me. Including Sakura-sama. A few hours later, I had to watch her lie to me and pretend like nothing happened, but then I saw her patching up a nasty wound I realized I had left. My point is -- sometimes things happen. Bad things. Things that make us feel sick to our stomachs. And we don’t really have control over when we remember them, but what’s important to remember beside those dark times is that you did your best. Because you did everything you could, and that no one blames you for anything that happened. Sakura didn’t. In fact, after that, I vowed to never rely on Kurama’s chakra ever again. So I didn’t. The next time I used my strength, I had mastered Sage Mode. And, eventually after that, I mended my relationship with Kurama.”
He gleamed at Boruto, warmed by memories both good and bad. Things were so different, and he’d no idea they’d turn out this way. “Things felt a lot bigger than they were when I was younger. But this isn’t about me, really. My point being that Sarada understands. You both will grow because of this, not waver. Things don’t always work out the way you plan, but life has an odd way of falling back into rhythm. I’m sorry you had to go through this. It’s a powerful burden that was placed on your shoulders, but I have faith that you’ll be able to navigate it. And you won’t be alone. Your team, myself, Hinata, and Himawari are here. To keep you fighting. To be there as a pillar when you’re not alright. Just promise me you won’t forget that the next time something like this happens.”
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