Chapter 11: Izaya's Return

AN: Hey everyone I haven't written an author's note in awhile. Hope you've all been doing well. As I read through the reviews I want to thank everyone who has continued to be supportive of me and the story so thank you very much! As for those who feel dissatisfied with the story, I can only apologize. Once again no work of fiction is perfect. Or perhaps there are works of fiction you find that are perfect, but at least I'm not claiming that mine is.

Alright that's all I really wanted to say, once again, thanks :)

P.S. I had attempted my best at drawing Izaya. I am not a great artist, but I gave it my best effort. If you want to get a closer look at the image then it is on deviant art. Just go to the deviant art webpage and type "Izaya Karasuma" in the search bar. Look for the creator under onetime3 and that's it.

Chapter 11

A cool wind breezed through the air as the moonlight shined down below Konoha. The village itself had gone mostly quiet as most of the people were now asleep in the comfort of their homes. At this moment several crows were flying above the village in complete silence before one of them flew down and perched on the shoulders of a very famous shinobi. It was precisely the 6th Hokage. Izaya stood atop his stone head on the cliffside of Konoha as he looked down at the village below and slightly frowned. He took note of where the public arena used to be and how it was currently under reconstruction. The area surrounding it was a complete and utter mess.

What in the world happened while I was gone? Was it the Otsutsuki? But still...only the arena area was damaged. An accident then?

He let out a soft sigh as he observed his torn clothes. His shirt had multiple rips and tears in it whilst his pants were torn where it didn't cover anything below his knees. His haori was also half gone. Senko made a comment from within Izaya's mental psyche to break the silence. "Well...it went better than expected. Seems you truly haven't lost your touch."

Izaya just let out a sigh as he lightly touched his bag where two large red chakra fruits were currently contained in a sealed container. "It took more time than I would have liked."

Senko nodded but still praised, "Regardless you were able to stop the Tengu's leader from becoming the Ten Tails Jinchuriki and sealed the Ten Tails into a moon."

"Heh. Even though I succeeded in preventing the Tengu's leader from doing so Aseiyo, the leader of the Human faction was able to use that time to become a Jinchuriki of the Ten Tails himself."

"Even so it couldn't be helped given the situation. If you didn't intervene when you did you would either be fighting against two Ten Tails Jinchuriki or you would be fighting against someone with the power of two Ten Tails. In the end you managed to not only defeat Aseiyo, you sealed him and his Ten Tails into another moon."

"It wasn't easy though. Having to seal and extract two of the Ten Tails chakra and condensing them into these chakra fruits took a long time. They held quite a lot of chakra."

"Mn. It's best to store them away. Will you transport them to your safehouse in the Sage continent?"

Izaya nodded. "Yes. I can't just carry them around with me. They hold too much chakra. It'll be bad if they end up in the wrong hands. Plus with my safehouse in the Sage continent, thanks to the natural energies there I took advantage of it using it to increase the power of all the barriers and seals I placed on the safehouse. Even if members of the Otsutsuki clan eventually discover that I am in possession of these chakra fruits and somehow discover where I hid them it'd be very difficult for them to breach my defenses."

"True. Now I wonder what happened here in Konoha. The arena seems to be partially destroyed."

Izaya furrowed his brow thinking for a moment before he simply shrugged his shoulders. "No use speculating. I could just get an answer from Naruto in the morning." He then grabbed the two containers holding two large red chakra fruits and teleported them away.

"What now?" Senko questioned.

"What else? I'll go home."

Senko raised an eyebrow questioningly and commented, "Looking like that?"

Izaya then remembered that his current appearance was less than appropriate. "Uhh...right. I suppose I should change first. Hanabi would definitely be worried if she saw me like this."

In but an instant Izaya disappeared and flew to one of his safehouses hidden and scattered throughout Konoha. There he took a quick shower and changed into some spare clothes before he flew back to the side of one of his crows that was currently perched atop the Hyuga residence. He quietly walked through the compound and through several rooms before ending up just outside his and Hanabi's bedroom door. He took a deep breath before carefully opening the door not wanting to make any noises that could disturb Hanabi's sleep. As he entered the dark room his Rinnegan let him see everything clearly. He simply smiled as he saw Hanabi asleep peacefully, however he frowned in the next moment as he noticed Hanabi's breathing become rapid. She began to slowly twist and turn uncomfortably in bed as she whispered words of anguish. Izaya gritted his teeth as he heard Hanabi sleep-talk.

She's having a nightmare.

At that moment he heard Hanabi whisper, "Don't leave me...Izaya...You can't die…you promised you'd come back..."

Izaya instantly sat down on the edge of their bed and embraced Hanabi in a tight hug.

"Hanabi, wake up."

"Hanabi."

"Hanabi!"

"Hanabi!"

It was then that Hanabi was startled awake as she heavily breathed in and out. She felt warm and strong arms around her frame but was scared for a moment that some stranger intruded into the house, however she quickly calmed down at the all too familiar scent and feel of the person currently holding her.

"Izaya...you're back." She whispered as a tear fell from her eyes.

Izaya smiled softly and slowly let her go so he could see her face and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I am."

Hanabi quickly pulled Izaya into another tight hug and squeezed. They remained like that for a few minutes before Hanabi let go. "I missed you. Izaya…"

Izaya gently kissed her forehead. "You were having a nightmare. Are you alright? You haven't had nightmares like that since the 4th Great Ninja War. How often do you have one like the one you just had?"

Hanabi bit the bottom of her lips and turned her head away without meeting Izaya's gaze. Izaya frowned at her action and asked again, but a bit more sternly this time. "Hanabi. Tell me. Is it because of me?"

Hanabi quickly shook her head. "It's not like that!"

Izaya frowned at her answer. "If it's not like that then tell me." He saw Hanabi clench her hands in a fist and knew that she was bottling up her worries inside so he gently grabbed her hands in his and softly kissed them causing her to loosen up her fists. With a soft whisper he pleaded, "Please…"

Hanabi finally let out a soft sigh and turned back to look at Izaya who had a loving and concerned expression on his face. "Alright…"

Izaya held Hanabi in his arms and asked once more, "So...how often do you have these nightmares?"

"It's not really set. Sometimes twice a week. Other times three."

Izaya frowned at how often they occurred. "When do they happen?"

A moment of silence passed between them causing Izaya to frown even more.

"Hanabi."

Hanabi let out a soft sigh and bit the bottom of her lips as she whispered, "Only when you're gone. But it doesn't happen all the time you're gone. J-Just some of the time. And only recently."

Izaya squeezed Hanabi's smaller frame closer to his. "How recent?"

"Just this past year."

Izaya let out a defeated sigh. "I'm horrible. I'm sorry Hanabi. I had no idea that you were going through something like this for the past year."

Hanabi shook her head. "It's not your fault. I should have a better handle on things like this by now."

"Hanabi, please stop it. It's my fault. For leaving you and the kids for such a long period of time. You can blame me. In fact you should. I won't let you take the blame for this. Why didn't you tell me?"

Hanabi clutched Izaya's shirt as she snuggled into his chest. "I didn't want to worry you over something like this. It's only a nightmare. I don't want you to lose focus or worry about us or get distracted while you're off in some other unknown dimension."

Izaya frowned. "Hanabi. These kinds of things. No, anything at all. I want you to tell me. Any worries, anything stressful, anything at all. Please let me know. I'll come back immediately. You only have to write in a message in the scroll I left you. I reverse summon it to my side at the end of every month before teleporting it back."

Hanabi frowned. "That's why I didn't tell you. Because I know you would come back. You would abandon everything just for us. You're going out there and risking your life everyday to search for clues, answers, information, anything that could be of help to the entire world so how can I be that selfish? To keep you here?"

Izaya smiled with a complicated mix of sadness and happiness at how selfless his wife was and lifted her chin so that he could stare at her eyes. He removed his blindfold so that they were now truly staring at the depths of each other's souls. "Hanabi. You are my wife. You have every right to be more selfish for me. You have every right to demand more of my time whenever and wherever you want it. Remember all those years ago during the 4th Great Ninja War? Right when I returned all battered up and bruised you bandaged up my wounds. You told me the same thing back then. You apologized to me for being selfish. You apologized because you said you didn't want to hold me back. And remember what I told you back then?"

Hanabi felt her emotions stir as she recalled those memories from so long ago. "You said that I gave you strength. That you never once thought I was holding you back."

"And what did you tell me right after?"

Hanabi's lips curled into a slight smile as she softly replied, "I said that you give me the strength to move forwards."

Izaya gave her a quick kiss on the cheeks and rested his forehead against hers before continuing, "That's right. Then you told me that I didn't have to act so tough in front of you as you kept patching up my wounds. And I told you that you never have to keep things bottled up to yourself because with me, all your pain, hardships, frustrations, the anger, sadness, and hurt, I promised that I would share them all with you."

A tear fell from Hanabi's eyes as she recalled those memories from so long ago and she couldn't help but smile as the images and words came flooding back to her. Izaya smiled as he felt Hanabi's mood slowly improving. He kissed the tears from her face and slowly laid down on the bed dragging Hanabi down with him. He pulled the blanket over them and cuddled her into his chest as he commented, "That was also the day we made our relationship official and you claimed me as your idiot."

Hanabi couldn't help but feel a loving warmth fill her up inside and let out a soft laugh at the memory. "Those were your words...heh...but you really are my idiot."

Izaya smirked and nodded. "I am. I always will be."

In but mere moments her entire body began to relax as she began to get drowsy. She slowly began to nod off into a peaceful sleep as she attempted to say in a soft whisper, "You always...know...how to...make me feel...better...love...you…" And sleep finally took her over.

Izaya let out a sigh as he was frustrated with himself for not realizing Hanabi's feelings of anxiety and insecurities in the past year. "I'm sorry for not realizing sooner Hanabi. I won't ask you or the kids to forgive me. I'll do better. I promise. I love you." And soon sleep took him over as well.

The next morning Hiroshi and Iraia were sitting in the kitchen as they both stared at the clock a bit confused so Hiroshi asked, "Hey sis, it's 8:30 in the morning but mom isn't up yet. Isn't she usually awake at like 7? And today we're supposed to celebrate grandpa's birthday. I thought mom would be up preparing to bake grandpa's cake."

Iraia was silent for a few moments before nodding in agreement with Hiroshi's assessment. "It does seem a bit strange that mom would choose today of all days to sleep in. Why don't you go and check on mom. I'll stay here and make some breakfast for everyone."

"Alright." Hiroshi quickly dashed through the house until he stood just outside Hanabi's room and knocked.

"Mom..."

"Mom?.."

"Mom! Are you alright?"

With no response Hiroshi simply raised his eyebrow questioningly and slowly opened the door, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that not only was Hanabi in her room, but Izaya as well.

"D-Dad?!"

Izaya stirred as he heard all the racket Hiroshi was making and slowly sat up in the bed as he groggily replied, "Mnnn...Hiroshi? What is it?"

Hiroshi just stood there a bit dumbfoundedly. "Y-You're back?! I mean...Ahem. You're back."

Izaya smirked at Hiroshi's reaction and threw his pillow straight at Hiroshi prompting him to widen his eyes in surprise as he quickly caught the incoming pillow. "O-Oi! What was that for dad?"

Izaya just laughed. "What's with your reaction? Did you think I wouldn't come back?"

Hiroshi smirked and replied, "I was surprised that's all. Sis and I were wondering why mom wasn't awake yet. Let me guess, another super super long night talk and mom was helping you out?" He then threw the pillow back as Izaya simply let the pillow hit him in the face before it fell on the bed.

His face turned a hint of pink as he heard Hiroshi's remark and replied, "Ahem. Actually yes. I returned home very late last night so your mom and I were talking." At that moment Hanabi stirred awake from all the noise in the room and slowly sat up on the bed rubbing her eyes. She took note of Hiroshi standing by the door and yawned before asking, "Hiroshi, what time is it?"

Hiroshi smiled feeling happy at the sight of his mom and dad. "It's 8:30 in the morning. Sis is making breakfast downstairs. I thought I'd come check on you since you're usually awake already but I guess I didn't need to. Don't worry about sis and I. Mom, you look a bit tired so go ahead and take your time. And dad, it's good to see you." Hiroshi quickly left the room and dashed to tell Iraia the good news.

Izaya and Hanabi just sat next to each other as they watched Hiroshi leave the room in great haste and simply smirked.

"We should probably get up Izaya. We can't let the kids do all the work."

As Hanabi walked to the bathroom connected to their room she undressed and got into the shower. Izaya bit his lips at the sight of her and took a deep breath. He shrugged his shoulders and whispered to himself, "She did that on purpose right? Undressing in front of me like that? On purpose or not there's no way I'm letting her get away with it."

Just as Hanabi turned on the hot water letting it fall on her body relaxingly she couldn't help but let out a yelp in pleasant surprise as the shower door opened. Izaya bent his head down near her ear and slowly snaked his hands down the curves of her soft, smooth, and slippery body washing her with soap as he whispered, "May I join you?"

Hanabi's breathing became rapid as she moaned in pleasure and struggled to give a response. "I-Izaya! Haaaaa...Ngh!...we don't...Aaahhh! Yes!...wait...we don't...have time."

Izaya simply smirked mischievously at Hanabi's response. "This is what you wanted isn't it? You can't just tease me like that and say no. Besides, your body says differently. Oh, and Hiroshi said to take our time so I very much plan to."

Hanabi could only bite the bottom of her lip in anticipation as she turned to face Izaya and took in his completely naked and well built muscular form. He towered over her 170cm tall frame at a height of 188cm. She didn't waste any time at all as she roamed his body with her hands also lathering his body in soap. Izaya gritted his teeth and groaned deeply in pleasure. He had missed the feel of her touch. Of her body. Of her love. He had missed her so much. They washed each other for another minute or so before Hanabi tiptoed on her feet and wrapped her arms around Izaya's neck lowering his head so she could whisper in his ears. "Take me."

Izaya couldn't even give a verbal response. He simply obeyed her words and lifted her entire body into the air. Hanabi yelped in pleasurable surprise and wrapped her legs around Izaya's waist as he pinned her back on the steaming wet shower glass door and like she commanded, he took her. Over and over and over again. It wasn't until an hour and a half later that they both made their way to the kitchen prompting Iraia to quickly hug Izaya and greet him. She and Hiroshi decided that they'd wait for their parents to wake up before eating breakfast so they could all eat together as long as their parents were awake before noon, therefore Iraia quickly heated up the breakfast she prepared for all of them. After they all ate in happy silence Hanabi commented, "The kids participated in the Chunin Exams."

Izaya slightly flinched as he recalled that the time for the Exams really did pass already. "Oh? The Chunin Exams huh? So, what did you both think? Were they like you thought they were or were they completely different from your expectations?"

Iraia and Hiroshi said at the same time, "The first test was weird. But other than that the other tests were fine."

Izaya raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Weird? How so?"

Hiroshi smirked and replied, "Well, the proctor of the first exam was Police Chief Sai and it was actually a true or false quiz when in reality that was also a disguise for the true test of the exam which was to not fall into a pool of black ink."

Izaya awkwardly smiled at the thought that Sai was the proctor of the first exam. "Sai huh? Heh, well I can see him doing something like that for the first exam. Mn. So, did anyone make it to Chunin?"

Iraia and Hiroshi felt a bit awkward to say anything, but in the end Iraia reported, "Shikadai, Zen, and Hiroshi were promoted to Chunin."

Izaya was a bit surprised at the results Iraia had just stated, but nodded acceptingly. "So, Shikadai, Zen, and Hiroshi huh? I see. Then...Hiroshi, congratulations! Now that you're officially a Chunin you'll probably get to participate in the Five Great Games this year."

Iraia nervously fidgeted in her chair a bit as she asked, "You're not disappointed in me papa?"

Izaya simply smiled and walked over to Iraia as he gently kissed the top of her forehead. "Disappointed? No. I wouldn't be disappointed over something like this. As long as you didn't betray your ninja way and as long as you did what you thought was right, following your heart, then there's nothing to be disappointed about."

Iraia nodded her head as she inwardly felt a weight lift off of her shoulders from the confirmation that Izaya didn't harshly judge her for not becoming a Chunin. "I'll work harder papa, so that I can catch up to you faster."

Izaya smiled at his daughter's resolve and nodded. "Mn. And I don't doubt that you will catch up to me one day. I'm glad the results of the Chunin Exams didn't damper your spirit. And just so you both know, becoming a Chunin or not becoming a Chunin doesn't mean that it's an obstacle on your path to become stronger. After all, your uncle Naruto, Sasuke, and Kimimaro technically never became Chunin. At least they didn't become official Chunin by means of the Chunin Exams."

"Ehhhh? They didn't?" Both Iraia and Hiroshi inquired. Izaya chuckled at their reaction and shook his head. "Nope they didn't. I can tell you all about it another time. By the way, mom told me that we're throwing your grandpa a birthday party later so I'm going to go help her prepare the things we need okay?"

"Mn!" They both nodded before dashing off into the village leaving Izaya and Hanabi alone in the kitchen as they started making the cake. It wasn't until 4 in the afternoon when Iraia and Hiroshi returned alongside Boruto and Himawari. Naruto and Hinata also arrived at the Hyuga residence a few minutes later. Himawari quickly ran into the kitchen and shouted, "Uncle Izaya! You're back!"

Izaya smiled and picked her up, hugging her lightly. "And how is my little niece doing? No one's causing you any trouble are they?"

Himawari happily shook her head. "Nope."

Just as Izaya gently placed her back on the ground she dashed off and grabbed a black iron pot from Naruto's hands and brought it back to show Izaya. "Uncle look! It's Shukaku!"

Izaya raised his eyebrows confused and surprised as he couldn't sense Shukaku's chakra, however he took note of the sealing tag on the bottom of the pot and understood why. "Oi, Shukaku, you're not going to just remain hiding inside that pot are you?"

Shukaku slowly lifted its head out of the pot and stared at Izaya as he responded in that high pitch voice of his. "Hehehe...Well if it isn't the 6th Hokage. I see you are doing well."

Izaya smirked. "You look nervous Shukaku. Is something wrong?"

Shukaku slightly panicked a little before quickly replying, "Ah, no no. Nothing is wrong. Don't mind me. Anyways it was nice to see you." He then ducked back inside his iron pot.

Boruto tilted his head in confusion and whispered to Hiroshi, "Hey, Shukaku's acting a bit weird isn't he? He's so obedient in front of uncle Izaya."

Hiroshi just shrugged. "He's been living with you guys so I can't really say. Besides, I thought that he was supposed to be brought back to Sunagakure and placed under protection in the new safehouse they constructed."

Boruto nodded but simply shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, after the whole Urashiki incident a couple days ago the Tailed Beasts no longer needed to be placed under protection. So Shukaku decided that he'd stick around for a bit and really get the full Konoha experience. Dad said that Shukaku will be brought back to Sunagakure sometime tomorrow. By the way did you mention going back in time and how you got to meet uncle Izaya when he was a kid?"

Hiroshi shook his head. "No. I haven't yet. Wouldn't it be awkward?"

Boruto just smirked. "Maybe or maybe not. Dad knew because Sasuke-san told him, but it wasn't awkward when we talked about it. Truthfully going back in time helped me understand dad more."

The door to the kitchen opened at this moment prompting everyone to stop the conversations they were having and turn their attention to who it was. Himawari widened her eyes with joy as she shouted, "Grandpa!"

Hiashi smiled as he rushed straight at Boruto, Himawari, Hiroshi, and Iraia grabbing them all together in one giant hug. The same thought passed through all of their minds at that moment.

Ugh! Why is grandpa so strong. He's crushing me.

As dinner time rolled around the corner everyone sat neatly around the table. Hiashi sat at the head of the table while Hinata sat on his right side followed by Naruto, Boruto, and Himawari. On Hiashi's left side sat Hanabi, Izaya, Hiroshi, and Iraia. The nine of them happily chatted and ate dinner and cake in celebration of Hiashi's birthday. It was then that Naruto commented, "The Five Great Games are being held in a couple months. It'll be the second one ever held."

Izaya thought about the Games for a moment and asked, "Where will they be held this time?"

"Iwagakure is going to be hosting."

"Oh? So Kurotsuchi huh? And Kimimaro will be there too! I haven't seen him in awhile."

Hanabi quickly chimed in, "So, do you know which teams from Konoha are going?"

Naruto shook his head and sighed. "Not really. Since only Chunins and Jonins can sign up I'm not really sure which teams to send. Each village can only send a maximum of three teams. I've been thinking of having Shikadai, Zen, and Hiroshi form a team with Konohamaru to compete, but nothing is set in stone yet."

Hiroshi widened his eyes with expectation when he heard Naruto's comment. "Alright! Sign me up!"

Everyone simply laughed at Hiroshi's enthusiasm. Boruto grumbled to himself saying something about unfortunately not being a Chunin yet and that he'd like to participate too. Naruto awkwardly scratched the back of his head at Boruto's comment and changed the topic. "Boruto, how's your training going with Sasuke?"

At Naruto's question Boruto replied with confidence, "It's going well for the most part. Sasuke-san showed me his Chidori and told me to think of how I can improve on my own Ninjutsu. I have my Vanishing Rasengan, but I still don't know how I can improve on it. I have Lightning Ninjutsu, Wind Ninjutsu, and Water Ninjutsu but I can't do anything as amazing as Sasuke-sans Chidori yet."

Izaya thought about what Boruto said for a moment before advising, "You have quite an arsenal of techniques Boruto. They should serve you well for now. Inventing new Jutsus or improving on an existing one will come with time and experience. Eventually new ideas will come to you with the more battle experience you gain, but first work on creating a strong foundation."

Iraia nodded in agreement and commented, "Papa, uncle Haku once told me that you created a new Jutsu too and improved on many others. Is it okay if you show us the Jutsu you created?"

Boruto and Hiroshi widened their eyes with anticipation and nodded in agreement. Izaya awkwardly looked at Hanabi who playfully winked at him causing him to let out a sigh in defeat. He stood up and said, "Well I suppose I could. Follow me to the courtyard training grounds."

As Izaya walked to the training grounds he simply shook his head in amusement as he noted that not only were Iraia, Hiroshi, and Boruto following him, but so was everyone else.

I thought only the kids wanted to see. Everyone else didn't have to go out of their way and get up as well. Ah well, can't be helped.

As Izaya stood in the center of the training ground within the Hyuga compound he held out his right hand. "Now watch carefully."

In but a mere moment a powerful sphere of dense golden light appeared in his hand as a loud humming sound like that of pure energy thrummed in the surrounding area. The four kids stared with their eyes wide open in shock at how powerful and warm the technique felt. Then Izaya thrust the technique right into a boulder causing it to disintegrate to dust shocking the kids even more than they already were. After a few seconds passed they finally returned to their senses as Hiroshi questioned, "D-Dad, what is that Jutsu?"

"It's called the Sun Sphere. I developed this Jutsu after thinking about whether it was possible to combine the principles of the Rasengan with the principles of the Chidori. This Jutsu is possible by using the Rasengan as a base, however unlike the Rasengan this Jutsu is spun at about 75% the speed of the Rasengan. I then incorporate Wind nature to form a spherical tunnel, Fire nature to generate immense heat, Water nature to contain the flames and mixed it with the Fire nature forming a powerful boiling steam contained within the Wind nature. This creates an incredibly dense mass of immense pressure and heat within the spherical volume in my hand and finally, Lightning nature is mixed into the incredibly hot dense mass of boiling rotating steam increasing the penetrative and destructive force of the Jutsu. It's classified as an S-rank Jutsu."

Hiroshi, Iraia, and Boruto simply stared with awe at Izaya and a bit of fear as well when they looked back at where the boulder used to be. Boruto quickly reigned in his emotions and asked, "Uncle Izaya, does that mean if I experience more battles I could eventually come up with a Jutsu as powerful as yours? Wait, in fact I already know how to use the Rasengan and mixed my Lightning nature with it creating a Vanishing Rasengan. I have Water and Wind release too! Tch...but I don't have Fire release yet so I guess I can't really learn how to use the Sun Sphere huh?"

Izaya simply smiled. "It's true that the more battles you experience the more likely you are to come up with some new ideas for creating or improving Jutsus, but that doesn't mean you should go looking for trouble or go put yourself in a dangerous situation just to do it. Understand?"

Boruto nodded.

Hiroshi then chimed in, "Dad, can we spar then? Fighting against you should be okay right? And it's been a long time since you've trained me!"

Boruto widened his eyes with interest and nodded in agreement. "Uncle Izaya I've never gotten to train with you before, spar with me too!"

Izaya awkwardly turned to look at Hanabi, Hinata, and Naruto seeking their interference, however they simply awkwardly looked back. It was Hiashi who nodded his head and agreed. "Mn. An excellent idea. I would like to see a match like this one."

Hiroshi and Boruto cheered while Izaya simply let out a sigh and turned his attention back to them. "Alright. Since your grandpa says it's okay then we'll have a little spar. Boruto, since you can use the Rasengan then I won't use the Rasengan. I also won't use my special Jutsu the Sun Sphere. I also hear that one of your favorite Jutsus to use was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. In that case I won't use the Shadow Clone Jutsu either. Hiroshi, since you're skilled in the Wood Style I won't use the Wood Style. How does that sound?"

Boruto raised his eyebrow curiously. "Are you sure you're going to be alright uncle?"

Hiroshi gently elbowed Boruto in the side. "Oi. Accept the handicaps or we'll lose terribly. Dad isn't a pushover."

Boruto recalled the time when he witnessed Izaya fight as a kid and quickly nodded in agreement. "Ah right right. Forget what I said uncle Izaya. I accept the handicaps."

Izaya nodded before he formed the Clone hand sign creating four Shadow Clones. Boruto's expression became confused as he commented, "Ehhhh? Wait, I thought you weren't going to use the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"

Izaya just smirked. "Don't worry I'm not. Just watch." Izaya's four clones walked to the corners of the training yard and placed their hands together as they said, "Confinement Barrier." A giant purple barrier rose up around the training yard protecting the nearby residential structures in the area. Izaya then stood in the middle of the field. "Now you can use whatever attack you like without having to worry about accidentally destroying the Hyuga compound. The barrier will let anyone from the outside step in, but everything inside the barrier will be kept inside." He then took out a silver bell and hung it on his waist as he proceeded to explain, "I'm sure you're both familiar with this by now. Take the bell from me if you can. Come at me with everything you've got. We can start right...now."

Hiroshi and Boruto grinned and dashed right at Izaya as they both engaged him in close quarter combat. Izaya easily dodged, parried, blocked, and countered their every move. He raised up his left arm and expertly knocked Boruto's palm strike to the side right into Hiroshi's incoming punch.

Bam!

With Boruto and Hiroshi temporarily startled, Izaya easily tripped Hiroshi's feet causing him to stumble right into Boruto knocking them both into the ground. Frustrated they both got up and attacked again in a flurry of Taijutsu. At this point Hiroshi had his Byakugan activated, however no matter how he attacked Izaya easily countered him. Boruto tried to perform a sneak attack from behind Izaya, however just as he dashed towards Izaya's neck with an axe kick Izaya slightly shifted his body at the last second causing Boruto to miss. Hiroshi who was pressing his attack at the front was startled and quickly raised up his arms to block Boruto's axe kick.

Bam!

Izaya simply smiled as he stood off to the side and commented, "Hmmm...I thought you guys wanted to spar against me, not each other."

Boruto and Hiroshi gritted their teeth as they realized they were far outmatched in Taijutsu than they originally thought. Boruto quickly threw several kunai right at Izaya as Hiroshi ran around trying to get behind. Izaya simply took out one shuriken and tossed it with great speed at the wall of the barrier parallel with Boruto's kunais. The barrier deflected the shuriken sending it on a perpendicular path at all of the incoming kunai that Boruto had thrown knocking them into one another effectively canceling the attack. Boruto widened his eyes in shock.

He actually used the barrier to his advantage?

Izaya noted Boruto's shocked expression and lectured, "In a fight anything can happen and anything can become your weapon. A rock. A leaf. The dust. A kunai. A shuriken. Your enemy themselves. Even your enemy's ally can become your weapon. You're limited only by your imagination. And held back only by your belief. Once you think that something is impossible, then it will forever be out of your reach, but once you get rid of that thought then you'll never be chained down again." It was then that Izaya sensed an attack and dashed to the side before Hiroshi's wooden vines could entangle him from behind.

Boruto snapped out of his thoughts and infused lightning into a kunai in his hand. He then created two Shadow Clones as they all dashed towards Izaya. Hiroshi quickly formed a wooden wall behind Izaya as Boruto jumped in the air while his two Clones created a powerful wind in their palms and thrusted right at Boruto's feet greatly increasing his speed as Boruto shouted, "Boruto Stream!"

FWISH!

Izaya watched as Boruto shot through the air with a speed so fast that it would be difficult to dodge, at least for those who weren't experienced enough in fighting against fast opponents. Just before Boruto could reach Izaya he simply smirked amusedly and sidestepped at the last moment so Boruto couldn't shift his attack. He then quickly smacked Boruto's legs upwards causing Boruto's entire body to flip so that he was perpendicular to the ground. In doing so Izaya saved Boruto from smashing his head straight into the wooden wall that Hiroshi had made and instead caused Boruto to crash against it with his back saving him from a possible concussion. Boruto could only widen his eyes in shock and grit his teeth as he braced for the impact.

BAM!

"GAAAH!" Boruto let out as he had the wind knocked out of him. Hiroshi frowned and quickly utilized his wood style to wrap around Boruto getting him out of Izaya's range of attack and brought Boruto over to his side.

"Boruto, are you alright?" Hiroshi asked concernedly.

Boruto frowned as he struggled to get his breathing back under control but nodded in response. "I'm...fine...Keh...Uncle Izaya is crazy strong. How'd he dodge my attack like that?"

Izaya simply stood in the same spot and nodded his head approvingly. "Excellent work Hiroshi. You are treating this match like a real life or death match. Your judgement to immediately retrieve Boruto before I could perform a counter on his weakened state was the correct choice. And Boruto, I commend you for your innovative attack, but I advise you to be careful in using that Jutsu you call Boruto Stream. In a way it's very similar to the Chidori. While you infuse lightning into a kunai to increase your piercing and damaging power the speed at which you move is so fast that when you're up against more experienced fighters you can't react in time to their counter attack. Not unless you possess something like the Sharingan's eye of insight. Also your technique incurs more risk to the user than the Chidori does because you're airborne. While in the air you possess even less control over your body."

He then returned his attention to Hiroshi. "Hiroshi, you've gotten a pretty good handle on your Wood Style by now. I think it's time you start practicing your other Kekkei Genkais."

Boruto widened his eyes in shock at what he just heard and turned to Hiroshi with a look of disbelief. "Y-You have another Kekkei Genkai other than the Wood Style and Byakugan?"

Hiroshi awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. "Y-Yeah...but I'm not very good at using them yet."

Before they could continue their conversation further Izaya jumped down from the air with an axe kick prompting them to dash on opposite sides to dodge. Boruto quickly created four Shadow Clones and attacked Izaya who simply dodged a Clones punch and gripped its arm before throwing it straight into another Clone causing them both to disappear. He then caught a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it that was thrown by one of the two Clones left and quickly tossed it right at Hiroshi forcing him to stop in his tracks and dash to the side to dodge. Izaya then tossed out two shurikens at each of the two Boruto Clones on either side of him. The Clones quickly shifted their body's successfully evading the attack, however one Shuriken hit the wall of the barrier first before knocking into the second one causing it to fly back out and stab the Boruto Clones in the back causing them to disappear.

Boruto frowned as he was in the air above Izaya and struck down with a kunai in his hand, however Izaya quickly ducked his head causing Boruto's strike to miss. Izaya then gripped Boruto by the arm and pulled him down from up above right in front of Hiroshi causing Hiroshi to promptly halt his steps before he could get a hit in. Izaya smirked and kicked Boruto right into Hiroshi's frame flinging them both through the air and crashing into the wall of the barrier. Just as they reoriented themselves they widened their eyes in shock and dashed along the edges of the barrier dodging a barrage of shuriken from Izaya, however at this moment Izaya simply stood unmoving as he watched Boruto and Hiroshi continue to jump, dash, and dodge around the courtyard.

Himawari who was watching from outside the barrier tilted her head confused and asked, "How come big brother and Hiroshi are just running around?"

Shukaku who was being held in her hands at that moment quickly chimed in, "Heh. Those two brats got trapped in a Genjutsu."

Himawari widened her eyes in shock. "EHHH? But how?"

Shukaku simply shrugged. "I don't know. But that's why they're running around like headless chickens. Seriously. The 6th Hokage is just toying with them honestly. Why they would want to spar against a monster like him is beyond me." He grumbled inaudibly towards the end.

Iraia was also a bit confused and turned to the four adults as she asked, "When did papa manage to trap them in a Genjutsu?"

Hiashi stared intently at the battle and replied, "The moment he kicked Boruto into Hiroshi knocking them into the barrier your dad infused Yin chakra into that attack. That Yin chakra seeped into Boruto and Hiroshi's chakra pathway system disrupting their senses. It was an excellent move. He combined a Genjutsu attack into what seemed like a normal Taijutsu attack that Hiroshi and Boruto didn't even notice. Even with Hiroshi's Byakugan. Your dad's ability to finely control his own chakra let him quickly infuse the Yin nature at the last moment so Hiroshi didn't register the possibility that his body was being contaminated by it."

"But grandpa, that type of Genjutsu attack isn't really powerful though right?"

Hiashi smiled at Iraia's question and shook his head. "Power is but a vague concept. How do you distinguish something powerful from something not powerful? A shuriken is surely more dangerous than a pebble no? However a Shuriken thrown by an amateur is less deadly than a pebble thrown by a master. It all depends on the user and how they use it. The quicker you realize that the concept of power is not concrete then that is when you truly start to rise amongst the ranks of the strong."

Iraia nodded with great interest and took to heart Hiashi's words.

Grandpa is very wise. He must be very strong to know so much.

It was then that Hiroshi noticed something wrong.

What's going on? I'm trying to use Jutsu, but every time I do it doesn't feel like my chakra is actually draining at the rate it's supposed to. Especially after all the Jutsu that I've been using to avoid dad's attack. Uh? I-It can't be...a Genjutsu?

Hiroshi immediately stopped in his tracks and performed a Genjutsu release instantly returning to reality. He widened his eyes in shock at the realization that this whole time he truly was in a Genjutsu. He took note at how ridiculous Boruto looked running around thinking that he was still in battle and shook his head.

Did I look that ridiculous as well?

He then quickly dashed by Boruto's side and released him from the Genjutsu causing a confused look to appear Boruto's face.

"Eh? Hiroshi? Ah? What happened to all the destruction in the training yard? N-No way, Genjutsu?!"

They both turned to look at Izaya incredulously as Izaya simply smirked amusedly. "So you both finally came to huh? How was your dream?"

Hiroshi and Boruto frowned and grumbled, "Horrible."

Izaya just laughed. "So, what's your next plan of attack?"

Hiroshi gritted his teeth. "Boruto, it's time we amp things up."

Boruto nodded as he placed his hands together and shouted, "Water Style: Surging Sea Jutsu!" From his mouth he spewed out a powerful stream of raging waves as he quickly followed up with the Ram sign and shouted, "Lightning Style: Thunderclap Arrow!" He then shot out an electric arrow right into the raging water causing an electrical current to fuse with his Water Ninjutsu.

Izaya smirked and placed his palm on the ground shouting, "Earth Style: Earthquake Slam!" The ground shifted causing the earth in front of Izaya to lift higher into the air forming a slope forcing Boruto's electrical water Ninjutsu to halt its advance forwards and flow back down towards him and Hiroshi. They were both shocked as Hiroshi quickly placed his hands on the ground shouting, "Wood Style Jutsu!" He created a large wooden barrier to appear around him and Boruto as wood tendrils dug giant holes through the earthen slope allowing the electrical water current to drain out from their side and over towards Izaya once more.

Izaya nodded in acknowledgement of Boruto and Hiroshi's excellent teamwork and placed his hands on the ground. "Earth Style: Grand Hole Emergence." Instantly the ground right in front of where Hiroshi created his tunnels tore open into deep and giant holes forcing all of the electrical water current to drain down into them before Izaya closed them up. "A combination Ninjutsu attack of Water and Lightning. Not bad Boruto. And Hiroshi, being able to protect you and Boruto from my counter and then also creating your own counter to my response, excellent job and quick thinking."

Hiroshi and Boruto simply furrowed their brows completely at a loss as they struggled to get their breathing under control from the exhausted state they were in. Boruto simply commented, "I think I have enough chakra for one more attack."

Hiroshi nodded. "Same."

They both looked at each other in silent understanding as they dashed out on opposite sides. Boruto quickly created two Shadow Clones and formed a Rasengan in his hands while Hiroshi activated his now awakened Sharingan. Izaya took note of Hiroshi's Sharingan and was immediately shocked. In fact it wasn't only him, but everyone watching from outside the barrier was also shocked. Hiroshi attacked in tandem with Boruto's two Shadow Clones trying to give Boruto an opening to attack with his Rasengan, however even with his Sharingan helping him defend and attack better than before his skill in its usage was still at the amateur level. Izaya easily destroyed Boruto's two clones before throwing Hiroshi into the wall of the barrier. It was then that Hiroshi formed the Dog sign and clapped his hands shouting, "Wood Style: Golem Fist Jutsu!"

At the same time that his wooden fist shot straight for Izaya, Boruto also threw out his technique and shouted, "Rasengan!"

Izaya stood before the two incoming attacks as he stared at Hiroshi and Boruto feeling proud of how far they've come as shinobi. Just before the attacks could reach him Boruto's Rasengan disappeared, however Izaya simply dismissed it and said, "Eight Extreme Fists: 7th Fist of Splitting." A golden light coalesced around his right arm as he threw a simple and straightforward punch, however in this punch contained an incredible amount of power immediately breaking apart Hiroshi's wooden fist and dispelling the invisible Rasengan in the vicinity.

BANG!

A fierce wind blew through the area causing Hiroshi and Boruto's clothes and hair to flutter for a few seconds before everything calmed down again. It was then that Izaya dispelled the barrier along with his clones and walked up to Hiroshi and Boruto nodding his head in acknowledgement. "You've both come very far. I'm very proud of the progress you both have made. Don't let up on your training. I hope you both learnt something from this battle."

They both simply nodded as they stared at Izaya with a newfound respect. Boruto quietly walked back to Naruto and Hinata's side lost in his own thoughts.

I saw dad and Sasuke-san fight against Momoshiki and they were incredibly strong. They were so strong that I never knew that kind of power even existed in the world. Uncle Izaya didn't even break a sweat during our fight and even handicapped himself. He didn't even need to use his Flying Thunder God Jutsu against us. Is uncle Izaya really as strong as dad and Sasuke-san? Then what about uncle Haku and uncle Kimimaro? The five of them are collectively known as the Five Eienkage right? Are all five of them on the same level? Tch...I never knew they were so strong…

Before Hiroshi could walk off Izaya quickly knelt before him and stared Hiroshi in the eyes. After a moment of silence passed between them Izaya asked with a concerned voice, "Hiroshi...are you okay?"

Hiroshi was startled by the question so he asked confusedly, "What do you mean dad?"

Izaya pulled Hiroshi into a hug. "Your right eye. You've awakened your Sharingan."

At that moment Hanabi also arrived by Hiroshi's side and hugged him as well. "Hiroshi...I'm sorry I didn't know."

Hiroshi shook his head. "Mom it's not your fault. I know how the Sharingan is awakened. You both don't have to worry. T-The thing is...mom you recall the Urashiki incident right? Well...uncle Sasuke, Boruto, and I somehow ended up returning to the past and a lot of things happened. In short...I got to meet dad as a kid and when Urashiki attacked, dad stepped in to help. I-I saw Urashiki stab dad through the heart and thought the worst thing happened...I think that's when I awakened my Sharingan. Anyways it turns out that dad had outsmarted Urashiki and it was actually a Clone. A really really well made Clone." Hiroshi emphasized the really well made Clone part as he recalled how life-like the blood and body remained for a few seconds even after it was stabbed through. He then smiled and continued, "I'm fine though. Really. After all, dad is right here and perfectly fine right?"

Izaya let out a soft sigh and ruffled Hiroshi's hair. "You met me as a kid? Travelled back in time? Sounds like you had quite the adventure. I don't remember ever meeting you as a kid." He then turned to Naruto who nodded silently understanding that Izaya wanted an explanation of the details. After Izaya confirmed that Naruto would tell him in detail later he let Hiroshi go as the four kids dashed off with Hiashi. Hanabi and Hinata excused themselves leaving only Naruto and Izaya. By now the sun had completely disappeared as the moon rose into the night sky. They both entered one of the many rooms in the Hyuga compound and sat opposite each other as a pot of tea was placed between them.

"So, what did I miss while I was gone? What happened to the arena?"

Naruto let out a sigh as he recalled everything and told Izaya the whole story. Izaya nearly choked on his tea at some parts of the story Naruto was narrating, but he refrained himself from interrupting. As Naruto completed his narrative there was a moment of silence left between them. Izaya stared down at the tea in his cup contemplating everything before he slowly set it down.

"Naruto. First I would like to say that I'm glad you're alright and that the village is doing fine. But second, how could you do that to Boruto in front of the entire village? Your decision that time to disqualify Boruto as a ninja in front of the entire village was the wrong thing to do. Did he make a mistake? Yes. Would the results of the Chunin Exam need to be deliberated? Yes. But what you did was over excessive. If you wanted to disqualify him as a ninja why the need to shame him in front of the entire village? You may be the Hokage, but you are still a father. And on top of that, even discounting the fact that you are his father, as the Hokage how could you shame a ninja of your village like that? Boruto is still a kid. Do you know what kind of mental strain and traumatic damage you could have placed on his shoulders? To have the entire village shun him? Do you want him to live a life like you did in the past?"

Naruto clenched his fist as he slightly bowed his head in shame. "I-I…"

Izaya let out a sigh. "Naruto, you're lucky that Boruto's mentality is stronger than most and the events that led to his pardon helped mitigate any long lasting damage or feelings the villagers could harbor otherwise the end result could have turned out completely different. Boruto could have decided to resent you forever. The villagers could have shunned him forever. They could decide to continue mentally and verbally abuse him. While I would like to think that the people of Konoha would not resort to that, it is not in our power to know every little thing that could go on behind the scenes nor can we control them. Boruto could have decided to desert the village just in spite of you and to avoid the mental pressure and shun he possibly could have received from the village. I hope you realize your mistake. As the Hokage I hope you understand just how influential your actions are. Would you have done the same thing if it was a different Genin who cheated? For instance, what if it was Shikadai who cheated? Or Hiroshi? Would you have stepped in to disqualify them in front of the entire village or would you have handled it differently and told them that they would need to meet with you privately to discuss the repercussions of their actions?"

Naruto let out another sigh in defeat. "I was disappointed. I didn't know what to do so I just acted."

"As long as you understand then that's fine. Everything turned out okay in the end, however I hope you think more carefully about this in the future." Izaya then changed the subject. "Anyways, Urashiki was dealt with huh? Strange that neither you nor I remember anything about that time. I guess Sasuke did a pretty good job wiping our memories."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I'm just glad that the whole incident is over, but I'm still worried that there's more to this than we know. What do you think about the mark that appeared on Boruto's right hand?"

Izaya frowned as he seriously gave it some thought racking his brain for an answer before just letting out a soft sigh. "Honestly I don't know what to say. First Boruto claims to have awakened some sort of power within his eyes. This may be true, however I don't think I've heard anyone mention anything about it since that one incident a few years ago. Now he has obtained some sort of mark on his hand after defeating Momoshiki with your assistance and you said it was in the shape of a black diamond huh? Has it reacted to anything yet?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Hmmm...Well Boruto seemed fine when we fought earlier. It doesn't seem to be interfering with his combat capabilities or day to day life, for now at least. We can only continue to monitor his situation. Just the same as this eye power of his."

"I suppose you're right. What about Katasuke? Any thoughts?"

Izaya frowned at the entire ordeal and took another sip of his tea. "Katasuke...according to what you said he was being controlled via Genjutsu. It must have been quite a powerful one too. While he was under its influence he unknowingly and unwillingly leaked some information about the scientific ninja tools that Konoha was developing. The real question is who was the caster of this Genjutsu? I can only think of two plausible scenarios here. The caster had to be somewhere within the Fire Country. Given that Katasuke spent most of his time performing his research within the village the caster couldn't have been far. It's also possible for the caster to be a member of the village. If that is the case then we have a huge problem on our hands."

Naruto frowned at Izaya's analysis. "What you said makes sense, but I would hate to think that someone from Konoha would decide to betray the village like this. What is scenario number two?"

"The second scenario is that the Genjutsu placed on Katasuke is simply an incredibly powerful Jutsu with a similar ability to that of Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami. With the Kotoamatsukami it can place someone under a powerful Genjutsu where it influences a person's thoughts, behaviors, and eventually actions without the target even knowing. The target will move in ways that the caster wants them to all the while the target believes it is their own free will. In this case the caster of the Genjutsu doesn't need to be near Konoha at all while Katasuke does their bidding."

Naruto frowned even more than scenario one. "This is bad. Both scenarios are equally troubling."

"Well, it's possible that there is another scenario to explain the situation, however I can't think of one, other than the two I explained. I'm hoping that scenario one is the more likely possibility. If it is the second one then it could become troublesome if the caster decides to start controlling other people who have power and authority in Konoha or even the world. It'll also be more difficult in resolving the situation if it is scenario two."

Naruto could only let out a sigh in defeat and sip his tea. "I suppose you have a point Izaya. Shikamaru and a team he put together are helping Katasuke return to a more healthy mental state and are making sure that no lasting damage has been done to him. Guess we can only leave it up to them for now. Anyways, what about you? How was your trip to the Tengu dimension?"

Izaya remained silent for a moment as he recalled his time in the Tengu dimension. He lifted the teapot at the center of the table and poured himself and Naruto another cup before he started, "The Tengu dimension huh? It's a long story…"