A proposal
Red was definitely not his color.
Boruto realized this, his gaze fixed on his bloody hands, feeling the weight of the situation.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. After a successful, quiet seven-month mission, the last thing he expected was to be caught up in a mess involving a lady and a bunch of idiotic robbers in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but dense forest. But at least it was a change from the monotony. The endless trek back to the village had been draining, and now here he was, a self-proclaimed hero. Might as well save a princess or two while he was at it.
A scream cut through the air.
Boruto’s body tensed. A shuriken whizzed past him, grazing the side of his cheek, leaving a small, stinging cut.
"Up there!!" A man shouted from below, his voice frantically reaching his ears, followed by the sound of more shuriken flying past him at breakneck speed.
His sharp blue eyes narrowed. Without missing a beat, Boruto swiftly dropped a smoke bomb, and in the blink of an eye, he was on the move, darting through the trees with the swiftness of a gust of wind. He grabbed the redhead in front of him, just as she swung her fist toward him.
Red-haired, enraged, and very much ready to punch him in the face.
"Let me go!" she yelled, her fist aiming directly for his face.
Boruto sighed in irritation, holding her firmly. "Calm down, I'm helping you, ya' know."
Miho paused, looking at him through narrowed eyes, her tension palpable. She hesitated for a moment, the punch still lingering in the air, before reluctantly nodding. What other choice did she have?
"What did I do to deserve this?" she muttered, her mind racing back to the series of events that had led to this very moment. The memory of the past few days came rushing back, like a series of disconnected images—a cup of peppermint tea, warm and comforting, the smell of fresh paint, and the tranquil hum of a morning melody.
It had all started so peacefully. The morning she'd brewed her favorite tea in her little red cup, the one she adored so much for its resemblance to a ladybug. Insects fascinated her, especially ladybugs—symbols of good health and prosperity in her culture. She had always admired their bright red color. Everything seemed perfect.
That was, until her father decided it was time to write to her. A letter from him was rare—she hadn’t heard from him in over six months. So when the family hawk delivered it, she had hoped for something heartfelt, a rare moment of warmth from the man who had spent most of her life away on his mysterious, never-ending trips.
Her fingers had trembled as she carefully unwrapped the scroll. The floral stamp on top made her smile. "That's so like him," she thought. Her father had always been fond of such little flourishes—floral patterns, exotic colognes. But as she read, that smile quickly faltered.
It wasn’t a letter meant to soothe a daughter’s longing heart.
No, it was a summon.
A summon that demanded she be at the Hidden Leaf within two days.
"Two days?!" she exclaimed out loud, the frustration bubbling up inside her like a kettle ready to boil over. She had barely any time to prepare. "Didn't even bother to send an escort!" she muttered bitterly as she packed her things, selected a few guards, and rushed off the very next morning.
As her palanquin rolled deeper into the forest, the thick trees casting shadows over the path, she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that gripped her chest.
"Why would you want this, Dad?" she thought bitterly, her mind still reeling from the shock of the letter. Her father, the man who had always been a picture of calm and wisdom, had somehow aligned himself with them—ninjas. But not just any ninja—a Kage, of all people. A Kage! A man revered and feared by many, yet hated by her. From the moment she could form her own opinions, she had loathed ninjas with every fiber of her being. They were mercenaries, bloodstained and heartless, their honor an illusion they wove to justify their brutal acts.
Her father knew how she felt. He knew the pain it caused her, the absence she had felt all her life as he disappeared on covert missions. But now, he was sitting with one of them, laughing and exchanging stories as though they were old friends.
Her stomach churned. This was more than just disappointment—it felt like betrayal.
Her mother’s voice echoed in her mind, always warning her: "Stay away from them. They’ve sold their integrity. They’ve turned their backs on their own people, lost in the pursuit of power."
But despite all of that, here she was, heading straight into the heart of the very thing she despised. And yet, nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.The ambush came suddenly—four rogue ninjas, appearing out of nowhere, their blades flashing like lightning in the dark.
The air turned thick with danger, and then, just as quickly, it was over. One of her guards fell, dead before he could even react, the life drained from him by a shinobi’s unseen strike.
Her would-be savior? Or not.
“Well, this is a mess,” Boruto muttered as Mihonstared at hime wide-eyed. He...looked every bit the part of the hero… though Miho wasn’t convinced. He also looked like someone who’d just stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time.
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"I don't remember giving you permission to touch me," Miho hissed, her voice a quiet but sharp warning. But then, as her body tensed in the moment, she decided against running. She couldn’t afford to panic now.
Trust was a luxury she didn’t have. After all, he was a shinobi too. What if he wanted something from her? Something more than just getting her out of trouble?
Money? Jewels? Flesh?
What exactly was it that shinobi wanted from women like her?
It wasn’t like she had been flaunting any of those. She wasn’t so foolish as to attract attention.
Her father, a powerful man, had trained her better than that. He’d taught her to be cautious, to stay hidden when necessary.
"I see," he said, his tone flat, as if considering her words.
"Or would you rather I just drop you to those hungry wolves down there? Might as well let them have you for dinner," Boruto added, his voice cool with a touch of dark humor.
He moved quickly, leaping from branch to branch with the ease of someone who had spent years honing his skills. Three shadow clones were left behind, each dispatched to deal with one of the attackers.
This wouldn't take long. In fact, killing them would be the easiest option. Boruto wasn’t particularly fond of it, but it wasn’t his problem. If they couldn’t escape in time, well, that was their fate.
As he continued moving, the forest speeding by beneath him, he took stock of the situation. Everything seemed under control now. He had saved her. The mission was complete, and his return to the village was still on schedule.
Everything seemed solved.
Everything except the young woman frog walking away from him the moment he set her on the ground.
"With that speed, you might as well outrun a cow," Boruto muttered with a smirk, effortlessly walking past her. She yelped in surprise, clearly annoyed.
"Damn shinobi," Miho muttered, irritation tinging her voice. A moment of silence passed before she felt a pair of blue eyes peering at her, curious. For some reason she felt nervouse, embarrassed even.
"I'm not—" she started to snap but gave up with a frustrated sigh. "Ugh, I was just clearing my head," she said, sitting down on a nearby rock, stretching out her leg. It ached badly.
"By running away?" Boruto quipped, kneeling in front of her. He carefully examined her leg before gently twisting it in slow, deliberate rotations.
Miho flinched, a sharp hiss escaping her lips. "By maintaining some distance," she snapped back, her tone defensive.
Boruto studied her for a moment. Her bright red eyes were filled with something—fear, determination, maybe a mix of both. She didn’t look like a spoiled rich kid out to cause trouble. But then again, he wasn’t the type to judge anyone too quickly.
But when their eyes met, she quickly turned her face away awkwardly. Realizing he’d been staring too long, Boruto twisted her foot in one swift motion. She yelped, and before she could stop herself, she punched him in the gut.
It was quick, but Boruto easily dodged it, though it caught him by surprise.
"At least warn me next time!" she snapped, standing up and gingerly putting weight on her leg. The pain was already fading, and she muttered a tight scoff.
"Like you would've allowed that," Boruto retorted with a shrug, not even looking at her.
"Whatever," Miho grumbled, clearly irritated.
The rest of the evening passed in silence as Miho tried her hand at finding food. She looked for edible fruits, but the forest was stingy. Then she attempted fishing—her bare hands barely managing to catch anything. The darkening sky made it harder to move further into the forest, so she returned to the spot they’d set up for the night.
Sitting awkwardly, she stared off into the distance, not wanting to meet his gaze while he gathered firewood.
The silence between them felt suffocating. Eventually, she decided it was better to break it. After all, he had saved her.
"Who were they, anyway?" she asked, her voice soft but edged with curiosity.
The sun had set, and the air was growing colder. Everything had happened so fast, she could hardly believe it. Her mind was still racing.
"Rogues. From around here, I’d guess. They were probably after your jewels," Boruto replied without looking up, his voice blunt.
Miho scoffed at his response. "Figures. Can't expect shinobi to be polite."
She watched as Boruto picked up fallen sticks, gathering wood at an annoyingly slow pace. The fire would be their only source of warmth tonight. He hadn’t noticed the light drizzle earlier, so dry wood wasn’t too hard to find. If they needed more, he’d go fishing again.
After a while, Boruto fed the fire, then laid out the only sleeping bag he had. He threw it down in front of her with a casual gesture.
Miho hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly crawled into the bag, a mix of frustration and gratitude bubbling within her.
The fire flickered, casting an orange glow across the scene. The crackling of the flames was the only sound, filling the otherwise oppressive silence.
"What's your name?" Boruto asked suddenly, his voice almost tentative. The question felt out of place, almost strange coming from him. He hadn’t been one for talking lately, preferring the quiet of solitude. But now, he was in a situation where small talk seemed inevitable.
Miho hesitated for a moment before replying, "Miho... Miho Arigawa."
Boruto blinked, trying to place the name. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t figure out why.
Instead of pressing further, he turned his gaze toward the darkening sky. It was easier that way.
"Where were you headed?" he asked after a brief pause.
"Konohagakure. It’s in the Land of Fire," she answered, carefully choosing her words. She wasn’t ready to give him too much information. He was a shinobi, and definitely not from around here. If he were a simple traveler, he would have known the area better. Besides, who didn’t know about the hidden villages?
Boruto didn’t respond immediately, and Miho glanced over at him, her curiosity piqued.
"What’s your name?" she asked, turning the question back on him.
"Boruto," he said flatly, his expression unreadable.
"And... where are you from?"
"You don’t need to know," Boruto replied, his tone final.
"Stuck up," Miho muttered under her breath, her irritation rising again.
"Whatever you say," Boruto said, closing his eyes as he settled in for the night.
"Whatever," Miho grumbled, leaning back against a rock.
There was no need for him to share anything more. She had her own reasons for keeping her identity to herself. If she wanted to know more, she’d figure it out herself.
Boruto closed his eyes, the sounds of the forest and the crackling fire around them slowly lulling him to sleep.
It had been a strange day indeed.
........................................
'Fine' was the word Naruto would use to define this day in his life.Fine weather, a fine morning , a comparatively lesser load of work, and to top it off he had taken the rest of the day off to meet with a good acquaintance of his. He had thought of setting up a conference with Shigeru since Autumn set in. But both of them had been busy agreeing on a common date.
"Welcome!!."
Naruto entered through the decorated glass door. It was a fine place, he could smell coffee and cakes all over the area.
He wasn't fond of sweets, but then again, he couldn't comment on eating healthy. Given, ramen is mostly if not always his go-to meal.
Grey eyes gaped closely at him.
"you're late. Hokage."
Shigeru tried a stern tone but his subtle smile gave it away. He was a tall middle-aged man with a normal build.
He looked authoritarian and strict but he was gentle and kind from within.
A rich businessman with remarkable persuasive skills, a clear vision of the future, and a sharp mind. He was an all-package kind of asset.
An asset in allies with the hidden leaf village.
"Just another day in the Hokage's life, you know the stuff."
Shikamaru remarked walking behind Naruto, sluggish and tired. Between the two, he certainly looked way more overworked.
Certainly not because of a little brawl with his wife that ended up with him sleeping outside. Not.
"Yes definitely ."
"How's everything going? Is your health okay?"
Naruto asked in a pleasant tone getting a bit concerned. He's been friends with the guy for a good while now, he knew he had some kind of illness but Shigeru never really gave him the details, neither did he pester him to do so.
They were similar in a lot of ways. Both were deprived of sleep and had issues managing time between work and family and both loved their jobs to heart.
In a very short amount of time, the Mei corporations and their vast spread business had secured a rightful place in both the records of the hidden leaf and the wallets of their people.
At least Naruto knew about the guy, he had faith in his people and his way of doing things.
"I'm afraid, I'll live a bit longer than I anticipated. " Shigeru laughed before coughing lightly.
As much as the man was happy to see his new friend, he had an agenda in mind this time around.
And he planned on making it happen.
"Hey! You shouldn't talk like that." Naruto smiled, lifting his small cup from the table. It was hot, he could feel the steam from the liquid reaching his nostrils.
"Yes, I'm aware. I apologize."
Well compared to the chilly wind outside, it was a welcomed change.
They talked about a lot of things. Usually, it was business and work. They didn't like to get personal, it was something they both had silently agreed upon.
Except when the topic shifts to their family or Shigeru's health. Shikamaru prefers listening to them silently most of the time.
"Okay, to start with, we've been planning on expanding the tracks of our thunder train."
Naruto nodded at Shikamaru, who then took out the blueprint of the area and laid it on the table.
Shigeru nodded, sipping through the cup of his coffee.
"It'll elevate business and exchange of goods between the nearby villages. We've been planning to–"
Shikamaru knew Naruto was a talker, and he never really had the energy to engage in long conversations anyway.
Although he would gladly listen to Naruto babbling to someone about his day-to-day work and his plans.
Sometimes their meetings would extend for hours and hours. Both of them had no sense of time when it came to the wellness of their people. They were very similar in some aspects.
However, Shikamaru couldn't help but think that they were entirely different in some.
"In any case, how's your family doing?"
Unbeknownst to him, the business talk was cut rather short this time.
Naruto blinked at the man before registering his question and smiled.
"Better than ever ya know!" He laughed.
"I see. That's great."
"We've been planning on a family dinner soon. It's –"
"Lady Hinata's birthday, is it not?"
"Yes, it was Boruto and Himawari's idea." Naruto ruffled a hand through his hair before adding.
"Kids these days." The man smiled, peering at the Hokage calmly.
"Yeah, Boruto specifically warned me about my schedule that day."
"You see, he has a habit of missing birthday parties."
Naruto shot Shikamaru a dirty look before coughing in disagreement.
"He's just a handful sometimes." Naruto interrupted.
Shigeru laughed lightly, his shoulders shaking ever so slightly.
"Now isn't he a fine shinobi now. I thought those days are over."
"Yes he is. A very strong one at that. You can never tell when they grow up so fast."
Naruto grinned , his eyes reflecting nostalgia.
"Ah! But he acts more like Sasuke now. I mean it's not like I don't like it but–"
"Being jealous of your son's master is just sad."
"Shikamaru!"
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen him around for a while." Shigeru inquired.
"He's out on a mission. ."
Naruto gazed at the sheet of paper spread in front of him before another hot coffee was served to the two.
"Ah yes I'm aware. Wasn't he supposed to return by now though?"
Probably because he's been so focused on his conversation with Shigeru before, that he almost forgot to finish his last one and it got cold.
And oh yes , there was cake . Lots of it. And Naruto had never felt more hungry before.
"Mmph** Hawmph–"
"Well , his hawk informed us otherwise. Seems like something came up."
Shikamaru’s words caught Shigeru’s attention, and the man's eyes momentarily dimmed at the news. Naruto continued stuffing his face, oblivious to the shift in tone.
"So when exactly is he expected to return?"
"Certainly not before a month I'd say."
Shikamaru caught the way Shigeru’s smile seemed to fade. It was subtle, but it was enough for Shikamaru to notice. Something about this was... off. This was going to be interesting. Hence, the raven head lit up his first cigarette of the day. Seems like business talks were over , he probably was allowed to smoke now.A short silence followed before Shigeru finally spoke
A short silence followed before Shigeru finally spoke.
"If the Hokge wouldn't mind , I would like to present a proposal."
There it was. Shikamaru raised his eyebrow at that.
"Mph– sure . What is it?" Naruto stared at the man with interest.
"I've been.. Thinking about strengthening our relations since a long time now. "
If it weren't for the look in his eyes , Naruto would've joked about them already being friends.
He remained silent and nodded again, taking another sip of his coffee.
"You can even consider this as a humble request from our side."
"You know you don't have to be so formal."
Shigeru smiled again.
"You're just too kind. "
"I'm up for anything if it's beneficial for our people and everyone. You know that. "
Shikamaru couldn't shove his hand over Naruto's mouth on time. His position restricts him to do so. But something told him , this was a hammer to his own foot.
"Well , since you already know , I have two daughters. I was planning on marrying my eldest in the hidden leaf."
"That's amazing news!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, Shikamaru stayed silent.
"So ? Who's the lucky guy huh?" He joked while his advisor went cold.
One bad question after another.
"A marriage proposal -"
Shigeru grinned , eyes closed. A short silence followed.
"-between your son and my daughter."
Naruto choked.
And he choked hard.
The hot liquid felt like fire on his tongue.
Live and burning.
But the sensation didn't come without the realisation following right after it.
A realisation that made the Hokage wince , certainly not because of his melting taste buds. The train of thoughts in his mind had simultaneous accidents as he worded his reaction in two simple syllables.
Oh shit.
Shikamaru also coughed violently dropping his cigarette.The time the white tobacco roll took to reach the floor was enough for the adviser to share a quick glance at the Hokage, both realising that they were fucked.
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"Seems like a storm is approaching."
Mistuki stated out of nowhere , gazing at the sky.
"What do you mean? The sky is clearer than my skin. "
Sarada laughed , motioning him to follow after her.
"I think you're right." Mistuki said looking back at her , grinning mischievously.
"Hey!"
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