For Sarada, the march back to the Hidden Leaf was long and tortuous. The small length of wire with a worn bolt attached to it weighed heavily on her as it swayed on her neck. She knew, just knew, that Bolt had stayed behind so that the Crimson Tide didn't hurt them. Everything during their mission just seemed to go so wrong. She was one of the strongest ninjas her age, and she hadn't been able to defeat an opponent that couldn't have been much older than herself. The loss was even more crushing considering Bolt's freedom hinged on their victory. They had even been assigned an Anbu by the Hokage, one who possessed the famed and extinct Wood Release, and they still had failed.
But, worst of all, was that Sarada thought she saw something else in Bolt's eyes when he told them to leave. They had known each other since they were young children, as their parents were close friends. After years of friendship, and being in the same team, she thought she knew him well.
Well enough to know that Bolt didn't want to come home with them, even if he could.
The Hokage thought that Bolt was throwing a childish tantrum. He wasn't. Bolt was seriously angry with his dad. Angry enough to run away from the village. Angry enough to take up the headband of another village—even if it was one of their allies. Angry enough to leave his sister behind.
The thought of having to see, let alone speak to, Himawari made Sarada feel sick. Bolt's sister had been inconsolable upon learning that Bolt had ran away because of what their father did during the Chūnin Exams. The only time she wasn't seen wallowing in sadness was when she trained, and even then, her face was one of fierce determination mixed with sorrow. In class, she was quiet and sullen. She didn't hang out with her friends as much, anymore. Even the civilians in the village had taken note of their princess' depression.
Sarada shivered at the thought of crushing her hopes of seeing her brother again when she learned that their team had failed. That feeling of dread only compounded itself as the towering walls of the Hidden Leaf came into sight. Their journey took them through the winding forest paths that converged onto the main road. Ahead of them, several jōnin were guarding the front gate. The two on duty nodded in respect to Yamato as he passed them. "Konohamaru," Yamato said, drawing Sarada out of her dark thoughts. "Come with me. We need to report to the Hokage immediately."
Konohamaru glanced back at his two students. Sarada gave him a weak smile that assured him they would be fine and that he should see to his duties. The two of them quickly sped towards the Hokage's office with haste.
"I'm going to home to rest," Mitsuki informed her. "I still feel sluggish from that poison."
Sarada nodded. "Get well soon," she said in farewell. She decided that she would go home, too. As she wandered the streets of the village, Sarada saw a handful of friends and acquaintances from the academy pass her. They waved and said quick greetings, which she replied to halfheartedly.
By the time Sarada had found their new apartment, she had to drag herself up the stairs. In that moment, she regretted having angered her mother enough to destroy their house with her chakra-enhanced strength. Sarada fell against the door, pushing it open in the same motion. She blinked her bleary eyes as her mother seemed to materialize and pull her into a hug. "You're back!" Sakura yelled, squeezing her daughter tightly.
Sarada felt her back pop. "Mom," she hissed. "Too tight."
Sakura released her daughter immediately. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Here, let me look at you," Sakura said, her hands glowing green.
Sarada shooed away her mother's advances. "I'm fine, mom," she sighed. She actually felt a little better, in a way. Sarada wasn't entirely convinced her mother hadn't used some sort of healing on her while the life had been squeezed from her body. The fatigue she felt was dulled greatly.
"Good," Sakura said, with a smile. "How did your mission go?"
Sarada's face fell. "That bad, huh," Sakura whispered. Sarada nodded.
"Come on, let me tell you a story," Sakura said, pulling her daughter along after her. Sarada plopped down on their couch and her mother placed a cup of tea in front of her.
"I know Sasuke and I haven't been very forthcoming about his past, but that was to protect you. We didn't think you'd understand. Not until you were older, at least," Sakura began. Sarada listened intently, her tea forgotten. "When we were young, Sasuke left the village, not quite in the same manner as Bolt, but I imagine it feels the same," she said, her gaze resting on her daughter. "It hurts to know that someone you care for may never be in your life again."
Sarada nodded wordlessly. "Sasuke left the village for different reasons than Bolt. He wanted revenge and the power to achieve that vengeance. He left in pursuit of that power, and it took years before Naruto and I managed to bring him back. Bolt left because he's scared, and he's trying to teach Naruto a lesson. He'll come back, eventually. With or without you bringing him back," Sakura said sagely, nodding her head to herself.
Sakura cleared her throat. "What I'm trying to say is... don't beat yourself up over this. You didn't fail, you just haven't succeeded yet. You'll always have another chance," she said.
The corners of Sarada's lips turned upwards. Her mother was right. She did have another chance. All she had to do was get stronger. And she knew right where to find Bolt and his cohort. "Thanks, mom," she said. Sarada stood and stretched, feeling much lighter than she had before. "I think I'm going to take a walk. I'll be home tonight."
Sakura smiled and waved as her daughter dashed out of the house. She watched as Sarada ran north, towards the forested training grounds.
A very nervous Yamato and Konohamaru stood stiffly before their Hokage. Naruto had his head resting in his hands, staring at his desk. He had been that way for several minutes, and neither man had the courage to disturb him. A cup of ramen sat discarded. It had been steaming when the two had delivered their report. Now, it sat cold.
Suddenly, Naruto sat upright and quickly began to rummage through a pile of scrolls that were discarded. Finding the one he was looking for, he unrolled it and quickly began to skim its contents. Konohamaru could see the Uzumaki clan seal emblazoned on the back of the parchment.
Konohamaru flinched as Naruto violently slammed the scroll on his desk. "I knew it," he hissed. He pushed the scroll towards the both of them. On it was a list of names, men and women. A census, perhaps, Konohamaru thought. At the very end was a single name: Mitsuki Uzumaki. "When I met with the Uzukage a few months ago, I asked if she had seen Bolt. She said she hadn't, but that they did find a few more Uzumaki clansmen. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but it was possible that Bolt stopped there under an assumed name," Naruto explained.
Yamato and Konohamaru nodded. "It's what I would do," Yamato said. "They would never have questioned him once he revealed his surname. The seals protecting their island make them complacent."
Konohamaru remained wisely silent. The knowledge of the Uzumaki clan and the rebuilding of the Hidden Eddy was a S-class secret, punishable by death. In his opinion, the less he knew, the better.
"So, he stops at the Hidden Eddy. Why take on their headband?" Naruto pondered aloud.
Yamato cleared his throat. "If he planned to travel beyond the Land of Fire's borders, he would have known that, eventually, he would have to defend himself. Wearing our headband would make him easily identifiable on the wanted posters. Wearing the Hidden Eddy's, on the other hand..."
"Would let him use ninjutsu without drawing the suspicion an unmarked ninja would," Konohamaru managed to squeak out.
Yamato nodded. "Right," he said.
"Then what? How does he go from being in the Hidden Eddy to part of a band of mercenaries and thugs?" Naruto demanded.
Yamato and Konohamaru shared a look of concern and unease. "He said he joined them willingly, though it is certainly possible he was coerced into service," Yamato explained. "It could be either. I didn't have long to analyze him, but elements of both were present in his speech paterns."
Konohamaru was starting to understand more and more why the Anbu were so widely feared. Their training in every discipline of the ninja arts made them invaluable.
Naruto sighed heavily. "What do I do," he whispered.
Konohamaru shifted on his feet uneasily. He hated to see his surrogate brother like this. "Well, he did say he wouldn't come home unless you came and got him. Maybe..." Konohamaru trailed off.
Naruto took one look at the mountains of paperwork building up on both sides of his desk and shook his head. "I can't leave, not right now. The village needs me. The Chūnin Exams just ended and the alliance is having another Kage Summit soon... I just can't," he said.
"Might I suggest that you leave him to his own devices," Yamato suggested. "I do not think the mercenaries will harm Bolt. On the contrary, I think they mean to make him stronger. I don't know for what purpose, but I did not discern any ill intent from my banter with their leader during our battle."
"What about Sasuke?" Konohamaru asked.
Naruto sighed. "Sasuke left for a mission while you were gone. As much as I hate to admit it... his mission is more important than Bolt," he said, before descending into contemplative silence. Konohamaru wondered what exactly could be more important that your missing son. Whatever the reason was, he hoped Naruto really believed it.
"... You said he told you he was only joining for three years?" Naruto asked.
Yamato and Konohamaru nodded stiffly. Konohamaru could see Naruto's jaw working up and down as he tried to formulate the words of his decision. "... Fine," Naruto whispered, his voice hoarse. "Bolt can stay with them. But, I want an Anbu team stationed in the Land of Water. Their sole mission is to make sure nothing happens to him."
Yamato nodded, his face serious. "I'll reassign Sai and have him assemble his team," he assured the Hokage.
"Dismissed," Naruto uttered, his hand automatically reaching for another scroll to read and either sign or reject.
Yamato and Konohamaru shared a brief look and a nod before quickly leaving their Hokage to his duties. As they walked down the hallway of the Hokage offices, they sighed. "Why can't they just see that they both care for each other," Konohamaru groaned. Everything had just gotten so out of hand during the Chūnin Exams. Naruto took his duties as the Hokage too seriously, and Bolt wasn't understanding of his father's position, and too blinded by anger to see that he loved him and his sister.
Yamato smirked. "They're both more alike than they want to admit," he said. "When Naruto was younger, he was thickheaded too. Bolt is the same way."
Konohamaru scoffed. "What do you mean, when he was younger? He's still dull as a brick," he said.
Both men laughed.
Sarada weaved through the trees as she sprinted through the forest towards the third training ground. It had sort of become tradition. Their parents had been trained there, and Konohamaru taught them there as well.
It was a nice place, Sarada thought. A small, slow river wound through the countryside, with forest in every direction for miles except for a small clearing on either side of the river. Further into the forest were several old growth trees—good for climbing and chakra control exercises. The clearings were well worn, the grass grew short from decades of boots treading on it. Three stumps sat in the center, the bark worn down by countless punches and kicks.
Sarada smiled as she leapt over a large pit in the forest floor. She recognized it as the aftermath of a powerful chakra-enhanced strike. The earth had shattered under the strength of her mother's attack and caved in upon itself. No one had bothered to patch it up. The entire series of training grounds bore the scars from decades upon decades of training by Hidden Leaf ninja.
Sarada began her training as she always did. Practice with shuriken and kunai, using tricks her dad taught her. Using one shuriken to deflect another into striking a tree she couldn't see. When she emptied her pouches, she moved on to ninjutsu. She breathed fire, sending waves of flames cascading over the flowing river. She sent blasts of fire into the air in rapid succession, decreasing the time between breaths as she went.
When her lips were blistered from the heat, she began practicing her second element: lightning. She went through the motions of creating a Chidori; coating her hands in chakra, and allowing it to transform from energy to raw lightning. Her fist crackled as she increased the intensity. Sarada's chest was heaving after forming and reforming the technique three times.
Even then, she didn't allow herself a break. Next was taijutsu. Like those that came before her, she stood before the three stumps and began to batter them with punches and kicks. She went through the motions of her style, a combination of the classical Uchiha hand-to-hand combat and the brute strength she had learned from her mother. Bark was stripped from the tree, revealing a layer of white flesh underneath.
Sarada fell into a daze. Her body moved on instinct as she let her mind wander. She planned and plotted, thinking of her task at hand. She was certain the girl she had fought was the second-in-command. The two men Konohamaru had fought were weaker than the masked girl had been, of that Sarada was fairly certain. That meant her task was doubly difficult: she had to be strong enough to beat the hunter ninja, and then face their leader, the man who possessed the Raikage's lightning armor. Or a variation of it, according to Mitsuki.
One step at a time, Sarada reminded herself. The hunter ninja first, then the leader. She needed to find counters to her opponent's strengths. She was a master of throwing needles, a medic whose Mystic Palm was so honed that it could be used to cut flesh, and could use chakra-enhanced strength similar to her own. That wasn't even touching the other ninja disciplines. She displayed some proficiency in the manipulation of lightning chakra. Strong enough to block even her Chidori.
Sarada needed to be faster. She needed to be able to avoid those throwing needles. They were poisoned, and it would be impossible to know which poisons she used to immunize herself. The best defense was to not be hit. She increased the speed of her punches and kicks. The wood cracked under her strength. Sarada didn't notice her knuckles begin to bruise.
The counter to the Mystic Palm was to avoid it, or become as proficient in it as her opponent. Maybe she could ask her mom to teach her, or volunteer at the hospital. Sarada's speed doubled.
She could work on her Chidori. There was still room for improvement. More chakra, higher density, higher voltage. Sarada's eyes bled red as her Sharingan manifested. Lightning coated her right hand in an instant. A high pitched chirping echoed across the clearing as Sarada darted forward and thrust her arm through the stump.
Her arm caught in the wood. The Chidori raged inside the stump, burning it away from the inside out. Sarada placed her free hand on the stump and pushed with all her might, trying to free her hand. After a few seconds, she fell backwards as ash and charcoal billowed from the wound she had inflicted upon the old stump.
Sarada lay there, panting heavily. The clearing was bathed in the warm, orange light of the setting sun. It really was quite beautiful. Once her breathing evened out and her heart ceased its racing, Sarada pushed herself to her feet. The stump seemed to glare at her for her act of defacing it. She simply stood there and stared back for a few minutes, lost in her thoughts.
In a sudden bout of anger, Sarada raised both hands and screeched as she slammed them to the ground. Her chakra-enhanced strength caused the earth to shatter and explode, uprooting the three stumps and burying them under the rubble. Leaping away to safety, Sarada focussed on calming herself.
A twig snapped in the forest behind her, and Sarada rounded on it. Himawari stepped out from behind a tree. "Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't think anyone would be here this late."
The one person Sarada didn't want to meet. She noticed that Himawari was dressed in clothing fit for training. "I was just... letting off some steam," Sarada explained. Looking at the partially destroyed clearing, her explanation felt hollow.
Himawari nodded. "I was going to do some Gentle Fist training... but since you've destroyed the dummies, I was wondering if you wanted to train together?" she asked.
Sarada felt her cheeks grow warm. "Sure," she quickly agreed. She quickly made her way to the center of the clearing, away from the ruined stumps.
"Did you find my brother?" Himawari suddenly blurted.
The hope in her voice made Sarada's chest tighten. "We—we did, but we couldn't bring him back," Sarada answered nervously.
"What happened? Dad won't tell me anything," Himawari asked.
There was a slight pout to her voice that Sarada couldn't resist. With reluctance, she retold everything that had happened on their mission to the Land of Water. Strangely, Himawari didn't seem saddened by their failure. "You're not... angry at us for failing?" Sarada asked with disbelief.
Himawari shook her head. "My brother is going to be the strongest ninja in the village one day. If he chose to stay, he's not in any danger," Himawari said. "The only danger he is in is the beating I'm going to give him when he gets home for leaving me behind," she added, a slight smirk on her lips that said she meant it.
"I don't know about that," Sarada said with a smile. Himawari's absolvement of her failure took a weight off her shoulders she didn't know was there. "I've beaten Bolt plenty of times when we've trained as a team. And besides, the strongest ninja in the village is the Hokage, and I'm going to be Hokage one day," she said.
Himawari crossed her arms. "There's no way you're stronger than my brother," she stated defiantly as she looked Sarada up and down, judging her.
Sarada stood taller at the challenge. "Why don't you be the judge of that? You said you wanted to train, right?"
Himawari frowned seriously and slid into a Gentle Fist stance, lowering her center of gravity. Her eyes grew focused and Sarada could see the veins around her eyes pulsing; her Byakugan barely restrained.
With unspoken agreement, the two leapt at each other. Himawari was a little over a year younger than Sarada, but she didn't move like it. Her movements were fast and precise—not the movements of an academy student. Bolt was just like that, too, Sarada thought. Years of grooming with the Hyūga clan in their taijutsu style had that effect on people.
Sarada expertly ducked and weaved as she felt the wind rush past her face from Himawari's open-palmed Gentle Fist strikes. Sarada retaliated with careful punches and kicks, wary of being caught and having her chakra points blocked.
Sarada stumbled on the uneven ground she had created earlier. Himawari lunged forward, index finger extended, as she gently prodded her in the abdomen. Sarada flinched and jumped backwards, but her stomach felt like it was tied in knots. The two of them stared each other down as both of their eyes began to change; Sarada's bleeding from black to red, and Himawari's from blue to a pale violet.
Their second spar went to Sarada. With her Sharingan, she could follow the movements of the Gentle Fist more easily. If she couldn't be touched, the Gentle Fist wasn't dangerous at all. Sarada dodged a wide swing and kicked Himawari in the stomach, causing her to fall to her back. She leapt up instantly, the look in her eyes more determined than ever. It was kind of scary, in a way.
Himawari leaned back, inhaling deeply as she weaved hand seals. Sarada's eyes read the hand seals in slow motion as her body leapt for the river they fought next to. Just as she submerged, a wall of flame roared over the water's surface. She weaved her own hand seals underwater, and when she surfaced, she spat lances of flames that scorched the grass and lit up the clearing.
Himawari danced, evading each one. Even with her back turned, she knew where each bolt of fire was. Sarada ducked back under the river as Himawari hurled a handful of shuriken at her. Sarada shot out of the water and broke into a sprint as Himawari breathed another wall of fire at her. She withdrew two kunai and channeled her chakra into them. The knives arced with lightning as she hurled them at Himawari.
Himawari dodged them, as Sarada expected. But it forced her to stop breathing fire. Sarada created a shadow clone, and had it throw her at her opponent with her chakra-enhanced strength faster than she herself could run. With her Sharingan, Sarada saw Himawari's violet eyes widen in surprise. Sarada flipped herself midair, pushing her leg out for a kick. She watched as Himawari kneeled, weaving hand seals as she did.
Both of her hands touched the ground, and an earthen wall was erected between her and Sarada. Sarada's kick pulverized the wall, turning it into a fine dust. Sarada coughed, her vision obscured.
That was not the case for Himawari and her Byakugan. Sarada flinched as she felt two index fingers trike her, one at the waist, the other at her shoulder. "Two palms!" She heard Himawari yell. An instant later, she felt four more Gentle Fist strikes connect. Her chakra felt heavy and unwieldy in her body. Sarada flailed backwards, her body not responding to her commands.
Mercifully, the blows stopped. The dust cleared, and a very proud and arrogant Himawari looked down upon Sarada. "Told you," she gloated. "My brother is the strongest."
Sarada hissed as she tried to stand and found her legs were weak. Himawari took pity on her, striking her in the places her chakra points had been closed, releasing her. "You got lucky," Sarada quipped.
Himawari grinned. "Up for round two?" she asked.
Sarada nodded. As she dusted herself off, the two heard the cry of a hawk overhead. Looking up, a messenger hawk descended on them. The hawk flew straight to Himawari, landing on the ground before her. In its claws was a small box.
The two girls shared a look with each other. Neither knew what to make of the hawk. The bird squawked, offering its foot with the box clutched within. He shaked it angrily at Himawari the longer she stared at him.
"I think it's for you," Sarada commented.
Himawari nodded and took the box. The hawk squawked happily and took to the skies, heading east. Opening the box, Himawari found an ornate scroll with parchment a pleasant shade of yellow that reminded her of her namesake. Unfurling the scroll, Himawari flinched as it emitted a puff of white smoke. Sarada, with her Sharingan still activated, lurched forward and caught the object it spat out. A cake.
Himawari caught a scrap of paper as it floated down. Sarada peered over her shoulder as she read it aloud. "Since your last one was ruined... - B," Himawari said.
Himawari turned to see the cake Sarada held with both hands, a beaming smile on her face.
Sarada couldn't help but smile too. Even in another country, Bolt was still the doting older brother.
A/N:
I kind of imagine Bolt as the protective older brother, and Himawari as having a slight brother complex. Her cheering him on during the Chūnin Exams was cute as fuck.
Himawari's chakra natures are fire, from Hinata, and earth, randomly (similar to Bolt's water nature). I think if Hinata wasn't as crippled by her awkwardness, she would have been the prodigy of the academy during her year. Or, at least, given Sasuke a run for his money. Himawari is that version of Hinata.
We also see the start of a beautiful friendship between Himawari and Sarada.
Next chapter, Bolt and the Crimson Tide get into more dubious shenanigans.
TheGangstaOfLove (Steve Miller?) — Bolt's moral compass is and will constantly shift as the story progresses. I like to use the alignment system from D&D when I create my characters, as it sort of helps me make choices as them, instead of as me, the writer. Obviously, in the beginning, he was what I would call "lawful good." He was the stereotypical good guy, like Naruto was. Then, as his journey continued, his alignment changed. When he stole food on the island, he moved from lawful good to chaotic good. He was still a morally righteous person, as he was motivated to help the people of the town shake off their oppressors (the CT at the time), but to do that, he needed food. He was willing to do something illegal in order to help them (steal). Now, he is sort of wavering between "neutral" and "lawful evil." He is torn between his morals and his duty. He doesn't want to kill people, and doesn't want to see them killed. He was raised in the Leaf, after all. But, at the same time, he's not a Leaf ninja anymore. He's a mercenary. He can and will be asked to do some "evil" things. To more concretely answer your question, like most people, he will find his "line" after he crosses it. I guess if what you're asking is if Bolt will kill people or talk them to death like Naruto, it is the former. Hope that answers your question sufficiently.
As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. If you could leave a review, I'd appreciate it.
- Musica
