The Man from the Picture
Chapter 2
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Growing up in Konoha helped Sarada navigate its confusing labyrinth of side streets and narrow passages with ease. Running down the main street straight to the gates was a bad idea as someone who knew her was bound to notice and stop her. Her schoolbag, instead of books, was filled with provisions, first aid kit and a change of clothes and her back pouch was bursting with weapons. That alone would raise some unwanted questions that she'd rather avoid. It was better to slip out of the village unnoticed than try to explain her decision to leave. They wouldn't let her go anyway.
The girl lowered into a crouch and peeked out of the corner of a building, only to glimpse her father and the Hokage talking to Uncle Kakashi and Nara-san just by the village entrance. She stared at them intensely, but they were too far away to hear what they were saying. It was all the better for her in the end, as they could have detected her presence if she came closer.
"Sarada? What are you hiding here for? Did you come to say bye to your dad?"
For the second time that day, someone managed to sneak behind her, but this time she knew exactly who it was and didn't hesitate. She quickly turned around and fell him with a low sweeping kick. Boruto landed hard on his behind with an indignant squeak.
"What's your prob-" he started to protest, but she was already onto him and covering his mouth with her hand.
"Shut up or they'll hear you," she hissed dangerously, her tone promising him a lot of pain if he didn't oblige. Her eyes were locked on the figures of the adults, tracking their movement.
Boruto got the picture and fell silent.
They observed the departure of both of their fathers. Nara-san and Uncle Kakashi went back in the direction of the Hokage tower too.
Sarada took her hand off Boruto's mouth, which might have been a mistake because he immediately started to talk.
"What was that? Why are we hiding here?" he asked with a scowl.
"None of your business."
"Oh no, it is so my business! You made me hide here when I was supposed to give my dad this lunchbox from my mom," he refuted, showing her the wrapped lunchbox.
Sarada dropped her gaze. "Sorry." She really felt bad about this.
"Eh, no matter. That doofus can survive without it." Boruto shrugged and got up from the ground. He dusted himself off and offered her a hand up, which she took. "You coming?" he asked, indicating the street.
Sarada didn't budge. "Where?"
"To my house. You're invited to stay until our dads come back from the mission."
When she'd been younger, she had stayed over with the Uzumaki family a lot. Her father didn't want to leave her alone at home when he was outside the village. Sarada didn't remember much but there had been a break-in at their house once. The criminal had planned to hurt her to take revenge on the Uchiha, but he hadn't been skilled enough to finish the job and he'd picked a wrong time. Her father had a very light sleep and no patience for fools like that. As far as she knew, the man was still in prison.
"I'm not going," Sarada said.
Boruto raised a brow. "Why?" he asked dubiously.
She considered what to tell him then decided on the truth. If he didn't like it, she could neutralize him and go regardless. "Because I'm going to follow my dad and the Seventh."
"Are you crazy? You're not even a ninja!" Boruto didn't hold back his incredulity. "Look, we both know they are the strongest shinobi in the world, so if they have to go somewhere on a mission, it's probably very important or very dangerous. You could get killed."
"I know," she replied simply. She clearly wasn't swayed by his reasoning.
Boruto frowned at her. "This isn't a game, Sarada. I may sound like Shikadai, but even I know when there's a real danger and I don't go around throwing myself into it without a reason."
His concern was touching, really, but also unnecessary. She was well aware of the risk and she was willing to take it anyway.
"I have a reason. I'm going to find my mom," Sarada told him.
"Your mom? That pink lady from my dad's team picture?" Boruto recalled.
Sarada glared at him. "Her name is Sakura. My dad and the Seventh went to see a man who knows where she is. And I'm going after them," she announced firmly, daring him to stop her with her eyes. Then she would just punch his lights out and be done with it.
But Boruto didn't try anything like that.
"Okay. I get it now," he said and slowly nodded. "Want some help?"
"What?" she asked, completely taken aback.
"Hey, this is your best chance to finally meet your mom, right? I would do the same if I was in your place. Moms... are really important, you know." Boruto smiled and scratched the back of his head to cover up his embarrassment.
"Boruto, you..." Sarada didn't finish the thought as she realized how much it made sense that he of all people would understand her reason for leaving and she just shook her head. Boruto, under all that bravado and troublemaking tendencies, was a real momma's boy. His biggest fear in life was disappointing Aunt Hinata.
"So... what's the plan?" the boy asked, snapping her back to the present.
"I need to distract the guards then I'll make a run for it. I was planning to set off explosive tags in a garbage can, but with your help this will be much easier."
Boruto puffed up his chest. "So you do acknowledge my ninja skills! Thanks, Sarada!"
"You're confusing ninja skills with your abnormal talent for causing trouble," she put him down out of reflex and adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. A cloud of gloom surrounded the boy.
Sarada crossed her arms and sighed. "Well, this ability will come in handy, so I'm not exactly complaining," she conceded just to cheer him up and it worked like a charm. The gloom dissipated.
Sarada explained her plan and they briefly discussed it. Then they looked at each other uncertainly, looking for something more to say.
"Uh... I guess I hope this plan works out and you will see your mom soon," Boruto said.
"Thanks."
"I better get going."
"Yeah." Sarada looked after him when a thought occurred to her and she jogged after him. "Boruto, wait!"
"What is it? Did you forget something?"
"Give me that lunchbox," she ordered and when he gave her a nonplussed look, she rushed to explain properly. "When I catch up to the Seventh, I'll give it to him for you. If he doesn't get it, your mom will be sad, right? So give it to me, I'll deliver it safely to his hands."
The boy regarded her with amazement and a big dose of gratitude.
"Wow, Sarada, I didn't think of that... Good idea. Thanks." Boruto handed her the lunchbox without complaint. She put it in her schoolbag.
"Okay, now you can go," she told him.
"Alright! Uzumaki Boruto is off to distract some chunin!" he announced proudly.
"Quiet, you idiot!" Sarada hissed.
"Sorry." Chastised, Boruto skulked off without any further ado.
Sarada waited for the sound of explosion. They modified her earlier plan with the explosive tags in the trash can. One of the guards went to investigate the disturbance, but the other stayed put. That's when Boruto came in, running with snot hanging from his nose (Sarada gave him points for attention to details in his acting). He was shouting about someone scary in the alleyway and insisted that the other guard should come look and that it would take only a moment. The chunin looked undecided, as the protocol prohibited both of the guards from leaving their post at the same time, but Boruto's fake crying was convincing enough to make him go check it out.
When he finally left, Sarada dashed through the gate and outside Konoha. She used the small window of opportunity to reach the tree line. Just as her back disappeared from view, the guard returned.
"I told you there was nothing there, kid. No scary people or monsters," he told Boruto, who kept up his act of a terrified Academy student.
"A-Are you absolutely sure? Because I really saw this giant snakey shadow creeping up on me, I swear!"
"I am sure it was only your imagination. You should stop watching scary movies," the exasperated chunin advised.
"Okay! Thanks, mister! I feel much better now. My mom is waiting with dinner so I really should go!" Boruto waved in goodbye and ran off.
"Take care, kid!" The guard waved back.
His partner came back from his investigation too, muttering about morons who throw out unused explosive tags into trash where they can spontaneously detonate and hurt someone. Both of the ninja were none the wiser about two Academy students (albeit exceptional ones) outwitting them so that one of them could run away from the village.
The lax state of Konoha's security, despite the peaceful times, was somewhat troubling. However, Sarada didn't concern herself with it. As she ran to the north, her thoughts were only consumed with her goal—the mysterious Uchiha and his connection with her mother.
Even though she knew she would get tired if she carried on with her furious pace, Sarada pushed herself onward. According to her calculations, Boruto would buy her at most few hours of a headstart before a search party was dispatched after her. On the other hand, if she caught up to her father too soon, he would send her back to Konoha with a clone. Ideally, she had to find the man from the picture right before or at the same time as her father and the Seventh.
Only a few times when she came upon crossroads, she stopped to consult her map and one time she took a ten minute break to munch on a sandwich and drink some water. The travel was getting harder as the road entered the range of hills leading to mountains on the border of the Land of Earth. The forest thinned, giving room to the shrubbery and the grassy plains.
The sun was setting and Sarada looked for a place to reorient herself before continuing. With her average speed she would need only a few more hours to reach the Uchiha outpost. Meanwhile, she took a detour to an abandoned watchtower. After a strenuous climb up the steep hill, her calves were burning, but she'd taken only a short breather before she forced herself to walk up the stairs to the top of the tall building. From the observation deck there she had a perfect view of the surrounding region, stretching from the remote but distinct shape of the Hokage monument all the way to the mountains in the north. She spotted several villages tucked in the hills, but not her destination.
Frustrated, Sarada took out the map again and found the position of the watchtower, then turned in the direction where the Uchiha outpost should be. She squinted her eyes to ward off the last rays of sunlight coming straight at her and she saw a darker outline of an ancient, half-demolished stone tower peeking out of the strip of forest in the distance. Without a doubt that was the place and she shivered in excitement at the visual confirmation. She was close!
The girl traced the road leading to the outpost with her eyes, committing it to the memory, then looked at the tower again. She wondered where her father and the Seventh were at this moment. She hoped they weren't already there.
A little dark dot leaped from the tower and soared into the reddish sky above. It flew in widening circles. Sarada thought it would be very convenient if she could just fly over there too.
A detonation went off at the bottom of the hill and a whole swarm of black birds blotted the sky as they flew up in panic. Sarada heard the muted cawing, but she paid it no mind, because she was already dashing down the stairs, jumping over two or three steps at once in her hurry.
If there was a battle at that outpost, then her father and the Seventh were definitely involved and she needed to come fast!
Sarada sprinted downhill, then ran on the main road, pumping chakra into her legs. She was running like never before, the wind whistling by her loudly and whipping at her hair and clothes. Nothing else mattered but getting there in time to see that other Uchiha... then he'd tell her where Mom was... and then she would finally know how it felt to...
Her eyes burned a little and everything seemed suddenly sharper and more vivid. That's why Sarada noticed a foreign chakra and was prepared to skid to a stop when a strange white-haired boy appeared in the middle of the road, blocking her way. He rose from the crouch and looked straight at her with Sharingan eyes. Sarada recoiled. Her mind was spinning with even more questions.
"Come with me..." the boy said.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Uchiha Shin."
Another new Uchiha no one told her about? Sarada was annoyed, but on the off chance that he might have some information she took out the picture of her mother and the long-haired man and showed it to Shin.
"Do you know them? This man is an Uchiha too. And the woman is my mother."
The boy recognized the man. "Uchiha... Madara..." he whispered reverently.
Finally she learned something relevant about the other Uchiha – his name! Sarada inwardly cheered and pressed on.
"So you know him. Then you know he's probably at the Uchiha outpost. I really need to talk to him, so let me through."
"He's... there? No..." Shin cocked his head, a bit like a bird, then repeated his demand. "Come with me to Father... or I will bring you back... by force!"
"No, you will get out of my way or I will make you!" Sarada readied her shuriken, realizing that a fight was unavoidable at this point.
Then Shin unsealed a large shuriken attached to a chain and the rules of the game changed. The boy swung the heavy weapon at her and Sarada jumped out of the way, releasing a hail of small ninja stars at him. Shin defended with the chain and the weapons bounced off it harmlessly. Or that's what he was only supposed to think, because in reality they were strung on an extra thin wire that she was holding.
Sarada intended to attack him from the front and the back at the same time when Shin rushed at her, his eyes changing into a different shape. It distracted her and then she was stabbed in the back by four sharp blades that came off his large shuriken.
The young Uchiha fell on her knees with a cry of pain. Shin approached her and she gave him a resentful look, then flicked her wrist. Her shuriken pierced his limbs precisely, but the boy didn't react to the pain. He just walked on unperturbed until he stood looming over her defeated form.
"Now you will come with me," he said.
"No... Never," she panted out through gritted teeth. The pain was pretty bad and the back of her black shirt was getting slick with blood from her wounds, but Sarada was still looking for a way out.
A small blob-like creature with a Sharingan implanted into it landed in front of her, just by Shin's right foot.
"Well done, Shin," an adult voice came from the creature. "Even a real Uchiha was no match for your matured Sharingan. I'm taking you both back."
Sarada threw a shuriken that she had concealed in her palm at the blob, but it jumped back. Shin kicked her hand in retaliation and she fell to the side, barely managing to put an elbow under her body to prevent falling down on her back and aggravating her wounds. The movement still hurt like hell and she bit back a rising scream. It was turned into a pained grunt.
"Nice try, but you're out of tricks now," the voice said. "Shin, get her."
The boy grabbed her arm and Sarada struggled to pull out of his hold, but it was no use. She was weakened and hurting. His injuries didn't seem to bother him at all.
I wish Dad was here, she thought desperately. If he knew I was here, he'd save me...
A powerful blade stroke cleaved through Shin's body, from the right shoulder to the left hip. Sarada looked in shock as the blood gushed out of the horrible, fatal wound. The boy's eyes glazed over, red coming from his mouth as he gurgled and choked on his own blood. Then the curved blade pulled out easily and Shin's corpse thudded to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
Sarada looked at him, dazed, and she concluded that's what he really was like – a broken doll. He didn't feel pain, but was still too fragile to survive a rough play. Just like the dolls she'd played ninja with when she'd been younger.
"Girl. Snap out of it," a commanding voice spoke to her from above.
She slowly looked up.
Before her stood the man from the picture, dressed in a dark cloak, a gunbai in one hand, and a bloodied kama in the other.
"Uchiha Madara..." the name came to her lips unbidden.
In the end, she didn't find him. He found her first.
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AN: Hello, my dear readers! I was floored by the amount of support this story got only after one chapter and I want to thank you all! It was really incredible to me. This gave me the confidence to continue, though most of the last week I spent on making a proper outline.
I hope you liked the chapter. I am taking some cues from Naruto Gaiden manga, but the story is going to be very different. I try to make logical changes that are caused by different circumstances in Sarada's life. For the record, I stopped watching Shippuden when Madara killed Naruto and Sasuke, I don't know what happened in the novels, Naruto the Last movie and Boruto movie. But I started watching Boruto anime. Anyway, I am basing this story on Kishimoto's manga. In time I might watch all these other things I missed.
I am curious if there are any fanartists among my readers who would be willing to design a new outfit for Madara? I think he deserves one for the new era and I didn't see anyone try this before.
From now on, the real Uchiha family drama begins! Please tell me what you think about the chapter :)
