One Last Time. [Boruto fan Fiction ]

A father's plea

....The present world....

"I need him back. "

The man spoke with a straight face.
If his eyes weren't proof enough, the sore voice meddled with his genuine pleading gave it away.

A few gasps followed and the chatterings engulfing the room went silent.

Naruto turned his eyes towards the young generation.

"I take full responsibility.. "

"Of what exactly? " Kawaki's hoarse voice echoed in the room as he regarded his idol with a stern tone.

Naruto's eyes lingered at him for a while before he spoke.

".. everything."

Though his voice betrayed him. His gaze fell in shame. Maybe it wasn't working. But what else could he do?

Other than pleading.

Even though he was still the Hokage, he somehow couldn't face his own people.

His own children.

His gaze rose back up. Several pair of eyes staring at him.

Disbelief prominent in them. As if he just stated something ridiculous.

Their eyes held resentment , doubt.

Fear.

How badly had he failed.

"If I may interrupt—. "

Sarada stepped forward. Her body language screaming nothing but strength and order.

Face straight, expressionless. Naruto couldn't understand why.

Or maybe he did understood. Just didn't wanted to believe it.

She was broken. One of the people who had suffered the most.

Just like him.

She had no one but one family member left.

Though in his case, even that possibility was slowly fading away.

"On your orders.. Hokage-sama—" .

She empathised on the word.

"We didn't leave a single corner of the 5 nations unsearched. This meaningless mission of ours has been continuing for quite a while now."

She continued, Naruto gazed straight into her eyes.

The young admiration, the youthfulness, the bright joy they once had ,vanished away like a mere memory.

"I killed him...with my own hands. The dark flames of my Amaterasu burned him alive. "

Face straight. Shikadai clenched his fists in a guilt hidden deep within his cores.

"He's dead. It's time you accept it, Nanadaime. "

Naruto's mouth opened  though no words were formed.
This was probably the first time that he felt so small.

So small under the presence of this young girl who was the living image of his lost friend.

He said nothing.

Sensing the tense environment, Gaara decided to step in.

"You barely survived from death Naruto..  Don't be so hard on yourself. We should discuss this later. "

Naruto slapped the helping hand progressing towards his direction.

"DISCUSS WHAT?! "

He snapped abruptly standing up.