Hello friends and welcome to the next chapter of the story. Got a load of work to do so I never had too much time to write anything but in the last few days I had and now I am ready. So relax and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto/Boruto
Chapter 10: Alone
O
7 P.M
Near the border of the Land of Fire/Lightning:
The sunset just started and Boruto was running through the forest trying to Sumire and the root members, alone.
'I need to hurry', said Boruto.
Without knowing where they were, he went checking his first destination.
'I hope I'll find them when I reach the country border. Hopefully they still haven't passed it yet'
He wasn't sure if he really could find her. They could be everywhere and with this in his mind, he desperately tried to find them.
"I-I have to find them and save Sumire", Boruto told to himself as he still ran as fast as he could through the neverending forest.
O
Hidden root hideout:
Sumire as she was still tied on a bed, looked up in the cold ceilling, wondering when they'll finally get picked up.
'I fear that Boruto-kun and the others might find us soon', she thought. She wasn't happy about the situation and started to think about what might happen if they would indeed find her.
'They're too strong for him. Even if elite shinobi help him they probably would lose. They would die...Boruto-kun would die...'
The thought of her being responsible for his death made her feel bad inside.
'Thinking about it, my life was never ment to have any kind of friendship in it. My only purpose was to kill people and nothing more. I am happy that Boruto changed me to the better and that he saved me from the darkness, but maybe he should've left me back in Nue's dimension'
She started to silently cry some tears out of her eyes. She never felt more sad in her life, her maybe being the reason for the death of her savior Boruto and potentially many more of her friends.
'Sometimes I wish I never met them. That I never learned how friendship and joy feel and that I never attended the academy'
Sumire starred at the root members, who were preparing for their pick up unit.
'It would've been better if I was killed during my try to blow up the village or...'.
Sumire calmed down and looked down at her hand, the mark of Nue being visible in the middle of it.
"I wish I was never born at all", she said out
After her saying that, she felt a sudden pain at her right hand. She never felt that kind of pain before, but it wasn't a strong pain at all.
'Huh, why does it feel like my hand is burning?'
She was suprised by the sudden reaction. It felt like it was triggered by her words or her emotions. Suddenly she felt like something was emerging out of her body.
'W-What is that?', she thought as the pain started to feel more intense.
For her it felt like some she lost some of her chakra, but then she realized that it wasn't her usual chakra, but a strange one.
'T-The chakra feels completely off to mine. T-That must be Nue!", Sumire came to the conclusion.
Her whole body was quickly cloaked in purple chakra, before a decent amount of the chakra left her. The root members didn't noticed anything. The chakra seemingly being invincible for them, but also for Sumire. Some seconds ago, the chakra floating in the air quickly left the building through the window. After that, Sumire felt her pain vanish.
'W-What was that? Did Nue warn me or anything like that? Maybe Nue sensed my worries and tried to say me something? Too bad I am tied here and can't summon it'
She closed her eyes, trying to sleep a bit until they get picked up and her starting a new life.
'Maybe I should stop thinking about such things from now on. I am sure I won't have any time for my well being when I am working for them'
O
Near the border of Fire/Lightning:
The still running Boruto was quickly nearing the borders just straight north of where they found Sai. Boruto started panicking, as he still hasn't found them or anything hinting where they are.
'C-Come on...where are they?', Boruto thought as he ran and looked left and right, up and down.
'I can't let them have Sumire! I need to save her! I promised it myself that I'll find her before the mission even started! I can't give up now!'
Boruto ran and ran and quickly found out of the forest. I front of him where now hills and a river leading up to a small village, which stood in front of the border walls. He quickly came to an conclusion that they wouldn't cross the border here.
"DAMN IT", Boruto shouted.
'I need to run around the forest. Maybe they're near of me', Boruto thought as he started running again. He now tried to shout, hoping for a response.
"SUMIREEEEE", he shouted, but he heard no response. He tried it some more times, hoping to hear something now.
"WHERE ARE YOU SUMIRE! SAY SOMETHING IF YOU CAN HEAR ME!"
He was dissapointed after still hearing nothing, The only thing he did was to scare the on the trees sitting birds away from him.
While running, he thought about other things he could do. Shooting his Rasengan up in the sky or trying to somehow sense her chakra with his mysterious eye were some of his ideas. Without being aware what was in front of him, he crashed into a tree and falled down to the ground.
"Ouch", Boruto said in pain. 'Maybe I should stop running before I start thinking, but there's no time for that'
Boruto quickly stood up to try his new ideas. He quickly formed a Rasengan with his hands.
'The explosion sound and the flashy attitude of the Rasengan in the slowly approaching night sky might attract the attention of the gangsters and Sumire', he thought before he shoot it up in the sky'
Boruto also throwed a kunai up and detonated the Rasengan with it. A bright flash lightened up the surroundings. After some seconds, the flash vanished.
'I hope Sumire saw this. Maybe the evil gangsters also saw it and check out the area here'
Boruto now closed his eyes, trying to awake his secret power.
'As long as I have to wait here, I'll try to activate my eye power again. I could awake it earlier when I was helping that ANBU guy with that extraction, so I hope it will happen again now'
He tried everything to activate his eye again, but it went as he predicted. Once again he couldn't do that.
'I can't. I just can't! What should I do now?', thought a panicked Boruto.
He couldn't wait for the response and started to run along the forest border again.
'Oh god please let her be close to me. I can't wait for anyone to arrive her. Now it needs a miracle to find them'
Boruto run faster and faster, frightened about his potential loss of Sumire.
""SUMIRE WHERE ARE YOUUUUU".
O
Camp near the border of the Land of Fire/Lightning:
The ANBU members Hikari, Taki and Taro together with the unconscious Sai and Mitsuki plus the genin team of Sarada, Namida and Wasabi all camped near the place. They all didn't know that Boruto left them without informing them. Namida and Wasabi left the tent to eat something.
"I am hungry. Haven't eat anything since breakfast", Namida said.
"I prepared some sandwiches for the case we have to camp outside", Wasabi said to her. "Sarada, do you want one?"
She also left the tent to see her two team mates picking up some sandwiches from their lunch box.
"I am not that hungry, but I wouldn't mind", Sarada returned.
The ANBU members also went out with a bunch of cooking devices.
"We're now preparing dinner kids. I would be happy if you would help me", Hikari said.
"We would like to", Namida and Wasabi returned to her, happy that they could do something for the team.
Sarada, as she ate her sandwich, thought about the recent accident, where Mitsuki got injured.
'I should've kept the distance between me and them during the sealing. Boruto provoked the fight, but it was also part my fault that Mitsuki is hurt now'
She turned over to Taro, who was cutting the vegetables for dinner and approached him.
"How is the state of the team leader Sai and Mitsuki?", she asked him.
"They recovered a bit but we still need to take care of their health. We'll do anything to get them up as soon as possible", Taro answered.
"I hope they'll get better soon", Sarada said.
"Don't worry. Everything is fine", Taro said. "I can read it out from your face that you feel a bit sad inside. What's the problem?", he asked.
"It's about what happened earlier. It's my fault that Mitsuki is unconscious and that this may be the reason the mission could fail", she answered.
"It's not entirely your fault. It's neither Boruto's. You shouldn't feel ashamed by that. And it was Mitsuki's decision to save you".
"...Still, I never should've came closer to you guys. I know Mitsuki and he saved Boruto and me countless times before".
"Well there's the confirmation. Mitsuki wants to save his team mates no matter of the price. If it wasn't you, then he would've probably saved Boruto, so don't worry", Taro said.
"...Thank you...", Sarada said to him.
"I am a bit worried about Boruto's state. I think he may take the things Taki said to him a bit too serious", Taro told Sarada.
"Well maybe you should walk over to him and talk to him about that?", Sarada suggested.
Both of them turned over to Boruto, who supposedly was lying on the branch of the tree a couple of metres away from them, them not knowing it was a shadow clone yet.
"I think we should leave him alone for some time a bit more. He may come over to us after some time", Taro said.
"You're probably right", Sarada said before she went over to the girls. "Hey you need some help?"
O
7:30 P.M
Border of the land of Fire/Lightning:
Boruto, feeling a bit tired from the whole running, was still searching for Sumire and her kidnappers.
'I-I need to find them', he thought, not having enough energy to run faster than usual.
Time passed and passed and Boruto still found no hint of their current location. It also began to rain and he felt a storm coming near.
'Maybe I should've took those tracking technologies from the ANBU people. I don't have anything I can use to do so'.
The strong rain turned the ground into a wet, swampy road. Running along the border became more and more difficult for Boruto.
'I-I can't run a-anymore. B-But I don't have any times t-tp do a b-break', said Boruto to himself in his mind. The muddy ground made his movements slower and slower, until he slowly stopped.
'I-I can't...'
With that he collapsed onto the ground and lied there.
'I-I failed...Sumire...'
Boruto felt unconscious, lying onto the ground, the rain pouring onto his back like a gatlin gun. Just then a shadow emerged from the trees and Boruto's body reacted, absorbing the being without Boruto knowing anything.
In Boruto's mind:
'W-What is happening?'
In some kind of dream, Boruto felt like his mind entered a new world. A world full of darkness and sorrow.
"...Boruto..."
He heard something call out his name. It seems like he wasn't alone in that dimension.
"W-Who is speaking?", Boruto shouted "A-And where are you?"
He waited for the being to answer. He was wondering if this event was somehow connected to his previous encounters with strangers through his dreams.
"Boruto...I am talking to you with the help of your special power", it said.
"Special power? What do you mean?", Boruto was confused.
The being emerged from the shadows. Boruto was shocked to see who it was.
"Y-You?"
The shadow manifested itself into a creature. Boruto was suprised to see who the mysterious voice belongs to. He never expected to be him.
"Yes me Boruto...I am the Nue...".
Thousand questions were in his mind. Especially how it was able to contact him despite Nue being far away from him.
"N-Nue? How are you able to speak with me? And especially...is Sumire okay?", Boruto spoke.
The Nue in his mind was big and frightening as it was when Sumire tried to blow up the village, but as time passed, it get smaller and smaller.
"I don't have that much time left so let me speak first", the Nue said in a calm tone.
"H-How are you even able to speak? I thought you couldn't but it looks like you can speak our language as good as a human", Boruto said in suprise.
"To be honest, I can't. But because I am contacting you via telepathy, you can understand what I can say, thanks to your special power", Nue explained.
"But what do you mean with special power? Do you mean my eye?", Boruto asked.
Nue came closer to Boruto and looked deep into his right eye.
"Yes, I mean your eye power Boruto. You are a special boy who can speak with me with the help of that extremly rare eye you have. I sensed your power back when my mother used me to destroy your home village".
"Do you know something else about my eyes? You seem to know a lot", Boruto asked Nue, eagerly awaiting an answer.
"...No I don't. All the information I have are the ones my creater put into my mind. I have information about the doujutsu of the Hyuga and Uchiha clan, but that eye you have is some of a new kind. The only thing I know about it is that my chakra somehow reacts to your eye"
"But why that exactly? Why it was me who posseses that special eye power?", Boruto was confused.
"I am not able to answer this question, but let's resume to my actual reason to contact you", Nue stated.
Boruto muted himself and was ready to hear to it.
"The reason why I was contacting you wasn't only to inform you where my mother and my original chakra is, but to warn you about the enemy. I splitted a part of my chakra and let it escape the place we are currently inprisoned. They don't know that I did that. Not even my mother knows."
"You people are inprisoned? You're not outside?", Boruto asked.
"We are in some kind of hideout and they wait for them to get picked up. I heard everything they said and what their plans are. The most frightening thing is what their actual plans are...".
"What they plan to do? Attacking the village with your power? That's the reason why they kidnapped Sumire right?", asked Boruto
"That's only the first step towards their real goal...and that's the domination over the ninja world", Nue told him.
"Oh sure. Every evil guy wants that but why they need Sumire exactly?", Boruto asked it.
Nue suddenly felt uncomfortable because of the question and Boruto sensed it, curious to know the reason.
"...I tell you later when you rescued us", Nue told him not wanting to say what the gangsters plan to do with her.
"Why not now?", asked Boruto, who got a bit angry to Nue.
"...I don't have much time left", Nue explained. "I am going to leave a bit of my chakra in your body. This chakra will navigate you to my mother and me with the help of your eye power. But your time to arrive to us is limited. Either the chakra fades away or we won't be there when you find the hideout"
"Really? That's great! I almost gave up finding you. Thank you so much!", Boruto shouted.
Him saying thanks reminded Nue of something he wanted to do since a long time. Now the moment finally arrived.
"Boruto...ever since you saved mother from her dark past, I felt like her life changed to the better. You are the light that led her to another, better life. No wonder she really felt connected to you".
"She feels connected to me. What do you mean", Boruto asked, his heart started pumping more and more.
"She developed a special kind of affection to you", Nue told him.
'Did Nue mean...that?', he thought as he wondered what kind of affection she had for him.
"You may find it out later but I still have something to tell you", Nue started.
Boruto was curious to know what Nue still wanted to say.
"Thank you", Nue said.
Boruto was suprised to hear it saying that to him.
"Thank you for what? I never helped you out...or?", Boruto asked.
"Not directly, but you not only saved the life of my mother, but also mine. I was created to blow up the village with the cost of my life. I never had the chance to say it to you since the incident, but now I can. Thank you Boruto".
That statement made Boruto realize how much gratitude he caused in his friends.
"No problem. I think you also became one of my friends. And you helping me finding Sumire is truly something a friend would do, so I also need to say thank you Nue", Boruto smiled to him, which caused Nue to also smiled to him. He never saw Nue feeling that happy.
"You're special Boruto. I think your future is brighter than the sun", Nue said.
"I don't really care what will happen in my future. I instead want to hang out with my friends", Boruto said jokely, causing Nue to laugh.
"Hahaha you're funny Boruto", Nue said. Boruto started laughing too.
After a few seconds, Nue stopped and it's serious expression returned.
"We can laugh when everything is over. Boruto...be careful and don't rush. When you find them, don't let them see you and wait for your comrades", Nue said.
"I can't...", Boruto started. "I secretly left my team behind and now I am alone", Boruto told Nue.
"That's bad...then I have no other choice and need to split up a bit of chakra again", Nue said. "You're going to the root people and I'll contact your team. Your team mate who also was with you back then was able to sense my chakra".
"Y-You mean Mitsuki? He felt unconscious thanks to me...", Boruto told him.
"That's not a problem for me. I am talking to you through your mind you already forgot?", Nue said.
"Yeah you're right", Boruto said.
"Okay I am ready to go", Nue said as he split a bit of chakra up and launched it towards Boruto, hitting him. "I am counting on you Boruto. Free my mother and bring her back home".
Nue dissappeared with a flash and left Boruto with new hope.
"I will save Sumire. You can bet on that Nue!"
O
Border of Fire/Lightning:
"T-Thank you Nue"
Boruto, who came back concsciousness, stood up and was ready to continue his search. He quickly noticed a change.
"I-I can sense a part of Nue's chakra in my body...and the rest of it's chakra not to far away from him".
Boruto started running to the direction where he sensed the chakra.
"That's Nue...and Sumire. I need to hurry.
With that Boruto started running as fast as he could with newfound power and hope.
"Finally I'll see you again Sumire. Just wait for me".
O
8 P.M
Camp near the Land of Fire/Lightning:
The genin and ANBU were still cooking, the dinner almost being ready. Everyone except for Hikari and Sarada went to the tent to a rest a bit
"Hey Sarada, call your team to already sit down near the campfire. We're serving food just in a few minutes", Hikari said.
"Okay", Sarada returned and went into the tent to inform her team mates.
Namida and Wasabi were talking about their future of being a shinobi before they got interupted.
"Hey you two. Dinner is ready", Sarada said to them.
"Okay we're coming. Just give us two minutes to change clothes", said Namida.
"We can do that after dinner", Wasabi said.
"O-Okay, then let's go", Namida returned and both of them went out with Sarada.
"Are Mitsuki and Sai already up again?", Namida asked to Hikari.
"No, they're still asleep and we don't know when they'll wake up", she answered. "So dinner is ready now. I am going to call Taro and Taki and you'll go to Boruto and bring him here. It may cause problems if you talk to him. Please try to cheer him up a bit if he's still sad".
"I'll try my best", Sarada said and went to the branch where Boruto is lying. Namida and Wasabi were following her.
"I hope everything is okay with him now", Wasabi said.
"Sarada, please be gentle to him", Namida returned.
"Yeah yeah okay. But if he's going to go on my nerves, then I won't hold back. I am still a bit mad that he caused those problems with Mitsuki", she said.
They were quickly approaching Boruto's body and jumped up in the tree to talk with him.
...
"Boruto, dinner is ready", Sarada said to him
...
"Yeah", Boruto said in a serious tone.
"Please don't cause more problems and eat with us in peace", Sarada said. Namida and Wasabi just shut their mouths closed.
"I am not hungry", Boruto said annoyed.
"Then at least sit with us on the campfire", she returned.
Boruto thought about what to do now. He hopes they won't find out that he's only a shadow clone yet until his real self was done with the mission.
'Hopefully my real self already found Sumire. My chakra as a shadow clone won't last for much longer. I'll dissappear soon but I need to at least endure until everybody is asleep. But on the other hand I'll make myself a bit suspicious if I won't have dinner with them.'
Sarada looked at him and was wondering what he was thinking.
"Okay I come, but don't expect me to talk with you guys anything about the mission", the Boruto clone said and jumped down the tree.
'That was easy. Maybe he calmed down a bit', Sarada thought as she and the others walked to the campfire.
'But that's not him. Something is off'
O
Hidden root hideout:
The root members were still sitting quietly on the ground waiting for the headquarter to pick them up. The long awaited call then came.
RIIIIIIIINNG
"Finally", Nero said as he stood up and went to the table where he put down his communication device.
"Here's Nero", he said after he picked up the call.
"Martha here. The pick up is in a few minutes. You can already go out and use your transportation capsule".
"Alright we're coming", Nero said.
He closed the call and informed the others.
"Get up you couch potatoes. The pick up is just around the courner".
"Oh yes. My long awaited bath is coming close", Azura said. "What are you guys doing when we finally are in the headquarter?"
"Writing my report", Nero said.
"I need some sleep and after that a vacation without any brats like you", Ramos said.
On the other end of the room was Sumire, who heard everything they said.
'So we're heading to my new home soon. That's the end of my old life and the start of my new', she thought. 'All the things I have to do now...probably fits my reason to live more...'
"Hey girl, the time finally came", Nero said and free'd her from the bed. "Go over and pick up your things and be ready to move", he said.
"O-Okay", Sumire said.
After a few minutes, everybody was ready to leave the hideout.
"Okay now let's go out and prepare the capsules", Ramos said.
Then they went out the same way the came in through the secret path. When they were out, they took out a device out of their bags and layed it on the ground.
'This is the end...', thought Sumire, then she felt something emerging out of her body again.
'N-Not again', she thought and felt the pain on her hand again. Once again a bit of Nue's chakra leaving her body without her knowing that.
'That must be Nue. What's he doing?'
After a few second the pain once again faded away.
...
A hundred metres away there was a boy watching them from the distance, happy to have finally found them.
...
'T-There she is', Boruto thought. 'But what to do now?'
He quietly watched them and thought about a strategy
'A young woman, a man and an old granpa who doesn't look that strong...'.
He decided to wait for a bit longer for the best moment to attack.
'I am probably no match for them but I have to try it'
...
...
Back where the root members are, Sumire could sense a bit of Nue's chakra.
'W-What's that?' she thought as he looked over to the direction where she sensed the chakra, but saw nothing.
'That's definitely Nue's chakra there. What's it doing there?'
Sumire was curious to know what was happening around her.
...
Boruto saw that Sumire somehow reacted to Nue's chakra in him but stayed out of view.
'I think she know that somebody is around. I have to be careful what to do now'
...
The root members were continuing preparing for their department. But then Ramos sensed something.
'Something is there', thought Ramos as he looked at Sumire, who was starring at the same direction where he suspected something.
"I think someone is watching us", Ramos told her team.
'S-So he also sensed it!' Sumire was suprised.
"W-What? That's impossible!", Nero said.
Azura went to Sumire and confronted her: "You did something helping them finding us you bratty little girl?".
"N-No nothing...", Sumire said before she was slapped by Azura.
"O-Ouch", Sumire shouted.
Boruto got very angry seeing her doing that to Sumire.
'She's going to pay for that!'.
...
"I think I have to fight once again now", Ramos said.
"No this time it's my turn", said Nero as he prepared himself. "Where's the person?".
"Close to that direction", Ramos said.
Nero picked up his stuff and prepared to fight.
"You can all already go to the headquarter. I am going to defeat the person and return to you guys when you're there", he said as he quickly dissappeared from their view.
...
Boruto was still watching them and saw Nero running towards him.
'T-That's bad! They found me!', Boruto quickly stood up, ready to fight the enemy
"SUMIRE RUN AWAY!"
...
Sumire heard Boruto scream and was shocked.
'I-IT'S BORUTO! NO!'
...
"BORUTO! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE", she shouted.
"So it's that brat?", Azura said.
'How he was able to find us?', Ramos thought.
...
'I need to get away. I don't think I am able to defeat them! I hope Nue informs them as fast as possible'
Boruto quickly picked up a kunai from his bag and tried to create some distance between him and Nero, trying to think about a strategy. But he quickly got found by Nero and he suddenly appeared a few metres in front of him.
...
"Here you are...", Nero, who stood not to far away from Boruto, said.
Boruto was shocked that he found him after only a few seconds. He knew that a fight was unavoidable.
'If I now try to run away, then I'll lose Sumire! I have to do it!'
Boruto, hoping to win the upcoming fight, confronted the root member.
'I have to fight!'
So that was another chapter. I hope you liked it and excited for the next chapter, where Boruto VS Nero will happen. This is going to be the first real fight for Boruto in this story and I'll try to write it as good as possible. Once again sorry for letting you wait.
Please leave a comment and rate this chapter.
Until next time. Bye!