Fractured

Partings

Shinobi had always been instructed to pack lightly, but as Boruto looked between an extra set of Kunai and a spare pack of sealing scrolls, he wasn't certain what he should prioritize. Afterall, Boruto had never gone on a mission this long before—if he could even call it a mission. Was he still a Leaf shinobi? Yes. Were he and Sasuke going on a formal mission? On paper, yes. In practice, not really. Boruto couldn't help but think of this 'assignment' as more of a banishment. He didn't blame his dad. It was obvious that as the Hokage, Naruto had done absolutely everything in his power to keep the other Kage from sentencing Boruto to an immediate execution.

In fact, he could tell during quiet moments when Naruto thought nobody was watching, between deep sighs and fingers rubbed deeply into his eyes, that his dad was probably more torn up about sending Boruto away than he was himself. Afterall, what parent wants to sentence their child to an extremely dangerous, indefinite mission out in the wild or between dimensions? Hell, for all he or Naruto knew, Boruto might never be allowed to return to Konoha or any largely populated area ever again. He certainly wasn't welcome in any of the other Hidden Villages, at least with their knowledge. Even worse, nobody even knew for certain that Boruto wouldn't fail his training; in which case Sasuke would either be forced to kill him, or if he was unable to fulfill that promise to Boruto and Naruto, then Boruto would outright die as Momoshiki took over his body.

Boruto sighed as he made a decision and shoved the kunai into his pack. He didn't want to think about this.

He'd never been great at sealing anyway. And who knew when they'd be able to replenish their weapons supply. Boruto turned when he heard the person behind him speak.

"Those are kinda heavy, dontcha think?"

"There's no point in suppressing your chakra signature, ya know," Boruto said to the teen leaning in the doorway of his room. "I know it's you even if you do."

Kawaki quirked an eyebrow, standing as he walked fully into the room. "Didn't realize I was doing it," Kawaki admitted as he turned Boruto's computer chair around and sat backwards in it, arms crossed over the back of the chair. Boruto felt his brother's chakra signature flood back through their shared space, and a tingling sensation ran up through Boruto's healing scar over his eyelid.

Boruto just glanced with a single azure eye at the raven-haired boy before he turned back to the pack on his bed. He folded his pink pajama shirt and said, "You don't have full control over it yet?"

Kawaki shrugged and rested his chin on his arms. "Not always. You guys are leaving in the morning?"

Boruto frowned as he tried to force an extra jacket into his already full pack. He highly doubted there would be any clothing stores in the next dimension over. Nodding, he answered Kawaki. "Yeah, around sunrise." The computer chair creaked, and the next thing he knew, Boruto had a something bright and reflective shoved in front of his face. His eye focused and made out the Leaf crest of Konoha.

His hitai-ate, he realized.

"Here."

Boruto gently took the headband and turned to his brother. "I don't—"

"It's yours, ain't it? Take it," Kawaki said, his lips set. Boruto's eye flicked between Kawaki's stormy gaze before he looked back down at the headband he knew so well. The late afternoon sun glinted off the metal as Boruto swiped his thumb across the familiar leaf insignia. Many memories had been made while wearing this headband. Memories that seemed almost like they belonged to a different person. A different time. He glanced back at Sasuke's damaged headband laying across his bed and handed his hitai-ate back to Kawaki.

"You keep it," Boruto said, and Kawaki's pierced brow rose in surprise. "I've got Sasuke's. Besides, you earned this one, dontcha think?" A small smile appeared on Boruto's face. "I mean, you're basically a genin at this point. Dad's training you an' all..." Boruto wiggled the black band as if to entice Kawaki to take it from him.