The Stars were shining brightly this night, illuminating the whole forest. A young man was wondering the forest holding rope in his hand. The pain was too much. Losing his parents due to the Fourth World War and never was able to recover. He watched as his comrades grew and advance while he stayed behind. A nobody who failed every time he tried. Now with the threat of The Academy presser hasn't been more intense.
He found a place to end it all. He made a noose and put it around his neck. Looking up, he watched the stars with tears in his eyes. He saw a single star was becoming brighter and bigger and bigger and bigger. The Man realized that it was heading right towards him. There was blinding light and a big force pushed him back destroying the tree and burning the rope. Consciousness returned to the man then he looked around at his surroundings. The surrounding terrain was destroyed, the ground in flames. He spotted a figure in the center.
It was a male and appeared to be human. He was of old age, had long white hair and had a beard. The Old Man was holding a wooden staff, wearing a full-length kimono. A noticeable feature was his hands and forearms, they were of metal with symbols carved into them. Another thing was his eyes, they were glowing emanating Chakra from them. The Old Man groaned stretching his back.
"I am... never doing that again." The Old Man spotted the Young Man and walked towards him. "Greetings, young one, apologies for the mess. I've been gone for a while and I had to take a long way." The Old Man walked over to the young man. The man drops to the floor, both confused and terrified of the man before him.
"W- Who are you!?"
"Nobody important. Just someone who's returning home. Maybe looking for a new start." He stared at the Man, thinking about something. "New start... New me. Yeah, someone young like you." His body began to shine, Chakra emanates everywhere. The staff burned, then fell apart. "I'd step back if I were you."
The Young Man got up and ran the other direction. The Old Man emitted a large eruption of energy in an almost liquid form. Once the explosion finished the Man looked back watching the dust settle. The Stranger changed, becoming much younger. His beard disappeared and his hair shortens. Nothing else much changed.
"Whoa! Now let's see..." The Stranger examined himself. "Physical age of Twenty-... four. Very nice." The Stranger walked over to the Young Man who was laying on the ground. "Sorry about that. Hey, now that I have you here. Can you direct me to the nearest clothes shop? I need to update my look."
The Man didn't respond. The Stranger puffed his cheeks and wiggled his arms, trying to get a reaction. Hesitantly the Man spoke.
"T- theirs plenty of stores in Iwagakure." The Man pointed to the mountains where a light was showing through.
"Oh, thank you!" The Stranger bowed, then started walking to the light source.
"W- wait, who are you!? W- what are your intentions!?"
The Stranger ignores him, continued walking to the village. The Young Man didn't know what to do. A strange man came from the sky, and he directed him to his village. He remembered when a similar situation happened in Konoha a couple years ago. He began to panic, what was he going to do?
~~===X===~~
Naruto was laying on the couch, feeling the effects of his daughter's attacks. Luckily she just started learning the Gentle Fist or else things would be worse for him. Hinata was cleaning up the house while Sarada still working on the water balloon. Himawari came out of her room, passing through the hallways. Naruto saw her wearing Boruto's jacket holding it fondly. He remembered how she said he was never around, abandoning them. He wanted to change that.
"Hey Himawari, want to go grab something to eat?"
"Y- Yeah!" Her face lit up, she wrapped her arm around him, ready to leave.
"I'll be grabbing something to eat and I'm taking Himawari with me."
"Don't stay out too long you two!"
Hinata notice Himawari wearing Boruto's jacket, she couldn't help but smile. It looked great on her. Boruto would have approved. Both left, leaving Hinata, her with Sarada. She looked over at where Sarada was, her expression saddened trying to avoid eye contact.
"What's wrong Sarada?"
"... She must really miss him."
"We all do."
"W- Was it my fault?"
"What do you mean?"
"Boruto, he would have been here if it wasn't for me." Hinata gave Sarada a hug and eventually, she caved in.
"What happened is not your fault."
Hinata let's go and Sarada wiped away her tears. Hinata saw a spider dangling from the ceiling, unlike others spiders, this one was staring directly at her, their webs shinning a gold-colored like glow in the dark. She knew who this was and what she needed to do.
"Sarada, it seems like you had a long day. So why don't you head home and get some rest? You can continue your training over there. It's turning nighttime."
"But what about you, you'll be alone."
"Don't worry about me. I just going to get some rest."
After cleaning up Sarada waved goodbye to Hinata then left. After seeing Sarada leaving the neighborhood with her Byakugan, Hinata grabbed her outfit from the floor and puts it on. Once she placed her mask she jumped up and phased through the ceiling. She dashed away, disappearing into the shadows.
~~===X===~~
Mitsuki entered the apartment, closing the door behind him. A man was standing near the large window area, enjoying the view. Mitsuki stood beside him and looked outside. He could see the whole city, the village and beyond. Shiro slithered up to Mitsuki and wrap around him.
"Beautiful view, right brother?"
"True little brother."
"So, have you found Father?"
"Nothing"
Mitsuki sighed, ever since the attack Orochimaru have disappeared leaving no traces behind. When word got out rumors have been forming that he's involved with the Academy. Since then everyone was looking for him.
"Do you believe he's with them?" Mitsuki questions his brother.
"I don't know." There was a silence between the two.
"How are you doing?"
"Huh?"
"Your Sage Transformation."
"Ah, I-... I'm fine, for now."
"You sure? I've heard people been harassing you."
"They're afraid Log, afraid of being hurt again."
"Doesn't mean you have to take the heat. Why even bother with this village?"
"It's my home. And my friends need me more than ever." Log sighed.
"Alright, it's your decision." Log took out a cigarette while heading towards the door. After opening the door, he pauses, lit his cigarette, then took a drag. "It's time for me to leave the village. Can't risk them finding me out."
"Where will you go now?"
"Keep looking for answers. You can keep the apartment, it's better for you to be up here than down there."
"What!? I can't afford something like this!"
"It's fine Mitsuki. I made a deal with the Hotel Owner. As long as you keep yourself hidden everything will be fine."
"What deal?"
"Turns out he has a debt with the snakes. If he keeps quiet, he doesn't have to repay." Shiro explains to Mitsuki.
"Remember brother, if you need help or just want to talk don't be afraid to look for me. Okay?"
"Affirmative" Log nodded, then left, closing the door behind him. Mitsuki sat down on the couch, looking around his new living area. He thought of his fallen friend.
"Boruto would have loved this place."
~~===X===~~
Ayame was cleaning up ready to close shop. She heard a knock on the door. Who would come at this hour? When she looked outside, she was greeted by Naruto and Himawari.
"Naruto? What are you doing here?"
"Taking Himawari somewhere to eat. I thought I bring her here but looks like we arrived a bit too late."
"No, No, please come in!" Ayame opened the door and showed them to their table. "Here's your table. What would you like?"
"The usual."
"I'll have the same!"
"On the way, Lord Seven." Ayame entered the kitchen and began cooking. It was just Naruto and Himawari in the restaurant.
"I'm really impressed Himawari, you got the basics of the Gentle Fist in one day. Keep it up and you'll be just as good as your Mother, maybe even Neji."
"Really? Was Uncle really that powerful?"
"Oh yeah, incredibly smart, outstanding skill, and he hits really hard."
"You fought him?"
"Yeah, I faced him at the Chunin Exams. I won, barely. Although it's not official."
"Do you miss him?"
"Of course." Naruto saw Himawari clutch Boruto's jacket. Naruto held her close. "I know it hurts. I know. So how was your training with your mother?"
"It was fun. Learned so much about the Hyuga. Mama also gave me some advice. Generic stuff really, Never let your guard down, Trust your instincts, Mercy is for the weak, and Never let anger consume you."
"Hehe, seems basic but- ...wait, what was that last one?"
"Never let anger consume you."
"No, the one before that."
"Trust your instincts?"
"The one after that."
The kitchen door opened with Ayame holding their serving of Ramen. Seeing the bowl Naruto lost his train of thought.
"Here ya go. The best Ramen for the Hokage and his daughter." Himawari grabbed the bowl, started drooling just seeing it.
"Thank you, Ayame. Hey, how Teuchi? Is his arm feeling better?"
"Ah yes, he can finally move it normally, and he says he can feel his fingers again. It looks like he'll make a full recovery!"
"That's good to hear." Naruto let out a sigh of relief. Teuchi was caught in one of the explosions and his right arm received most of the damage.
"At one point I thought they'll have to amputate his arm. Luckily it didn't come to that."
"Heh, two arms or one I doubt he'll stop cooking either way."
Ayame and Naruto laughed. Naruto looked at Himawari and was shocked. She finished her serving in a short time.
"What? I was hungry."
"Wow! You can give your mother a run for her money." Ayama chimed in.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Hinata holds the record for eating the most Ramen in one sitting."
"Really? And you think I can beat her record?"
"Of course!" Naruto saw the sparkle in her eyes, he knew she was having one of her ideas.
"Easy there, your mother's record is pretty high."
"But Papa, you're the Hokage aren't you suppose the best at everything!"
"No, no, just because I'm the Hokage doesn't mean I can do everything. No one expected your mother to do such a thing. No one."
"So if I beat Mama's record does that mean that I'm better than the Hokage?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Papa I challenge you! The first one to beat Mama's record is declared the best in the village!"
"I don't know Himawari, it's pretty late and I don't want to bother Ayame even more."
"Oh no I'll participate, I really want to see this!" Naruto sighed after hearing Ayame's response.
"Okay, I'll accept. Are ready to go toe to toe with me?" Himawari grabbed some chopsticks and gave him a determined look. "Hinata is going to kill me for being late. Alright, bright it on!"
~~===X===~~
Hinata landed on an abandoned building, heard a scuffle on the lower levels. She phased through the floor, landing couple levels below. There were thugs knocked out on the floor and young female with an iron mask sitting on wooden planks.
"This village really has a problem." The Young Female said.
"What brings you here Megami?"
"Following a lead. Brought me here. Talks going on about a Hybrid."
"I already know about this. The Academy is after this Hybrid. But they gave no information on her. Why?"
"Probably not to give away information to people like us or the Villages. Or maybe they're treating it like a game, hunt her down for them and get rewarded."
"I heard she was heading to this village, but then disappeared. I bet she hid somewhere close. I couldn't leave without causing a mess, but now with you here we'll find her before someone else does."
Megami sensed something pops up and Hinata with her Byakugan saw a figure appear out of nowhere. Both spotted her, a small figure coming out of the shadows. She was wearing a pale-white mask with two hornlike disfigurements and a white cloak.
"Oh no, don't let me interrupt you."
"Who are you?" Megami questioned. Hinata knew it was Sumire. Why was she here? Why is she wearing her Ghost attire?
"I'm a nobody. So care to tell me more about this Hybrid."
"Forget it, kid."
"Sumire, what are you doing? You don't have to do this."
"Oh, so you know who I am. But do you really want to know why? It's because they took away the only person who cared for me. Now, I'm going to destroy everything they hold close to their hearts!"
"Kid you're letting your own hate consume you. You're making the same mistake others have done in the past."
"Hehe, but I thrive on hatred." Negative Chakra emitted from her body spreading across the floor. It reached to the fallen thugs consuming them. They stood up like the living dead, the Chakra surrounding their bodies.
"Like it? Made some tweaks here and there. I have more control over them and it doesn't leave any trails behind. Now it seems like you guys don't want to talk. That's fine, I have all the information I need."
The Men roared, charging at them. Megami grabbed her scabbard holding her sword and swung at one the Men knocking him out with one hit. Hinata quickly took down one with a flurry of strikes, then stuck another with a palm strike. Sumire disappeared into the shadows during the scuffle. Megami couldn't sense her anymore and Hinata lost track of her.
"Where did she go?"
"Must've gone to her pocket dimension. It's the only thing that makes sense. But I heard it was destroyed."
"Seriously? She has her own dimension. Damn kids these days." Megami looks at Hinata who appeared to be lost in her thoughts.
"... Sumire..."
"You know her?"
"My Son was friends with her."
"Ah, I see, he's the one she was talking about."
"... yes."
"Hinata I've been thinking, I believe you should stop."
"Stop?!"
"The only reason you haven't been caught is that of the shit condition the Anbu are in. What happens if you run into someone you can't handle. You have too much to lose. It's not worth it."
"B- but the Academy-"
"Is no longer your problem. I'll deal with them."
"No, I can't quit now, not when we finally have a lead!" Hinata heard Megami sigh.
"I'm just gonna save myself a headache. Do whatever you want. You're the one who's going to fall not me. But you're staying here, making sure that the kid doesn't do anything stupid! Now go, I'll scour the streets for any information on the Hybrid."
Hinata nodded, then went phased through the wall, jumping from building to building. She had Sumire on her mind. What was she planning to do? It was now her goal to find out, but as of now, she needed to return. Even though she always leaves a clone in her place she was now worried about Naruto being around. He might have figured her out. They must be very worried about her.
~~===X===~~
Naruto and Himawari were head-down on the table, both groaning. Empty bowls surrounded them.
"T- Too much Ramen," Naruto said with a faint tone.
"Well, I guess we'll end it there. 10 for Naruto and 5 for Himawari."
"W- What's the Record?" Himawari questioned.
"46"
"So pretty close."
"Um, Himawari-"
"Just let us live in our little world," Naruto said then both of them continued to groan. Ayame placed her hand on Himawari trying to comfort her.
"My stomach hurts... is this what death is like?"
"No, this is something much worse."
After a moment of silence, Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke, shocking Himawari and Ayame.
"P- Papa?!"
"Where did he go?!"
Naruto landed on an old platform, surrounded by brown colored water. Behind him was a statue of a toad spewing water from its mouth. In front of him was Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, whose towered over him. Naruto stood up, then clutched his stomach.
"Whoa, easy, it's us!"
"N- Never travel on a full stomach."
"Noted," Gamatatsu uttered.
"So, why did you guys summoned me?"
"We have a visitor, and he wants to see you!"
"Who?"
"Best for you to discover in person. You're going to need to see it to believe it."
The Brothers moved along and Naruto followed. They entered the Great Toad Sage chambers, there were Gamamaru and Gamabunta talking to a figure below them. When they noticed Naruto enter, Gamabunta move over revealing the figure to be Toneri Otsutsuki. He looked the same, but the only change was his eyes were blindfolded.
"Toneri?!"
"It has been a while, my friend. Is it okay if I call you friend, right?"
"Yeah, of course. What are you doing here?"
"I've noticed some strange anomalies, so came here to confirm some theories I had. Gamamaru was very cooperative and I learned so much from him in the short time I've been here."
"Anomalies? You mean the stars?"
"So you're aware of the situation. The stars shining brighter than usual, revealing more than what should be possible."
"I was told about it a couple hours ago. What's happening? What does this mean?"
"Allow me to explain some things. What you see isn't actually happening to the stars themselves, but instead, it's the planet's atmosphere. You notice from the point of view. On Earth you see stars, but on the Moon you can see the atmosphere shift, moving like the waves in the Ocean."
"Wait, so what we're seeing is just one big illusion by the planet?"
"Sort of, but what worries us is what's causing it."
"Do you think someones behind this?"
"Possibly, I felt some distortions in space."
"Distortions, you mean an Otsutsuki caused this?!"
"I don't know, the method is different. I noticed when an Otsutsuki travels through reality they distort space, creating a gateway, a portal if you want to call it that, and they go through it. I can feel those actions taking place, the moment space is shifted to when they enter and the unique movement in our dimension. However, in this case, I felt no distortion, but I felt the moment."
"So if they're not making a gateway then that means it was done in this world, right? Kinda like Sasuke's Amenotejikara."
"Exactly, but it's much more refined. Their action is so strange to me. Whoever this guy clearly knows what they're doing."
"Are you following any this bro?" Gamatatsu whispered to his brother.
"Nope"
"Teleportation you numskulls. They're talking about teleportation." Gamabunta responded to them.
"Yes and on a very large scale," Gamamaru related.
"Do you know where it is?" Naruto asked Toneri.
"No, their trail disappeared before I could pinpoint a location. For days, I've been studying these Anomalies, feeling their movement, but things changed earlier today. A distortion in space occurred, then I sensed a giant spike of Unique Chakra emerged but then it completely disappeared. I couldn't track it since."
"Hmm, I'll speak with Sasuke about the situation. Hopefully, he can find out what's happening. Thank you for telling me this Toneri."
"I understand that it's not easy with everything going on in your life, but you're the only one I can trust."
"Oh right, the Academy." Gamabunta heard about Boruto, made him think about his own kids. He looked at his sons, Gamatatsu gave a smile making him scoff.
"Naruto before you leave I need to give you something." Toneri left the chamber.
"So now that you're here, care to explain to us these Academy people keep talking about," Gamakichi said to Naruto. Naruto took a deep breath.
"Months ago we intercepted a Human Trafficking Ring involving Children from different country's. We brought the Children to the village, so they can recover, but then... some of our own Anbu betrayed us. Activated some sort of Curse Mark on the Children we weren't able to detect, turned them into Monsters. They rampaged across the village... suffered some casualties. Hours later we stop the Kids then the same seals activated again, forced stop their hearts... killing them all."
"Damn"
"Have you found the ones responsible?" Gamamaru questioned the young blond.
"Days after the attack the Group revealed themselves, they called themselves The Academy. Claimed to bring real Peace, create a Utopia. Since then the other Villages have reported spies among their Ranks, they either escape or commit suicide before we reached them. And after all this time we still time we still have nothing on them."
"Seems like they're always one step ahead of you. But worry not Naruto you'll catch up."
"Hope so, can't let them hurt anyone else."
Toneri came in with one of his Puppets, broken down showing its machinery. It seemed to be repurposed.
"Take this with you. It's what I've been using. It'll allow me to sense any distortions in the Hidden Leaf."
"O- Okay a bit creepy and I'm 100% sure I have to hind this from everyone but if it'll get things done."
"It will."
"The Village, The Academy and now a possible Otsutsuki are running around. Just another day of being Hokage."
"We'll stay here and keep track of the Anomalies."
Naruto grabbed hold of the Puppet ready to go back home. Gamakichi made a Hand Seal and Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. He appeared back at Ramen Ichiraku with Ayame and Himawari still there. When Himawari noticed she ran towards him and hugged him.
"Where did you go?!"
"It's okay Himawari, I was just meeting with some Friends." Himawari squeezed tighter. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."
"...Boruto said the same thing." Naruto hugged her and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.
"Come on, let's go home."