Naruto: Vertex

- Be more respectful of my friend's manner, okay? You should be scared just by the way his hands are held.

- And who says I'm not? The only difference is that if it was Shika doing it instead of you, then I'd be scared.

- Oh, what a drag! - Shikadai exclaimed angrily. - All you do is fight?

- That's what brothers do, isn't it? - Hanami shrugged, fixing her hair with a mischievous smile.

- Ah, so your brothers... - Boruto said, finally making the connection. - Well, I have a sister and I never fight with her. She's my sweetheart, the love of my life.

- See, Shin? You should look up to your twin. At least for that, since for the rest... - Hanami laughed, teasing him.

- Just a minute, guys - Shikadai stood up, adjusting his posture. - We've missed the train and we're in the middle of the forest. It'll be dark soon and we need to get home. Let's try to sort this out soon. - He turned to the three of them sitting on the ground, sighing and pressing his nose with his hand, clearly exhausted. - Do you two know me?

- Yes - the brothers replied in unison.

- From where?

- From the village.

- You're the son of our parents' friend. We've known each other since we were born.

Shikadai let out a heavy sigh. The situation was more complicated than he had imagined.

- And why did you throw yourself on Boruto? - Shin asked.

- I didn't throw myself; I fell on him. That's quite different.

- So you fell from the sky? - asked Shikadai, with a raised eyebrow.

The brothers laughed.

- Of course not. I'm not an ET. - Shin replied with a mocking smile, finding both Boruto's question and his own answer funny.

- Much less an angel. - Hanami whispered, rolling her eyes.

- So, you guys are from Leaf Village?

- Yes... But this isn't exactly Leaf Village. - Hanami explained.

- Of course it is! - Boruto replied, confused.

- In Leaf Village, the trains are on the south side, not up here in the north. - Shin explained patiently. - And they're not old and noisy like this one.

- Old and noisy? - Shikadai looked surprised. - These trains are the most modern!

- Then you need to visit our village, Shikadai. - Hanami said with a smile.

- But this is Leaf Village! - Shikadai almost shouted, clearly lost. - This is getting very confusing. Where is your home, then? Since you live in the Leaf Village...

The brothers looked at each other, laughing at Shikadai's confusion.

- It's the Hokage's house.

Boruto and Shikadai looked at each other.

- The Hokage House is a small, two-bedroom apartment," Boruto explained. - It can't accommodate two teenagers and their parents.

- Besides... the Hokage is Boruto's father.

- Shut up, Shikadai! - Boruto shouted, visibly annoyed.

Shin stood up, startled.

- Wait a minute... What's your father's name, kid?

- Damn it, Shikadai! - Boruto retorted, turning to him. - If you live in the Leaf Village, you know very well who the Nanadaime is.

- Is it Naruto? - Hanami asked, getting up too, her eyes watering. - Your father's name is Naruto, Boruto? Tell me!

- Of course it is! - Shin exclaimed, pulling at his hair and pacing back and forth. - Boruto is the name of that thing... that acorn, Hanami, the one with the ramen!

- Does your father love ramen, Boruto? - Hanami asked, already in tears. Boruto stood up, now completely annoyed.

- Stop this drama! Everyone knows that my father loves ramen. What's so exciting about that? Don't tell me your fans of that old fool too.

Hanami lowered her head and began to cry quietly. Shin then put his hands on Boruto's shoulders and said, with a more serious tone:

- Boruto... Naruto, the Nanadaime... he's, our father.

- WHAT? - Boruto clenched his fists so hard that his hands were shaking. With a sudden movement, he lunged forward, pushing his torso against Shin. Shikadai quickly got up and put a firm hand on his friend's shoulder.

- Calm down, Boruto. This must be some kind of mistake.

- Mistake, Shikadai? Did you hear what they said? How could it be a mistake? Naruto, the Nanadaime of the Leaf. There can be no other! - Boruto turned to the other blond with wide eyes. - Or are you making fun of me?

Hanami, her head down, let the tears run slowly down her cheeks.

- If this was a joke, it would be the worst one ever," she muttered, her voice fragile.

Shin took a step back, his eyes wandering to the trees and the sun that was beginning to disappear over the horizon.

- It's getting dark... - Shikadai also observed, the tension in the air being broken by the change in environment. - Guys, we really need to get out of here.

- I'm not leaving here without understanding this, Shikadai! - Boruto exclaimed, almost shouting, with his fists clenched.

- I knew it! I knew that old fool was up to something. - He paced back and forth, pulling at his hair, visibly agitated.

- Of course, he could only be setting up another family! He never comes home, he's never with us. Where could he be? Obviously at another woman's house! How could I not have thought of that before?

- What are you saying, Boruto? - Hanami asked, frowning in pain. - That our father has two families?!

- That doesn't make sense, kid," said Shin, with his hand on his chin and a serious look on his face. - My father would never do anything like that.

- I already think it's his face! - Boruto retorted, turning to Shin. - Fooling everyone by playing nice. But he's never fooled me! That idiot... I knew something was wrong!

- Stop talking about my father like that! - Hanami shouted, her fists clenched in anger. - Dad's a decent man, he'd never do anything like that!

- You're an idiot, you don't know anything about life, you little brat! - Boruto retorted with contempt.

- Hey, kid! - Shin intervened, keeping his cool but stepping forward to stand in front of Boruto, ready to face the situation. - Nobody here is going to yell at my sister.

- STOP IT NOW, YOU THREE! - Shikadai shouted firmly, his hands quickly coming together to form a seal. Taking advantage of the dim light still seeping into the forest, he conjured up a small but solid Shadow Jutsu that enveloped the three teenagers around him, immobilizing them instantly.

- Silence and listen to me! We need to get out of here before night sets in. You two will go with me to my clan's estate and stay there until dawn. Boruto, you're going straight home and, if you know what's well, you won't tell anyone. Understand?