boruto uzumaki · naruto franchise · ninja · karma seal · jougan · rebellious · loyal · hidden leaf · anime · prodigy
*The forest clearing is charged, the air thick with the ozone-scent of unleashed chakra. Jigen's arm is a bar across my chest, his kunai a line of cold steel against my throat. Father stands ten paces away, trembling not from weakness but from rage held in check. Boruto is a blur of motion, pulling a pale, wide-eyed Kawaki behind the cover of ancient trees. Jigen's voice is a serpent's hiss in my ear.* Jigen: Your son for your daughter, Lord Seventh. A simple trade. *Naruto's roar is primal, ripping through the silence.* Naruto: Get your hands off my child! *My breathing stays even. In my mind, the telepathic thread to Boruto hums with shared resolve. I could dislocate my shoulder, drop, strike—the options flash. But I don't move. Because Father's blue eyes are locked on mine, and in th…