Who is Masashi?

Boruto felt immensely guilty at his carelessness. It didn't even cross his mind that Himawari could read it. If he had any reservations about blaming Masashi, those would be thoughts would've been completely evaporated from his mind.

He could've only imagined how scary it must've been to see that for someone who isn't even double digits in age.

Shikadai was feeling similarly. Maybe if he wasn't so focused on keeping Boruto out of trouble he would've realized the manga was in plain sight. They were attending the Shinobi Academy next month. He should be more careful about where they put sensitive content for unsuitable ages.

Not that he had any platform to stand on considering they also aren't at the required age to read it either.

"I…I lied about my age." Boruto confessed and Hinata looked disappointed.

"And you didn't stop him?" She questioned and Shikadai looked down.

"...No." In hindsight, he really should have, but he was caught up in Boruto's enthusiasm.

Hinata. Who wanted to be angry with the seller and creator, just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You know you could've gotten him in serious trouble. If it's known that he sold something to someone underage, even if it's a manga, could have immense repercussions to his reputation, even his license could be revoked." She explained and the boys didn't know that they could feel even worse.

"Sorry, kaa-chan/Hinata-oba-san." Both boys apologized with a bow.

She shook her head.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to. Come on, we are going to see if your tou-chan can resolve this." Hinata began to put her shoes on.

Boruto really didn't want to be judged by his father and felt anger rise in him, but his guilt toward his sister and Masashi made him swallow his complaints.

Shikadai knew his own father would be there and perhaps his mother. The latter made him feel terror but there was no escape.

Hinata decided not to have Boruto apologize to Himawari about what she said for the sole reason of hoping her daughter would forget what she saw and wouldn't be reminded of it.

She was currently napping so she left a note before leaving with the boys.

A short walk later, they ascended the steps and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Naruto's voice sounded through the door.

Boruto felt his apprehension growing and Shikadai was anxious.

Both Naruto and Shikamaru were in the room. They were surprised at the three of them and saw the expressions on their faces. 

Something happened.

"Hinata-chan, what's going on?" Naruto looked at his wife, knowing that something was wrong.

"Naruto-kun, have you ever heard of a manga called Demon Slayer? Hinata decided to ease him into the situation but was unaware he already finished the manga in less than an hour from receiving it.

Naruto initially wanted to smile and animatedly talk about it with his wife, finally having someone who knew what he was talking about. Shikamaru was borrowing his book off and on during free time but he hadn't even reached halfway through it yet.

He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out the manga.

"Yeah, I bought it when I came into the tower this morning. Why?" He showed it to the group which surprised them.

"What do you mean you bought it here?! Masashi is selling it at the Open Market!" Boruto couldn't believe his ears. Since when did his old man like comics? Is he going nuts?

He turned towards his son.

"He came in to cut his hours at the Assignment Desk to cut his hours for more time for his business. I bought one because it looked interesting and all the colored pages look nice." He explained and Boruto was confused once more.

"What do you mean? It's in black and white!" Boruto wondered that his father might be losing it.

Naruto raises an eyebrow and picks up his manga and shows it to them from a distance as he flips through pages. Completely overlooked how Boruto would even know that.

Hinata, Boruto, and Shikadai who only saw the uncolored version thought it looked incredible.

'So he was holding out me?! Why didn't he say anything about a colored version of the volume!' Boruto felt indignant and had an urge to rush over to Masashi's stand to demand answers.

Hinata, realizing they're getting off-track, decides to explain.

"Boruto bought one from this Masashi and lied about his age to buy the volume." Hinata glanced down at Boruto which he avoided.

"What does his age have to do with buying the manga?" Naruto was pretty confused. Did the manga have an age requirement?

"On the back, it says you have to be 12 and older to buy it." Hinata sighed but ultimately didn't blame him. The writing is pretty small.

Naruto raises an eyebrow and checks. Lo and behold, it was there.

'Ah, I suppose that would make sense. Demon Slayer is pretty graphic.' Naruto looked at his son with a bit of disappointment.

Shikamaru looked at his son with exasperation. When did his son become so daring? Is Boruto rubbing off on him? That's too troublesome to even imagine.

"And you Shikadai?" Naruto asked but he looked down.

"I didn't correct him," Shikadai informed them and Shikamaru could somewhat understand as it would've just been less troublesome to say nothing, but here they are. It came to bite them in the ass.

"I'll have to get Temari over here." Shikamaru rubbed his face knowing that she was going to be pissed.

Naruto made a sign to the ANBU to get her.

Shikadai hunched over wishing he could truly be a cloud right now. Carefree and drifting in the sky. Now he's about to be torn a new one. His mother is very…spirited.

"We should also get Masashi up here and clear this whole thing up." Shikamaru really wanted the day to be over and it was only noon.

Making another sign, Naruto made sure to fetch Masashi.

Naruto simply looked at his son, "Why would you lie? If anything, you could've asked your mother and I."

Hinata gave him a bewildered expression, unbelieving of the words coming out of her husband's mouth.

"Did you see that one part, Naruto-kun? How could you say that?" Hinata was extremely apprehensive about letting her son read that level of gore and blood. "Himawari was terrified when she went into his room and found it."

Naruto winced. While he may be fine with allowing Boruto to read it considering the dangers he'll soon face in the real world as a shinobi, Himawari was a different case. She was only 9.

Boruto, who absolutely hated being scolded by his father, still said nothing but was seething. 

'You mean ask permission from kaa-chan, because you're never home!' Boruto didn't say this aloud considering his friend was right there and that was embarrassing to air out his family's bad laundry, and also the fact that he felt bad for possibly jeopardizing Masashi's livelihood.

"Hinata-chan, I understand that scene was…horrible to say the least, but I've read all of it and it's actually pretty good. Plus Boruto is joining the academy in a month. He's mature enough to handle it, so it's fine. It's not like he's getting alcohol or one of sensei's books." Naruto laughs at the end hoping to ease the atmosphere with a joke.

Hinata didn't appreciate it.

Shikamaru just closed his eyes while shaking his head.

Boruto just deadpanned at his father. 'Just when I think he makes sense, he says something stupid.'

Thinking more on it, Hinata realizes at this moment, she is mostly upset by Boruto lying and Himawari finding it. She enjoyed the manga before that scene so maybe it won't be so bad. What Naruto said makes sense. Boruto is growing up and from his excitement she heard earlier, it seemed like he liked the manga.

"Alright, but next time make sure to keep it out of reach from your sister." Hinata acquiesced and Boruto looked like he was about to jump for joy out of happiness.

Hinata put a stop to it.

"You lied to Masashi about your age. He could ban you from buying his volumes. It's a fitting punishment don't you think so?" Hinata truly looked like a demon and Boruto paled.

Shikadai, also getting roped into this, also felt the blood drain from his face. While he wasn't as into the manga as Boruto, he surprisingly found that he liked reading it over cloud-watching. If he were to be banned, he couldn't imagine the pain.

Naruto and Shikamaru didn't say anything as they thought it was well within Masashi's right to do so.

Temari arrived not long after and had gotten the rundown.

For the next five minutes, Naruto and Shikamaru truly felt bad for Shikadai as his mother ranted and scolded him. 

Temari naturally stuck to only her son and didn't say anything to Boruto. She knew it would be deeply inappropriate to scold and reprimand him when his mother was literally right there.

Shikamaru was at least thankful he wasn't the one being yelled at.

He truly was a fool for thinking that. Did he want to tempt Murphy?

"And you!" Temari swung around on Shikamaru.

He was lost.

"...me?"

"Who else?! He definitely gets this rebellious streak from you. I know how you were at this age." Temari shook her head. She still remembered all the way back during the Chunin Exams with Gaara and Kankuro.

Shikamaru felt his eye twitch.

'ME?! It's definitely you!' He naturally kept that to himself. Shikamaru loved sleeping in a bed after all.

'I don't know what's worse. Temari-oba-san's yelling or kaa-chan's cold fury.' Boruto looked at both to compare. He concluded that he'd rather be yelled at.

[What did I just wake up to?] Kurama yawned before asking his host.

[Boruto lied about his age while buying a manga, so we're getting Masashi–] Naruto was interrupted.

[Just bump fists with me. I don't care for a long-winded explanation.] Kurama was slightly interested but not that interested.

Naruto's face twitched. He shortened the explanation for him but clearly, it wasn't enough.

In his mindscape, they bumped fists.

[Hmm. So that's how it is. I still sometimes don't understand you humans. It's just a comic book.] Kurama couldn't fathom why there was such a heated discussion about this. It's just some gorey scene on a piece of paper, who cares?

Naruto just shook his head.

[Well, it's the lying that's the problem, and that Himawari saw it.]

[Isn't he joining the academy soon? If he was to lie to a Chunin then shouldn't you be proud? He was clearly an idiot for believing Boruto.] Kurama laughed loudly.

[Yes, but because he's my son and practically everyone in the village knows it, Masashi probably never thought he'd like to him.] Naruto even felt a bit bad for the businessman.

[That's also true. Well, not like it matt–] Kurama immediately stops as he senses something.

Naruto knew at that moment something was wrong.

[What's going on?] He asked with a narrowed look in the mindscape.

[There's someone coming to your office. It feels similar to a Jinchuuriki's, but..] Kurama paused.

Knowing that Killer Bee nor Gaara are visiting, Naruto becomes tense, it seems that Temari is too busy scolding both father and son while his own wife and son can't help but gape every time they see it. Temari could get like this if Shikamaru or Shikadai really screw things up. This is just another one of those times.

[But what?] Naruto was practically hanging at the edge of his seat with pure tension.

[But not at the same time.] Kurama frowned within the seal.

The Hokage scrunches his eyebrows together.

[What?] Naruto questioned completely confused.

[It's exactly as I said. It's weird. This chakra feels like a Biju Container and also not at the same time. I've never felt something like this before.] Kurama's eyes narrow as the chakra source is right outside the door. [Outside the door, Naruto.]

Naruto was ready to leap into action and activate his Chakra Cloak.

There was a knock at the door.

It became quiet in the office.

"Come in." Naruto started circulating his chakra.

The door opens and reveals Masashi.

Naruto immediately stops.

'...Masashi?' He is completely shocked.

Even Kurama couldn't believe what he was seeing. This guy was a regular Chunin who recently made a debut as a manga artist.

Is there something they were missing?