Boruto - Lost in Time

Part 2: Change || Ch 37 || Storm

Boruto's pov:

We had just finished our bath as we heard Aunt Sakura and Ka-chan call us for dinner. My hair was still wet, small drops dripping on the wooden floor as I changed into a comfortable blue yukata. I was barely able to feel the light fabric as it loosely hung around my body.

Ahh, nothing could ruin this moment, right?

I tried to let myself relax for once, forget about any weird ghosts or timetravels, forget about the pain or worries that constantly hung around me like a cloud flying above my head. The tasty smell of fresh meat, potatoes and all the things I loved to eat - except hamburgers, because Ka-chan wouldn't let me eat something unhealthy on our trip - were swirling around in the air like mist.

Just as I opened the door to the hallway I heard slow footsteps and turned around.

''Oi! Sarada! Do you-''

My voice immediately stopped as I looked into her glassy eyes, her arms wrapped around her as she tried to comfort herself. She flinched upon hearing my voice and quickly wiped away her tears while I was still frozen to the spot. Forcing a smile she came over to me until she was only inches away from my face.

''Ah! Boruto! Is it time for dinner yet? I can smell it all over the floors.'', she joked around though her voice was still shaky.

While she was trying to distract me from her mood I noticed Mitsuki's snake sitting on her shoulder, then slowly crawling down until it found Mitsuki's leg and returned to its owner.

''Ah, Mitsuki! Did you enjoy your bath as well? Ah, the onsen are pretty good around right? Haha-''

''Sarada. What is going on?", I asked with a stern voice breaking her act.

"What? Nothing. Everything is-"

"Everything is what? Tell me."

It took her a moment before she could answer. Dropping her gaze she only murmured and went past me.

"You will find out soon enough..."

Her voice was full of sadness, I felt a shiver running through me, fear gripping me strongly without a way to escape. What did she find out? Was my Kage Bunshin successful or did Sarada stop me?

I turned to see her entering the loud living room, the happy voices were barely audible to me as my mind was worlds away. Slowly I repositioned my arms to stop the Jutsu and remained like that for another while. Was this truly a good idea? Should I wait? Or should I confront myself with this already? Just what would the others do if they saw me like this?

"Boruto.", a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Let's get back to the others. We will do it later.", Mitsuki suggested and took my hand to guide me to the living room.

I took a deep breath and tried to push these thoughts far back into my mind to distract myself and put on a new happy facade. But I felt as if I was being eaten by my curiosity, my hands were playing under the table to dispel the Jutsu.

Intensely I watched the clock unable to focus on anything else making the others talk to me in vain multiple times before I was able to produce any sound and reply. They would start to suspect something but at this point it was impossible to pretend.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

It seemed as if someone had slowed down the time to torture me longer. Or maybe it was a gift to make me enjoy some quiet time before I was dragged back into the mess I had been born into. But no matter how it was impossible to ignore the facts, ignore the secrets lying only seconds away from me if I wanted to know them.

How I had survived those long hours before I was finally able to return to my room I didn't know.

But what was worse was that I still wasn't able to dive into my curiosity and give in.

No.

What I had forgotten was that my dad was sharing a room with me. He would be there the whole time, watching me, giving me no time to think or to investigate behind his back.

I wondered what my Kage Bunshin had been doing. Was he already on the move? Maybe I should let him do the work. Or was he too shaken up, waiting for my next command, lurking in the shadows and processing the chaos he had found out.

I had successfully evaded any other activities, lying to everyone that I was too tired to participate in any games my sister and mother had suggested only to be babysitted by my dad who was pretending to read a book next to me. Mitsuki and Sarada had had their gazes all upon me during dinner but I had tried to ignore them even though it felt as if they had choked me, their pupils fixing on me and draining my last breath.

They as well had returned to their rooms, leaving the adults in confusion.
I was staring at my video game to keep up the act of being fine just to feel my dad's eyes crawling on my back. There was no way to stop the Jutsu without him noticing. And my reaction afterwards would only make him more suspicious and worried.

Or maybe I should change the situation to my advantage. Maybe this was my chance to get him on my side. Was it really that bad to tell him about Sarutobi Haru? Sure, she had warned me but maybe she was wrong. Even she had admitted that this was a new path for her even though I didn't know what she meant.

Surely it would't be too bad.

Just as I looked up and readied myself to ask my dad a sudden wave of strong chakra appeared outside of the bedroom. It seemed as if a giant mass of energy was circling around behind the paper walls consuming everything outside.

I hadn't been the only one noticing. The moment the strange chakra had appeared my dad turned his head around and let his book fall.

"Tō-cha..."

"Wait here Boruto."

As in trance he stood up and moved carefully to the door. He stretched his arm out ready to slide it open and waited. There was no sound, no movements and no flash of light before the wall exploded and I was hit by a immense shock wave.