Chapter 5: Shadows in the Family
The evening had finally settled, and Naruto and Konohamaru remained silent after their grave discussion about Boruto. The atmosphere was heavy and tense, each lost in their own troubling thoughts. Naruto felt a deep unease, a weight he couldn't shake, even as he told himself he needed to be strong for his family. He sat at his desk, staring at the piled-up documents and the clear vision of a future that seemed to be crumbling, while Konohamaru rubbed his temples, exhausted from the difficult conversations.
— "We need to talk to Boruto. We can't keep delaying this," Naruto said, without looking up from the papers on his desk.
Konohamaru nodded, but the worry in his eyes couldn't be hidden.
— "I'll be there with you. But… be careful, Naruto. He's not the same Boruto. It might be harder than you think."
Naruto sighed, letting his head fall into his hands. It seemed like all the conversations and efforts to help Boruto weren't enough. Something much deeper had changed in his son.
That evening, the Uzumaki family gathered for dinner, and for the first time in a week, Boruto was invited to join. But he wasn't the same Boruto. After a day of reflection and solitude in his room, Boruto got up from his bed, took a quick shower, and combed his hair indifferently, without looking in the mirror. He felt a strange fatigue that wasn't related to his body but to his mind—a deep void that gnawed at him from within.
As he walked down the stairs, he heard his mother Hinata's worried voice calling him to dinner:
— "Boruto, we're waiting for you. Come to the table."
That simple call had sparked a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Maybe, just for a moment, everything could go back to normal. Maybe he could feel like he used to, surrounded by a family that loved him. Because deep down, amidst the turmoil and inner rebellion, Boruto wanted nothing more than to feel like he was still part of that close-knit family that had always been there for him.
When he reached the table, he pulled out his chair and sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the plate in front of him. Himawari was talking enthusiastically about her day at the academy, and Kawaki listened attentively, asking her questions from time to time. Boruto watched them all with deep sadness, but no one in the family seemed to truly notice him. Hinata and Naruto watched him in silence, but without a word of encouragement. And Himawari… Himawari didn't ask him anything. She barely even looked at him.
Amidst that heavy silence, Boruto felt his heart tighten. He felt an emptiness inside, a void that seemed to grow larger with every passing minute. He told himself he shouldn't judge them, that it was just a quiet dinner, but deep down, he knew the truth was different. His mother and father looked at him like a stranger, and Kawaki… With that look of pity, with that air of superiority, Boruto couldn't stand it.
Momoshiki, like a constant shadow in his mind, added a final poisonous word:
— "See? If you hadn't killed that ninja, you'd still be in your room, alone, far from these people who treat you like nothing. They don't care about you, Boruto. You're just a tool."
Each word sank into his mind, and that small spark of hope that had ignited when Hinata called him to dinner began to crumble.
Suddenly, Naruto looked up and stared at Boruto with rare seriousness. His voice seemed to echo in Boruto's head even before his father spoke the words that would make any child tremble.
— "Boruto, I need to tell you something. What's happened to you? How are you feeling? You know it's wrong to kill people, don't you?"
Hinata nodded slightly, and Himawari, who had been ignoring him until then, glanced at him. Her eyes were filled with fear, but also with a deep sadness that Boruto could read immediately.
The words hit Boruto's mind like heavy blows. In that moment, everything felt overwhelming. His father was trying to save him, to bring him back, but in the way he was doing it, Boruto only felt rejection and disdain. Hinata said nothing more than "it's wrong, Boruto," and Kawaki's gaze was filled with a silent pity that made Boruto feel small, insignificant.
He couldn't take it anymore. With a quick motion, Boruto slammed his plate on the table, and the food scattered everywhere. An explosion of anger surged through him, and the words came out of his mouth like a scream.
— "How dare you ask me about that? You don't understand anything! You don't know anything about how I feel! And you don't even care!"
Tears of anger welled up in his eyes. He didn't know if he wanted to cry out of anger or sadness, but he felt like everything was collapsing around him.
Naruto tried to respond, but Boruto wasn't listening anymore. In his mind, his father's words sounded like insults. He couldn't bear them. So he stood up abruptly and made his way to the door.
But before he left, a question from Hinata stopped him.
— "Why have you changed so much, Boruto?"
His mother's words cut deep into his soul, stopping him for a second. Time seemed to freeze in that moment. It was the question that haunted him: Why? Why had he become like this? Why had he changed in a way no one understood? It was as if part of him wanted to answer, to tell them the truth, but another part felt the answer was too painful for everyone.
Without answering, Boruto rushed out of the house, leaving them all behind. Leaving them with unspoken questions and confused looks. Stepping into the dark night, Boruto felt the anger and sadness mix, but above all, he felt a huge void—a void that seemed like it would never be filled.
When he reached his room, he began packing his things in silence. It was too hard to stay there, in the midst of that family that no longer recognized him. He waited a few hours, watching the clock with an empty gaze. He knew he had to leave, to leave everything behind. And so, without anyone noticing, he left quietly, leaving behind a house full of unhealed wounds.