Blonding

Chapter 29 : Kurama

"Hello, brat. Nice to finally meet you."

The words rumbled around the darkness, shaking the ground and echoing against the unseen walls of whatever chamber Boruto now found himself in, alone, without any idea where he was or what was happening.

And he was, indeed, alone.

Completely and totally alone.

He took a tentative step forward, eyes darting every which way for some sign of movement. He froze a few times when his eyes began to play tricks on him, casting the forms of massive beasts and impossible shadows on the intangible surfaces his imagination conjured up.

The air in the room grew colder, the black abyss around him deepening. Boruto kept expecting something to happen – something more to happen, at least – but it seemed like he was trapped in time, the stifling silence holding him hostage in a mysterious place where he could barely see more than three feet in front of him.

He couldn't help but shudder, his eyes wide and fearful.

Something had made that noise. Called him a brat; almost sneering at him in just words alone.

And it was undoubtedly in this place with him.

A roaring sound, like the winds whipping past tall buildings in the Leaf's financial district during the later summer months, rushed through the chamber, and Boruto suddenly felt sick… very sick. It was like this place was rejecting him…

…or perhaps he was rejecting it.

With shaky hands, he reached around himself to tug the fragments of his shattered jacket across his frame – a feeble attempt to bring some sort of warmth and familiarity into this place. Which is what he needed right now.

Where was his father? Just what was going on? This place-

The roaring suddenly stopped – like someone had flipped a switch, and suddenly it was no longer present.

Then, it turned into a laugh.

A dark, chilling, menacing, bone-liquefying laugh.

It sounded like broken glass cascading onto chalkboard, coupled with a dull, baritone hum that sounded almost like a growl more than anything else. And the smell… he almost couldn't describe it. Putrid, wild, and rotten.

"He looks just like his father."

Boruto's eyes, wide with fear, flickered across the blackened landscape, rapidly trying to soak in as much light as they could. From what he could see, it looked almost like he was standing in the middle of a small shallow lake – the fact he was up to his calves in water was indicative enough. Upon further inspection, however, he could see the vague outline of three walls in the distance – although that was it.

He blinked a few more times, straining in the dark to get a better glimpse, when he spotted movement – just a flicker, but most certainly movement – out of the corner of his eye.

What he had previously assumed to be a shadow seemed to have taken a step forward.

Boruto gulped. "H-hello?"