Sarada | The Colors of Dawn (Saruto Prologue)

Chapter 8: The Colors Of Dawn

As the morning sun began to daybreak, the dust had finally settled. Immediately, Saruto and I jumped from the cliff and ran across the dirt. It was like we were chasing the sun. As our sandals hit the ground, we stretched forward in a blur. It was like my entire world was spinning. In the distance we say a shadow in the sun sitting down next to a rock. He was hunched over. Lord Seventh.

As we got closer we noticed that it was Naruto sitting next to my father. My heart dropped.

Reaching them, I lost all my strength in my legs and collapsed to my knees. Saruto was quick to drop to one knee and hold me. I held my mouth like I was going to cry out. Looking to my father whose eyes were closed and had pale white skin, I lunged for him.

"Papa!" I cried, throwing my arms around his neck.

 There was a white chakra receiver in his chest. The white chakra, just like Boruto. He was gone. Like my mother before him, I chose to be strong, this time.

Glancing to Lord Seventh with teary eyes, I  saw him panting and looking at me. He was dying. Was this because of the Sagenegan in his eyes. I then looked back to my father to see that his eyes were gone. Had he given Boruto's  Jougan and his own Mangekyo Sharingan to create the Sagenegan. He wasn't sad. Or mad. Or glad. He seemed lost in his own thoughts. Like he was here with someone from another plane. 

Suddenly he winced in pain as he reached for his eye. His eyes. The Sagenegan. But that means...

"Grandfather..." my son spoke with concern as he fought to but refrained from touching him. 

Looking to my son, I knew that he wanted to save him but I remembered Sage. He had so much power and yet he couldn't use it.

Lord Seventh then looked to Saruto and smiled. It was an awkward smile as he had time to show anything better than that.

Soon we heard a herd of footsteps coming up from behind us. Turning around we saw  Aunt Hima, Kawaki and Kakashi-sensei as well as the entire shinobi alliance behind them. They all stood in silence and in sadness.

"Is everyone okay?" Lord Seventh spoke with a shaky voice.

My son nodded before Hima and Kawaki walked up next to me and then dropped to one knee.

"Dad," Hima softly spoke with sadness in her voice. 

I watched as Hima moved closer to her father and held his hand. It was an act of strength that he could even keep himself upright. He smiled at Himawari and then turned to Kawaki who avoided his gaze. I watched as Kawaki struggled to return Lord Seventh's gaze.

"Kawaki, my stupid son," Lord Seventh croaked weakly, which caused Kawaki's eyes to widen and look at him.

Finally, looking at him, Kawaki's eyes saddened. Himawari then looked up to him as well and smiled with sadness in her eyes. She then reached out her hand to him.

Funny thing is you never truly miss something until they're leaving. For so long Kawaki had distanced himself from his family because he thought he needed to punish himself for his mistakes in the past. He thought he was sparing his family from himself. But little did he know that all they wanted was him. If Boruto was here, what would he say to him?

Staring at her open hand, Kawaki looked back up to her eyes and then to Lord Seventh who reassured him. Suddenly his eyes welled up as he grabbed her hand. She smiled as he squeezed it.

Then I watched as his eyes drifted from Kawaki up to Kakashi-sensei. Who stared down at him with sadness in his eyes. He had lost so much. He had told me once that his curse was survival. Everyone around him died. His friends, family, and his students. So many times he had cheated death. He probably never saw the day where he would witness all of his students leave this plane.