Author's Note: This is a drafter of the Father and Son talk. I may or may not never complete it, but when I was re-reading it recently, I thought it was pretty good, so decided to post it.

Events Discussed: Boruto using the ninja tool and getting caught. Afterward, father and son have a long talk

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Boruto

Naruto's Home Office

Naruto and Boruto were sitting next to each other on the couch, both of them looking down on their lap. They have just watched the memories relating to the scientific ninja tool. Before Boruto came back from training with Sasuke, the future Boruto informs Naruto and Hinata that he has the ninja tool, much to Boruto's displeasure. After they watching Naruto revealing to the whole audience that his son cheated and Boruto blurting out his resentment, Naruto requested for them to talk inside in his office.

"You know," Naruto finally said. "I was shocked when Boruto (referring to future Boruto) confessed he used the tool in the Chunnin exams. Before you became a ninja, you helped others in the past using your own strength. It didn't make sense for you to doubt it." Naruto narrowed his eyes. "But watching those memories, I think I have a better understanding. Since I made a similar mistake in the past."

Boruto's eyes widen in surprise and turn sharply.

"You cheated in the past?!"

Naruto shook his head.

"Well, not necessarily. I told you a while ago that it took three tries for me to pass the Graduation exam," Boruto nodded his head. "And I also told you that the day I finally pass it, was the day Iruka sensei became the first person to acknowledge me." Boruto nodded his head again, remembering him explaining though Hinata technically acknowledged him first, due to her shyness and low-self-esteem (he still has trouble believing that), she never really communicated with him until they were Genin. "However, I didn't tell you how I passed the exam, after failing it the third time."

Boruto stared at him in disbelief

"But dad, you said it took you three tries, not four tries."

Naruto chuckled.

"It's true I only took it three times," he assured him. "You see, the reason I had trouble passing it was because I kept failing at creating a clone."

Boruto's eyes widen in shock.

"But that's your signature jutsu!" He said pointing his finger at him.

Naruto chuckled.

"You sound like your Uncle Neji. He said the same thing to me after I beat him in the Chunnin exams. Before I learned about Kurama, I had no idea I had so much chakra, making it difficult for me to produce a clone. Iruka assumed I didn't work hard enough, but he did not know that I practiced that jutsu every day, determined not to give up. So when I failed to create a clone for the Graduation exam, I was devastated and frustrated."

"So, how did you end up passing it?" Boruto asked curiously.

Naruto frowned, narrowing his eyes.

"A former academy teacher named Mizuki, who turned out to be a traitor, informed me there was another way to become a ninja without passing the exam."

"There's wasn't one," Boruto stated. "Otherwise, Iwabe could have passed a long time ago."

Naruto shook his head.

"It turned out that Mizuki set me up to do his dirty work for him," he explained. "Iruka sensei got hurt protecting me."

"What did you do?" Boruto asked.

"At first I ran away..." Boruto gasped. "Mizuki was the one that told me about Kurama being sealed inside me, which scared me and I felt I couldn't trust anyone in the village," Naruto hurriedly explained. "But then Iruka sensei did something I'll never forget. He acknowledged me." Boruto's eyes widen in awe. "He told Mizuki that I wasn't a fox and was one of his excellent students, though I was clumsy and wasn't the hardest worker that time. He also told Mizuki that I understood what it is to feel pain in the heart and said he doesn't see me as the fox, but a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. I remember crying, feeling so happy, despite the pain I felt in my heart." He said this emotionally with his hand placed over his heart.

"Dad…"

"Mizuki had instructed me to steal the forbidden scroll from the Hokage tower."

"What?!" Boruto exclaimed recalling the time he thought he had the Byakugan. "That was you?!"

Naruto sheepishly smiled.

"It was a scroll that contained advanced jutsus. I was told if I learned how to do one, I would pass the exam." Naruto smirked. "And I did it. I mastered a jutsu from that list, which was the Shadow Clone jutsu." Boruto eyes widen in awe. "So when Mizuki was about to kill Iruka sensei, I stopped him, declaring I won't let him kill Iruka sensei, and then performed the jutsu, defeating him. In the end, Iruka sensei gave me his headband and congratulated me on becoming a ninja. We celebrated eating ramen at Ichiraku's

"Wow…" Boruto said amazed by the story.

"Boruto, correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I gather, you wanted my acknowledgment, which is why you worked hard to become Sasuke's student. However, when your hard work didn't' seem to be appreciated, who felt you had to rely on that tool." Boruto turned his head away, indicating his father's statements were correct. "Boruto, I'm sorry." Boruto looked at him surprised by the sudden apology. Naruto looked down on his lap. "I was trying so hard to protect everyone, that I haven't realized until recently that I've been ignoring my family. I also haven't tried to understand you…not until we started learning about the future…"

"Dad…" Boruto was taken aback by his dad's confession. He wasn't sure what to say.

Author's Note: September 17,2018

So I wrote this draft a long time ago but having trouble writing how Boruto would react.I'm not sure how the Boruto from before he understood the meaning of protecting everyone, would react to Naruto's apology, compared to the Boruto from after witnessing Naruto surrendering himself to protect the village. Any thoughts?

Unfortunately, work has been keeping me busy again, so I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to finish this story or update this story anymore. Writing reactions to events in the Boruto TV series, despite it getting more interesting, is getting difficult. I was shocked to see the elders were still alive! I'm also surprised Naruto didn't lose his temper to their criticism.

I have been thinking about writing a different Learning the Future story, with the Uzamaki family and Post-Pein fight sixteen-year-old Naruto and Hinata. I can already see in my mind Shippuden Naruto giving lectures to his future self and Boruto. The trick is when should the story take place? During the Chunnin exams or after Naruto and Boruto reconcile?