Boruto was tired. Tired from training all day. He sat against an oak tree located on the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village while he stared at his sensei. 'Sasuke's so cool.' He thought.

'He's a little rough around the edges and I'm not sure if he likes me, but he's just so...mysterious.' He watched the way Sasuke calmly looked up at the sky.

'I wonder what he's thinking. Sasuke noticed the gaze from his pupil.

"You ready?"

"Whaaa? But it's only been like 5 minutes!"

"Well you aren't doing anything else. I'm here to train you and if you don't want to be trained then I can do better things with my time."

"I want to be trained! I have to! I've gotta become better than that dumb dad of mine and be the best shinobi ever."

"That's a lot of talk, too bad you can't back it up."

"Ugh! Well I would if you'd train m—oh I see what you're doing. Fine let's just get to training."

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto was busy. Busy as always. "Lord Hokage the Chuunin exams are approaching and we'd really need to decide between sticking with the forest of death or putting the students through the sand village's tomb of terror."

Naruto pulled his head up from a massive pile of papers. "I'll have to speak with Gaara. He's got some good ideas and—"

"Lord Hokage sir, I don't mean to be rude but the deadline is next week and I can see by how busy you are now that you've got other priorities."

"Hey don't worry about me. I'll get this stuff done no problem. You just work on analyzing those Genin. I want a fantastic report of their grades and strengths telling us who you consider to be Chuunin level, alright?"

"Yes sir! Sorry to bother you"

"It's fine. See you later!"

The ninja walked out of the office and shut the door. Naruto's head fell onto his desk full of papers. Well there's ANOTHER thing to add to the list. Ugh I haven't even spoken with Gaara. We'll just do the forest again—but that's what we did two years before. Some of the older students who didn't pass already will know what to expect. Okay can't think about this now. Gotta focus on choosing the new Jounins. But I'm so hungry! What time is it? 10:26! Good enough for me!

Naruto stood up and walked over to a small mini fridge next to the door to his office. He pulled out a brown bag and walked back to his desk. He stretched a little and then sat back down. He looked inside the brown bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He opened it.

Dear Naruto,

Hope work is going well! Today I packed you some sushi from the store we went to the other day for lunch. The kind you really liked! Boruto is off training with Sasuke today and Himawari and I are going to register here for the academy. See you when you get home. I love you!

-Hinata

Naruto smiled. Hinata was too sweet. He never got tired of the cutesy messages, because he had always wanted that. Even now as the village's Hokage, Hinata always managed to acknowledge him in a way no one else could, and that's why he loved her. He looked up at his desk and saw the picture of team 7—Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke and himself. It was besides another picture. This one of Hinata, Boruto, Himawari and himself. It was right after Himawari was born. It was a good time because, at this point, his Hokage duties hadn't gotten in the way of his family life. It didn't matter to Hinata that he had to work. She had always been so understanding. It was fro Himawari and Boruto that he felt a great amount of guilt for. Himawari was too young really to have seen his life before he got insanely busy, but Boruto on the other hand was not. God, Boruto and I were so close back then. In the picture everyone is looking at the camera except Boruto, who, being held by Hinata, is looking up and laughing at Naruto. Ha oh yeah I made a funny face or something that day and Boruto couldn't get enough of it! The kid could never sit still. He looked away from the picture. I just wish he understood now that it's not that I don't want to spend time with him. I just need more time in the day! He looked back down at his huge pile of papers. Well I'll never have time for anything if I don't get this done. So he swallowed the rest of his sushi and got back to work.

"That's good for today." Sasuke looked at the sunsetting. "There are some things I have to do."

Boruto laid on the ground huffing "Alright if you're sure, but I could keep going if you really wanted me to."

"I'm sure. See you later."

Sasuke vanished as Boruto laid in the grass. "How does he do that?" He started to sit up but all the fatigue from the day's training had finally caught up to him. Alright Boruto so you can't move and it's getting dark and you're in the woods and Sasuke left and you're here alone and alright lets try this again. He shoved his arms and torso up until he sat upright. He then leaned forward pressing his arms and chest to the ground and pushing his body up so his legs could get underneath him. He stood. Then he tried to step, but he couldn't walk fast, so he hobbled all the way home.

Hinata was worried. Himawari and her had gotten back from the long registration for the academy a little over an hour ago and Boruto still wasn't home. Usually she wouldn't worry when she knew he was with Sasuke but she knew that Sasuke had to leave before sunset to go on a mission. Then she heard the door open and she rushed to the living room. "Bo—Naruto!"

"Hey Hinata" He kissed her on the forehead. "Is Boruto not home yet?" She frowned and shook her head. "Ugh Sasuke had to leave early too so he should have been back by now."

"I know. I hope he's alright. Whenever he trains with Sasuke he's gets pretty beat up. I'm wondering if maybe he fell asleep." A few minutes passed. Naruto tapped his fingers against the table. "Okay I'm going to look for him."

Boruto was confused. I thought home was this way but I'm not so sure anymore. Why does everything look the same in the dark?! He was still hobbling and overtired. As he walked aimlessly in no specific direction, he was alarmed by a pair of approaching footsteps. Suddenly extremely alert and regenerized, Boruto burst over to a nearby bush and hid to analyze the situation. It was too dark to make out the figure of the person, but he could tell they were a ninja. Suddenly he felt exposed like the ninja was looking straight at him. Boruto stood in a defensive stance and waited for the ninja to make a move. Nothing happened. His tired body couldn't keep up with him anymore and suddenly he collapsed.

Naruto was tired. Tired from chasing after Boruto all night. Thankfully it was the weekend and he could sleep in a little. He got up in the morning and greeted Hinata, who's always up before him. "Sleep well?" She asked. "Ehhh." Naruto Groaned. Himawari was up too. "Hi daddy!"

"Good morning Hima!"

"Guess what daddy? I'm gonna be a ninja just like you, mommy and Boru! I signed up for the academy yesterday!"

"Well isn't that something! You're gonna make a great little ninja!" Naruto patted her head. Himawari smiled. He turned to Hinata.

"Is Boruto up yet?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Hmm. I'm gonna go check on him."

Naruto left the room and walked up the stairs to Boruto's room. The door was cracked and he peered in. Boruto was sitting up and holding his head.

"How ya doing?" Naruto asked.

Boruto looked away.

"Hey what's up with you? You had your mother and I scared to death that something had happened to you and then you don't say anything?"

Boruto continued to look away. Naruto walked towards him.

"Boruto I just want to know why you were in the forest of death last night. You know how dangerous that place is. I know you're strong but there are a lot of people, and things, out there that you're not ready for yet."

Boruto looked at him for a second and then away again.

"Ugh I didn't mean to be in the forest, I just—I just got lost okay!"

"That's what I figured, but where were you training with Sasuke yesterday?"

"It was right outside the village. The oak tree farm."

Naruto sat up straight.

"That's...strange."

Boruto looked at his father.

"What is?"

"The forest of death is on the other side of the village. You'd have to have been walking there all day to end up there."

Boruto frowned.

"Well I don't know I was just really tired and I kept on walking. The last thing I remember was seeing you while I was near a bush. Before I fell asleep"

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Stand up. Let me look at you."

"C'mon dad. I'm fine! It was you who was there in the woods right? It must have been because that's how I got back here, right?"

Naruto looked confused yet solemn.

"I did find you last night but you were already asleep and in an open field."

Boruto looked a little shaken up.

"But I'm sure you're fine I mean look at you! You ready for some breakfast? By the way I know that we were gonna have a sparring session today, but I've gotta actually meet with Gaara today about some business."

Boruto's look went from concerned to normal in an instant.

"Of course you have to work. You always do! Whatever! I don't even want to spar with you, you old fart!"

He stormed off and went downstairs. Naruto sighed, but at least he got Boruto to feel better. But he couldn't help but wonder, Who was it who was with his son last night and why did he drag him all the way out to the forest of death?