For once there was trust and there was betrayal, something that made her feel stupid and angry. She had not believed it, what Mitsuki had said to her that Akeboshi was working for whoever was behind the black chakra. A very young ANBU with incredible acting skill that threw chills down her spine. She tensed silently as she walked down the street, Mitsuki walking next to her in silence, breaking thru the crowd in the middle of the market. It has been a whole month ever since Akeboshi had left them, but the pain of betrayal did not shrink, it grew with thrust of revenge. I trusted him. She said all this time to herself. Her mother had said to her that betrayal was something very normal in this world and a heart is a treacherous thing, though trusting it is worthwhile and fighting for it could break ice like fire. She could not imagine ever wanting to break the ice between her and Akeboshi. She rather kill him than that.
Now she has the chance and hope to do so, because after a long month of silence and Konohamarus sensei's disappearance, they are finally called to the office. Uncle Boruto must have something important to tell them. Maybe a mission.
"Sarada, is everything alright? You look miles away." Mistuki broke her thought. She glanced at him. "How can I not be miles away? Are you not upset about Akeboshi?"
"I am. But my father-"
"Or mother." Sarada cut. Still annoyed that he never told them about Orochimaru.
"Yes, or mother, told me that I have to stay focus on what lays ahead of me and not what's in the past. If I do then I will sure lose my step in the way." She felt his hand on her shoulder and he spoke. So softly and with care and understanding, killing her tensed body. Sarada pushed her red glasses back, smiling to him with care. Strangely, she had grown fond of Mitsuki this past month, going away with him and laughing at his strange behavior, training with him, running with him has taken her mind out of Boruto. She wondered if Boruto never left than would she ever know anything more about Mitsuki? Now that she thinks about it, it was always Boruto who caught her attention when it was Mitsuki who was always beside her. Straying and suddenly coming back to stand by her. She chuckled,
"W-what? What is it?" Mitsuki blushed slightly, but still visible on his pale white skin.
"I never realized..." She started, returning his gaze.
"Realized what?" He asked curiously, walking closer and bumping her on the shoulder. Sarada blushed herself. How can she say all these feelings into easy words? Less embarrassing words? "Thank you." She said. "For being with me and not leaving."
"We are a team after all. Don't worry Sarada, you can always count on me."
"I know I can." She said, half whispering.
"Hei guys!" They both jolt in surprise, laughter came afterward along with the sound of a bag of chips shaking. Sarada turned and found Chocho. Her dark brown skin was now darker than before. She heard that Chocho spend time with her father on the desserts to train her secret Jutsu. That's what she calls it. She must have returned recently because her skin was fresh from the heated land.
"Chocho!" Sarada said, nearly yelling.
"You nearly blew my heart up my head," Mitsuki said, stroking his chest and exhaled. Chocho ate again, looking at her than to Mitsuki and to her again before she shrugged.
"You guys must have talked very seriously you were acting like you were the only two in this whole village. Didn't you hear me scream to you? The whole market heard it but you." Sarada looked around and saw eyes were on them. Some shaking their head and some giggled. She looked back to Chocho, now eagerly wished she could run far away. But it would be even more embarrassing.
"I guess now you have more time alone since Boruto left, lucky for Mitsuki, right Mitsuki? That cheap chip, I'll eat him alive when I see him again." She said. Mitsuki waved both his hands in panic. "I-I-I d-don't think this is the right time!" He said.
But Boruto's name dragged her back to reality, so much from her blissful moment of forgetfulness with Mitsuki, she wanted to yell in frustration. Boruto is gone. She didn't even have the strength to say anything back to Chocho for her teasing remark.
"Yeah, I guess three is a little crowded to know each other. Don't you think?" She didn't really know here that came from. She just said it, taking Chochos and Mitsuki's attention on the dot.
"You didn't really mean that right Sarada? Even I miss him, that yellow headed nacho chip. Now I can't see someone as good looking as him every day anymore." Chocho said while looking down to her empty bag of chips. She sighs and tosses it to a passing wheelie bin.
"You think his good looking?" Mitsuki asked in surprise. His eyebrow went up when he heard her said it. Chocho was one of those who were straightforward. She says what flashes in her head that very moment she thought it without thinking and Sarada never knew Chocho had an eye for Boruto. Until now.
"You think his handsome?" Sarada asked after him.
"Well yeah, he's also really sweet and nice you know? I wish he would take me with him. I can cook every day for him. You know him a really lame cook." She said, starting to walk. Sarada and Mitsuki walked with her. Even though she says nothing of where she was going, it was clear that they were going to the same place.
"How do you even know that?" Her heart tightened into a burdening weight she wanted to push away, but couldn't.
"My dad and ma were out the whole week for a mission so I was practically out of food. When I went out I saw Boruto walking by himself out of a bookstore so he asked if I wanted to eat with him. So I said yes. Wiuh, he was one laaaaame cook. But I managed to take over the whole burning situation you know? I was just like, 'You know what? You're ruining the meat!' So I cooked for him. He hehe, you can say he's as good as mine." Chocho pointed her thumb at her, smirking with pride. Sarada tried her best to swallow and walk when her foot was heavy with gravity. She wanted to shake Chocho and said to her she was also a traitor, but she can't. She has no right.
"What do you mean by that?" Mitsuki was the one who asked her. Somehow it felt like sowing salt on her wounds.
"Well, my mother said one of the ways to a man's heart is thru their stomach. I ace that night, don't you think? I'll make a really good wife for him." She said with no shame at all. Mitsuki chuckled. "You seem really confident Chocho. I think you already know he's not here?"
"Oh, I'm gonna bring him back. You see, I think we are going to be on a mission together. Isn't that great Sarada!" She said with excitement. Mitsuki said nothing again.
"Yeah, I guess so." She replied to her when the sight of the office relaxed her tensed body. She didn't want to hear her best friend talking about spending some time and cooking for Boruto when she never did any of those things. Though she wished she had.
"How did you know we were going to be on the same team?" Asked Mitsuki, opening the door for them. Today, the office was strangely empty and quiet. The writing on the receptionist desk told them that the whole office was closed for the day. Sarada and the two walked together up the stairs. Chocho replied, "Just an assumption. I think this whole Akeboshi business is more complicated and bigger than we thought. Did you know that Yurui and Shinki's team were sent out on a mission? Even Mirai too."
"Mirai Sarutobi? Isn't he Konohamaru's senseis cousin?" Mitsuki asked, finally reaching the fifth floor to where uncle Boruto's uncle was. They walked down the corridor thru lines of closed doors to where they finally reached their destination.
"Yeah, but we'll talk later." Her voice lowered when they walked in.
Sarada saw her father was there, standing next to Shikamaru-san with Konohamaru sensei and her mother. Looking at them as if they walked in right in the middle of a very serious conversation.
"Ah you're finally here. Thank you for coming." The chair turned and uncle Boruto sat with his hands locked in front of his chest.
"Sorry we took our time. Is there anything we must do?" Sarada asked, realizing they were five minutes late. Uncle Boruto took some papers and read them. Sarada glanced at her father who was fully in gear, along with her mother with weapons and Konohamaru sensei in thin armor covering his chest and back. They were all going for a mission.
"To be blunt I have no other choice to send you to help Yurui's team in the south near the sand village. There is strange chakra activity that is too thin to grasp and see clearly, I need you to assist them." He said, taking a paper scroll and giving it to Mitsuki who accepted it. Chocho picked in along with Mitsuki who was reading from it. But Sarada had no interest.
"I'm sorry to be asking this, but this has something to do with Akeboshi doesn't it?"
"Yes. We are all aware that we have been fooled." He said, not looking up from his work.
"And where are you sending my parents?"
"Sarada!?" Sakura warned her. Uncle Naruto finally looked up.
"They are sent to east end. Where the source of the chakra is." He said. "There is a machine being build there. Something dangerous and flexible so said by the fourth Tsuchikage... we believe that Boruto is there." He said. That very moment, sadness flashed in his eyes when he said it. Looking older than he should be, Sarada also felt the burden of that name.
"Then I will come too."
"Sarada." This time it is her father who warned her. She gave no notice.
"Please Hokage-sama. Boruto is someone very important for me, for Mitsuki. I will bring him back. Please give me that mission. Yurui's team will not need our help, I can guarantee that." She went on. "I am a Chunin, I can handle taking someone back home. Besides... his almost like my brother." She did not really mean what she said that he was. But she could not say that she loves him. It was something only for her to know. Uncle Boruto stayed quite while both her parents looked little worried and against the idea of her coming with them.
"I will bring Boruto back." She said to him. Much to their surprise, he smiled a little.
"Then it is settled. Sarada, please bring my son back. I am counting on you."
"Naruto!" Her mother said. He glanced at her with his light blue sad eyes that made her quite. Her father looked at her the way he always did, with care and protectiveness.
"What about us?" Chocho asked. "Are we going to go with her?"
"I will not be separated from Sarada." Mitsuki said.
"Sakura and Konohamaru, you two will help Yurui's team and come to Shinkis aid. While Sasuke, Sakura, Mitsuki, and Chocho, you will go as a team together." He said. She could hear her father made a small sigh but she ignored it. This is what she wanted.
They were all dismissed and she walked out with Chocho and Mitsuki. She let her parents talk for a moment with Konohamaru sensei.
"That's a really good move there Sarada. Now we can go and get Boruto."
"Yeah," Mitsuki said. Sarada nodded quickly. I will bring him home.
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hei! Im sorry all for the late post! I was really busy for a few days but now I get to post this next chapter. Again and always I hope you enjoy this!
And... if you enjoyed it, please leave me a star and tell me what you think!
See you next time!