Now to what Shikadai had thought all along.
Kawaki had clearly betrayed them and made Mikoto fall in love with him to get her on his side. Maybe the thought that if Mikoto loved him enough,she would join his side which was Narumi's operation of the Akatsuki...
And there Mikoto was,sitting on that rock near the water. She had acted like it was nothing that bothered her,as if she was happy to be back...
But Shikadai knew her,and he knew she was hurting. She came here to talk to whomever it was she wanted to send her message to.
"For how long are you going to keep looking out for me,Shikadai?" He expected her to know he was here,but somehow...
He wanted her to know.
Shikadai got out from the forest to the clear path of grass near the river. She had short hair now,cutting it off during the fight,he'd guess. So he stopped and looked at her,which made her look away.
"I will always come for you." Shikadai said as he walked closer and closer to her. "I will always run to you,just like I have every time I know you're in trouble."
"Stop-"
Shikadai took a hold of her hand and turned her around ,bringing her hand close to his face.
"Never," Shikadai said seriously,glaring into her blue eyes that seemed so depressed. "I will never stop."
"Shikadai-"
"Hear me out." Shikadai said as he crouched,her hand in his. "I can never let you go. I made a promise,remember?"
"Just because of that? A promise-"
"I said hear me out," Shikadai interrupted. "I'm doing this because I feel like a side of me is empty without you. When I'm there to protect you,I feel complete. I am complete with you by my side,Mikoto!" He touched her cheek with his other hand,still glaring at her.
Why could she not understand how much he loved her? Why could she not understand that he would never betray her like Kawaki did?
"I will kill Kawaki for what he did to you. I know that what he did to the village was worse,betraying them and even planning your death with that Akatsuki bomb,but I don't care about the village! I will always chose you."
Mikoto just looked at him,her now short hair slowly blown away by the wind.
"I love you,okay?" Shikadai said,his head leaning on her knees. "I love you,and I always will... I've loved and still do love you so much,and every single day I am afraid of losing you. I know that being around you drives me completely nuts,yet not being with you...still drives me completely nuts!"
"Shikadai-"
"I can't even-"
"Shikadai!" Mikoto took a hold of his cheeks and made him look up at her,which made his heart skip a beat. Since when could she look like a such an angel? She had never given Shikadai such a smile before,never!
It shocked him.
"I must tell you something,which I've never said before." Mikoto said as her soft eyes looked kindly at him. Was she about to say something absolutely horrible?
"I got jealous of you when you went on a date with Sumire..When you started dating Akira. I was jealous,and I was blind of how much I should've appreciated you. I tried to tell myself that I didn't love you,that I didn't care. But with every step I took,I always truly wanted you. I've loved you for a long time..."
"But?" Shikadai said,knowing there was more to it.
"But I learned this thing that I can do with my sword." Mikoto said just as she looked up at the sky and took away her hand. Suddenly,there was something different about her as she pulled away.
He noticed her smile was out of pity. "I've learned how to lock every emotion into the Satsune,how to keep them shut there,linked... That way,I won't feel any sadness or regret when I kill him. I won't feel any pain when I fight someone I love." Mikoto said,smiling.
Shikadai looked at her with his eyes wide and shocked. He felt like something was being sucked out of him. He felt like something was horribly wrong,cause this wasn't her..
"But then you'd basically be a human without any kind of humanity."
"I know," Mikoto said as she got up from the rock. "But it's better this way,not feeling anything."
Mikoto's POV;
Mikoto had seen allot of impressive fighting,but the once thing she needed to learn more from was taijutsu. In fact,she just wanted to train so she could stronger.
She knew,and only her,how strong Kawaki was. What he did during her fight with him was just a tad of what he knew,until Boruto came.
When Boruto came,he suddenly seemed to run off.
So that's why Mikoto needed to fight with Boruto,she just knew that the two of them were the ones who were going to kill Kawaki. She felt it.
"The Jougan," Mikoto said as she walked around Boruto with her shuriken. "It's the eye no one has ever bestowed before,a new power only you have awoken,Boruto." Mikoto said as Himawari watched from the side.
Boruto nodded. "I know."
"I am going to teach you the steps of how to use your eye,cause believe it or not,my eyes are not really the rinnegan. I can still see things the byakugan would be able to see... I have a complicated eye,and I believe your eye works a bit like mine. If not,it's still worth a try.."
Boruto nodded. "I mean,there's allot we still don't know about my eye." Mikoto nodded in agreement,knowing that they needed to find out things about the Jougan.
"That's why we need to find out if your eye,by any chance,has the same abilities as mine or the rinnegan or tenseigan...Whatever it might be."
Mikoto threw the shuriken quicker than ever at Boruto,which he blocked,but just when he did that,Mikoto teleported and took out her kunai,landing behind Boruto and kicking him down to the ground,holding the kunai close to his neck.
"The byakugan can't foresee attacks,but that's something my eye can do.. You knew I was going to throw that shuriken..." Mikoto closed her eyes and smiled.
Boruto was holding a kunai right on Mikoto's hip. "..But then again,your eye activated and you knew what you were gonna do." she said.
"I just...I knew what to do."
"That's your eye taking control," Mikoto said as she got up. "Your eye can't foresee,but it can tell when an attack is coming,had you not been trained,you would've been killed."
Sometimes,Mikoto forgot she now had short hair,so she didn't have to tie up her hair. Not that it was anything she cared about.
"Usually when we train,we both hold back," Mikoto said as her blue,flaming eyes glared. "This time I want both of us to attack without any hesitation. If you're about to hit me,then do it.."
"But,Mikoto-"
"We could be at war any time soon," Mikoto said. "We need to train like it's real,otherwise we won't be ready." She took a look at Himawari and kept her eyes on little Hima. At the moment,Mikoto felt no sympathy for her little siblings.
She just knew they all needed to get ready.
"That goes for you,too,Himawari."
Himawari's POV;
Himawari had never seen Mikoto so cold before,but she guessed she already knew why and had to have some understanding.
So she stood there,watching as her siblings fought each other with all they had. And quite honestly,Himawari had never seen something so intense before. Mikoto was quick and strong,she had perception and always waited for the right moment to come.
Boruto was just as good,which wouldn't shock Himawari. They both got training from the same people.
"How can she move so quickly?" Himawari asked Mitsuki whom stood beside her with Shikadai and Sarada. Mitsuki crossed his arms and shook his head.
"She didn't have that speed before,it was only until she left the village," Mitsuki said. "Mikoto has always had a quick way to learn."
"How?"
"She pushes herself," Shikadai said. "She pushes herself until it's no longer a problem,and not anyone can match up to her nor Boruto. I guess you could say Mikoto is on a greater level considering her mother was an Uzumaki and her father was an Uchiha. Those two combine great power..."
"She fights blankly." Himawari said and kept her look on Mikoto. "She looks-"
"She's fine." Shikadai said.
"Stop trying to protect her." Sarada suddenly said as she looked at Shikadai. "We both know she's not fine,and she needs help. Otherwise she'll end up like her mother."
"What the hell-"
"Shikadai." Himawari said as she pointed at Mikoto.
She was now fighting like she fought with her enemies,giving it her all. Shikadai could only imagine if she tried using Sage Mode or Kurama's kyubi mode.
This was insanely enough power,and he was sure she wasn't up to 100% in strength.
Her hair had somewhat changed color into a grey kind of color... It looked to get brighter and brighter by the moment.
"What's going on?"
Shikadai knew it could only be one thing which he had read about before,but he wasn't sure it was happening. It's impossible...
"When a shinobi's hair color changes into a brighter color," Shikadai said. "They're usually accepting their chakra running through their whole body."
"It's like she's a stronger reincarnated version of the yellow flash."
"More like the devil's flash."
Himawari watched and watched.. She didn't quite understand how Boruto's nor Mikoto's strength worked,but she wanted to get just as strong as both of them.
She had to.