Fractured

Strategy

The chakra signature of a ninja hound was quite different than that of a human, Sarada noted in fascination. She watched from behind, Sharingan enacted, as the small talking pug leapt from limb to limb in pursuit of Boruto. To her left, Mitsuki's face was set. Serious. The lines of his brow and jaw had hardened over the last few months, she realized then. When had he grown so much?

On the right, Lord Sixth was vigilant as he sprang through the trees. She was still a bit baffled why he would allow them to leave the village in search of Boruto during such a turbulent time.

Lord Sixth had looked at the two members of Team 7 as they crouched in the dark shadows of the village wall.

"You would have found a way to go after him anyway, right?" Lord Sixth had said, his eyes upturned in an affable manner. Sarada's face had filled with guilt as she looked over at Mitsuki at that moment. Mitsuki was unremorseful as his unwavering golden eyes pierced in Lord Sixth's direction. "At least this way I can watch over you both," Lord Sixth concluded.

And now, as they raced through the trees, the Sixth Hokage was true to his word as he scanned the area with his sensitive nose, staying alert to any possible nearby dangers.

"What's the status Pakkun?" Lord Sixth asked. Sarada had heard rumors that while Lord Sixth was a powerful and capable tracker, his ninja hounds could smell things far beyond the scope of any human.

Without looking back, the hound spoke to the group. "I can still smell him. I can't say we're really gaining any ground, but we aren't falling behind either," Pakkun conveyed. "He's a quick little guy, that's for sure."

Following Sai's interruption on the roof, Sarada had lost her ability to see Boruto's form with her Sharingan. Boruto, or whatever he was, was too far ahead, and he had no chakra to track. She and Mitsuki were beyond lucky that Lord Sixth had gone to such lengths to aid them both. Lord Sixth andPakkun, she corrected. She disengaged her Sharingan then—there was no point in wasting chakra while Pakkun was leading the way.

"It's definitely the scent of his real form and not that of a clone," Pakkun continued, "In case you were wondering, young Uchiha." He looked back at her at that moment, and Sarada swallowed before lowering her head a bit.

"You could tell...?" She asked quietly as she pushed her foot from another tree limb.

Mitsuki turned to her at that moment as they were both temporarily suspended in the air. "I too had my doubts, but this confirms it," he spoke, voice calm. "I know you feel better knowing the person we are chasing is the real Boruto, too, and not some imposter," he said directly to Sarada. There was something comforting about the way Mitsuki functioned. He always seemed so confident and sure of himself, yet he failed to have any of the negative attributes that seemed to accompany confidence and surety—arrogance and posturing without the skills and cool-headedness to back it up. Even in a dire situation such as this, Sarada knew she could rely on Mitsuki just as much as he could rely on her. They were in this together. She gripped her fists tightly as she vaulted from a tree trunk.

"Yeah," she agreed, "All the more reason why we need to catch up to him."

Lord Sixth's palms made audible contact with a tree limb as he spun around and propelled himself into the air once more.

"I think it's important I mention that you two will not be engaging with any enemies," Lord Sixth said pointedly. The two Team 7 members looked at the former Hokage.

If he was implying they weren't allowed to interfere then...

"What do y—!" Sarada said, indignant.

"Your objective is to retrieve Boruto," Lord Sixth interrupted. He looked at the two on his left, his silver hair blown back as the wind assaulted it. "That is all," he said sternly, his black eyes piercing through the scattered moonlight. "I will not let my teammates needlessly die in battle, do you understand? For the best chance of success, if we encounter an enemy, your goal is to retrieve Boruto from there and take him back to the village. That's it. Period," the former Hokage spoke sharply.