"How? I don't know how they did it either, Sarada," the Seventh Hokage answered, although the dark-haired kunoichi could not hear a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
He just seemed to be very... delighted, and it felt very welcoming. Without thinking, Sarada took a few steps forward to where he was, stopping midway after realizing what she was doing.
She gasped before looking at him. "I'm sorry - can I?"
Naruto nodded. "Yes, come here."
She proceeded and carefully noted that his arms and shanks were bound, with seals covering his limbs almost entirely. She observed him as she knelt.
"It really is you, Lord Se - " she began before Naruto cut her off.
"Uncle Naruto. You used to call me that before, back when you were still tiny," he said, grinning.
"But you weren't Hokage yet back then," she said, half smiling and half laughing. "This is embarrassing, Uncle Naruto. You remember those things better than I ever will."
Naruto nodded, thinking. "Do you remember when you used to tell everyone I was your - "
"That you were my papa?"
"Yes," Naruto answered, and chuckled as she watched Sarada blush in embarrassment.
"Mama told me, yeah. That I used to believe you were my papa, and begged for you to carry both me and Himawari together instead of Boruto," Sarada said, sighing. "And that Hima told everyone in her first weeks in the academy that I was her older sister, even though I lacked the whiskers, yeah."
"Sakura told you all of that?" Naruto asked, relieved that the young girl didn't show any fear as she sat near the reanimated Hokage.
"Yes, to help me be more forgiving of Boruto every time he obsessed about our 'rivalry'," Sarada giggled. "Mama said I kind of stole some father-and-child moments with you from him."
Naruto laughed because it was true. "Only for you to find out that your real Papa was way cooler than me, huh?"
Sarada smiled. "He's cool too, but you're nothing like each other at all."
Naruto's gaze shifted to the ground but his smile did not leave his face. "How's everyone?" he asked.
Sarada considered the question for a moment, before answering. "Um, good, I guess," she said, her voice somehow trailing off. 'Coping,' she almost added. "Everyone's doing really well," she said instead.
Naruto winced. He knew she only said it to make him feel better. It surely had been difficult to everyone, and it was sudden.
"If only I can tell everyone how sorry I am for what I did," Naruto muttered. Sarada looked at him, surprised. "I didn't have enough time to think about how it would affect everyone - "
"We all know you only did what you could," Sarada retorted in a whisper. "There's nothing you have to be sorry for. And if there's anything... on behalf of the entire village - thank you for everything you've done." She bowed her head.
The gesture surprised Naruto but it also brought him warmth. This was the first time he felt genuinely glad to be back - having previously felt only overwhelming disgust at his own reanimation.
The figure before him sat back, facing him once more.
"Do you know why, Uncle Naruto? Did they tell you why they're doing this?" she asked.
He knew, of course, because although Kansuke didn't tell him a lot yet, he knew Kansuke had been honest with his goal.
This, however, wasn't something he wanted to burden Sarada with. He shook his head to tell her 'no'.
Upon seeing the look of dismay on her face, Naruto spoke. "You're growing to resemble Sakura more as the years go by. You smile just like her now, even when you're sad."
Sarada's eyes gleamed, their color seemingly even darker her father's. "Auntie Hinata told me the same thing just a few days ago."
This was the first time he heard the name he was trying so hard not to think of. Suddenly, he felt his eyes sting and Sarada seemed to have noticed since she looked away.
"I hope Himawari took more from her beautiful mother than from me," Naruto laughed and Sarada's frame relaxed, beaming.
"She looks so much like Auntie Hinata now, too. It's unbelievable. She's very beautiful," she said.
Naruto smiled.
As his strength gradually returned, the late Hokage started to acquire better sense of what was happening outside. He could remember the surge of the nine-tails' full power as if their sacrifice just happened yesterday, and he could feel the same energy now emanating, but fluctuating, like it used to - although this time, it was coming from outside his own body entirely.
He knew Kansuke and anyone he had on his side were acting now, and that they were acting fast. Naruto did not want to be reckless in this state - and he'd already been way too reckless before. This time, he would have to trust Sasuke on this. He just hoped the burden on his friend wasn't too much at this point.
He turned his attention to Sarada. "I am sure Sasuke already knows I'm here," he said. "And that he just had to send you ahead."
"I think so, yeah. He can't just leave Konoha right now," she answered. "Especially after what happened to Boruto."
Naruto glanced at her worryingly just before Sarada realized what she'd said. "How is he?" he asked.
"You knew what happened?" she asked, surprised that Naruto seemed to know.
"Yes, Kansuke told me," Naruto answered.
Sarada's hands balled into fists, "It was their doing then, too." She gritted her teeth. "Mama said he will be okay. But I had to leave before I could see him recover."
"If Sakura said he will be okay, I trust her," Naruto said, smiling at Sarada again. "What did Sasuke specifically instruct you to do?" Naruto asked.
"Track Kansuke," Sarada answered, before getting on her feet. "I guess I'll have to stick with that?"
Naruto nodded in confirmation. "Then you need to get going."
Sarada brushed the dirt off her skirt before reaching for the note in her pocket. She clenched it inside her fist.
"They should all really see you too, everyone back home," she said, her eyes starting to sting at the realization that there were people close to their hearts who would trade anything just to talk to him again the way she just did. "You have no idea how many times, in a day, Boruto would wish to speak to you one more time. Auntie Hinata, Hima, Mama... they all miss you too so much."
Naruto heaved a sigh. "If the circumstances will allow, Sarada, we will meet," he only managed to say.
Sarada bowed one last time, "Hokage-sama, Mitsuki also wanted to extend his greetings to you, too. Also," Sarada extended her hand to Naruto's and placed the note on his hand. "The scribble at the bottom confused me earlier but now it makes sense. I think it's for you."
After giving him the note, Sarada turned her back against him and ran toward the mouth of the cave. She waved at him before completely disappearing from sight. "I'll see you later then, Uncle Naruto!"
Naruto watched as the young Uchiha disappeared, before smiling to himself, "Later."
Using the limited movement his hands could perform, he slowly opened the note.
At the bottom and rightmost corner, below Sasuke's straightforward instructions to Sarada, were three other words.
Usuratonkachi, get ready.
Then for the first time since he'd been reanimated, Naruto Uzumaki felt closer to home.
"The coordinates point to..." Shikadai looked around, briefly scanning the area near the entrance gates, "... here," he said, pointing at a bushy area just a few feet beside the guard post.
"There?" Himawari asked, snatching the note from her friend's hand. "That's not even outside the village at all."
"It did not say it has to be somewhere outside the village," Shikadai said.
"Rather odd," Himawari commented.
"I'll go check it out now," Inojin said before walking toward the bushes.
"No, wait. What if it's a trap?" Hima said, grabbing Inojin by the arm.
"Hm," Inojin stopped, trying to think. "Here," he said, kneeling down with a scroll already in his hand. He opened the scroll and laid it on the floor, before inking two small dogs with his brush.
Quickly, after forming three hand signs, two dogs leaped into view and hurried toward the woods where the bushes were. The dogs sniffed before barking toward Inojin.
"Safe to approach," Inojin told Shikadai. "Go ahead."
Without hesitating, Shikadai ran toward the area. Himawari and Inojin watched him as he knelt, a surprised look was spreading on his face.
"What the hell," he gasped, before turning toward Himawari and Inojin.
The two, along with another regular shinobi guarding the post, soon joined him. Two masked figures were lying unconscious, with ropes that resembled snakes coiled around their bodies.
"What is this? An attack against the anbu guards?" the regular guard asked.
"No," Shikadai answered. "I don't think so. Here's a note," he said, unfolding the piece of paper attached to the rope. He started reading -
Attacked me and Sarada this morning.
Couldn't do more about them as we had to leave.
Bring them in for interrogation.
If in doubt, ask for your own father's judgment, Shikadai.
"Signed by Mitsuki," he finished.
Himawari and Inojin looked at each other before nodding.
"You both can start bringing them to the intelligence team, while I look for Uncle Shikamaru," Himawari said, ready to leave.
"No, we all go together," Shikadai told Himawari. "After what happened to Boruto, we can't leave you alone."
"But what if this is urgent - "
Before Himawari could finish the question, two anbu landed before them.
"You three aren't going anywhere with our comrades," the one with the cat mask said. "If we can incapacitate Boruto that easily, we can take you three out as well without breaking a sweat."
"I don't think so," the regular shinobi guard stepped between the anbu and Shikadai's group. Forming two hand signs, he transformed, revealing her real identity.
"Mirai!" Himawari called. "It's you!"
"Hm," Kurenai's daughter nodded to confirm. "After what happened this morning, I wanted to keep an eye on you."
"Let's see how you four would fare against us then," the one behind the hawk mask said, assuming an offensive stance.
Approaching just a few yards around the corner, Chocho was careful enough to hear the threat. Deciding not to go further, she leaped off. She reminded herself that the Hokage tower would be empty today, which she overheard her father saying this morning. With this in mind, she headed straight toward the Konoha hospital, where the information she had was much needed.
Uchiha compound
"I would like to apologize for the urgency of this meeting, as well as my unexpected choice of location," Sasuke said, as the members of the council settled before him.
The council now composed of four people who knew the Eighth, as well as the Seventh, better than any other people in the village, much to Sasuke's relief. Still, he wanted to maintain the same formality the council meetings always had.
Seated on his right was his own mentor, Kakashi, and Gai, and on his left were Kurenai and Shizune. Standing by the door, always present at his council meetings, was his own right hand man, Shikamaru.
"Nothing to worry about, Sasuke," Kakashi assured him.
Ever since he'd been instated as Hokage, the Uchiha was never seen wearing the hat or the cloak. He simply refused, once stating that the title was never formally handed down to him, and that the circumstances that led to his inauguration were nothing short of tragic.
It made sense now, Kakashi thought, why Tsunade almost never wore the cap or the cloak either.
He noted the lack of documents - Sasuke seemed to have brought only himself and nothing else. Nothing new, Sasuke had always hated writing things on paper.
"I'll be very straightforward - this meeting is about the nine-tailed fox," Sasuke said. "We all know about its recent rebirth, no concerns about that, but information regarding its current state is a secret - it's currently very weak."
"How long have you known this, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.
Sasuke sighed. "I've been uncertain from day one, but I made sure it was being monitored. That's where my mistake was," he said, earning confused faces from everyone in the room.
"There is a special department assigned to oversee the beast -" Shizune said.
"Exactly. A department I should never have trusted," Sasuke said, before he suddenly stood, his eyes intent on the door. Upon noticing this, Shikamaru placed one hand firmly on the knob. "Open," Sasuke muttered.
Shikamaru pulled the door and with unmatched speed, Sasuke threw three shuriken, barely missing two anbu guards on purpose who leaped off just in time.
"What was that?" Kurenai asked, standing from her seat. "Were those your personal guards, Sasuke?"
The Uchiha shook his head. "No word was sent to the anbu regarding this meeting," he answered sternly, his eyes narrowing at the spot where his shuriken landed. "And none of them was ever allowed to set foot on this place at all."
"What is happening?" Kakashi asked, concern and urgency evident in his voice. "First, the attack on the Uzumaki residence. Then now, this?"
"Spread word to the entire village: Never trust anyone masked," Sasuke announced, pulling two black gloves from his pocket before wearing them on his hands. "Also, I need to leave the village now. Meeting dismissed."
"Wait, you're leaving, now?" Shizune asked.
"What for? To check on the nine-tailed fox personally?" Gai asked. "With all these unresolved chaos ensuing within the village-"
"I'm sorry. But there are matters outside the village greater than what is happening here right now," Sasuke answered calmly. "I'm making sure the village gets looked after well. I've already asked for help."
"Help? From who?" Kakashi asked.
Before Sasuke could answer, Temari peeked into the room, soon stepping into view as Shikamaru gestured. When Sasuke turned his gaze to her, she spoke.
"They've arrived, Hokage-sama."
Sasuke nodded. "You can see for yourself, Kakashi-sensei," he said, looking at the former Hokage, before he shifted his focus toward the open door. "Come in."
Stepping into view were three people, dressed in thick and heavy clothing.
Kakashi gaped. "Kankuro? Shinki, and... the Kazekage?"
All other members of the council stood up as Gaara stepped into the room, all of them briefly bowing their heads at the same time.
"Good to see you again, the Sixth," Gaara greeted Kakashi before turning to Sasuke.
"I hope we are not too late, Sasuke. We kept our arrival as discreet and as confidential as possible," the longest-reigning Kazekage said.
"Thank you for responding to our aid," Sasuke simply answered.
"Suna will never withhold any form of assistance to the Leaf," Gaara assured him.
Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, who nodded in approval. The Eighth Hokage took this approval that he was now free to go.
AN: Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Work is killing me. Having Gaara in there wasn't planned at all. Just a last minute decision when he randomly popped into my head. So there he goes, who doesn't love him, though? We all love Gaara.
Hope you liked this short update! Til the next.
Edited 12-26-18
DISCLAIMER: This fic was started in 2016, which means it is inconsistent, and will continue to be inconsistent, with the Boruto manga or the anime.
