Aaaaand here's another chapter peeps... One that I think you will like, and one that is among my personal favorites :D
Knocking On Heaven's Door is, as some of you might know, the name of one of my favorite songs from a legendary band, Guns'N'Roses. I thought it was more than fitting as a title for this chapter :)
I'd just like to answer a few questions before we start. I've got two questions from you guys. First, about Mitsuki's chakra natures, yes, he had wind and lightning release, but we began this story 2 years ago where we didn't know anything about him other than he has stretchy arms and we had to make up his natures. Now that we reverted to the canon plotlines up till the movie, yes, Mitsuki has only wind and lightning techniques. When I finish this story, we will go over the chapters and make the edits, also changing "Outsider" completely (the edited part is already written ^^)
The second question was about couples... The thing is, Sacrifices is not a romance themed story, the themes are hurt/comfort and friendship, so I won't be portraying any couple (other than the adults obviously). The story following this one, Boruto: Happuden, is where we will reveal our chosen couples, and since they are already determined, we don't plan to change them ^^
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto/Boruto or any of the canon characters displayed in this story.
...
The cold weather of the harsh winter months was receding slowly, leaving in its place the decidedly calm and livelier February. And the month was yet to see its closure.
Konoha was going through changes, both visible and invisible.
As the snow lifted from the ground, the most noteworthy thing that happened was Metal's thirteenth birthday two days ago, which had lifted the mood of the genins considerably.
Now, with such high spirits, something even better was expected to happen.
It was in such an atmosphere that Naruto called Konohamaru to his office. And that was also why the jounin couldn't quite understand why there was a serious look on the Hokage's face. It was clear that the blond was trying to choose his words carefully.
"Konohamaru..." Naruto began at last, successfully suppressing a sigh. "I believe you are aware of Mitsuki's latest condition?"
The Sarutobi was still unaware of why this would merit a bad mood - after all, latest news from the hospital had arrived after a very hard one and a half months. Mitsuki was showing very definite signs of waking up. His stats were improving - fast.
"I am, lord seventh. And I can hardly wait for him to wake up at last."
"I know. That's something we both share." Naruto said, a slight smile brightening his features. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about." This time he couldn't help the sigh. This was a hard talk... and it was only gonna be harder with Boruto. "I talked with Sakura yesterday... She told me..." There was no easier way to say it. "Konohamaru... Mitsuki might not be able to continue his life as a ninja."
There was a moment of silence as Konohamaru tried to register that, his face expressionless. "Oh..."
"These are still estimations," the blond rushed in, trying to comfort. "But considering the problem with his heart..."
"The shinobi lifestyle might be too dangerous." the young man completed his sentence.
"Yes, that's what she said."
The brunette closed his eyes for a moment, but Naruto could only see... acceptance in him, hard as it was. "That's what I feared all along..."
"Sakura will speak to Boruto and Sarada too, but I wanted you to know first."
"Well, lord seventh..." Konohamaru sighed as he brought his hand to the back of his head. "I believe, when he wakes up, it will be harder for Mitsuki to accept it."
...
"Okay, for the records... It wasn't my fault."
To say that Suigetsu wasn't happy with his current situation would be an understatement. It was hard to tell who was unhappier, though.
"What more do you want with us?" Orochimaru hissed, not at all pleased to see the same face in his son's apartment again.
Izumi dropped her hand to her side, ending the twirling acid ring around the white-haired man, who then slumped in relief. "I heard about the problem with Mitsuki's heart and thought you would be searching for a cure about it. I know a solution to minimize the problem in a huge degree."
"I do not remember asking you for your interference. Quite the contrary, I told you a hundred times now to stay away."
"And I would if the matter was concerning only you. But it's about Mitsuki's health."
"And my son doesn't concern you either." The black haired man crossed his arms.
Izumi closed her eyes for a minute and sighed. "Look... I get it, you don't trust me, and you apparently don't have a reason to, even with how we cooperated successfully the other day-"
"If by 'cooperation' you mean seducing that lowlife..."
"Hey, wh- what does that have to do with anything?" the redhead was blushing slightly now.
"I don't need such meager methods."
"Meager or not, they worked, didn't they?"
"By chance."
"Hey..." the Hozuki cut in, looking awkward. "Am I the only one to notice that you're diverting from the subject here?"
"What I'm trying to say is," the woman said finally, in a tone that was declaring truce. "Kiri is known in the medicine field for its effective cures in lightning based attacks. Let me bring a component so we can-"
"There," that tone made her come to a dead stop, losing her voice. "-is nothing called 'we'. I will not tolerate your behavior any longer. Nor do I wish to see your face ever again."
A big silence lingered in the room and the sannin felt glad that he could make the woman stop at last.
"Fine." Izumi finally said in an ice cold tone, and turned on her heels to stomp to the door. It slammed shut behind her.
"Geez, that was intense. Y'know, though, Orochimaru-sama, you two could actually make a good couple."
The sannin didn't say anything to that, but the look in his eyes was enough to make the white-haired man sweat. "Yeah, I'll go find Juugo and Log."
...
"You look awfully quiet today."
"Huh?" Boruto looked up at his teammate, confused for a moment, but then his head dropped back on his arms. "I'm fine, Sarada."
The look in the Uchiha's eyes turned worried. Boruto had been closing himself up quite often lately - which really didn't make all the sense to her - the news this past month had been nothing but positive. According to her mama, Mitsuki had now almost completely healed, physically anyway. Yes, it had bothered her too, the way he didn't wake up yet... And she would be lying if she said that she wasn't worried it had to do with psychological reasons...
She let her breath out slowly. "Look... cheer up a little, won't you? I'm about ninety percent positive that he's gonna wake up today."
That made the blond look up again. "Yeah? What makes you say so?"
"Come on, Boruto, what's with this attitude all of a sudden?" Sarada asked, almost in a complaining tone. "You are always the positive one..."
"I... don't know? It's not like I lost my hope completely but..." the Uzumaki looked at Mitsuki. "I think... with all the time that passed... and how we continued our lives, as close to normal as possible... I just don't know if he can really find his way back y'know? If anything will be the same..."
Sarada opened her mouth to say something, she wanted, needed him to believe... because otherwise, she felt like she might lose her hope too... but before a word could leave her mouth, there was a soft knock on the door, causing both of them to look there.
"Mama?" Sarada exclaimed, glad to see her, the gloominess in the room was honestly weighing her down. "Are you here for the control?"
"No," Sakura said lightly, but the serious look in her eyes made Sarada frown a little, there was something going on... "I just need to talk to you two. Can you step outside for a moment?"
...
The kids' reactions were... not exactly what the pink-haired medic expected. Now as they all sat in silence, she was beginning to worry more and more.
"What..." Boruto paused for a moment, and the Uchiha turned her attention to him. "...you're saying is... that we might need to break up our team...?"
Sakura sighed. All the time she worked in the children psychology clinic... and still, no case was ever easy.
"We still have time to come to a final decision about that. Everything points to the very high possibility that he's gonna wake up soon and there will be a long rehabilitation period after that, but... I wanted to let you know ahead of the time, to get you-"
"Prepared..." her daughter finally mumbled softly. Sakura was glad to hear her at last. They were slowly snapping out of it...
"I'm sorry... I know it's hard to accept..."
"Will he be alright? Will he be safe?"
Boruto's words were abrupt and almost devoid of any emotions. The pink haired medic felt a pang in her heart and leaned forward to take both of the childrens' hands in her own.
"He will be... if that turns out to be the only way."
"Then do it, aunt Sakura." there was no hesitation in his tone, although his eyes did betray his demeanor. "If it means he's gonna be safe, that I can have my best friend back... I can handle another teammate."
Taking his hand away from hers, he got up. "I'm just... I'm sorry, I need to go."
With that he left, going back into the room. Noting to herself to talk to Hinata about it, Sakura turned her attention to her daughter. "Sarada, sweetheart..."
"Did you..." the girl gulped, tears filling into her eyes. "Did you know that he wanted to become a medic?"
This took the woman completely by surprise. She just stared at her daughter, lost for words for a moment. "W-what...?"
The girl wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "He wrote that in the letter he left for us. He said his goal was to become a traveling medic, helping people around the world... He even wrote that he knew someone who could help..."
Her mother was trying to absorb all the new information.
On a hand she couldn't really say she was... surprised to hear Mitsuki's goal. A clear head, a capable hand and a burning desire to protect those who are precious to oneself... those were the driving forces of a medic. Traits that... she could see crystal clear in the boy.
"I'll tell you what?" she returned to Sarada after making up her mind. The smile on her lips startled her for a moment. "He doesn't need to be a ninja to become a medic."
Sarada was looking more hopeful now. "Really mama?"
"Yep. And... if he's willing to change his mind about his mentor... I'm gonna personally train him after he wakes up."
After all, if she was to take in a student at any point, she couldn't imagine a better option.
...
The glowing mist around him was finally dissipating. The boy wasn't sure how long he waited there, but he was at peace. No threatening presence, no hurtful words... He was... safe...
Occasionally, he would see people appearing from within the mist, people he... thought he know? All calling out for him... although he didn't know how to reply to them...
As the mist lifted however... he noticed a different person in the distance, a silhouette approaching him.
The first thing that registered was that he definitely knew the young man.
He was sure he remembered his face from somewhere. The handsome yet imposing face that one would expect to see on the wise and experienced, although he didn't look older than twenty, framed by dark brown hair. A kind, welcoming smile, the kind of which adorn the faces of fathers welcoming their sons home after a long, tiring battle. Family. Trust. Love... All of those emotions, without any barriers, flooded the boy and he found himself smiling at the known stranger, too.
The man looked around, listening to the jumbled voices for a moment, still calling for Mitsuki. "Shall we go somewhere quiet?"
And just like that, they were alone.
Surprised, Mitsuki looked around. It seemed like the place had not changed at all, it was still that serene, quiet emptiness, it was just devoid of voices.
Now to think of it, they had to have moved from a long distance to not hear anything. In that short time of a period? "Where are we?"
The young man looked around, too. "I guess you can call here more of a limbo. That's where, if you're lucky enough, you can choose to begin anew. In one way or another."
Now the young boy was thoroughly confused. "Huh?"
The man laughed, and although there was nothing to see for a good while, the rich laughter echoed. "Ah, sorry, I guess I should make it clearer. You get to choose between life, back on earth... or... a safer, happier place - only away from those you care for, and those who cares for you."
Mitsuki gasped.
It was such a big concept that he was having a very hard time wrapping his mind around it. Maybe it would've been wrong to say that he wasn't expecting that - he had actually wished for this to happen, for everything to end, while he waited, suffering in the darkness.
He noticed a sad, sad look as the known stranger kept watching him, and something in that gaze was so familiar that his curiosity won over for a little while. "Don't I know you?" he asked, surprised by how his voice sounded so clear.
"Oh, I was pretty sure you would catch up sooner or later. I assume having your face carved on to a mountain does help when introducing yourself."
It clicked on Mitsuki's mind, and his eyes widened slightly. "The third hokage?"
The man nodded. "That's right. I'm Sarutobi Hiruzen."
There was a moment of stunned silence as Mitsuki registered this. "No offense..." he started slowly, choosing his words carefully. "But why... are you here?"
Hiruzen smiled gently, and the warm acceptance in his eyes, for some reason, made the boy's heart ache. "Why else? I wanted to greet the selfless boy who single-handedly protected an entire village."
"I... did?"
"Ah, of course. You've spent so much time here, you started to forget." Mitsuki said nothing to that, because he didn't know what. "You gave everyone a big fright."
"I... don't..." he began.
"Come. Let's sit."
As if on cue, two armchairs - which looked like they could be made out of clouds - appeared and materialized right in front of them.
"How did you do that?" the boy exclaimed.
Hiruzen tapped a finger to the side of his head. "This is what matters here. You can imagine anything into reality. Give it a try."
He didn't think it would work, but once again, his curiosity was triumphant. A snake the size of a crocodile slithered through the puffy whiteness, and hissed at him in recognition.
The young man laughed and once again, his hearty laughter echoed. "Just like your father. I think it shouldn't surprise me after all."
"My father..."
It was getting frustrating. Certainly, if he had a father (and every being had to have a father and a mother, right?) he should be remembering him? It wasn't anything small or insignificant like how he came here, his father was the reason of his existence, and if he didn't remember even that, he knew he would be as good as gone.
"Oh." he heard Hiruzen exclaim softly, and looked up.
Someone was approaching. Mitsuki couldn't be really sure, but he realized that he knew that long, thin face and golden eyes from somewhere. A gentle smile was apparent on the soft, young face as the tall, black haired man reached him and knelt in front of him. Mitsuki gasped when he touched his hand to his cheek.
"I'm proud of you... my son..."
He felt a lone tear escape from his eye as his... father... pulled him into an embrace and hold him tight. After a second of hesitation, Mitsuki grabbed a hold of his father's shirt and snuggled closer, feeling... warm and unconcerned all of a sudden.
"Dad..." he whispered as he remembered and welcomed the feeling, letting another tear roll. The man just patted his hair, and it was all the boy could ever wish that this moment just continued on forever.
But then it was gone, the figure of his father started becoming a cloud as soon as the boy became more and more conscious that what was in front of him wasn't real... He frowned and let go of the cloud that soon disappeared. He looked down in disappointment.
"As if that would happen... My father isn't like that..." he mumbled, in a sad tone that made Hiruzen sad as he sighed. "Tell me what's in your heart."
The boy sighed and looked up, but not at Hiruzen... just directly ahead, towards the blank whiteness. "Does it matter?" he asked, his tone actually coming out more bitter than he intended. "What I choose? Would my father, who never really showed any kind of affection or admiration towards me, miss me?" His gaze once again drifted downwards, towards his hands. "Would anyone...?"
He heard Hiruzen sigh again. was even a spirit starting to get annoyed with him? He felt disappointed... what good was he...?
"Your father cares about you, he just has a different way of showing it. You might not be able to see it now, but you have changed your father's life greatly." But those words didn't ease anything in Mitsuki's heart. "As for the others... I believe the answer is in your heart, do you have any grudge against them? Anything?"
"When will he show it?" the boy asked again, his tone still bitter. When it's too late? "Isn't it too late already? I'm sure there are many other ways in which he can continue his life happily without me in the picture..." He didn't want to imagine it, but he watched as his father walked away with a redhead... a small bundle in her arms... "He would still be happy..." He mumbled, watching them disappear. "As for other people..." He closed his eyes as only pain crossed his mind, thinking of the people he... protected, is it...? "It's not like they would need me either, is it?" He really didn't like the way his tone sounded like complaining but... there was no helping.
A small, sad smile crossed Hiruzen's face as he approached the boy. "That is an answer that only your heart can give."
"I don't even know what my heart wants..." Mitsuki mumbled, he was so conflicted, it pained him to see the people he cared about move on, be happy, without thinking about him once...
"Well... why don't we take a look at them?"
"What..? How...?"
Hiruzen waved his hand and a hole appeared on the ground, it seemed like an ordinary hole, there was nothing there. "Just think about the person you want to see and it will show you."
Of course... it had to be him first. The one person that really, truly mattered, no matter what.
The dark room seemed vaguely familiar, but his eyes immediately drifted to the tall figure by the window instead of taking in details.
The man was just standing there motionless, gazing outside with an expressionless face. Then his father raised his head a little and the boy saw that he was looking up at the night sky... to the bright, beautiful full moon...
"Like my name..." he whispered.
"That's right." Hiruzen said as he nodded, Mitsuki looked at him... just how much did this man know about him...? About his father...?
Trying to ignore that curiosity, Mitsuki looked back at the hole... he tried to think of another person but... the name wasn't coming to his head... his heart tugged, why had he forgotten the name of such an important person in his life? All he could remember was the face... blue eyes, blond hair...
"If you don't remember the name, just thinking about the person's face can help." Hiruzen said with a smile and for some reason Mitsuki felt really embarrassed that the man had read through him that easily...
He was determined to come up with enough details of the face, he really didn't want to feel much more embarrassed than he already was, so he concentrated, hard... Just as he remembered the... weirdest... detail about him, two whiskers on each cheek, the scene below changed...
Mitsuki gasped. "Is that... me?" he whispered.
The scene still showed a white place, but things... people were discernible. He saw a blue-haired boy... him, as he remembered... lying motionless on a bed, covered in bandages, looking broken... On either of his sides were two figures. He could only see a fit of black hair to his left. On his right...
He focused on the serene but weary-looking face of the person he wanted, needed to remember...
"B..." he racked his mind, trying to remember the name, to form some sort of connection. "Bo..." He concentrated really hard. "Bobo..." This probably wasn't his name... but it still made him feel warm.
"Close enough," Hiruzen laughed, but not as in mocking the lack of memory of the boy. Then he too stared at the image as a lonely look went through his eyes. "That is your real body's current state. It is still healing."
Mitsuki didn't say anything and continued to observe the blond's face... such sadness, such pain filling them...
"He... looks so sad..." he found himself whispering... his heart hurt just to see it.
"It had been hard for both of your friends... What they had gone through... what you had gone through." The young man sighed. He wasn't really blaming, but the boy felt sad he had caused the pain in the blond's features.
"I..." he started but hesitated for a minute. "I don't want to cause him pain..." he said, if he was sure of one thing, he was sure of this. "They were there..." He didn't even realize he remembered that whenever something happened... these two by his real body's side... they were always there...
"They are your friends and you once called them, your family." he said. Mitsuki's eyes widened, a few flashes of memories quickly running through his mind... and it hurt, it hurt his head, it hurt his heart... it made him want to cry!
"I... c-can't take this..." he whimpered as he held his throbbing head. "I don't know what to do...!" He squeezed his eyes shut and allowed a few tears to escape.
The boy nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his shoulder, and he looked up with a tear-stained face. Hiruzen was there, an eternal look of mercy on his face... He remembered that from somewhere.
"Concentrate not on the pain... try to remember and hold onto the happiness you felt once... Can you do that?" He didn't say that, but the boy understood that that was the key...
"I... can try..." he whispered after a few minutes of silence... he looked back at the hole and tried to focus. "I... remember... I don't know when... but I had just arrived... to a school I think...? And then I met Bo... him..." The hole circled and it showed that exact memory... his first day at the academy... though he didn't remember specifically it was the first.
"Anyway, hurry up and take a seat, Mitsuki."
As the seemingly exasperated teacher said those words, the boy noticed that his... vision self... was already seated next to someone - the blond from the hospital.
"Can I sit next to you?"
Although initially surprised, the other boy smiled kindly before introducing himself, and told him he can ask him anything.
"Anything?"
"Yeah, anything at all."
"Well... Why is it that we're the only ones without a classroom?"
The scene dissipated as the whole class started laughing and the blond, Boruto, had a look of awkwardness on his face.
Mitsuki looked down. "After that... it took a while since we were different but... we became close friends... he made me feel welcome..." But then why was his heart so in pain, crying at the memory...? It was supposed to make him feel happy... not lonely...
"Then... I remember... a tall man... with green clothes... and a blue scarf..." the memory appeared and Mitsuki gasped. "He... he looks like you...! And..." He touched his forehead... empty... "I had something...on my head..."
"Well, hello again, you three." The young man in the image said briskly, and Mitsuki then realized that he, Boruto, and... the black haired girl... stood facing him.
"S... Sara... da..." he whispered, and he felt another pang in his heart.
"As we had a... very rocky start yesterday, let's do things properly now. I'm Sarutobi Konohamaru, and I will be your jounin sensei." the man continued, and the boy gasped lightly at the name, his gaze wandered towards Hiruzen, who...
...was looking at Konohamaru with a warm pride. "He is my grandson." he said softly. "And I believe this is your first day as ninjas and a team, no?"
"Your... grandson..?" murmured Mitsuki as he turned to look back at the hole with the memory in that...
"I want to get to know more about you too. You already know who I am but I don't know you at all, so tell me your name and a little bit about you." said Konohamaru as he leaned against the tree with a smile.
"A little about us?" asked Sarada.
"Yes, what you like, what you don't like, your dreams... stuff like that!"
"You already know about me, Konohamaru nii-chan!" Boruto said with a little pout, which made Mitsuki giggle a bit despite himself.
"Boruto, how many times must I tell you to call me sensei?!"
"Nah, too formal. I'm just fine by Konohamaru nii-chan." Boruto was apparently trying to get on the Sarutobi's nerves.
"Boruto..." and now their sensei's eye had begun twitching.
"Alright, alright..." said Boruto, rolling his eyes. "My name is Uzumaki Boruto, I like... my mom's cooking, my little sister Himawari, my mom... I don't like the Hokage role." he mumbled that part which made everyone present look at him. "My dream... I really don't know yet but I'm definitely not becoming Hokage."
"Alright..." Konohamaru had a little sweat running down his face, this kid was so aggressive towards his own father... "Next?"
"My name is Uchiha Sarada. I like to read and hang out with my friends. I don't like... mmm... lies and secrets and my dream is to become Hokage!" she said with a smile.
Konohamaru couldn't help but give a small smile at that - now these two were definitely gonna be interesting teammates. "Good... Next?" His gaze drifted to the blue haired boy, the younger in the team as he was informed.
"My name is Mitsuki. I do like studying, taking care of animals... I don't think I really have any particular dislikes. And I didn't really care about dreams before but..." The boy gave a big smile. "I want to stay in Konoha and become as great a ninja as my father is."
The jounin raised an eyebrow at this, a little taken aback, but didn't elaborate on it.
Mitsuki was taken back at that memory and looked down... he wanted to become like his father...? He wasn't sure if he wanted that anymore... The thought of it made the boy clench one fist and the other to grab his clothing on the left side of his chest.
This didn't go unnoticed by Hiruzen... the boy was still clearly in pain. "Anything else that you're remembering?"
The boy didn't say anything, but the scene changed...
It was dark. Possibly night time. The Mitsuki in the image had a lit candle in his hand as he walked into his living room and went to his window to gaze at the outside from the drawn curtains.
Little snowflakes were spiraling down in a white haze, adding up to the two inch blanket on the ground.
It wasn't very unlike here in the outskirts of Konoha to have electric shortcuts whenever there was a heavy storm. Mitsuki usually went to bed early at these times, practicing simple jutsus before he did so.
It was practically cold tonight. He put the candle on the table and draw a warm blanket over his shoulders.
Just then, he heard a quick knocking on the door.
He frowned. Who could it be? Who dared to be out there in this weather? Didn't they know how dangerous it was? Or maybe... maybe it was someone who was looking for shelter.
Wrapping the blanket better around his body and holding it still with one hand, the sky colored haired boy was quick on his feet as he approached the door and opened it.
His amber eyes widened in surprise as the last person he expected to see in this weather, revealed himself.
"Boruto..!?" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"
Practically only Boruto's eyes were visible through the scarf and hat that was covering most of his face, but they shone bright as he looked at his friend.
"Taking you to our house, 'ttebasa," he exclaimed, and although he couldn't see it, Mitsuki knew he was grinning behind the scarf. "Can't let you freeze your butt here all alone. Mom's waiting us with hot cocoa and all."
The blue haired boy didn't know what to say - he felt his eyes tearing up slightly. They cared about him... so much so that Boruto had to walk away all the way here in this blizzard.
"Mitsuki..." The blond said, his voice a little whiny. "Let's get going before I froze into an ice statue, okay?"
The boy snapped out of it, a knot in his throat. "O... okay... Just wait inside for a bit..." he mumbled and turned into the house to dress himself warm.
And in less than a few minutes he was ready, wrapped in a warm coat and scarf and as soon as he closed and locked the door, Boruto grabbed his friend's hand and dragged him down as they run towards the Uzumaki's house.
They were barely at the entrance of the house when the door opened to reveal a warm smiling Hinata, greeting them from the inside...
Mitsuki felt the tug in his chest again. "They care about me and... and I'm really making them suffer right now..." he murmured without looking at Hiruzen. "What kind of a friend... of a person am I...?"
"Mmm... the kind that is foolish, stupid and childish for truly believing in such fake acts."
The boy actually cringed when he heard the voice.
He had heard it many times before... in his darkest hours here... facing the ninjas... lying on the ground, helpless...
But never had it been as clear as it was right now. Dreading what he had to face but still, knowing that there would be no true escape if he didn't face it, he turned back...
And looked at himself.
At least the person looked exactly like himself, the same tousled white-blue hair, same height... Really, the only exception were the eyes, which shone scarlet even when he was standing at a distance.
A smirk made its way to the double's face. "Did you miss me?"
Mitsuki didn't answer right away... to be honest he didn't even know what to say to himself... he gulped before answering. "Not really... what are you doing here?"
"Oh," the double touched his chest and faked a hurt expression. "My, my, such coldness... too bad that coldness failed you when you needed - or should I say you failed the coldness, you never had the guts to be cold." He paced a little and suddenly to Mitsuki's surprise, he wasn't there anymore... "I'm here to open your damn eyes to the reality of your... beautiful and little happiness." the voice came right behind him and before Mitsuki could do anything... all he felt was a punch and in one second he had been thrown a few miles away. "Now look and look well at what is really happening after your so... called sacrifice!" The double twisted his hand and the hole changed images.
Mitsuki was almost too scared to look into the hole at that very moment...The other him was reflecting exactly what had been worrying him - that his sacrifice... meant nothing, was just cast aside and looked down upon... That he really meant nothing, so much so that no one came to help him...
His hand gripped his left side, but in contrast to the other Mitsuki... he wasn't faking it.
Precariously, he approached the hole looking at the blank, black void inside... It wasn't like that a minute ago.
"How did we know the child was not involved in the attack too?" came a low, sinister, merciless voice from inside. The blue haired boy gasped as he remembered the voice. That was the same voice he heard, that blond man...
"We have more than enough strong ninjas... The child's intervention was unnecessary... Stupid..."
"Anyone who betrayed their comrades would be scared..."
"I bet he led the ninjas to the border itself... But of course, then he would be a nuisance..."
The boy's eyes widened as he closed his hands on his ears, trying not to hear the voices that were becoming clearer with each word... It hurt... It hurt so much that he felt like toppling over...
And then another pain came, he felt a hand pulling his hair, forcing him to look up and look into deep black and red eyes, full of nothing more than hatred. "Do you see how stupid you are? How stupid your sacrifice was? No one cares about you and no one ever will!"
He didn't know what hurt most... the physical pain that his double was making him suffer or the pain in his heart, the pain of knowing that you were not wanted by anyone, despite what he had done, despite him having nearly died for them all...
As he looked up, he looked at Hiruzen who had not moved from his place since the double's arrival... Mitsuki was practically begging him for help with his eyes but he still wouldn't stand up...
The only thing he saw... was the man's hand come up and touch his heart as he talked. "The answer is right here, you just need to look into it. Trust your heart and you will know your answer."
It wasn't easy... how was he even supposed to do that...? He was too frightened, too powerless, too lonely...
"That's right, kiddo... You're never alone..."
His eyes snapped back open as the phrase echoed in his head.
"Tch... pitiful. If that was the case, why would anyone leave you alone when you were fighting for your life, you moron?"
"She had the power to block sounds. They trapped Mitsuki where we couldn't even hear him..."
He didn't know from where or when these phrases were coming, but... a very small warmth came and settled in his heart, just holding up there.
"You truly belong in Konoha... no less important than anyone."
It was baby steps maybe, but the warmth kept growing.
And slowly each phrase from important people in his life began echoing through the area.
"Please... please come back to us... Mitsu-nii!"
Himawari... that sweet little girl...
"Do you have any idea how much you're needed here...?"
Boruto...
"We're here, we're always here for you, we won't leave you..."
Sarada...
He didn't how but all those voices gave him strength to stand up, to escape dark Mitsuki's grip on his head and strength to push his dark side away, just like he had done to him. He looked at Hiruzen who now had a smile spread on his face.
Mitsuki tried to smile as well.
"I'm coming back..." he said and just as he said that, a light appeared from behind him and he turned around... to see everyone he cared about standing right there, some calling for him, others simply smiling and with arms extended... they were waiting for him.
"This is not the last time you'll see me!" he heard his dark one say. "Do you think that just because you're coming back, your life will be a sweet dream and that everyone will immediately accept you? That you are suddenly going to be loved and adored by everyone? You should take that idea from your head!"
"It's not going to be easy..." The third said glancing over at the still seething dark Mitsuki. "You made a very brave choice... But he will follow you. And you will have to fight him until you learn to listen to and accept your heart as it is."
Mitsuki slowly balled his hand in a fist, but his expression was determined.
"I know you will come back... Because you are my son..."
"I can do this." he said, all hints of hesitation erased from his tone. "I'm ready." His fist relaxed and he gave a small smile to Hiruzen. "Thank you..."
As Hiruzen smiled gently at him, making the young boy feel like he was saying one final goodbye to a grandfather... the soft light engulfed the sandaime completely, and Mitsuki felt himself getting light, lighter than the air itself.
And then he was flying to the source of the light...
He knew that he was making the right decision here.
One by one, faces of his friends, of his family, everyone he knew and cared appeared on the sides, warm smiles on their faces, kind of like greeting him to his life anew.
And then... just before he reached the edge of the light... He saw, barely, two figures standing side by side, their hands extended to him, their smiles shining as bright as the sun. He didn't know who the girls were, but they seemed... no, they felt familiar. Therefore, Mitsuki had no hesitation as he grabbed their hands, and the light completely engulfed him...
...
It was quiet and blurry as Mitsuki's eyes slowly opened to the soft light of the full moon gleaming down on him.
...
Do I hear some of you guys saying finally? XD
Reviews and critiques are more than welcome, and don't forget to check mirage-05 and Eleanor-Devil on deviantart, as well as our page for the story in the same site, Sacrifices-Happuden ^^