Blonding

Chapter 24 : Leave

Boruto was just about to drift off into a dazed sleep when his father eased himself back to his feet, grappling the side of the tree trunk for leverage as he moved.

"Dad?"

Naruto smiled down at his son and offered his hand for support, which Boruto took without a second thought. "We're heading out," he stated, cracking the ache in his neck as his fingers moved into a one handed seal.

Without a second thought, fourteen perfect copies of their creator burst into life in tiny plumes of smoke, each smirking slightly as they recalled their individual purposes. The original Naruto began to pair them off with one another and directed them in various directions, ready to fly off towards the horizon at first .

"What're you doing?" Boruto asked with a frown, not entirely sure what was going on, and all fifteen men froze and turned to look at him.

"That's easy," the original shrugged. "There are nine tailed beasts in the world. I... eh... may have messed up a bit..." he rubbed at the back of his neck with a small chuckle, "...with all of them, but I intend to make things right. So each pair of clones is going off towards one of the beasts. I already took care of the Nine-Tails here in the Leaf, so that leaves eight."

"But if there's eight left, and you're sending pairs..." Boruto began, already sensing where this was going.

"...we're the last pair, yeah," Naruto finished with a smile. "The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, is currently the jinchuuriki of the Three-Tails, Isobu. We're going to go to him personally, because I have a feeling he's..." the Seventh paused in thought to collect the right arrangement of words, "...well, he's probably going to need our help."

Boruto could tell from the look in his father's eyes that there was more to it than that, but he didn't push the subject any further. "Okay."

Naruto suddenly blinked in realization. "Wait, have you been outside of the village before?"

"Uhh..." Boruto rubbed his arm nonchalantly, "I don't think so. Not on a mission, at least. I've been to the Land of Waves with you and Mom, but that's it, really."

Naruto's face suddenly lit up in a big smile. "Oh, then you're going to enjoy this," he said, patting the boy on the shoulder. "The Land of Water is definitely interesting. Beautiful scenery, too."

Then his expression flatlined. "Wait, if this is the past..."

He sighed and rubbed at his eyes with his hand, trying to stave off the ever-present mental exhaustion that was starting to chip away at his sanity. "Of course. Of course it's the Land of Water."

"What? What's wrong with the Land of Water?"

"Boruto, don't you remember anything from the Academy?" Naruto frowned, eyebrow raised. "The Village of the Bloody Mist? The Kekkei Genkai genocides?"

His eyes narrowed. "Zabuza Momochi?"

Boruto's eyes widened. "W-wait... the Zabuza? The Demon of the Hidden Mist?"

Naruto's eyes went from apprehensive to nostalgic in a flicker of emotion. "Yeah. I'm glad that Shino took my advice, then."

"Huh?"