𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒 | Boruto Next Generations

┊𝗜

─────══─────
『 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟬𝟬𝟭 』
──══──
━『 The Seventh Hokage 』

(✧) ── 3rd pov

Kawaki's agitation was so intense that he was on the verge of leaping out the window in search of Shin, who had apparently left the hospital a few days ago according to the Hokage.

Despite Naruto's reassurance, Kawaki still seemed on edge. But Naruto persisted, calling out Shin's name once more to catch his attention. "Don't rush," Naruto reassures with a warm smile, "Shin is in good hands. No need to worry."

As he sits back on the hospital bed, Kawaki regains his composure and continues his conversation with the Hokage. "Do you expect me to believe you, Shithead?" he challenges.

Naruto responds confidently, "We can check it out ourselves. He's just outside, nothing bad will happen to him."

━✧
(two days prior) ━ shin pov
✧ ━

My eyes snap open and I find myself staring at the blindingly bright white ceiling. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. My eyes roam around the unfamiliar room, causing my eyebrows to knit together in confusion.

I found myself in a hospital, one that appeared much more vibrant than Kara's base infirmary. An older man sat on a chair at the foot of my bed, and our eyes met.

As I caught sight of the other man standing next to him, a wave of dread and fear washed over me. I quickly scrambled to the back of the bed, my back slamming against the metal bars of the headboard. My heart raced and I swallowed hard, trying to calm myself.

Sitting across from me, the man's voice was calm and comforting. "You're safe here, no need to worry," he spoke gently, with a reassuring smile. I had heard that same phrase many times before, from the inner members of Kara as they manipulated me into believing that their hidden world was better than the outside.

I suddenly became aware of a man entering the room, the one with the blue scarf that I had just defeated. He speaks up, "You're in Konoha."

I remained silent in response to their attempts to comfort me; none of their words were reassuring. "You can talk freely here without fear of reprimand," the man named Konohamaru repeated, or so I believe was his name.

The person sitting across from me introduces himself as Uzumaki Naruto, the Hokage of this village. Despite his title, I remain silent and stoic. I am well aware of what they want from me, and I know that safety is not guaranteed in this place. As strong as I may be, fear still lingers within me for what they may do to extract information from me.

I meet the Hokage's gaze and speak with a certain chill in my voice. "I know what you're after. You want to exploit me like Kara did, turning me into a weapon and extracting information from me."

His face contorts in confusion as he replies, "What? No! Why would we do that?"

I remind them, "Remember, I can leave whenever I choose."

The man standing next to the Hokage speaks up, "And how do you plan on doing that?"

I turn to him and retort, "I wasn't even talking to you, old man."

He bristles at my response, ready to argue back. "Why you-"

Naruto raises his hand and smiles warmly. "Don't worry, Shikamaru. It's all good. So, how about you tell us a bit about yourself? What's your name?" he asks with a friendly tone.