Mitsuki hurried through the forest ignoring the persistent pounding behind his eyes. He had wanted to leave for the Leaf as soon as he made his decision but physically, he felt awful; something that was deeply concerning his parent. They gave him a special medicine and asked him to rest the night before leaving. Grudgingly, he had agreed but he made it clear he would be leaving at sun up. Fortunately, He did feel a little better come morning except for a persistent headache. His parent gave him another dose to ease the pain as best they could before he left.
"You do not have long." His parent had warned him then, "One day, maybe two but if we do not resolve this, the strain will be too much for your mind and heart. Your mind will become necrotic and if that happens, nothing can be done for you." Mitsuki just nodded at his parent. He couldn't tell them the truth; he didn't care. He had made his choice. If Boruto refused to accept him and continued to insist that he was dead, then dead he would become.
He could not live without his Sun. He refused to. He knew now what the moon was without the sun; lifeless. To him, death was a much kinder fate than a life without Boruto. He knew his family would move on. He had plenty of brothers who could take his place. Log, however, seemed to sense what he was thinking. He was quiet and stone-faced as their parent bid Mitsuki farewell. Then just before he turned to leave, Log pulled his brother into a tight hug.
"Good luck. Please, get your Sun back and come home safe." Log said in a quiet plea. Mitsuki returned his hug as best he could.
"I will try." He whispered, "Goodbye, brother." Mitsuki tightened his hold on his brother for another moment before turning and heading for the Leaf. He didn't look back.
He left just after dawn but his headache was slowing him down so it took the entire day of constant travel to reach the Leaf. It was sunset by the time he reached the gates and night had fallen by the time he reached Boruto's home. He knew Boruto didn't want to see him but he had no idea what else to do. Maybe, if he was cautious and patient, he could convince Boruto to talk to him. Cautiously, he climbed to the open window. All was dark and still inside.
"Boruto?" Mitsuki delicately called . There was no answer. "Boruto?" He called again, a little bolder this time. Still, nothing stirred. Slowly, he lifted the sheer curtains enough to peer inside. It was too dark to see and nothing disturbed the silence. Mitsuki slipped into the familiar room and confirmed what he already knew. It was empty.
Boruto was gone. He paced the room, frustrated and going through his options. Boruto was always here except when on missions. He wracked his brain trying to think of where else his Sun could be but he couldn't think of anywhere. The fastest way to find him would be to ask but who would know where he'd gone? Movement in the house beyond gave him an idea. He left through the window and made his way to the front door. He just hoped Boruto's mother and sister wouldn't be shocked to see him.
"Mitsuki! It's good to see you!" Boruto's mother greeted him warmly." Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't that. His confusion must have been visible because she continued in a very kind voice, "Naruto told me what happened so I was expecting to see you sooner or later. I'm glad you made a full recovery." She gave him a warm smile.
"Thank you." He said, unsure of what else to say or how to ask after Boruto.
"I assume you're looking for Boruto?" She asked, reading his mind. He nodded. "He left first thing yesterday morning." Mitsuki was dismayed.
"Where did he go?" He asked, deciding that straight forward was best.
"I'm not sure. Sarada surprised me by coming by at dawn yesterday. She said that she had to talk to Boruto and that it was urgent. They argued then he left. He said he had some things to take care of and it might take a few days." Sarada? Had she told him? If Sarada had spoken to him then she would have the answers he needed. He had to see her, tonight. He didn't have long to think because Mrs Uzumaki looked Him dead in the eye, her face serious for the first time, "I honestly thought he went looking for you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Uzumaki." He said with a bow, "I will see myself out." She raised an eyebrow at him but allowed him to leave without question. For a moment, she looked as if she was about to say something else but thought better of it and just gave him a look of concern instead.
"Okay. Take care of yourself." He felt guilty leaving like that. He was truly grateful for her help but he needed to hurry.
Mitsuki ran to Sarada's home, feeling more and more uneasy with every step he took. Boruto had gone looking for him? If that were true, then why hadn't he arrived at the Sound Village? If he left yesterday morning, he should have made it long before Mitsuki left. The unanswered questions were very unsettling. He was afraid it was getting too late but he absolutely had to speak to Sarada now.
Sure enough, when he arrived at the Uchiha household, he found it dark and quiet. Not wishing to disturb the other members of the household, he went to her window and knocked softly. Movement within signaled she was there. He knocked again. A light came on.
"Who's there?" Sarada called.
"It's me." Mitsuki answered. He heard her slide out of bed and hurry to the window.
"Mitsuki!" She cried as she threw open the window, "Where's Boruto? Did you talk to him?" her reaction to his presence almost caused his barely controlled anxiety to overwhelm him. His hesitation answered her question for him and she visibly wilted. "You haven't seen him." Mitsuki shook his head.
"I came here hoping you could tell me where he went."
"I told him to look for you in the Sound village. That's where you went, right? Did he never arrive?" Mitsuki shook his head again, his fears growing to the point that he no longer trusted his voice.
"Did you tell him?" He forced himself to ask.
"No, I said it would be better if he heard it from you." Mitsuki nodded and turned to leave. He had to hurry and find Boruto but Sarada held him back.
"Hold on! I'm coming with you!" For a second, he was tempted but the temptation died quickly. He felt guilty but he really had to do this alone. He didn't have much time left and if Boruto rejected him for good, he didn't want her to follow him. He shrugged off her hand.
"I'm sorry, Sarada, but there isn't time. Goodbye." Once again, he left her alone. He knew she was upset with him but it didn't matter. She'd get over it, as Boruto always said.
He hurried back to the outskirts of the village, summoning a special snake as he went. This was a precious snake to whom he had taught the scents of all his friends. Boruto had been the first and most important scent he had learned and Mitsuki had used him more than once to track down his wayward Sun.
There was no guarantee that Boruto had actually left for the Sound village. Mitsuki silently prayed he hadn't. He hoped against hope that Boruto had changed his mind and gone somewhere else to be alone. He circled the village, looking for the trail and his heart fell when his snake caught his scent on the road towards the Sound. He had followed him after all.
Mitsuki followed the trail for hours. The pounding in his head was worsening and his body was plagued with fatigue but he ignored it all. It was just before dawn when he finally stopped, his snake taking him into a clearing just off the road. There were clear signs of a struggle. Earth was disturbed and trees were uprooted but what drew Mitsuki's attention was the remains of a splintered tree on the far side. The bark was smooth and splattered with a dark liquid that had long dried. Beneath the tree, the grass was darkened from the same substance.
Mitsuki approached it, already knowing what it was. He stooped to touch the blood, his snake confirming what he already knew. It was Boruto's blood. He had been attacked and he was hurt, badly. Rage burned through him as he looked at the dried pool of his lover's blood. No one touched his Sun and lived. No one. Whoever they were, they were going to pay for this.
