The Fourth Wall

Chapter 2: The Motivation

Boruto sat in bed, antagonizing over the events of the day. He looked at the strange mark on his hand. First I don't know what this is, and now some wacko who is capable of ending the world comes and tells me they'll make our lives miserable if I don't... He brought his hands to his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "Don't think about it!"

I don't actually have to do it... do I?

"Onii-chan?"

Boruto's eyes drifted to the door. "Oh, Hima. What's up?"

"You've had a weird look on your face since you got home... Mom wanted me to check on you and make sure you were ok."

He did his best to put on a reassuring front. "I'm alright."

"So what are you trying not to think about?"

"Geh!" Boruto flinched back, the embarrassment showing on his face. "You heard that?"

Himawari nodded with a large smile.

"Hey, Hima," he began, his gaze drifting to his knees. "If you had to lie and hurt your friend's feelings to save the world, would you do it?"

His little sister contemplated the seemingly impossible question, her thin eyebrows knitting together atop her head. "Lying is bad. Even if it's a nice lie. Remember that one time you lied to grandpa and told him that you liked the eggplant casserole he made, because mom told us to be nice to him?"

"And he tried to make it for us every time we visited?" Boruto shivered at the remembrance of the foul taste. "I'll never lie about liking food again,"

Himawari giggled, but as she noticed her brother's grim expression, her gaze turned downward. "I think I would find a way to tell my friend the truth. Then," she said, her eyes brightening, "we would save the world together!"

"Optimistic as ever, huh?"

Her smile faded. "You can't do it without lying?"

"Mmmmmmm...." Boruto thought really hard. "Nope. There's no way."

"Well, I think that if it's your friend, even if you lie, they'll forgive you."

"But what if they're violent and they try to kill you before they forgive you?"

"Then you have to do it without lying!" Himawari pouted up at him. "If you tell the truth, I think they'll be less violent."

Leaning back, Boruto flopped onto his bed. "Do it without lying, huh... I wonder if that's even possible?"

Himawari's face loomed overtop of him. "So? What lie do you have to tell to Sarada?"

Boruto shot up, his arms reflexively going into a guarding position. "W-who said this was about Sarada?"

"You said a violent friend. Mitsuki and Shikadai aren't violent. So it's Sarada, right?"

After the conversation they just had, Boruto felt as though he couldn't lie to Himawari either. "Yeah... But I can't tell you about the mission. It's top-secret."

Himawari's eyes sparked. "Top secret?!"

"Yup! Your big bro is gonna save the world!"

Her excitement turned to a pout. "But I don't want Onii-chan to save the world if he has to lie to Sarada. Sarada's nice, she plays with me sometimes."

"Mmm... I guess there's no choice then, huh?" Ruffling his little sister's hair, he stood to his feet. "I'm just going to have to wing it!" He opened the window and put his feet on the ledge of the balcony. "I'm going out for a bit, Hima. Keep mom occupied while I'm gone."