#boruto:sacrifices

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.20 - Team Konohamaru's New Member?

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 | Chap.8 | Chap.9 | Chap. 10 | Chap.11 | Chap.12 | Chap.13 | Chap.14 | Chap.15 | Chap.16 | Chap.17 | Chap.18 | Chap.19 | Chap.20 - You’re here

And he had thought the day couldn't possibly become more challenging. Ichiro had just left the office, and he was just as much of a head case as he was the day before. The only difference was that now that he was officially the leader of the Sarutobi - which honestly was a concept Konohamaru was still trying to wrap his mind around - the teen had to act more reserved and respectable around him. Deep down, though, he couldn't help but feel like this was eventually gonna brew a rebellion sooner or later. It would take only a spark. So he was going to act very careful, so as not to make any mistakes. In other words, it was a battle of wills between himself and the clan's next heir. Lost in his thoughts, Konohamaru raised his head as he heard a knock on the door. "Come in." A chuunin walked into his office, a folded piece of paper in her hand. "Konohamaru-san," she said with a small bow, holding the paper out to him. "Lord Hokage wanted me to deliver this message to you." The brunet took the message. "Thank you." As the woman left, he quickly unfolded the paper and took a look at the handwriting. In a minute, he lowered his head in his palm with a sigh. Yep... this day indeed couldn't have turned out more challenging. ...

"I don't understand..." Sarada said with a small frown as she was walking beside Boruto. "Why would lord seventh ask to see us now?" "He didn't specify the details." the blond said, although he sounded a little... concerned, the Uchiha noted. It had been a little over a week since their friend fell into the coma, and they had never received a call from the Hokage's office since then. So both of the children were understandably... a little nervous. Although, as much as she couldn't put a finger on it... There was something different about Boruto, it was as if he was... expecting something, or else plotting something. She didn't know what that could possibly be but sometimes... the kind of determination and devotion scared the girl. Still... Sarada chose not to voice any of her thoughts as they came in front of the Hokage building. ... "WHAT?!" Naruto sighed and closed his eyes for a moment at his son's outburst. "Just calm down and listen, Boruto..." "Listen?! What is there to listen to, dad? You are telling us that you are replacing Mitsuki in the team!" "I am not." his father said patiently. "This is only a temporary mission. The boy who will be accompanying you has his own team..." "Then he should be sent with his own team!" "They are on a different mission right now." Boruto snorted out a sarcastic laugh. "What kind of a tactic is that dad? Since when have you been mix-matching teams?" "Lord seventh, please... I don't think we're really ready for a mission right now." Sarada said. "I might have reconsidered my decision if the situation wasn't urgent." The Hokage's voice was soft but it was obvious that he wasn't going to give in. "The ingredient you must recover is extremely rare and can only be collected at this time of the year, and since his grandson is the only one who can truly identify it... Teuchi-san asked for him to accompany this mission." Boruto crossed his arms and turned his back to his dad, his expression still very cross. "Find another team, dad." "Boruto..." "No, I'm serious dad!" the boy snapped, turning back furiously. "No matter how you cut it, it will still feel like he's just there as a replacement! And he will never be as good as Mitsuki!" He had to take a pause, breathing heavily because he had just delivered the speech in one breath. "Why are you doing this to us...?" he asked finally, his tone broken. In his eyes, this was nothing short of a betrayal. Naruto sighed again before getting up from his seat and approaching his son. "Boruto, Sarada... I know it's hard for you both but please have faith in me... I'm not doing this to replace Mitsuki at all... It was bec-" "Will there be any other missions like this?" his son cut in abruptly, his tone still tense but a careful look in his eyes, almost... calculating. It caught Naruto off guard for a moment, but he was quick to brush it off. "Not if there's another emergency, no." "Dad, this isn't the answer we're looking for." "But I can't give you guarantees on a matter that's out of my control. But... next time, I'll try to arrange a three-man mission, okay?" Sarada sighed a breath of relief at that, she wasn't really keen about this mission either... Boruto looked at his father for a moment, and Naruto saw that the look in his eyes, that calculating look, stayed in place... Was he... planning something? Before he could elaborate on it, though, Boruto huffed and unfolded his arms, bringing one of his hands to stretch his neck, avoiding his eyes. "Okay, okay... I'll do your mission." ... When they finally walked outside, they found their sensei was waiting for them... talking with the boy that would be 'accompanying' them. The first thing that could be said about him was... well, he was quite plain-looking. He had a thin build, not exactly skinny but not with many muscles to show. Blond, shoulder length hair framed a tanned face with brown eyes. He looks too much like me, Boruto decided as soon as they saw him, adding to his grumpiness. At least their original team had color variety. Seeing them, the boy broke into a pleasant smile. "Hello! Nice to meet you, I'm..." Boruto raised his hand to cut in. "I don't do introductions. We're only here for the mission, and that's that." The newcomer was clearly taken aback. "Uuuh..." "Boruto, be nice to him." Konohamaru said seriously. "This is Beika, and as you both know-" "I'm sorry, was it 'baka'?" "Boruto..." the brunet had a slight frown on his features now. "Eh? No, it's 'Beika', as in... baker?" "Are you trying to tell me-" "Why," Konohamaru cut in, loud, sensing that this wasn't going to end up well. "don't you quickly introduce yourselves before we start, too?" He looked pointedly at his two students. There was a moment of silence. "Uchiha Sarada." the girl finally spoke, and while her tone wasn't as hostile as Boruto's, it couldn't be clearer that she was not interested either. "Uzumaki Boruto, but you can just keep it in mind as 'stay away'." "You know," and finally... there was a frown on Beika's face, too. "You really don't have to take that tone with me." "Whatever." "Beika... let me have a quick word with these two." The boy nodded silently, his eyes still on the Uzumaki as Konohamaru drew the two friends away. "Now, listen to me," the jounin told them when they were out of earshot. "Beika didn't choose to be part of the team for this mission, Teuchi-san didn't specifically ask for our team to take it. Do you see where I'm going with this?" "He might be... as unwilling as we are?" Sarada asked. "That wouldn't be how I put it, since he's actually showing some effort to act as part of this team." Konohamaru cut in quickly when he saw Boruto was about to say something. "I know what you feel, but this is how it works in the shinobi world, sometimes you have to work with people other than your teammates. Especially after you become Chuunins.” At this point, he looked meaningfully at Sarada. “And well... since this is a very basic mission, I'm pretty sure it won't take too long. So please... behave." he finished, especially looking at Boruto. "Doesn't mean I have to enjoy it," the blond mumbled. The jounin sighed. "Boruto... Lord seventh arranged this mission so you two can ease your minds a little. It's temporary, Beika won't be here all the time for all the possible missions, and I know you better than this. So please..." "...behave. Yeah, okay, got it Konohamaru-onii-chan." Boruto said finally in a resigned tone, and this time the old epithet made the brunet actually smile a bit before ruffling his hair light-heartedly. ... "So... where are we headed to?" Beika smiled a little as he heard the noticeable change for the good in Sarada's tone. "We are headed to a small village on the other side of the hills a few kilometers away from our southern border." he replied. "The ingredient we're searching for must be of their native origin..." the girl deduced. "Yes, indeed. Actually, its origin is the snow country, but in this certain time of the year it can be-" "Yeah yeah, we got it, cut it short will you?" "Boruto, don't make me repeat myself." "What? I didn't say anything!" "Look, it's not my fault your friend isn't here." Beika started in a tone that was obviously trying to stay calm. Nobody said anything for a moment. "This... really isn't the best topic to bring up..." Sarada said, sweat dropping by the side of her cheek. It looked like the boy was going to say something else... but then he decided against it. They continued down the pathway, not speaking much with each other after that. ... They reached the village in about an hour. It was like they had stepped into another reality. Since it was the beginning of April, the weather was growing milder in Konoha. Certainly not this cold - at all. The place gave the friends the feeling that they had just stepped into a freezer. A middle-aged man with a pleasant expression greeted them at the entrance. "Welcome to Kanabiri," he said warmly as they came to a stop in front of him. "Sorry, we couldn't give you a warmer welcome... Got it? Warmer - because of the weather!" They tried their best not to look too awkward as the man laughed heartily at his own joke - all but Beika, who sweatdropped. "I see you still haven't improved your humor skills, Oyayama-san." "Beika, my boy," the man put a hand on Beika's shoulder, and with his size, the blond looked even smaller. 'What a joke,' Boruto thought grumpily. "It's been a while! Tell me about your grandfather." "He's doing quite good, thank you." "I thought you would come with the dog girl and that perma-grin boy?" Boruto and Sarada just looked at each other, trying not to roll their eyes. This team sounded weirder and weirder each passing second. "No, we got separated. This is Uzumaki Boruto, Uchiha Sarada and Sarutobi Konohamaru-sensei." Oyayama shook their hands in turn. "Nice to meet all of you. Please make yourselves at home while we make the last preparations. There is a small celebration going on right now in the village actually." And sure enough, they could hear music coming from not too far away. "Thank you, we will enjoy that." Konohamaru said pleasantly. Well... Boruto had other plans. ... They had been enjoying the celebrations - which were apparently for a wedding that would take place in the evening. She was trying to be open-minded about Beika, coming to terms with the fact that it wasn't his fault what they had been going through, and finding out that he is actually a person whose conversation she could enjoy. But of course Sarada noticed the absence of the familiar presence of her childhood friend. "Umm, sensei..." she approached Konohamaru, trying to be discreet about it. "Do you know where Boruto is?" "Hm? No, I haven't seen him in a while," the brunet replied, but he didn't seem so worried about it. "I wouldn't worry, though, he's probably somewhere around the village." "True... I just..." the girl bit her lower lip. "What is it, Sarada?" her sensei asked, still not really concerned but slightly bothered by her behavior. "Something just doesn't feel right." she concluded a little bit sheepishly. Before Konohamaru could say something, Oyayama approached them. "Konohamaru-san, everything is ready to go." "Thank you for your cooperation," Konohamaru said, and then looked around. "Now if we can find Boruto..." "Oh, he's not here." Oyayama's daughter chirped in from beside him, which left everyone baffled for a second. "What do you mean?" Sarada asked, immediately going into alarm mode. "He said something about a secret mission," the girl continued brightly, not aware of how they suddenly became tense. "Kaa-san was teaching us about some herbs and he asked about... umm, the name was..." "It was the Okanouchi flower," came a female voice behind the girl as her mother walked forward. With that word, Oyayama turned to look at her, a slight frown on his face. "Wait, I thought that flower went extinct a few years ago?" "That's what I tried to tell him," the woman replied, looking at her husband. "True, the plant's healing substances are still used as components of all kinds of medicine, but it's not as effective as the original. The plant itself..." "Healing?" Konohamaru asked, his eyes widening. "That was its main purpose, yes." Sarada didn't need any help to catch up to her sensei. "Sensei, we need to find him..." she said, worry evident in her onyx eyes. It was taken to a different level now - she was hoping that they would find Boruto before he had to suffer a big disappointment. "And we will." the jounin said firmly. "Ma'am, any ideas of where he could go to search for this... plant?" "Wait, do we need to find him immediately?" Beika asked, frowning a little himself. "I mean, it's not like he's in danger, and we need to take the ing-" "Are you seriously even comparing these situations?" the Uchiha asked unbelievably. "Well I'm sorry but there IS a reason why the mission couldn't be postponed." "Well I'm sorry to say that right now, I don't give two-" "We can arrange for the ingredients to last longer," Oyayama put in helpfully. "Thank you, we will take it," Konohamaru said before turning to Beika. "I understand your concern, but we don't leave anyone behind. I'm pretty sure this is not your sensei's way of teaching, so do comply with us." When the blond didn't say anything to that, the brunet turned to Oyayama's wife. "Please give us more information about that location." ... He was getting close. It was more of a gut feeling rather than actually knowing the territory. It felt like he couldn't do this wrong, he couldn't have mistaken or miscalculated anything, this was the chance he was waiting for, the thing he had planned all along. Of course, Boruto was quite aware of the fact that he was going to hear from Konohamaru-sensei for abandoning a mission, but he didn't really care right now. Realizing that he had almost reached the mountain top - his destination - the blond started paying closer attention to his surroundings. The plant in description sounded quite... plain, except for some details. It was a brilliant cyan in color, but the trickiest part was the leaves. From noon to two pm each day they were glowing with a barely noticeable hint of gold. It was fifteen minutes to two, so he had to be quick. Luck was by his side. He indeed came upon a cluster of light blue flowers by the riverside he was climbing. Coming to an immediate stop, excited, Boruto knelt down. These weren't the flowers he was looking for. This continued on for a while as the blond continued moving up the mountain side, looking at every group of blue flowers he could find, growing more and more desperate with each one of them. There was always something missing, something wrong that disqualifies the plant as the one he needed. "No..." he mumbled as he picked another flower, turning it in his hand to look at every detail. "No, no..." In his frustration, he tore the petals apart. "Boruto...!" he then heard a voice. He immediately jumped back on his feet and sprinted forward again, he didn't want to be interrupted right now! He still had a little time... "Boruto!" a different, more commanding voice then sounded, but the blond still acted like he couldn't hear any of them. It was finally someone grabbing him, tight, from behind that forced the pre-teen to stop. However, Boruto didn't stop trying to move out of his sensei's embrace. "Let me go!" he yelled in frustration. "Boruto..." Konohamaru's voice was decidedly soft. "I'm sorry kid..." "No... if you just let me go, we still have time..." Boruto tried again, growing desperate. Why couldn't he understand?! Time was precious - they couldn't afford to lose any! "Boruto... what you're looking for is extinct, you can't find any by just looking around..." "I can!" the boy yelled again. "Just - just let me go, I know I can fix this, Konohamaru-nii-chan, PLEASE!" That was when his eyes landed on his female teammate, and hope was rekindled in him. "Sarada... Sarada, you - you know this is real - you read about it right?! You believe me, right?!" There was nothing but sorrow in the girl's eyes, it was hard for her to watch her friend in this state... "Boruto, I-I'm sorry... Sensei is right... Okanouchi went extinct-" "No! Just - dammit!" the blond started heaving in deep breaths, coming closer to hyperventilating. "Please... we don't have time... we don't... we..." Konohamaru just hugged him tighter with his words. "Are you dense?" The voice was harsh, no sympathy whatever in it. Konohamaru felt Boruto tense in his arms, but none of the members of Team Konohamaru said anything. "What were you thinking, endangering a mission to chase after something everyone knows is gone for good?" Their blond companion was seething... not the cheerful boy they had seen in the beginning. "Beika," the jounin was frowning now. "It is not your place to tell Boruto off, I will do it myself if I find it necessary." "Well I'm sorry but when will it be necessary?!" "Don't take that tone with my sensei..." Boruto said in a low voice, frowning slightly. "I mean yeah, I got it, you somehow believe that I'm here to take your friend's place but you know what? I didn't want any of it! If I could, I would go with my friends! And maybe next time you should tell your friend not to make such dumb deci-" Konohamaru was too concentrated on holding Boruto. It didn't even register to him that someone else moved first. WHAM! Both the boy and the jounin's eyes widened a little at the usually calm Sarada's reaction. The Uchiha was practically shaking with fury as she continued looking at Beika, her hand with which she pulled the punch still in the air. The boy was also looking at her, appalled, one hand on his cheek. "You... I've had enough of you!" the girl exclaimed, her tone furious and heated. "Do you have even the slightest idea of what it means to have someone you hold dear in a very critical condition and you don't know what will happen next?! Do you know what desperation feels like?! Do you even have a heart?!" "I-" "Save it. I want nothing more than to complete this stupid mission so I will never have to see your face again." "I bet you were one of those who kept harassing Mitsuki." Boruto said, his tone just as cold. "Excuse me? I wasn't even in Konoha this past week!" "Yeah, right." "That's quite enough." Konohamaru's voice cut in, serious and stern. "We end this mission right now. We're returning to Konoha and... I don't think I have to say that my report is gonna be full of disappointment. I expected much better from all of you." The genins didn't say anything to that, but none of them were looking at each other... ... "Log, I understand your concerns but... you know as well as I do that this is not the first time Orochimaru-sama disappeared for this long." Karin was sitting in one of the lounge chairs in the attendance room, one of her hands resting on her growing belly, her red eyes on the young man standing in front of her. The oldest son - or in this case, clone - Orochimaru created was clearly in distress - although he didn't show any physical signs of it, the redhead knew him long enough to know. "I know that." Log said curtly, tense. "But something is wrong... Don't you think he would be back from Konoha by now? A week is too long for a village that supposedly doesn't trust him." The woman sighed at that, the young man was indeed talking about her worries in the passing time... In all honesty, she had been restless for a couple of days, too, pacing around, constantly sighing... It had only been for her boyfriend's sake that she had been trying to keep it under control, what with Suigetsu warning her from time to time to not get overly-stressed (who would have thought he could become such a good father even before the baby was born anyway)... But the worries were there, hidden deep. "Well...?" Log was impatient, her silence was clearly frustrating him. Karin closed her eyes for a minute before opening them again and getting up. "Follow me." Together they walked (or in Log's case, stormed) towards the exit of the hideout. Juugo and Suigetsu were outside, doing some spar out of boredom, because without Orochimaru here, there wasn't much to do other than the routine things, which didn't take much time. "Juugo," she called, walking up to them and crossing her arms as a serious expression crossed her face. "This is getting ridiculous, we want to know right now what is taking Orochimaru-sama so long. Do your thing." "My thing?" the orange haired man straightened up from his spar position. "What do you mean Karin?" "She is being paranoid... again." said Suigetsu, looking at the pregnant woman. "She thinks that something happened but I've told her a thousand times that everything is fine, it's not like it's the first time Orochimaru leaves without saying anything..." He looked at Log. "Have you been feeding her anxiety, kid?" That earned him a glare. Pregnant or not, Karin's temper was still there and... you could say it was ten times worse because of the mood swings. Suigetsu only knew what was coming when he felt something hit him hard on the head. "I dare you to call me paranoid again, Suigetsu! Do I have to remind you that I'm carrying YOUR baby?!" "Hey!" the white haired man quickly stood up. "Do I have to remind you that you agreed with having a baby too?" "Cut it out, you two." Juugo said, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Now that he thought about it... Yeah, he would say he had stock in the worry department himself. Orochimaru had said he was going to meet Mitsuki... and since he wasn't allowed in Konoha, him being away for a week, well... It was not exactly comforting. He sighed. "Alright, I'm gonna try to learn if there's anything new from the birds." "Bird-whisperer," Suigetsu said in an undertone, to which the orange haired man just rolled his eyes. Then the white haired man looked at his girlfriend. "Look, go inside and settle down, will you? We will tell you if we learn something new." But the red haired woman was not about to do it so easily. "Suigetsu, I am not leaving until Juugo says something... I am worried about Mitsuki and if you try to hide anything from me, I swear I will track Orochimaru's chakra on my own." And there she was trailing again... Juugo was not listening to the couple anymore, he was staring at the sky as he waited for a bird to come. And it did, not one but two of them who landed safely on his hand. His dark orange eyes stared at the birds as they began chirping. The couple and Log watched on, not interrupting anymore as he listened to whatever the birds were chirping about. Suigetsu noticed it first, though, being nearer to the man, when he noticed his eyes widening slightly. "Good lord..." Juugo whispered to himself, his free hand balling into a fist. Hearing the man's words, Karin quickly approached him, worry suddenly filling her eyes. "What? What is it, Juugo?!" her voice sounded more anxious than she had actually wanted to show. "What happened?" Karin suddenly coming to the point of freaking out, Suigetsu felt the need to once again intervene, although he knew very well that it might end up in blood, and he was worried by Juugo's reaction himself. "Whoa, whoa, take it easy." he said, trying to calm her down. "Suigetsu, I swear something will break if YOU don't drop this attitude, and I'm not talking about pregnancy issues," Karin snarled. "What did you learn, Juugo?" she insisted, turning to the orange haired man. "Just spill it already!" Log, who had been silent for a while, finally burst out. The taller man allowed the birds to fly away before he dropped his arm, Karin noticed how his eyes hardened more than ever as he turned around to face them. "Something... really bad happened to Mitsuki..." The whisper was all the contrary to the man's hardened features... the whisper came out barely making it to the other two's ears... Karin hadn't really noticed that she had forgotten how to breathe, stuck in the endless moment of Juugo's declaration as his words echoed in her mind. Suigetsu was staring at Juugo, trying to wrap his mind around what he had just said, but his mind and body sprang into action when he saw Karin swaying on her feet. He caught her before she could fall to the ground. "Hey, easy, dammit..." He looked up at Juugo again. "Wha... what happened?" "He..." there was a lump in his throat. "He was attacked on the way here... the birds said that those who attacked him were going to attack Konoha. He engaged them into a fight and... got really hurt." He eyed Log and an already weakened Karin, he didn't know how to say the rest... but he had to. "He is in a coma..." With that, the older brother didn't even stay to listen for more... In less than a second, without saying a word to them, he had sprung to the trees, disappearing out of sight. When she heard that last word, Karin couldn't hold it back anymore. A sob escaped her mouth as she brought her hand to her mouth, tears falling down her face. "I knew it... I knew something happened, I knew it..." she whispered to herself, shaking slightly with the sobs. She had felt her heart tug a week ago, she didn't know why but she immediately felt it was about Mitsuki, something in her heart and head had immediately thought of the light blue haired boy that she had practically raised as her own child... and now she knew it was true... As she wiped her tears away and slowly released herself from Suigetsu's grip, she took a few steps before looking at the two men. "I want to go there." she said. "I want to go to Konoha." "We can't just show up at the border and demand them to let us see him, we are not allowed into the village, either..." Suigetsu said, as much as he wanted to go too, there was something called being reasonable. "I would like to see anyone denying me the right to see my baby boy," Karin snapped. "We are going to Konoha, now, and that's that." Juugo didn't say anything, Karin was already acting like a mother, it was just instinct and he knew nothing would stop that woman from going to see Mitsuki. "Very well, let's go then." They would think of a way to get inside the village somehow... Of course it would not be as easy as the last time they had done it was back when the Great Fourth Ninja War was happening.

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.16 - Saudade

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 | Chap.8 | Chap.9 | Chap. 10 | Chap.11 | Chap.12 | Chap.13 | Chap.14 | Chap.15 | Chap.16 - You’re here

... It had been a long day in the lab, and he really, really lacked the energy or will to deal with anything else at the moment - which was saying something, seeing that he was an immortal. Ironic that right now, he felt like he could drop dead with fatigue. And it was just his luck that the Taka and Log were all out on some errands. He turned on the light as he entered his room, and was surprised to hear a small squeak. His eyes searching for the source of the voice, he noticed a fit of tousled blue hair poking out of the comforters and sighed. "Mitsuki?" he said in an exasperated tone. Little by little, the toddler peeked out of the blankets, allowing his eyes and nose out only. "Daddy...?" his childish voice sounded in the room. His big, round golden eyes were shining, showing the sannin that the child had most likely been crying or at least whimpering. The sannin sighed again. He could handle anything - be it a potentially dangerous lab experiment, a threat... He even got used to his son pulling - what was it that Suigetsu said - puppy eyes at him but when the toddler cried, which was not very often, he simply did not know what to do. Log, as a child, never gave him such troubles. "What is it?" Mitsuki frowned, the sad look still there. "I had a nightmare..." he whispered before averting his eyes from his father, it had not been the first time he had a nightmare and each time his father had always told him he had to be tough... But this one had really, really scared him. He wished at least Log was there, he was stronger whenever onii-chan was nearby. "I couldn't go back to sleep..." The look in the older man's eyes hardened slightly. In the years he had spent with the boy, five years to be exact, he was still not sure how he defined his parental role - something Karin always dropped in snarky remarks about, how by this rate, he will only get to learn it when Mitsuki was no longer there. In any case, intimate contact was off limits, and the toddler knew that perfectly. The sannin had never been the one who comforted the child out of a nightmare.

Just his luck... "You cannot stay here." He said bluntly, not harshly but enough to get the meaning through. "I am tired, I need to sleep. We can talk about this tomorrow." "But I can't go back to sleep..." the already childish voice sounded even more childish now. It would only be a matter of time before he pulled out the puppy eyes trick. He was even already pushing out his lower lip in a pout. "I promise I'll be quiet, I'll let you sleep..." The man raised an eyebrow, not buying. "No." He said curtly, finding it only very slightly amusing that the child had already begun the usual drill which worked on his subordinates. Such interesting creatures indeed, children. "Come now, I will take you to your bed." Well, at least he could do that much. Without giving the little one a chance to reply, he strode over to the bed and picked him up, striding out of the room. Mitsuki remained quiet the whole way back to his room. He had failed to have his father fall for his typical trick... Orochimaru set him back on his bed and covered him with the warm blankets. Turning off the light, the Sannin closed his son's bedroom door... but as soon as he did it... Mitsuki threw the blankets and sheets away and made his way off his bed. The sannin yawned as he entered the room. He didn't even notice the soft patter of footsteps. When he opened his eyes... The boy was peeking at him from the bed once again, only his eyes visible, watching his father carefully. "A no is a no, child. You cannot stay here." Once again he picked the boy, carrying him over to his room. He thought for a minute whether or not to lock the door, but that would probably be pushing it too far. Even he knew not to lock in a frightened toddler, after all. But... luck certainly hated him that night. As he again made his way back to his room, this time he made sure to look back a few times to make sure Mitsuki was not following him. No sign of him. Good. He hoped he had learned to take a no for an answer. But as he opened the door again... there he was, peeking outside of his bed. The sannin could not believe his eyes. Had his son learned some sort of teleportation technique? At the age of just five? Although he had to be quite the prodigy - scratch that - a miracle to be able to do that. Then he noticed a slight opening on the wall behind the bed, and his eyes narrowed a little. Using his own tricks against him, huh? The kid was intelligent. He looked into the golden eyes, his eyes, as the child just gazed up at him innocently. Maybe too innocently. "You are not going to give up, are you?" Mitsuki uncovered his mouth that had been hiding behind the warm blanket and gave his father a big smile and the cutest look he could do. "Can I stay...?" By this point, he had begun wondering what the point was. It was just one night... The child could just sleep by his side, cuddling, of course, out of the question. "Fine. Just for this once..." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the toddler had already fallen fast asleep. Was that really all he waited for? Just reassurance? Such interesting creatures, indeed. ... He didn't really expect to wake up to find himself... almost in a peaceful state of mind. Content, relaxed... Feeling a small bundle pressed against him, he looked down... Only to find his son cuddled in his arms, sleeping soundly. His unconscious mind was certain that it was not just the child who cuddled to him. He had been guilty in that part too. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly raised his hand and put it on Mitsuki's hair, rubbing his head gently, careful not to wake him up. He need not see that. This was just enough... ... He had not realized that he had fallen asleep... As he opened his eyes to the darkened room, almost instinctively... The sannin's arms reached forward, as if to once again hold on to the child... But all he managed to grab was thin air. Sighing, Orochimaru brought a hand over his eyes. It would turn out that Karin was not really wrong about her predicament after all... ... Boruto mumbled to himself, trying to protect his eyes from the onslaught of sunlight through the opening in the curtains. For a moment, he blinked in the blinding light, trying to remember... His eyes shot wide open as he did. He tried to straighten up immediately, but his body felt so heavy... he couldn't even move a muscle. He only noticed someone was beside him when the person finally moved. "Boruto...?" Tears started falling from the blond's eyes as he recognized his mother's voice, and the warmth, concern in it... It spoke to the warm side of him, the side that yearned for reassurance... Straightening up slightly, Hinata was quick to take her son in her arms. "It's gonna be okay, baby... It was just a dream..." "M-mom..." his voice came out trembling. "S-something happened... I know it, I can feel it... We need to go to the hospital..." "Boruto..." the woman said gently, her eyes sad. "You just had a nightmare..." "No, mom, it wasn't just a nightmare!" his voice had become panicky. "He thanked me, he was saying goodbye, and I swear, h-he..." "Boruto, we would’ve been informed..." "No, we wouldn't!" the blond's voice had finally risen. "Do you seriously believe they would just announce this over a phone call? Please, let's just go..." "But sweetie, it's just six am..." "I don't care!" "How about we do it like this?" came a voice from the doorway and both the mother and the son turned over to see Naruto, who raised up his cell phone to show it to his son. "I will call your aunt Sakura and check up with her." Boruto gulped, it was apparent that he wanted to say something... But he just nodded, not looking into either of their eyes. With this, Naruto touched the screen of his phone a few times before putting it up to his ear. "Hello? Sakura-chan, good morning." There was a pause. "Yeah, I called to ask if there were any changes with Mitsuki...?" The pauses felt way too long for the child, he was basically trying with all his might to not jump from the bed and walk right over to his dad right now. "I see... yeah... yeah, Boruto had a nightmare too..." he sighed. "Yeah, okay. Thank you very much. See you later." Boruto didn't lose a second as soon as the call ended. "Well?" "He is okay, Boruto." He was looking squarely in his eyes now, so that he could see his sincerity. "He is sleeping. And of course, you can visit him any time after nine am." "But..." "Please, Boruto..." Naruto sounded really tired. "Trust me on this one. You will see him, but not this early..." "You promise...?" the young blond asked, and his voice sounded so tiny, so scared... Naruto closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them and taking big steps into the room, finally sitting down on the bed and placing his hands on his shoulders. "I promise." he said. "Please... try to rest for a while." The boy finally nodded meekly and snuggled closer to his mother, who pulled the blanket over him. The hokage was just about to get out of the room when Boruto's voice stopped him. "Dad...?" He turned to look at his son. "Can you come home early... just for today...? Please...?" He didn't even have to think. He nodded with a soft smile. "I will." ... Himawari was wearing her sandals to get out, her mind still on her older brother and his screams... But she was too scared to ask... too scared of what she might find out... "Himawari?" She turned to look at her mother, her wide, blue eyes curious. "Yeah mama?" Hinata came to stand in front of her, and put her hand on her young daughter's shoulders. "Can you please take your brother out so he gets some fresh air too? It would really do him some good..." The young girl nodded solemnly. "I will, mama. I will take care of onii-chan." she smiled brightly. "I know you will." her mother said with a soft smile. "Listen, Hima... your brother is going through a very hard time... so we have to stick together and show him that we are always here for him, okay?" "Like his guardian angel." Hinata laughed light-heartedly and ruffled her hair. "Like his guardian angel. So it is your task to protect him with all the positivity you have." "I will." the eight-year-old said again, and without further ado, she had taken off her sandals and was rushing back into the house, calling for Boruto. Hinata just kept gazing after her for a while... ... "And you know what was even better? Auntie told me it was okay that I knocked out that stupid little boy!" When her brother didn't give any kind of reaction, Himawari pouted. She had been hoping that if anything, at least they could bond over their furiousness about her ignorant friends. Normally, her brother wouldn't miss that chance and would talk and laugh with her, even if to just humor her... "Onii-chan..." she tried again. "You have training today, don't you? Can I come over and watch too?" Again, he didn't say or do anything. The girl huffed. "I threw away your favorite t-shirt because I splashed ketchup all over it. On purpose." Silence... " And I actually killed that boy and buried him in the backyard. Don't tell mom and dad, okay?" Maybe it was her nonsense blabbering, but Boruto finally managed to utter a barely audible, "What...?" "It's about time!" "Himawari..." "Did you hear about two nights before?" It was then... when they heard the distinct voice that Boruto finally reacted. His head turned to the direction of the voice, causing his sister to follow his gaze. "Yeah, I heard he was pretty beat up." "Not just that, man, I heard he almost died." "Tch... I knew he was a coward but being THAT weak on top of it..." "What are you talking about?!" with that voice, the talking group turned back to look at them. Seeing her brother's blank expression turning into an agitated one, and how his hands, which were now in fists, were shaking, the young girl couldn't keep it under control anymore. Some of the children in the group took a step back. "Okay, let's move it. It's them..." "No." Boruto's voice was harsh and devoid of emotions. "You got something to say? Get over with it." There was a moment of silence. "Our condolences." Seemingly the gang leader, none other than Ichiro, finally said smirking, clearly mocking him. Some of those in the group snickered. That almost... almost did it for the blond... But he couldn’t help but remember that it was his fight with this boy that was the final straw for Mitsuki. That and the presence of his younger sister forced him to gulp down his anger. "Mind your own business..." That seemed to have surprised them. "What is it? Not feeling much up to defend your weak, no-good friend?" "You are not even worth the time I spend here." "Oh yeah? Sorry we keep you from running to your girlfriend. I heard there was no ho-" BAM! A loud, slamming noise cut into their taunting and even the Uzumaki siblings had to turn around to see who the newcomer was. Nara Karura, Shikadai's younger sister, supported her elbow on her fan and leaned on it a bit, dislike highly apparent on her features as she glared at the group. "Are you really sure you want to complete that sentence? Next time I won't be this lenient." Standing next to her was Yamanaka Inochi, Inojin's sister and her best friend. She looked at the Uzumaki siblings. "You guys okay?" "Yes we are." Himawari said, glaring at the group of bullies herself. "Are you telling me that you, the almighty son of Hokage, are hiding behind some girls now?" Ichiro said, his voice dripping of sarcasm. Before any of them said anything else, there was a blur of color and a sudden swishing sound. The boy looked at Inochi with big, surprised eyes while she returned back to his friends. "I would watch out for my pants if I were you." the girl said haughtily. Not sure of what she meant, the boy glanced down for a moment and, blushing furiously, bent down quickly to gather up his pants - and the cut-through belt. With a smirk, Inochi put her short sword back in its sheath. "We might be just girls, but these girls will kick your..." she tilted her head to a side, "smiley-covered ass." If that was possible, the black haired boy blushed even more, while it was clear that those around him were trying their best not to burst out laughing. "C'mon, we are going back." "Aww, are you being intimidated by some girls now?" the Yamanaka cooed, mocking him. "Come back anytime for more, cutie." Karura said, winking. Grumbling, the boy led his friends away. "Some of those Sarutobi jerks... I swear I can't stand them." the Nara declared. "Thank you." Himawari said politely to the older girls. "We... Onii-chan...?" Boruto had started walking away in the opposite direction. At his sister's voice, he stopped for a moment, then slowly turned back. "I'm sorry... She's right, thank you..." "Boruto..." Karura started with a concerned expression. "I heard from Shikadai... I'm so sorry about-" "Karura." Boruto didn't say anything else, but the momentary flickering of his eyes to Himawari told the brown eyed girl what he didn't convey. She sighed. "Yeah... We just wanted you to know that we are all here." "Ditto." Inochi said with a small smile. The blond also gave them the ghost of a smile before he turned and started walking away. After a moment of pause, Himawari started following him. ... "Mama?" Hearing Himawari's voice, Hinata turned around to face her daughter, and did a double take. She knew her daughter was concerned about Boruto, but her expression now was something more than concern, something close to... being frightened... "Yes dear?" "What is wrong... with everyone? Onii-chan wouldn't tell me anything... but we came across some bullies and they told him some mean things..." The woman tensed at her daughter's words. "What kind of things?" Himawari took a deep breath, then looked directly into her eyes. "Who is in the hospital?" The woman felt her heart skip a beat. The look in her eyes saddened. "Sweetie, it's nothing you have to worry about..." "Mom, I'm not a kid anymore!" the young girl said stubbornly, puffing out her cheeks. "Those kids were saying some bad things, so I thought they were talking about some terrible person but that wouldn't explain why onii-chan is so sad all the time! He even skipped training..." "Their sensei called the training off this morning..." the woman said, avoiding her question. But Himawari was a clever child, she had always been... her eyes turned sad too as she looked at her mother. "Mom... is it about Mitsu-nii?" Hinata sighed. "You will know when it's the right time..." "But aunt Hanabi told me that too! When is the right time?" she asked again, and her tone was becoming impatient. "Just tell me..." "Please, baby. Not now." "Was he sick? Is he gonna be alright?" "Himawari." Her tone was not harsh, but it was clear that she was finishing the conversation then and there. Hurt despite herself, Himawari grumbled a "Fine!" and turned her back to go. It didn't matter. She would find out anyway. ... No one gave him a second glance as he walked into the hospital. Boruto was very quiet as he made his way into his friend's room. There were no medics inside, which really suited him more than he could admit... He closed the door without a sound, as if he was afraid to make a noise, afraid to disturb his friend... He almost laughed at the idea. Since when had he been such a considerate person? If he was to be honest with himself, he had always been the brattiest, the one and only trouble maker... Of course Sarada was there to put him in line from time to time, but it was very seldom that he would listen to her. Most of the time, it turned into a competition before they knew it. No, the one person who was always able to curb his sometimes insane tendencies was Mitsuki... He tried not to gulp, trying to force his emotions back down, and after a minute, held his head high. "I know what you would say if you saw me right now." he said defiantly, managing to control the trembling. "What am I doing here, right? I shouldn't be so worried, I shouldn't come and go as I please... I shouldn't let some people get to me so easily..." His hand had unconsciously turned into a fist. "Huh... because you are one to talk... I kept telling you that you shouldn't listen to those morons... l-look how it ended up..." He closed his eyes and turned his head to a side, teeth gritted... No matter how hard he tried... It hurt... It hurt so much... After a minute... he opened his eyes and brushed the back of his hand over them. "I'm not even here for this... I just wanted to tell you..." His gaze drifted back to his friend. "Look... Mitsuki... You can't leave us, okay...? I know that it might not seem like this right now, but... lots of people would miss you..." His voice started failing. "I-I mean... you're my best friend, you can't leave me like this...! Who would I tell about my pranks if you weren't around...? No one else listens to me like you do..." That was when he couldn't hold it any longer... "So... you baka... you better hold on in there and don't give up on me... Because I'll never forgive you if you do..." He started shaking as more tears rolled down. "And I'll kick your soul's ass back into your body if I have to..." He was tired... he was tired to play the big, tough boy who wouldn't be fazed by anything... He just... wanted, needed this breakdown... He didn't hear the slow opening of the door behind him as he walked forward to the bed, hand reaching forward to gently hold on to the blue haired boy's hand. "Just... please wake up already... We all need you so much..." Before he could even finish, he heard a loud gasp behind and turned around abruptly... His world pretty much came to a stop when he saw his younger sister, her eyes widened and a frightened and sad look in them... looking past him towards the bed... The blond felt his pulse quickening and his breath turning into gasps as he just stood there, at a loss of what to do or say... "Wh-wha..." the younger Uzumaki began, then gulped as tears filled into her eyes. "What happened to Mitsu-nii...?" Boruto was surprised that he still somehow managed to find his voice. "Himawari..." he began feebly. "Why is he like this? Who did this to him?!" her voice was becoming hysteric, and the elder felt even more lost as he just didn't know what to say... how to comfort her... "Boruto? Himawari?" At that moment, he was sure he had never been more grateful in his entire life to have heard another voice. Sakura was on the doorway and was looking at them with something akin to... sympathy? pity? The blond felt the need to explain himself. "I-I didn't know she followed me..." Sakura sighed before she started walking inside. "I can see that..." "Aunt Sakura...?" Himawari mumbled in a tiny voice, to which the pink haired medic gave her a soft smile. "It's gonna be alright, Himawari. Mitsuki is just sleeping for now, he just needed rest for a while..." "But why... what happened to him...?" The soft look in her eyes intensified as the woman's eyes drifted towards the unconscious child. "He had been a very, very brave boy... He protected all of us from some really bad people, but unfortunately, they hurt him..." "Didn't anyone help him...?" Boruto gulped at her question, he had to look away... the Uchiha was silent for a moment too. "I'm sorry sweetie... His voice didn't reach us... And so we couldn't reach him in time..." The young girl had started shaking, no matter how Sakura tried to ease her up to this, it was still hard for her... "Is..." she started, and gulped again. "Is it possible... that my voice reach him...?" With her warm smile still in place, the medic walked over to her and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Well... he is not gonna be able to reply to you but... yes, he can hear you." The young Uzumaki grew very quiet as her eyes drifted once again to Mitsuki. Slowly and without a sound, she approached the bed. Standing on tiptoes, her fingers curled on the bed sheets before she looked back to Sakura. "Can I...?" "Of course, dear." Picking her up, the Uchiha put the little girl on the bed, careful about helping her avoid stepping on the boy. Seeing him up close... Himawari indeed started crying. "Mitsu-nii..." she whispered, before reaching out to hold his hand. "Aunt Sakura says you will hear me..." she began, her voice quivering. "So I just want you to know... We all love you so much... And it will be... very lonely without you around..." She started shaking with the sobs. "So please... wake up soon, okay...? I will fight anyone who is bad mouthing you at that time..." She wiped her eyes. "Just please... please come back to us...!" Leaning forward carefully, she placed a gentle kiss on the cheek of him. "Mom told me that kisses have healing powers..." "I'm sure it'll help his healing process," Sakura said with a smile, then looked at Boruto. "Boruto, can you please take your sister back home? It's not healthy for her to be here much longer." The young blond gulped and nodded. "Let's go, Hima." His younger sister nodded and slid back down from the bed. "You heard her, Mitsuki..." he said, looking back at his friend. "We are all waiting for you, so you better hurry up... And you better not make my sister cry again, you jerk." Even Hima had to smile a little when she heard that. She walked over to her brother, and together they walked out, hand in hand. ... It had been a long day in the office. Aside from the daily businesses of the village, Naruto and his advisors had discussed the situation of the two prisoners. Since he was arriving later in the night, Darui was to deal with Hiraku, but what with Oto being an... unofficial village... there were many debates on what Takeru’s fate would be. The hokage had left the office as soon as the trial date was decided. He was not going back on his word to Boruto. Before he noticed, he found himself in front of their home. The house was dark aside from the light in the living room. As he climbed the stairs, the porch light turned on too. Hinata opened the door to him, a genuine but tired smile on her face. "Naruto..." Naruto hugged her with one arm and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "How is everything?" Hinata's gaze drifted downwards as she sighed. This made her husband frown a little. "What is it?" "It's just... Himawari..." The woman heaved another deep sigh before looking up into his eyes. "She followed Boruto into the hospital today..." The man's eyes widened before a sad look settled in them. "Oh no..." "She tries to play it down, mostly for the sake of Boruto..." Hinata couldn't help a small smile at that... sometimes, she couldn't tell which one of her children was the oldest. "But of course, she is shaken..." "Of course..." Naruto sighed himself before pulling himself away. "I will visit her first..." And without further ado, he started walking towards his daughter's room. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he pushed the door open. There was a quick movement under the blanket, and the blond couldn't help but chuckle lightly. He walked over to the bed and sat near the head, next to the bulk in it. "Who is the little rodent here?" The answer was immediate, like it always was when they played this game. "I'm not a rodent!" "But little girls should be sleeping at this hour..." "I am sleeping..." came the voice, and the man couldn't hold back his laughter this time. At that, finally his daughter lowered the blankets to look at him. His smile turned a little sad when he saw her reddened eyes. "Himawari..." The youngest Uzumaki smiled tenderly, genuinely happy to see him. "Welcome home, daddy." She scooted a little over so her dad could come in more, taking her in his arms. "So I heard you caused a little mischief today..." he said lightly, and heard her sniffling. "I couldn't stand seeing onii-chan so sad all the time... I wanted to know why he was..." There was a pause, and Himawari gulped before she asked her next question, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Papa... Is... Is Mitsu-nii gonna die...?" Her father's arms wrapped around her more tightly. "No... No Hima, he is strong, he will be back..." The girl raised a hand to wipe her eyes. "Aunt Sakura and mama said so too... But onii-chan is so sad..." Naruto nodded. "It is not easy to see our loved ones like that... But we have to keep believing in them and pray, with all our might, for them to be okay... Alright?" Hima nodded too and a little smile appeared on her face. "I do. I will always be there for onii-chan and Mitsu-nii." Naruto put his hand over her head and stroked her hair a bit before kissing the top of her head. "I know you will." Then he slowly got up from the bed, putting the covers over his daughter. "But for that, you will need your strength. So you need to go to sleep." "Yep." the young girl smiled warmly at him. "I will. Good night, daddy." "Good night, Himawari." he said, smiling himself. Now was the hardest part... Naruto stood for a while in front of his son's door, gathering his courage. Knowing that he was probably not asleep yet and he wouldn't appreciate it if he didn't, he knocked on the door before opening. Just as he thought, Boruto was lying spread-eagled on his bed, his eyes wide open. His head turned to the door when he heard it open. "Dad...?" Naruto smiled at him. "How are you, oja (1)?" The younger blond stared at him for a moment. "It's been a while since you called me that... Back when..." "...you won your first sparring match in the academy." Boruto smiled a little too. "Mom couldn't come because of Hima... You were there to watch me..." The man took the few steps to the bed. "As I will always be." he pulled the covers over his son. "And you will always be my champion." "You know, I'm not a little kid anymore." the boy said with a bit of a pout, but it was clear that he was also enjoying himself. That made Naruto chuckle a little before ruffling his son's hair. "I know. Now go to sleep." He was about to get out when Boruto's voice stopped him. "Dad...?" He turned back, curiosity in his eyes. "Yeah?" "You should visit Hima too... S-she followed me to the hospital today..." Naruto felt pride filling his chest... thinking of how his children were always so protective to each other... "I already did. She is going to be fine... She is strong, just like you." The young boy's smile was genuine. "Thank you, dad..." With that, Naruto walked out and gently closed the door behind him. ... The evening turned into a chilling night as the train made its way into the station and came to a stop on squeaking wheels. The doors opened and first came out jounin ranked ninjas, eyes alert, positions rigid. Naruto and Shikamaru stepped forward as finally, a dark skinned man descended the steps. "Lord Raikage..." Shikamaru said with a small bow. The man inclined his head towards him in acknowledgement before turning his gaze on Naruto, and both the kages gazed at each other with grim expressions. "Welcome to Konoha, Darui." Naruto said at last.        

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.5 - Mitsuki's Decision

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 - You’re here

He was making a lot of noise in the early morning, but he didn't care. Ever since Sarada called him the other night and told him that Mitsuki, his best friend... was being mistreated, he couldn't sit still. It took him a great deal of self-control to wait until the morning, when they decided to meet. So, by any right, if he was waking up some people and they were complaining about it, he wasn't about to give them a rat's ass. “Boruto…” Sarada was practically running to keep up with her friend. It wasn’t exactly rare to see Boruto getting worked up about something, but he was really pissed off now. “Just try to calm down for a bit…” “How can I calm down?!” was his answer as he didn’t even break his pace. “How come he didn’t tell me he was being harassed?!” Sarada had no words to offer to that… She hadn’t seen anything other than the graffitis on the door but she had spoken to Shikadai… “Well, let’s see what he has to s-” The Uzumaki’s words were cut in half as they reached his friend’s door. Eyes huge in disbelief, he took them all in, one by one, getting more and more terrified and outraged the more he looked at them. These were not just simple harassments - they were threats, and pretty horrible ones at that…

“What the hell…?” he mumbled, raising a hand to touch one of the drawings. Then he turned to Sarada, the look of shock still in place. “W-wait, did you also know about these…?” “W-well, I…” And then they heard a click, and they were suddenly face to face with Mitsuki. The blue haired boy took a look at his expression, and sighed. “Boruto…” “When were you going to tell me?!” the blond practically spat out of gritted teeth. “Tell you what?” “Don’t play dumb with me!” Boruto yelled, banging his fist on the door, and Mitsuki flinched a little. “I’m talking about these graffitis Mitsuki!” “Oh…” the boy mused, giving the said graffitis a fleeting look. “Oh? Oh?! That’s all you have to say?!” “Boruto please…” Sarada glanced awkwardly around. “You really should keep your voice down…” “I would have if Mitsuki told me about this earlier!” The blue haired boy sighed again. “Boruto, I didn’t want to worry you about this. I wouldn’t have told Sarada either but she saw it… I didn’t want to worry either of you.” "How can I not worry when my best friend is being harassed?!" Boruto yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. "Why are they even doing it, huh?! But you know what?!" The blond took his cell phone out. "Boruto, that's not nec-" "Shut the hell up." At that time, a neighboring door opened and a groggy-looking man popped his head out. "Hey, brats, keep it down, will you?" "And you just shut up, too, okay?!" Sarada turned an apologetic look to the man, who just silently slid back into his apartment. Boruto took a few photos of the door. "There. My dad is going to hear about this." "Boruto..." the Uchiha began. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about this! What if you got seriously hurt?! I thought we were friends!!" At these words, the blue haired boy couldn’t help it. "We are. That's the reason I didn't tell you." "Because you didn't want to worry me?!" Boruto scoffed, and actually took a step to his friend. "Bullshit!" At that, the girl finally stepped in front of him, putting her hands on his shoulders and actually pushing him back a little. "Boruto, please!" she said urgently. "Calm down before you say or do something you will regret!" And just like that, Boruto's furiosity vanished on the spot, leaving behind only remnants of resentment. The last time he had almost... lost his father. He didn't want anything like that to happen - ever again. He gulped and stepped away from Sarada, his eyes on his best friend. "...fine. But don't think that this matter is over. My dad will know of this." Sarada sighed, a little relieved that the storm had passed. "Okay, um... let's get going, shall we?" … She had really, really hoped the day would proceed without any unpleasant incidents - but of course, in the current situation, it was too much to ask. They haven't even reached the outskirts of the village yet. Boruto was still seething and Mitsuki was quiet, but Sarada was on the lookout, just in case. And then she heard a rustle, quick footsteps and her instincts took over. "Boruto!" she called to her friend as she quickly stepped in front of Mitsuki, activating her Sharingan, as he turned at her voice. The blond had acted very quickly indeed, their months of team-work had really paid off. Before the person Sarada felt a minute ago could do anything, he was by his side, grabbing his wrist. The girl felt sad when she saw the boy couldn't be older than eight years old. "Just what do you think you are doing?!" Boruto asked through gritted teeth. "Throwing..." he looked at the squished red blob on the ground and raised an eyebrow. "Tomatoes? Seriously?" "We don't want him here." the child said stubbornly, nodding towards Mitsuki. "He's making everyone restless. My mom and dad had not stopped arguing since yesterday!" The blond's look got darker. "Well, it's not my friend's fault if your parents are dumb." "Guys, drop it, he's just a kid..." Mitsuki began, but Boruto wasn't about to listen. "You land anything on him, and you.are.dead.meat." he hissed dangerously, inching his face closer to the boy. "What the hell is going on here?" An older boy has stepped out from the corner of a building, a menacing look on his face. "Who do you think you are, bullying my brother like that, you little piece of..." As Boruto turned towards him slowly, seething with anger, the boy came to a halt. "Wrong," the boy said, and the elder boy actually took a step back. "The question is, who do YOU think you are, messing with my best friend?!" It took the boy a moment, but he finally snapped out of it and hurried forward, taking his younger brother by his shoulders. "Fumio, what did I tell you? Do not mess with that snake while the Hokage's son is with him! Now we're going to get in trouble!" "Stay away from him if you know what is best for you!" Boruto yelled at them as the brothers scampered away. After they were out of sight, he turned to look at his friends. Sarada deactivated her Sharingan with a sigh. Mitsuki wasn't looking at him, his eyes on the ground. "This is not your fault!" he said fervently, bothered by how Mitsuki wasn't even meeting his eyes. "They need to know that in Konoha you can't bully someone because of his origins! No one will allow it!" The blue haired boy sighed. "Boruto, just please... let's move on." "No! Not until you stop letting these stupid people get to you!" "I can't give you a promise I can't keep." Mitsuki said curtly before turning on his heels and started walking again. Boruto and Sarada looked at each other for a brief second before they started following him. ... The walk to the orphanage had been no different. Noone bothered them this time, at least not verbally, but every now and then they found at least a pair of unfriendly eyes peeking at them from around a corner. It came to the point where Boruto had it and turned to snap at one of those; "What are you looking at?!" But they never stayed long when they saw the Hokage's son was with them. They were now just a few blocks away from the main building. Not knowing what they should be expecting, because they never got to come to the orphanage after the attack, Sarada felt her pulse quickening as they approached. All three of them came to a halt when the campus came into view. The news never covered much, and although they knew it was bad, they had no idea of the scope. The whole front of the building was in ruins, seemingly blown apart by an enormous force. Pieces of rubble laid everywhere, and there were stains on them... dark stains... Stains that reminded all of them terribly of... Dried blood... As if he was in a trance, Mitsuki took a step forward, stopped for a moment, and then kept walking. Boruto, snapping out of his shock, noticed him. "Mitsuki - wait, don’t just walk inside like that!" The boy was aware that someone was calling for him, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. This much pain... Why...? Someone grabbing his arm finally made him come to a stop, and he turned to see Sarada, with a worried expression on her face. "Don't rush inside!" she said. Mitsuki opened his mouth to say something, but someone cut him off before he got a word out. "Oh hey, it's you guys!" All of them looked up to see Inojin, Shikadai and Chouchou coming out of the building, their arms full of rubble and other things. "Yo, what's up?" Chouchou said nonchalantly, approaching them. "I thought you guys weren't supposed to be here?" "Not... supposed to be here?" Mitsuki mumbled, not quite understanding. "What she meant to say was, we didn't know you were also assigned here," Inojin immediately interjected before his friend said anything else. "We didn't come here on an assignment," Boruto sighed, coming up from behind his friends. "We just wanted to, uh..." "See how the renovations were coming up," Sarada finished helpfully. "Well, they are coming up pretty troublesome," Shikadai said with a bored expression. "At least the director is a pretty nice guy - even after all this..." Mitsuki's eyes widened. "Wait... Is Kabuto-san here?" "Of course," Shikadai raised an eyebrow. "Where else?" The blue haired boy then turned to his friends. "I need to talk to him." "Cool, I'm coming with you." "Boruto," Mitsuki sighed. "I'm gonna talk to him alone." "I can wait outside." Mitsuki looked at Shikadai with a bored expression. "Please... do stop him if he comes after me." ... He found Kabuto-san in one of the back rooms, one of the few rooms that didn't sustain a lot of damage. The man looked up when Mitsuki entered. "Oh, Mitsuki..." he said. "I didn't expect to see you." "I just wanted to see all of this myself." Kabuto sighed, and they both stayed silent for a while. "Why...?" "Hm?" Kabuto turned to the boy, questions in his eyes. Mitsuki was gazing out of the doorway with a distant look in his eyes, and it wasn't too hard for the older man to understand where the boy's mind was. "You are one of the few people who knows my father like the back of his hand. Why? Why would my father do this? For what motive?" "I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that question. The truth is that Orochimaru always has a reason behind his actions..." "Exactly." the boy turned to the man, grasping for some answers. "So why would he attack innocent children? Not just the Shin clones, but other children, too." The man put a hand on the boy's arm, and his tone was gentle as he spoke. "Mitsuki, I understand that it's hard for you to handle it and I wouldn't believe it, either... But I saw your father's curse mark on that man with my own eyes." The boy didn't know what to say to that, and he lowered his eyes to the ground. Kabuto-san looked at him carefully. "Anyone bothering you?" he asked, quickly assessing the situation. Mitsuki gave a small smile as he thought about his friends. "Nothing I can't handle. And I have some very good friends." "I'm glad to hear that." Mitsuki kept looking around, his gaze taking a serious quality once again as he took in the damage, people rushing around... "Kabuto-san..." he said after a minute. "How did you become a medic?" "Where did that come from?" the older man asked, totally confused. "Just wondering... And how did you become a director at this orphanage?" Kabuto thought about it for a second. "They are actually connected." "Connected? How?" "You know... I was orphaned in the Third Ninja World War. Konoha took me in and in this orphanage, I was raised by a woman who taught me about medical ninjutsu. I guess you can say that I wanted to do what she did to me... To raise children in a family environment, to heal their wounds in one way or another..." He sighed and looked away. "It's too sad it didn't work out that way... I guess your past never really leaves you." They didn't say anything more as Mitsuki thought bitterly how true those words were... ... His mind was in overdrive when he was making his way back to his friends. Working to save, heal people... That seemed like a noble cause. Frankly, before he came here, even when he started his way as a ninja, he didn't have a clue of what will become of him in the future. He remembered it like it was yesterday, the day they met their sensei and Konohamaru asked what his future dream was. He had simply smiled and said that he wanted to become as great a ninja as his father, maybe even surpassing him one day. He wanted, no, needed so badly to make Orochimaru proud of him. He didn't know if this path he was about to choose would make him proud or not... But working to heal the wounds his father might or might not have caused, well... That seemed like a noble cause, too. Now if his sensei asked him just about this moment, he would say that he wanted to become a med-nin. He didn't know yet who he could be trained under to pursue this goal. Hopefully... not even all of the adults were against him? Naturally, the first person to come to mind was Kabuto, an uncle to him in more than one way. But he already had so much on his plate to take in a pupil. Of course the most famous med-nin in Konoha was Sarada's mother, or the Fifth Hokage, but Mitsuki wasn't exactly sure how he could approach them. Well... there was always Karin as his back-up plan, but... An unpleasant tingling was triggered in his chest just thinking about it. That would mean he would also have to leave his friends behind, and he... really didn't want that. Boruto and Sarada... The first real family he had in Konoha… He wasn't really paying attention, lost too much in his own thoughts. "What the hell do you think you are doing here?" Many things happened all at once that Mitsuki couldn't really find the time to react. When he turned back, he saw someone running towards him with a hateful expression, but before he could come too close, someone stopped him by throwing himself on that person. Metal Lee raised his head to look at him, and his eyes widened. "Mitsuki, watch out!" The blue haired boy turned just in time to dodge a punch aimed right at his face. "Asahi, Fuuto, help us!" Metal called. But no one helped him and Mitsuki actually had to grab the assailant's fist the next time. "I don't want to fight you." he declared in a calm tone. "Too bad, because I'm about to turn you to a pulp! How dare you even show your face here?!" Then the boy came to a sudden stop and the younger let go of his hand. "Two on one? You really are looking for trouble, aren't you?" Just by the manner of his speech, Mitsuki was quick to understand how the attacker had been stopped. "I'll show you who's gonna turn into a pulp!" "Boruto, no!" the boy yelled when he saw his best friend charging, but Shikadai acted before him. "Sheesh, hold your horses, won't you?" "Shikadai..." Boruto, who had also been stopped dead, growled through his teeth, clearly pissed off. "You better let me go. I really don't want to take this out on you." "Not before you calm down, no." "How can you even expect me to calm down?!" the blond yelled. "These two were just about to attack my best friend!" "Boruto, just calm down..." Mitsuki sighed, already getting tired of this. "How can you even call that thing your friend?" one of the other boys asked, and everyone tensed. "You better watch out what you're saying..." said Sarada, at the end of her patience. "It's way better than hanging out with the likes of you!" Boruto yelled at them, trying hard to get out of the shadow mimic technique. "Well, seeing that we outnumber you by at least a third, I would advise you to back down - unless you want us to get really mad." Inojin put in, all with a sweet but dangerous smile. The two thought about it for a second. "We will be back." they said, throwing dirty looks at the blue haired boy. "To get your asses handed to you? Anytime!" Boruto countered. As the two ran away, Metal looked at his teammates. "Why didn't you guys help us out back then?" The girl didn't say anything, but after a second of hesitation, Fuuto spoke. "Why... did you help?" he asked, and his tone was confused; not accusing, not degrading; just curious. "Seriously?" Metal asked unbelievably. "You really think I would just stand aside and let a friend - anyone - get bullied right in front of me?! We were taught better than that!" "Don't bother, Metal," Boruto said, a little ruder than he normally would. "Thank you for your help, anyway." ... The way back had been awfully quiet. They had stopped by a fast-food restaurant to have lunch on their way back, but the glares never ceased, even with Boruto glaring right back at those. They were almost at Mitsuki's house when it happened again. "You still here in this village, you snake?" Boruto tensed and turned back, his hands balling into fists. "You have any problems with your eyesight?" he growled at the group that gathered behind them, especially to Sarutobi Ichiro, who had just spoken. "I can't see any snakes here but you, waiting to strike, hidden behind corners!" "You know, you are overly confident, being the hokage's son and all... But we're gonna make our voices heard, too. He can't be hidden, protected under your wings for too long." "Try me..." Boruto hissed, shaking with anger. "Boruto, don't..." Sarada began. "And why do you protect him, anyway? Do you really think he would do the same for you if this situation was reversed?" one of the other kids shouted. "Don't... play... with fire...!" "Oh yeah? Well let me tell you one thing, not all of us agree with daddy dearest!" Mitsuki was having a hard time processing his emotions regarding this - did they really think that low of him? Why was it harder to just ignore this, tell himself this didn’t matter anyway, like so many other times before? He snapped back to the moment when he saw Boruto hurrying forward, and grabbed his arm in a fruitless attempt. "Let it go, Boruto." "Well, too bad for you that my 'daddy dearest' is the hokage, and you have to follow his orders!" "Well, you see... things can change, and then we will have our say!" "Boruto!" Mitsuki yelled, but it was too late. Already too agitated, Boruto freed his arm from his best friend with an angry yell, and actually charged the group before Sarada or Mitsuki could react properly. He had aimed for Ichiro, and as the two actually tumbled to the ground with Boruto's momentum, the other kids stood back a little, clearly indecisive about whether or not getting in a fight with the Hokage's son is a good idea. But they did hold back Mitsuki and Sarada when they rushed to help their friend. The fight didn't last for too long, really, but for the two, it seemed to drag on as they watched, helpless. Boruto and the older boy traded punches and kicks, none of them seemingly stronger than the other. It was after one particularly hard punch which left a cut over Boruto's eyebrow that Sarada finally snapped. "You little..." she growled through gritted teeth, and felt her chakra growing in her hand as she pushed away those who were holding her back. "Shannaro!" When she hit the ground with her fist, all the other children were thrown back by the force, including the one the blond had been fighting. Mitsuki was there to catch his friend. "Now run away before I get really angry!" Sarada yelled at the group, who didn't stay long after that. Boruto got up, wiping some blood that was making its way to his eye. "Come on, we're going to my dad's office NOW." "We should check on that wound first..." Sarada countered. "It's just a little blood, I'm fine. Come on..." Mitsuki had remained silent for a while, but he shook his head when he heard this. "No, I... I need to be alone." "I'm not gonna leave you alone anywhere, 'ttebasa, so you better move it!" the blond snapped at his friend. But that was too much. He had let his best friend get hurt over him... This wasn’t what a friend was supposed to be, was it? How could he hope to help people even when he couldn’t protect his own friend...? Maybe it was because this was the first time he saw this haunted and sad look in his friend's eyes… but it surely took the blond by surprise. Boruto's frown started to soften, actually turning into a look of worry. "You're not safe around me anymore..." Mitsuki mumbled, the slight cracking in his voice the only give off in his otherwise perfect facade. "I'll... I'll just stay at home, I promise..." "Mitsuki stop this, it's just a little blood, I'm not dying here..." the blond tried to reason, but the younger didn't look back as he rushed inside. "Shit..." Boruto mumbled and him and Sarada followed their friend inside. Mitsuki was quicker - he opened his door and slid inside before his friends made it. Boruto reached the door first and knocked it normally. "Mitsuki! Come on, this is nothing, and it certainly isn't your fault! We have to report this to my dad!" When there was no reply, Boruto banged his fist on the door. "Dammit, stop doing this! You can't just stay down because idiotic people make idiotic remarks about you! Come out so we can talk about it!" "Boruto..." Sarada put her hand on his arm. "Let's just leave him for the day." "What? Are you out of your mind?" "I... I think he needs it. We have training tomorrow, we can talk to him then." It was pretty obvious that the boy didn't like this, but he finally sighed and nodded. ... Mitsuki had been behind the door all the time, listening to his friends. When he heard them walking away, he slowly slid against the door, bringing his knees closer to him. His presence... was no longer wanted, nor needed in Konoha, that much was pretty clear. But his friend getting injured for that... He felt something wetting his cheeks and raised his hand to check. He stared at the tear on his fingertip for a moment, mesmerized. So that was… how crying felt like then? A let out of emotions, emotions that were too foreign and… simply too much for him. He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. This was not the time to show weakness. He had other things to do. ... A knock brought Naruto back from his thoughts. "Come in." A ninja peeked in. "Lord seventh, your son is..." Before he could finish his sentence, the said son pushed his way through the man, tailed by Sarada. "Dad, we need to talk." "Boruto, how many times do I have to tell you, don't call me da..." Naruto did a double take when he got a closer look at his son's face. "What the hell happened to you?!" The blond sighed, trying not to roll his eyes. "For the last time, I'm not bleeding to death." "You should go check with the clinic immediately..." Naruto began. "Stuff it, dad, this is not about me!" Boruto snapped. "Do you even know what's been going on??" "About what...?" "Mitsuki! My best friend is being threatened and harassed all day! Look at this!" When his son shoved his phone under his nose, the hokage's eyes widened for a second, then he snatched the phone from Boruto and took a look at the other pictures as well, his expression growing darker with each one. "When did this start?" he asked finally, looking up at the two. "Yesterday," Sarada replied. "It just started as verbal assaults first, but then those graffitis and people attacking him today..." "Attacking?" Naruto felt his anger boiling. He was actually planning to send someone, maybe Konohamaru as he was their sensei, to check on the boy, but... this was taking it too far. "He didn't even do anything! He kept telling all those morons he didn't want to fight! Why are they doing this?!" Naruto sighed. "I should've known this." "Dad?" Boruto asked, his tone shocked. This wasn't the reaction he expected. "Some of the villagers... They are not very happy with my decision of letting Mitsuki stay in Konoha." "Wha... what...?" Boruto asked blankly, not even knowing what the hokage's words meant. "Where... where else is he supposed to live?" "They wanted me to exile him." Naruto said openly, looking at the two right in the eyes. Boruto and Sarada were so appalled that they couldn't say anything for a while. "Why...?" Sarada mumbled at last, her voice weak. “Is it because… what was discussed in the meeting…?” “What are you talking about?” the younger blond was looking at his friend incredulously. Naruto simply nodded at Sarada before explaining further. "Because he is the son of a villain this village is not about to forget anytime soon." He was playing all cards on the table. Being his teammates and close friends, they needed to know. "But that is no reason!" Boruto shot back, snapping out of his shock. "No two people are ever the same! Dad, you can't-" "Of course not." Naruto cut in seriously, and his tone made his son go quiet. "He belongs in Konoha, a member of our family. I'm not going to give up on him." The two just stared up at him in awe. The man's expression softened a little. "I am going to deal with this, make sure anyone who is involved gets punished. Now, please go check with the clinic and leave the rest to me." Boruto gulped and nodded. "Thank you dad." ... The two were quiet as they walked out of the Hokage’s office. Sarada wanted to say something to cheer Boruto up, but if she was being honest… she didn’t feel like she would do much, she herself had a heavy heart. Feeling the blond coming to a halt, Sarada followed his gaze, and felt another pang in her chest. “Konohamaru-sensei…” she mumbled. It seemed like the jounin wasn’t even aware of them, not until the girl spoke anyway. Blinking in focus, he gave them a small smile that didn’t really reach his eyes. “Hey, you two. What are you doing out at this hour?” “Well, we-” Sarada started to say, but Boruto cut her in. “Konohamaru-nii-chan…” he started, catching the brunet off-guard - it had been some time since Boruto addressed him like that… And more so, the look in his eyes… it was sad, as sad as his voice, but also… disappointed somehow. “Let me just ask you one thing.” “What is it, Boruto?” It was true that he was out of it for the last couple of days, which he was coming to the realization and slowly coming out of it… he should as well start by paying closer attention to his team. “Was that… the reason you’ve been so distant with Mitsuki…?” And Konohamaru just blanked out for a moment, staring blankly at the pre-teens. “I… what are you talking about…?” “You barely talk to him and  then yesterday, at the training… Konohamaru-nii-chan… are you blaming him too…?” The words were more like a slap on his face. The jounin had to keep his poker face, but it was hard… He… wasn’t even aware… “I… don’t blame him for anything, Boruto.” he said with a sigh, passing a hand through his face. “And I didn’t intend to be especially distant towards him… You three are all equal and important to me.” Boruto’s eyes softened a little at the sincerity in his words, but his expression was still very serious. “Well, you might wanna look at it from Mitsuki’s side. You might’ve come off as just the opposite, nii-chan…” “He had been through a lot, sensei,” Sarada put in, looking down with a sad expression. “There are a lot of villagers who want him gone… and they’re not being quiet about it…” “That’s an understatement!” Boruto almost yelled, he had been pushed way off his limit of tolerance today… and Konohamaru finally realized the cut above his eyebrow, making him frown a little. “They’d been harassing him, and now even with the attacks…” “I heard enough.” the jounin said, raising a hand… his stomach had become quite queasy. Just how much had he missed, god… he was feeling really lousy now. Yes, he had to do something to make this up… and quickly. “Don’t worry… I’m gonna talk to Mitsuki now.” That brought a smile to Boruto and Sarada’s faces. “Thank you, Konohamaru-nii-chan.” … “For the last time,” Mitsuki sighed as he looked at his two companions, his expression exasperated. “I didn’t summon you here to scare Mikazuki, Isis.” The scene would’ve been funny really, if it wasn’t for the fact that the kitten was so scared that he had been meowing non-stop… while Mitsuki’s summon, Isis, was hissing at him. At his words, though, the snake turned to shoot him a resentful look. “It wasn’t my fault, Mitsuki-sama!” “Neither was it his,” the blue haired boy explained calmly. “He is just a small kitten, he doesn’t know better.” And Isis was territorial, so she didn’t take it well that Mikazuki tried to paw at her swishing tail the moment she appeared. Striding forward, Mitsuki took the distressed kitten in his arms, before he alerted the whole apartment complex. So much for secrecy… “Listen Isis, I need to ask you a favor.” Isis decided to quit her hissing fit, although her eyes were still on Mikazuki. “What can I do for you?” “I want you to go to my father," Mitsuki replied clearly. "Tell him to meet me outside of Konoha's eastern border, to the end of the river." He couldn't have been more vague if he tried, something that Isis noticed herself. "If you need his help on a mission, you have to give him a more specific address." "No, I..." Mitsuki let out his breath and closed his eyes. "I'm leaving." "Not on a mission, no? Why then?" "I don't belong here anymore." There was a moment of silence. "Mitsuki-sama..." Isis began, her thin pupils regarding him carefully. "You do know you shouldn't satisfy anyone's needs by leaving..." "I'm not leaving to make anyone happy," the boy countered. "I am leaving to protect my friends. I should have never gotten them involved." The snake coiled around silently, deciding not to push forward. "When are you leaving?" Mitsuki checked his clock, and did a double take. Time really flew by. It was already nine pm. "In about two hours." "Got it." Opening his window, the boy watched as the snake slid out. And then a knock almost made him jump out of his skin. Calming down, he made his way to the door. Who could be visiting at this hour? He hoped it wasn’t his friends… not that his intentions were too visible - he didn’t have many things to pack after all - but it would just make things harder. It didn’t really help much that it was his sensei at the door. “Konohamaru-sensei…” he said simply in greeting, while Mikazuki meowed in unison. A small smile crossed his face as the brunet looked between the two of them. “Good evening, Mitsuki. Mind if I come in?” “Um… yeah, sure.” He stepped aside to let the jounin in. Konohamaru patted Mikazuki on the head, earning himself a purr from the now slightly calmed down kitten. As he walked in further, the brunet came to a halt. “Sorry it isn’t too much…” “Not at all…” It was more so the fact that… Mitsuki didn’t seem to have any personal belongings… pretty much the only sign of someone living here was the kitten in his student’s arms and the items all around the small apartment to take care of it. True, he hadn’t been to Mitsuki’s house before, but this wasn’t something he expected… “Umm… you can sit on the bed sensei…” It was kind of awkward for Mitsuki, he didn’t really have much accommodations to begin with. His sensei didn’t comment on it though, as he took his advice. For a moment neither of them spoke, although Mitsuki couldn’t help but make a mental calculation… he really didn’t have a lot of time to finish all he had to do and still make it in time… He could just hope his sensei would keep it quick. Although, well… Konohamaru seemed to be a little awkward now. “I see you’re taking good care of the kitten.” the young man said at last. The look in the boy’s eyes softened a little as he scratched Mikazuki behind the ears. “He has grown so much into me… I didn’t know how boring it could get before we started sharing this apartment.” “It seems that the feeling is mutual.” the jounin’s voice was gentle. “Yeah.” A thoughtful look crossed his eyes. “I… now I can’t imagine a life without him.” It wasn’t exactly easy to say that with a straight face, thinking about how he had to indeed leave Mikazuki behind, he couldn’t just take him to the hideout. “Here is to hope that it won’t ever come to that.” When his student raised his head to look at him with questions in his eyes, Konohamaru sighed. “Well, in truth… I think I’ve stalled this long enough.” “What is it that you want to talk about, sensei?” the boy asked quietly. “Look kiddo…” It had been a while since he addressed him like that, Mitsuki realized with a start. “I owe you an apology…” “What for?” Mitsuki asked, perplexed, and Konohamaru only sighed again. “The last few days had been… challenging on my part… And while I know this doesn’t justify my actions…” He paused for a moment before looking at his student directly in the eyes. “I just didn’t realize I probably came off as distant and… cold…” The boy didn’t know what to say for a moment. “Konohamaru-sensei…” The jounin raised a hand to stop him. “Please, just let me finish. It wasn’t my intention to make any of you feel sad. I care for each of you equally. And, well…” the look in his eyes turned pensive as he bowed his head. “I didn’t expect things to get so… out of hand so quickly…” he looked at Mitsuki again. “Why didn’t you say anything…? I heard from your teammates about the attacks and those… graffitis…” Yes, those drawings really didn’t help his mood. Mitsuki didn’t say anything for a moment, wondering how best he should reply… Their sensei was known to read them like clear water… “I… didn’t want to worry you sensei. You already have a lot on your plate.” Konohamaru’s gaze turned soft at these words. This boy… he was always so selfless, thinking about others before himself… sometimes it was just too much. “Mitsuki… there are times you should allow yourself to be protected as well.” And just like that, Mitsuki felt a slight lump in his throat. After what he had been through these last couple of days, these words, and the fact that it was coming from his sensei, just… touched him… almost enough to make him reconsider leaving the village… but no, not after what had happened… not after his best friend got hurt because of him… Petting Mikazuki to calm himself down a little and keep his stoic face, he finally said, “If these get any worse, I’ll report to you immediately.” “I’d appreciate that… although with Hokage-sama on the case, I doubt it will get any further.” The jounin got up on his feet and took the necessary couple of steps to approach him. Mitsuki was even more surprised when Konohamaru pulled him in for a tight hug. “We are and will always be here for you kiddo… Don’t ever forget that.” The boy had to blink a couple of times to make sure his eyes stayed dry. “Thank you, sensei.” The jounin patted him on the shoulder when they broke the hug. “Well then, I’ll see you tomorrow in the training.” He was just about to walk out of the door when the boy’s voice stopped him again. “Sensei?” The young man turned to him, question marks in his eyes. “Yeah?” There was a small, soft smile on Mitsuki’s face, one that… almost made Konohamaru feel a little… restless. “You should really make peace with Lady Hanabi.” Konohamaru was so taken aback that he just stared at his student for a moment. How could he think about such a thing with what he had been through…? “Yeah, well… we will see about that.” he mumbled for lack of a better reply before blending into the darkening evening. Why did Mitsuki’s last words feel almost… like a farewell…? … Even with his mind set, Mitsuki couldn't help but feel empty walking away from the place he called home for a year. Each step he took felt like a ton, and his mind was fogged by all the good memories. At least Mikazuki had stopped meowing, so he was hoping he wasn’t drawing much attention. "Hey, guess who's back, loser." 'Not again,' the boy thought, already too tired as he raised his head. This time, there was a bigger group of kids from various ages gathered in front of him. He realized that it was a hit-list of all those who already made their opinions about him heard - the boys from the orphanage, the Sarutobi kid, even those from yesterday. "Let me pass." he said calmly. "I have no intention to fight." "Why not? Do you only attack those who can't even defend themselves, you coward?" The blue haired boy sighed. "Let me pass." he repeated as he put the kitten’s cage on the ground. They would probably do so without a question if they knew what he was about to do. "No, you know what, come on. I dare you to attack us." The boy who tried to punch him in the orphanage came in front of him pretty quickly and shoved him. Mitsuki staggered back one step, but stood his ground. And he didn't do anything, not even raise his fists in a defense position. He just let it happen. "What's the matter? Go on, defend yourself." Another shove. "Afraid to go up against a large group? Afraid we would beat you?" Some of the other kids, mostly younger than him, the boy noticed, started cheering for the older boys. Still, he chose to do nothing. "We are not gonna let snakes spread their venom in Konoha!" "Enough." With the calm voice intervening, the children came to a stop, turning around to look at... Kakashi Hatake, the Sixth Hokage. "What do you think you are doing?" the older man asked, eyebrows furrowed. "At least ten on one?" All of the children around the boy took a step back, and one of them actually grumbled, "We were just talking." "Is that so? Well, be sure that your little 'talk' will be notified to Lord Seventh." As the kids ran away, Kakashi turned to look at Mitsuki, a little bothered by the fact that... The kid really didn't do anything... Anything at all in response, he just stood there. "You alright?" he asked, worry coating his tone. He just nodded. "Yup, I'm fine." "Where are you headed to at this hour? It's..." Kakashi checked his watch. It was almost ten pm. "Getting late." The boy didn't look at him. "I was actually headed to Lord Seventh's office..." Something that never occurred to him before then clicked on his mind. "If he is there...?" "He is," the former Hokage said, carefully gazing at the boy. "Let me escort you there then." ... Naruto had gained the habit of looking at his phone every few minutes in the last couple of hours. He had given Konohamaru two days to come back with his report, he wanted him to gather every possible lead he could trace back... But he still sat on edge, just waiting for a call... A soft knock on the door made him snap out of it. "Come in," he said, having a brief moment of dejavu of the late afternoon. He was surprised to see Mitsuki making his way into the room. "Good evening, Lord Seventh." the boy said, politely formal. "Good evening, Mitsuki," he said, and then gave the boy a warm smile. "What can I do for you?" He didn't know what brought him here at this hour, but then he thought that he might want to report the ongoing harassment on his own account, which made him feel glad. The boy came to a stop a little while away from his desk, and didn't know what to say for a moment. Naruto just waited for him to take the first step. "I am sorry." "Huh?" the Hokage asked, totally confused. "What for?" "For what happened to Boruto... I couldn't stop them..." "Mitsuki..." The older man began, but didn't know how to continue for a while. How could the boy even blame himself for this? "It's not your fault. The ones who did it will pay. They will pay for what they've been doing to you, too." Mitsuki smiled a little. "I... heard about it. But Lord Seventh... That's not why I came here." "Then what is it?" Mitsuki took in a deep breath. "I'm planning to leave Konoha tomorrow morning."

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.6 - Storm Clouds

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 - You’re here

Naruto's eyes widened in shock at the boy's words. "What...? Wait, Mitsuki, you don't have to leave..." "I... do. I don't want to cause any more troubles..." "Troubles?" the older cut in, unbelievable. "You haven't caused any troubles!" The Hokage stood up and walked towards the boy, putting his hands on his shoulders. "You are not at fault, I am. I should have found a way to avoid what you've been going through..." "Please, Lord Seventh... I know you're doing so much already. And... this is not about how people treat me, really." Mitsuki remained silent for a minute. "Then please, tell me what's troubling you." Naruto immediately answered, because he had no intentions of giving up on this boy. "But please don't leave, it won't do any good to those who care about you." "That's my point." the boy stated, his gaze on the floor. "I let Boruto and Sarada get involved in this... Boruto even got hurt for me... I... I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me. Either physically, or..." he slowly raised his hand to tap two fingers against his chest. "Here." "Mitsuki..." the Hokage sighed, how was he supposed to convince this boy to not leave? "You are part of this village, no matter what your connections are, and you deserve to be protected too." For some reason, the Hokage's words lifted that last bit of weight from his heart, that one thing that made him doubt his action, and the boy actually gave a small smile. "You know," he mused, meeting the blue eyes, "that's what I always liked about your speeches. That the whole village is your family... It has been like that for me, too. I never thought less, and slowly, in the year I spent in Konoha, the people became my family too."

The Hokage smiled slightly, had he convinced Mitsuki to not leave Konoha at all? That made him sigh of relief. "And... that's exactly why I have to go." Mitsuki said and took a step back, freeing himself from the Hokage's grasp. "My presence... nowadays seem to cause nothing but restlessness to my family. A restlessness that is possibly on its way to affect you, too." His smile vanished as soon as it appeared, and Naruto felt himself frowning slightly. "I believe that's my concern, rather than yours." At these words, the blue haired boy couldn't help but give a soft smile while he tilted his head to a side. "But Lord Seventh... I consider you family, too." Naruto didn't know what to say to that as the child's words touched his heart. "Mitsuki..." Just then, there was a knock on the door. Naruto found himself somehow glad to have this interruption. “Come in.” And in walked his advisor, with a - God help him - cat carrier under his arm. “Well… I’m sorry Mitsuki. He just doesn’t seem like he wants to stay away from you.” There was a soft, knowing tone in his voice that told Naruto he had been listening. The boy sighed yet again, honestly, was he expecting anything else? “Thank you.” he said, taking the carrier from the man’s hands. Just when Shikamaru was about to leave though, Mitsuki’s voice stopped him. “Umm, Shikamaru-san?” The man turned back to look at him. “Yes?” Mitsuki took a folded paper out of his sleeve and held it out to the man. “Can you please give this to Shikadai?” Shikamaru was visibly hesitant to take the piece of paper, but after exchanging glances with Naruto, he took it with a sigh. “You know as well as I do that Shikadai prefers a direct approach.” “I do.” The boy’s smile was soft but only a little bitter. “Please… tell him I’m sorry… And to Boruto and Sarada too… But that’s for the best. And maybe… as we pursue our individual dreams… we can meet again one day.” Mikazuki meowed as if he had something to say too. “Lord Seventh, it might be too much to ask but… I can’t take Mikazuki with me back to the hideout… And I only trust Boruto and Hima-chan to take care of him…” Naruto sighed yet again, this was turning out to be one of the hardest nights for him ever since he became Hokage… “I’m sure we can arrange that. But… even when I can’t force you to stay, please know that it’s not my wish to let the matter go like this. Boruto… he’s not gonna like this, he might want to come after you.” “I know he would.” the boy said, his eyes cast downward. “But if I want to follow my dream… this is the only way. Please make sure my friends see that too.” He looked back up at the Hokage, his soft expression now supported with a determined one. “Please let me protect my family.” Taking off his forehead protector, he left it on the desk. This time, it was Shikamaru’s turn to sigh. “Well… I guess then all we can do is to wish you good luck with whatever your dream is… I hope you can achieve it.” “Thank you…” And with that, the boy started walking to the door. “Mitsuki…” Naruto once again called after him, his tone sad. “No matter what… don’t forget that you will always be welcomed back.” A small, half-smile made its way to the boy’s lips. “Thank you Lord Seventh… for everything you did.” Then, just like that, he was gone… Naruto sighed and closed his eyes as he heard the door click close. … Mitsuki was trying his best to keep his thoughts at bay as he made his way out of the building, then turned and looked back at it once more. 'That's the only way...' a small voice in his head repeated. He didn't know how to counter that. He sighed and made his way to the tree under which he had left his belongings. ... Naruto had his face in his palm, deep in thought. He had failed... He had failed in his dream to make a better leader, to make a much better world in which only peace and love reigned... What kind of a leader was he...? He looked at the portraits of the previous Hokage one by one, his eyes lingering the longest on his father. He had always striven to be the best out of the best... But now he couldn’t help but wonder if any of the previous six had fallen as far away from their dreams as he had. "Don't be too hard on yourself. Sometimes, there is just no way of stopping these…” Shikamaru said, sighing. “People were just used to the peace so much... they react violently when there is a threat." "But putting the blame on a child?" the blond asked sadly. "To the point of making him leave?" "Well, at least we can do something about that." They hadn’t heard him entering, but Naruto could hardly begrudge Kakashi for not knocking now - he probably didn’t even hear it. "I have sent Konohamaru to investigate those harassments..." he said wearily, it seemed so long ago. "I have something better. A first-eye-witness account on who has been troubling the child." Both men were quick to react to that. "How? Tell us everything!" Shikamaru said. "When he was on his way here... he was attacked. I was nearby..." "Damn it..." the blond growled through gritted teeth. This was not going to go unpunished if that was the last thing he did. "Who?" "A pretty crowded group, actually. About fifteen kids, ranging between ten to sixteen years of age." "Do you know any of them?" "Most of the older children, yes. Naruto, they were from almost all of the clans. The ring leader was from Sarutobi, of course... There were also from the Yamanaka, the Akimichi... There was even a little Hyuga kid." That was about the farthest he was going to listen. "We are going to call for a meeting right now. Maybe it's not too late to change that child's mind..." Although, with an uneasy pang, he realized once again that he didn't really believe in Mitsuki's words about leaving tomorrow. "I'll talk to Boruto and Sarada about this first, though. They need to know." "In an hour?" "Yeah, that will do. And Shikamaru… can you please contact Boruto and Sarada and tell them to come here?” “Roger that.” As they walked out, Naruto took out his cell phone and dialed a number. When it was answered, he didn’t wait for the other side to speak. “Konohamaru… I need you to come to my office now. Yeah, it’s urgent.” … Mitsuki's pale golden eyes were following the guards at the border closely. Any time now... He didn't want anyone to learn that he was indeed leaving that very night instead of the morning, hence why he was trying to sneak out at the time of the shift change. Thankfully he had good ears, so he knew exactly when the shifts changed - and how the border doesn't have much surveillance during that. As he expected, at exactly 10.57 pm, one of the six guards there yawned, looked at his comrades and called the duty off. He couldn't take a lot of time. It was true that the procedures took a little time, but... He had to act quickly. When he made sure no one was glancing back, he jumped on the nearest tree to the gate and quickly sneaked out without a sound. It wasn't until he got a little away that he stopped. He pulled a traveling cloak out of the backpack, silently pulled it over himself. For one last time, he looked at the entrance of the village, once a welcoming and loving place, and now... He gulped, trying to remember the place only with the good memories, trying to block out the last few days... to not remember Konoha as the dark, cold, intimidating place it suddenly became... "Goodbye, Konoha..." he all but whispered, pulling his hoodie up. ... And that was how, about fifteen minutes later, team Konohamaru had gathered in front of Naruto - minus Mitsuki, of course. The kids especially looked anxious, it wasn’t every day that the Hokage called them in at such a late hour. “Dad, what is it? Is everything alright?” Boruto asked before he even stepped in. Naruto sighed, finally tearing his gaze away from the headband in front of him. “Come in and close the door behind you.” Konohamaru was indeed eyeing the headband, as Naruto knew that he would notice right away, a slight frown in his features. “Lord Seventh…” The Hokage sighed once again as he got up on his feet and walked to the front of his desk. “I need to talk to you about Mitsuki.” “What about him?” Sarada asked immediately, concern apparent in her onyx eyes. “Did those jerks do something to him?!” “No… he didn’t mention anything, anyway.” “He didn’t…” Boruto perked up as it dawned on him. “So he was here?!” Naruto just looked sadly at his son, not sure how to deliver the news. “So this means you can punish those guys finally! It means-” “Boruto…” Konohamaru cut in, but his eyes were fixed on the Hokage. “He… Mitsuki left… didn’t he?” Sarada had begun to catch up to what they were implying, there was an almost desperate expression on her face, wishing with all her heart that this wasn’t true. Boruto, on the other hand, was still lost. “Well- duh, he’s obviously not here…” “Boruto…” and it was then that Naruto was finally able to meet his son’s eyes, while he brought forth the headband he was holding. “He left the village… He came here to say goodbye.” There was a moment of complete silence following his declaration. Then wordlessly, almost soundlessly, the blond moved forward and took the headband gingerly in his hand, as if afraid that it would suddenly explode. "What..." he gulped as he had trouble recognizing his own voice. "What kind of joke is this, 'ttebasa...?" "He said he didn't want anyone else to get hurt because of him." said his dad sadly. "M... my cut...? Seriously...?" The blond felt his voice rising then. "That idiot left because of a damn cut?!" No one could say anything to that. Boruto gripped the headband tightly, so much so that his fingers hurt. Another minute passed in silence. Then he snapped back to the moment and stormed to the door. "Where are you going?!" he heard Sarada call from behind him. "To that idiot's house! I can't let it end like this!" … He had to take a break. There was a clean river flowing just out of Konoha, perfect for drinking water. It was also at the end of this river that he was going to meet his father. He set his things down, took a canteen out of his backpack and knelled... "Hurry up, will ya? Or we're not gonna make it to their curfew." "Who died and made you leader? Know your place." Mitsuki didn't know why, but he knew better than to question when his instincts told him to hide. He grabbed his belongings quickly and jumped back behind a rock, kneeling, as footsteps came closer. "Yeah, don't go act all bossy around us. Who called you for this mission? Who will get you paid in the end?" "Takeru..." he heard a gruff voice cut in. "And why did you call for us, vermin? As far as I remember, you have no guts to go up against the whole village - let alone the Hokage." Mitsuki tried not to gasp out loud, and actually had to press his hand over his mouth. Whoever was talking... they were... going to attack Konoha? "Ha!" a voice inside his head suddenly shouted, and the boy flinched a little. "Everyone gets what they deserve in the end!" What...? Was this... really... his own way of thinking...? "You were called an outsider, a freak... Show them what they are without you." Mitsuki's hands balled into fists. Why... was he thinking such things at a moment like this...? Konoha... had been a home for him for over a year. He was welcomed... "Were you, now? What about those past three days, then? What - you are gonna forgive them so easily?" The child closed his eyes for a second, that wasn't exactly wrong... If he was to be honest, he indeed felt resentful against those who kept picking up on him for no apparent reason - just because of who his father was... Why should he do anything? Did he owe them anything...? 'You are part of this village, and you deserve to be protected, too.' His eyes snapped back open as he heard the Hokage's strong and clear voice, as if he was standing there, right next to him. Those ninjas were after him, the one person who truly accepted him without any questions or hesitations, the person who truly believed in him... "The Hokage can perfectly save his own hide..." the voice spat out maliciously. "Don't bother!" But... was he the only person...? He thought about Boruto and Sarada, his teammates and best friends... no, his true second family, really... His other friends from the academy... They all acted together today against those who tried to attack him. The kids from the grade school... Aito... and so many other people... 'Mitsu-nii?' he heard a cheerful voice, brought by the wind itself and his hands tightened even more as Himawari's smiling face came into his point of view... How many innocent people would those ninjas hurt before they even got to Lord Seventh? Who knew what they were capable of? "That's my point, you moron! You don't know what they could do - do you even know how many there are?" Judging by their talk, at least three... "And if they're gonna aim for the Hokage, they wouldn't be ordinary ninjas! What do you think you - a simple genin - can do?" But the border was... pretty much at its weakest point right now… And it wasn’t like he was any simple genin... If he could only buy the guards some time... "Stop that! Do you have a death wish?" He wouldn't have to do much. Just a simple diversion... Surely, even if he didn't manage to lead them to the border himself - spoiling their surprise attack - someone would hear him and come to his help? They were so close... "I can see how this could go from bad to worse in at least a hundred ways. You still have time, turn your back and get away!" He heard the footsteps slowing down. "Now would be a good time to start," one of the nins said. "You were not raised to be a pushover... Show Konoha exactly how much they need you!" the voice whispered in his head. A determined expression crossed the boy's eyes... ... This... had to be a joke. A bad tasted, malevolent prank those idiotic villagers had pulled off. The house was empty. He and Sarada had looked from room to room even though the apartment was quite small - Boruto had even gone so far as to check the wardrobe and other tiny spaces his friend couldn't possibly fit in (logically speaking anyway), because he couldn't believe, he couldn't grasp. Mitsuki... was really, truly gone... "That idiot..." he whispered in a hollow tone, looking around at the dark house. "Boruto!" he heard the Uchiha call from the bedroom and hurried over. Sarada was holding a letter in her hands, shaking a little. The blond was quick to understand that she had read it over. When he came nearer, the girl handed the piece of paper without another word. "Dear Boruto and Sarada, Before I say anything else... Please forgive me for leaving you like this, without a word. But... I know you would try to stop me if I told you anything. I'm leaving the village to pursue my own goal in life. Don't get mad at anyone for what I chose. I think this suits me more in a way, to be a traveling medic who helps those in need wherever and whenever the need arises. I've thought a lot about it. I know someone who can provide me the necessary education. Please, don't come looking for me. Live your lives. Live your dreams... Sarada-chan, I believe you are going to become a very good Hokage when the time is right. Don’t take my goofs too much to your heart. Let your potential shine - you have more than enough. Boruto... you told her that you will be right beside her when she achieves her dream. Support and protect her for the both of us - not that she will need protection, not really. Thank you for everything. I hope that, no matter how far our choices drift us apart, we will see each other once again in the future, even if to just look back at our past, smiling. Best of luck, love you both... Mitsuki." Boruto just stared at the letter for a minute, his mind and thoughts coming to a standstill. He wasn't aware that Sarada had approached him. In the total silence that surrounded them, they read it once again, in the hope that they might have misread a word, might rephrase some of them, so suddenly, it would mean a whole another thing. And again. And again... once more until they memorized each word by heart. "I can't believe he did this..." the girl mumbled, her voice shaky as tears brimmed her ebony eyes. The blond slowly lowered the letter, his hand balling slowly into a fist... Then he banged it against the wall, making Sarada jump a little. "I'm going after him!" he said through gritted teeth. "That baka can't just leave like this!" "Boruto..." "I know what you're going to say! We should respect his wish, dad probably won't let us, either, and I know you always do things right, but I don't care!" "Boruto..." "He is our friend and he is like a brother to me, you don't have to come with me but I'm going!" "UZUMAKI BORUTO!" Sarada finally yelled. "What?!" the blond snapped right back. "Are you going to stay here and rant all night or are you coming with me?" … Naruto and Konohamaru were waiting outside. It had been quite a while since the two children went in, but they didn't want to interrupt. A slight rustling sound got their attention - a sound no big creature can make, but a small one. "What is that?" Boruto and Sarada came out of the house, adorning serious expressions. “Dad! We are going after Mitsuki, and-” “Hush!” Konohamaru warned them urgently, and only then did the children hear the rustle too - accompanied by a low hiss. The girl’s eyes widened slightly hearing that. “Is that-?” Her words were cut short as a small white snake appeared out of the bushes, coming to a stop right in front of the Hokage. “That’s Mitsuki’s snake!” Boruto exclaimed, although he wasn’t sure what to make out of this sudden development. He didn’t need to though, because fixing its gaze on his dad, the snake began to speak in his best friend’s voice. “Lord Seventh. Rogue ninjas. Attack. Eastern Border.” A chilled silence fell over the group for a nanosecond. Naruto and Konohamaru were naturally the first ones to snap out of it. “Should we mobilize troops?” the jounin was already ready for action, and although he was successful in hiding the brunt of his anxiety on the outside, there was a slight edge in his voice - they couldn’t be fast enough for his liking. “No - there’s no time. We will go.” Naruto was equally restless. Then he turned to the pre-teens, who were watching them with huge eyes. “Now, you two will stay here-” “No way!” Boruto cut in, terrified and incredulous at how his father should suggest that. “I won’t just sit around while my best friend is in danger!” “We don’t know the details of the situation, I can’t risk you too…” In response, Boruto just held out his arm and the snake obediently curled up on it, its golden eyes on the blond now. “It will lead us to Mitsuki, and it knows how to respond to me.” the young boy said, almost in a defiant tone, while the snake hissed quietly as if to back him up. “Lord Seventh please, you have to let us come…!” Sarada joined in, her tone almost desperate. Naruto didn’t like this option at all, but this argument wasn’t getting them anywhere and they were losing precious time. After a nod from him, Konohamaru turned to his students with a stern gaze. “You are to listen to my every command, and not act on your own, no matter what you see or hear. Am I clear?” The two friends just nodded solemnly, grasping very well the gravity of the situation. “Now follow us quickly.” … 'Which way could the child have gone?' 'He... Wouldn't try to fight a group of rogue nins... Right...?' 'No, no, no, he's a clever kid, he knows better... Damn don't lose focus, he must've sent the note just as a warning, of course he needed to record it in a hurry...' His thoughts jumbled together in a mess while running as fast as he can to the border, ahead of the others. He slowed down a little as he came to the border guards, surely someone would have seen Mitsuki leaving? He never thought he would see a familiar old face there, though. "Kiba?" he asked in surprise. The Inuzuka raised his head as soon as he heard the Hokage's voice not too far from him. "Lord Seventh," he said, of course he had to call him by the formal title, no matter how good friends they are. He spotted his son and his teammates. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" "We received a stress message... from Mitsuki. He said there was an attack..." Naruto explained quickly, and his slight panic made everyone look alert. "Did any of you see the child leaving? Where he could have gone?" He directed these questions to the border guards. "We need to find him quickly..." But the guards shook their heads. "No, Lord Hokage, we did not see anyone pass by." They were being honest, Naruto could see it, none of them were hiding anything. "Mitsuki?" Kiba murmured before looking back outside the gates. "It can't be..." "What is it, Kiba?" Naruto asked immediately. Kiba bit his lip, he could not say this loud, not in front of the kids... He approached the Hokage and Konohamaru. "Back in our mission... the dogs smelled blood, and so did we..." And just like that, Naruto felt his blood running cold as his fears returned to him in full force. "W... what do you mean? What blood, whose blood? Where was it coming from?" "I just rushed here to check myself - it's not too far from here, by the river near that clearing... But Naruto... It doesn't smell good..." "Dad?" Boruto suddenly appeared behind the hokage's elbow, worry and impatience apparent on his face. "Why aren't we leaving already?" Naruto turned around to face his son and tried to hide the fear on his face, he couldn't tell him simply what was going on in his mind… But before the Hokage could even open his mouth, there was a noise... Loud voices, it seemed, they couldn't really tell, not too far... The Hokage immediately turned towards the gates but there was no one there. Kiba shushed the guards' whispers as he too turned to face the forest ahead of Konoha. "You are not a weakling, are you? Bring me the boy's head." "You bastard! I'm not gonna do that to a child!" The phrases were enough to chill everyone to immobility. "What the hell...?" Konohamaru growled, his eyes going wide. 'God, no...' Naruto thought as he almost automatically sprung out of his shock, just out of the sheer need to save the kid, knowing that they were counting on seconds, maybe nano-seconds. Seeing his dad in action forced Boruto out of his shock, too, and the two children quickly sprung after the hokage. Naruto glanced back at Kiba for a second. "Kiba - go to the hospital, alert Sakura!" 'Dammit... Please make it in time...!' Konohamaru thought fervently, his teeth gritted.        

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.12 - Pursuing Silence

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 | Chap.8 | Chap.9 | Chap. 10 | Chap.11 | Chap.12 - You’re here

There was silence for a long moment. "The sound?" then came a voice, low, emotionless... unknown to most. Naruto didn't even realize all the eyes in the room turning towards Orochimaru, his mind fixated on one word. "The woman...?" "She didn't actively take part in attacking the child, but... She did something much worse." The young Yamanaka paused for a moment, gulped, and continued. "You asked why you couldn't hear the child. She was the reason." The tension in the room was so dense that it was almost tangible. "Explain." the Hokage said simply, his voice suddenly dry.

"Yoshida Suzume, from the Sound's Yoshida clan... A clan who is known by a dangerous kekkei genkai. They form strong sound barriers, and in extreme cases, they can even silence the voice of their opponent." "You mean...?" Konohamaru was easily putting together the pieces, and his eyes widened slightly. "Exactly. She trapped Mitsuki in a sound barrier. Coupled with Takeru’s genjutsu, which was the reason the fire and explosion stayed hidden... even with how close and loud they were, we couldn't hear him fighting for his life." The silence was only interrupted by low murmurs - the news was indeed shocking and cruel. Naruto was lost in thought... He was sure there was no woman when they got there, he had personally made sure there were no other rogue ninjas, and then there was Konohamaru... But Ryu stood in front of him, telling him that there was a woman who was responsible for them not reaching Mitsuki in time... "Shikamaru." he said in a clear voice, cutting into the mumblings. His advisor was right beside him in a second. "I'm listening." "Contact the Land of Rice and arrange three tracker teams to immediately head out to the Sound. We should apprehend that woman at any cost." "Of course." Hearing the Hokage's words, half a dozen of the ninja's in the room got to their feet. "Lord Seventh..." Kakashi started, using his formal title. "As one of the best tracking ninjas, I would like a leading role in this mission." Kiba had also got up. "Me and my dogs have caught their scents before. I would like to be one of the team leaders as well." Naruto wasn't really surprised when he saw Konohamaru on his feet, too. "Excuse me Lord Seventh," the young jounin said, a hardened determination in his eyes. "This is a personal matter for me. I ask your leave to go, too." Shikamaru took a half step forward, but catching Naruto’s eyes, he didn’t open his mouth to voice his thoughts. "Lord Seventh..." That was Ryu. "I can sense that woman's chakra and I've seen her face. If you give permission, I would like to join the trackers, too." The Hokage thought about it for a moment, then nodded. Sai and Ibiki could continue the interrogations, and catching this woman was important. The groups were formed relatively quickly, everyone in there wanted to get this done as soon as possible. Shikamaru approached Naruto. "We got this under control. Go get some rest..." The blond laughed, although it lacked humor. "As if I will be able to rest..." Naruto sighed, but not just out of exhaustion… he gave his advisor a side-long glance. ”There is something I should tell you.” “What is it?” Shikamaru was almost hesitant to ask. “Shikadai… he was in the hospital too, during and after the surgery.” The Nara’s eyes slightly widened at that, and he was quick to grasp Naruto’s hand. “Did he… how much did he see…?” “I’m afraid he witnessed all of it.” Naruto affirmed his worst fear sadly. “Ino is with the kids now of course, but…” Shikamaru passed a hand through his hair with a sigh. “Yeah I… I will talk with Temari too. Excuse me for a moment.” With quick paces, he walked to the door and out. ... The groups were all ready. He himself lacked the necessary abilities for tracking, but Konohamaru felt that luck was going to be by his side tonight. This was an important matter. He couldn't afford to fail... As he was re-checking his weapons, he didn’t even hear the door open. He didn’t look up either, until he heard the Hokage’s voice. “Konohamaru...” The jounin glanced only half up, enough to see his advisor there too, before returning to what he was doing. “Is it time?” “Konohamaru, just…” It felt like the blond was trying to choose his words very carefully. “Why don’t you just stop for a minute?” “With all due respect, Lord Seventh, I don’t have a minute. The teams are heading out shortly and-” “That’s actually what we wanted to talk to you about.” There it was again… that guarded tone, although the Nara’s voice was more formal than the Uzumaki’s. It made the jounin finally look up at them, with just the slightest frown on his face. Although he chose a gentler tone, Naruto’s eyes were just as serious. “We are concerned that you might not be well-suited for this mission.” “No.” The young man had not listened to half of what they had been saying, but he didn’t need to. The implication was too clear, and too horrific. “No, don’t do this to me.” “What you had been through tonight…” Naruto paused a minute, but then continued. “We can’t allow you to succumb to your emotions, not in something this crucial.” “That won’t be a problem.” And with that, he turned his back to the two, but more so for the fact that he didn’t want to look them in the eye. “It will. It’s only too clear.” that was Shikamaru. “Look, I know how you must feel-” “No. You don’t.” Konohamaru cut in, and only the slightest tremble in his voice gave away his inner turmoil. Otherwise he sounded… almost cold. “Don’t I?” For the first time since he entered the room, the Nara was hesitant. “I watched, helpless, as Asuma-sensei was killed right in front of me… I know how it is to want revenge, but this is not the way.” The young man’s posture was a little stiffened from the mention of his uncle… today was really not a good time. He raised his head, but didn’t turn back to the other two. “But uncle Asuma didn’t die believing you can’t stand his presence, did he?” There was a big moment of silence, neither Naruto nor Shikamaru expected to hear this. “That… is not true…” the Hokage started to say hesitantly. Having finished his business, Konohamaru finally turned to them, but he was still avoiding eye contact. “Yes, it is. These last couple of days have been hard for me, and I’ve been out of it mostly… But I didn’t realize I was taking it out of my team… out of him especially… Maybe unknowingly, but it was inexcusable.” “This is all the more reason you shouldn’t go.” Shikamaru tried to reason slowly. “You are not in your right state of mind. In this case you might be more of a liability than help.”   “Shikamaru,” Naruto cut in, in a warning tone. “Easy.” “I won’t. I just… it’s all clear in my mind now. If I do this, when I go on this mission… I will have some sort of closure, some peace of mind. I will be able to live with myself and my mistakes. If… you decide to take that from me…” Konohamaru didn’t complete his sentence, but for the two men, it wasn’t necessary. “We don’t intend to punish you with this,” Naruto said, sighing. “I’m more concerned about you really… But,” he added, having made up his mind. “I also have faith in you, that you can pull this out. Just focus on the mission, and see this as a test to yourself.” Konohamaru felt his throat closing in on itself, grateful for the Hokage’s words. He made a quick, formal bow. “I will not disappoint you, Lord Seventh.” There was really nothing much left to say. With a curt nod from Naruto, Konohamaru was out of the room in a flash. ... No one saw him slipping out of the building. He had enough, dealing with these wretched people. So the sannin made his way, slowly, to the apartments where he knew his son lived. A new beginning... just a chance to become more... make friends... that was all Mitsuki ever wanted before coming to Konoha. Much like how he had a second chance... It would be simple... so much more effortless if he could just get Karin over to heal Mitsuki. He had no doubts that it would work, she was an Uzumaki after all, vast resource of chakra, and her healing abilities... But even if she begged herself to help his son (which he knew she would), he also knew that in her current situation, neither of his two other disciples would allow it. Suddenly, a harsh and sharp voice cut into his train of thoughts. "Halt!" Recognizing the voice, and more out of habit than anything, Orochimaru turned... and looked directly into the eyes of Anko, his former student. From the slight widening of her eyes, the sannin understood that she had managed to see through his disguise... Of course, he would expect nothing less from a disciple. "What do you want, Anko?" "What do I want?!" The woman asked incredibly, nothing but pure anger in her eyes. "What the fuck do you think you are doing here?!" The sannin didn't even bother to reply to her for a moment. "I have neither time nor patience for childish games. Leave me alone." "The hell I will!" The woman cried out, leaning forward in an attack position. "Fight me! You are going to pay for attacking Konoha!" A dangerous glint came into his snake like eyes. "I did not commit the crime all of you are so eager to blame on me." "And you expect me to believe it?!" "Since when did I ever deny something I caused?" "I hope you came here to take your little snake back!" Anko spit out, out of malice. "It was high time you realize he doesn't belong..." Before she could complete, Orochimaru appeared in front of her in a flash, lifting her up by the collar and throwing her, hard, into a wall. "No." he hissed through gritted teeth, and for a minute, Anko feared for her life. "Thanks to you and your wretched village, Mitsuki might as well forever stay in Konoha." Trying to get up, one hand on her throat, the former student gaped at him. "Wh... what?" "Oh, you're telling me you were not informed?" the sannin's tone dripped of heavy sarcasm. "What the hell are you talking about?!" The man turned his back on her, sparing only a brief glance at her. "If you value your life, do not try to follow me." And with that, he was gone. ... The sight of the blackened and barren forest right out of the borders came as a shock for the teams. It was almost mind-numbing - surreal - that a fight this ferocious happened so close to them without them noticing anything at all. In a silent agreement, the teams passed the area without a word, almost in a silent respect. Konohamaru was painfully aware that this place was where Mitsuki made his last stand. Still, with his mind set on one thing right now, to reach the Sound and find the woman who almost cost his student his life, he really didn’t expect he would still be paying attention to even the smallest details of his surroundings. Or maybe he was trying his hardest not to, to keep his focus. But he was a ninja, a jounin after all. The faint glimmer of light caught his eye as they were just about to leave the ghastly sight behind. Discreetly parting ways from the group, he made his way to the soft glimmer, something about it just drawing him closer like a magnet... … She didn't even wait to see the first tents - this was no time to sleep lightly. A bright light shone through the night, creating almost a day-like atmosphere, followed by a huge, rippling sound - but this was no explosion. Anyone who knew Yoshida Suzume knew that this was her kind of warning. "Wake up! Get going! Move! We need to LEAVE!" Slowly though at first, people began filing out. Suzume made sure that there wasn't anyone left inside, going into some of the tents herself to drag people out. "What's going on...?" "When did you come back?!" "Where are Takeru and Hideyoshi?" "They are not coming back! No time to explain! We need to move, NOW!" the woman yelled as she came out with a child in her arms. At once, there were murmurings surrounding the hundreds of people in the area. "We are not going anywhere until you make some explanations," came a strong, female voice, and a woman with long, orange-colored hair and fierce brown eyes came to the front. She had a young child clinging to her neck, looking around with sleepy eyes, his mahogany colored hair ruffled. "Why do we need to leave? Where are my husband and Takeru?" "He was killed!" the woman yelled finally. There were loud gasps. "And Takeru probably met the same end, or captured!" "W... what...?" the orange haired woman mumbled, as if in a trance. "Before we could even start the mission, we were attacked by a child! We had to defend ourselves and silence that kid forever - but if what I saw is anything to go by, he is, in a way, related to Orochimaru!" With her words, a silence gradually fell upon the people. Some of them looked very frightened by that last piece of news, but others looked at one another and one expression remained dominant; shock. "You... attacked a child...?" one of them asked finally. "We didn't have any other choice!" the woman snapped. "If we didn't kill that brat, the mission would have failed!" "Looks like it already did," another in the crowd said. "This mission was a mistake from the beginning..." Hideyoshi's wife mumbled. Some of the children had started crying. "Yeah, so what? What else were we supposed to do?! We all decided on this! Are you deaf - Orochimaru is coming for our heads!" "Hideyoshi would never fight a child!" the woman said while she put the child down and walked forward, towards the woman. "He did!" the other woman practically spat, glaring at the brown eyes. "Who do you think guided us to that child? Who do you think marked his route clearly so we wouldn't miss? Who..." SLAP! Suzume's head turned to a side, eyes slightly widened. "You are not gonna insult him in front of me any further." the orange haired woman said in a dangerous whisper. "There is no point in squabbling over a cast genjutsu," came an older voice then, and an aged woman came forward. Seeing her, Suzume immediately went over to her and knelt in front of her. "Kotone-sama, please... I swear that was the only logical solution... We were taught to put our mind before our heart and I swear I just abided by the Yoshida mantra... I..." "That's enough, Suzume." Kotone then raised her head to look at the other woman, who still had her hand in the air, looking at the younger woman with something akin to disgust. "Sasame, you might have ordered the Fuma out of the mission, but might I remind you that the Shiin, the Oberatsu and the Yoshida all agreed? I actually remember your husband being much honored for being called on this mission. You have no ground in lecturing us." Sasame gritted her teeth, her gaze drifting from the elder to Suzume. "If we have to run, let us run," she finally said, her voice tight. "But someone has to remain behind to cover our tracks." Her eyes held no mercy. "Kotone-sama..." Suzume whispered, looking at her with almost a plea. The elderly woman thought about it for a moment. "Even though you obeyed the Yoshida call, my child... Attacking a minor is still not in our book." The black haired woman's eyes widened, but she knew there would be no arguing to the point. "You will be punished... Of course, when you are finished, you will be allowed to rejoin us." Suzume bowed her head, gaze on the forest floor. "Yes, Kotone-sama." The elder woman then looked back at her clan. "Shall anyone wish to accompany her, I give my permission. Others, make your preparations quick. We are leaving." ... What... were all these...? The sannin felt his blood boiling as he gazed upon the Hokage's idea of 'childish pranks' on his son's door. To be fair, they were insignificant, he had seen much, so much worse during his seventy years of lifetime. But for a village that supposedly prided itself with its peaceful ways... They had no idea how this little drop would turn into a huge flood. His fists clenched a bit more, his teeth gritting as he looked at all of the images one by one, the words written... And he had actually believed that Konoha had changed for a better place. That was initially why he had decided to send Mitsuki back to his own village - that and his constant nagging. For one time in his life - foolishly, naively - he had believed in the young man who was now the Hokage - and even his own former teammate, Tsunade. He had thought that, as long as Mitsuki's identity was hidden, he would be safe and live the normal life he wanted - deserved all along. The red paint of the 'fire' stood out, almost mocking his thoughts. And his boy had still defended them. The image of Mitsuki, with all the severe injuries, once again came to his mind, and he closed his eyes for a minute, as if to not see the graffitis. He would make it his own ambition to make sure Konoha would crumble under the weight of his fury. His hands were shaking, the urge to kill, to make blood covering the streets rising. To make them pay... 'Please... spare... the village...' "We shall see how long I can hold on to that promise, child." Orochimaru murmured through gritted teeth and tried the door. It was locked of course, but it was hardly enough to stop him. The apartment was dark, cold and empty... Even more so now that it was missing his son. 'Come now, Mitsuki...' The sudden voice made the sannin do a double take. Where did that just come from? 'Repeat after me, sweetie... Da-ddy. Dad-dy. D... a... d... d... y...' He knew that voice... This was Karin... But how was that even possible - him hearing her voice from who knows how many years ago...? 'D... da... da...' came another, childish voice, stuttering over the basic word. 'That's right, go on. Daddy... call out for him.' Where was that voice coming from?! He started walking around the darkened house, looking around from room to room, following the childish jabbering. Just when he entered the bedroom... It was not enough to say that he was shocked when a small figure, a toddler about a year and a half of age at most, waddled his way towards him, stumbling, losing his balance and almost falling to the ground. After a couple more steps, the toddler started falling forward, but at the last moment managed to grab his legs. Although... he felt no weight. Then little Mitsuki looked up at him with a big grin, flashing a dozen of pearly-white teeth. 'Da-da!' he exclaimed gleefully and in excitement, before he slowly disappeared through thin air. The sannin closed his eyes for a moment... [Flashback] He was about ready to pull his hair off! It was not working. There was something very wrong with this experiment, and he was thinking this was all going good, the ‘donor’ was a good one after all, more than suitable. And during the nine months the fetus was in the tube, there had been nothing wrong - why now?! In a fit of rage - and without stopping to think what he would cause... the sannin let his fury explode. In less than a minute, the lab was lying in ruins... Broken glass, ruined wiring everywhere... Like a scene that was the aftermath of a battle... All... was lost after all... Just then he heard a strong sound, and his world came to a stop for a minute. A crying... a child... Or, more precisely, a new-born bawling his lungs out... Stunned, it took him another minute to get moving, but finally he moved through the broken tubes, to the one at the end of the left row... And there he was - the blue haired baby he watched growing for all this time... wailing so loud it was practically grating at his ears... More to just quiet him than anything, Orochimaru took the baby in his arms... Sniffling a bit, the baby slowly quieted down. [End of Flashback] Opening his eyes, the sannin sighed before mumbling to himself. "I should have never allowed you to come here..." ... A soft, orange light shone in the darkened room as a hand reached out to grab the phone that was ringing. A man with copper colored skin and blond hair squinted at the phone's screen while a woman with light brown hair half turned to look at him from his side. "What is it, baby?" "Naruto...?" Darui mumbled sleepily and pushed on the screen as he pressed a hand over his face. "You better have a good reason for calling me this early..." As he listened on, the young Raikage's eyes widened. "Goro and Hiraku?" Hearing that, his wife straightened up to a sitting position, putting a hand on his shoulder and leaning over. "No time to lose. I'm taking the first train over." He ended the call and hastily got up, getting ready. The woman got up, too, watching him. "Darui, what's going on?" Darui stopped in front of her and grabbed her arms. "Hitomi, I need to go to Konoha. Take care of Kumo in my absence." ... Looking over the vast clearing in the heart of the forest, Konohamaru felt his spirit failing. "We missed them...?" he mumbled, his eyes wide. "They didn't leave long ago." Kiba growled, his eyes scanning everywhere. "We can still follow them..." "That is not necessary." Ryu and two other ninjas who were scouting up ahead came towards them, excitement apparent in their eyes. "She is still here..." one of them started. "From what we saw, she is covering their tracks. There are two others with her, both kunoichi." "You can deal with them." Konohamaru said, determined. "Leave that woman to me." There was a pause. "Konohamaru..." Kakashi began. "Lord Sixth, please. All of you. Just make sure she doesn't run away, if your involvement becomes absolutely necessary. Otherwise stay out of my way, because I'm probably not gonna recognize you in the heat of the battle, so I can't guarantee your safety." Kakashi sighed but at his nod, no one said anything else. At Ryu's directions, the Konoha ninjas all took their places, getting out of sight. The gaze in the brunette's eyes hardened. "This is my fight."

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.14 - Tears of Regret

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 | Chap.8 | Chap.9 | Chap. 10 | Chap.11 | Chap.12 | Chap.13 | Chap.14 - You’re here

Naruto was reading the complete report on the interrogations, Shikamaru standing beside him, neither of them speaking. With each word he was reading the blond was feeling his heart getting heavier. "I... absolutely, completely messed up..." he mumbled finally, shaking his head. "Naruto..." his advisor began with a sigh. "Don't be so hard on yourself..." "And how can I not?!" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet and began pacing back and forth. "It was my responsibility to keep that child safe! And I failed, I couldn't protect him from those bastards..." There was a pause before the Hokage painfully added. "Or from the villagers..." "You couldn't have known..." "Shikamaru." Naruto gave him a knowing look. "Lame old excuse, and you know it." The Nara didn't say anything else to that. Naruto paced for some more, and turned again to look at him. "I want to hold a second meeting. Inform the clans and tell them that attendance is mandatory, we will tolerate no excuses." Shikamaru nodded. "Any preferences of when?" Naruto thought about it for a minute. "I would've loved to have them dragged out of their beds right now, but let's have it at sunset. Everyone will be present by then."

"On it." Just as Shikamaru walked towards the door, it opened suddenly, making him come to a sudden stop. Seeing the person standing in the doorway, Naruto immediately walked over. "Sasuke..." "Lord Seventh." Shikamaru bowed his head slightly before walking out. As soon as he was out, Naruto asked in a low tone. "Where is Orochimaru?" "I followed him, like you wanted." the Uchiha said seriously. "He went to his son's apartment, and he didn't come out." The Hokage was still tense. "That means he saw those graffitis..." "Oh, he did." The look in the obsidian eyes hardened. "He stared at them for a good while, too. He decided to take no action, but I don't know for how long this silence will continue." The blond closed his eyes for a moment and let out the breath he didn't know he was holding until then. "We have to keep an eye on him. If he decides to strike..." "It is not like he doesn't have good reasons." At the look his friend had given him, the man huffed. "But in any case, I am going to keep close tabs on him. I will keep you informed." The Hokage nodded. "We will have another meeting at sunset." Sasuke didn't say anything, simply nodded. When he opened the door, he almost bumped back into Shikamaru. "Naruto..." the advisor said, almost breathless. "The trackers are back." The blond's eyes widened for a moment, and before he knew it, he was already pushing through his advisor to get out of the room. In front of the office building, he found out that already a dozen people had gathered. And indeed, the trackers were approaching, Konohamaru in the lead, carrying an... unconscious...? dead...? He couldn't be sure, but he was carrying a woman, and something about the look on his face... made Naruto almost cringe. There was also another prisoner as far as he could see... He walked forward to meet them, his eyes on the woman who was on her feet. "Is she...?" "No." the answer came from Konohamaru, and hearing his voice... the blond now knew that something was indeed wrong. "Yoshida Suzume was this person." he indicated the woman he was holding. A moment of silence fell upon the gathered. So many questions came to Naruto's mind, but he didn't voice them just yet. Instead, he turned to one of the jounins. "Take that woman to the hospital." Then another one. "And take the other down to the interrogation rooms." Then he turned to the trackers. "I expect your reports to be delivered tomorrow at the latest." "Yes, Lord Seventh." they said in unison. "You may leave." As they turned their back to go, Naruto spoke once again. "Konohamaru... I would like to speak to you for a moment." The young man nodded and turned around to follow him into his office. The Hokage was watching him intently as he closed the door. "What is wrong?" he asked at last when he turned around properly to face him. "Excuse me, Lord Seventh?" the brunet asked, sounding genuinely confused. "I can see it in your expression... What happened there? Something is troubling you..." There was a pause. "I... I’d really rather not get into this right now." "And I’d really rather not have you in this state of mind.” His look softened. “You know you can tell me.” Another pause. Naruto just waited patiently, hands clasped beneath his chin. "You know, Lord Seventh..." the brunet said at last, not looking up. "We are trained as ninjas, capable of withholding our emotions. But sometimes...  sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. For me especially, tonight..." Naruto didn't say anything for a moment, but felt a small lump forming in his throat. "Konohamaru..." "That woman said he... h-he..." the jounin gulped, it was only too clear that he was having a hard time to continue. "She told me that in the end, he was crying..." Shock reigned supreme on the blond's face as he registered the jounin's words. "H-he... what...?" He was trying, hard, to regain his composure, but it had become a hard job... almost impossible... "She told me a lot of things... Just to bring me down, I guess, but I knew those words were lies... but... When she said that, I knew it was true... What they did to him... What we did to him..." "Konohamaru..." Naruto sighed as he brought two of his fingers to pinch his nose... Honestly, it was all that took him to remain calm... He could understand only too well what could have gone through the poor boy's head... How many times had he felt so heart-broken that he just wanted to run away and never look back? How many times had he felt like he was suffocating under the weight of all the hatred? He had promised himself... the moment he had accepted the boy into Konoha, that nothing like what he had gone through would happen again... That was exactly why he had put up a decree even before the child arrived, forbidding anyone and everyone to cause him harm... He felt like he was falling apart to see that he failed... and not just only a little, he had failed miserably... Trying to ease his mind out of those thoughts, he concentrated his attention on the young jounin again. "You can't let this get to you." "Can’t I?" Konohamaru continued, and his voice came out tired, strained... even with a bit of self-loathe if he had to guess, which made the Hokage frown slightly. "How was I any different toward him compared to the villagers? Did I treat him right, did I make him feel wanted?" His voice faded away as he closed his eyes and shook his head. "What good am I as a sensei...?" The blond sighed again and closed his eyes for a moment before getting up and walking towards the jounin. "You are the best sensei I could ever think of for them," he said firmly, causing the brunet to look up at him. "There were no other options. And I never regretted my decision." He grabbed his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "So you made a mistake, everyone does. All you have to do is keep believing in yourself and get right back up." "Some mistakes are not easily reversible though, are they?" Konohamaru said, with the hint of a bitter smile himself. Knowing that no words he said would help and only being sure that time alone could ease the heavy burden on his shoulders, the Hokage let him go and stepped back. "We will have a second meeting at the sunset..." "I will be there." the jounin said, almost in a cold tone. Then he sagged a little. "Lord seventh, if you may... I'd like to... go see him..." Naruto nodded. "You may leave." ... The raw rays of sunshine embraced the hospital building, as if to completely cover what the darkness of the night brought, to right the wrongs. The man's steps were neither too slow nor too quick, he was just striding forward as if a divine order was directing his steps. He quietly made his way to his student's room, his heart thumping loudly. Was he still there? He had to be there, right? He had to hear the news, he had to know he wasn't forgotten, he had to know he was cared for... He stopped for a minute before the room and gazed inside, just to make sure. Their positions weren't changed. Mitsuki was still lying motionless on the bed, the only thing reassuring them being the steady sounds. Boruto sat with his back to him, straight and unmoving. Sarada was sitting by his left side, facing the sensei, her head on the bed, although Konohamaru could see her eyes were open, just staring at their friend. It was a surprise to him that Shikadai was still there too, sitting next to Sarada, but a pleasant surprise. Gathering the courage that he didn't know had suddenly vanished, Konohamaru grabbed the door's frame and slid it open. The three pre-teens turned at the sound. "Sensei..." whispered Sarada. "Hey..." it was all he said as he approached them, pulling out a chair and finding a spot to sit next to Boruto. He stared at his youngest student for a long while, the night's events playing in his head, marveling at how brave this boy had been... reckless too, yeah, there was no denying that... But to face those monsters, completely isolated... He put his hand over Mitsuki's, careful about not touching the IV. A broken smile etched on his face and he had to gulp before he whispered, "Hi there, kiddo." "I…” he heard Shikadai say, and the boy paused for a second before continuing. “I will just be waiting outside…” He could only very clearly hear the reluctance in his voice, even when the Nara started to rise from his chair. Konohamaru was surprised for a moment but that quickly went away as the soft expression returned. He smiled a bit at the young boy before shaking his head. "No..." he said. "I want him to know that we're all here." Shikadai relaxed back in his chair while his students didn't utter a single word, simply staring at their sensei and then back at their friend. The look in the jounin's eyes hardened a little as his gaze, too, drifted to the unconscious boy. "You better prepare yourself for a good scolding when you wake up, Mitsuki." The children were clearly taken aback, both by his words and tone, he could see the shocked expressions on their faces. "W-what do you mean, sensei?" Sarada asked, gulping. "Why...?" "He was attacked..." Shikadai said cautiously, eyeing the sensei wearily. "It's not like..." "It's exactly what it sounds like." the brunette explained simply. "Your friend here thought it was a brilliant idea to engage five jounins in battle for the safety of the village." There was a deafening silence. "...five...?" the Uchiha mumbled finally in a tiny voice. "But that... was he...?" the blond wasn't even able to put together logical sentences. "You mean to tell me... What kind of stupid logic was that?!" he finally burst out. "Why would he do that?! How could he even believe he could win against such odds?!" "That's something only he can tell us... I can't wait to hear the whole story from him, either." Konohamaru went silent again as he looked back at Mitsuki, trying to gather his thoughts. "We did it, kid," he continued. "We got the last member of that damned squad..." Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the kids shifting, now interested. Sarada's fingers curled a little more around Mitsuki's hand. Konohamaru tried to choose the right words, just gazing at the blue haired boy's face. "I'm sorry..." he whispered after a second. "I am sorry we weren't there soon enough. I am sorry you had to face them alone, even when you shouldn't." He sighed. "And I'm sorry... that you ever felt you were truly alone..." This certainly caught their attention. "Sensei...?" whispered Sarada, curiosity but also worry filling her ebony eyes. Shikadai also shifted in his seat, sitting up straight, a frown in his features. "What do you mean... he felt truly alone...?" The young man looked between their faces sadly, this was going to be hard for them. He closed his eyes for a second as, unwelcome as it was, the woman's words about how Mitsuki was... crying... came back to him. He opened his eyes again, looking at the child lying on the bed and lightly squeezing his hand. "One of those damned ninjas..." he began, his voice broken. "She had the power to block sounds. Together with a strong genjutsu they trapped Mitsuki in a place where we couldn't even hear him... couldn't even know he was fighting for us..." He heard the three slightly gasp as their attentions immediately drifted towards their sleeping friend. Konohamaru had to sigh before continuing. "But it seems that he didn't... know about that trap… so they taunted him... about how no one was coming to his rescue, even though he was so close to us..." He felt his lip tremble for a moment but he quickly regained his composure. "Mitsuki... believed that no one was coming to help him... that he was completely alone..." “Damn…” the Nara mumbled, forgetting momentarily the presence of the jounin. Sarada brought a hand to her mouth, the other still tightly grabbing her friend's hand, and tears began to fill her eyes. "No..." she whispered, unable to truly comprehend how that must have felt. They had completely ruined him... The villagers, those ninjas... No one coming for his help... She started shaking with sobs. What did Mitsuki ever do to deserve these...? Boruto was trembling, and tears filled his eyes as he tried to gulp. "How could you ever think we would leave you alone...?" he whispered, so quiet that his voice barely reached his own ears. For a moment Konohamaru let go of Mitsuki's hand before wrapping one arm around Boruto's shoulders and extending the other arm to touch Sarada's hand. He smiled brightly at them. "That's why we need to stick together, to let him know that we're all here for him. Alright...?" "Mitsuki..." Sarada began, trying to pull herself together. "We... we are all here. We are with you... We will see this together..." Her voice trembling, she couldn’t go on . "We will always be here for you..." Shikadai supplied, finally finding his voice again, although the mere effort hurt as he spoke. "Even if you get bored of us at one point, we will stick by you anyway," Boruto said with a strong determination, also trembling a little. It might have been their imagination... but the moment they said that, it felt like the heart rating machine's beeps rose for a moment before returning to normal. Had Mitsuki heard them...? Had he felt that? The sensei gave a small laugh at that, gazing fondly at his younger student. "That's right, kiddo... You are never alone." He didn't know how much time passed, but after a while, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and got up. "Get some sleep, you three." he said, but he wasn't sure if they would listen. Boruto couldn't help himself as a small, sad smile adorned his lips. "Sensei..." he said, not taking his eyes away from his best friend's face. "Thank you." ... Hanabi was preparing to greet the new day, her mind smoothly, effortlessly going over the daily ordeals she expected to face with the Hyuuga. Not long before Himawari had dropped in - not that she stayed long, only long enough for a quick breakfast with grandpa, and then she was off with her friends from the clan. She really didn’t expect anything big to happen today. The general atmosphere in the clan was pretty mild considering the past few days, and she was content that none of her brethren betrayed her decree about obeying the Hokage’s orders regarding the recent hostility around Konoha. She really didn’t expect any visitors either. That was why the knock on the door came as a surprise. She walked briskly to the entrance, and for a moment was at a loss of words when she saw who it was. “Konohamaru…” she mumbled, still not knowing what exactly to say. It had been precisely three days since they last talked. She knew it wasn’t really a big deal, their brief disagreement in the meeting was just that… brief and insignificant. It had been on her mind for a while actually to make things up with her lover. But the blank expression on his face now, one that sent chills down her spine, made it clear to her that that wasn’t his purpose right now. The jounin raised his head barely to meet her eyes. “I didn’t want to go anywhere else…” And then he began to slump forward. “Konohamaru!!” the woman exclaimed, now truly alarmed as she adjusted herself to support the weight of the brunet so she could carry him inside. That was when she got a good look at his back, and a gasp escaped her lips. She didn’t know he had been on a mission… the cuts didn’t look too deep but definitely needed some disinfection. The jounin didn’t react much as she carefully carried him to the sofa. It was when she made to get up and get some supplies that his hand grabbed her wrist, gently but enough to make her stop. “Stay… I’m fine…” “You’re hurt.” she tried to reason, but didn’t pull her hand back. The look in his eyes was so… tired, so lost that the woman started to get restless… just what was going on…? “This is nothing.” Konohamaru mumbled finally, and then averted his eyes. “Nothing compared to…” “Konohamaru…” “He very nearly died… they didn’t even care he was just a child… He was so severely injured… he almost died…” the man had begun shaking, while Hanabi found it almost impossible to breathe with each one of his words. “And now the medics don’t even know whether he will wake up or not…” The Hyuuga was so shocked that she couldn’t even find her voice. “W-what…” she gulped. “Who are you talking about…?” “And all because he decided to fight…” he continued as if he didn’t hear her. “Mitsuki… as always, he put everyone’s safety before himself and decided to fight… even when we made him run away…” His voice caught, and his next words were almost lost. “Even when I made him run away…” “Oh my God…” Hanabi whispered, bringing her hand to her mouth. She didn’t know the full scope but… what he was telling was horrible… And Konohamaru was still not meeting her eyes. Instead, his gaze was fixed on his trembling hands. “Hana… what have I done…?” And just like that, the woman couldn’t hold back her tears. Sitting gently next to him so as not to hurt him more, she put her arms below his and hugged him tenderly. “Sorry… Oh my God, Konohamaru, I’m so sorry…” After just a heartbeat, the Sarutobi put his hand over hers. Neither of them said anything, they didn’t need to. They just let the still morning serenity engulf them. “I don’t know how to live with that… I should’ve protected him against even the village but I did the exact opposite…” Hanabi’s hands tightened a little more. “Don’t… don’t be so hard on yourself, we all made some hard decisions… But I never thought it would actually come to this point…” “I don’t think any of us did.” was Konohamaru’s soft reply. The Hyuuga snuggled a little more to her lover as silence once again dominated the space in between them. “Is… is there anything I can do for you…?” she finally whispered against his back. “Just stay… please...?” The jounin’s voice sounded so fragile then, almost like that of a frightened child’s. It was almost hard to watch the ever so collected Konohamaru crumble like this… Knowing him so well, Hanabi could see that what he had witnessed had really ruined him… Feeling like her heart was breaking into pieces, she leaned in gently to place a kiss on his hair. “Always.” Pulling back slightly to tend to his wounds, it became unnecessary to talk any further. After a short while, she felt him beginning to relax and lifted herself from the sofa, making him lie back down so that he could sleep off the night's events. ... It was about two hours later that Himawari came back. The young woman was shocked when she heard the door bang open and stomping footsteps made their way inside. She quickly looked at her boyfriend but he hadn't even flinched, out cold. She quickly made her way out of the room and silently closed the door just as she heard Himawari's angry yell. "And don't you ever come back! I don't wanna play with any of you anymore!" Hanabi winced when the door slammed shut, loudly. When she got there, she saw her niece was literally fuming. "Hima! What happened?" "They are all a bunch of idiots!" the eight-year-old cried out in frustration. "I never want to see them again!" And with that, she stomped to her room. After a moment of stunned silence, Hanabi decided to follow her. The youngest Uzumaki was sitting on her bed, arms crossed and a serious pout in her features. The young woman slowly sat on the mattress. "Hima... what is it?" "It is those boys! Like they know anything better!" "Why don't you tell me from the beginning? But it's better if we try to keep it down, okay? Konohamaru-san is here and he is sleeping..." "Oh..." Himawari blinked, and bit her lip. "I'm sorry... I just thought, seeing that onii-chan is never around nowadays... they had training or something..." Hanabi gulped inconspicuously, not knowing what to say. The dark look returned to the blue eyes of the girl after a moment, and she began to speak. "It's about Mitsu-nii... It was all good at first, we were just playing some games, but then that stupid Shoji came and asked me whether or not we were still speaking with Mitsu-nii and I swear, auntie, I didn't think anything of it! I said of course we are, me and onii-chan regard him like a brother, and that was when another one laughed and said we should better say goodbye to him then!" For a moment, the Hyuuga felt her blood running cold. "W-what did they mean by that...?" Surely, the news shouldn't have reached yet... If they did, though... "Some nonsense about how he should get out of Konoha, how he doesn't belong here! Ha! As if!" Her voice had risen again. "And I told him to shut his mouth, that Mitsu-nii does belong in Konoha and a brat like him has no sat in it anyway!" Her look became even darker. "That's when he said... they already had their say in it." "And by that..." "They boasted about how some of the older children ganged up on him yesterday night and how that was what he deserved!" The girl was so angry that she was shaking now. "And I didn't mean to... Well I did, but... I hit one of his chakra points. Serves him right, though." She frowned again, deep. "Don't worry about that now." Hanabi was angry... really angry... Yes, they had agreed for the exile but not for these despicable harassments, she had made it very clear! How dare any Hyuuga disregard this?! But she couldn't let her emotions show now... "I wish I could go see him now," the girl continued, oblivious, sadness in her tone. "He must be feeling really down... He will need some cheering up, and I know I'm the only person!" The woman now had a lump in her throat. "Himawari..." "I know, I will go find onii-chan, I'm sure they're just hanging out somewhere... It's so unlike onii-chan to pass up a chance to visit you though, auntie, so I wanna know what's keeping him, too..." Then she smirked a bit. "Maybe he's just busy helping Mitsu-nii against those jerks." Finally, Hanabi just reached and pulled her in a hug, burying her face in her hair. "You will know soon, sweetheart..." But it would be best for Himawari to hear it from her parents. ... The sun had lowered its position in the sky, dying the heavens in shades of crimson and pink. The people who entered the hall were talking to each other in hushed voices, gazing at the front to where Naruto sat behind his desk, his head bowed a little forward, resting on his hands clasped in front of him. Even from a distance it was clear that he was wearing signs of weariness, and a grave look adorned his features, making him seem older for his age. The serious and sad aura he seemed to be reflecting was almost contagious, as every single person standing around him kept their silence, too, almost as if the scene was not a meeting, but the gathering by someone's deathbed. The people looked at each other curiously, but didn't say anything more as they sat down. Honestly, the young Nara couldn’t help but admire Lord Seventh for his near perfect composure. Yes, they were all trained to keep their emotions bottled. That was the first rule after all if you wanted to become a ninja. Still, after yesterday's events, a night that almost ended up in a tragedy, even his father had asked him not to attend the meeting, just like how Sarada was excused. But no... Shikadai especially wanted to come. He needed this, he needed to look in the eyes of each and every one person who had been so supportive of his friend's exile, of the countless harassments that drew him very nearly to his death. He needed to look at them and remind himself his reasons to become a top-class ninja. His reasons to protect these people because otherwise... it felt like he might as well quit right then and there. “Hey there, loser,” he then heard a voice, signaling that his resolve was going to be put to test much sooner than he expected. “You really wouldn’t want to mess with me now.” the boy muttered in a low and tight tone, so that only Ichiro and his teammates could hear him. “Awww, and why is that? Don’t tell me your girlfriend dumped you? Where is she anyway?” "Is that really all you can think about right now?" His snarl was so unlike him as he turned to face the Sarutobi, who was visibly taken aback by his hostility. "You are a chuunin, your village just received an attack and all you can think about is harassing people and making petty talk? While people put their lives on the line?" He turned his back with a disgusted sneer before folding his arms. "What a joke." Seeing that Ichiro was about to make a very angry comeback, and a few people sitting nearby turning around, his other teammate, Namida, stepped in between the two boys and put her hands on the older boy’s shoulders to restrain him. “Enough with this. We’re obviously here for a very serious reason. Don’t turn this into a mess.” Well, at least his teammates were smart girls, Shikadai should give them that. Naruto looked at all of the people who had gathered over his fingers, having a much despised dejavu as he took in the faces. A couple of minutes passed in silence. He lowered his hands. "How was your day?" he asked in a low voice, a voice which was almost devoid of emotions. His words were met with an even denser silence. Naruto stood up slowly, and walked to the front of his desk. "How was your day?" He repeated, this time loudly. "Was it sunny? Windy? Was there rain? Tell me." Everyone looked at one another, completely taken aback. Why was the Hokage asking that kind of a question all of a sudden? "It was... nice, I guess." someone said finally. "It rained almost non-stop from the night though." "Well the sun did come up - I think it was generally a nice day." Naruto nodded to himself while people kept murmuring. "I'm glad you, at least, can see and feel how beautiful the day supposedly was." He said and stopped, while the people in the meeting room just kept staring at him. "Because..." he continued, and his voice took a softer tone. "One of us was not able to see it. Not today. Maybe... not ever." There was a silence in the room, most in it not understanding a word at all. “What…?” Namida started to say, the first in her team to react. Before she could continue, though, her gaze caught the expression on Shikadai’s face. It was sad, so sad… almost heartbroken… His words floated back to her, people put their lives on the line… What did the Nara know that they didn’t…? "What... pardon me for asking my lord, but what is it that you mean?" Naruto opened his eyes and the look was so cold that it caused almost everyone's blood to freeze right there and then. They... had never seen such a look in their Hokage's eyes... so cold... so distant... "Konoha... made a very, very grave mistake..." Naruto whispered, in a voice which wouldn't be heard normally if it wasn't very quiet in the room. "The price of which was almost too high for us to pay." The villagers were more confused than ever now - the Hokage was sure speaking in riddles. The people exchanged glances, none of them daring to question what their leader's words meant. "The child... that more than half of you," he gestured to the clans present. "wanted me to exile over something beyond his control..." he continued before he faced them again. "Is, in this exact moment, in a deep coma after he nearly lost his life trying to protect our village from a barbarian attack." The silence was abruptly broken as once again, murmurings filled the room. Only a limited number of people in the room knew about the events of the evening, for others, it was a big shock. "An attack?" One of those among the Akimichi asked, baffled. "By whom?" In spite of himself, Shikadai couldn’t help but feel that his disgust only grew. The attack, it was all they can still think about… Not the boy who, no thanks to them, almost died to prevent it... "Rogue ninjas of the cloud and survivors of the sound," answered Kakashi simply, knowing Naruto had very little patience right now. "And the attack, like your Hokage said, was stopped by a thirteen-year-old boy." Naruto immediately cut in. "Who, if I might remind... left the village in the first place because of your clans' constant harassments." "Excuse me, Lord Seventh..."  Naruto immediately recognized Sarutobi Kichiro's voice among the others, and he instinctively stiffened with the strong feeling of dislike. "But how is it exactly our fault? We didn't force that child to leave." His tone was practically indifferent, no regard for the child who was in such a critical condition... Naruto hit with his fist in such force against the table that it left a crack. "Not your fault...? You, Kichiro, have a big nerve in talking... because I have gathered proof that at least the Sarutobi were under YOUR direct orders to make that child feel unwanted!" He punched the table again, another crack... "Despite MY strict orders that Mitsuki was to be left ALONE and out of this matter!" “They… they have no proof my grandfather started all these,” Ichiro started in a simulation of his old cocky, superior tone, but it was all too clear that he was feeling uncomfortable. “We weren’t the only clan to-” “You were the most vocal though, weren’t you? Even right now.” It was still pure venom in the young Nara’s voice, no mercy, as more and more people turned to stare at their small group. Konohamaru was trying to keep his temper under control until this very moment, when his clan leader decided to speak, and right then, he just snapped. "My student..." He whispered, his tone so cold and hateful that Kichiro actually did a double take. "...just almost died right before my very eyes... They were about to announce him dead... So, by any right, tell me who has been mercilessly harassing him, so I know exactly who I will never have the misfortune to speak to again." Kichiro was sweating... hard... the frown on his face clearly gave away how guilty he was in the matter... Before anything else could be said, a clear, female voice rose in the room. "Lord Seventh," Hanabi spoke. "I was one of the few people that knew about what was happening yesterday and therefore, I have taken measures. The Hyuuga involved in those despicable harassments will be given the proper punishment, it does not matter if my clan voted in favor of the child's exile, I would never allow such a thing to go unpunished." She bowed. "I apologize for what distraught my clan caused to the child." "Excuse me, Lord Seventh, but... rogue nins? What business would they have, attacking a village as strong as Konoha?" It was a pretty valid question, although the subtext was clear enough. Kakashi felt the need to intervene before Naruto could say anything. "They aimed to disrupt the peace and assassinate Lord Seventh, therefore creating chaos in the village." Gasps rose in the air followed by whispers and mumbles. "Assassinate someone as strong as Lord Seventh? They wouldn't make it!" "Perhaps... but until they reached Lord Seventh, how many innocent people would have been lost? How many children would have died in a clearly planned out killing?" said Kakashi. "We have more than enough strong ninjas who would defend the innocent... It seems to me like the child's intervention was unnecessary..." "Not when you couldn't even hear their screams, you wouldn't be able to protect people." Kiba growled, his eyes hard as steel. "Correct me if I'm wrong, because I really... really hope for your sake that you are not trying to call the child stupid in front of me." "And what makes you SO sure that the child was not involved in the attack and was betrayed?" someone suggested. "You said yourselves, some were ninjas from the sound village, found by none other than Orochimaru, who, oh so coincidentally is the parent of that child." "You bastard..." Konohamaru was about to make his way over to the low life who had just said that, and two people, one of them being the Yamanaka in his own team this morning stopped him before he could move. Ryu turned to look at the person who had just spoken, a great distaste in his eyes. "I interrogated the two rogue ninjas that were captured myself. I hope none of you will ever have to experience such a thing happening to your child... How that boy was mercilessly taunted, beaten even after he was defeated and on the ground... and even then he wasn’t afraid to do what it takes to stop them." Having watched Shikadai all this time and noticing how almost all the color drained from his face, the haunted look in his eyes… Namida couldn’t help it anymore. Leaning forward, she put her hand on the young boy’s shoulder, just a reminder that he wasn’t completely alone here. She didn’t know the scope and extent of his suffering but in her eyes, no one should suffer such a big burden alone. At the unexpected touch, Shikadai flinched and turned back to look at her. His stiff posture relaxed just a little when he saw the intention was friendly, and although he turned back to the front of the room to continue and watch the unfolding of the events, he didn’t shrink away from her touch. "Well anyone betrayed would-" The phrase wasn't even finished... there was a huge "CRACK" which scared everyone in that room, what had that been?! "ENOUGH!" They heard a strong, female voice yelling. The faces slowly turned towards the direction to face a very angry Tsunade... hell, maybe very angry wasn't the correct way to put it... she was beyond pissed! Some even gulped... they knew well the former Hokage's temper... "I was there, I saw that child's life almost slip away between my fingers, I KNOW the gravity of those wounds and I guarantee you that if I could, I would make each one of you idiots, who keep mistreating a poor child, have those wounds for the rest of your lives!" The woman was seething, literally trying to calm herself but it was hard. "If anything... Show some respect for a child who almost give away his life so that you ungrateful morons could rest at your homes safely instead of fighting for your lives on a hospital bed! Be grateful for each one of your breath, because a child was selfless enough to take the brunt of a vicious attack that could've turned into a village-wide catastrophe!" Her fist was shaking, but she quickly controlled it. Naruto's eyes were hard as stone, his lips set in a firm line, he hadn't even flinched for a moment at the woman's outburst. Quietly he stood up. "I believe we have all made our point clear here." He started to walk away before stopping in his steps. "I don't think I need to say that those involved in the harassments will be punished for breaking the decree..." "H-Has..." There was a moment of hesitation which caused Naruto to turn and face the one who had talked. "D-Does Orochimaru know what happened...?" "Heh... so now you're scared..." mumbled Kiba under his breath. "He's the kid's parent, of course he was informed." The restlessness in the meeting hall was now perfectly tangible. Naruto felt sick that these people were more concerned about another possible threat rather than the well-being of a dying child. "So for all of our sakes... Pray for the child to be safe and for Orochimaru to not find out for what particular reason his son ended up in the hospital." And with that Naruto left the meeting hall, followed by the others. Leaving behind restless clans whose voices soon started being heard in a mix of confusion but which Naruto refused to listen and completely ignored...

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.13 - What Matters Most

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 | Chap.8 | Chap.9 | Chap. 10 | Chap.11 | Chap.12 | Chap.13 - You’re here

The chill of the earliest hours of the day were gaining upon them as the large group made its way through the woods, as discreetly as possible. But no chill could've rivaled the one that was growing in Sasame's heart at that moment. She couldn't help the way in which her thoughts kept drifting to her husband. It had been twenty years since she had known Hideyoshi, they had met briefly before she left for her mission to find her cousin. He had always been honest, caring... Especially for those younger than him. And he had always been a man of honor... That was the trademark of the Oberatsu after all, their penchant for honor... Why would he attack a child? Was it possible... that she didn't get to know him at all...? "Mama?" The voice of her eldest, Kazuhiro, was enough to snap her out of it. The young boy was looking at her through worried dark brown irises. Sasame's sad eyes took a softer look. "Kazuhiro..." (1) "Are we... going to see my dad again...?" That was the question she had feared. The orange haired kunoichi closed her eyes for a moment as memories flooded her mind...

[Flashback] "I am begging you, you mustn't go!" The woman's eyes showed nothing but desperation as she watched her husband packing his weapons. The arrows, his small bow... And the truth that she could do nothing to stop him made her heart ache, so much so that it was almost unbearable... "This is a great honor. You should understand..." "What is a great honor?" Sasame almost cried out. "To build a village from the ashes of another? Where is the honor in that?" "Our village was destroyed, shunned, cursed... All because of that one cursed ninja who was pardoned for his crimes while we stayed aloof, fending for ourselves - barely..." "And blaming everyone else but ourselves for it!" the woman yelled. "We couldn't form a unity because each one of the clans are too egoistic to put personal matters aside and name a leader for the prosperity of Otogakure! Why should we go wage war on an innocent nation because of this?! Why can't we make allies out of them instead of enemies?!" "No, we suffer because of Orochimaru!" Hideyoshi spat, spinning around to look at her. "And if disrupting his peace meant attacking his former village, so be it! What did that so-called peace treaty bring upon us?! Otogakure was cast aside as if a useless doll - no one gave us a second thought!" "No one has to. We could solve all of our problems ourselves if we had enough backbone and a clever and selfless enough leader!" "That's enough." The man's voice was cold and hard. "You ordered Fuma out of this mission but the others all agreed to it." "And your leader hand-picked you and brainwashed you enough to repeat his own words to me. You can fool anyone but me - your heart is not entirely in this mission, either." Hideyoshi only avoided her gaze for a second, but when he looked back at her, his gaze was determined. "I know where my loyalties lie. Oto will be reformed, brought to glory. If it was to be on the blood of your friend, the Hokage..." His words were like a knife through her heart. "...so be it." Regaining her composure, Sasame straightened her back, her gaze and voice just as cold. "If you get out now... You can't come back as Fuma Sasame's husband." Hideyoshi stopped dead in his tracks as he reached to get out of the tent, and turned to look at her with sad, almost heart-broken eyes... And for a moment, Sasame couldn't even breathe as guilt and sadness washed upon her... [End of Flashback] Sasame opened her eyes with a tear, and saw Kazuhiro was still gazing at her carefully. "Mama..." "Kazuhiro, you have an important mission from now on." she mused softly, looking at the boy with a broken smile. "You are gonna have to take care of your brother and sister..." "He is not coming back..." the young boy stated, not as a question, just as a means of voicing the simple truth. "I'm afraid not, my dear child..." Sasame tried to control the trembling in her voice. "So you will be the one to fill his void... The best as you can..." As he nodded grimly, the woman was wondering how she was ever going to fill the void in her heart... ... The young woman knelt before the other two, who were finishing their preparations. "God dammit! They are here! There are twelve Konoha ninjas out there!" Hearing that, Suzume's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening. That was what she had feared - although now to think of it, most likely what the Yoshida and the other clans planned when they left her with this punishment. She was a disgrace... If she could manage to go back unscathed, she would be allowed to have a clean slate. If not... It didn't really matter if she died here. She had just counted on the possibility that the Konoha ninjas wouldn't reach Oto this quickly. "Okay, we have to come up with a plan. This means four ninjas for each..." "Wait. Who told you we would be fighting?" The woman's head turned to her comrade. "What?" "They are here for you, not us." the second woman said matter-of-factly. "We are not gonna stand here and risk our skins." "Together we have a better chance against them!" Suzume spat, a fire burning in her eyes. "What makes you think they won't come after you if I don't make it out?!" "Then you better make sure to stop them. After all... that's the least you can do after how you failed so miserably." And with that, the two women sprinted towards the trees, leaving a horrified Suzume behind... ... The forest was quiet. Only sounds of nature waking up surrounded him as Konohamaru walked further into the clearing, his keen eyes searching everywhere, detecting every simple movement. Letting his breath out in one curt sigh, Konohamaru took another step forward... And came to a stop as he felt the sharp and cold tip of a kunai against his throat. "I assume you are looking for me." came the cold, unconcerned voice of a woman behind him. The young jounin didn't even think about it as instinct took over. In one quick motion, he dodged the blade, bent down on his knees and spun around to kick the woman's legs out from under her. Then he jumped back a little to put some distance between them and as the woman got up, he got his first glance of her. And he did take in all aspects of her appearance... Recording all of the details of this hated woman into his memory... from her black hair tucked back into the bandana of her protector with only two bangs falling before her eyes to the black eyes, black as coals... "Yoshida Suzume." he practically spat out her name, his voice filled with so much disgust. "I am here to exact justice on you for the crimes you committed against Konoha." His eyes narrowed. "And for harming my student." The woman chuckled. "Oooh, how touching... But for that..." There was a flash of light, and the next second the brunette looked, Suzume was no longer standing a few feet away from him. "...you have to catch me first." came her voice from above, from the canopy of trees. ... "Lord Sixth," Kakashi heard Kiba's voice in the ear piece. "We are closing in on them. What is our next..." Before he could finish, there was an explosion of a loud, high-pitched and ringing sound and Kakashi had to pull out the earpiece in the nick of time to protect his hearing. As the powerful blast died down slowly, the former Hokage brought the piece to his ear once again. "What is going on? Is everyone alright?" No sound came, only a weird buzzing. Cursing under his breath, he did a quick hand seal, and was suddenly surrounded by lightning... ... "You moron!" The woman ran to her friend. "I told you not to do it! You're still not an expert on sound blasts!" The woman on the ground tried to get up, but it was apparent that she wasn't doing a good job - her balance was too set off. "We needed to stop them - they were about to catch us!" Hearing a buzzing sound, the other looked up and around, gritting her teeth. Nothing could be seen, but she was sensing a powerful chakra... an insanely powerful chakra. "Good luck with that, you idiot! I'm out of here!" "What?!" the woman yelped, positively alarmed. "Wait!" But the former had already started to disappear through the trees. Clenching her jaw, the woman got to her feet, slowly, shakily... Her hands then moved to the crossed swords on her back, extracting two thin and long swords.

If it had to come down to a fight, they might as well have a taste of the Fujaku Hisho Shoken. (2)

... So that was how she wanted to play it, huh? He had made his plan as soon as she got lost between the trees. Without wasting any time, Konohamaru used a fire jutsu to create a huge fire wall in front of him, then punched the ground, which caused a whirlwind to be born. Using the air currents to his advantage, the jounin then sent the whirlwind, powered by the flames, directly to the cluster of trees. She wouldn't just stand around to get roasted. She would have to come down. Sure enough, he saw a flash of blue that probably meant she was using a water technique to meet the inferno. Light smoke began covering the area - which gave him a chance to prepare his second attack. Inhaling, the brunette let out a huge cloud of ashes from his mouth and then, jerking his head back to activate the trigger, he watched as flames instantly covered the area... A huge explosion went off, illuminating the dark sky. Konohamaru then took out eight shurikens, one in between each finger, and waited... "Geez, you're indeed going all out, aren't you?" Turning around quickly, he saw the woman for a moment before he threw half of the shurikens at her, but the next he looked, she wasn't there at all. "That kid must have really meant something to you." Turning to the second direction, Konohamaru threw the second group of the shurikens. Suzume tut tutted, her voice almost sounding like she was enjoying herself. "Now now, these rash actions won't do, will they?" "You bit-" "Hey, watch out that tongue. This is not how you talk to a lady." "News flash, I will never consider you a lady." "Hah. Guess I will have to show you, do I? Torpedo Nails!" When he heard that, the brunette jumped into the air and away from where he was just standing, just as small pieces of whatever weapon she was using embedded themselves into the ground. Not wanting to take any chances, Konohamaru put his hands together to create shadow clones. Precariously, three of the clones walked forward. As soon as they tried to take another step, though... They couldn't. Then hundreds of nails shot from the ground, and Konohamaru jumped behind a tree as the clones disappeared with a poof sound. Suzume had also hid herself behind a tree, hiding with the camouflage technique. Damn, this wouldn't do... She needed some extra help. ... Just before she used the swords to launch herself into the air, she saw someone, someone shrouded in a bright armor of lightning as it seemed, running into the clearing she had just been. Okay... lightning shouldn't be hard. Landing on a branch, the woman quickly did a set of hand signs, and then held her hands in a triangle, positioning them so that she could see the person in between them. "Curse Mandala!" she shouted, and her opponent came to a dead stop as a glowing green pyramid shape materialized around him, trapping him inside. Smirking, the woman began pulling her fingers closer. As the pyramid got tighter and tighter, though... Suddenly there was a poof sound, and the man was no longer there. "Excuse me," then came a drawl from behind her, and she immediately turned back, only to gaze into the face of a white haired man. "But I think you got the wrong one." Thinking quickly, the woman used the swords to slash at him, but next she saw, he was not there. Losing her already unsettled balance, she fell from the tree, but thanks to her wind cutter technique, she landed safely. "Passing Fang!" Without catching her breath properly, she saw something... a ferociously spinning something, which looked like a drill, heading to her way and raised her swords to counter it, but hard... it was so hard to maintain her ground like this... The power forced her to take a few steps, driving her back. Gritting her teeth, she tried her best to resist it... But it was futile. Not long after that, she felt the force of the technique throwing her back, like a rag doll, right into a rock. As she tried to get up, bringing a hand to her head, she heard the two men talking among themselves. "Are all of you okay, Kiba? What happened back there?" "It was nothing we couldn't handle, Lord Sixth, we were just caught unprepared for a second." Lord Sixth?! The woman's eyes widened. Did... a village leader... come seeking them out?! Well, shit. "That's right. I'm the Sixth Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, and it’s not possible you could escape judgement after attacking the Leaf." she heard the drawl once again as she straightened herself up. "It would be in your better interest if you surrender now without resistance..." "Well... I'm sorry, Rokudaime-sama," the woman said from between gritted teeth, emphasizing the last word sarcastically. "But I'm Kamiko from the Yoshida clan, and the Yoshida knows no such thing as surrender." She then brought her hands together to create balls of flame and threw them randomly towards the space between them, causing explosions and creating an opening for her to go into hiding. On Kakashi's signal, Kiba jumped towards the trees to take another place. "If you think you can run from us forever, think again." the former Hokage said, bringing his hands together to create lightning. Out of the charge came two hounds, who growled at him in recognition before running away. ... Suzume bit her thumb and let a bit of blood trail from the wound before slamming her hand on the ground, creating a black shape. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A huge, poisonous green and yellow snake erupted from the ground, coiling around itself before meeting her eyes. "Kessha, bury him to the ground!" Hissing once, the snake rose high into the air before slamming on the earth with a huge bang that shook almost the entire forest, and slid underground. Konohamaru had heard her move. Acting quickly, he also slammed his palm on the ground and yelled, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A huge monkey wearing a Konoha headband appeared in front of him, and as soon as he did, he yelled, "Jump!" Without hesitation the brunet did as he was told, and just when he jumped, a snake burst through the ground, baring his fangs at him. With a primeval shriek, the monkey transformed itself into a long, black and yellow staff and cloned itself right before Konohamaru landed, creating some sort of a prison wall in front of him. The snake's bared fangs collided with the many staffs that had made the wall, but the prison itself wasn't even shaken. At that time, the snake caught the eyes that were protruding from the staff, and its eyes widened. Without going for another attack, it slid back into the hole and disappeared from the view. The staff returned to its original size, releasing Konohamaru from where he was trapped, and the jounin held the staff in one hand in an attack pose while reaching for a kunai with the other. "Enma..." (3) "No words needed, boy. Better not let your guard down." the monkey king spoke from the staff. "We have faced this enemy before." ... The woman's eyes widened when she saw Kessha returning to her. "What do you think you are doing?! Keep attacking, he is not dead yet!" "Are you serious?!" the snake asked in a feminine voice, obviously furious and panicked. "You want me to fight with the fucking monkey king Enma?! Are you out of your mind?!" "So what?!" Suzume yelled, equally pissed off. "Stop being a hebiko (4), and finish them off!" ... "Wait, what do you mean we faced them before?" Konohamaru asked with a frown, thoroughly confused. "You remember back when you summoned me in the orphanage attack?" Enma's arm stretched out from the staff and he touched the adamantine with it, as if tapping his nose. "My nose never failed me. That snake the woman just used was one of those who were present in that attack." For a moment, the brunet didn't even know what to say. "W-what...?" "As you just heard it," the monkey said, glancing at him. "This woman was definitely involved in the attack against Konoha." Konohamaru's mind was reeling, so many questions and thoughts... What did this even mean? That the Sound was once again playing as Orochimaru's pioneers? Was there an even greater scheme behind all of these? Or... he didn't want to think of this, but he was a jounin and he was supposed to look at it from all angles, no matter how disturbing they might be... Was there a possibility... that the sannin wasn't involved in it... at all? He was lost in thought for a moment, he didn't notice the impending threat until Enma called out. "Watch out!" Looking up just in time, the brunette used the staff to ward off the lights, but one of them came too close to his arm, and he hissed in pain as something seared it. Then he heard the woman's high, cold laughter. "Uh oh, guess we just got busted, aren't we?" she said in a sing-song voice, which irritated the man even more. "You couldn't deny the mastermind behind the plan, though, admit it! You numb skulls didn't even suspect a thing!" "What the hell are you talking about?!" "Did you know it took us a lot of time to finally copy that damned curse seal so we can frame that bastard? It was no easy feat, and even harder to create three snakes all at once - just a couple of months ago I could only call forth two." "You..." words were failing him, he was so outraged. There was a whoosh sound right behind him then, and using the kunai he drew out earlier, he slashed, only to meet the air. “Oooh wait… did I see that blade somewhere before?” These words drew the young man’s gaze back to the kunai, and he did a double-take. He hadn’t even realized he pulled out the kunai he had gifted Mitsuki the one he found, still buzzing with lightning, on their way out of the village. His grip only tightened more on the blade as he heard the woman laughing once again, only her voice sounded from far away. "Wait, just answer me this... was that child in some way related to that snake bastard? I thought as much when he looked up at me... Was that the reason you guys kicked him out of the village? Wow, now even we couldn't have planned that!" "What does it matter if he is related to him or not?" Konohamaru yelled in rage, creating another set of clones. "He is still a child!" He then used the clones to throw shurikens towards the woman's voice from all directions. "Did you know that he begged for his life?" the woman then said, from right behind him. This time, his body acted before his mind. Lightning fast, he reached out to grab the woman's shoulder and flipped himself over her in one quick motion. As soon as he landed, still holding on to her, he threw her over himself, basically slamming her into the ground. Without giving her a chance to recover, grabbing the adamantine staff tightly, he brought the end of it, hard, to Suzume's head, seeing her eyes widening in shock. "Cranium crusher!" Just before the staff touched her, though, the woman had disappeared in a flash. The jounin stood there for a moment, enraged. How the fuck did that just happen?! A few feet away, crouched behind a rock, the Oto kunoichi brought a hand to her chest. That... had been close. ... Hearing the growls of the lightning beasts as they drew closer, Kamiko gritted her teeth, she had to do something about them - fast. Turning around, she once again used the swords to create powerful air blasts - slice after another slice - and sent them after the hounds. Easily dodging them, one of them came running at her, its fangs bared, at which the woman dug one of the swords to the ground, swinging around it and kicking the air currents at the creature's face. Although it stopped the hound, its lightning did catch her left foot and the woman cursed as she knelt on the ground, holding it. Damn, this was going to make things hard for her. Hearing a sound right then, Kamiko took a dozen shurikens and threw four of them randomly, towards the cardinal directions. She saw a ninja rushing towards her from one direction, and she pulled the strings attached to the shuriken to make it fly towards the enemy, but the weapon passed through him and the body disappeared. A clone... The real ninja then jumped her from a completely different direction, forcing her to get up, which caused pain to shout up through her left leg. She didn't have time to concentrate on it, though, as she saw the opponent's fist soaring towards her face. So he was going to rely on taijutsu, huh? Well, that was just fine with her. Gathering chakra to the tips of her fingers, she prepared to launch her attack. This was meant to cause the sound waves emitted by the body, the heartbeat for example, to respond to her chakra and make a pressure powerful enough to cause some serious damage. Bonus points if she managed to hit the enemy in the chest area. So they fought, but her opponent was good. It was apparent that he was very skilled, as he managed to dodge her every move. Her hand did come close to his body once or twice, but caused nothing more than a flinch. Just when she made another move, the ninja suddenly brought up his left arm and right leg and before she knew it, her arm was caught in between them. A crack was heard. Crying out loud from the pain, Kamiko fell on the ground, holding the broken arm. Seeing that the man was still advancing, she tried to reach one of the swords using her left arm... Out of nowhere, tiny wires wrapped around the sword and before she could touch it, the weapon broke into tiny pieces. Eyes widened in shock, she turned around herself to reach for the other, but before she could do that, a powerful blast of power sent her flying. Just when she was about to get up again, she felt something... a powerful, burning electric surge directed to her back, not piercing it, but its presence so threatening that she found it impossible to even take another step... "Chidori. A thousand birds." came the voice of the sixth behind her. "One hit and you will die the worst death... Suffering as your insides burned on with hundreds of volts." Feeling the kunoichi shiver before him, Kakashi continued in the same cold tone. "Surrender now. It's over." There was really nothing else she could do. Slowly, cursing under her breath for it... She raised her hands up. ... Suddenly hearing a buzz from his ear piece, Konohamaru concentrated on it, while his keen eyes searched everywhere for Suzume. "We are done here, Konohamaru. It's all up to you now." Hearing that, a big grin etched its way on his face. That was it... "Did you hear that?" he yelled towards the woman, although he knew that she probably didn't. "Your little friend is finished. You are all alone now!" "Oh. Just like how you left that kid alone?" came the woman's voice. "I know what you did. I know how you trapped him so we couldn't hear him!" "Bet you didn't know how he was crying when we were finished with him, though?" came her whisper from right behind him then, and for a moment... everything came to a stop as the jounin froze... literally froze. He didn't believe her other words from before... He knew Mitsuki would never beg for his life and he knew for sure that no matter what that woman believed, he wasn't sent away from Konoha, Lord Seventh would never allow that... But... he... was crying...? How deeply must he have been hurt - not just physically but emotionally too - after what he had gone through in the village...? And they could do nothing to stop it... He himself had failed as his sensei... "Boy look out!" he heard Enma's voice, but then it was too late. He hadn't noticed Suzume sneaking up behind him. There was an explosion and Konohamaru felt himself thrown into the air, with a burning pain in his back. He landed a few feet away, and brought a hand to his wounds as he tried to get up. Enma was beside him in a second, with a disapproving look on his face. "Didn't I tell you not to get distracted? Zoning out is the last thing you would want to do with someone like her around! Get a grip already!" "I-I know," the brunet mumbled. "I'm fine..." Then he once again heard the voice of the Lord Sixth coming from the earpiece, although his tone was harsher than before. "Konohamaru. If you are going to be careless, I will have to step in." Then his voice softened a little. "You have come this far this good. You wanted to fight her alone. Don't let me take this chance away from you now." Those... were just the words he needed. Closing his eyes, Konohamaru straightened himself and got up, forgetting about the pain for a moment to concentrate on ending this. Focusing on his chakra, he called upon a rasengan... A big one... and watched it as it got bigger... [Flashback] ...this... this was not happening... It felt like time had stopped, trapping Konohamaru inside his own personal hell as he watched, too shocked to even breathe, his student... passing away... right before his very eyes… What he wouldn't give to be dying in Mitsuki's place right now... He was too young... Just barely thirteen... He did not deserve this - he deserved to live!... "...Sh... Shall I announce the time...?" When he heard the nurse... all of a sudden, he snapped back to life. Without seeing eyes, he strode to the door and burst it open, rushing inside... Two of the nurses managed to barely stop him before he reached the bed, and Konohamaru tried to control his breathing as he looked at an unmoving Mitsuki. "Konohamaru-san, please..." one of the nurses mumbled, tearing up. "Mitsuki!" the jounin yelled, barely recognizing his own voice, filled with so many emotions. "You can do this, kiddo, don't give up! You are so much stronger than this! Come back to us!" "Konohamaru-san, please you have to step back...!" said one of the nurses, she barely had the strength to push back a man like Konohamaru and he was clearly not accepting his student's death but... there was nothing more they could do...! The kid... was gone... his heart didn't respond... "Tsunade-sama...?" murmured the second nurse, looking at the former Hokage. "Wait... wait just a second..." Sakura mumbled in Tsunade's place, her eyes still on the machine. "Sakura-san... It might be too much already..." One of the nurses warned her. "No... no, please... please don't give up on him... He's strong, he'll pull through... I'm begging you, please don't give up..." Konohamaru said, almost as if in a trance. "Let's just leave the child in peace..." another nurse said, her voice shaky. Tsunade snapped back to herself and hastily hushed the nurse, staring at Sakura. "Sakura-san..." But as the nurse was about to mumble the same words as before... a tiny but sudden sound erupted from the machine, causing everyone's eyes to immediately set at it. As the heart rate slowly, very slowly fell back to a steady rhythm, Sakura broke into a smile, and laughed softly, while tears fell down from her eyes. "You really do like your surprises, don't you?" she mused fondly, leaning over to kiss Mitsuki on the top of his head. A tear fell on the closed eye of the child. Tsunade smiled too, but it was a broken smile. "Really, kid... I'm not a young woman anymore, don't scare us like that..." Konohamaru was hit by such a huge wave of relief that he almost couldn't stand his ground. He brought his hand over his mouth as he began to softly cry himself. He didn't object this time as the nurse told him he should really wait outside, and silently retreated out of the room, his eyes on Mitsuki all the time. [End of Flashback] He heard a sliding sound, trees crushing as the giant snake once again made her way to him. His eyes, however, were locked on the woman, who stood behind the beast, a disgusting smirk all over her face... And Konohamaru stroke forward. He swung the adamantine staff towards the snake, enlarging the staff. Enma burst out at the end of it, wrapping his arms around the snake before he pierced her throat with his fangs. And before she could do anything... Konohamaru had grabbed the woman by her collar, slamming her into a tree... Suzume's eyes widened for one last time before the rasengan hit her chest with full force. It was over... ... Enma turned to his normal form as the other Konoha ninjas gathered around, all just silently looking at the brunet. The monkey king had a small smile on his face, his look both exasperated and proud. 'You have quite the grandson, Sarutobi...' he thought to himself. ... Dropping the woman's body to the ground, the jounin looked at her expressionlessly, feeling only... relieved... a whole... [Flashback] Konohamaru felt so proud of his students... The second round of the Chuunin exams was over, and they had managed excellent teamwork. Much better than what he expected, really, what with Boruto being Boruto... Speaking of which, he noticed two genins in his team were approached by their family, receiving cheers and congratulations, big smiles on their faces... and of course, Boruto had been in a gloating mode... The next thing he noticed was his third student... standing all by himself, a couple of feet away from them, just looking at his two teammates and their families with a small smile. And something about that bothered the young jounin. About how Mitsuki had no one to cheer for him, at least for that moment... Making his decision, he started walking towards him. The blue haired boy was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to gaze into the smiling face of his sensei. "Well done, kiddo, great job," Konohamaru said encouragingly. "I knew you guys would do it." And slowly, the boy's face broke into a full-on smile as well... [End of Flashback] 'Thank you... sensei...' Hearing the faint voice brought by the wind itself, the brunet's eyes widened for a moment. Before he knew it, he had fallen on his knees beside Suzume's body, his head bowed low as he started weeping softly, and the sun's first rays began seeping through the trees...        

--

A.N:

(1) Remember or note down these names. They are gonna be very important in the following projects. (2) You can search this and almost all of the technique names listed on this chapter on Narutopedia. (3) This Enma is the Enma who was Hiruzen's personal summon. We do not use Konohamaru's canon summons, the toad or the monkey, in our storyline. (4) This literally means snake child, but I used it here to mean "baby snake", as in Suzume telling Kessha to stop acting like a scared baby.

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.4 - Unwanted

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 - You’re here

Nara Shikadai had many reasons to be proud of himself. He had a sharp mind, he was a close-to-excellent shinobi, he was among the two who made it out of his generation as chuunins… There really weren’t many things on earth that would surprise him. Well… at least that was the case until today. The boy opened his eyes a crack when he heard a soft hiss next to his ear. What he saw made him jump awake almost immediately as a startled exclaim left his lips. The white snake’s golden eyes just followed him casually as it hissed once more. Shikadai was quick to realize where (or well, from whom) the snake came from… not that it helped things much. “How did you even get into the house?” he asked, knowing full well this was a stupid question - the animal, as far as he knew, wasn’t a summoning snake after all. The snake did reply anyway, although the voice he was hearing was definitely Mitsuki’s. “Shikadai. Meet me in the training grounds in fifteen minutes. This matter is urgent.”

The boy glanced at the clock. He groaned as he rubbed his eyes, was he even serious now?! “Dammit Mitsuki, it’s way too  early for your shenanigans…” “I have urgent business to take care of before seven thirty,” the snake continued in Mitsuki’s voice. “And I need your help.” The Nara boy sighed, did he even have a choice…? “Man, what a drag…” he mumbled as he kicked the bed sheets away from his body and got up to get dressed. … Suffice it to say that he wasn’t exactly impressed when he arrived at the training grounds in the designated time and… his friend was nowhere to be seen. “Oh come on,” he whined, rolling his eyes before raising his voice. “You know, it’s common courtesy to be at the place of meeting before the person you’re supposed to meet!” “Who said I’m not here?” And with that Mitsuki appeared… hanging upside down from a tree using only his stretched arm, making Shikadai jump. “You really need to stop doing that.” The blue haired boy let out a low chuckle as he dropped to the floor. “I guess old habits do die hard.” “So what’s up, Mitsuki? What is it that you needed to drag me here in the dead of the morning?” And just like that his friend’s face became serious… dead serious. “I will tell, but first I need your word on something. No matter what you see here today, no matter where we go, you won’t tell a soul. Not until I say so.” The black haired boy felt sweat dripping down the side of his cheek - why was he so serious and secretive all of a sudden…? Not that he definitely wasn’t accustomed to this weird behavior of Mitsuki, mainly back from their academy days, but… either with the lingering effects of the clans’ meeting from yesterday or something else, he was suddenly a little on guard. Really, what was it that couldn’t have waited for a better hour of the day? “Mitsuki…” “I will explain everything later. But we need to finish these all before we meet Konohamaru-sensei.” the boy supplied in terms of an explanation. Cautious still, but also curious on what would come out of this… Shikadai finally nodded. “Alright. I won’t tell anyone.” … What the boy didn’t expect to find himself in was a… thrift store. “What… are we doing here?” The shop was nothing big, at least when compared to the newly growing shops all around Konoha. What they specialized in seemed to be handicraft, wooden items, various in shapes and sizes. While they all looked very good and nice, Shikadai was at a loss as to why Mitsuki brought him to this particular shop. “I already made a list of what we should get.” And with that, the blue haired boy handed him a piece of paper. “I’m looking to get the outside decorations done first, and we can find almost everything here.” “Wait - Mitsuki - what decorations…?” Honestly, he was getting more and more confused. Mitsuki cocked his head to a side. “Well, it’s for the party of course.” “The par-” The Nara’s words got cut off when it suddenly clicked in his mind. “Oh…” So that was all this was about? Now he kinda felt embarrassed for doubting Mitsuki… no matter if it was for a small moment… Of course, Boruto’s - and Sarada’s, for that matter - birthdays were right around the corner, just a few more days left. So Mitsuki just wanted to pull a party for them… Suddenly,  he understood why he called him so early. Boruto and Sarada were both known as early birds after all. And suddenly, he was willing to help him. Quickly taking a look at the list in his hand, Shikadai raised an eyebrow. These… were sure some weird decoration ideas. “What… kind of a party are you planning to pull off exactly?” “I’m gonna base it on a movie Boruto said he recently watched.” And now it all started to make sense… he could remember like yesterday how the blond wouldn’t stop talking about the movie. “We should get everything on the list - I want this to be perfect.” “Well, aren’t you enthusiastic?” Shikadai said with a bit of a smirk. Mitsuki had turned his back to go take care of his own list, but he glanced at him over his shoulder. “When I first came to Konoha, they held a great birthday party for me.” Well technically, it was his first with friends, which was why it was so important. “I want to make theirs equally as good. No, even better.” With that, he was off. Shaking his head a little, but his smile still in place, the Nara continued his walk into the shop. It didn’t take him too long to get all the items on the list and head to the counter. By that point, he had already conceded to pay at least half of these - he had some money left from previous jobs and if he had to say, Mitsuki’s enthusiasm was rubbing off. Still, he looked around for his friend before addressing the shop owner. “How much are these?” “Two hundred ryos, young man.” Nodding, Shikadai reached for his wallet, but just then… “Shikadai, check this out.” His friend had sneaked upon him (honestly, that shouldn’t be surprising him by this point), holding up what seemed to be a brightly colored parrot carved out of wood. “Cute,” the Nara said with a small grin. ”What is a pirate without a parrot, right?” “Yup,” Mitsuki said with his usual soft smile. Then he turned to the shop owner. “How much is this?” Shikadai watched his friend’s smile turning into a surprised expression, and turned to the man himself. The man was... well, he was not exactly glaring at the younger boy, but the look in his eyes was so icy that Shikadai felt his insides going cold all of a sudden. It felt like, for some odd reason, the man was not boding anything good for Mitsuki right then and there, who had done nothing at all. Even if he did... he couldn't imagine what could stir such a cold hatred. Instead of answering his friend's question, the man turned completely towards him. "Two hundred ryos, young man." "Uuuh... maybe you didn't hear my friend..." he started. "I want to buy this myself." Mitsuki said excitedly. "I didn't buy either of them a gift yet, though, so if it's cheap-" The man barely looked at the parrot before mumbling, "Four hundred ryos." That was even more shocking. Shikadai glanced at the things he was carrying - there were four pieces, with only one of them being as brightly colored as the  parrot. It was a ridiculous price difference - and something told him that it was not the real price at all. "I could’ve sworn the price is different-" Mitsuki began. "Take it or leave it!" the man snapped, finally turning to face the blue-haired boy, and the furious expression on his face actually made the boy take a step back. Still at a loss of why this was happening, and a little disturbed by how his friend's enthusiasm seemingly suddenly vanished, the black haired boy intervened. "Okay, Mitsuki, why don't you go outside and wait? This will be by me, you can buy him another gift." Mitsuki didn't say anything as he gave the parrot to Shikadai and walked outside the shop. "What was that all about?" he snapped, turning back to the shop-owner. "Do you treat all your customers like that?" "Young man," the man said, eyebrows furrowed. "outsiders are not welcome here." … Shikadai didn’t remember ever getting so angry, and that was saying something, since he rarely got angry. But the shop owner treating Mitsuki like that and calling him an outsider really did the number. He had anticipated - after the meeting especially - that things could turn sour but for even the civilian population to act this way… No, he wouldn’t have it. Maybe he should mention this to his father, certainly he or the Hokage wouldn’t just stand by and let this happen… But… as he looked sideways at Mitsuki, noticing how, despite his smile returning, there was a worrying blank quality in his gaze… the Nara couldn’t help but feel sad that they didn’t really make a good start. “So… what are you planning to do after your training?” he asked, just in an attempt to distract him. “I’m gonna take all the decors to the waterfall,” the blue haired boy answered, without looking at him. “I know it’s still early but the more weathered they look, the better.” And there it was again, his enthusiasm… this was really important to him… “Maybe I should accompany you after the training too…” The black haired boy was suddenly uneasy about what the ninja part of the population would do if the civilians were like this… Mitsuki didn’t say anything for a moment. “It’s alright Shikadai.” “Huh? What’s alright?” “That shop owner. Maybe he was having a bad day. I’m not gonna make a big deal out of it.” “Mitsuki…” honestly, sometimes it was hard not to admire the positivity of this guy… Shikadai wasn’t even sure if he would bring himself to explain to his friend what this was really about… “It’s alright,” Mitsuki said again. By that time, they were in front of his apartment building. “Gimme a minute, won’t you?” “Get the hell out of this village while you still can.” Both Mitsuki and Shikadai turned to the source of the voice. A group of children had gathered in front of the building, arms crossed and very confrontational and aggressive looks on their faces, and… Sarutobi Ichiro in front of all of them. They ranged in ages, but they all seemed to be older than the two. The Nara felt his heart sink as he noticed all of them, without exception, were glaring at his friend. "This is my home, why would I get away?" Mitsuki asked, baffled, and Shikadai resisted the urge to facepalm. Some of the kids who were gathered openly laughed, but Ichiro frowned. "Don't play fool with us. You are no longer welcome here in this neighborhood, you freak." "Actually, make that in Konoha," one of the children piped up maliciously. "Outsider!" one among the crowd shouted, and the kids began chanting the phrase loudly. "Crawl back to your hole, snake!" Mitsuki was trying his hardest to keep his face straight, but it was slowly slipping. He couldn’t exactly explain why but that... hurt. That outsider remark actually hurt. Even when he first moved to Konoha, people never shunned him. Why were they being so aggressive now? “Who do you think you are, calling him an outsider?” Shikadai was at the end of his patience. “He belongs in Konoha as much as any of you!” The sincerity in those words were as fierce as his gaze. “If you really believe that, you are no better than a traitor.” the Sarutobi pretty much snarled. “Just like Lord Seventh, who is too naive to see him for what he is!” With those words, Mitsuki felt something snap inside him, a different kind of rage rising to the surface. “You keep Lord Seventh out of this.” That actually made the older boy take a step back, but he still continued, “Oh yeah, do it… show us the snakes you used for the attack…” With that remark, suddenly Mitsuki realized why exactly this was happening and his eyes went wide, his anger dying all of a sudden, just like that. "Stop it!" came a small voice, breaking in all the tension as everyone turned to the source of it. A small boy... Aito, as Mitsuki remembered his name, was standing a few feet away from them, staring at them with huge eyes. His mother was standing a little further back, shopping bags in her arms, and her eyes... held the same condescending look. "He is such a nice person!" Aito continued. "Why are you being so rude to him?" He took a step forward, as if to go to Mitsuki and Shikadai, but his mother gasped and ran forward to take him in her arms. "You are not going near that snake!" she scolded, terrified. The blue-haired boy felt his heart sink, and he sagged a little as he finally understood everything. "Mitsuki..." Shikadai couldn’t help but hold his breath when Mitsuki turned to look at him. That blank look was back, but if he looked carefully, he could also see the sadness his friend was clearly trying to hide beneath the surface. "Forget about them, let's go in..." he said softly, but firm. His friend just nodded, not being able to say anything. … So it was no wonder that he was absent-minded by the time he showed up for the training. He had hoped it would cause some sort of distraction, as honing his skills always did. “Where have you been?” Sarada asked as soon as she saw him. By the looks of her… the blue haired boy could sense that something wasn’t right… after all, he hadn’t been late for a very long shot. “I had things to take care of at home,” he said evasively, which caused his teammates to look at each other quizzically. “Everything okay?” Boruto asked as he returned to him. Mitsuki figured he apparently wasn’t doing that good a job as he thought he was and pulled himself together. He had decided to keep the mishappenings of the morning to himself, no need to worry his friends over a couple of verbal assaults. “Yup. I’m fine.” “Alright you three, listen up.” Konohamaru came to stand in front of them, and Mitsuki almost did a double take at how serious and, well… grumpy their sensei looked. The jounin, although of course beneath the seriosity of his rank, had always seemed cheerful and a little bit goofy to him after all.  "Today, we're concentrating on taijutsu techniques. As always, we'll start with the basic principles. So can any one of you remind me of the very first principle in hand-to-hand?" "Keep it simple stupid." Sarada piped up immediately. "Good, Sarada. It is indeed useful to keep things simple and effective, as most ninjas view complicated and sophisticated techniques are the best in a taijutsu fight. Because taijutsu, compared to ninjutsu and genjutsu, is considered simple... and weak." "So if someone relies on taijutsu during a fight, it is expected that he should be an expert." Mitsuki said. "Like Lee-san." “True. And while I don’t expect any of you to be as proficient, it’s good to start with your strengths and weaknesses.” It wasn’t exactly a bad comment in and on itself, but the tone in which it was delivered made the three of them frown a little and glance at each other. “Let’s start with you, Boruto.” "Does good-looks count?" Boruto piped in, to which Mitsuki chuckled and Sarada shot him a very disapproving look. Konohamaru's grumpy look took an even darker tone. "Cheek is not gonna help you when you face death." "Wow, Konohamaru sensei, you are such a ray of sunshine today." "Either tell me something useful or keep your quiet." "Geez, just because aunt Hanabi put you in a bad mood, is no reason to take it out on us." the blond mumbled. "What was that?" Boruto sighed inaudibly, and this wasn’t even him deliberately trying to annoy his sensei, he had hoped he would bring a bit of a smile to the adult’s face - which, apparently, was far from happening. "I have the Hyuuga's gentle fist. I would say that's my strongest taijutsu technique." "Good. Sarada?" "My punch. I enhance the power of it by concentrating my chakra in my fist." "Good. Mitsuki?" "My elasticity. I can pretty much do any move." "Good. Now I want all of you... to forget about these." "Huh?" they asked, totally baffled. "Those are your strongest points. Can any one of you tell me what the second most important principle in taijutsu is?" Sarada gasped as she understood. "Make the enemy see your strengths as your weaknesses and your weaknesses as strengths." "That's right. So what I want you to do is... come at me using taijutsu, but not with your strongest techniques. Show me something more, something simple. If you want, you can use some time to come up with a plan. But also remember that..." "Your plan is only as good as its weakest link." Boruto finished his sentence, which finally did the trick and brought a small smile to Konohamaru's face. "Well, it's nice to see you paying attention once in a while." … And so on they went with the training, after a brief grouping to discuss their strategy. But well, to put it mildly, it was hard. Konohamaru was quick and relentless. Five minutes into it, and the three were already either on the ground or leaning against a tree, trying to get it together after what had been their third attempt. Boruto went at it again, this time using one of the techniques he recently developed (on a whim) to approach their sensei; creating two clones to use them as a propeller for a surprise attack. This time, however, instead of using the gentle fist, he made his clones use wind style to get the necessary pushing force, readying a kunai in his hand. It would’ve been a pretty effective attack, but the brunet blocked it pretty easily before pushing Boruto away and into a tree, and without ever breaking his rhythm, turned around to defect Sarada too. Next was Mitsuki. He drew out his kunai and began his attack. Boruto and Sarada, quick on their feet, lost no time to come to his help, and altogether, Team Konohamaru attacked their sensei. Slash, parry, thrust, on and on it went. Seeing an opening, Mitsuki used his extension jutsu, grabbing a low branch of a tree in hopes of gaining some momentum, turning around it and then hit his sensei. Just momentarily though, he saw a brief, weird shot of emotion in Konohamaru’s eyes, one which he couldn’t tell exactly what… and suddenly, there was no branch for him to hold on to, because the brunet had just cut it with the help of an explosive kunai. Losing his balance for just one tiny second, Mitsuki realized it was more than enough as his sensei’s kick connected to his chest, sending him flying away. His teammates were on Konohamaru once again but the jounin was quick to overthrow them. Before Mitsuki could properly raise from where he had fallen, he found himself unable to move and the tip of a kunai against his throat. He was once again looking at his sensei’s dark blue eyes, and now he could understand the emotion in them. It was almost… resentment…and more than that it was almost like he didn’t recognize him at all, it was like he was looking at a stranger... “Konohamaru-sensei…” he murmured, feeling a slight shiver running down his spine. His friends just looked on at the scene, caught too unprepared to say or do something. But his voice had been enough to snap Konohamaru out of whatever trance he had been into. The reproach disappeared from his eyes, turning them once again into the serious gaze of a sensei before he got up off Mitsuki and held his hand out to help him up. “Don’t use your strong points in taijutsu, remember?” he said as he turned to look at Boruto and Sarada, which made Mitsuki feel… well, he didn’t know if that was the right description, but if he was to put it simply, he would’ve said… sad. Was it that even his sensei couldn’t bear to be near him any longer? Still, he pulled himself together and continued the practice like nothing happened. Just doing what he enjoyed the most. But even when he thought he could hide it, it didn’t escape his best friend’s attention, the momentary look that crossed his eyes. "Do you have a plan for the evening?" Boruto asked when they finally called it quits, regarding Mitsuki carefully. "Onii-chan!" All of them turned to see Hinata and Himawari a little far away, Hinata with a warm smile on her face and Boruto's younger sister waving at them. Mitsuki smiled. "I don't. But it seems like you do." Boruto smiled himself as he got up. "Well, talk to you guys tomorrow, then." As Boruto walked away with his sister, Sarada looked at her friend. “Here Mitsuki… I’ll walk with you.” “Huh?” The boy was taken aback a little. “Thank you Sarada, but I’m just going back home. I’m gonna practice some more.” In fact, he intended to go back to the waterfall like he told Shikadai, to set up part of his plan, for which he needed his friends to not intervene. “Hey, couldn’t I want to walk with my friend a little?” the girl said with a genuine smile… not really giving the boy much of a choice, which made him smile at her too, he could always go back out when Sarada was gone. “Alright then, let’s go.” … To say that Sarada wasn’t ready to see what she did was an understatement. Apparently… someone had been pretty busy while they were training. Graffitis, rude words and even some drawings were covering all of Mitsuki's door in bright colors. Two of the drawings stood out the most; one that of a beheaded snake (thankfully, no one thought of adding red paint to that), the other being that of a snake biting its own tail, surrounded by a vivid wall of flames. Under that second drawing was the words, "Konoha's fire will devour snakes". There were words and phrases written all over as well: snake, outsider, traitor, murderer... Sarada's voice brought Mitsuki back to earth. "How... how could anyone be so... cruel...?" And yet… Mitsuki didn’t seem too surprised, the only thing that betrayed his stoic face was a fleeting hurt look that the Uchiha was sure she would’ve missed if she looked away for a second. “Well, I’ll see you later then, Sarada.” Coming to her senses, the girl grabbed her friend’s arm before he took another step. “You’re not going in there!” “I don’t think they’ll set a trap for the door, y’know,” Mitsuki said with a soft laugh that lacked humor. “No one can go that far, and they know these are easily tracked.” “I don’t care!” she sounded a little agitated, how far could anyone go to leave blatant threats to someone else’s door? “You know what, why don’t you come and stay over at my place?” “Sarada,” Mitsuki put his hands on her shoulders. “It’s gonna be alright.” “Don’t say that!” Sarada snapped, breaking free from his grasp. “How can these be alright?! We need to report it!” “We don’t need to. I don’t want to alert everyone  - let alone you or Boruto - for a passing phase.” “A passing-” The Uchiha rubbed her eyes, still seething. This was just unbelievable… “You… I don’t even know what to say…” “But then can I ask for a favor from you?” “What?” When she looked up at his face, the girl noticed there was a determined look on it. “What favor?” Mitsuki took a deep breath. “Tomorrow I want to visit the orphanage.”

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Prologue

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

His steps, albeit quick in pace, felt like they grow heavier and heavier as the sannin made the dreaded sprint back to his old village. He did not expect to be... so outrageous, not after so many years, so many experiences and so many... Changes... 

His gaze wandered down to the biggest change in his whole existence, as if to check he's still there, protected in his embrace. Protected... His blood began to boil and signs of regret etched itself into his golden orbs as he took in Mitsuki's, his boy's, already fair skin color getting paler and paler by the second, creating an ugly contrast to the gash on his abdomen and the long burn mark across his chest. If only he was there sooner... If only he spent more time with him... Naturally, there were the times he sneaked into the village just to check on the boy. He should give it to him, that young man, Naruto was actually a decent person, he did let him see Mitsuki from time to time... It had not been enough.

Feelings like he never experienced before threatened to overcome him as he looked at his son's eyes... his eyes. Mitsuki was glancing carefully up at him, and it literally hurt the sannin to see the light slowly fading from his irises. When his boy was little, Orochimaru liked to compare their eyes. His own was more like the cold, imposing gold, while Mitsuki... his eyes were warm and bright, like... the sun. It gave him physical pain, the thought that his sun might go out...

His hold tightened only slightly and a new vigour hastened his pace. He would get him the necessary help. And then... there will be consequences. He felt a faint grip on the front of his shirt, and through the suddenly very still air, a weak whisper reached his ears. "Father..." He immediately looked down. Mitsuki blinked slowly once, trying to maintain his hold as his hands shook. Orochimaru felt his heart skip a beat, but he tried to keep his calm. "Preserve your strength. We are almost at the border." The blue haired boy parted his lips slightly once again, and his father had to lean a bit over him to hear him properly. "Please... spare... the village..."

Orochimaru drew back slightly, taken aback by the words. "What...?" "Please... promise..." Mitsuki murmured, the words coming more strained as his breathing hitched. "Not their... fault..." He had his doubts about that. He wished to tell him that they were going to pay. They were going to pay dearly for putting his boy right in the middle of danger, not even thinking twice. He wanted to say that he would snuff the fire of will from Konoha, just like how they made his sun sink. Looking into those eyes, though, the words simply did not form. Instead, his fury drowning in the compassion he felt for his child now, he found himself whispering. "I will leave them be. I promise." He felt Mitsuki relax in his arms as a very small smile lifted the corners of his lips gently. His next word was so faint that Orochimaru wasn't sure if it was a trick of the wind. "Thanks..."

Pale fingers slid from the shirt as the young boy completely slacked against his father. The sannin watched, horrified, as the sun set with a sigh of breath. "Mitsuki...?" he whispered, unable to comprehend what was happening in front of him, and the world came to a standstill. "Mitsuki!!!"

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.3 - Naruto’s Decision

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 - You’re here

A complete silence descended upon the meeting hall for a full minute as everyone stood still, almost too afraid to breathe. Naruto worked to control the shocked expression on his face, but it wasn’t easy. How… how in the world had Sarutobi Kichiro found out about this…? His eyes swept over everyone in the hall briefly, lingering longer on Sarada and Shikadai, who understandably looked dumbfounded. And Konohamaru… Konohamaru just stood there, eyes wide open, looking like he was struck by something… Naruto had absolutely no idea how he was gonna make up for this... And then… the blast happened. A lot of people got on their feet, their expressions outraged and… panicked. “Hokage-sama, what’s the meaning of this?” “Did you really allow a brat of that snake in our village?” “Not good…” Kakashi mumbled next to him. “I don’t know how he learned about the kid but there was a reason he waited until now to reveal it…” The reason was pretty clear. A panicked turmoil had come over the gathered, wild looks in their eyes… an upheaval. Sighing inaudibly, Naruto took a step forward and raised his arms in a placating gesture. “Please. I would like everyone to just give me a moment.”

The roaring of chatter dimmed slightly to a low hum. “My decision to accept Mitsuki into the village was made regardless of his parentage. I intend to keep my view on it.” “And it shouldn’t solely be your decision to begin with,” Kichiro continued above the crowd, dead-pan. “This matter concerns all of the village, with the boy being related to the most heinous criminal this village had created.” “It is not our way in Konoha to judge someone - especially a kid - based on his connections.” Tsunade put in, as calmly as she could, already tired of the views of the elders in Konoha. Sarada was shocked as she could do nothing but watch the mayhem unfold. “What… does that even mean…?” she heard Shikadai speak beside her. “Sarada… did you know this…?” “N-no… I had no idea…” the girl mumbled numbly, shaking her head. “But… I know Orochimaru… and he’s…” she couldn’t exactly complete the sentence. The Nara raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’ve heard of his name a number of times before, but neither my parents nor my uncles go into details…” “I’m surprised, really,” came a voice behind them, and both turned to look at who was speaking. “Your family was one of those who was the worst affected by that snake.” “Sarutobi Ichiro.” Shikadai said wearily. “What do you mean, worst affected?” “Oh boy, you really don’t know.” Ichiro tsk tsked, shaking his head. “Well, I guess families really do like to mollycoddle the younger rather than let them face the truth for their own sake.” One of the girls standing next to him, his teammate, sighed and closed her eyes. “Really Ichiro, can we spend just one day without you going around having beef with someone?” “Oh, I’m not trying to start anything Wasabi,” the teen crossed his arms with a smirk. “But for now, let’s continue to watch how this will unfold. It’s gonna be interesting.” And unfolding it was. The whole room was on its feet now, everyone talking at the same time, trying to get their voices heard. “And how are we supposed to relax when his kid is roaming free in our village?” asked one from the Yamanaka clan. “Do you have any evidence to prove he wasn’t related to the attack at all?” There was a momentary surge of indecision on Naruto’s face, but he was quick to hide it. “Not yet, we don’t. Just as there is no evidence yet to point to his involvement. And this is why I wouldn’t want to be hasty in pointing fingers.” “Hasty? Hardly.” A sneer had formed on Kichiro’s lips. “I believe we have been really rather slow in this matter.” “If I may be so bold…” all the heads in the room turned to the unexpected speaker. Truth being told, Aburame Shino had never been a very vocal man. “I taught that boy during academy and I don’t believe he has the material to betray Konoha. Why? Because he has proven himself many times to be quite loyal.” “And how do we know he wasn’t play-acting, that it was some sort of scheme?” “Because he doesn’t have reasons to,” Shikadai mumbled, still watching the whole exchange with unbelievable eyes. Mitsuki had been what he considered a good friend over the years they got to know each other, and he just couldn’t believe they wouldn’t read a sign if he was planning to betray Konoha. They wouldn’t… would they? Sarada was staring at their sensei, who had kept his silence ever since the bomb was dropped. She could see his blank expression even from this distance. She could only begin to comprehend the shock he was experiencing… but wasn’t he going to say anything? Wasn’t he going to speak up in favor of their teammate…? The girl shivered at the possibility of Team Konohamaru crumbling to pieces… it was a… very scary thought, to say the least… “I believe we can all see where your decision is based on, Lord Seventh. That’s why I will have to ask you to not let your own past cloud your judgement.” “And I believe I am capable of handling that part, thank you very much,” Naruto said with a small squint between his eyes, his tone decidedly colder than before. “I am not bringing personal matters into this discussion. And I would expect everyone to act with the same sensitivity.” “It’s not a personal grudge though, is it?” Someone from the Nara clan interjected. “Who knows with what kind of purpose he was sent to Konoha? We all know what kind of being Orochimaru is…” “Yes, that would be his parent.” Shikamaru called from up front, his eyebrows a little furrowed. “In case you have missed it, the kid’s name is Mitsuki.” “I think we do need to think this matter out of the box,” Mirai spoke up, her arms crossed and a firm expression on her face. “Like it or not, he is still part of Konoha. We can’t just cut his ties with no proof and send him out there. For one thing, that will only create more problems in the future with the other villages too if this is indeed some sort of a scheme.” “Th-this is getting serious,” Sarada said nervously, still in a state of shock. “Will they actually…?” she couldn’t even complete the sentence, the thought was just crushing. “No,” Shikadai tried to comfort her, but his tone lacked the conviction she so desperately needed to hear. “Not when Lord Seventh is here…” “Ha,” came Ichiro’s voice from behind them, which none of them really appreciated. “They can’t ignore when the big clans press for the matter.” “What is your problem?!” Sarada rounded on the teen, already pissed off at his comments. “What did Mitsuki ever do to you?!” Ichiro raised an eyebrow. “Really, Uchiha, are you even paying attention?” “It won’t matter anyway.” The black haired girl felt her friend’s hand on her shoulder, a gentle reminder for her to keep her calm. “Not all of the clans will agree to it. They will have to have a majority to pass such a decision.” “Oh don’t worry, it’s coming there.” A cocky smirk made its way to Ichiro’s lips as he turned his attention back to the front of the room. “Watch and learn. This is what we call politics.” As if to prove his words true, more and more people were standing up to speak in favor of Kichiro’s suggestion. “If anything, this kid is nothing more than a test subject whose intentions we know nothing about.” one of their academy teachers Anko was saying, which was almost like a slap in Sarada’s face. Why… why were they treating Mitsuki like he was a soulless object…? She heard Shikadai sigh. “You know what… I think we can take a little break from here.” “We can?” the girl whispered back. “Well, the chuunins are mostly observants here… although I guess we will hear if they do notice we’re gone among all this mayhem,” the Nara explained, rubbing his neck. “We are not supposed to succumb to our emotions… but honestly, you need to cut yourself some slack, you look ready to collapse any time.” He put his hand on her shoulder again. “Come  on, let’s go.” … Not too long after they were out, though, not even long enough for anyone to notice their absence… people began filing out of the room. “What’s this about…?” Sarada asked her friend, baffled. The boy had no answers to offer to her but it turned out that he didn’t need to, because next thing they knew, Konohamaru was walking towards them. “Konohamaru-sensei…” Shikadai mumbled, although he was hesitant… they wanted to ask what was going on, but they also didn’t want to get scolded. The young man was quicker than them. “They decided to have a voting.” he stated, his tone almost… emotionless… if she were to be honest, making Sarada… scared… “Voting for… what…?” the Nara asked, cautious. “On whether Mitsuki should stay in Konoha,” came a second voice as Moegi, too, joined them. “Bunch of bull if you ask me but well… those are important clans for you…” “Is it possible, though? Do they really have the power to… exile someone from the village…?” Sarutobi Ichiro’s words were still ringing in their ears. “Well, no matter what they say, Nanadaime-sama has the final word. And not just the clans but we would cast our votes, too, so I don’t have a bad feeling about this.” In all this exchange, it didn’t escape Sarada’s attention that her sensei was still unusually quiet. She… had no idea that he didn’t know about Mitsuki’s origins either… so it made sense that he was still trying to take this all in, but… “Sensei,” she mumbled, her voice tiny. “What… will you vote for…?” The question caught the brunet off guard, and he blinked at his student, not knowing how to answer for a moment. He opened and closed his mouth, and the look in the Uchiha’s eyes just got sadder… But just then, Hyuuga Hanabi walked out of the door… Seeing her childhood friend suddenly tense, Moegi sighed. “Konohamaru, you really shouldn’t-” But it was too late, and the man was already walking over to his girlfriend. "Hanabi, stop this." The young woman seemed to regain her composure after the initial moment of being caught off-guard. "Stop what?" she asked in a formal manner. "What you've been saying... That can't be what you truly think!” Konohamaru was obviously trying to keep his voice down, but wasn’t much successful about it. “Just… everything is so messed up right now, we are all confused and people look for a solution, but this can’t be it... you know this is not right deep down in your heart…!" "Konohamaru," Hanabi said, brows furrowed as a serious expression crossed her face. "Please, remember that this is a formal meeting, so there is no place for all these." "Ugh! Just look into my eyes and tell me that is what you truly think!" "That's enough! I made it a point not to involve my personal feelings in village business." That was the last straw, and ice coated Konohamaru’s tone when he next spoke. "I'm sorry, Lady Hanabi. I guess I never realized you didn't have a heart." A fleeting, hurt look crossed the young woman’s eyes before they turned hard as steel. "Well, some of us have to think with their brains, not with their hearts." Despite the seriousness of the situation (and fully aware that they had just witnessed a very private interaction in her sensei’s life), Sarada couldn’t help but exclaim in wonder as she watched Konohamaru walk off. “Oh…” “Well… what he did certainly wasn’t the most conventional method, but… I guess that was his answer to your question.” Moegi’s tone was half exasperated, half proud. The black haired girl couldn’t help the whole-hearted smile that came across her lips, now this was the Konohamaru-sensei she knew and admired. Shortly after, the doors of the meeting room opened once again and they were called back inside. “Come now.” the orange haired jounin said, ushering them inside. “You will be voting too.” … When at last the door was closed behind the last person, Naruto cleared his throat to get attention. "We are going to do it like this," he began. "All of those who are in favor of..." he hesitated before saying the word. "exiling the child..." he continued, emphasizing the last word. "Please take your place on the left side of the room." He waited with bated breath as people started filing to the left. More than half... Naruto felt his heart sink as he looked at the considerably few people left. He was relieved that at least none of his friends agreed with that view, and of course Mitsuki’s chuunin friends stayed firmly on the other side of the room... but it pained him to see all of the Hyuga, led by his sister-in-law, Hanabi, were on the left corner. He sighed. "In the case that some of you wish to remain neutral, those who are against, please move to the right." There were only a few people in the middle of the room. Naruto took a deep breath, feeling all of their eyes on him. "Before I announce my decision, I would like to remind all of you of one thing." he began, and out of the corner of his eyes, saw some on the left stir uncomfortably. "We have been through many hardships. Many wars that cost many lives. Through the years I have served as your Hokage, it has always been my priority to prevent differences turning into marginalization, mistakes turning into grudges... If I was to exile a child for the mistakes of his parent, I would go against everything I believed that would make me a good and fair leader." "A leader should be ready to take action and defend his people. You have indeed gone soft over years of peace." A loud thud cut into Kichiro's rant, and Naruto looked up with fire in his eyes. "That," he snapped through gritted teeth, finally at the end of his patience, "has nothing to do with going soft over peace. I am not going to judge or punish a child for something that is beyond his control!" "If we do not take immediate action, there will be more regrets! Lord Third would never..." That was a low blow, one which made Naruto double-take, and Kichiro actually stopped himself before he said something worse. The Hokage had to pause for a moment before he continued. "It's my final decision." He put in, slowly but firmly. "Mitsuki stays. The meeting is hereby dismissed." There was an uproar of protests, which Naruto mostly tuned out - until the Sarutobi leader's voice once again reached him. "You will see that this was not the right decision to be made. This matter is far from over." Something in his tone made the blond go cold. "Kichiro-san," he called over the rumble. "Do not forget about the decree - no one is allowed to harm the child under any circumstances." The elder was just about to step out of the hall. When he heard him, he turned to look at the younger straight in the eyes. "Don’t you forget this - the decree had already been broken - and not by us."

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.8 - Saving Someone Precious

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 | Chap.8 - You’re here

He was getting worried by now. When Isis came to the hideout about an hour ago, he wasn't really pleased - first because Isis said Mitsuki had decided to leave Konoha for some reason, and second because... the child had practically called himself to his feet. He had considered not going at all - until Juugo said he could go in his stead. He was not having that. "How long until we arrive?" he asked. The snake had herself coiled around his neck. "Not far from here. His chakra is unstable though. I don't know why." Why would that be the case? His boy had excellent chakra control, thanks to how he was made and years of training. Something was wrong... Suddenly, Isis hissed in recognition. "Orochimaru-sama!"

The sannin saw what the snake's eyes already caught. A small, white rattlesnake, sliding on the ground towards them. "Koburo!" he exclaimed as he recognized his son's pet snake. The snake stopped in front of them and rose to its full height, hissing non-stop. The female snake immediately replied to him, and it was all it took Orochimaru to wait until they were finished. "This is not good..." said Isis finally. Thank you for stating the obvious, he almost said, but he had no patience. "What is it?" "Koburo says Mitsuki-sama was attacked by a group of ninjas... He tried to stop him, but when that didn't work, he rushed as quickly as he could to find us..." Orochimaru had only listened to half of what she said. "Lead the way, Isis!" And they were off again. He was trying to focus on just finding his son, but it was hard. Why was he attacked? How bad was the situation? And most importantly... Why did he leave the village at the dead of night in the first place? He reached the end of the river pretty quickly, that was where they were supposed to meet... He turned around himself, teeth gritted. "Where to?" "His chakra is getting weaker, he's in the woods away from the river... I'm sure-" Then there was a poof sound and the man felt the weight on his shoulders suddenly being completely lifted. He stopped dead in his tracks, his mind racing, his eyes widening. “What is that child doing…?” Isis disappearing could only mean one thing. Mitsuki was too weak to keep the connection. He simply refused to think of another possibility. He would not let some sort of low specimen take his masterpiece away from him. Anyone who even thought about hurting his boy... would pay dearly... The only problem was... now he had no leads on the child. Isis could sense his chakra... With her out of the picture, the most he could do was to follow the sounds of a fight... which was another problem, seeing that there was none. How was that even possible? There was a warm, healthy breeze in the spring night, and air dispersed sound... It was logically impossible that he would not hear a battle going on. Unless... The sannin gritted his teeth. He had never, ever let emotions control him before. He would not allow such a thing to happen now. Something on the forest floor near the river then caught his eyes and he stopped just for a minute to check. Blood...? Without the moon, there was not enough light, but he was positive that it was blood. He was becoming really, really unsettled now - how was he to find Mitsuki? He checked around to see if there were any leading trails... But after a few steps, they had stopped... Was the boy taken to somewhere else? His blood ran cold. He ran to the tree where he could last follow the trail... “The hell are you doing Suzume?! Finish him!” Finally getting what he had been waiting for, he jumped on the tree to get a bird's eye view. Before he did that, though, he noticed more blood stains on the branch he landed... "This vermin seriously grates on my nerves. Hiraku, I have a job for you.” With the words, he turned to face the direction they came from. He noticed a couple of things all at once, and his pulse quickened. There were two men apparently arguing, one heaped on the ground and the other... There was no mistaking the tousled white-blue hair. It was his son... His hair, his clothing... What did not belong to him here was, the sannin realized as he took in the scene... blood, lots and lots of blood from the wounds across his body, and pooling underneath him... For a moment, he could see nothing but a dark red haze in front of his eyes... Mitsuki was... badly injured...? And those scoundrels were just standing above him, while he lay broken on the ground...? They were not dead, not chopped to pieces, not begging for their wretched lives...? He felt something crunch as his hand balled into a fist and although it was hard, he peeled his eyes away from Mitsuki to take a look around, see if there was any other low life. He noticed a barely conscious man not too far away, and a movement drew his gaze to another with... only his head on the ground. That seemed like Mitsuki’s work... "I want the boy's head." Instinct - instinct for blood - took over and Orochimaru jumped from the tree he was standing on - leaving a big, hand-sized crush on its side. ... Goro approached the boy and stood there for a minute, looking at the boy with a soulless gaze. It wasn't his fault the boy attacked them. The damned brat had caused them to lose at least a third of their chakra - and they were supposed to go after the Hokage - now they had no chance at all. He was going to pay. He would make sure they wouldn't return empty-handed. Just when he raised the sword and swung it however... The unconscious boy was no longer there. He didn't even see anything. "What the hell...?" "You want his head?" came a booming voice from seemingly nowhere. Goro, and Hiraku behind him, looked around to pinpoint the source. "I shall give you one!" Then there was a mighty explosion, enough to shake the forest from its roots. ...and out of the explosion rolled a mahogany-haired head... Their comrade, Hideyoshi's lifeless eyes stared at them from the ground... ... Naruto had barely had enough time to activate his shield a nano-second before the explosion - thankfully covering everyone. As the sound of the blast died down, Boruto and Sarada's eyes widened. Their scream rang in the night as sounds of a fight could be heard from somewhere very close. "MITSUKI!!!" ... As the brunt of the blast started to fade away, Orochimaru straightened himself from the position he was in, leaning completely over his son to protect him from the explosion. He took one lingering look at him before gently lowering him to the ground, as if afraid to break him even more... which, if he had to be honest, he was. "You just hang in there for a minute, child," he whispered, though he did not know how Mitsuki could hear him. ... The two cloud ninjas had barely enough time to cover themselves - and recover from the shock of seeing Hideyoshi's disembodied head... Suddenly, a vicious shuriken attack came from behind the flames, and being caught unprepared, Hiraku felt the blades piercing his skin, although not enough to kill, and pinning him to the tree behind him. Goro took out a kunai and threw it blindly towards the flames, just in an attempt to slow down whoever was coming from in between, only a tall silhouette visible. Then he activated the lightning blade once again... Orochimaru stepped out from the flames, his eyes burning, his blood boiling with bloodlust. He took in the expression of the bastard who ordered for Mitsuki's head... How his furious and aggressive demeanor faltered and changed rapidly into one that of panic and desperation. Of course... every ninja in this wretched world knew about his reputation. "What's the matter… not so brave now?" the sannin hissed through his teeth as he bit his finger, allowing a drip of blood to ooze from the cut. "Not the same as going against a child… my child, is it?" The blond's eyes widened when he heard that. Out of all the people that could find them... They fought the son of one of the most feared creatures in the world...? 'Holy shit...' he thought as his hand with the blade started dropping to his side. Then he turned and tried to run. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Three large snakes erupted from the ground and immediately surrounded the man, hissing and snapping at him. "Where do you think you are going? We just began!" And with that, Orochimaru leapt forward. ... The signs of the battle were making themselves more and more clear as they approached a certain place in the forest. They had known they were close when they found Mitsuki's belongings and his traveling cloak all abandoned behind a tree. It didn’t take them too long to reach the scene, thankfully, but Konohamaru couldn’t shake off the sick feeling that they were late… he could only hope that they weren’t too late. “Keep your head cool, don’t engage, just find Mitsuki!” he called out to his team - and just in that moment, his eyes detected movement. Lightning fast, him and the Hokage sprang in action. Naruto jumped and blocked the path of the man who was trying to make a run for it, his teeth clenched. “Not so fast.” Konohamaru was a little disappointed that the man he had to find was already immobilized against a tree, oh, he could do with a fight… “Don’t try anything funny.” he pretty much growled. … There was a fight going on... They didn't know how many enemies there were... But none of that mattered to Boruto right then as he was frantically looking for his best friend. The snake that was still coiled on his arm had gone silent and… very still a couple of minutes ago, sending an ominous shiver down his spine… it was the only connection to his friend, and losing it could only mean that they needed to find him as soon as possible.   "Mitsuki!" he called desperately, turning around himself, eyes searching everywhere. Cold dread gripped his heart, and his breath came out hitched. Where was he?? "B... Boruto..." he heard Sarada choke out, her voice barely above a whisper, and he followed her gaze... His eyes widened as his heart almost came to a stop at the sight in front of them. A scene that was right out of a horror movie... His friend... Broken, blood covered and unmoving... right in front of them... ... The sannin watched with great satisfaction as his enemy scarpered away for him - tried to, at the very least. Orochimaru was toying with him, making him think that he could escape... but of course he was not going to allow him to escape. No, he was going to enjoy each and every moment of causing this poor excuse of a human being agony. Goro slashed at the snakes with his blade, but they were quick, easily dodging it. He was getting weaker... Keeping the blade on required a lot of chakra, and he had already lost quite a lot in the fight. Gritting his teeth, he threw the blade away and took a kunai out - he had to bail out of here, and for that he needed his strength. He- Suddenly, Orochimaru jumped right in front of him, out of nowhere, and before he knew, the blond took a strong kick to his chest, forcing him to fly backwards and landing hard on the ground, the kunai in his hand flying to the other side. Before he could even get up, he felt something crawling up his wrists, armpits, knees and feet... The snakes all hissed at him, baring their fangs, their tiny pupils seemingly reflecting hatred... He raised his head a little and met a pair of golden, serpent-like eyes, glaring at him with such a cold expression that he felt his blood freeze. The snakes tightened around his limbs, and a pain-filled moan escaped his mouth despite himself. "Does it hurt?" Orochimaru hissed, squinting. "Is it even remotely close to what you did to my son?" "We didn't attack the child!" Goro yelled. "We just defended ourselves!" The frown deepened more, and the snakes tightened more, too, so much so that he began feeling numb. "Consider this self-defense, you worthless scoundrel." Raising its head, the snake on his right armpit dug its fangs deep into his arm - so deep it almost reached the bone. The man let out a cry, his body jerking. "Holy... shit... Stop..." The sannin came to kneel beside the man, grabbing his head roughly and pushing it back, looking in his eyes with a hellish fury. "Try to have some dignity, scum! You are not dead... No, not yet, I guarantee you that it's not gonna be easy... But you are paralyzed. You will be unable to move, unable to scream." His eyes glinted maliciously. "Allow me to see how you will like it... Where would you want me to start?" ... “I surrender! Please…!” Whatever Konohamaru expected, it wasn’t this. “You… what??” “I surrender!” Hiraku repeated urgently, almost a frantic look in his eyes. “Please… do you know medical jutsu? You have to check on the boy, I’m not gonna try to escape!” The Sarutobi didn’t even have time to process this or let panic settle in because just then, he heard the screams of two of his students. … "MITSUKI!!!" Sarada and Boruto both yelled, finally snapping out of their shocked stupor. They both leapt forward, almost tripping on their own feet in their haste. There was no reply. Boruto felt his pulse quickening as he fell to his knees beside his friend, and he gasped at the full-on sight. The younger boy was lying in a pool of his own blood - a huge pool at that, and the wounds on his chest and stomach were still bleeding. "Oh god..." Sarada whispered in a shaky voice. She grabbed Mitsuki's hand, putting two fingers on his inner wrist. "I... I can't..." she mumbled, tears filling into her eyes. "B... Boruto, turn him over gently, I need to listen to his heart." "W... wha... He doesn't..." Boruto whispered weakly, gathering his friend gently in his arms. The way in which Mitsuki's head listed limply to one side scared the living out of him. As Sarada laid her head on Mitsuki's chest, he lightly slapped his friend's cheeks. "M... Mitsuki... H-hey... Can you hear me? Answer me..." His voice broke. "Please...?" But no reaction came from the boy, his eyes remained shut as the trail of blood running down his mouth and the horrific wounds gave Boruto a twist in the stomach... not even when Momoshiki and Kinshiki attacked the village had he seen this much blood at the same time... Trying to hold back whatever was trying to make its way up his throat, Boruto kept shaking his friend gently. "Come on... M-Mitsuki... say something..." Sarada was growing desperate... Why couldn't she hear anything...? Her hand grabbed Mitsuki's clothing as she felt a coldness spreading through her body. He... couldn't be... right...? A slow, dull thump reached her ears then, and her eyes went wide. "He's with us..." she whispered, straightening up and once again taking in the terrifying sight of her friend. "Why did this happen to him...?" she mused, unable to believe this was real, and her hand balled into a fist once again as she made a quick calculation in her head. Then she looked at Boruto. "Boruto, hold him as still as you can." she said firmly, and the blond only then realized that he was shaking - badly. As he tried to get a hold of himself, Sarada completed the hand seals she had learned from her mother, and held her hands over Mitsuki's body. "Kyuukyuu no jutsu," she whispered, and felt her chakra flowing, raising a dull green aura around the blue haired boy. It took a while and although it seemed like forever to Boruto and Sarada, the reaction they so wished happened. Mitsuki, still without opening his eyes, began coughing and gasping for air. "Thank God," Boruto mused, so relieved that tears almost fell to his cheeks, but he managed to get a hold of himself. This was not the time. "Mitsuki..." he called to his friend once again as he grabbed the younger boy's chin and turned his head to him gently. He very nearly sagged when he saw a flicker of gold. "B... Boruto..." Mitsuki whispered weakly, and the blond had to lean over a bit. The blue haired boy then turned his head a little. "Sarada..." The girl gave a shaky smile at that as tears brimmed her eyes. "You came..." Mitsuki mumbled, and Boruto saw a lone tear rolling down his cheek. "Of course we came, you baka, did you really think we’d let you go like this?" It was just then that Konohamaru reached the kids. He came to a halt, frozen on the spot as he took in the scene. It felt like all sound and air had been drained from where he stood as he watched with bated breath Boruto and Sarada… His mind had become sluggish all of a sudden for some reason. He was having trouble truly processing what was happening in front of him. Of course, he had told his two students to find their teammate… but… surely they haven’t found him yet, this broken figure couldn’t be him… His heart skipped a beat as finally, the two seemed to be able to reach Mitsuki. Konohamaru let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding as he rushed to the kids. The boy’s eyes turned slowly to him. “Konohamaru-sensei…” The jounin was on his knees the next second, assessing the situation closer… God… “Don’t talk, reserve your strength.” His voice came just a little tense and harsher than he intended, but he couldn’t help it. He was worried beyond words and… if Mitsuki did what he thought he did… As always, though, even in this condition, the boy was attentive. “Sensei… I- don’t-” he couldn’t finish his words as a hiss of pain escaped his mouth. Sarada winced. “I- I’m sorry,” she stammered in a shaky voice, tears in her eyes. “I… I wish mama was here… This doesn’t work, I’m not good at all!” “It’s… alright… Sarada…” Mitsuki said weakly, and Sarada’s eyes widened, her hands shaking even more. “I… feel better… already…” “Sssh…” their sensei warned him, his look as well as his tone softening, he didn’t trust his voice to say anything more. Boruto couldn't take his eyes away from his friend. "You... you idiot... You just hang in there, do you hear me?" He felt his friend weakly squeezing his hand, and tightened his hold only slightly. "How... how stupid could you be? Why would you do this to us, you damn jerk?! I'll never forgive you for this! Leaving the village without even saying goodbye... How dare you even think you could leave the village, anyway? Huh? Who gave you the right to do that? We certainly didn't!" "Boruto," Konohamaru’s tone was gentle but firm. “That’ll be enough.” "No, y'know what, let's hear it from him!" the blond snapped, trying to hold back angry tears. It wasn't just out of the need to let it out that he was doing this, as much as he didn't want to show it, he was afraid. He was really, terribly afraid that if he didn't keep talking, he would lose his best friend. He glanced once more at him, and felt his pulse quickening when he saw Mitsuki's eyes almost closed. "No, no, no!" he cried out, holding his friend's head, trying to be gentle in his panic. "You're not fading out on us! Keep your eyes open! Keep your eyes open or I swear I'll kick your sorry ass to oblivion, do you understand?" His eyes burned as the tears threatened to fall, and he gulped hard to force them back. "Remember our promise!" he yelled, his voice breaking at the end. Mitsuki blinked once, trying to focus on him. He tried to lift his left hand, reaching for his friend, and Boruto held onto it as if for dear life. "I... remember..." Mitsuki whispered, squeezing his hand ever so lightly. "Good for you," the blond said as a lone tear escaped from his eyes.   ... Naruto was quick to take over the guy he was facing, he had managed to knock down the brunet. He had heard his son's and Sarada's screams earlier but in order to not lose focus, he hadn't looked in their direction. But now... He gasped at the horrible sight of Mitsuki badly injured, he could tell that the boy was literally fighting to stay awake... "Oh god... Mitsuki!" He made a run to get to them... ...and then Orochimaru leapt in front of him from out of nowhere, drenched in blood and with a very dangerous look on his face. "Do not..." the sannin began, and his heated voice was more like a hissing than anything. "...dare approach my son."        

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.1 - The Attack

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 - You’re here

Seventy-Two Hours Before... Blood-chilling screams filled Konoha's still and warm air as the unmistakable power of an explosion shook the ground. It was supposed to be a peaceful night for the Hokage. His duties for the day didn't involve anything that demanded his immediate attention, so he actually wanted to spend a normal, stress-free night with his family. His relaxed mind immediately snapped to business mode as he sprinted from the place he sat next to his wife in their cozy living room. Vaguely registering his son asking him whether he could help or not, he stepped out of the house. And was immediately rushed to by a jounin. "Where?" he asked curtly in form of greeting as the two of them started running side by side. "The orphanage," the ninja gasped out, at which Naruto increased his speed. The kids... There were kids under attack. Kids, who were under his protection... Kids, who are the future of the villages... "Kurama!" he shouted through gritted teeth, and felt the presence of the giant fox materializing right beside him. "About damn time." he hard him growl as a blood-thirsty smile flashed a set of pointy teeth. "Not now," Naruto hissed as their chakras merged. A familiar surge of power engulfed him and he hastened his pace as houses, nature, everything flew past him. With the added speed, he was able to reach the outskirts of the town in mere minutes. What he saw, however, made him come to a sudden stop just a couple of kilometers away from his destination. The whole building was in flames. The black, choking smoke rose high into the air, which was full of panicked, terrified screams, and a horrid smell. Among the flames and smoke, he could just barely make out the heads of one, two... three snakes, snapping around the air at what was undoubtedly attack after attack sent to them from every direction, their tails swirling around. "Snakes...?" he mumbled in shock, as it only brought one person to his mind, and he felt his hands curling into fists unconsciously.

"Are you gonna just stand there and stare all night, boy?" Kurama hissed. "Let's go make some snacks out of those creepers!" And just like that, they were off, joining in on the chaos. Naruto let Kurama go, he needed him to hold off the snakes as he barged into the institution to save those he could. It was not easy. First, the institution was really quite big, he would be confused if he didn't come in an emergency, too. He could use a water release, but it was too hot here, so he wasn't sure if that would help. An air release might make things even worse, spreading the fire. And, strategically speaking, he didn't know if any of the children were evacuated, either. None of that mattered then, though. Calling forth his shield, he raised his voice above the crackling flames, hoping against hope that someone would hear him - and answer. "Is anyone here? Can you hear me?" ... Kurama rose high above the sky with a mighty roar. Hearing this, all the snakes turned their heads at him, one by one. They hissed when they saw the giant beast. "Oooh, look, brothers," said one of them, baring his fangs. "The Hokage's pet comes out to play." "It should be a shame, really," the other one hissed. "Was it really you who once terrorized this pathetic village?" "Bet you get rusted without all the action." teased the last one, the red light of the fire glinting off his glassy eyes. Kurama grinned maliciously as he bared his claws. "Talk all you want. We will see whose head goes down first." With that, he attacked. ... That... was a close one. Just when he was headed to the stairs to go up, he had seen movement out of the corner of his eye, and found a group of children hiding under the stairs, shivering in fear, too afraid to move. Naruto ran to them, just as a rubble fell from above. He did a quick count. There were... ten children here, four of them the Shin clones who were brought here a little more than a year ago. Them and the other kids were huddled up, eyes huge, and he saw tears shining on some of their faces. His expression softened, and his voice took a gentle quality. "You can run out to the front door. The shield will provide you safety." The children feebly mumbled thank you before they turned away. Naruto caught the arm of one of them gently. "Is there anyone upstairs? Do you know?" The boy was one of the Shin brothers. He tried not to gulp when saw tears brimming the edge of the scarlet sharingan eyes. He was no different than the other kids. Scared. In need of an assurance that everything will be okay. "Yes," the boy whispered, and avoided his eyes. "My brothers... Most of us stay there." Feeling as though his heart had just skipped a beat, Naruto nodded. "Go." As Shin made his way towards the door, Naruto turned and ran up towards the stairs, as fast as he could through the black smoke that shortened his sight. ... Kurama quickly stepped aside as one of the snakes snapped at him, and grabbed the snake's head, crushing on it with all his might. The snake sputtered and tried to take a bite, but to no effect. The fox lifted him high above the ground and threw it as far away as he could. He felt something collide to his back and without looking, he spun around and kicked. The second snake dodged his attack, coiled on the ground and struck once again. The five-inch long fangs that would have been deadly in another situation embedded themselves into the outstretched arm of the fox, who just shook it to get rid of the snake. Both of the snakes then rose to their full height on either side of him, baring their fangs, and then... Kurama saw, out of the corner of his eye, a yellow flash momentarily, through the landscape, far away from the eastern border of Konoha. Something the humans on the ground possibly can't see. If he wouldn't know better, his best guess would be a lightning bolt, but it seemed unlikely. More like this was meant to be seen by... The snake on his right drew his head back in, suddenly wary. "Here is the signal. Let's draw back." "Let's." the other hissed. "You're not going anywhere!" the fox roared and leapt forward, but the snakes easily slithered away from his crushing grasp. "That was easy. Maybe you should practice a little bit more." one of the snakes shouted back tauntingly. "You..." the fox began, ready to follow after them, but a deafening rumble caught his attention. ... Naruto was just escorting a third group out of the building when it happened. "Naruto!" he heard Kurama yell. "The ceiling is coming down, get out of there!" But there were still kids inside! Naruto left the kids with the ninjas outside and immediately turned back, about to rush in once more, when the whole building collapsed and he was pushed back by Kurama. And then... there was nothing but dead silence. Naruto jumped to his feet once again, and even the scene of the orphanage's ruins didn't stop him from running towards the rubbles, searching, in vain, for someone who might still be alive. ... The toll was greater than they imagined. "Thir... ty?" Naruto whispered, unable to believe his ears. The ninja who was in charge of the operation until he came nodded sadly. "My lord, the upper floor... It was as if they knowingly targeted there. And the children, they were sleeping..." The Hokage closed his eyes for a moment, as if to wish all these didn't really happen, all these innocent children didn't just die. When he opened his eyes once more to the bitter reality, the sad look in his eyes had hardened into a determined, grave look. "Do we have any leads for the culprit?" "Do we need leads?" a kunoichi spoke from the gathered group. "Lord Seventh... we only know one person who uses snakes who will attack Konoha. Orochimaru." Orochimaru. The legendary Sannin that everyone in Konoha feared, if not so openly, so much so that his name had been a taboo for years. The name he had first come up with when he saw the snakes. The one... former enemy, that they haven't heard from in a long time. Why now...? "We need more evidence to jump to that conclusion," he said at last, also implying that he's not completely disregarding the theory. "That won't be necessary." From the back of the crowd, Kabuto, the director of the orphanage, came forward in his wheelchair. One look at his face, and Naruto couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Kabuto really, truly loved the kids here, and such a huge loss had taken its toll on him. He seemed to have aged during this short period of time. Before Naruto could say anything, Kabuto looked up with a fierce expression in his eyes. "I saw the man behind this attack just minutes before the explosion. And he wore the curse mark on his neck."        

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.7 - Outsider

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 - You’re here

Hiding behind a tree, Mitsuki was reaching out with his senses to check out the ninjas as he quickly controlled his weapons. Not that he needed to, not really… Any of his classmates’ would pale in comparison to how huge an arsenal he had, but it was always better to do a second check. All was good. His weapons were still enough to take down a troop. And the blue haired boy was calm, collected… he had mastered his ninjutsu well enough to hold his own against even jounins. He had proven so before. Whatever his father had pounded into his system, it was working in perfect order. He felt them coming to a halt before the footsteps stopped. “Now would be a good time to start.” a blond man said, seemingly the leader. “Alright, all of you know what to do,” he began. “Hideyoshi will go up front, giving us our targets and warning us, should anyone of a particularly high level of chakra cross our path. I and Takeru are the main offensive, we follow suit. Hiraku… stay as far away from the battleground as possible, remember our formation, wait for my signal. Scatter, we don’t follow the linear formation, just watch out for the signals we talked about. Any questions?” “Just one thing…” the mahogany-haired man replied in a gruff voice, his eyes gazing upwards at the tree branches. “We are not alone.”

Mitsuki felt his body tense hearing it, damn, they had a sensor with them… this would give some disadvantage in his surprise plan. He reached inside his kimono and pulled out a kunai, he was more than ready to throw it, but he glanced down and saw which kunai it was. It was one of those Konohamaru had gifted his team after their first C-ranked mission. It looked like an ordinary kunai on the outside, a simple weapon that just had a ribbon with the student’s respective color, blue in his case, attached to it. But this wasn’t just an ordinary one, no… their sensei had said this kunai had been designed to have one jutsu inserted inside it; somehow like the kote Boruto used in the exams. Mitsuki gripped it hard, he would wait for the perfect moment to use it. “I will make you proud, sensei…” Everyone in the squad had tensed suddenly. “Where?” the leader asked, unconsciously leaning a little forward in an attack stance. “How strong?” The sensor furrowed his brows, concern apparent on his features as his fingers trailed over the surface of a weapon attached to a strap on his back. “Pretty damn strong… and I’m only talking about one person. I’d say… kage level, even.” The tension was now so apparent that it was almost tangible. “Damn it…” the leader hissed between gritted teeth, they didn’t expect to encounter someone this powerful right out of the top… A scout? It could’ve made sense with how strong this person supposedly was, but wouldn’t he run away to inform the village by now…? “What do we do?” the platinum blond haired man that was standing close to him asked. Their leader, Goro, was silent for a moment… but then a wicked grin formed on his face… well… shouldn’t this be fun? They could test out their abilities on someone who was possibly kage-level, close to the man they wanted to kill… “Shall we go greet them?” “Playing cat and mouse again?” “Well, no one knows me better than you do, Hiraku,” the man said, smirking. A minute passed in silence as only the sounds of nature were heard around them. “Huh.” the brunette in the group finally said. “It would seem that someone needs an incentive. Tell me, Goro, what was that ninjutsu of yours capable of doing in direct contact?” Catching up to what he was trying to do, the blond was quick to come up with his own. “That was this technique improvised. In direct contact with the neck area… well, let’s just say that the head pops out quicker than a can ring. It’s much like the previous Raikage’s lariat. That’s what I’m gonna use on the hokage.” There was a rustle above, and then silence again. “That’s right… show yourself…” Goro muttered, his smirk growing. Seconds ticked away, with no new move from either side. “Why don’t you go in hiding, sweet cheeks?” Goro told the woman. “That bastard not seeing you might work to our advantage.” The woman glared at him for the briefest of seconds, but did as she was told. “Well,” the man continued nonchalantly, raising his voice. “I suppose, whoever you are, you just don’t care enough to come out and face us. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a village to ransack and some kage to kill.” They heard another rustle and Hideyoshi threw his first arrow in that direction… only to be met with an explosion of snakes. And fast as the speed of lightning, snakes stroke from above, one of the bigger ones going for Goro’s head. The brunette, Takeru, took out a barrage of kunais and with the help of his wind technique, took down the snakes in one swipe. They disappeared in a cloud of smoke. “Leave this to me,” he said with a smirk, reaching for his belt to take another blade, this one looked longer and sharper than the others. “I will take care of our visuals first and then force him to come out.” “He’s moving fast,” the mahogany haired man all but grumbled and another arrow rang out before Hideyoshi quickly changed his position. Goro touched the two identical hilts that were strapped to his back… the deadly blades that could be activated by chakra… but no, there was still time for it. Now was the time to tire the stronger opponent out. “Scatter and find him, no matter how.” the wicked grin was still there as his hand left the blades, assuring them mentally that they would soon have a taste of delicious chakra. “Now we begin our first hunt.” … Mitsuki moved from branch to branch, tree to tree, extremely fast; he had always been the fastest in his class, practically no one could beat him in his quick moves. No one other than Boruto; after their field trip to Kirigakure the Uzumaki had clearly improved his speed, living to the expectations of being the grandson of the Yellow Flash. The boy’s senses, however, were on high alert, there was one of those attackers who was fast too. As Mitsuki was making up a plan to lead them to the border, Takeru jumped ahead of him on a branch, forcing him to suddenly halt right there on his spot. “Knock knock,” the man said with a smirk. Mitsuki didn’t think. His mind had already succumbed into combat mode the moment he saw the man, exactly like how he was taught. Quickly completing the hand seals, he spread his hands in a crescent motion. “Fuuton: Kamaitachi.” Takeru’s confusion upon seeing who they were chasing, the person who had kage-level chakra resources was… just a kid… faded away and left in its place seething fury upon noticing the kid’s attack. What the hell?! A kid?! A fucking child without even a fucking headband?! Was this a goddamn joke?! Growling, he himself made quick hand seals and created a strong gust of wind to counter the wind scythe. Blue eyes met golden ones as they both stood their ground, the air blasting around them. Two could play that game if that was what this brat wanted. Not waiting for the wind to completely die down, the jounin threw one of his special kunais with precision, aiming directly at the boy’s heart, in an attempt to test his opponent. Mitsuki’s eyes were already on the weapon, he had been trained on similar attacks, there was no way he was going to let a kunai end him like that. Before the kunai could even hit the point the boy was, he moved out of the way as fast as lightning and when Takeru looked up, the blue haired boy was jumping on him with a snake morphing in the place of his arm. ‘Just what the hell is he?!’ Takeru thought. “Sen’ci Jashu,” the boy muttered as the snakes jumped towards the brunet. As he moved right above the man, Mitsuki took the chance to analyze the enemy. The man had cleverly hidden it beneath his clothing but he still had a split second to see the glint of a headband. The technique he saw the boy use almost made Takeru freeze - but he was quick to snap out of it and used the air currents to push himself away. One of the snakes’ fangs had grazed his hand, though, and it hurt. He balanced himself on a tree trunk on his feet and quickly flipped the bottom of a kunai open, reaching for the ointment inside. In a minute, the stinging from the bite had faded. He looked up in time to see Goro using one of his fire techniques on the boy, forcing the brat to redirect his attention. Snakes…? From the old legends he used to listen, that kind of technique brought an old fear to his mind… Mitsuki, on the other hand, quickly made new hand signs, now it was two against one in close combat… he had to be even faster than them both in thought and moves. An idea crossed his mind as his chest filled with large amounts of air and he let it all out. “Fuuton: Toppa!” As he did that, he jumped above Goro and used the wind against the fire the man was spitting from his mouth. The speed of the wind was so much that it made the fire change route against its will, moving towards Takeru and the trees closest to him. “Goro, watch it dammit!!” the brunet cursed as he attempted to move away from the now burning trees. It was a good thing he was functioning well under hard circumstances - otherwise there would be no way this inferno wouldn’t be seen by the village. That brat was either too clever or too damn lucky. The leader himself swore loudly as he quickly created two shadow clones. This person was good… damn good. He didn’t want to use the swords so soon. If they got out of control… Takeru landed next to him, searching the tops of the trees. Before he could even open his mouth, Goro stepped in. “Do whatever it takes to finish that guy.” “Boy.” the brunet replied curtly, and his tone was full of hatred and disgust. “Boy?” Goro’s eyebrows flew in surprise. Now, that was unexpected… to put it mildly. “Brat shouldn’t even be older than thirteen. Came to play ninja…” “That brat who came to play ninja just almost roasted you.” the blond’s tone was unimpressed. “No thanks to you!” Takeru almost spat out, rounding on him. “Why don’t you stop playing with fire and bring out the big guns?” “All in good time. Tire him out first, and then my babies can do their job. In any case, we can’t let him escape now that he has the chance to spoil our surprise. We have to finish him here before moving on to the village.” He felt the clones’ defeat as their memories rushed back to him, and he nudged his comrade, pointing at a direction to the far left of them. “There, get moving!” As he said it, they heard the twang of another arrow. Hideyoshi wasn’t being hot-headed like his two comrades, he had always been calm and collected in the battlefield, it was something he had learned due to years of experience. Being hot-headed and blood-lusted would only bring dismay on his side sooner or later. He focused on the person’s chakra. There! He threw an arrow but it only hit a tree, his amber eyes saw the quick shadow move to another place. Hideyoshi needed another plan or soon he wouldn’t have any arrows left and his only chance would be to go collecting them one by one. He focused again but the person was nowhere to be seen… had they escaped? No… whoever this person with immense chakra was, wouldn’t abandon a battlefield just like that. However, before he could even realize, a pair of long, elastic arms wrapped around him, breaking the ground right below him. How had he not seen that?! Before he knew it he was pulled right down into the earth, and something snapped… his bow, most likely, due to the sudden shifting. Sharp pieces stabbed into his arms and legs, effectively immobilizing him. Hideyoshi almost grunted out in pain… but that was when he finally saw the figure in front of his eyes. Panic shot up inside him and he quickly yelled out, “Wait!” His heart skipped a beat and he felt his breath hitching as he saw the enemy was... only a child… probably even younger than his own son? True, his chakra flared up like a supernova but the mahogany haired man knew it wouldn’t matter… not with the kind of power Goro had… if anything, this kid was walking right into a trap! “Kid, don’t do this!” he yelled desperately. “They are going to kill you!” Now it was Mitsuki’s turn to get baffled. This man cared? Why would he care about his own enemy? His father had always taught him that he shouldn’t show mercy for his enemy, for they wouldn’t show mercy for him either, but yet here it was, he was crying out for him not to continue. “The reinforcements are coming.” he stated simply, it was a fact, he had calculated the time in his mind. He had sent the message about five minutes ago, they weren’t that far away from the border. By this time, the message should’ve reached Lord Seventh. “No, you don’t understand, there is-!” but before he could even finish, Mitsuki had already turned his back on him and flew right away from his sight. “Kid no!!” He attempted to get out of the hole but the pieces of his broken bow stuck in his flesh were making this task impossible. “Seriously? You got caught by a kid?” he heard the mockery yet annoyance in Takeru’s voice as the man stepped out of the shadows. “Damnit, stop this!” Hideyoshi pretty much hissed between gritted teeth, looking up at the younger man with fury in his eyes. “You know what Goro is capable of, that is just a kid!” Takeru’s expression didn’t change. “So what? That runt is not gonna get it easy.” He twirled his kunai in his hand. “Maybe I will manage to get a piece out of it myself. Now hurry up and get your ass out there!” With that, he was gone too. Hideyoshi tried once again desperately to move, to do something… to no avail. … Mitsuki decided it was time to use the kunai his sensei had given to him. He had implemented his lightning jutsu inside the kunai and had just finished making about two more snake clones; this was going to take lots of chakra from him but hopefully it would take down who seemed to be the leader of this group; and if he had any luck, that fast man too. The clones were in position, surrounding the space Goro was spreading his own lightning attack. Mitsuki quickly made the hand signs. Clap hands - monkey. The clones copied him. “Raiton: Hebi Mikazuchi!” he muttered, low. And suddenly the circle he, his clones and the kunai he had placed on the top of a tree all activated the snake shaped lightning, moving fast towards Goro. Lightning, huh…? And a pretty unique technique too… well, maybe it was time to put all his best in it too… Reaching for the hilts strapped to his back, Goro put chakra in them and felt the blades flare up, bright blue and white. He looked up at the lightning snake, ready to meet it head on… it wasn’t like there was any other choice. “Raiton: Raiha!” he cried out before swinging the sword in one huge swipe, hitting the snake from its head. The blades hummed loudly with the chakra they pulled out of the jutsu… Goro could feel their excitement… it made him excited as well… “Let the real party begin!” Both lightning jutsus clashed, creating a large explosion in the area. Mitsuki had gone in hiding, already having predicted that such a clash would cause something like this. Sweat dropped from his forehead as he tried to keep his breathing stable. Just as he thought, the lightning snake took a lot from him. The explosion slowly died down. The boy peeked slightly from his hiding spot and scanned the area, black and grey were now the colors of a big part of Konoha’s forest. He thought about the time again, probably five more minutes had gone by, meaning a total of ten, and the reinforcements were still nowhere in sight. Just where were they? Surely they discovered his location, it couldn’t be hard especially after this explosion. Mitsuki didn’t see any sign of Goro either, but his instinct told him not to let his guard down, again, like his father taught him… without a corpse, there is no assurance of the enemy’s death. His amber eyes then noticed something stuck in the ground of the burnt area; a blade. The boy took a moment to assess the situation, his breathing bated. Did that mean… that his enemy was… dead? True, the lightning snake was powerful but to actually blow up a man who also had lightning based attacks…? In any case… a sword would help him greatly. He was pretty good at kenjutsu, and now while he was weak in chakra, he needed anything he could get his hands on… the leader wasn’t the only person he was fighting after all. Reluctantly making his mind, Mitsuki jumped swiftly and silently on the ground. Immediately, a barrage of kunais stuck on the ground on which he landed. The boy had no other choice but to duck, grab the sword and roll out of the way. “Come out come out, wherever you are…” he heard Takeru’s voice not too far from the bushes behind which he hid, he had quickly memorized their voices and scents. “Fucking snake brat… Takeru the cat is gonna catch you and fucking eat you alive, I swear it!!” It was clear in his voice, how annoyed the man was. Good, maybe he could drive him crazy a little bit more. His speed did not require more use of chakra, but using his stamina would slow down the recovery of chakra. Mitsuki was starting to take his first steps to run around the brunet when he was met with a blade coming from one of his sides. He barely had time to react to it and counter it with his own blade. He met the soulless smirk of the leader. This man… maybe he himself wasn’t one to talk, being only a synthetic human, nothing more than a replica in this world with some purpose… but Mitsuki had encountered many opponents, many enemies before, enemies even more powerful in their own right… yet he had never seen before anyone that looked less human… and more of a beast. “What is the matter kid?” the man said, his smirk growing more. “Feeling tired yet?” Lightning sparkled along his blade… the blade that looked so similar to the one he was wielding now, the blue haired boy noticed. “Or,” came Takeru’s voice before he could proceed more on that thought, and Mitsuki tried his best to avoid the next kunai attack… but he couldn’t act as fast. He felt the blades cutting his skin… “He’s just feeling down because he’s all alone, with no one to help…” Takeru came out of the woods, his smirk matching that of Goro’s. He stood there for a minute and looked around, as if listening to the sounds. “All this fighting and… still no reaction from the village you are hell-bent on protecting.” He jerked his head to the direction of the village as he looked at Mitsuki, as if to emphasize his words. And indeed, he was trying not to dwell on that too much so as not to distract from the battle, but it was peculiar that no one, not even a single jounin arrived yet. Konoha wouldn’t disregard a threat this close, especially after the latest attack, no matter who was fighting out there now... “Aww, look at his face, Goro,” the brunet smirked and closed the circle around the boy a little closer. “He only realized now how alone he is.” Mitsuki tried not to show how affected he was by this discovery… he focused on making up a plan to escape these two. Maybe it was time he started running back to the village and raised the alarm himself. He felt a slight burn on his superficial cuts. What he did next didn’t go unnoticed by the other two shinobi. The boy was healing the cuts and soon his skin was clean, no cut, just the few marks of blood that the cuts had provoked… but the wounds were gone. “So… the little snake can heal, huh? I bet that takes a lot of chakra from you.” That was right, although of course he wouldn’t tell them that. He kept sweating more and his breath was hitching more by the minute, this… fight was somehow taking more than it should from him… He really needed to end this sooner… Goro and Takeru took a step towards him, and Mitsuki had to do the one thing that immediately came to mind to buy himself some time. They were a temporary relief, but smoke bombs did work quite well for distraction. As his enemies’ vision was momentarily clouded by the black smoke, he extended his arm to grab the lower branch of a tree and pulled himself up. “That brat… I swear when I’m finished with him…” Takeru growled. “He’s coming close to his limit.” Rather than annoyed, Goro was enjoying every minute of it… he was in his element. “Keep attacking him psychologically. The rest will be dealt with Raiha.” His fingers caressed the half of his sword almost lovingly. Mitsuki landed safely trees away, with the sensor down it should take a while for them to find him again; thankfully he was good at hiding and escaping. He tried to keep his breathing steady… what was wrong with him? Sure he had used a good amount of chakra with the snake lightning but not enough to make him this weak, he felt his vision failing at times, like he was almost at his limit in the chakra reserves. Something wasn’t right, something definitely wasn’t right… last time he had felt like this was when he fought that Shizuma guy in Kirigakure… that glutton sword Samehada, together with the red mist sure had been a pain, sucking his chakra so easily like nothing… Wait… that was it…! That had to be it! His chakra was being sucked! That was the only explanation! His mind quickly went to thinking mode, he needed to figure out what was sucking it before they found him! And still this… silence, this inactivity from the village was beginning to unnerve him, as much as he didn’t want to admit it. Even if, by some inexplicable reason, no one could hear these sounds, even when they weren’t exactly being quiet… haven’t anyone seen the explosion? What was keeping Konoha ninja from rushing to this battle already? ‘Or maybe they just don’t care…’ The voice that returned in his head was so sudden that the boy involuntarily flinched. The same resentful, hateful voice that almost made him turn a blind eye when he first saw the rogue ninjas… But he couldn’t, he couldn’t leave his friends to the mercy of these beasts. ‘Oh? And where are those supposed friends now…?’ the voice asked with malicious delight. Mitsuki shook his head as if to get rid of the voice. He shouldn’t concentrate on this now… this was just a distraction. Distraction that could easily cause him to fail. Suddenly the earth shook and it almost made him fall from the tree. Dammit he had been found and caught with his guard down! ‘Focus, Mitsuki!’ his mind screamed as he jumped to the nearest trees. “Where are you going snake boy?! Want to play cat and mouse again??” he could hear Takeru’s teasing voice, where was the other one…? “You know no one is coming, don’t you?” he heard the laughter. “No one cares, no one knows you’re here! You’re just a nuisance, why would anyone come? Why would someone come for an outsider? You don’t even have a headband, you’re not a ninja y’know!” That made Mitsuki’s heart clench. No… he couldn’t let these words get to him…! ‘He is right, you know,’ the voice said, painfully in sync with the man. ‘You should’ve bailed when you had the chance. Now you’re all alone…’ “You are nobody,” the brunet continued. “No one moves a finger for a nobody. You’re not gonna make it out of here! You’re gonna die like the vermin you are, all alone!” ‘Why do you fight…?’ the voice whispered. As the man moved forward, the boy yelled in rage and jumped, again using his jutsu to extend his arm. Luck was with him this time, his arm wrapped around the man’s throat and tightened. Takeru came to a very sudden stop and gasped, and then tried to get Mitsuki’s arm loose, growing desperate when it didn’t work. The boy tightened his arm, but found himself lacking his usual strength to finalize the move… he needed it to keep his stand against the leader… The man’s color was slowly changing from purple to blue. His pupils dilated and he gurgled once more, his attempts growing feeble. Mitsuki had to let go, catching his breath. “Y-you…” Takeru coughed, gasping for air. “Y-you are a-an i-id-idiot… you s-should’ve… killed me…” his lips started to curl up in a smirk. “You’re… a goner n-now…” He didn’t have time to react, not even the time to sense the chakra of the person showing up behind him and just as Mitsuki turned around, he felt a sharp blade pierce his pale skin harshly, cutting it from one side to another; coloring his white and blue kimono in different shades of red. His body was paralyzed in shock, he felt the blood coming from his throat and out of his mouth, his amber eyes moved up to see his attacker… it wasn’t Goro… he was… very similar to the leader but it wasn’t him… how… had he not noticed there was another in the group…? Hiraku began shaking when he realized that he had just attacked a child, his breathing quickened, an icy smoke of breath left his mouth and he tried to gently pull out the sword… it only worsened when he saw the amount of blood spilling from the wound. The blond lost all ability to stand at the sight… his knees gave way and he fell on them, trembling all over. Tired and weakened as he was, Mitsuki still saw Goro’s murderous gaze a second before the charging man raised his sword high. His mind in automatic drive, he did the move that saved his life back in Kirigakure. “Fuuton: Toppa...!” He didn’t feel the blade… he only felt his heart clenching and the pain, the pain like someone just lit it on fire… He had no strength to keep standing… nor the will… with a silent sigh, he fell forward. “Goddamn brat… Gave us one hell of a fight…” The leader’s voice was full of hatred, disgust… He spat on the boy on the ground before turning to Hiraku. “Get a hold of yourself, you spineless coward.” Mitsuki could barely stay awake, his body was too weak… how had he come to this…? He was supposed to be the perfect fighting machine, he shouldn’t have lost… his father had made him perfect… His weak eyes saw Goro bend down and grab the second blade. The wicked smile widened. “You didn’t even see it coming, did you brat?” he said in a teasing tone. “This blade ate all your chakra without you even noticing.” Trembling from the pain and exhaustion, the blue haired boy was surprised - and disappointed - that he couldn’t even have made the connection. He had seen the legendary Samehada up close, felt the blade sucking his chakra… and let that blade do the same… he was too focused to just fight, fight for survival, fight for the village… The village… his… friends… At least maybe they were safe… if he had ensured that much, he still would have completed the mission… Goro’s face contorted in inhumane fury as he kept looking at the boy, who was still stirring, albeit feebly… This worthless pup had made them lose a considerable amount of chakra… they couldn’t go on to the village tonight with the state they were in right now… He had to pay. Hiraku noticed Goro raising his foot but his mind didn’t make the connection in time to stop what happened next. With a sharp, sickening sound, the leader’s kick smashed right on to Mitsuki’s chest, making the boy hiss in pain. “Why don’t you hurry up and die already, you pesky brat?!” “S-stop that, Goro! He won’t be able to move in this state! Let’s just leave him!” A female voice came from behind Hiraku, an amused snort. “You really are a newbie in this, aren’t you? Leaving the kid alive is the same as dooming your life. In this life, the enemy must die.” The woman, Suzume, bent down to look at Mitsuki. The boy moved his eyes to her. He felt his eyes burn, as well as his chest… was it the pain from the blade’s attack…? No… it was something else… the sensation almost felt familiar... “Tch… pathetic. How does a crybaby like you almost beat us and ruin our plans?” Cry… baby…? Once again, he was crying…? So that was the wetness on his face… But why…? He couldn’t be… upset because he was beaten, Shizuma had beaten him too back in the field trip, he didn’t recall crying back then… ‘Your father would be ashamed if he saw you like that now…’ the voice in his head said spitefully, and Mitsuki felt another pang in his heart. “Awww, or is it that this poor lone ranger is too afraid to die?” the woman continued in a mocking, sing-song voice and pulled out a kunai. “Let me end your misery honey, won’t you?” “I’m… not afraid… to die…” Mitsuki breathed out faintly but still with all the power he could muster, before he coughed up more blood splaying his lips… It was all he could do to just keep his consciousness… It was fading away, just like how the pain slowly was… Suzume grunted and wiped the blood from her face with a disgusted look in her eyes. Tch… damn brat. “I can see why you get on my comrades’ nerves, you truly are an annoying brat. No wonder you are here all alone.” The woman raised her blade with the intention of plunging it into the boy’s heart at once but the moment his amber eyes met her own, Suzume froze in shock… these eyes… those damn eyes that she knew too well…! She quickly got up, sweating hard. “No way…” “The hell are you doing Suzume?! Finish him!” Takeru muttered, annoyed. “Forget it, I’m out of here!” And with that, she took off, without another glance to spare their way. “What the fuck was that…?!” Summoning up the last dregs of his consciousness, Mitsuki had made his mind. The village was the next target… and no one was coming, maybe they weren’t even aware, although he didn’t know how… if he could delay them a little longer… Monkey… Ox… Maybe it was his sluggish movements, but he never found the time to complete the Paralyzing Jutsu. A kick dangerously close to his face forced his hands apart and came crashing down on his right arm. The boy heard his bones crunch but he could no longer feel the pain. “This vermin seriously grates on my nerves. Hiraku, I have a job for you.” Hiraku inclined his head to their direction, but didn’t give any other sign of interest. This got a ‘tch’ from Takeru, while Goro just rolled his eyes with an impatient huff. Then he quickly bent down, grabbed a fistful of Mitsuki’s hair and jerked his head up. “Get your hands on that sword of yours. I want the boy’s head.” "W-What?" the other man managed to stammer, unable to believe he said just that. "What, never heard of trophy hunters?" Goro asked, his smirk taking on a more insane quality. "I won this hunt, and I want my trophy. You are not a weakling, are you? Bring me the boy's head." Bile rose up in Hiraku's throat as he realized what kind of an inhuman being his companion truly was. "You bastard! I'm not doing that to a child!" Goro didn’t say anything for a moment, squinting at him with great distaste. "Fine, I'll do it myself." Goro said and dropped Mitsuki roughly to the floor, going for the sword that was next to Hiraku. "No! Goro, stay away from the boy!" Darkness overwhelmed Mitsuki, but not before he saw a shadow nearby, someone who felt familiar... Then he felt the presence of someone warm, someone he could trust... and he felt no more.

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.2 - The Aftermath

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 - You’re here

"The sudden and violent attack on the Konoha orphanage left citizens shocked and in fear as the threat of a former enemy lurks over Konoha. While there is no confirmation that the incident is indeed linked to Orochimaru, one of the two legendary sannins still alive, the Hokage office searches for every possible clue. Thirty of the kids who are-" That was when Mitsuki decided that he didn't want to listen to more of it and turned off the television. The sun was barely up and the Konohamaru platoon was supposed to meet later for an easy mission and a training, but its youngest member had not slept very well to greet the new day. The days leading to the new moon had always been hard for him, and this cycle has been no exception, only topped with the recent incident. Was it really his father? Not much has been publicized yet about last night, and although Mitsuki didn't really believe his father was in any way involved, he found himself wondering why the Sannin had been the first person to come to mind. It wasn't really a matter of trust, because he refused to believe Orochimaru could act on impulse and without a good reason. It was a matter of curiosity. He proceeded to the counter to take a pill for his increasing headache when he heard his phone chime. He picked it up to see a text message from his best friend.

"Wanna catch up with us for a late b-fast? Sensei is gonna meet us there later." He thought about it for a moment, then typed. "Sure." Maybe a little walk could do good to clear up his head a little. ... It was a nice day outside, neither too cold nor extremely hot. They were to meet in a cafe they had frequented over the past year, when they kind of got bored of the numerous fast-food restaurants around the town. It was small, cozy and didn't have many customers around this hour, so it had, in one way or another, became their safe harbor. "We were beginning to wonder when you would be coming," Sarada said good-naturally when she saw Mitsuki approaching. "Boruto was about to come and get you." "I walked around for a while," Mitsuki said simply. Boruto and Sarada looked at each other for the shortest of seconds. "Is everything alright?" the girl asked finally. "Yup. So when will we get going?" said the blue-haired boy, sitting down on the chair next to Boruto and grabbing the toast that was among the many things his friends ordered. "Konohamaru sensei said he will be here in about half an hour." Boruto explained, also digging in. "Seems like we have a simple mission at hand, and then a training afterward." "Do you know what kind of mission?" "Well, we thought it might have something to do with... the orphanage," Sarada said and Mitsuki actually stopped for a second before he moved on to take a bite from the toast. "Apparently, there are a lot of things that need to be done, and most genin teams are already assigned." When his friend kept his silence, Boruto frowned a little. "Dude... you sure you don't want to talk?" The blue-haired boy looked at him with raised eyebrows. "And you became the team therapist, when...?" "You know what I mean! If you..." "Boruto." Mitsuki cut in, giving him a level look. "I'm not gonna break down or anything, as you well know, so let's just eat in peace, okay?" The blond thought better than to push forward. "Sure." he said, returning to his meal. ... “Wait… our mission is in the grade school?” Konohamaru sighed before rolling his eyes. “For the fourth time, Boruto… yeah, it is.” Boruto folded his arms with a slight pout before looking to the side. “Well I’m sorry I didn’t think they would give us a babysitting assignment, ‘ttebasa.” “And again, it’s not a babysitting assignment. We were requested by their homeroom teacher to demonstrate the ninja rankings - apparently, there are quite a few students who are interested in the ninja career.” “It makes sense.” Mitsuki mumbled. “After all, we are one of the two teams who has two genins, a chuunin and a jounin.” “Not to mention the current Hokage’s son, and the future Hokage.” Sarada said a little proudly, earning herself a glare from the blond. Konohamaru couldn’t help but smile at his team’s antiques. “Well, hurry up, you guys. We are expected to be there in half an hour.” … To be mild about it… the mission didn’t start as they expected at all. “Where do babies come from?” “C-come again?” Boruto stammered out, completely taken aback, just like his teammates, while the mortified homeroom teacher chided the children, a number of fifteen six-year-olds. “Now kids, this isn’t our topic of discussion-” “Bah, we already know the stupid old ninja ranks.” “And you wouldn’t explain to us when you went to meet your child last week - maybe they can.” At a loss for words, the three pre-teens looked sideways at their sensei. Konohamaru, who had gone very red in the face, became even more uncomfortable under their gaze. “W-why are you all looking at me, kore?” “Well, you are the adult.” Boruto pointed out. Sarada cleared her throat, feeling like she should take the lead as the next responsible person. “Uh… I guess we can say they come from the hospital.” The kids didn’t look at all impressed with the answer. “Well duh…” “Laaaaame…” “We’re not three-year-olds you know…” “Well…” Mitsuki chimed in helpfully and all the heads turned to him. “Sometimes… they come out of test tubes, too.” A hushed silence fell over the class as his team and the teacher gaped at the blue haired boy, complete with their mouths open, wondering what on earth was he talking about. “That’s… wow…” one of the kids finally whispered, awed. “Way better than the ‘storks brought you’ theory!” “Hey, does that mean there’s a baby lab somewhere?” Before he could say anything more and add to the awkwardness, Boruto, standing next to him, clasped his hand over Mitsuki’s mouth. The teacher was the first to snap out of it. “Very well,” he said, turning a triumphant and scary smile on the grade schoolers. “If you know the ranks so well, why don’t you enlighten us?” The first kid who spoke smirked. “Simple. Gonin. Juunin. And… er…” “No no, you got it wrong. It’s Ronin, Shunin and Kyuunin.” “Hey, you just made it up!” “So what? Do it better!” “Is it true you are the Hokage’s son?” Taken aback by the kid’s question (and more so by the fact that one of them finally spelled a rank correctly), it took the blond a while to reply. “Err… well, yeah.” The kid who asked the question gave him a once over. “Funny, you don’t look like it.” And immediately, Boruto’s expression became irritated. “Why you little brat…!” “Just let it go, Boruto!” Sarada turned to the students with a smile. “Okay, I will fill you in on the ranks. The lowest ninja rank you can attain is Genin, like my friends here.” She pointed at Boruto and Mitsuki. “You have to have a special set of skills to become Genin.” “Like what?” “Something you would have to figure out by yourselves when the time comes.” “Are all the Chuunins this boring?” the kid who had spoken up to Boruto asked with a yawn. The girl’s  cheeks flushed red with this. “Hey…!” The blond raised an eyebrow as a knowing smirk made its way to his face. “Hey, just let it go Sarada.” “That’s not the same!” “Sure it isn’t.” “And you become a Chuunin with an exam.” Mitsuki intervened immediately when the tension in the room suddenly increased tenfold. “If you remember, me and my team took it last year.” “How come only she became Chuunin then?” “Well, that’s because-” Sarada began, but was cut in. “Because she’s the daughter of Uchiha Sasuke!” a girl said with starry eyes, bringing the black haired girl to a halt. “H-how do you know that?” “That’s nothing to do with it.” Boruto said dismissively, and the girl found herself stiffening. “Uncle Sasuke took me in as an apprentice too.” “Are you trying to underestimate me?” the girl asked in a dangerous whisper. “Wha- it’s not your skills that are in question here, Sarada, it’s mine!” “Yeah well, maybe they do need some polishing.” “You two...” Konohamaru began with a frown, knowing which direction this was going. “Hey, if you’re gonna lash at me, why don’t we do it the old-fashioned way?” “Fine by me!” Without waiting, Sarada lunged at Boruto, who turned to face her in expectation… But before things could escalate any further, Mitsuki quickly worked his jutsu, extending his arms to catch his teammates from the middle and push them to the corners of the room. There was a round of collective gasps and a few oohs from the students. “And this,” the blue haired boy said pleasantly, “is not the way a Genin or Chuunin should act.” The kids began clapping Mitsuki. They couldn’t help it. Soon, Sarada and Boruto joined in the laughter as well. … “Well… this mission went well!” Boruto exclaimed with a huge grin. “The kids loved us!” “Well? To the contrary, I’m disappointed.” Konohamaru spared an unimpressed glance to the most vocal members of the team. “We were there to demonstrate those kids the ninja ranks, for one thing. And you guys’ behavior set them a bad example.” “Yeah, it wasn’t like those little punks were very interested.” “Irrelevant.” “Just because they said you didn’t look like Hokage-sama’s son…” “Hey, at least they didn’t call me boring.” “Enough, you two.” The Sarutobi’s voice was stern now. “You could both take a leaf out of Mitsuki’s book. I expect better collaboration in the training - if you want to defeat me, that is.” Just then, they were interrupted by a jounin coming up to them. “Konohamaru-san… you and Sarada-chan are required to attend a meeting in the hall in half an hour.” The Sensei and the Uchiha exchanged a brief look, already having an idea of what the meeting was about. “We will be there.” the young man replied crisply, and turned to the remaining members of his team. “All right, in light of this, we will have to cancel our training session. I will rearrange it for tomorrow and let you guys know.” “Aww man, now that Sarada is a Chuunin you two get all the fun!” This time, Konohamaru grinned as he punched the Uzumaki lightly on the shoulder. “All the more incentive to push yourself harder for the next exams. See you two tomorrow.” … The meeting hall was filled to its maximum capacity. Konohamaru, seated in the front lines where the Sarutobi clan members were, took a look around the huge room. All the six important clans were here, including his, as well as many important jounins and the ANBU. Naruto, the sixth Kakashi Hatake and some of their trustees were standing at the very front, facing all those who had gathered. They had just briefed all the Hokage office gathered about last night. For some odd reason, the setting reminded him of trials. There was a buzz of talking, which ceased immediately when Naruto cleared his throat. At the small pause before he started, Konohamaru met the eyes of Hyuuga Hanabi, who blushed slightly and gave him a very small smile, which he returned. "We've analyzed the nature and technique of last night's attack thoroughly." Naruto began, and everyone in the room returned to business mode. "The odds are in favor that Orochimaru is indeed after the attack. Three eye-witnesses reported that his curse mark was visible on the culprit." Naruto paused for a moment. Everyone in the hall kept their silence, but some of them looked at each other, as if coming to a silent agreement. "Now as for the precautions, we will triple the border guards and change the frequency of their shifts-" Konohamaru heard his clan's leader clearing his throat. Naruto looked over at him. "Yes, Sarutobi Kichiro-san?" he asked politely. “Excuse my intervention, Nanadaime-sama,” the leader of the Sarutobi clan started in a somewhat cold manner. “But I believe there’s a matter of utmost urgency before all these precautions.” There were murmurings around the room. “Please, share,” Naruto prompted, still politely formal, although wary of the calculating look in the old man’s eyes. He thought a brief, sarcastic smile appeared on the man’s lips before Kichiro turned to look at the people gathered in the hall. “Wouldn’t you agree,” he said, fixing his gaze on the Hokage again. “...that exiling Orochimaru’s son, Mitsuki, is our top priority?”   

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.11 - Lost Hopes

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 | Chap.8 | Chap.9 | Chap. 10 | Chap.11 - You’re here

Sarada was counting in her head as her father continued his brisk pace. They were almost out of the hospital building, she could see Boruto in the Hokage's arms in front of them... "Papa..." she whispered, her voice tight and low with the sobs, tears still sliding down her cheeks. "It's been a minute and a half... P-please, let's just turn back..." Her voice became tinier then. "I need to know..." she couldn't finish her sentence, but still, Sasuke didn't stop. "Papa..." Sarada said again, becoming almost hysterical. "Please, I-I'm begging you... We need to be with him..." "Your mother is with him." That was all Sasuke told her as he continued walking away from there.

"No! Papa please!" Sarada squeezed her eyes shut as she kicked her legs, trying to release her body from her father's grip. And then she felt it, fresh and cold air hitting her straight in the face, causing her hair to fly. Feeling a new source of power from his daughter, and quite confused by this, Sasuke looked up at her, slightly frowning. What he saw made his eyes slightly widen. An intricate flowery shape in the place of her irises... He indeed almost came to a stop. No, this was too early... Once they reached outside, he put her down but still held her tightly by her shoulder, making sure she didn't run back inside as soon as he let her go. "Papa please let me go!" yelled the girl. "Sarada, you need to calm down," he replied in his calm voice, even though he was too worried about what he had seen. "How?! How can I calm down!? He is in there, he is dying!" "Your mother and the medics are doing everything they can. Even if you were in there, there is nothing you can do." "I don't care!" the girl screamed, shaking uncontrollably. "He needs us!" "There is nothing you can do." the man said once again, firmly. "You will stay right here until there is something new from the inside. It's all up to him now, you being inside or throwing a tantrum is not going to change the outcome. Calm down." Boruto was still subconsciously gripping his father's clothes as he cried his heart out, the images of what he had just witnessed wouldn't leave his mind, he didn't think it would disappear so soon... Mitsuki's hand trying to hold his own, his last words, how his head dropped to a side and his hand slipped away... All of it only made the younger blond grip Naruto's clothes tighter. He heard all of Sarada's and his master's discussion and he wanted to say something too, agree with his childhood friend, but words weren't forming. Naruto was holding him tightly, caressing his hair gently, not saying anything. He was holding his careful control in place for both of the kids' sake, to keep his worries and sadness inside, he knew he had to just trust Sakura and Tsunade... And Mitsuki... he would make it... he was a strong boy, he would make it... "Take it back..." he heard Boruto mumble in between his sobs. He didn't remember the last time his son had a complete breakdown like this. "Take it back, take it back... I-I can't... Take these three days back..." The boy's hand gripped his clothes harder as sobs continuously rocked through his body. Naruto stopped caressing his son's blond locks, lighter than his own, and he just stayed there with his hand resting against his head. The Hokage closed his eyes tightly at his son's plea... "I wish I could... believe me, I would go back if I could..." But he couldn't, and the harsh, cold reality was right there before his eyes... Mitsuki was dying and Naruto could only pray that he would make it. It hurt... it hurt him so badly, not just to see a child's life slip away like this but a child that he knew, that was close and important to his son, a child that just a few days ago was alive and well... He didn't even know how the boy had taken his words to his heart... How he considered them a second family... How much didn't he know about Mitsuki...? "Dad..." Boruto looked up at him. "Please... please go back inside... I can't leave him... I need to be by his side... Please... I promised..." The boy couldn't complete his sentence as he once again snuggled closer to his father, his crying muffled as he buried his face in Naruto's chest. Naruto returned to caress Boruto's hair, in hopes it would calm him down, like he and Hinata did when he was younger. "We will go back when your aunt Sakura says it's good okay...?" But Boruto just shook his head, he didn't want later, he wanted now... Naruto glanced at Sasuke and Sarada, she seemed to be rather calm but still crying. He noticed her irises were red... sharingan? No... there was something different... it couldn't be... 'Mangekyou Sharingan...!?' Naruto was shocked... she was barely thirteen...! His mind was reeling... He wanted, needed to ask so much to Sasuke... but this wasn't the time... "I'm going to come back and take you when your mother says you can see him." The older Uchiha was saying. "I promise..." Then Sasuke inched his head slightly up, his eyes moving to Naruto. It was clear in his eyes - he needed to be inside... With Orochimaru there, they couldn't afford any mistakes... Naruto gulped and nodded to him, telling him silently that this was under his control. As his friend rushed back inside, he approached the girl and kneeled down to her level, hugging her with his free arm. "Three minutes..." Sarada whispered, snuggling closer. "Lord Seventh... why don't they say anything...?" Naruto closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and looking at the hospital's entrance where his friend had just disappeared into. "I wish I knew Sarada... but we can only wait... and pray..." It had taken a while, but both the children eventually calmed down a little and pushed themselves gently away from the Hokage. They were too restless to stay put, they started pacing around. At least they didn't try to run back to the building... A soft, calm drop on his nose made the man do a double take and he looked up... just in time to see a small leaf drifting through the air, landing just before his feet. Then tiny drops started to fall as a light rain began. Naruto's heart skipped a beat... Boruto stopped abruptly, gazing at the sky, tiny drops landing on his face. "Mitsuki...?" he whispered, so soft that it was almost inaudible. No... it wasn't... it couldn't be the meaning of that... it was just a coincidence, right...? Naruto wanted to believe that...but it was so hard considering the situation. A distant sound echoed through the clouds, the thunders. Just as a second thunder echoed, Naruto heard paces coming from inside to the outside of the hospital. And he looked up to see a fit of short pink hair. His heart jumped to his throat, and before he knew it, he had met her halfway. Sakura looked very worn out, her hands shaking and her eyes brimming with tears as she approached him quickly, not quite meeting his eyes. 'Please... no...' Naruto thought, his breath getting caught as he tried to suppress a sob. "Sakura-chan..." he said, his voice so weak that it barely even reached his own ears. Sakura quickly looked towards the kids, who Naruto then realized that haven't followed him, maybe because of how they were still too shocked to move - or comprehend. Sakura took in a shaky breath, and finally met his eyes as a lone tear slid down from her eye. "It was close..." she whispered, her voice tired and strained. "Very, very close... Oh, god..." As his friend started crying softly, Naruto felt part of the weight from his heart lift and literally sagged, shedding a tear himself, realizing how grateful he was that he didn't need to explain to his son and Sarada that their best friend couldn't make it. "Please... tell me that you beat the shit out of the bastards who could do this to a child," Sakura choked out. "He is fighting... He is stubborn, thank god, I will give him that, but... His heart has become so weak, even Tsunade-sama can't tell for sure if he's out of the risk zone yet." "Is he...?" the blond began, but wasn't sure how to continue it. "We got his heart beating again, but he drifted into a coma by the time we stabilized him," Sakura said sadly, and heard her friend gasp. "In a way it is better, because he needs the time to get his body to heal itself - we were actually considering keeping him in a drug-induced coma if everything went smoothly. But now... We don't have any control over when he will wake up." Sakura hesitated for a second before slowly adding. "If... he will wake up." "No..." Naruto mumbled softly, feeling like his heart was breaking into pieces. His friend put a hand to his arm, and glanced briefly at Boruto and Sarada over his shoulder. "You need to talk to them." "Leave the hardest part to me, why won't you?" Naruto mumbled brokenly. A bitter smile, one without any kind of humor, flashed on Sakura's face for the briefest of seconds. "I need to get back in. Try to ease it up to them..." As the med-nin turned her back to go, the blond tried not to let the heaviness in his heart weigh him down. A coma... A dark, endless stretch of space where they probably had no means to reach Mitsuki... A kid, who was at the very beginning of his life... How did it all come to this?... He turned his back, and almost bumped into Boruto, who was running to him, Sarada close behind. Boruto looked at his father with huge eyes, his breathing hitched to the point of hyperventilation. "Dad...?" he asked in a small, fearful voice that didn't belong to him. "Is Mitsuki...?" Sarada couldn't finish her sentence. Naruto gulped once, then looked at them squarely in the eyes. "I'm sorry, but..." "N... no... NO!" Boruto screamed immediately, staggering back a couple of steps, shaking his head fervently as tears streamed freely down his cheeks. "He didn't... He couldn't..." Sarada choked, as her whole body began shaking with unsuppressed sobs. "He didn't die, he didn't DARE do this to us, he promised!" "Why couldn't we be there, too? Why didn't we help him?" the young Uchiha mumbled in shock, in a high-pitched, monotonic voice. "It won't happen next time... We won't make the same mistake next time..." "Boruto... Sarada..." Naruto tried to intervene. "I'm gonna kill him!" Boruto continued, not even hearing his father. "Just... just wait until he decides to wake up, he is gonna pay for putting us through this! What gave him the right?" Both Boruto and Sarada came to a stop when they felt the Hokage's hands clasping on their shoulders. "I'm sorry," Naruto whispered, and the pain in his voice made both of them look up. The hokage's usually bright blue eyes seemed to have taken on a dark and stormy quality as he looked at them, trying to keep it together. Kneeling in front of them, Naruto pulled them in a hug, as Boruto and Sarada kept crying, their mumbling becoming unintelligible through the sobs. "Mitsuki is saved." he whispered, drawing them closer and rubbing their heads. Boruto's eyes widened, and he pulled himself a little away to look at his dad. "He is...?" Naruto gulped and nodded, trying to choose the right words this time. "He is... But..." "But...?" Sarada asked, also pulling herself away a little. "Sakura-chan said that they did everything they could, but... Mitsuki fell into a deep coma... And due to the severity of his wounds, it is unknown when he will wake up..." He paused for a moment, then sighed. "They... they don't even know if he will wake up..." He felt his son stiffen. "No... no..." Boruto pushed against Naruto with all his might, and the latter let him go this time. "You're lying! H - he... No..." With that, Boruto and Sarada sprinted toward the doors. Everything else was just a blur, the people they passed by turning to look at them, their voices jumbling together... Shikadai looked up from the place he had slouched down, wheezing, as he heard hurried footsteps approaching. His mind in automatic drive, he just sprang up on his feet and followed his friends into the room, his vision almost blinded with an odd sort of blur. He almost ran into Boruto as the blond and Sarada abruptly stopped just inside the room. Mitsuki... was sitting upright on the bed... as he heard them enter, he turned to look towards the doorway, and the confused look on his face turned into a full, heart-warming grin, one that they often see him wearing. "Boruto... Sarada..." he mused, so softly that they couldn't be sure if it was a trick their senses were playing on them. As his ears finally picked another quiet, rhythmic sound, Boruto made the mistake of blinking. He heard Sarada gasp beside him. His friend was lying on the bed, and if he didn't know exactly that this was his room, he might have had trouble recognizing him. There were even more bandages, so much so that if Mitsuki was awake, Boruto would have teased him about turning into a mummy. He was also connected to so many machines that the blond couldn't help but think... that the machines did the basic task of surviving for his best friend. And survival... was one thing Konohamaru platoon never failed before. Sarada brought both her hands to her mouth at the broken sight of her friend as she started reliving the horrors of a few minutes ago. "No..." she whimpered before her legs gave way, and she crumpled to the floor, sobbing hardly as she brought her arms to hug herself, her head hanging low. Boruto slowly took a couple of steps towards the bed, his eyes huge as he practically drank in Mitsuki's unmoving form, hearing the dull echo of the proof that the younger boy's heart was doing its proper job. He stopped, now he was right beside the bed. Surely Mitsuki would hear him? And if he heard him, surely he would respond, too? He raised his arms slowly, grabbed his friend's arm as gently as he could, and gave him a slight shake. "H... hey... Mitsuki..." he heard his voice. Or, at least, he assumed it was his voice, though it didn't sound like him at all. "Come on... Stop joking..." he whispered in the same stranger tone, and a shaky, bitter smile made its way to his face. His friend would respond in a way... right? "You... you got us... Come on..." His voice broke as a sob shook his frame. "Open your eyes..." he mused, almost pleadingly. "I... I p-promise I won't be mad..." Just for once... "Mitsuki...?" he said weakly, hanging on the last threads of hope. There was no response. Only Sarada's soft crying and the steady beeping reached his ears as he continued to gaze at the blue-haired boy's unmoving form, his closed eyes... Boruto fell on his knees by the bed, holding onto Mitsuki's hand as if for dear life as he started crying his heart out… Having no more words, none of his brilliance to offer, the young Nara just slumped against the wall behind him and slid down, bringing his knees up to his chest, just… existing in the moment. … Naruto had barely caught up to his son, Boruto could indeed act very quick when he put his mind to it. He came to a staggering stop when he reached the glass panel, watching as his son and Sarada completely broke down by the child who loved them so much, the child who had been a normal kid just a couple of days ago... He put his left arm on the glass, leaning a bit over it and putting his forehead on it as he brought his right hand to his mouth. "Oh god..." he whispered, broken... It was not easy... But he had to remember that he had another task. He peeled his eyes away from the room and turned back, carefully avoiding everyone's gaze but Kakashi's. "I'm going to the office to oversee the interrogations," he declared and felt all eyes turning to him. He knew he wasn't going to be able to rest, not until he at least made sure that those scoundrels who did this to Mitsuki were adequately punished. Kakashi nodded, without looking away from the room. "I'm coming with you." … Just as they walked out of the building, the blond immediately spotted a tall, black haired man waiting for them. Orochimaru straightened from where he was leaning against the wall, gazing at them with a cold, insatiable fury. "I am coming with you, too." That made both of the men hesitate for a second. "That... might not be the best idea..." Naruto finally said, regarding the man warily. "That was not a request. That is my son those low-lifes very nearly killed, I am the one who should be handling them." "We don't need man-slaughter now. We need answers..." "Then I suggest you better be quick with them. Konoha already tested my patience to the limit. I assure you that you will not be spared more of it." The Hokage just looked at him for a minute, trying to negotiate his way around this. "You will not lay a hand on the prisoners." "As long as they have reason to breathe." "Not at any time. They will receive the punishment they deserve by law, not by the hand of an individual." "Do not push my limits." the sannin said, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "These are our terms." Kakashi cut in. "You are in Konoha under a different identity, and we won't allow you to blow it and thrust the village in chaos." "That wouldn't even be close to what you deserve." the older man spat. "But I'm not gonna stand here and waste any more time. Your terms apply - for now." Naruto gulped inconspicuously and nodded, leading the way as their haste erased the necessity of talk between them. ... His actions weren't conscious. He was just treading down the same road he used every day, a familiar route to him already, something his mind automatically tracked. "Naruto...?" he heard Kurama calling for him inside his head, but he tuned him out for now. His rage, his unquenchable anger kept his pace brisk and unfaltering. Images... the kid's voice... They kept replaying in his head... 'But lord seventh... I consider you family, too...' The one last smile Mitsuki gave to him before he walked out... 'Let me protect my family...' The time they found him, covered in blood, fighting to stay alive... 'Thank you... for everything you did...' Boruto and Sarada, screaming for the child to come back... Naruto burst through the doors of the office building, and once again let his mind take control as he stormed to the interrogation rooms. He vaguely registered Shikamaru's face. "We were waiting for... Naruto??" the man exclaimed in shock, seeing the expression on his face. He was soon followed by a black haired man, that Shikamaru was almost sure he didn't know at all, even though he was wearing a Konoha headband, and Kakashi. It was clear that the Hokage was pissed off as he nearly jumped on one of the ninjas being interrogated, grabbing him by his collar and lifting him up as he pushed him against the wall. It was only then that Shikamaru snapped out of it and quickly worked his jutsu. "Naruto, calm down!" he shouted, though he couldn't help but wonder... what could have happened to make the hokage this aggravated? Kurama had only said that Mitsuki was attacked out of Konoha... "Let... me... go... Shikamaru..." Somewhere along his blinding rage, Naruto suddenly became aware of the fact that he should tell his advisor of what Shikadai witnessed tonight. It didn’t help much to calm his nerves. "I don't want to take it out on you." "You losing your head is not gonna get us answers," Sai came next to them and put his hand on the Hokage’s shoulder. "Let us deal with this." Meanwhile, Kakashi was having a hard time trying to hold back Orochimaru, mainly because he himself couldn’t care less if the two rogue nins inside were given a slow and painful death. "You don't want to drop your disguise." he said in a decidedly calm manner, only for the sannin to hear. "You do not know what I want..." hissed the sannin in a low tone as well, his eyes glimmering with hate and rage. He wanted nothing more but to rip apart those two ninjas inside the interrogation room... just like he had done with their leader... rip them apart... slowly and painfully until they begged and cried for mercy... Make them bleed, just like they had done with his son... Kakashi's hard look took on a sad, haunting quality. "Don't worry. They are going to get what they deserve." "Nothing you will ever do will be what they deserve...!" Orochimaru hissed through gritted teeth and... Kakashi actually felt the loneliness, the fear that was hidden deep, deep inside... Something the sannin would never, ever show... 'How much did you change... Orochimaru...?' he wondered to himself. "Let me go, Shikamaru!" They heard Naruto once again yell from inside the interrogation room. "Not until you let him go and calm down!" countered Shikamaru. "What the HELL did you want from a child, you bastards?!" Naruto yelled to the man's face. "How could you beat a thirteen-year-old to death?! What the FUCK did you want?!?" His voice ringed in the suddenly very silent room. After a moment of silence, one of the rogue nins actually spoke. "Did... the child... die...?" he murmured in a hushed voice. Naruto turned to the source of the voice; Hiraku, with even angrier eyes. "Why do you even care?!" "It's not our fault that the kid attacked us first! We simply defended ourselves!" said the rogue ninja that was being hung by Naruto's hands. Although unlike Hiraku, there was no hint of sadness or regret for the nearly dead child... There was actually a smirk forming on his face. "The kid only got what he asked for..." That was the very last straw. Naruto had not realized that Shikamaru had momentarily dropped the shadow mimic technique in shock, but he did when his fist connected with a satisfying thump to the face of this sorry excuse of a human being. Takeru actually lost his balance and tumbled to the floor, but the hokage grabbed him by his collar and slammed him against the wall hard, fire burning in his eyes. "You bastard..." he hissed, so angry that he was practically shaking. "I dare you to tell one more lie, and I swear YOU will get what you ask for." The smirk was still there. "Go ahead, kill me." he said. Getting killed would be an easier way than having to face the wrath of the kid's father, who was none other than one of the feared creatures on the planet, if not the most feared. "Lord Seventh," Ibiki approached him with a serious look. "This is exactly what scum like that wants, do not lower yourself to their level." "We... were after you." As the second nin decided to speak once again, all their eyes turned to him. Hiraku was looking directly at the hokage. "Excuse me?" Naruto spat, turning his attention to the other man. "You blubbering idiot!" Takeru hissed angrily, his smirk replaced by a look of disgust. Hiraku paid no attention to him as he continued to address Naruto. "Our purpose was to stage an assassination attempt." "Why? Why didn't you seek me out of the village then?" Naruto's voice rose as he stepped towards Hiraku. "Takeru is telling the truth. When we were close to the border... That kid stopped us." "Tch... that little brat ruined our plans and paid the price... that's how the ninja world works, all decisions come with a price." Ibiki put his hand on Naruto's arm and slowly managed to let the Hokage drop Takeru, only to take his place and grab the rogue ninja by the collar one more time. "Leave this to us." Naruto was speechless - both from his blinding anger and... because of what he just learned. Between Hiraku's blunt sincerity and Takeru's disgusting remarks, he now realized that... What they were telling... might very well be the truth... He felt a lump forming in his throat... Did Mitsuki really nearly lose his life... to protect him, as well as the village...? "Ryu will get everything out of them, down to what they ate for breakfast,” Sai’s voice was almost unemotional, but there was a scary quality in his gaze directed to the rogue ninjas. Naruto nodded, a fire burning in his throat. "Sai, Ibiki... You have my authorization to not hold back... at all." The two men nodded, accepting the orders gladly. Naruto made his way out of the interrogation room, clearly disturbed by the recent news, something that everyone including Kakashi and Orochimaru noticed. With Naruto's leave and the door of the interrogation room closing once again, Kakashi let go of the Sannin's clothes. … It was an hour before more news reached them. The office had become more crowded by the time; Kiba, Sasuke and Konohamaru arriving along with a number of other ninjas who had heard the attack. Even though the office was filled with people, silence reigned supreme aside from the occasional whispered discussion. Naruto had indeed watched the first half of Hiraku's interrogation - many people, especially Sai and Ibiki urged him not to interfere with Takeru's. He could hear shouting and a lot of slamming from inside there. He honestly hoped that when he next saw him, that bastard would be within an inch to his worthless life. Hiraku, on the other hand, had been pretty cooperative, giving easy and efficient answers to the questions. The more he watched him... the more Naruto realized what he had seen in the man earlier... was indeed regret. He felt like scum for ever hunting the boy... For even, as he confessed, stabbing him with his own sword... He was honest... But that wasn't enough. There were still missing pieces of the puzzle, to which the blond man agreed himself, telling them that because of his... weakness, as per say... he was sometimes kept in shadows by his squad members. It was then that those who were at the hospital arrived, and it took the joint strength of three ninjas to stop an agitated Konohamaru from storming into the rooms. He had caught a glimpse of Takeru, though, who in turn... had just smirked and looked away. The brunet had then broken hold of those who were holding him, rushed into the room, and punched the smirk out of his face. "I'm going to kill you bastards!" he had yelled before Ibiki himself and another bulky jounin had to restrain him. "You are going to pay dearly for what you did!" Takeru had wiped the blood trailing down from his mouth, not even fazed a little. "Sheesh, if you were gonna get so wired up about this, why didn't anyone come and help the child? It wasn't like we were keeping it down..." "I swear, keep this attitude and I'll chop you to pieces and feed all the remains to the dogs!" Ibiki had snarled, already having enough of this man. "Wait, what is that supposed to mean?!" Naruto had cut in. "What are you not telling us?! We didn't hear anything!" "We didn't move all night," the man said with malicious glee. "You practically left that kid to die." It had been hard, but finally they managed to get Konohamaru out of there. A knock on his door brought him out of his thoughts. The door opened to reveal the young Yamanaka, who bowed when he entered the room. "Lord Hokage..." he said, raising his head to meet his eyes. The sad, haunting look etched in them made Naruto do a double take. "What did you find out?" he asked in a low voice, carefully in control of his emotions. "Ex-excuse me for this, but... I would like a moment before I start?" Words stuck in his throat, all the blond could do was nod. After a couple of minutes and a glass of water, Ryu slowly raised his head again. "Forgive me, my lord... But what I witnessed..." "Tell me everything, all the smallest details." "That child... I never saw another kid like him." the man sighed before closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Those ninjas spotted him next to the river but didn't attack immediately... They, uh... waited... for his reaction." "Reaction? To what?" Naruto demanded, eyebrows furrowed. Ryu just gazed at him, his expression sadder. "They goaded him - talked about how they were planning to kill you and ravage the village - until Mitsuki took the first move. And then they stroke back... That Takeru... he was the first to notice they were fighting a child... Him and Goro - their leader - they decided to keep on the assault... Kill the child there, so he wouldn't rush back to the village and ruin their plan..." "God dammit!" Naruto was on his feet again, started pacing back and forth. "Why... why would he do that?! He had to know he couldn't win such a battle!" Ryu had no answer for that, but after a brief hesitation, the boy's sensei spoke up. "Because that's Mitsuki... He always cared for and protected those around him, that kid..." his shaky voice trailed off, then he looked at the Yamanaka. "And he probably didn't know the ninjas' elements?" Ryu nodded, a lump in his throat. "They toyed with him... Only using air and fire elements at first... Takeru and Goro attacked while the red haired man - Hideyoshi - kept shooting arrows in his direction - a sensory type by what I gathered. He and Hiraku, they... tried to help Mitsuki when they saw he was just a child, but Hideyoshi was incapacitated, and Hiraku didn't come in until the last second... Goro used his attack - the lightning charged blades he called Raiha - after Mitsuki took Takeru down..." "He did?" Those who were listening were impressed, despite themselves. "Yes... He fought good actually, almost at a jounin level, he took both Hideyoshi and Takeru out... But..." he trailed off again, his voice dropping down to a whisper. "They taunted him mercilessly about how he was alone, how no one was there for him... And topped with a technique he couldn't beat..." "Wait, go back," Naruto said, pinching his nose, trying to keep his voice level. "That bastard hinted at it, too... Why didn't we hear the child?" "Lord Seventh..." Ryu said, and sighed again. "There is this one key element here. Goro and Hiraku were powerful Kumo ninjas, true, but... they weren't the masterminds. Takeru, Hideyoshi and that woman... They were all from the Sound village, and they wanted to make a statement on behalf of their village against the peace treaty."

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.19 - The Gokage Meeting

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 | Chap.8 | Chap.9 | Chap. 10 | Chap.11 | Chap.12 | Chap.13 | Chap.14 | Chap.15 | Chap.16 | Chap.17 | Chap.18 | Chap.19 - You’re here

The trip to Konoha had been silent for most of the time, at least between Natsumi, her father and her uncle. Both the adult men talked with each other from time to time. She was just ten but Natsumi grew up to be a perceptive girl and she could see how tense her uncle and father were... Were they holding back something because of her presence? Or was it the meeting with the Hokage? Making up her mind to find out, she stood up from her seat. "I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back." She received just a simple nod from the two men. As soon as she got out of the bathroom, though, the young girl stopped and made sure no one was looking closely. Then she brought her hands together and whispered, "Bunshin no Jutsu."

Immediately, a clone of herself materialized next to her. "Alright..." Natsumi said to the clone, feeling a little awkward. "I'm gonna hide somewhere close and listen to their conversation. You will be my decoy if they came out looking for me." Although for how long was she going to be able to keep this... she didn't know. Besides her uncle being a sensor type, both he and her father were skilled ninjas and they could detect her at any moment. Climbing through the air tubes of the train, Natsumi tried to hide her presence the best she could (however she was not very good at it, yet). Once she reached the place above her uncle and father, the pink haired girl tried to listen to the conversation. "How bad is the situation?" she heard her father ask. "...Not good it seems, if we're not careful there can be more attempts like this." Gaara answered. "They managed to control the situation?" "They did, but it seems it was thanks to a genin who is close friends to Naruto's son." There was a small pause. "A genin...?" Natsumi heard her father's doubtful tone, but for some reason... she was having difficulty concentrating on the conversation as a whole. Her mind was reeling... a close friend of the Hokage's son...? Her uncle was silent once again and so Kankuro continued to wonder aloud. "But... how could a genin affect such a matter?" "I don't know all the details," Gaara admitted. "But perhaps it's not too... wise to speak about it in front of Natsumi. From what I gathered, it's not a pretty case." Kankuro followed his brother's gaze before returning to look at him. He sighed. "So it is more complicated than it seems." Gaara just nodded and Natsumi, finally snapping out of her thoughts but not entirely with her mind at ease, decided that it was time to go back to them before they started suspecting. A few minutes later the girl was back in the company of the two adults. Silence had gone back reigning the place and Natsumi was on her knees staring outside the window. Who was Boruto's friend that had gotten involved in this apparently serious case...? Before she knew it, the train entered the Konoha station and slowed down to a stop. The girl was barely containing her anxiety, literally rocking up and down on her heels. When they got out with the escort of her uncle's bodyguards, into the safety of the leaf village, she turned to look at her father. "Is it okay if I go ahead to aunt Temari's?" she was dying to know more about this situation, and she knew Shikadai would help her on the matter. Kankuro raised an eyebrow before sighing and smiling. He ruffled his daughter's hair before pushing her forward a little. "Go ahead, we won't go there for a while." Natsumi nodded and ran off towards the Nara household. "Aunt Temari! Are you home??" said the girl as she opened the door and kicked off her shoes. She looked forward and saw a blonde head peeking outside the kitchen. And in a moment, a smile broke into the woman's features. "Karura, Shikadai! Look who is in for a surprise!" she called out before wiping her hands to the apron she was wearing. In the next moment, Natsumi had charged in for a tight hug, which made the woman giggle as she returned the hug and put a hand on her niece's hair. "I didn't know you would be coming too." she said lightly, drawing back a little to get a good look at her. "Oh my, you have grown quite a bit." Natsumi giggled and gasped in surprise when she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her, lifting her slightly from the floor. "How's my cousin doing??" Karura asked as she put her down. Despite being the same age as Natsumi, Karura was taller than the pink haired girl. Natsumi smiled and hugged her back. "I'm doing great!" She looked at the stairs when she heard the lazy dragging of Shikadai's feet. With his hands in his pockets, the green eyed boy wore his typical lazy expression despite not having seen his cousin in a while. "Oh, hey." Temari put her hands on her hips. "Greet her properly!" "Too troublesome." "Shikadai..." "She knows what I mean, mom!" "Shikadai!" Rolling his eyes, the young boy did a mock, dramatic bow, the end of his ponytail almost touching the floor. "Welcome to the Nara residence, your highness. What can I do for you?" His theatricals caused both Natsumi and Karura to burst in laughter while Temari just huffed, shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you..." Karura took the chance to grin at her older brother and say, "...well, you can start by taking your highness's bag to her room." Shikadai rolled his eyes as he stood up. "Don't push it." he eyed Natsumi. "What brings you here? I thought only uncles were coming..." "I... might have sneaked onto the train...?" she answered with an innocent smile. [Flashback] "Natsumi sweetie, I need your..." Naomi came to a sudden stop as she entered her oldest daughter's room, while the young girl turned slowly to her with a sheepish expression. There was an awkward moment of silence. "Okay..." Naomi said, raising an eyebrow, clearly amused. "What is going on here?" "I, um..." the girl said, carefully drawing her right leg, which was out of the window already, back. "I... can explain?" she said with a sheepish, almost too innocent grin. "I'm sure you can." her mother said, putting a hand on her hip, the corners of her mouth twitched as if she was trying to suppress a smile. "Spill." "I heard that dad and uncle are going to Konoha..." Natsumi said. "And I... want to go with them. I packed my things last night." she said defiantly. "And does your father or your uncle know about your decision?" "Well... nope." Naomi brought her other hand to her chest almost dramatically, her eyes going wide. "Natsumi, I'm shocked! You plan to sneak onto that train..." "Yeah, but..." "Knowing that they leave for an important meeting..." "I know mom, but..." "And above all else..." Finally, the woman broke into a grin. "Trying to sneak out on me, like I would do anything to stop you!" Her daughter gaped at her. "You won't?" "Oh, dear, I thought you know me better than that." Naomi said with a chuckle. "Now, go on already. I believe the train will leave in fifteen minutes." [End of Flashback] The hall was filled with laughter. "I just missed you guys and Konoha." Natsumi finished her story with a big grin. But to her surprise... Her cousins didn't say anything else on that note, and Shikadai flung her bag around his shoulder before turning on his heels. "That’s cool." he said almost too nonchalantly, which made the pink haired kunoichi frown a little, something was definitely off... She waited until they reached her room before finally putting her card on the table. "Shikadai... I heard that... whatever happened that made uncle come here involved one of Boruto's close friends... who is it...?" Shikadai didn't face her and didn't tense up... like he already expected her to ask it. He dropped the bag on the bed. "It's nothing you should concern your little head at." "I'm not a kid anym-" "Shikadai," his sister started. "I think she should know." "No, she doesn't." "The village is big but not big enough to keep that from her, sooner or later she will find out and I would rather she finds out through us!" Their words were triggering something... something akin to physical pain... why would Dai try to hide it from her... unless it was someone she knew well... and it was indeed... very serious... "Dai... please..." the slight tremble in her tone was what finally made her cousin to turn to look at her. "Just... tell me...?" Karura nervously glanced at her brother, who sighed. "We... don't know the recent development in his condition..." he tried to mollycoddle it, but it was a feeble attempt. Catching the 'his' in the sentence easily, Natsumi felt like her heart skipped a beat. Shikadai sighed once more before dropping the bomb. "It's Mitsuki..." And her heart sank deeper than a sinking ship in a storm... her eyes widened and her hands quickly rushed to her chest. She found it hard to breath for a moment. Seeing that, Karura wrapped an arm around her cousin. "What... what happened...?" "We..." Karura started. "Well, I... don't know the details... just that some people tried to attack the village and... Mitsuki tried to stop them and got hurt..." "Tried to st... all by himself...?" her voice had turned weak, fading off at the end. The Nara siblings didn't say anything to that, but neither of them was making eye contact with her by this point. "B- but why...? How...?!" her voice rose up again, against the injustice she felt in those words. Shikadai sank down onto the bed, clasping his hands in front of him, his gaze still on the floor. "Because of some stupid, stuck-up people who thought it was a good idea to bully someone over something he can't control." was his mumbled response. "B-bully...? He... he was... being bullied...? By who?!" Karura sighed. "Some stupid kids... because of his origins." "But that's not fair!" the blonde gripped her cousin's shoulder harder. "We know... i-it's not clear but... some rumors say he did it to prove that he is part of this village as we are. Others... just say that... he was working with them and was betrayed..." At that Natsumi snapped as tears formed in her eyes. "No! I refuse to believe that! That's not the Mitsuki I know! He cares for this village, he wouldn't betray Konoha! That... that's not true... he... t-that's nothing like the boy I know... the same boy that helped me heal my ankle and didn't even get angry despite having been crushed by me..." "We know, Natsumi," Shikadai said in almost a resigned tone. "We never believed in those stupid type of rumors, either. I can’t, not with what I..." He didn't finish his sentence but the implication behind it made the tears flow down the young girl's eyes. Sacrificing himself for the safety of people he loves, even after what he had been through... that just felt so much like Mitsuki... Her fingers tightened over the fabric of her outfit, over her heart, as if she was trying to hold it in place. Karura rubbed her cousin's shoulders, knowing that her anxiety could take over her easily when she was distressed like this. "I want... I want to visit him..." both siblings looked at her. "I have to... he's... he's at the hospital right...?" Shikadai didn't meet her eyes. "Natsumi... you might not be prepared for this, he's in a coma right now... are you sure you want to see him like that...?" He sure as hell hadn’t been prepared to witness the worst of it, and he was two years older than Natsumi. Coma... good God... More tears threatened to fall, but her determination made the young girl close her eyes in an attempt to stop them. The look in her eyes left no doubt. "Yes. Y-you said he was b-bullied, right?" She lifted her head to look into her cousin's eyes. "Then at least we could... no, we should let him know that he is not alone." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Never alone." Finally, the green eyes met hers, and the Nara understood that his cousin was not going to give up... no matter what she would see. He nodded as he slowly got up. "Alright... I will take you to the hospital." ... It was indeed a very busy day in Konohagakure, and it didn't really have much to do with the Gokage meeting that was going to take place in a short while. Many voices could be heard, some angry, some calm but with a strong determination, but all discussing one matter that needed to be addressed. "What do you mean, you won't permit our children to go on missions?!" one of the Hyuuga asked, his tone practically enraged. "Be glad that they get to get away with this kind of punishment," Hanabi said calmly, meeting the man's gaze with a level look. "Under these circumstances, I should have given a harsher punishment." "This is already harsh enough!" another parent spoke up. "No missions means no money. He is the only one bringing home money! Lady Hanabi, you know what we had been through since my husband died at the fourth world war!" "I'm sorry, Akemi," Hanabi kept her voice determined but the look in her eyes had softened just a little. "But you should bring that matter up to your son. He should've thought before ganging up on a poor boy who is equally alone in Konoha." That was met with more protesting voices. "What did they do to warrant such a punishment?! They are only children, any children can go a little far with their pranks!" "We don't even know the true intentions of the 'poor boy' as you call him!" That was the last straw. When Hanabi's impatient and harsh tone was next heard, no one dared to speak again. "Intentions, right now, are irrelevant! Although allow me to say I believe Mitsuki has more of a backbone than any of you do! So for goodness's sake, stop pushing this matter over the edge already and consider this punishment as a token of my goodwill!" There was only silence now following her words. Satisfied, Hanabi continued. "As is decided by the leaders of all the clans involved, the children are required to attend counseling sessions. Moreover, there will be mandatory community service, the details of which will be specified shortly. That is all for today. You may continue with your daily affairs." As the crowd dispersed slowly, the young woman turned to one of the few remaining around her. "Follow every family and report back to me if there is anyone disobeying. If they do... next time, there will be fines involved." ... "I... I'm not sure if I understand you...?" "We would like you to claim the leadership of the Sarutobi." It took Konohamaru another moment to snap out of his surprised state. He cleared his throat. "Yes, but... even when Kichiro is sacked..." "Ichiro is still too young to take the position." one of the elders in front of him said, a serious look on his face. "That, and his compliance with his grandfather's decisions... make him an ineligible leader." "Which is another thing we would like to talk to you about," said the other elder. "If you find this suitable... we would like Ichiro to be supervised by you... A tutor of sorts, someone we can rely on to make sure he is well-mannered and experienced before he takes the leadership seat." "After all... who would be better than the grandson of the third, an excellent ninja himself?" The brunet's facial expression remained the same, still doubtful. "You're giving me too much credit." "And you are giving yourself too less credit. In any case, if you need help... you should know that all of the elders had conceded to your leadership." "All of them?" he asked, now genuinely baffled. It was extremely rare... almost unheard of that the elders of any clan, lest Sarutobi, to collectively agree upon something. "Yes, indeed. There is just one problem now, as you can imagine..." ... "I will never accept your leadership! The rightful head is still my grandfather!" There was nothing but insatiable fury and disgust in the teenager's eyes as he gazed up at Konohamaru, fists balled, teeth gritted. The young man stood his ground and said nothing, as the elder beside him spoke in a cool manner. "You have no choice in the matter. Your grandfather was relieved of his position because of how poorly he led the Sarutobi, endangering not only the clan but the village too. When you are of age, and if you are fit to be the leader by then... you will acquire the title. Until then our new leader is Konohamaru-san, and he will also be your tutor." "I don't give two shits about what you old farts think! My grandfather dedicated his whole life to this clan and this is how you thank him?! By just... just replacing him like he was nothing, only because that man is the Third Hokage's grandson?!" "If you still believe that is the only reason behind this decision..." the other elder said, frowning slightly. "this only proves our point that you are not yet ready." "You know what, I'm not gonna stay here to listen to your bullcrap!" With that, the young boy turned his back to them, ready to go. "Ichiro." Konohamaru then spoke, in a calm but firm tone. It was clear that Ichiro was almost going to act as if he didn't hear him... but he stopped nonetheless. "I expect you to report to me first thing tomorrow morning." Slowly, the teen's hands balled into fists once again, and he was visibly shaking, although most likely from anger. After a moment, he turned his head to glare daggers at the young man and then stormed out of the door, slamming it shut behind him. The elder to his left sighed, shutting his eyes before shaking his head. "What are we going to do with this child...?" Konohamaru sighed too, his eyes still on the closed door. "Well... at least he didn't say no to the last part." ... The small terrace on the Hokage building was seeing one of its busiest times. The Gokage meeting was just about to start, and the kages from four of the five main villages had taken their seats with their bodyguards standing around them. They were talking to each other in hushed voices, clearly curious, until a cough cut into the murmurs. "First of all, I would like to welcome all of you to Konoha and thank you for heeding to the call." Naruto began seriously. "As we don't know the scale and scope of the threat yet, we found it necessary to hold this meeting." There was a brief pause. "Five days ago, Konoha faced an attempted attack by two rogue cloud ninjas and survivors from the sound village. The attack was averted thanks to a..." Naruto once again hesitated before moving on, even though this much time had passed, it was still a delicate subject. "...thanks to a genin who fought the rogue nins by himself." Confused murmurs surrounded the room, and Kurotsuchi spoke up, a doubtful tone in her voice. "A genin? Surely you're not gonna tell us he was sent on a mission?" "Of course not." The Hokage's voice was terse. "I would trust your judgment that none among us here would allow such a mission." The Tsuchikage didn't say anything to that. "No, he had left the village..." "Left?" this came from Chojuro, and the tone in his voice made it clear what he was asking. "On my knowledge." Naruto sighed. "I believe I must make it clearer... The child chose to leave because of a misunderstanding and its consequences..." "The thing here is, Naruto," the Mizukage continued, leaning a little forward and putting his arms on the table. "We are not particularly interested in why he left... We're more interested in..." "...whether it's treason or not, leaving the village as a ninja is still a pretty dangerous move." Kurotsuchi finished. "I assure you, this matter is not of utmost importance to our current topic." the blond said, in a tone that ended the debate. Gaara's eyes flickered for a moment to his friend, he was sure there was more to the story, but this wasn't the place to bring that up. "All of the culprits are captured or otherwise taken care of. During the investigation of the sound ninjas, however... that's when we came across something troubling." At that point the Hokage, too, put his arms on the table and leaned forward a little, looking at each of the kages in the eye. "The prisoners confessed that their aim was to pull an assassination attempt against me and to throw Konoha into chaos." And once again, murmurings started. Naruto waited patiently for a moment for the voices to die down before speaking again. "It is not yet clear whether this will imply a bigger plot... but it is apparent that their grand aim was to disturb the peace era in general. As the attempt in Kirigakure was meant to do as well." "Of course... what better way than to kill the person who was the harbinger of the peace?" Darui said, straightening himself slightly in his seat. "You sound like you expect things to take an ugly turn..." Gaara said with a serious look. "Does that mean we should prepare ourselves for war?" The anticipation was perfectly tangible in the atmosphere now, it was apparently a question on everyone's mind. "It might be too early for that," the Hokage admitted. "We still have quite a few pieces of the puzzle missing. But in any case..." His gaze flickered to Gaara, too. "It's best to be on our guard." Chojuro was scratching his chin thoughtfully. "The Sound... correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't that the village one of your S-classed missing nins formed? Sounds to me a bit more like it can be a personal vendetta..." The blond man nodded. "That's why I say there's no need for rash actions, we don't know the nature of their plans... in any case, Konoha will be on the lookout for the Sound from now on, because it's true, it's primarily our own concern." "I didn't mean it like that..." the Mizukage began, but Naruto cut in with a weary smile. "It's alright, I know... But, forgive me for being bold, I believe it will be downright foolish not to take your own precautions." There were nods and agreeing mumbles. Everyone became a bit relaxed as the meeting came to an informal end and started talking among themselves. Gaara approached Naruto, Kankuro close behind. "Naruto, can I have a moment?" "Sure." With that, the three walked out of the terrace, back into the office building. "What is it?" "I believe there is more to the story than you let us know..." ... Natsumi hesitated a while before entering Mitsuki's room. She didn't know why she was so afraid... was it the fact that she didn't want to see him in that state...? Sighing, the pink haired girl opened the door and took the first peek inside. What she saw made her bring her hands to her mouth as a gasp got out of her lips, her eyes going wide... She tried to take in a few more breaths but it was becoming a hard job... She tentatively took a few steps into the room, and came to a stop. This... almost didn't look like the Mitsuki she knew... So fragile looking... Her friend was always strong... It felt like there was a stranger in his place, being connected to all those machines... When she noticed, she was close to him, by his bed and she started taking in what she saw. His chest was covered in bandages, cables on his chest that connected to the machines. Natsumi found herself thinking... if he was really alive or if it was just the machines keeping him alive... No... She shook her head... she couldn't think like that... Mitsuki was strong... he would make it... She noticed one of his arms was also bandaged... she guessed it was broken... she could only guess. Then his head... too... "What did they do to you...?" There were no responses... Of course... Only the steady beeps kept her company as the pink haired kunoichi slowly and quietly pulled a chair, so quiet as if she was afraid... that any kind of noise... any kind of disturbance at all... would just make him slip away... She sat beside his right side, and after a moment of hesitation, put a hand, gently, on his hand. "Mitsuki..." she whispered, surprised at how much like a smaller child she sounded. "It's Natsumi... I-I don't know if you can hear me..." she gulped. "B-but I... just want to say... we're here... you're not alone..." And just like it had happened when his team was present, the heart machine let out a bigger beep before returning to normal. Natsumi looked at the machine and then back at Mitsuki's steady form. "Did you hear me...?" That brought a small smile to her face. "I'm right here, no one is leaving you... we're friends..." Feeling a few tears drop on her cheeks, she raised a hand to wipe at them. "So don't... let what a few stupid weirdoes tell about you get to you, okay? Because next time I see anyone talk trash about you... I will just kick them to the next village with my fan." A few more drops fell, and she found herself shaking a little. "Just please be alright... okay?" And with those words said, Natsumi leaned in to kiss him on the forehead tenderly. "Tell me when you wake up... because I know you will." There was a knock and Natsumi turned around to see who it was. "Uncle..." she sniffed and wiped the remaining of her tears. "I thought I would find you here." And the Kazekage made his way into the room, closing the door behind him. In the next moment, he was already taking a seat beside his niece. "So this is the brave young boy..." The girl couldn't say anything, just nodded. "I didn't know you were close friends... I'm sorry, Natsumi..." She squared her shoulders. "No... He's gonna be alright. And everything will be okay then." Gaara just nodded, understanding how painful it would be for his niece to see a friend in this state. "Why is life so cruel to those who don't deserve it...?" she didn't take her eyes off of him. "I wish I could give you a proper answer but... I can't." She sniffed. "Uncle, you went through something similar... what can I do to help him...?" The redhead turned to give her a warm smile, the look in his eyes soft. "For now? Just pray for him to be safe and be back among us as soon as possible. And when that happens, show him your support and that you will always be there for him, no matter what. That's how it worked for me." Then his smile widened a little more. "But... I take it that you already know these." She sniffed and nodded. "I just want him back..." She looked back at her uncle. "I guess dad is looking for me...?" Gaara chuckled for a bit before ruffling his niece's hair. "He is... we better head back before he decides to tear up the entire Konoha." His gaze once again turned soft as he looked back at the boy. "And don't you worry... I have a very good feeling that he will be back... sooner or later." At that time, there was a knock on the door, and a medic peeked in. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama," she said respectfully. "I need to do some check-ups." Gaara and Natsumi both stood up from their chairs. "Of course," said the red haired. "We were just leaving." He looked at Natsumi, who nodded in return after taking one last look at Mitsuki.