#Ep 220 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

arunikas · 1 year

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ー𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆

𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋. 𝖠𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗒𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌.

Boruto held back his exasperated sigh upon seeing his dad's been following him around the house after they got back from the battle. He was also fully aware how his dad tried to make it subtle but how could he not notice? Boruto could feel all the lingering gaze like Naruto wouldn’t even let a second slip away without him in his sight. Or how Naruto had leaned beside the bathroom door, waiting for him to step out, just to check that he was still there and okay, until he finally walked away when Boruto gave him a questioning look.

Boruto understood the worry and relief still devoutly apparent on his father’s face. After all, he’d experienced the same thing back when they fought against Isshiki. The thought of losing his dad was still sharp in his memory; the gripping dread as he waited for his dad to open his eyes or every ticking second that passed through as it howled out the hymn of death; each of them just kept reminding him just how horrendous, dire, and soul-numbing it was to almost lose someone you loved.

Thus, he didn’t really have the heart to straight up telling his dad to leave him alone. Not to mention when he still could see the troubled expression plastered on his face.

But, the moment his dad followed his step into his bedroom, did Boruto finally lose his control of the words he’d been holding all along. “Cut it out already, Tou-chan–” but his sentence was cut midway after he swung his body and found Naruto standing past the door frame while looking at him with eyes faintly glistening with a layer of crystal clear water. Hints of tears already drowning his blue eyes.

Boruto gulped, swallowed down the words he was meaning to say. When he looked up straight into his dad’s eyes though, Naruto immediately averted his gaze as if he didn’t want to show him another view of his vulnerable side–knowing how his son would feel bad and awkward on the matter.

Boruto’s more like a tsundere type, sometimes cringes when he witnesses his parents being lovey-dovey with their shameless show of affection (which is an everyday view in the household), but right at that moment, he softened up. Something within his chest melted and clenched at once–if that even makes sense–upon seeing his dad looking almost dead in front of him.

And he felt so bad for making him look like that. After all, the decision of everything that had transpired was nothing but his own will. And Kawaki being the other party that had agreed to execute the rest of what he thought was the only possible way out if the worst case scenario really happens. Until it really did.

Boruto knew his dad was holding himself back and he decided to be the one opening the door for him. He slowly spread his arms, looking at his dad with very slight blush on his face, then saying, “You know, you can give me a hug if you want–” and the next thing he knew, without even having the chance to finish his sentence, was his dad’s big, warm embrace holding him a little bit too tightly. He was slightly taken aback, until he slowly returned the hug and let them stay like that for a moment. He felt so small yet it also tugged on his heartstrings of the faint familiar feeling melted from inside his chest.

Naruto still hadn’t said anything but Boruto could very much feel the uneven and anxious breathing his dad labored. Exactly like that time when he had hugged him on top of the hokage monument, with a promise from a father in which he found solace beneath his words.

“...so–sorry…” Naruto whispered amidst his heavy breathing. “...I didn’t even know…that you’ve made a decision to such an extent… What kind of a father am I? I wasn't even aware of what my own son has been bearing… I’m sorry, Boruto… Tou-chan is so sorr–”

“It’s not your fault, Tou-chan,” Boruto calmly cut him. He clenched his fist onto his father’s back shirt and whispered, “It’s never your fault. I’m a shinobi, remember? You should know better than anyone what it entails once we put Konoha's hitai-ate on our head. Death is always one step away for people like us. And I’m always ready to die–”

“Don’t say that–” he choked on his voice, “...just please…don’t say that.” Boruto gulped, biting his own tongue, and gave him a curt nod to replace his remaining words left unspoken.

As much as Naruto knew how true what Boruto said was, he didn’t–would never–have it in him to hear him say it out loud. And as much as he wanted to deny the fate that had befall onto them, it would never stop being true.

But he also knew one other thing he could be so sure more than anything else in the world, that also would never stop being true.

“You know, Boruto… No matter how much fate hates us…or even if the whole world goes against you, you’ll always have me. You’ll always have your Kaa-chan. You’ll always have your family…” Naruto tried to hold back the quiver on his lips. “The fact that you are our son will never stop being true. It will never stop being true.”

Boruto felt his throat tighten. Finding himself unable to utter a single word, he made way for a nod as an answer. The hug didn’t even loosen up even the slightest and, as uncharacteristically as it may sound, Boruto felt as if it wasn’t enough. Maybe that’s one of the little things he failed to take into account when he sealed his resolve with Kawaki: he took those small things for granted. He already anticipated the worst case scenario of what the future may hold thus he’d been preparing himself for it. But, truth be told, he still never knew when that doom would finally befall upon him. That hug might be their last. That moment with his dad might be their last. And with that now deeply engraved in his mind, he held his dad tighter like how he should have been.

After a while they spent in each other’s embrace, Boruto finally broke their silence again. “Tou-chan, I’m kinda tired, ya know,” he carefully whispered.

“Oh, right,” Naruto slowly released his son from his embrace, “I’ll let you rest now.”

Straightening up his posture, Naruto put his hands on Boruto’s shoulders and gave him a gentle squeeze. “Sorry for holding you back from your rest,” he said as he gazed tenderly into another pair of blue eyes mirroring his own. He patted his head and spun around to walk out.

But, it was only a step away when a tug on his sleeve stopped him from his track. He looked back at his son, “What’s wrong?”

“You can stay here…if you want, that is.” Boruto already sensed that his dad didn’t really want to leave yet and just for today, he wanted to push his pride at bay and let his inner child get what he wants.

Trying to hide his blush, Boruto hurriedly spun around and walked toward his bed. He tucked himself comfortably under his blanket while Naruto dragged a chair for him to sit beside the bed.

“Now you really look like a kid, ya know,” Naruto chuckled.

“Stop it. I’m a tough shinobi, ya know!”

Naruto laughed as he saw the faint blush on his face, before he shuffled on his bed to face the wall, his back to him. He was trying to hide himself and Naruto found it really cute.

“I’m really gonna sleep now. You can leave if you want.” His voice was muffled beneath the blanket but Naruto still managed to catch it clearly.

“Nah, I’m good.”

As much as he hated being watched as he slept, Boruto was willing to endure it that time. Until finally his weariness got the best of him and embraced his whole sense into a deep, comfortable slumber.

Hinata knew something had happened. She realized it right away after his husband and only one son came back home. Kawaki was submitted to the hospital, Naruto had told her. But, she could easily sense something was more to it. The distraught expression and his tear-stricken face just spoke volumes, louder than the words he couldn’t bring himself to say yet.

As unfathomable as it was, she could feel the faint dread settle on the pit of her stomach, giving away a familiar feeling as to that time when they lost Kurama. Like something was lost, but she couldn’t really grasp her hands on it precisely.

So, she decided to wait for his explanation. Whenever Naruto was ready.

She closed the photo album when she heard the quiet creak of their bedroom door being pushed open, then putting it on the nightstand and looking up to see Naruto there. He smiled at her. And he looked so tired. He looked so tired like he’d just aged a few years older in the span of that few hours he was away to chase after their sons. Whatever had happened there on the battlefield, she’d already prepared herself to hear it. They were a family of shinobi. And something like that should never be something new to them.

She glanced at the clock briefly to find out that it was already past midnight. She knew Naruto had been spending his time in Boruto’s room, for whatever reason it was they spent on doing.

Hinata waited for Naruto as he walked slowly toward their bed. His head hung lower and lower the more he approached her until he stopped on the bedside. Standing still.

“Hinata,” he spoke, though it was more like a whisper. He finally mustered the strength to lift his gaze and settle them in the cradle of her gentle eyes.

When their eyes made the contact, a soft sigh followed by a small smile escaped her lips. “Come here,” she said, spreading her arms wide, ready to hold him.

Naruto didn’t say anything as he made his way up to the bed, succumbing himself into his wife’s embrace, and settled his head on the crook of her neck. He needed that. He desperately needed that. It always struck him in a surprisingly comforting way how Hinata could always understand him without him needing to say a single word. Like he’d always been an open book for her to read. And he had always, would always, and would never stop finding comfort in her smallest act of gestures and cares.

As she gently rubbed the broad of his back, Naruto was lulled into a calmer state of mind. But, the calmer his mind got, the more and more clear it was for him to recall everything inside his head. All the events that had just happened to his sons came flooding in a slow motion kind of flashback. Like a broken record refusing to stop and haunt him with its gripping dread.

He found himself starting to breathe deeper, rougher. Every inhale and exhale became a labor of inconvenience, and instinctively, the only thing he could manage was to tighten his embrace on her. Like a ship seeking anchor during a storm in the vast ocean.

Hinata noticed the sudden changes of his state but couldn’t do anything other than holding him in her utmost care while humming an old lullaby she always used to put her children to sleep.

“It’s okay…it’s okay… I’m here,” her voice dropped like silk on his ears.

“Hinata…Hinata…” he whispered. She thought she had imagined it at first but the longer she felt it, the more she was sure of what it was. Her pajama was wet. Naruto was crying.

“I’m–sorry… I’m sorry… I–I’m sorry...” And her assumption was confirmed by his shaking voice, choked by his own sobs. She caressed the back of his head, sparing him all the care she could possibly give…and waited.

“I almost… We almost lost–our son–”

The gentle movement of her hands suddenly came to a halt. She felt her hands start to tremble the more Naruto wailed in her embrace.

“I was right there… Boruto was right in front of me, yet–” he choked on his breath and his sobs broke louder, “–yet I couldn’t do anything. I–I failed him… I’m so sorry Hinata… I’m so sorry…”

So, there’s nothing to worry about, Boruto. If anything were to happen to you, I’d give my life to stop it from happening.

The promise Naruto had made to his son rang deafeningly inside his head. Just like a knife stabbing right to his chest, Naruto found it too hard to bear because of the fact that he had failed his son. He failed him. He failed his promise.

And he couldn’t do anything but continued to cry.

Hinata’s hands went cold as ice, she could barely feel anything from her fingertips. Hinata reached to cup his cheeks and pull his head to look up at her. Bloodshot eyes stared back at her lavender irises, tears never stopped streaming down his cheeks.

“But Boruto is…okay?”

Naruto shook his head. “Momoshiki…he did something to revive him… Boruto was–” he averted his gaze, drops and drops of tears flowed down heavier from his eyes as he looked down, “Boruto was de–” Hinata hurriedly pulled his head back to her chest, hugged him into her tight embrace, attempting to stop him from continuing his words. She couldn’t. She couldn’t possibly bring herself to hear whatever he was about to say.

They stayed like that, hugging each other tightly as he continued his sobs while mumbling an endless sorry with a broken voice.

She should have been prepared. It shouldn’t be something new to her. After all, she’d spent years and years in the grim reality of their cruel world…in the war…or how being a shinobi had cost her many and many of her fallen comrades.

The hymn of death was the song trailing their every step once they pledge their soul to be a shinobi. Giving one’s very lifeblood and devoting their every breath to protect their people. She should be used to that concept of a lifestyle. She should have been prepared the moment she sent her son off to the academy.

Yet, hearing how easy it could have been for her son to slip away from her life, forever, Hinata found that slapping fact felt like a thousand piercing thorns ripping her chest into shatters.

“I had promised him, as his father, to protect him with my life… yet…yet I held him as his body went cold–” he paused to catch on his erratic breathing, “...I couldn’t do anything to stop that. I was so helpless, Hinata… I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

Hinata cradled his cheeks to make their eyes meet. “It wasn’t your fault…it wasn’t…please stop blaming yourself.” She leaned in then kissed his quivering lips. She rested their forehead together and they stayed like that for a moment.

Hinata didn’t even realize since when did her tears start flowing down her face, if it wasn’t for Naruto’s thumbs weakly wiped them off her cheeks. “I…I failed you…I’m sorry…”

She shook her head, a small smile managed to form on her lips. “Uh-hum..you already did your best, didn’t you?” she gulped down a hard lump on her throat all the while holding back the choked breath that almost slipped out her lips, “Boruto is fine. Our son is fine now.”

Naruto looked solemnly at her, not saying anything. Hinata could easily read how he still blamed himself inside his head, so she only did the best she could do at that very moment.

She gathered him into another long, tight embrace.

–

In the dead of night, Boruto didn’t wake up even when he felt somebody carefully crawled up his bed and gathered him into a warm, soft embrace. It was loving. It was gentle. And it was comfortable.

It was his mother.

He still didn’t wake up when not long after that, he felt another bigger body settled itself on his other empty side. A hand stretched out to reach both his and his mother’s body, gathering them together. It was strong. It was protective. But it was still loving.

It was his father.

When the dawn broke, Boruto found his little sister already nuzzled herself on the crook of his neck. Both his parents were still there on his side. He felt at peace. He felt all his worries vanished like they had been just a lie. He felt like everything was gonna be just fine. And he decided to close his eyes again, to let that moment last longer.

That day, the storm was looming above the home that had always been filled with sunshine. But, no matter how grim the doom was hovering above them, they still had each other as a family. The fact that they’re family would never stop being true.

It will never stop being true.

#naruhina fanfiction #sunshine family fic #family hurt and comfort #gaaaaahhhhhhhhh I was bawling af when I rewatched Boruto ep 220 A Father's Promise 😭#IT HITS SO HARD LIKE A TRUCK 😭#I love this family so so damn much god helpppp #I want them to be happy and I won't ask for anything else #containing spoilers #Boruto 293 #boruto: naruto next generation

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