Naruto: Vertex

Shin got up and went to the bathroom. He was wearing borrowed pajamas, a bit large but comfortable. When he returned, he found Kakashi sitting on the living room floor while Hanami took the dishes to the sink, still making faces at his brother.

- Come on, Shin. Use the stones and talk to me again. - Kakashi smiled softly.

- But this is the fourth time, Uncle Kakashi! - Shin complained impatiently.

The ninja smiled patiently, touched by the unknown boy's sincerity. It was strange to think that, elsewhere, they already knew each other and shared an affectionate relationship. With a sigh, Kakashi explained once more.

- It's important, Shin. Please, Shin. There are things about this fight that are still unclear. Shikadai was very perceptive, but we lack information. Maybe I can understand it better. Or, who knows, find someone who does.

- Are you thinking of talking to someone?

- Don't worry about it now. Just explain again.

- I'll do the dishes, see, Shin? - Hanami shouted from the kitchen, stretching her neck to cross eyes with her brother. He nodded, approving of his sister's gesture, before turning to Kakashi. Patiently, he arranged the stones in a position that seemed to represent the fight that had brought them there:

- Here was the receptacle. Here I am, and here's Hayato. Uncle Sasuke was behind me, you see. So Hayato advanced like this, took a blow from him and fell here. I set up my Rasengan and went diagonally. Uncle Sasuke must have opened a dimensional portal, because I saw something here, but I'm not sure. It could have been the receptacle too; we don't know exactly what powers it has. And Hayato probably released the Fireball here, from below, since he was lying down.

Kakashi scratched his chin, observing the "scene" drawn by the stones. What else was there to understand?

- It doesn't make sense for you to have gone through the dimensional portal that Sasuke opened, considering how far away you were. And I don't think he had the power to take us to another reality, only to other dimensions of that same reality. How did that happen?

- Well... maybe the explosion pushed us there?

- But if that were the case, you would have collided with the receptacle, and it would have been taken here too.

Shin's eyes widened.

- Oh my God! What if it really did come?

- But... didn't you fall on Boruto and Shikadai together? You and Hanami? The receptacle would have fallen too.

Shin kept his eyes wide open, still in shock.

- I don't know. Wouldn't he have the power to teleport to another location?

- Wow! - Kakashi ran his hands over his face in exasperation. - So many possibilities and no answers, why is that? What's left to understand? - He looked at the stones, now more nervous. - What was that explosion?

- I don't know, Uncle Kakashi. I think I fainted as soon as it happened.

- The Uchiha's Fireball Jutsu doesn't explode. That doesn't make sense. - Kakashi scratched his chin thoughtfully. - Did that boy throw something on the fire?

- No, not that. I remember his position until the explosion. He was coming towards me, saw that it was me who was going to attack him, and positioned the weapon in my direction.

- Maybe the Rasengan and the fire?

- No, no. My Rasengan would have had to curve to reach the fire. And I didn't even throw it, I just formed it in the palm of my hand.

- Tsk, what's missing here? Think, Kakashi, think...

- I'm missing! - Hanami shouted, jumping from the kitchen into the living room. - Where's my stone? Don't ignore me, I'm here too! - She put her hand on her waist, swaying her body from side to side. She looked at the drawing of the battle made with the stones, trying to understand her position.

- That's right, Hanami - Kakashi smiled, amused. - Stand here in our battle drawing, please.

Hanami sat down on the floor next to Shin and picked up an unused stone.

- I was here, hiding behind the trees.

- I'm going to kill you, Hanami! - Shin shouted, his fists close to her face.

- How can you come after me on a mission like this? You're not even a student at the Academy yet! Do you understand how dangerous that was, damn it? You could have died, you...

- Calm down, Shin - Kakashi intervened, trying to defuse the situation. - Take a deep breath, now things have happened and you're here. Come on, Hanami. Help us think. Please, Hanami.

- So... I was here. I saw when Hayato launched the Jutsu. I was biting my finger and running while he made the seals. Then I hit the ground just as the fire came out.

- You were going to summon the toad from Mount Myoboku, weren't you?

- Yes, I was.

- Where were you when you hit the ground?

- Right here.

- Tsk - Kakashi exhaled, clearly irritated. - I don't understand...

- Ah, there's one important thing, Uncle Kakashi, and that's that our world is a little different from yours. The boys are younger than me and have already passed the Chuunin Exams. I still have a year left at the Academy.

- Your Jutsu control isn't perfect yet, then.

- That's right. Neither is Hayato's.

- And you've fought together before?

- Yes, we're on the same team and we often do. But never against such a powerful enemy.

- I see.

- Maybe you need to tell him about the fight, Shin - Hanami said, with a more serious tone, a little fearful.

- Shut up, Hanami. What does that have to do with anything?

- A fight? - Kakashi asked, noticing Shin's embarrassment. He smiled softly. - Shin... this is an extremely delicate situation. Any detail you can give me could make all the difference. Don't leave me in the dark, I won't judge you.

Shin looked from Hanami to Kakashi, sighed and, with a slight regret in his voice, explained:

- Hayato and I... well, we were fighting when we left for this mission. We didn't speak to each other. Maybe that affected our attunement during the battle.

- It certainly did. - Kakashi confirmed, his voice serious. - But I don't think it did...

- But when he was hurt... I don't know, I... I went crazy. - Boruto's voice faltered for a moment before he continued, his eyes downcast.

- Uncle Kakashi, I did such a big Rasengan, the biggest I've ever done in my life. Our mission was just to trap the vessel, but at that moment, I prepared my Rasengan to... really kill the boy. - He was silent, clearly shaken.

- I've never felt so much hatred in my life. I... I'm not proud of it, uncle. I'm sorry.