Naruto: Vertex

— Dad? — Naruto lifted his head, thinking Boruto had spoken, but he quickly realized it was Shin. The boy took two hesitant steps toward him. — Erh, hello, sir…

— You can call me Naruto.

— Naruto? — The boy found it strange. He had always called this man "Dad" his entire life.

— Yes, that's my name. Naruto. — Naruto's confusion only deepened. He looked closely at the two boys, trying to understand what was happening. Could these children be from another village? Or did they not recognize him? — But… we know each other, don't we? — he asked, a sincere doubt in his eyes.

Shin's heart nearly stopped. A flicker of hope shone in his eyes. — I'm sure we do. But from where? — Naruto placed his hand on his chin and looked deeply into Shin's eyes. His smile, though affectionate, carried a total absence of recognition.

— Dad… I mean… my dad, he… — Shin tried, but he realized that Naruto truly didn't recognize him. Still, there was something, a vague memory, something that could be the starting point. Maybe a special moment… — My dad also likes ramen — he said, trying to find a connection, though he didn't know what else to say.

Naruto laughed and placed his hands on his hips. — I see your dad has good taste, kid! — Then, he placed a hand on Shin's shoulder and said: — Make yourselves at home. I'm going to wash my hands and be right back. Hina, I'm starving, Dattebayo!

— We're going to wash our hands too, Mom! — Boruto shouted, pulling Shin's hand. In turn, Shin took Hanami's hand, and the three of them quickly ran up the stairs to Boruto's room, while Hinata, from the kitchen, called out:

— There's a sink down here, Borut—...

Inside Boruto's room, silence filled the air. The atmosphere was heavy. Sniffling, Hanami was the first to break the silence:

— He wasn't faking it. He really didn't know who we were. — Boruto paced back and forth, sighing and pulling at his hair. Shin remained standing, staring into the void, his lips curved in a serious expression. — Shin… what's happening, brother? Why didn't Dad remember us? Not even Aunt Hinata?

— You know my mom? — Shin asked, trying to find something positive in the situation.

— She's, my godmother. — Shin replied with a forced smile. — And her son is my best friend.

— Hey! I'm her son, idiot! — Boruto exclaimed angrily, but his voice lost strength when he realized he couldn't meet Shin's eyes, who was lost in his own thoughts.

— Oh, right… — Shin said, almost emotionlessly.

— We need to find Shika! — Hanami said excitedly. — I'm sure he'll know what to do!

— You're right. — Boruto, surprising the others, spoke without his usual sarcasm. — At the very least, he'll know where to start.

— What about dinner? — Hanami pouted, rubbing her belly. — I'm hungry.

— We'll have dinner with Dad, with Naruto… I don't even know what to call him… And then we'll find Shikadai. — Shin said firmly.

They went back downstairs and tried to act normal at the table, in front of the adults and Himawari. The food was delicious, and Hanami, without hesitation, went for seconds, licking her lips. Shin, however, had no appetite.

He chewed with difficulty, his eyes following Naruto's every movement, the sadness consuming his chest. It was impossible to believe that the man before him didn't recognize him, but with each passing second, it became more evident.

He watched Naruto be affectionate with Himawari and exchange knowing glances with Hinata. He laughed internally, seeing how he treated Boruto like a child. He felt a little calmer watching Hanami interact cheerfully, but the pain didn't fade. After some protests from the girl, they decided to skip dessert and head straight to the forest.

It was 9 PM when Shikadai arrived, right on time. The presence of all three children of the Hokage signaled that thing hadn't gone as planned.

— He didn't recognize you, did he? — Shikadai asked with a serious expression.

— How do you know that? — Boruto asked, surprised.

— I suspected as much — Shikadai replied, resting a hand on his cheek as he paced while the others watched in silence.

— What does this mean, Shikadai? — Shin asked, suspicious. — You already know what's going on, don't you?

— Let's sit down — Shikadai said cryptically but was followed by the three. — You mentioned being in the middle of a battle when you got here, Shin. Tell me about it.

Shin looked at the others and, hesitating, lowered his gaze.

— I can't talk about it… it's a classified mission.

— If you don't tell me, the world as you know it, including everyone you love, might be destroyed — Shikadai said with a seriousness that made the atmosphere even heavier. — I think you'd better start talking. If I'm right, things are way more complicated than we thought.

The others remained silent, watching Shin, who, left with no options, began to speak.

— Well… There's an enemy called The Fox. At least, that's what he calls himself. We were fighting against him. Or rather, against one of his vessels. Me, Hayato, and Uncle Sasuke.

Shikadai and Boruto exchanged quick glances, and Boruto was the first to ask:

— Is he an Otsutsuki?

— What's that? An animal? — Shin asked, confused.

— No, it's a clan! Kaguya's clan! — Boruto replied, visibly irritated, then turned to Hanami with a pleading look. — From the war. The one who was sealed away.

— The Fourth Shinobi War? — Shin asked, confused.

— Yes, of course! — Boruto answered, even more irritated.

— The Fourth War was against the Akatsuki — Shin commented, shrugging, still not understanding. — Was Otsutsuki some kind of soldier clan?

— Dude… — Boruto scratched his head, incredulous.

— This is problematic — Shikadai remarked, now even more concerned about the situation. — Keep going, Shin.

— Wait — Shin said, suddenly standing up and making a hand seal. — My theory is that I'm trapped in an incredibly powerful Genjutsu. I know how to break free from normal Genjutsu, and if I were in one, I would've escaped by now. And now you're questioning me about my classified mission… How do I know this isn't the enemy disguised as my friend, trying to extract information from me?

— Holy crap… — Shikadai smacked his forehead, frustrated. — I'm me, Shin!

— Sorry, Shikadai. I have to consider all possibilities — Shin replied as black markings began spreading across his body, covering his arms and face. The others were startled.

— What the hell is that, dude? — Shikadai asked, standing up and stepping back, visibly uneasy.

— Unfortunately, my hypothesis is that Uncle Sasuke turned against us and put me in one of the Uchiha's powerful Genjutsu during the fight. Hanami… — He turned to his sister, his eyes now gravely serious. — Hurt me.

— Shin! The Byakugou?! — Hanami exclaimed, clearly alarmed by the intensity of the situation.