Shinobi (Sequel to Otokage)

He's Not Gonna Fall For That.

Right. They'd quite literally set Deidara's pants on fire that time. Satoshi pulled out his phone and opened his gallery.

"I still have pictures."

"Really? Send them to me, I'll make it my new background."

Takeo looked absolutely mortified.

"Guys!" he exclaimed. "You can't- you still have pictures of that?! Delete it, that's horrible! After setting his pants on fire can't we just give him a break and not play a prank on him?"

Satoshi and Ren exchanged glances before looking back at him.

"Nah."

He squished his cheeks together and sighed. He didn't know why he tried when they never once listened to the voice of reason. Takeo watched helplessly as Satoshi slipped out of his seat, took an eraser from the whiteboard, and walked up the door frame to place it between the door and the wall.

"You said a prank," Ren drawled as she tucked her chin length hair behind her ear. "Deidara-oji's practically ANBU. He's not gonna fall for that."

"It'll work," the Uchiha assured with a lazy smile. He climbed back to his seat next to Takeo and waited. Three minutes later at eight o'clock on the dot, the door slid all the way open and a hand reached out to catch the falling eraser. Deidara poked his head through and glared at them.

"Did you little shits really think this stupid-ass trick was gonna work on me, hm? Because th-OOF!"

In the midst of Ren's cackling and Satoshi's full-force tackle their new sensei, Takeo shot up from his seat and ran over to the two bodies that started wrestling in the hallway.

"Shi-kun" he cried. "That's not a prank! That's assault!"

::

Nanadaime Hokage Uzumaki Naruto raked this gaze through the files on his desk. Ah, times like these were always tricky-- especially assigning recent Academy graduates to a sensei that would suit them adequately. He didn't want a repeat of what happened to his Team Seven, though even if took a better turn in the end, his only wish was for others not to go through the years of pain and struggle they did.

The teams he assembled currently he hoped would be for the best, he thought, as he read through the last three teams he put together. 

Team Six: Nara Shikadai, Yamanaka Inojin, Akimichi Chouchou, and leader Sarutobi Mirai. That was an easy enough team to create with the continued tradition of an Ino-Shika-Chou squad headed by a member of the Sarutobi clan. They were going to a future close-combat team.

Team Nine: Hyuuga Noriko, Aburame Shou, Inuzuka Kiyomi, and leader Yamanaka Sai. Sai was one of the older sensei and most shinobi of his age and caliber weren't expected to take on a genin team, but he found a passion mentoring genin and Naruto wasn't one to persuade him otherwise. They were going to be a future tracking team.

Team Four: Uzumaki Boruto, Uchiha Sarada, Metal Lee, and leader Sarutobi Konohamaru. Naruto found it hard to place is son in a certain squad simply based on the fact that Boruto could be... difficult if he wanted to, much like himself when he was younger. So he settled on placing him with the two others he was sure could handle his personality, as well as help compliment each of their three unique abilities. They were going to be a future offensive team.

They were the ones he worried about the most. It wasn't that he doubted their skill or believed that they weren't ready to take on the world, no, nothing like that... it was just... just so similar to the Rookie Nine.

They almost mirrored to the squads he grew up with and it made a shiver crawl up his spine.

His generation had- has- a penchant for attracting disaster, and he wasn't sure how he was going to take it if it happened all over again like some sick round of deja vu.

Someone at his office door knocked twice before entering.

"Hokage-sama."

Naruto looked up from his laptop.

"Oh, Shikamaru. What's up?"

The Nara let out a tired sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck. Naruto knew well enough from experience that the expression his friend and advisor currently wore meant only one thing, or more precisely, was made because of the acts of one person. He stood and gave a sigh of his own.

"What did he do this time?"

Shikamaru gestured outside.

"Nothing much. He's only currently defacing the entire Hokage Monument with red paint."

Naruto pressed his hands to his eyes before he disappeared from his office, an almost distressed call bursting from his throat as he reappeared at his son's side with blazing blue eyes and one hand on his far smaller wrist.

"Boruto! What did I tell you about causing trouble like this?!"

"Stuff it, shitty old man!" the twelve year old bit back viciously. The Nanadaime knocked the top of his head.

"Language! Look, I don't have time for this, okay? I have a meeting with the council in a few minutes to discuss Academy assignments and the last thing I need is for you to cause a disturbance," he chastised. Naruto didn't miss the way the boy clenched his teeth and looked the other way. "Now, you're going to clean this mess up, aren't you?"

Boruto's expression grew a little angrier, but he still avoided looking straight at his father.

"Then clean it up with me! What's the problem with that?"

Naruto went silent for a few moments, then took his son into his arms as he leapt up on top of the Hokage Monument. As soon as Boruto's feet touched the ground, he kicked and wrenched himself from safe arms and moved a few paces away. The elder Uzumaki ran a hand through his hair and stared at the red swirl on the back of the boy's black jacket.

"I... know it can be hard for you. That's I'm not around as much as you want me to," the Hokage sighed. "Sometimes, I can't just be your father. I have to-"

"Sometimes?" Boruto sneered. He turned on his heel and glared at the man with as much fire as there could be in a sea blue gaze. "You're never there. Ever since you became Hokage all- all you've done is work! You don't even come home anymore! And when I do see you, you're in your office or going to a meeting or on TV!"

"The village needs me, Boruto. I try to spend as much time with you guys as possible-"

The boy scoffed.

"Passing by us on the street doesn't count."

"Boruto! As your father I-"

"You're not my father!" Boruto shouted, tears springing in the corners of his eyes. Ice dug far into Naruto's guy as his brows rose to his hairline and he forgot how to breathe. "You could be my father or you could be the Hokage. You don't know how to be both."

With that, his small form stalked off to who knows where, maybe home or maybe to clean up the paint, leaving the person revered as the Village Hero to stay rooted to his spot with nothing more but regret to flood his limbs. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, no one was there, and his words trickled out in an unsteady stream.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

His mind suddenly brought him back far over twelve years ago. He'd been standing in the same spot as he was now, but it hadn't been Boruto who he'd let down that time.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I'm so, so sorry."

I'm sorry I wasn't there for you.

He cast on last look at the horizon before he turned and walked back towards the direction of his office, whispering brokenly to himself:

"What am I going to do?"