"Come on, come on, over here girl." Shikadai held hay in his hand trying to lure a Cow into its sheds. But the Cow wasn't moving, it was standing there enjoying the breeze. "Move you stupid Cow," Shikadai growled in frustration.
The Cow gazes at Shikadai with its black eyes making Shikadai fall silent. She stood there unmoving, staring at him. Shikadai felt uneasy, deep down he knew that it was judging him.
Sarada watches from afar, using a piece of cloth to cover her hand. Her mind was unsteady, voices shrieking at her. She tries her best to control herself, not to break in front of everyone.
Yui sits next to Sarada curious on her hand.
"What happened to your hand?"
"Nothing" Sarada coldly responded.
"But it wasn't like that when we met."
"I said its nothing." Sarada refuses to look at Yui. She might seem innocent, but she was an Academy member, with just that Yui was in Sarada's bad side.
"What's Konoha like." Sarada scoffs at Yui's question.
"Why do you care?"
"I always wanted to visit Konoha. But we were never allowed to leave the Academy."
Sarada didn't care what Yui wanted, however, she was interested in the information Yui had on the Academy.
"The Academy, how do they function?"
"It's like a moving village. Hundreds of people gather and move together. Once in a while we settle down and enjoy the environment."
"Impossible! Other villages would have noticed the mass of people moving around."
"I don't know. We never encounter any trouble during our travels." Sarada wasn't satisfied with that answer so pressed further.
"The Mutants, how are they created?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? You're part of the Academy." Sarada raising tone cause Yui to flinch back.
"...I'm sorry..." Sarada finally looks at Yui and notices her crying.
"W- why are you crying?"
"I didn't mean to... I shouldn't have... I'm trying to communicate but you're making it difficult. Why?"
Sarada was baffled, she never made anyone cry. She felt like she needed to do something, but she didn't know how.
A glinting light slightly blinded Sarada, when she looks to the sky a flare was drifting in the air.
"That must be from the camp!" Yui notes.
"Yui, you stay here while-"
Yui dashes through the trees leaving the Konoha Shinobi behind.
"Dammit!" Sarada and Shikadai give chase.
Yui was surprisingly fast, so fast that they can barely catch up. The air around grew in temperature and the view in front of them turns a ghastly orange. They reached the camp now in flames. The fires were spreading to the brimming forest.
Shikadai spots Yui in the middle of the dirt road, helping an ill man get to his feet.
"Easy Mizura-San, where's your cane?"
The Konoha Shinobi land in front of them, Mizura reacting on instinct assumed a defensive stance prepare to protect Yui. Once he notices Sarada's headband he lowered his guard.
Mizura was once a young noble Shinobi of Hoshikagure but was crippled by the Village's Meteor Training Method. It was thought he made a full recovery of the Meteor's effect but it appeared he fell to the illness once again.
"What's happening here?" Shikadai asks them. Mizura replies.
"An assault by the Hoshikage's men. The remaining forces are fending them off further down north. Yui we need to get you out of here."
Yui with tears on her eyes nods in understanding.
"Have you seen Mizura-San cane? He needs his cane to walk."
Mizura gets on one knee and faces Yui.
"Yui, I'm not going with you." Yui was stunned, she felt her heart breaking.
"But-"
"No buts." Mizura shifts his attention towards Sarada and Shikadai. "Please, protect her."
"We can't just leave you." Sarada pleas.
A feather-shaped array forms behind Mizura spreading out from behind like a peacock's tail feathers.
"I'll be fine."
The clash of metal and the screams of war was slowly making itself more evident.
"The battle is getting closer, you have to leave, now!"
Shikadai grabs Yui arm and takes her with him with Sarada following him. They ran far from the fire, away from the struggle. The children weren't just running away for safety they were running away from war.
"They're killing each other, all because of me..." Yui said in dismay.
Sarada and Shikadai didn't say anything, because they knew it was true.
"Yui, I-"
A large explosion erupts behind them creating a ball of fire that engulfs the sky. The kids watched, horrified of the sight. Sarada stared blankly in the fire entering a trance as she begins to remember.
~~===X===~~
"Boruto, I'm serious, give me my glasses."
"Not until you stop being a killjoy." Boruto confidently stood in-front of Sarada giving her a cocky smile.
"Don't make me punch you!"
"Prove it." Sarada crosses her arms irritated that her bluff was caught. Boruto laughs.
"You break too easily, here."
Boruto hands over Sarada's glasses. She went to grab her glasses but misses completely.
"...Are you serious?" Boruto said baffled.
Sarada tries again but misses once again. She stood there embarrassed.
"Here let me..." Boruto put Sarada's glasses on her. The first thing she sees is Boruto's face close to hers. Sarada blushes and pushes him away.
"Hey! What was that for?"
Pale arms wrap around the two and made them sit down.
"Now, now, no need to start a fight." Mitsuki has arrived and stopped what he thought was an argument.
"Mitsuki, let go!" Sarada yells.
"Not until you calm down." Sarada puffs her cheeks and complies. Satisfied Mitsuki lets go.
The group later went over to the rooftop eating fast-food together. They could see a good chunk of the Village from their altitude.
"How's you're Father's new arm going, Sarada?"
"He's still getting used to having two arms again, but we all know he'll adapt. But, I believe he's using this as an excuse to slack off."
"Sasuke? The legendary Sasuke Uchiha, indolent?" Mitsuki asks in disbelief.
"I know, right?!" Sarada responded.
"Okay, first, I don't know what that word Indolent means. Second, I kind of agree. He's been more relaxed since he moved back to the Village. I think he earned it for being away for so long." Boruto interjected as he takes another bite of his burger.
"Of course, searching for aliens must have been a heavy toll him." Mitsuki gleefully said.
"When you put it like that you make him sound like a lunatic." Sarada retorts.
"Well, we-"
A large explosion erupts creating a mushroom cloud sending a shockwave throughout the Village. The group drop everything and watched the chaos unfold.
"What the hell was that!?" Sarada yells.
"I think that was an explosion," Mitsuki tells as he looks over at the source of the smoke.
Sarada realizes Boruto was gone.
"Boruto?" She locates Boruto heading towards the disaster. "Boruto!"
Sarada jumps off the building chasing after Boruto, reaching the center of the chaos. Embers fall from the sky and buildings were destroyed. Strangers in flames ran from the chaos only to drop dead in the streets.
A Child escapes from the wreckage trying to recover. Sarada runs to his side and tries to help him.
"Easy... Tell me, what happened?"
"...I'm sorry..."
The child shoves Sarada to the side and begins convulsing. His body swells to the point the skin stretched and rips apart. The Boy's right arm grows bigger than his body, blood drips through his ripped skin as he raises back to his feet.
Sarada watches in horror as the child turned into a grotesque monster. It raised his swollen hand and slams it to the ground trying to hit Sarada. She jumps out of the way, processing what was happening.
The former child charges at Sarada wildly swinging his giant arm. Sarada was pinned against the wall as the mutant came closer. Force to act Sarada wave hand seal and takes a deep breath.
"Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!" A ball of fire expels from Sarada mouth hitting the mutant head on.
The smoke clears revealing the mutant expression. It was one of confusion, one that shocked Sarada.
"Why..." The Mutant drop to the floor body still twitching.
Sarada felt sorrow, a feeling that will be familiar to her. The Mutant arises and roars scaring Sarada. When he raises an Anbu Shinobi falls from the sky and cuts the Mutant in two.
The Anbu nods and then leaves towards the chaos. Sarada remained there appalled at what happened. A child was cut in two and she watched. Sarada reckons the Anbu didn't even know the Mutant was a kid.
"Sarada!" Sarada came back to reality with Boruto yelling and dragging her away from the chaos.
All she sees is smoke and fire. But the one thing she remembers the most was the screaming. Villagers yelling for help, buildings crumbling before them, the sound of steel cutting across flesh, it burned into her mind. The Screaming never stopped.
Sarada's memory stops and focuses back on the situation on hand. The anguish of the memory causes her eyes to turn into the Sharingan.
"...Keep moving. We can't stand around." The kids regrouped and travel deeper into the forest.
~~===X===~~
Chōchō wakes from her beauty sleep and notices Inojin and Mitsuki still awake.
"Wha... You guys are still awake?"
"Need to stay vigilant," Mitsuki told.
Inojin yawns.
"I think we're just being paranoid."
"Something is shady about this Village, I can feel it in my gut."
"Whatever. Chōchō, take my place. I need a nap."
Inojin falls face first in his bed going into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, Chōchō sits next to Mitsuki.
"Got anything to eat?"
Mitsuki glance at Chōchō.
"How can you be so relaxed?" He asks.
"I don't know. Guess its the only thing I know."
"Why would you say that?"
Mitsuki was interrupted by the garden snake he sent earlier. The Snake wraps around his finger and he brought it to his ear. It whispers in his ears. The Snake slithers into Mitsuki's sleeves and disappears from sight.
"They're watching us."
Chōchō was startled but quickly calms down.
"Mitsuki, they're at war. So you can't complain about them being cautious."
"I don't know. Something isn't right."
"Ease up, you worry too much. Just lay down and take a deep breath. Nothing is going to-"
A large explosion erupts creating a ball of fire that engulfs the sky. The Kids, including Inojin who woke from his short nap, watch in horror.
A Hoshi Shinobi ran in scaring the kids.
"Kids? Are you okay?"
"What's happening out there!?" Chōchō screams.
"Our forces are being attacked. Please remain here while we deal with the situation."
The Shinobi runs outside and joins the others. The Kids watch as the Shinobi head into battle.
"They're going to war. Their actually killing each other..." Inojin udders.
The Genin stood there in disbelief. Mitsuki grits his teeth clenching his fist. He storms outside with the other two following him in a panic.
"Mitsuki!? What are you doing!?"
"My team is out there! I can't stay here and do nothing. I won't let anyone else die..."
The others followed Mitsuki as they went deeper into the forest.
~~===X===~~
Konohamaru and Moegi were traveling with the Hoshikage and his men across the forest reaching the camp where they were attending.
"Hoshikage, we made contact with the traitors. Awaiting your orders." The Men bow in respect. Sumaru leans towards Jonin.
"Wait here." Sumaru climbs up wooden planks and whistles to grab everyone's attention.
"Fellow Shinobi, today I bring an ultimatum. These Konoha Ninja have come for the Hybrid."
The Army observe the two with doubt, fear, and confusion among them.
"These two represent everything of the Will of Fire. They're strong, intelligent and resilient."
Konohamaru puffs up his chest cracks a cocky smile while Moegi blushes at the side.
"They are the example of excellence. But we are the model of failures."
The Konoha Shinobi eyes the Hoshikage from the unexpected turn.
"We've been ignored for decades, stuck under the Hidden Village's shadow. Now that changes!"
The army begins to mumble as they heard their leader's speech. Konohamaru and Moegi feel uncomfortable as the speech continued.
"No more will we be ignored. Now we'll rise!"
Some of the men begin to cheer. The Konoha Shinobi gradually went back-to-back as panic begins to set in. Konohamaru slowly builds chakra in his hand.
"Even if it means being seen as monsters by the ones we love." Sumaru pulls out his sword and points at the Shinobi. "We won't look back. We can't. For Hoshigakure... For the Academy."
The Konoha Shinobi watched in terror as the army prepare to attack.
"Kill them."
As soon a Sumaru finished giving his order Konohamaru raises his arm creating a Rasengan, he expels a flammable gas from his mouth to Rasengan fusing the two techniques. The gas spreads across the entire area taking everyone off-guard. Moegi takes two Kunai and creating a spark igniting the gas-infused Rasengan.
The fire spreads engulfing the army and set fire to the trees. Moegi went over to Konohamaru's side.
"Can you stand?"
"Yeah, let's-"
Chakra encases the duo, immobilizing them. Sumaru emerged from the fire using his Mysterious Peacock Method to crush them.
"Quite a trick you pulled off, shame it's going to be your last."
"W- why are doing this? I thought we were allies." Moegi pleads.
"Allies? Do allies force one another to fight in a war they had no right to be a part of? To suffer your consequences?! The Village lied to us. He lied to me."
"So killing each other for a little girl is saving your Village?"
"Every leader has to make sacrifices, this is mine." The chakra begins to crush Moegi causing to scream. Eventually, the air in her lungs are gone and starts suffocating.
"No!" Konohamaru yells out. The chakra wrapping Konohamaru wasn't crushing him as much as Moegi. Using the extra wiggle room that he has Konohamaru tries to find a way out.
From the corner of his eye, he sees multiple Hoshi shinobi trying to extinguish the fire in a shack. Taking his chances with the little air he has left he exhales fire setting ablaze the shack.
Shocked Sumaru drop the two and rallies his men. His chakra forms a barrier trying to protect as many of his men as he could. Now with an opening, Konohamaru grabs Moegi as runs through the forest. Soon Moegi returns to consciousness.
"W- what? How did we..." She asks.
"It's okay, we escaped. We're safe now."
A large explosion erupts creating a ball of fire that engulfs the sky. The shockwave pushes them off the trees and knocking them to the ground.
"What the hell was that!?"
"I think that was my guess being right."
The duo got up and headed deeper into the forest.
~~===X===~~
Sarada, Shikadai, and Yui continue to travel across the forest trying to avoid the Civil War. A soldier jumps in front of them halting them from moving.
"You kids aren't going any-"
An arm pierces his chest causing him to cough blood. He looks down, a being made of black fire stares back and develops a malicious smile. She removes her hand and he drops to the ground. The Copy turns glares at Sarada. She laughs.
"The blood dripping from my skin, I bet it'll feel great. Want to try for ourselves?"
Shikadai pats Sarada on the back, breaking her trance.
"Did you got him with the Sharingan? That fast? The Sharingan's Genjutsu sure is incredible huh?"
"...Yeah..."
Several more soldiers land in front of them having located the Hybrid.
"Nowhere to run!" One of the soldiers yells.
"Looks like we have to fight," Shikadai said. "Yui, stay back."
"Damn Konoha, taking everything for themselves and leaving nothing for the little guys." A soldier seethes.
"Damn you... damn you!" Other yells.
The soldiers charge at them quickly closing the gap. The kids were separated leaving them to defend for themselves.
Sarada, using her Sharingan, dodges all the sword swipes from the soldier. The Hoshi soldier aims for the head but Sarada stops it by grabbing it with her hands. Sarada's hands started to bleed and cut deep into her palms. Using her enhanced strength Sarada breaks the sword in two, still holding the top part of the blade she cuts into the chest of the soldier.
She stares at him as he struggled, he lived but barely. Sarada felt dread but there was another feeling. One she couldn't tell and wouldn't dare want to know.
Shikadai gains distance from his attackers. He pulls out a scroll and from it summons a large folding fan.
"Wind Style: Wind Scythe!"
The winds generated from the fans struck down the soldiers. He held the fan behind his back with one hand ready for the next wave of opponents.
"Who else wants some!"
Several soldiers appear from the sky all using the Mysterious Peacock Method. Shikadai panic dissolved once Konohamaru and his clones slams on top of them. Sarada gloom turns to joy and Shikadai sighs of relief.
"Konoha-sensai!" Sarada yells out.
"Focus Sarada, this isn't over yet."
When Konohamaru finished his sentence more soldiers jump out of the forest. But they were immediately tangled in strings and taken down. Moegi appears out of the forest with wires tangled in her fingers, she dashes across the field with the wires flowing the entire battlefield. Anyone caught was slashed in seconds and drop to the ground defeated. The Jonin now reunited with the Genin take on the soldiers head-on.
Purple chakra suddenly spread across the trees surrounding the group. From the shadows, Sumaru arrives at the battlefield.
"You're going to pay for what you did." The Hoshikage locates Yui, much to his surprise. "Hello Yui, it been a while."
Konohamaru steps in front of Sumaru making the Hoshikage focus on him.
"You're not lying a single finger on her." He forms a Rasengan and charges towards the Hoshikage. The Rasengan clashes with Sumaru's sword causing a loud ringing noise to echo across the forest.
Sarada returns to Yui, she notices her Sharingan was active. She could tell Yui was struggling with her eyes, the amount of information she was receiving was stressing her out.
"Breath, breath."
With the Sharingan Sarada notices a hawk in the air, she could tell it was one of Inojin. The Hawk turns around and leaves the area.
"Looks like reinforcement is on its-"
The trees begin to rumble, Chōchō in the Human Bullet form runs through trees destroying everything in her way.
"That was quick... Wait." Sarada observes Chōchō movements. "Did she got faster?"
Chōchō was propelling herself at incredible speeds crushing trees much larger than her. Sarada came to the conclusion that Chōchō was holding back during their sparring match. She glances at Shikadai and notes the iron fan he held.
"Were they all holding back?" Sarada thought.
A soldier appears from below trying to sneak an attack with his sword but failed. He was relentless however and continues to slash at Sarada. A sharp gust of wind disarms the soldier, then a heavy kick to face drops the soldier to the ground. Mitsuki stood next to Sarada and lets out relieving sigh.
"You're okay." Sarada and Mitsuki said simultaneously. This cause Sarada to chuckle.
Yui stares at Mitsuki in shock.
"(The sinner?)" Yui thinks to herself.
"Where did you go?" Mitsuki asks with a worrying tone. Sarada was taken aback.
"I-I woke up in the middle of the night."
"And casually walk into a war zone?"
"Mitsuki! Sarada! Take the girl out of here!" Konohamaru orders.
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine, just get out of here!"
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio moves in front of Team 3 protecting them.
"Don't worry, we got your backs." Shikadai declares.
Team 3 comprehends what everyone was doing for them. They grab Yui and escape the battlefield.
"No!" The Hoshikage yells.
Sumaru jumps high in the air, his chakra that was entangled in forest follows with him causing trees to shatter. The ensuing chaos caught everyone from both sides as the Hoshikage gave chase. The Konoha Shinobi was left there in the shattered forest dazed and confused.
~~===X===~~
The group came across a large lake in their path. They continued forward with no idea on what to do next. The sounds of the forest being destroyed force them to stop and observer. A purple ball of light emerges from the chaos and begins to fall towards them resembling a falling star. It falls in the middle of the lake creating waves that swallow the group. Everyone surfaces trying to gain some footing.
"What was that!?" Yui shouts.
In the middle of the lake Sumaru emerges, he then points at Yui.
"I've sacrificed so much, you will not leave Hoshigakure."
Sarada and Mitsiki step forward.
"We won't let you take her!"
Sumaru performs the Mysterious Peacock Method ready to begin the fight. With no other choice, Sarada and Mitsuki charge forward. Mitsuki summons snakes from his sleeves making Sumaru go on the defensive. One of the snakes regurgitates a sword cutting the Hoshikage's cheek. While Sumaru was detracted Sarada goes for a punch but misses, meanwhile Mitsuki rolls past him and grabs the sword.
"You children seem to be blockheads facing a Kage."
"You are no Kage!" Sarada screams. It appears Sumaru struck a nerve.
"Then tell me Uchiha, what is a Kage?"
Sarada remained speechless as if she didn't know the answer. Mitsuki steps forward.
"That technique, how are you able to perform it?"
"You thought it was lost? Well, it was, but then the Academy came. They gave us a drug that allowed the use of the technique. And we suffer no drawbacks from it. Something the Hidden Leaf wasn't able to do."
"So you joined a group of terrorists who murder innocent people just for a couple of enhancement drugs?" Mitsuki yells out.
"You're the son of Orochimaru. You don't have a say about innocence."
The chakra feathers change to the form of a beast and attack the shinobi. Sarada with her Sharingan was able to dodge with minimal effort while Mitsuki has more trouble maneuvering. Sumaru extends a piece of his chakra down into the lake slowly approaching Yui. With her Sharingan, she could see the rope reaching up her but couldn't react properly and was dragged down into the lake.
The Hoshikage retracts his chakra and forms wings, he grabs Yui from under the water and flies up high.
"He's getting away!" Sarada exclaims.
"Throw me," Mitsuki responds.
"What?"
"Throw me!"
Doing as she was told Sarada grabs Mitsuki and throws him like a spear. Mitsuki hits Sumaru and begins to wrestle him in the air. He goes for a strike from his sword but Sumaru knocks it off his hand. Yui with her Sharingan was able to react and catches the sword. She cuts into Sumaru's leg causing him to drop them.
Mitsuki stretches his arms and grabs Yui pulling her close. Meanwhile, Sarada was positioning herself ready to catch them. After a few distressing seconds, Sarada catches them without buckling her knees.
"Y- you caught us!" Yui was astonished.
"Thank you, Sarada." Mitsuki gave Sarada a warm smile.
"No problem," Sarada said as she tries her best not to yelp from the burning pain her knees were giving.
Chakra rope flies through the lake aiming at the children. Sarada notice with her eyes and throws Mitsuki and Yui before it hits her in the face. The strike breaks her glasses causing the glass to cut parts of her face. Mitsuki tries to run towards her but a chakra blast stops him mid-way. Sumaru's star chakra had transformed into a large dragon which surrounded him.
"Irritating children, you left me no choice but to kill you."
The chakra dragon charges his attack and fires at the kids. Team 3 tries to the best of their abilities to dodge the beams while struggling to find an opening. Sumaru starts waving hand seal while firing at the team, Sarada watches and uses her Sharingan to decipher what Jutsu he's going to perform.
"(Snake → Ram → Horse → Hare → Ram...) Watch out! He's going for a water technique!"
Sarada was trapped in a sphere of water and was unable to move. Sarada looks at Mitsuki and Yui, they were not caught by the Water Prison. Mitsuki stares at Sarada when suddenly a chakra blast hits the water prison and in-turn Sarada.
"NO!"
Mitsuki had tears forming as Sarada didn't surface. Memories of Boruto flash across his mind as he too suffered the same fate. He glares at Sumaru filled with incredible wrath. His body begins to mutate as a chakra shroud surrounds him. He screams to sky causing the Natural Energy in the area to react.
Sarada opens her eyes and finds herself sinking to the bottom of the lake. Seems like the Water Prison absorbed most of the damage. The light shines through the surface giving her visibility, but the further she sunk the less light there was. Sarada begins to hear voices in the darkness provoking her to panic. She remembers that day, visions of Boruto dying flooded her mind.
A loud yell broke her trance-like dream, the water around her rumbles. She realizes it was Mitsuki. He was up on the surface, alone.
Sarada didn't want that. He doesn't deserve that. Mitsuki went through too much, she couldn't let him suffer.
Chakra gathers on her right hand.
"(I...)"
Sarada opens her mouth letting out air.
"(I can't...)"
The Chakra on her hand starts vibrating inducing sparks.
"(...leave him...)"
Sarada positions herself upward.
"(I won't...)"
Memories of the Uzumaki family emerges in her mind.
"(...fail them.)"
Her eyes turn into the Sharingan.
"(I-)"
The Chidori forms in her hand.
"(I...)"
Visions of her parents flash through her mind.
"I WILL NOT LOSE!"
Sarada launches upwards breaking the surface. The lake explodes raising volumes of water in the air. Sounds of the Chidori disappears as quickly as it appeared. Once the water falls back down the view of what happened reveals. Sarada had pierced Sumaru's chest.
Sarada stood there, hand still through Sumaru's chest, processing what happened. She glances at Sumaru's eyes and watches as life leaves him. His body falls into the water, and Sarada's arm smoothly slips out. Sarada stares at her bloody hand.
The blood dripping from her skin. It felt horrible. For the first time in her life, Sarada had taken a life.
Konohamaru and the rest arrive at quickly runs towards them. Moegi and Konohamaru check on Mitsuki while Team 10 picks up Yui. Then everyone notices the Hoshikage's body and Sarada standing over him. She hasn't moved a muscle. Konohamaru moves to her side.
"Sarada? Sadara?"
Konohamaru holds her non-bloody hand. Sadara shifts her gaze towards him in response.
"We need to move. Can you do that?"
Sarada nods. Konohamaru focuses at Mitsuki.
"Are you okay?"
Mitsuki nods as he wipes away the tears. Konohamaru sighs of relief. He didn't want to face a rampaging Mitsuki.
"Good"
The Konoha shinobi continues to move forward, leaving a bloody war behind them.
A/N: Another chapter is done! Next chapter we'll return to Konoha. The Village reacts to the Hybrid and the Vigilantes makes their move.
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