Chapter 11
Meanwhile, in another part of the Land of Fire, where the trees nearly touched the sky and the sun was still close to setting. Someone zoomed from branch to branch to get to a currently unknown destination. That someone was Yuto, and it seemed that he was heading in the direction of the Land of Wind, presumably to fight and kill it's Kazekage; Gaara. He panted a bit as he traveled, it seemed that he had not yet recovered from his battle with Naruto. Yuto then felt something that made his eyes widen.
"I sense something… better meditate to see what it is…" Yuto muttered to himself before he stopped on a large tree branch close by, sat down in a cross-legged position and closed as his eyes as he began meditating.
After a period of time, and by using up a lot of chakra he was able to see just who was following him, and sure enough he saw Boruto. Once he did, he stopped meditating and looked quite exhausted afterward.
"So… the boy still pursues me… no matter, while it may cost me the rest of my chakra and force me to rest for a period, I may have just the thing to give this child and his friends… a good reason to go home." Yuto said as he took out a scroll, unrolled it and then wrote something on it in his own blood before pressing his palm on it. "Summoning Jutsu!"
Just then, a puff of smoke went off and something dark began to rise out of it with Yuto laughing very evilly.
Around the same time, Boruto had just arrived in the forest and was leaping from tree branch to tree branch till he noticed someone or something was following him. Then he heard a voice call out to him.
"Boruto!"
Boruto then stopped at a large branch and the ones who were on his tail stopped at the branch behind him.
He turned slightly and saw that was his team, Sarada, Goh and Konohamaru all standing together on top of the branch.
"Oh, it's you guys." Boruto said, unsurprised, he turned around fully to face them. "So Mom sent you guys, huh?"
"That about sums it up, yes." Konohamaru replied, nodding.
"Well, forget it, I'm done listening her AND all of you." Boruto stated. "I'm leaving the Leaf and going to find and kill Yuto! End of story!"
"Oh, you're gonna listen to us alright!" Sarada promised, firmly.
"Please, Boruto, don't go, just hear what we have to say, please." Goh pleaded. Boruto thought for a bit and then finally spoke.
"Fine, let's just," he told them, clearly still angry.
"We will but first…" Konohamaru began before he gave Sarada a nod. She nodded back and then quickly leaped forward, took out a long metal string, ran around him and the tree trunk behind him. When she finally finished the rope tightened and Boruto found himself pinned and bound to the tree with Sarada holding the end of it, keeping him from moving.
"Hey!" he exclaimed.
"Sorry about this, but I knew you wouldn't listen to us quietly so we took the liberty of tying you up so that we could talk." Konohamaru said. "Now you will listen."
Boruto growled, but soon figured out that he couldn't do anything so he stayed still. "Ok… talk already," he said.
"Alright, first off… why did you leave without telling us?" Konohamaru questioned.
"Because I knew you guys would stop me!" Boruto stated.
"Of course we would you idiot!" Goh told him. Sarada just nudged him.
"Boruto, this is stupid, even for you." Sarada said, bluntly. "So, why are you doing this?"
"You know why! To find Yuto and avenge my Dad!" Boruto told them.
"Ok, what are you gonna do when you find him?" Konohamaru asked.
"Fight him of course!" Boruto said, bluntly.
"What!?" Konohamaru said.
"Yeah, you heard me. I'm going to go fight him and you can't talk me out of it." Boruto stated, stubbornly.
"Have you lost your mind!?" Konohamaru scolded him. "Don't you remember what happened last time? He nearly tore you apart!"
"But I'm much stronger this time!" Boruto insisted. "Come on, just let me go after him!"
"And then let you destroy him?" Goh questioned.
"Yes! That's how far I'm willing to go to win!" Boruto exclaimed.
"That makes you like him." Konohamaru told him.
"It makes me better than him! Yuto killed my father! He has to pay!" Boruto stated, angrily.
"Look man, that guy Yuto is a mad man but killing him out of vengeance is just wrong." Goh told him, firmly.
"What makes you think you know anything about it!?" Boruto snapped. "It's easy for you to say, you have no idea."
"Easy Boruto, just try to calm down." Konohamaru urged him.
"Maybe if I were to kill the most important people in your life, maybe you'd have a sense of what I feel." Boruto stated.
Konohamaru thought for a bit. "Well… it's an interesting theory but I'm afraid you're a little late in that regard," he said. Boruto looked at him, surprised. "Most of the people I care about have already been killed."
Boruto looked at his sensei shocked, along with his teammates.
"Sensei…" Sarada began.
"Yeah… my Grandfather, my Uncle… and now my idol… all gone." Konohamaru said, somewhat depressed.
Sarada looked at him, sympathetically. "We're sorry Sensei, we didn't know…"
"That's because I never told you… and I should have, I'm sorry." Their Sensei apologized.
"No need to apologize, Sensei." Goh bowed.
"Yeah… look Sensei, I'm sorry about Uncle and Grandpa… and I know you and my Dad were close… but you weren't their either when he was killed, or when your Uncle and Grandfather were killed so you don't understand!" Boruto exclaimed.
Konohamaru remained calm. "You're right, I don't, and if I did see them killed I would probably act the same way… at first."
"At first?" Boruto echoed.
"Yes… once I remember that I would only insult their memory by taking revenge I would turn back and go home." Konohamaru said. "Which is what we're doing."
"No! I can't go back! I can't come home a failure!" Boruto protested.
"Well we'll fail if we don't bring you back and Sarada Uchiha does not fail!" The Uchiha girl stated, firmly.
"You have some messed up priorities, Sarada…" Goh told her, slowly. Ōkami whined.
"Ugh, can you just let me go already?" Boruto asked, impatiently and annoyed.
"No way. It's bad enough that you've slipped up and let him know we're onto him, but your letting vengeance guide your actions." Konohamaru told him, sternly.
"Oh? Tell me sensei, have youever felt vengeful at all.?" Boruto questioned his Sensei.
Konohamaru paused before speaking. "Once. But like I said, I would stop myself and keep my center, and you should too, Boruto. You can't fight evil by becoming evil."
"I'm not!" Boruto protested.
"You could have fooled us, Boruto." Sarada said, folding her arms.
"She's right, are you even hearing the words coming out of your mouth?" Goh questioned.
"I am!" Boruto defended.
"Oh, are you now?" Konohamaru questioned, doubtfully. "Because your sounding like a child!"
"A child whose gonna stop this guy's plan before it starts!" Boruto stated, firmly. "Don't you guys get it? If we don't stop him now he'll get to the other nations and kill the other Kage, we can't let him leave here!"
The others all exchanged knowing looks and after a short period of time they turned to him.
"Very well Boruto, you win." His sensei declared.
"What?" Boruto said, surprised.
"You heard us. We'll let you go… we're going with you." Konohamaru stated.
"To stop Yuto in his tracks." Goh added.
"And we're bringing Yuto back alive, understand?" Sarada questioned, sternly.
"What!? But…" Boruto began.
"No 'buts', that's the deal. Do you want our help… or not?" Konohamaru inquired. Boruto growled in frustration.
"Fine, we'll bring him back 'alive'." Boruto said, begrudgingly.
"Good." Konohamaru nodded. "Alright team, let's get moving."
"Yes, sir!" Sarada and Goh saluted, quickly,
"Yes… sir." Boruto added, slowly before he and the others began to continue on the path he was previously on, though he did not look happy by this sudden change in plans and added additions at all.
While Team Konohamaru was currently on their way to meet and apprehend Yuto, most of the Rookie Nina ninja's were all gathered in Lord Kakashi's office, waiting for their return, or at least a report of their progress. They all looked impatient, anxious and serious. Sakura then entered the office..
"So? Are they back yet?" Sakura asked the others, expectantly.
"Nope, not yet." Shikamaru responded.
"Oh… I hope they're ok…" Hinata voiced, concerned.
"Ah, I'm sure they're fine." Kiba stated, confidently. "Goh can track him down no problem, after all he does smell like an egg salad sandwich… not too hard to track."
"That is true. However… Boruto probably won't come back without a fight." Shino said, seriously. "Why do you ask? Because his desire for vengeance is too strong."
Hinata looked down sadly while Sakura dented the side of the wall with one punch, looking frustration. "I can't believe he just ran off like that without saying a word? Doesn't he know this won't help?"
"I don't think he cares Sakura." Tenten told her.
"Look guys, I know what he did was wrong but you can't be too mad at him." Ino voiced.
"She's right, his Dad was killed right in front of him, kind of understandable." Tenten added.
"Maybe. However that boy has always ignored the consequences of his actions." Shino stated, firmly. "He must be punished when he returns."
"Shino!" Ino snapped before subtly gesturing to a sad Hinata, who was trying hard to keep it together. Kiba put a hand on her shoulder.
"Relax Hinata, I'm sure Boruto will be fine." Kiba tried to assure her.
"I think we all know that if he goes through with this… he won't be." Shikamaru stated.
"Yeah, he may come back alive… but if he kills Yuto in Naruto's name he'll never be the same." Choji said, grimly.
"And the world will revert back to the way it was before the 4th Great Ninja War…" Tenten added, folding her arms.
Kakashi sighed. "Yes… I suppose that is a possibility."
"But doesn't this kid realize this?" Kiba questioned. "I mean he's about to go against everything this father stood for, hasn't that sunk into his head yet?"
"Nah… you didn't see the look in his eyes but I did, he's angry, too angry to think and too angry to care about anything except ending Yuto's life."
Hinata then became a bit teary eyed as she tried to hold herself together. "Boruto…" she thought, sadly.
"At this point, there's only one person I know who can talk Boruto out of this." Kakashi stated. Everyone thought long and hard about who he meant and then it all became clear to them as they're eyes all widened.
"You mean…" Sakura began.
Kakashi nodded. "Yes."
"Him? Uh, maybe it slipped your notice Kakashi but that guy isn't exactly 'the model of restraint' himself, especially back when we were kids." Shikamaru pointed out.
"Which is why I believe a word from him would have the most impact on Boruto." Kakashi said.
Shikamaru sighed. "Maybe your right… but we'd better hope that he doesn't end up joining him himself," he expressed.
"Trust me, I know him." Sakura stated, firmly. "If anyone can change Boruto's mind, it's him."
"I hope so…" Hinata muttered, sadly.
"So do we all." Kiba voiced.
"Very well, I'll send a message to him." Kakashi declared.
"Don't bother, he probably already knows." Sakura breathed.
"How do you…?" Ino began.
"I told you; I know him." Sakura reminded her and the others.
As she walked over and looked out the windows thoughtfully, a fast and unseen figure was zooming through the desert in an undisclosed location before reaching a grassy landscape up ahead. The sun shined over the person, revealing him to be Sasuke. As Sharingan and Rinnigan both activated, he gained a serious expression on his face before he leapt forward and began to head back toward the Land of Fire as fast as he could.