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Ōtsutsuki used the time turtle artifact to travel back in time. He went back as far as he could, to when Naruto was still in the academy, before he had any training at all. Sasuke-sensei explained their mission. They needed to protect young Naruto and find Ōtsutsuki without being discovered as time travelers. Sasuke said he would look for Ōtsutsuki while Boruto kept an eye on young Naruto. ‘Don’t do anything suspicious. Remember, Naruto is being guarded by Anbu at this time.’ He taught Boruto several simple slight of hand tricks, made a set of beigoma tops. Bought him a large bag of candy for Boruto to give out as prizes. Boruto set up a small table at the public market place nearest Naruto’s apartment and did card tricks for tips.
Playing a shell game with pieces of hard candy attracted a crowd of young kids, including an itty-bitty version of Boruto’s dad. It was surprisingly easy to keep young Naruto’s attention. Other kids kept trying to exclude Naruto so as long as Boruto talked to him and answered his questions, Naruto was happy to play games with him. Most of the other kids left. But a second familiar face appeared out of the market crowd.
“Total idiot, what are you doing?” Boruto nearly jumped when he recognized a young Sasuke-sensei.
“I’m training! See!” Naruto tried to palm one of the cards to make it disappear, like Boruto did. He didn’t quite manage it and Sauske scoffed. Boruto wanted to say something but wasn’t sure what. He didn’t know what his dad’s relationship with Sasuke-sensei was like as kids.
“Looks like you’re playing games, like always.”
“Screw you! I train all the time!”
“All you do is get in trouble.”
Naruto looked like he was going to start a fight so Boruto spoke up with an excuse he'd heard other people use. “Pranks are training. Trap making and stealth practice."
"Yeah! I prank Jonins, believe it!”
This made brat-Sasuke pause. “You can catch shinobi in your stupid traps?”
“Yeah, I totally caught Iruka-sensei once.”
Naruto and Sasuke talked and walked away from Boruto’s table. He wanted to follow but that would give him away to any Anbu guards. He looked back at the crowd and noticed a girl with bright pink hair wearing bright red. She was whispering angrily with a blonde girl who must be Ino. The girls walked past Boruto.
“Sa-“ He stopped himself before he called her by name. “what are you doing?” Boruto asked instead.
“That’s none of your business!”
“Shut up! We’re just watching Sasuke.”
“Are you following them? That’s kind of weird.”
“Humph what to do you know?”
“Hey! I’m a boy shouldn’t I know what boys like better than you?”
The two girls looked at each other and considered that for a second. “Do civilian and shinobi boys like different things?”
“Maybe, but I’m, I WAS a genin. I’m not anymore but I graduated.”
“Okay then,” Ino huffed and crossed her arms. “Tell us what kind of girls boys like.” She didn’t look like she would believe anything that came out of his mouth but Sakura seemed attentive.
“Well…” Boruto remembered what Sasuke-sensei said; but how could this change the future? Sakura and Sasuke were married, what harm would helping Sakura win him over do? “Nin are supposed to have teammates. You should get stronger and try to be his teammate.”
“It’s not lady-like to be violent.” Ino said.
Boruto couldn’t help but laugh at that idea. Sarada’s mom was very lady-like and also very violent. The girls looked offended. He couldn’t mention future Sakura but they’d know about Tsunade. “Don’t you know Lady Tsunade? She’s a taijutsu master. She invented the strength of a thousand men technique.”
“That’s right,” little Sakura said with awe. Little Ino looked less convinced. That’s okay Boruto was on a roll. Everyone forgot his mom was also a taijutsu specialist and he was happy to remind them.
“And the Hyruga are a noble clan. All their girls learn just as much taijutsu as the boys.” And how could he forget one of the few people Kurama spoke of with genuine respect. “And of course Uzamaki-sama, the first Hokage’s wife, she was crazy strong. She defeated the Kyubi.”
“Hokage-sama defeated the Kyubi,” Ino continued to argue with him.
“Kura-I mean the nine tails was never afraid of the first Hokage but he’s terrified of Mito-Sama.”
“Well, what do you know?” Ino huffed and stomped away. Sakura still looked to be considering things so Boruto added.
“You really should get stronger if you want to marry him. I don’t think Uchiha ever marry civilians.”
“I can look that up.” Sakura’s eyes lit up. She turned to hurry in the direction of the library. She then paused, and politely left a tip for Boruto.
…Present…
Boruto hurt all over. He’d never known this much pain in his life. He felt like he’d trained too hard, gotten beat up, caught a flu, and almost drowned all yesterday.
What happened? Oh yeah, time turtle. He went to the past with Sasuke-sensei. Guess it had been too easy. Couldn’t visit your little kid parents without side effects.
With determination to not feel useless, Boruto forced his dry eyes open. Bright day-time sunlight stung. He managed to recognize a hospital room. Someone familiar was sleeping in the chair by his bed.
“Sarada?”
Her head jerked up. She wasn’t wearing her glasses for some reason. “You’re awake!” She lunged at him and he was too surprised to dodge the hug. She squeezed him with more force than was probably appropriate for a person in a hospital bed. Boruto awkwardly didn’t move, sure Sarada was one of his best friends but he couldn’t remember her being this affectionate.
“How do you feel? Are you okay?” She withdrew from the hug to look him up and down.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Good than I can kill you!” Ah, there was the Sarada he knew. She shook him by the shoulders. “What the hell were you and Father doing with a dangerous unidentified artifact! I swear to Kami if you were trying another one of your experimental seals…”
“It wasn’t my fault, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki is the one who activated it.”
“What really? He got into Konoha?” Sarada finally released him but rather than sit in the chair, she stayed perched on his bed. She appeared to be thinking so Boruto glanced around the hospital room. An IV was in Boruto’s arm. The only other bed in the room was occupied by a familiar man.
“Has Sensei woken up?”
“What? It’s almost noon.” Sarada gave him a quizzical look. Boruto gave her one right back.
“Sauske-Sensei, has he woken up?” He indicated the man in the nearby bed.
“Why are you…” She started to say than appeared to give up. “Not yet. The medics didn’t know when either of you would wake up.” Sarada looked sadly at her unconscious father. Boruto tried to show his sympathy, despite everything, he knew his friend loved her father.
“I’ll fetch a medic, don’t move.” Still, without her glasses, Sarada leapt to her feet. While she was gone, Boruto tried flexing his stiff limbs. Every muscle in his body ached and the sunlight was still really bothering his eyes.
“Ugh,” he used his hand without the IV to rub at his stinging eyes.
“Hey!” Sarada announced her presence by smacking his arm.
“My eyes hurt,” he may have whined. What was she hitting him for?
“You should know better than to rub it, Baka!”
Boruto opened his mouth to protest but he did remember Sasuke-sensei scolding him for doing just that. Several times actually, the memories all kind of blurred together, Sasuke shaking his head and assuring both Boruto and Sarada that touching their eyes would only make the ache worse.
Sarada didn’t wear glasses, why did he think she did? Boruto rubbed his temple instead of his eyes, his head hurt.
“How are you feeling?” The medic asked.
Boruto didn’t want to whine but being honest with the medic would be the fastest way to feel better. “I’m sore everywhere. My eyes hurt, my head really hurts and everything is kind of… fuzzy.”
“Let me do a quick check in that case. Do you know your name? Do you know who this is?” he gestured to Sarada. Boruto answered all those correctly. “Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t think we’ve met?”
“We haven’t. Do you know the date?”
He gave the date of when he last remembered.
The medic nin nodded. “Everything looks okay. You’re charkra is still very low but no longer dangerously depleted.”
“Dangerous?”
“You and Uchiha-sama were admitted two days ago with chakra depletion and exhaustion. Along with other symptoms.”
“I don’t remember using a lot of chakra, but…” he didn’t know how time travel worked and didn’t want to bring up that topic in front of stranger. “What about the artifact?”
“Broken.” Sarada answered.
“What!?”
“Did you need it for something? Nobody knows what it did but it looks like it was only designed to be used once.”
“Oh well, I guess that’s okay. At least Ōtsutsuki won’t be able to use it.”
“I’m going to get some test results.” The nurse stood. “your father should be here shortly.” He said before leaving.
“Great.” Sarada grumbled. Boruto looked at her with increasing confusion, what did she have against his dad? “Don’t mention Ōtsutsuki to Dad right away.”
“What?” Nothing made sense anymore.
“Let’s wait a bit longer, see if Father wakes up.”
“What?!”
“Dad’s loosing his mind! He sealed himself and sister in his office. Not even Sakura-sensei has been able to drag him out.”
“EH!”
“What is wrong with you?!”
The door burst open and Naruto ran in. He looked awful, big circles under his eyes, his hair a mess, more upset than Boruto remembered ever seeing him. He also carried a little girl Boruto didn’t recognize. “Boruto!”
“Dad?” Boruto tried to sit up as Dad hurried to his bedside.
“Big brother! You’re awake!” The girl Dad carried reached for him.
“Himawari?” Why didn’t he recognize her? That was his baby sister. The girl glared at him.
“Sasuko, dumby!” she looked like she wanted to hit him but didn’t because he was sick.
“He didn’t know her?” The nurse from earlier raised a suspicious eyebrow at Boruto. “Uzamaki-sama perhaps we should…”
Dad glared briefly at the nurse. “I can recognize my son, thank you.”
“What?” Boruto’s head really really hurt now.
“The artifact did something to your DNA,” Dad explained. “You’re all better now.”
“My DNA?” Boruto dumbly repeated, give him a break he was still in pain.
“The doctors aren’t sure. But they said you lineage tests read almost like a Hyuga at first.” Dad gave an explanation that made no sense.
“Huh?”
“It tried to take away your sharingan.” Sarada said.
“My what!?”
Boruto couldn’t ask more questions because Sasuke-sensei stirred awake. Dad set the little girl down on Boruto’s bed and rushed over to Sasuke’s bed.
“Sasuke. Are you awake?” Dad leaned over Sasuke and spoke to him gently. Almost how Boruto occasionally heard him talk to Mom.
“Total moron? What do you want?” Sasuke sounded as bad as Boruto felt.
“There you are. You bastard, you had us really worried.” Naruto brushed Sasuke’s hair away from his eyes. He helped Sasuke sit up a little against the hospital bed. Then, to Boruto’s shock, Dad leaned down and kissed Sasuke-sensei on the lips.
Sasuke instinctively shoved Naruto away. He sat up and punched him hard enough that Naruto fell off the bed. “Hey!” Dad whined from the floor like Sasuke was being the unreasonable one.
“You…” Sasuke-sensei stared at Naruto. For five seconds he didn’t appear to breathe. “We’re married.” Dad started to say something but Sasuke ignored him and turned frantically to look at the three children. He studied them with sharingan eyes and an expression that was almost fear. “But…Sarada?” He muttered as if his thoughts were going so quickly a few couldn’t help but slip past his lips.
“Father? Are you alright?” Sarada asked. Sasuke’s stare switched from her to lock onto Boruto.
“What did you do!?” He tried to get out of bed but was too weak to stand. Naruto caught him before he collapsed.
“Sasuke? Sauske, what’s wrong?”
Sasuke froze and looked down at himself. When he stumbled he’d instinctively wrapped his arms around Naruto, both arms. “No.” He flexed his left hand as if he couldn’t believe it. “No! What did you do?!” Boruto flinched under the sudden fury leveled at him.
“Sasuke, stop it!” Naruto ordered and pulled Sasuske tightly against him. “Stop it, you’re scaring me.” He said again, softly. A tone of voice Boruto had only ever heard Naruto use with Himawari.
Sauske looked at Naruto’s face and once again stopped moving. All the tension bled out of him. “I love you.” He said quietly like a revelation. “I’ve always loved you.”
“No shit, idiot.” Naruto was close to tearing up as he pressed their foreheads together. “I’ve always loved you too.”
“That’s not…oh…” Sasuke couldn’t stand. Naruto eased them both down to sit on the bed. Sasuke continued to stare at Naruto’s face.
“Hey, what happened to you two?” Naruto said with forced levity.
Boruto’s head was spinning he had so many questions. “Dad? Are you and…” He tried to say ‘Sasuke-sensei together?’ but that didn’t sound right. His mouth refused to call Sasuke that. He fumbled for another term that would encompass the same question. “gay?”
“Um, no? I’m pansexual. Why do you ask?” Dad said awkwardly.
“I’m gay.” Sasuke said with surprise. “Oh, I don’t like women.” He repeated as if this answered every question in the universe.
Everyone else in the room were staring at Boruto and Sasuke as if they had completely lost their minds.
“But I love Sakura.” Sasuke’s mind was clearly hung up on a single point.
“Yeah, I love Sakura too.” Dad said.
“Sex with you is,” Sasuke was interrupted by Naruto slapping a hand over his mouth.
“Okay! Back to bed with you.”
Sasuke still looked out of it. He passively allowed Naruto to bundle him back under the hospital sheets. As he did so, Dad kept smiling.
Dad smiling, and smiling, and smiling. Always happy. Dad frowning at Boruto. Never home. Hinata staring forlornly at the front door. Dad laughing and apologizing for being late as Sasuke dragged him to the dinner table. Boruto sitting in front of his computer waiting for an email. Dad cheering loudly for Boruto from the audience, Sasuke sitting next to him pretending to be embarrassed. Dad sitting at the Hokage’s desk shoulders hunched, head down in paperwork, not even looking at Boruto as he talked to him. Dad at some sort of messy writing desk, telling Boruto he could watch but be careful these seals were dangerous.
What about Mom? Boruto mentally scrambled and clutched at the memories like a fading dream. Hinata walking him home from the academy. Sasuke walking him and Sarada home from the academy. Hinata sitting Boruto down in front of her stern-faced relatives. Father telling Boruto and Sarada stories as they tended to a family shrine. Hinata smiling at Boruto’s graduation. No that wasn’t right. In that memory it was Himawari’s graduation. Himawari who was only one year younger than Boruto and Sarada. Boruto shook his head. He didn’t want to forget his mother. She loved him and took care of him and was the proud head of the new Hyuuga clan where the branch families were no longer second-class. A happy housewife who never wanted to be a ninja. A shinobi woman who took her unfortunate circumstances and made them a strength.
“Are you alright?” Sarada asked.
Boruto opened his eyes and looked at his twin sister. “Yeah, I think I’ll be okay.”