The arrival at his own home made him feel somewhat peculiar. It did not seem at all the sensation of returning to her home. It was quite strange for Boruto, that his own father was walking with two of his clones a few steps behind him. It was impractical and somewhat comical surveillance. Where was he supposed to run? Who the hell would dare attack him in the middle of the bloody village and in broad daylight?
Boruto didn't care about anything that particular morning. He was in too much of a good mood to dwell on stupid details. According to Sai, Root did not consent to Sasuke Uchiha's death. So he ordered her to stop all attempts at conflict against that subject. And that basically meant that not only the network of Shinobi in the service of the Hokage would be watching to avoid it. But also the secret group belonging to the "dark" part of espionage. Leaves and roots, on their way to destiny.
Along with Bolt, his sister Himawari accompanied the path of him taking his arm. She always had that familiarity and tenderness towards him. She was the only one who could be that close, the only one in the Boruto had the utmost confidence. But the thought of him was not with Himawari, nor with his father watching over him, nor with his mother waiting at home. Actually, he was too focused on not grinning like an idiot. The night before had been one of the most powerful sexual experiences of his young life. He had fucked Sakura Uchiha many times, but it was the first time that he couldn't get her out of her mind. What was happening to him? It was not advisable to lose concentration like this. Love? Was he in love with that woman?
By the time they reached the entrance to the Uzumaki house, his mind was wandering to the near future. It was useless to evoke past nights, not even the last one that he was so happy with. Now the new plan was measured in months. Train and prepare. Place all the strategies learned at the service of a mission. His last mission. No support from the Hokage, no assistance from Root. He was almost alone. Although he still had a couple of plays up his sleeve.
"We have returned Onii-chan…" Himawari confided as they passed through the door of her home.
They walked down the hallway from the lobby, and came to the kitchen where they met Hinata. It was when Naruto spoke again. Looking at his son harshly.
"They are forbidden to leave this house, and I mean both," the father clarified to his two sons, "until negotiations with the Hyuuga clan are resolved. They will stay safe in this house. Have I been clear Bolt?
Hinata was also present. And both she and Himawari knew that this could be the beginning of a classic father and son discussion. The more Boruto grew, the more distance he had put with his parent. Although lately they seemed to have smoothed out some rough spots. The strong personality of the young man made it more complicated. But overall, both women understood that Boruto was not prone to taking threatening orders passively. However, the young man did not seem affected in his good spirits.
-Negotiations with the Hyuuga clan? The young man barely smiled, looking at his father with some ease, "and you will do the honors for our Oto-san clan?"
-I will… Bolt-kun…. Hinata said lightly.
Both her children and her husband looked at her. Hinata was standing behind the center counter in the kitchen. But with her hands crossed in front of her as a sign of respect, she almost seemed about to bow to greet them diplomatically. But she had a look totally out of the natural sweetness. Naruto was very surprised. Hinata's last days had been a revelation for her husband. It was as if the huge, heavy chains of her strict family upbringing had been released.
-Good good ... -Bolt added, smiling confidently and satisfied, to the comment- Oka-san will undoubtedly take care of everything. Nice to know that I have support for a change.
"I'm here too Onii-chan," Himawari whispered without letting go of his arm.
"Of course I do," the blond young man smiled at him, "and we will train very hard together, starting tomorrow." Truth?
-Hai… Onii-chan- she replied smiling happily.
The conversations entered the realm of everyday life. And in a couple of hours while they had a family lunch, the idea that everything was entering normal lanes was consolidated. Of course, Naruto could not fall into the trap of thinking that the general situation was improving. While it was notable that his children were strongly attached to each other. And that clearly Hinata, she had achieved a much stronger rapprochement with them than before. There was something about Bolt's safety that made his father doubt whether he would obey the imposed truce rules.
Naruto considered the years gone by. While he used most of his time on paperwork and meetings. In her own home, Hinata had hidden and trained her children in the use of the Byakugan. She had kept many things from him. And Bolt hadn't been exactly forthright in her affairs either. Right now, due to negative circumstances and crossfire, Boruto was thinking of a crazy plan of confrontation with Sasuke Uchiha. How to avoid it?
In the evening hours, when everyone began to retire to rest. After seeing his daughter leave, just when his wife had finished cleaning the kitchen and was going into the bathroom to shower; Naruto again had a personal chat with his eldest son. He needed to reaffirm the situation. He needed to have a clear answer from Boruto, or even more clearly, his word from him.
-Boruto ... -the father called him, when he saw him retreat down the hall to his personal room-I just want to tell you ...
-Yes?
"That you are forbidden, under all circumstances, to leave the house," he looked at her firmly, "and if you disobey this time, like your father I will punish you." But like Hokage in addition, you will be suspended and imprisoned.
The young man need not be surprised. The Hokage could press charges for any fictitious situation, or even if Shikamaru Nara kept poking his nose, some real cause. The goal of keeping him in the hospital longer than necessary, coupled with his evident current isolation movement. He gave a typical conclusion. Naruto could conceive of no other plan than to prevent Bolt from directly confronting Sasuke.
-Anything else Hokage-sama? –Boruto pointed out, smiling slightly.
-I will personally handle the matter with the Hyuuga. And about your stupid idea of fighting with a guy like Sasuke, -Naruto turned to go to the room- forget about him. That will never happen.
-Of course, yes ... -Bolt admitted recovering an imperturbable gesture- Uncle Sai warned me during his visit to the hospital, that now you knew everything about my plan. And what will you do about it Oto-san? I mean, in addition to keeping me locked up here in the house.
"I'll talk to Sasuke," added the Hokage seriously, "it can be solved without a fight."
-Of course ... - Boruto pointed ironically- everything will be solved without staining his hands with blood. Typical of the Shinobi. A usual move of traitors. We're just going to chat amicably, until Sarada-chan gets pregnant with her own father.
-What are you talking about?
-That you can't do anything to avoid it, and you know it… –Boruto whispered, approaching his father and both being face to face- This is not going to solve it with an evangelistic talk. I can pretend that I accept your orders. But ultimately, when I'm ready to fight, I'm going to go get it.
-He hardly ever comes to the village.
-I have the best method to make it come. I'm going to screw up his plans. I'm going to fuck him like no one else ever has. No one will be able to stop me.
-It's crazy to think that he wants to do something so disgusting to his own daughter. You're just confused. I know him perfectly as to….
-Think he's a traitor? How to believe that Sasuke Uchiha pursues his personal ambitions, beyond all common good? What is he not capable of raping his daughter? What will he have any qualms about his possibility of perpetuating the sharingan? What will not ... assassinate whoever stands in his way to achieve his goals?
Boruto eluded his father in the hallway at the end of his questions. The silence grew heavy and they both seemed enemies rather than family. But the young man, a few meters away, stopped to say something final:
-This is going to happen Oto-san… -he sighed deeply as if telling an old unchanging story- I will obey your orders and I will not set foot outside the house. But eventually Sarada-chan will come to see me. And I'm going to propose to her.
Naruto stopped breathing, his pulse was racing and he wasn't able to even turn around to look at his son. Those words without any threat, seemed like a prediction of fate.
-She is going to accept it, and we will both be happy -Boruto continued- then you must negotiate with Sakura-sama the marriage contract, since Sasuke is never in Konoha. Then, when the agreement is finalized, her husband returned as soon as he found out everything.
-He does not….
-Then there will be no difficulties, right? –The young Uzumaki smiled slightly- Sasuke is not going to object to the son of his only friend marrying his daughter. Truth? he has no reason to object. But of course, some sectors of the Konoha council will not agree. As a Hokage, you will receive other marriage proposals for me to be engaged to any other woman, before it is Sarada-chan. And because? For the simple fact that the advice also requires perpetuating the sharingan at all costs.
-Not that…
-So what are you going to do Oto-san? –It interrupted the young man- are you going to interfere in the agreement with the Uchiha? Will you try to deviate me from the path? Are you going to commit me to someone else so I don't have to clash with Sasuke?
-We do not know with your mother, what will happen in the Hyuuga affair. - Naruto made an excuse, who did not even want to think about the dire possibility that Bolt erected as reality - Long before all this.
-In a couple of months it will be all Oto-san… ..in a couple of months it will all end. It is a promise.
And he left the place, straight to his room. In the following days they did not speak to each other although they lived in the same house. Naruto would spend the next month in chaos. His work as the Hokage had only just discovered the depth of complexity between secret ninja clan agreements. He had Sai and the ANBU on him, tracing every contract and every agreement that was raised behind the back of the laws in the village. And the matter of his son was still there, waiting like a ready-made bomb. Willing with all his spirit to explode.
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The Hokage's office was occupied by the leader, and two of his most trusted people. The last few weeks had been one of investigation and restructuring. Naruto not only had problems with his son Boruto and the relationship with the Uchiha. Rather, all the paperwork was increased to certain diplomatic movements that were necessary to carry out.
In the early years of his dominance as Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki had directed all his efforts to try to achieve a stable and lasting peace with the rest of the villages. Konoha in his internal politics had always seemed quite calm and controllable through the sporadic meetings of the clan council. Of course, note that a whole underworld of pacts without signatures that led to heirs or fatal accidents; it was changing his idea of a peaceful village loyal to his command a bit.
The last taste of that disappointment was to find out that his daughter Himawari was attacked in the middle of her mission by the Hyuuga. Combined with this event with attacks on his son and sister-in-law by his own family, they would have disastrous political consequences. His children had the Byakugan, and they were too powerful to be ignored in the power play in Konoha.
Sai and Shikamaru, constituted the right hand of Naruto. While the ANBU leader had been less involved until a month ago, Councilor Nara was the one accompanying the Hokage to every meeting, or every major strategic decision for years. But just in those days, the canons of importance had varied quite a bit.
-Sai ...- said the Hokage seriously, sitting behind his desk- I want a full report on my wife's meeting with the council of her former family. I reckon they will have finished about an hour ago. So tell me what you have to tell me.
-Hokage-sama… -said the pale Shinobi-the ANBU who escorted her wife to the meeting with the Hyuuga, then accompanied her back to her house. She is safe.
-That's not what I want to know Sai -Naruto pointed out somewhat annoyed- If there was even the possibility that those bastards could harm my wife, I assure you that she would not let her get close to that. Give me the information on what they talked about in "secret".
Sai had had an ANBU team accompany Hinata to the Hyuuga neighborhood. And one of the escort ninjas also had the mission of spying on everything. Naruto was no longer going to keep the ANBU passive in his village. Now they would be there to keep you informed of every meeting and secret pact between clans. And in this particular case, he had a special interest.
Sai had an astonishing coldness on these questions. But even Shikamaru found it exasperating that he was taking too long to open the two scrolls that his spy gave him minutes before the private chat in that office began.
-I think I can read the final comment of my informant… -Sai said smiling barely- that can give you an initial answer. And then they can review what was discussed in the meeting, word for word. And I will quote verbatim…. "Uzumaki Hinata-sama, she seems to have gotten everything she wanted. She knew the internal laws of the Hyuuga clan, her upbringing as the leader's daughter helped her take advantage. She was relentless and they had to give in. She basically managed…" Sai stopped reading and He showed a confused expression.
-Basically what…? Naruto inquired eagerly.
-Sorry for this, but she says…. she "she basically she managed… .to cut off the testicles of the entire council of elders… .including her father"
Naruto widened his eyes. He surely did not expect such a "crude" performance. Or he simply did not quite understand how his tender and kind wife, he could tear the pride of half a dozen old men by collecting it in a contract scroll, to end a possible war.
"I have to admit it Naruto ..." Shikamaru agreed satisfied "when you told me who would lead the negotiation with the Hyuuga ...
"She said that she would take care of her ..." Naruto smiled slightly, remarkably satisfied "she really had my doubts but ...
-But what? –Sai questioned to make him finish his argument.
It took Naruto a while to admit to himself what he was going to say. But since he was not overly proud, and he had to explain what he had concluded ...
-But apparently, Boruto thought that his mother would handle the negotiation perfectly. He seems to know her and trust her more. He –she made another pause- of what dares to trust me.
It was evident that this situation hurt him. Shikamaru, and even Sai clearly noticed it. Perhaps Naruto was experiencing the pain of his family ties wearing off. Or he feared for the safety of his children. Whatever the variable of the situations posed, there were many more problems to be overcome.
-Shikamaru ... -said the Hokage after regaining his concentration- What have you found out about your suspicions of a new Root? You told me you had new information.
The matter had been delayed too long. Shikamaru took his time collecting every possible piece of information about diplomatic situations abroad. But since Boruto's threat, he had to check the internal personnel of the Hokage tower. In search of information leaks. Shikamaru was very intrigued to know the truth. Who exactly had Boruto Uzumaki become? Was he friend or foe? Was he functional to Naruto's power, or was he just waiting for the moment to get more power from him? The problem with thinking of a new version of "Root" was that the previous one had no other mission than to increase the power of Danzou. Why would this be different? What other mission could he pursue if it was a time of world peace that was unfolding abroad?
"I don't have any conclusive proof," Nara pointed out, serious as always, "but it doesn't surprise me either." I am supposed to be looking for an association that is even hidden from the ANBU. Or maybe it's just a part of them.
-Is Nara-san making an accusation against me? Sai consulted calmly.
"I just made an observation," Shikamaru replied, although his intention had been to explore it, "we have suspicions with Naruto of a new" Root ". You belonged to the previous one, right? maybe that's why ANBU never reports anything concrete about strange incidents. It is as if they are blind.
Sai showed no apparent emotion, but that could be because of his natural coldness. He took a step closer to the Hokage's desk. Perhaps he chose to ignore it, or simply divert attention to another matter.
-Hokage-sama wants me to retire as ANBU leader?
-What are you talking about Sai? –Asked Naruto surprised- don't talk nonsense.
"If I am no longer useful to him," continued the pale Shinobi, "there is no point in continuing to be in command of the special units." Or maybe the bum, he can do my job better.
-Calm down ... -Naruto smiled slightly when he saw how Shikamaru sighed behind in pure frustration- they are only conjectures of this friend who does not stop thinking about conspiracies around me. From time to time I have to remind him of the situation of peace, with the rest of the countries.
-But it is not the only problematic situation that can arise -Shikamaru indicated- or I have to remind you what can happen with Boruto.
-Nothing will happen with Boruto -sai smiled slightly- he is locked up and guarded in his own house. I have 4 rotating teams covering the area. Also, as ordered by Hokage-sama, I have a full report on Sasuke Uchiha's activities.
-How bad is the situation?
"I have partial confirmation of the information," Sai added, many families, many children in different places. But clearly no notable links. The search for the sharingan has taken him down different paths. Everything to end up obtaining what he was looking for right in Konoha.
-Sarada Uchiha….-Whispered Naruto- Really Sasuke, he's going to….
-My information about the Uchiha clan is conclusive -defined the ANBU leader- The deception of inserting genes into the inheritance of the next generation was habitually practiced. The power of the sharingan performed the rest of the cover-up.
-What options do we have to present this information to the clan council?
-Giving birth to a secret clan practice won't do much good. –Shikamaru admitted with crossed arms- although the council might think of banning it, they would do more to ignore it.
-Why?
-Because each clan has its own practices. The Hyuuga, the Yamanaka, the Nara, the Inuzuka. The contract with Konoha never included setting aside ancient customs. Inbreeding is an ancient but valid practice for preserving inheritance. And even if you legally get a favorable vote to prohibit Sasuke from doing what he wants, he will not adhere to a hypocritical law either. The council of clans and especially the elders, unofficially want the sharingan to spread at all costs. And if that means that Sarada Uchiha has to pay a price….
Naruto was silent. His elbows rested on the desk, and his chin rested on his knuckles. He had to think, he had to find a way to act to control the situation. But what could he do? What was the best solution?
-Sai… I want you to send one of your men for Sakura.
-Sakura-san? –Sai consulted
-Yes, I have to talk to her in private. Surely there will be something she can do. She is my friend, she would have told me if she was so serious. It's ridiculous to think that Sasuke wants to do something so horrible to his own daughter.
Both Shikamaru and Sai looked at each other slightly, they did not quite understand how Naruto could be so optimistic in a dark situation. What did he hope to achieve? However, none of them dared not trust Naruto. They knew him too well to doubt his ability to find peace. From his virtue of doing the impossible. Of his loyalty to his friends. Without a doubt he would help her. Sakura had always meant a lot to Naruto. She would always be there to help her if possible.
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The practice in the backyard was over ...
They did it hard, and for several hours. Boruto had started alone long before, and by the time Himawari joined him, the physical age advantage was even. They practiced Junken's style, and loyally tried hard to improve. Boruto really liked being with his sister. He was the only person, with whom he did not feel like trying to hide a part of himself. He was sitting on the wooden steps to enter the interior of the house. And his sister, right now, was busy bandaging the wounds caused by so much practice.
-Onii-chan ...- the girl whispered as she took more bandages from the medicine cabinet- take off your shirt, your chest must be ...
"I'm fine Nee-san ..." Bolt answered thoughtfully, although clearly his chest hurt from so many blows "I just have to rest for a few hours.
-Take off your shirt please.
It was useless trying to hide it from him. After all while they were training, Boruto had made sure to expose the center of his chest. His most dangerous idea to face Sasuke Uchiha was also the only one possible. The one that could give him a chance. Although, after studying it a lot, he required more than a single lucky move to achieve the expected effect. It was better to think of a global strategy.
As he removed the top of his black combat garb. He was beginning to notice that Himawari hadn't applied half his force to hitting his chest. If it had been a real fight, two deep attacks would have been enough to defeat him. How to withstand a direct hit from a ninja like Sasuke?
"You find yourself too pensive Onii-chan ..." her sister whispered in his ear, as she adjusted the bandages around Bolt's chest. "Why did you let him hurt you so much?" You shouldn't be thinking about anything else while we practice. Do you think I haven't noticed that you neglected your defense all the time? Why did you do it?
-It's not too much damage, calm down -the serene blond smiled- not as much as the help you always give me. I know that I can trust you.
Himawari wrapped bandages around his torso, at the level of his heart he had the most damage. The girl was aware that if she had had the real intention of killing her brother, she would not have been careful to "deflect" the impacts of the attacks from her vital points. Neither she nor she would have subtracted chakra from each damaged point.
Hinata at that moment, stepped behind them in the hall. Her mother seemed very calm and satisfied. She had taken the morning to go to the Hyuuga neighborhood as the young people knew. She surely she already had the whole arrangement finished.
Some time later, Boruto and Himawari entered the kitchen, where her mother was waiting for them with tea that she had planned to offer them a few minutes later. They sat around the central counter, chatted quietly, and some time later, Himawari decided to retire to go for a bath.
-Ka-san… .- Bolt said as soon as he was alone with his mother -How did he do in the meeting?
-The problem was solved son ... -the woman smiled slightly- they will not attack us again. It simply does not suit them.
-It does not suit them?
"Although we have never looked for him with your father," Hinata added as she raised the cups and ordered the counter, "we took away the exclusivity of the Doujutsu they owned." Now the Uzumaki clan has to give them something in return.
-Do we have to give them something in return? Bolt's eyes widened in surprise. "What are they supposed to ask for?"
-They didn't ask for anything Bolt-kun, they're not in a position to do it. –Hinata said with an amused giggle- I was the one who imposed the terms. They have to pay for the attacks, and they will pay for it with their pride. Although clearly, the deal ended up benefiting them, for that reason they had no choice but to accept.
There were no further details on the matter. But Boruto didn't need it. When he saw his mother and heard her voice in recent weeks. He felt that he could fully trust her. He saw her uninhibited and at the same time under her control. Himawari hadn't said anything to him, but it was clear to Bolt that her sister had influenced Hinata. It was clear to the boy that Himawari had used her partial pressure techniques on some points in the brain. Perhaps he reduced the sectors that mark the inhibitions. Just as they once practiced years ago on Bolt himself. Although the technique already perfected, Hinata would not be totally free of limits.
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With the matter of the Hyuuga-Uzumaki dispute resolved unofficially, Naruto no longer had any more reasons to forbid his children from leaving the house. Of course, both young men learned of the end of hostilities through Hinata. But although it seemed the beginning of other difficulties, Boruto decided not to change his daily routines.
He got up late, (not before 9 o'clock) had a light breakfast courtesy of Hinata who was always cleaning the house usually. And he trained his body hard until noon. After lunch, he would rest for an hour and return to technique practice for most of the afternoon. Himawari used to join in that practice that part of the day. Sometimes Hinata stayed with them. He gave them advice by remembering the training sessions with his cousin Neji, and there were even a couple of occasions where he also participated. And after dinner, he spent half his nights studying the dozens of reports on Sasuke Uchiha. Every mission, every detail, every little piece of ancient history. However, he not only had to plan an impossible battle to win, but to figure out how to remove his father from the game. At least until the right time.
His relationship with Naruto was improving day by day. While the Hokage cared a lot about the Uchiha matter. Boruto didn't give him a reason to disagree. He had fully obeyed the order not to leave the Uzumaki house. He never refused to share family lunches, and was calm and smiling. He only leaving the seriousness and maximum concentration for the workouts. One afternoon, Naruto was keeping an eye on his son while he was in the backyard training. What Boruto was doing at the time, was chakra concentration. Sitting cross-legged, leaning his back against the trunk of the largest tree, the young man tried to gather his power and reserve it. Control it, stabilized. It invariably reminded Naruto of his own training on the sacred mount of toads. When he learned the art of the hermits.
-What are you doing Bolt? –He consulted the clone of Naruto standing on the porch to enter the house- meditating?
-In a way, if Oto-sama… -the young man answered seriously- I am accumulating my chakra in the inhibiting seals of my body. I reduce the natural amounts that I have, to gain control and train the soft palm techniques better. At the same time…
-You accumulate reserve chakra, to release it with that technique you used in our fight. I understand.
- "Raging soul" is not only my best opportunity to train better. But a technique that gives me a similar power, to the open doors of the chakra. At least during tough battles.
The Naruto clone was silent. His obligation to constantly keep an eye on Boruto had unconsciously benefited her from spending more time with him. He learned to know him again. Not the impertinent and demanding child that he knew how to be. He but the applied and focused Shinobi that he now he was demonstrating at every step his Nindou. Still, it hurt him a bit to admit to himself that he couldn't fully trust Bolt. Otherwise, he would already be the ideal age to take him to the hermits and instruct him in the power of the Sennin. Aptitudes he had, of that there was no doubt. But it was a matter of trust what he still hadn't been able to achieve with regard to his son.
The problem for Naruto, he was moving slowly but surely ...
It had been a week since he had that unpleasant conversation with Sakura in private. Naruto spent almost an hour trying to get a confession from his old friend of the problems he was having. They drank tea, talked about the past. Naruto tried to remind her of the old friendship and trust that had accompanied them since the days of team 7. But the hairy one, she did not show a single expression of concern. Naruto however, knew that Sai's reports were real. Sakura had never been able to lie to him properly. The Hokage learned two sad realities from that meeting. That Sakura had a huge problem, feeling helpless about it. And that the hairy girl had chosen not to trust Naruto to solve it.
-How long will you keep training so hard? –Naruto asked with crossed arms and leaning against the door frame –You should take a break.
-I will rest when Oto-sama dies –the young man replied impertinently- for the moment I need to be stronger. I have approximately 45 days to be ready.
-It's a short time, you need years for the madness you want to do. Reflect on the nonsense you think.
In the middle of the following month, Boruto Uzumaki turned 18. It was the time where he could legally be part of a marriage contract. The great issue would begin to unfold from that moment on. Naruto understood why his son was setting short deadlines for training.
"We'd better prepare a meeting with Sakura and Sarada-chan," Bolt barely smiled, "I'm eager to propose a marriage engagement." I do not think they will refuse, after all it is a very friendly family of ours. Truth?
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As the days went by, everyday issues were relieving a rare tension that seemed about to explode every second. Naruto had always been quite innocent, it was both a virtue and his greatest weakness. But in those last few months he had suffered severe blows to the trust he placed in the clan council. Many of the current leaders had been companions of his generation and close friends of his. Others respected the hero of the last war and seemed to support him in everything regarding foreign policy work.
But…
As he had belatedly learned, Naruto could no longer trust those friends, not at least when they acted under the responsibility of leading their respective clans. It was hard to admit, he was sad for someone as frontal as the Hokage. But just as they moved in the clan council only for their own convenience, the blond had to do the same for Konoha.
To do this, he had to do something that he had ruled out from the beginning of his tenure. He removed Shikamaru's influence within the village. To bestow it on Sai, who had the ANBU as a secret surveillance backup above all. In short, Shikamaru was still his trusted man for treaties with foreign countries. But now Sai, he had enough resources to intervene in secret conflicts between clans. Thus avoiding more "accidental deaths" or other illegal matters.
Naruto was uncomfortable making these new changes. Because he basically he had vowed never to use illegal resources for the Konoha government. Root's experience with Danzou in the shadow of the third Hokage had left deep wounds everywhere. But what could he do? He had promised to be the best Hokage of all. He had promised to keep the peace, of Konoha and the entire ninja world. Although this resource was in a certain way "unfair", the consequence of not being aware of anything (witness case was the matter of Kiba and also that of the Byakugan of his children), could be even more serious than moralizing on the resources to exercise the can.
Time kept ticking by, and indeed Boruto Uzumaki's 18th birthday arrived. For that special night, Hinata organized a party in which of course she invited her and her husband's family friends. Sai, Ino and their son Inojin were there. Shikamaru, Temari, and Shikadai. Chouji, Karui and her daughter Choucho. And of course Sakura with Sarada accompanying her. Hanabi and some Hyuuga girls, friends of Himawari, represented the mother clan. The entire dinner was relaxed. Both Ino and Shikamaru had lived these last weeks in suspense due to the knowledge that Boruto had of his affairs. But since they stopped seeing each other, and did not interfere in young Uzumaki's affairs again, they were rewarded with a complicit silence. Just as Boruto warned them, he would not reveal what he knew if they stopped meddling in his problems.
After that dinner, while the adults stayed at the table drinking tea and remembering good old days, the young people divided into groups according to affinity. At first, they were separated by gender. The girls and boys in different areas of the house. But almost at the end of the evening, Boruto went in search of Sarada, and asked the rest of the girls to allow them to chat in solitude. They went to sit at the entrance to the backyard of the house, and looking at the garden they chatted amicably for an hour.
It was strange that all the time separated after the end of the courtship, it had not affected in any way the affinity that both had for the other. Sarada felt, that she was as in love with Bolt as she always was. She felt that the whole separation thing was a mistake, that it should never have happened. She felt that they could be a couple again, because she didn't see anyone else to occupy that place in her life. While the Uzumaki, while admitting that he felt an uncontrollable sexual desire for the mother of his ex-girlfriend, he also couldn't help but notice that he was risking too much for Sarada Uchiha. If he didn't care about his childhood friend. If only he wanted to keep fucking Sakura in secret. He simply would have ignored what he knew about Sarada's fate regarding her father. Let her marry anyone, let Sasuke do whatever he wanted. After all, eventually Sasuke would end up leaving Konoha and Sakura would be left alone and at her disposal. He just had to let it go. Why take so much risk?
-Sarada-chan ... -said the blonde in the middle of the trivial conversations- I would like to talk about….
"We don't have to talk about that," the young woman interrupted, looking away, "you can't do anything." We can not do anything.
They were silent for a minute, they were sitting together looking at the garden, and she leaned over the blonde's shoulder resting her face, in a slight sigh.
-Why should everything be so complicated Bolt-kun?
-He is part of us, of our history. Hyuuga and Uchiha always protected their Doujutsu at any cost. The Inuzuka even related to dogs sexually, to gain animal skills. Aburame often have colonies of insects on their bodies. Even the Uzumaki had their difficulties. All the accumulated power of each ninja clan, always had consequences.
-You… Knowing about history? Sarada smiled at him, looking at him sideways. "Where is my fool friend from the academy?" The one who didn't know anything about anything?
-Ouch ... that hurts ... Sarada-chan -the blonde pouted pretending to be offended- I was studying a lot. It is unfair that you know everything ...
They both laughed, the atmosphere was incredibly relaxed. They had been friends from the most elementary childhood. Always together, always sharing everything. That Sarada had fallen in love with her best friend only served to intensify the initial empathy even more. However, when Boruto entered Root, a part of who he was as a ninja, he had to hide it from even his best friend. And when she was his girlfriend, the problem escalated.
-You said that the Uzumaki also had their problems….
-Umm? What do you say Sarada-chan?
"You just said it ..." she smiled curiously, "what problems do you mean?"
-The Hyuuga have their "secondary branch", the Uchiha were rebels without loyalty. And the Uzumaki a dangerous and uncontrollable excess of chakra. Each clan has always had strengths and weaknesses. We all have a burden to carry. But before thinking of anything else, we must plan what to do. So you don't end up being just an incubator.
"No one can intervene," Sarada whispered depressed, "no one can help us."
"There is only one thing left to do Sarada-chan ..." said the boy, smiling at his girl softly. "Would you accept ... ... marry me?"
And fate began to roll towards the obvious ...
To the inevitable ...
End of chapter.