"I'm ready, Dad!"
Boruto's voice rang with excitement. The word "Dad" came out smoothly, naturally, for the first time in what felt like forever.
"Good. Then let's change locations," Naruto said.
"Why do we need to—"
Boruto's question cut off as a strong hand gripped his shoulder. The world blurred. Wind rushed past his face, and in the next instant, they stood on a low hillside outside the village.
In Naruto's own world, this was where Itachi Uchiha was buried. From this vantage point, you could see the streetlamp outside the Uchiha compound where Itachi used to stand waiting for Sasuke. But in this timeline, there was no grave. Just soft grass and moonlight bright enough to see by, covering everything like a thin veil of silver gauze.
Boruto spun around, taking in their surroundings. "Dad, why did you bring me here?"
Naruto glanced toward the distant houses. Your real father is currently occupied with your mother, he thought wryly. I can't beat you up next door while that's happening.
After a moment, he turned to face Boruto properly. "Boruto, come on. Let's make friends."
"Make friends?" Boruto's confusion was evident. "Why here?"
"Don't question it. You said you were ready, didn't you?" Naruto dropped into a fighting stance. "Come on. Let's have a friendly exchange first. Show me your sincerity."
Seeing the young father's combat-ready posture, Boruto's eyes widened with sudden understanding.
"Oh! Dad, I get it! You want to test my homework, right?"
Warmth flooded Boruto's chest. His real father never checked on his studies, never cared what he was learning. But here was this young dad, taking time out at night to evaluate his progress personally.
A good father would do this, Boruto thought, nodding seriously. "Dad, come at me with everything you've got! I'll show you that even though I skip class sometimes, I never slack off on my actual training!"
With that declaration, Boruto launched a punch at Naruto. Obviously Dad would control his strength for a test like this.
Naruto would indeed control his strength. Otherwise, Boruto would turn into paste under a single finger. He watched the boy's approach and murmured, "Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist?"
As Boruto's fist extended, Naruto threw his own punch.
Boruto saw the young father's arm move. Then his head snapped back like he'd been hit with a hammer.
"AHHH!" Pain exploded across his skull. His hand flew up, finding a swelling lump already forming. "So fast! Is Dad testing my dodging ability?"
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Boruto fixed his eyes on Naruto's still form. He wouldn't blink. Wouldn't look away. He had to see the next attack coming.
"AHH!" Another impact, another lump. But Dad hadn't moved! He'd been standing in the same spot the whole time!
"Boruto, don't overthink it," Naruto's voice said from behind him. "My speed is beyond anything you can currently perceive."
Boruto's heart jumped into his throat. His eyes widened as he stared at the "dad" in front of him. The figure shimmered, becoming translucent, then fading away completely like morning mist.
An afterimage.
Boruto whipped around to find Naruto standing behind him, smiling gently.
Dejection crashed through Boruto. In his father's eyes, his homework clearly hadn't passed muster. He raised his gaze, determination replacing disappointment. "Dad, I'll work harder! I promise I'll get strong enough to see your speed!"
The declaration burned with sincerity.
"AHH!" Another punch landed on his head. Tears pricked at Boruto's eyes from the pain. He looked at Naruto with confusion and hurt. "Dad, isn't the test over?"
Naruto didn't answer. The process of making friends hadn't ended yet.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
"AHH! Dad, why are you hitting my face now?!"
Since Boruto was still a child, Naruto only felt out his sincerity for ten minutes. After those ten minutes passed, he finally stopped.
Boruto collapsed onto the grass, pain radiating from every part of his face. His eyes were so swollen he could barely crack them open into slits. He forced words past his puffy lips.
"Dad... why?"
Naruto looked down at Boruto's pig-faced appearance and wondered if Hinata would even recognize her own son tomorrow morning. He helped the boy to his feet, his voice gentle.
"Boruto, from now on, I'm your father. And I'm also your friend."
The warm words stirred something in Boruto's chest, but confusion remained. "Dad, if the test is over... why did you keep hitting me?"
Naruto didn't answer directly. He simply looked at Boruto quietly, then asked, "Boruto, are you going to skip class anymore? Are you still going to pull pranks?"
Boruto opened his swollen mouth to respond, then stopped.
Wait.
Why would Dad ask that unless...
If he stopped skipping class, he'd have more time to train properly. He'd get stronger. Then the next time Dad tested him, he wouldn't disappoint him like today.
Understanding crashed through Boruto like lightning.
Young Dad isn't beating me. He's training me!
This is discipline. Education. Love.
Boruto felt something he hadn't experienced in years. Real, genuine paternal care. Not neglect disguised as trust. Not absence justified by duty. But actual, active concern for his growth as a person.
Father's love.
"Dad!" Boruto threw himself into Naruto's arms, tears streaming down his swollen cheeks. "I understand now! This was all for my own good! I get it! From now on, I won't skip class anymore! I'll train harder! I won't be passive like I've been!"
Naruto stood there, genuinely confused. How did he arrive at that conclusion? I just went through the standard friendship process.
But if it worked, it worked.
"Okay. Let's go back home." Naruto patted Boruto's back. "Just don't skip class anymore."
He carried the emotionally overwhelmed Boruto back to the house.
That night, Boruto felt his father's love like a mountain—heavy, solid, and impossible to ignore. Whether from satisfaction or simple exhaustion from the beating, he fell into deep sleep shortly after returning.
The next morning, dawn broke over Konoha in shades of pink and gold.
The household stirred to life slowly. Hinata rose first, as always, to prepare breakfast for the family.
Watching her bustle around the kitchen, Naruto felt a surge of appreciation for his own Nine-Tails. The Kurama in this world was far too lazy. He'd have to convince the Seventh Hokage to release the fox from the seal just so Naruto could beat some work ethic into him.
The children had gone to bed late, so they slept in.
Himawari's eyes snapped open suddenly, as if remembering something important. She jumped out of bed and rushed to open her door. When she saw both fathers sitting in the living room drinking tea together, relief flooded through her.
Both dads are still here!
When breakfast was ready, Boruto finally woke. He came to consciousness with a pained groan, immediately feeling the throbbing in his face.
He touched his cheek experimentally.
"Hisssss!" The sharp intake of breath came involuntarily.
When Boruto appeared in the living room—nose swollen, face bruised, eyes puffed nearly shut—everyone froze mid-motion to stare at him with identical expressions of shock and suspicion.
The Seventh Hokage's jaw dropped.
Hinata's teacup stopped halfway to her lips.
Himawari gasped.
Only young Naruto continued drinking his tea calmly, as if a beaten-up child appearing at breakfast was the most natural thing in the world.
Which, in his experience, it was.
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