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Arc 2:
Chapter 18: To Sunagakure
"Tsunade-sama!" The door slamming open put a pause on the chaos in the room. Sakura and Naruto, the latter strangling the former to keep him from talking back to the Hokage, both froze. "Terrible news!" The shinobi from deciphering ran to Tsunade and handed her a document.
"Now what is it?" Tsunade asked in annoyance, having already been pretty pissed about Naruto's immaturity.
"An emergency dispatch," the shinobi informed her. "From Suna."
Naruto stopped struggling against Sakura and stood up, listening in completely still. "Suna?" He asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
Tsunade scanned the document, her eyes scrutinizing. "What the-...?"
"It can't be!" Iruka, who leaned near her to read what was written, said.
"No way," Shizune whispered in horror from behind her.
"W-what is it?" Naruto stepped forward. "What's happened?"
"It's the Kazekage of Suna," Tsunade explained. "It seems he's been taken prisoner by the Akatsuki."
The three members of Team Kakashi tensed, each having their own reaction to the news. "You mean Gaara." Naruto didn't ask. "So they're back again," his fist clenched.
"We've been studying them," Tsunade explained. "We know more about the Akatsuki than any other village. Therefore Sunagakure has officially requested our help."
Shizune looked at her like she was mad. "You're not suggesting that Team Kakashi-"
"This is urgent," Tsunade cut her assistant's attempt at arguing. "I haven't time to form another team. And besides," she looked at Kakashi. "We have someone here who's actually fought the Akatsuki."
"Yes, but," Shizune was clearly not comfortable with the idea of sending the team just like that. "Even so-"
"Alright," Tsunade ignored her. "Team Kakashi, I'm assigning you a new mission." She looked at them with all the Hokage authority she could summon. "You're to go to Sunagakure at once. Find out what's going on there and keep us informed. You're to remain there and follow their orders. Give them any back up they need."
"Right!" The three of them answered. Tsunade then gave them all the other information written on the paper before sending them to pack. She watched them leave the room and leaned back on her chair, massaging her forehead.
"Tsunade-sama," Shizune turned to her. "Are you sure it's wise to send them alone there?"
"Who said I'm sending them alone?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at her assistant.
"But you said-"
"That I didn't have time to assemble a new team," Tsunade nodded. "But luckily, I do have one ready." She smirked.
Shizune's eyes widened in understanding. "You don't mean-"
Tsunade nodded and handed her the document. "I want you to go there now and give them this," she looked straight into Shizune's eyes. "Do not take no for an answer. Tell them to be ready to leave in half an hour, and to wait by the gate. Understood?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune bowed and left the room hastily, off to wake up an unaware team and drag them into what could potentially be a mess. This was already turning into a headache.
"Who did you send her to call, Tsunade-sama?" Iruka asked curiously. "A jōnin team? ANBU?"
Tsunade laughed. "Oh, no," she shook her head. "I don't know exactly what they can do, but I promise you, we want them on our side."
Hopefully, Naruto wouldn't be too upset by this, Tsunade thought to herself. It is his first mission back, after all.
The frantic knocking on the door woke Boruto up, and he grudgingly walked out of his room to see what was happening. Next to him, Sarada and Himawari also stepped out, sleepy and disoriented.
"What's going on, Boruto?" Sarada rubbed her eye tiredly.
"I don't know," Boruto yawned. The knocking still hadn't stopped. "Let me go check."
Walking to the front door of the apartment, Boruto looked through the peephole. A very nervous looking Shizune stood on the other side of the door, her brow furrowed. He opened the door and rubbed the back of his head. "Shizune-san?" He asked. "What are you doing here so early, -ttebasa?"
"I was sent here by Tsunade-sama," Shizune explained to him and handed him a document. "She wants you and the girls to get your gear and prepare for departure in half an hour."
"Granny wants us to what?" Boruto wasn't sure he heard her correctly. Looking over the document, his eyebrows knitted closer the lower his gaze went until he reached the last line. "The Kazekage has been kidnapped?" He asked the Hokage's assistant.
Shizune nodded. "Tsunade-sama is sending Team Kakashi to Suna right away, but wanted me to go get you all as a backup team."
Boruto stood there, at the door, in his shorts and t-shirt, processing. Work with his father's younger self on a very dangerous, high-profiled mission? If he was asked to do that a few weeks ago, he would have laughed in their face, but now…
"Alright," he straightened his back. "We'll be there in a bit."
"You will?" Shizune breathed a breath of relief. "That's great. I'll go inform Tsunade-sama right away."
"Alright," Boruto nodded at her. "See you in a bit." He watched her turn away and closed the door, sighing. So much for hoping that he could take the day off.
"Onii-chan?" Himawari walked out of the hallway, still rubbing her eyes. "Who was at the door?"
"Himawari, tell Sarada to pack her mission gear. You too," Boruto walked by her and patted her head. "We have a mission."
"We do?" All tiredness seemed to disappear from Himawari's body once Boruto informed her of that.
"Yes, now go get ready," he opened the door to the bathroom. "We leave in ten minutes."
"Right!" Himawari nodded with a serious face and went into her room. He heard her inform Sarada of the situation and then the sounds of things being pulled out of drawers and closets, indicating they started looking for their gear.
Boruto leaned against the sink of the bathroom and looked at the mirror. Breathing deeply, he nodded at his reflection. "Right!"
It was time for their first mission, and they would not fail.
"Okay, let's get moving!" Naruto made sure his backpack was comfortably located on his shoulders.
"Be back soon, Tsunade-sama," Sakura smiled confidently at her master. "We won't let you down!" She saluted.
"Good," Tsunade nodded at them.
A grim-looking Iruka was avoiding eye contact, pointedly staring at his feet before he caught Naruto's eyes as he tried to smile, "Naruto, good luck!"
"Thanks!" Naruto nodded. He was going to save Gaara, no matter what. They started walking away before Jiraiya jumped out of nowhere and stood in their path.
"Hey there!" He smiled at them. "So, off on a mission Naruto?" He asked him.
"That's right!" Naruto felt the need to stand firm.
"Well, good for you," Jiraiya said almost absentmindedly. "But more importantly," he looked at Tsunade and walked toward her. "I got some disturbing news," he told her. "The Kazekage of Suna has been-"
"Yes, I know," Tsunade looked annoyed. "I'm dispatching a team. They're just leaving." She pointed at Team Kakashi. Jiraiya turned to as if he was expecting to see someone else, but instead the only team there was Naruto's. Naruto grinned confidently and nodded.
Jiraiya looked shocked and horrified at the idea. He walked to Tsunade and whispered something in her ear that Naruto couldn't hear clearly. Tsunade closed her eyes and whispered something back, looking irked. Jiraiya didn't seem to like her answer and squinted his eyes, saying something back. Turning to Naruto, he walked fast towards him. "Naruto," he called. "I want a word with you."
Naruto frowned. What now?
Walking to the side with Jiraiya, he waited to hear what the man had to say.
"Listen to me now," Jiraiya had a very serious expression on his face. "You be careful around those Akatsuki, you hear?"
"They've all been out looking for me, right?" Naruto said angrily. "Well, this way they won't have to look very far."
"It's true you've come a long way, Naruto," Jiraiya's face didn't change. "But training doesn't mean a thing if you get reckless and blow your cool. You still have a bad habit of losing your head, even now."
Naruto clenched his jaw.
Jiraiya leaned forward and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto," he looked straight into Naruto's eyes. "Never use that power. You know what I'm talking about."
Naruto looked down, not wanting to make eye contact with the Sage. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I know."
He stood there for another moment while Jiraiya walked to Kakashi and told him something. Kakashi smiled and nodded as he answered.
Naruto started walking off before turning back to his team. "Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, come on!" He called them. "What are we waiting for?"
Then he heard a call from behind him. "Sorry we're late!"
Naruto turned around to see three people running up to them. One blonde guy and two black-haired girls. Tsunade turned to them and nodded. "You're just in time," she told them before turning to Team Kakashi. "These will be your escort to Suna and your backup," she gestured to the three people. On a closer look, Naruto recognized the guy and the little girl from Ichiraku's, and the shorter girl next to him, he bumped into her!
"Sarada-san, you're coming too?" Sakura asked the girl in glasses. Sarada nodded, pushing her glasses up her nose. She had a red Konoha forehead protector and wore a simple sleeveless red vest and black shorts with a kunai holster. The girl next to her wore a yellow hoodie and long, baggy pants, her orange headband tied loosely to her neck. The guy wore an open black jacket with blue stripes on the sleeves, as well as baggy pants like his sister. His black forehead protector was tied to his head, accentuating his scar. They all looked mission-ready and serious.
"Team Kakashi," Tsunade looked at them. "Meet Boruto, Himawari, and Sarada. I picked them to go with you myself," she turned to Boruto. "Listen to what Kakashi says. You're there as the backup, not the main assault team."
Boruto nodded, his head lifting. "Yes, Hokage-sama."
Tsunade blinked in surprise but smiled tightly at him. She turned to Sarada. "Remember what I taught you," she told her. "Yes, Tsunade-sama," Sarada answered with the same tone as Boruto's.
Tsunade nodded one final time. "Then go ahead," she told them all. "Complete the mission."
"Right!" They all answered as one.
Naruto went back to walking, the others following his swiftly. The route to Suna would take three days, but he planned on getting there even faster. Gaara was waiting for him.
Just as Himawari was about to join the group, Jiraiya blocked her. "Himawari-chan," he looked at the girl. "Can I count on you to take care of him for me?"
Himawari looked up at him and smiled. "Of course," she said with determination. "I promise, I'll protect them all."
"Good," Jiraiya smiled at her. "Good luck, then."
Himawari smiled at him and Tsunade one last time before running after the others.
If Jiraiya had known then what would happen to her during the mission, perhaps he wouldn't have allowed her to run off like that. Perhaps instead, he would have stopped her from even leaving the village. But alas, even he could not predict the future.
Naruto hurried ahead. Again.
"Naruto," Sakura jumped to the next branch. "I know you're in a hurry, but quit breaking formation."
"I know, but-" Naruto turned his head to look at her.
"Don't lose your cool," Kakashi lectured. "Jiraiya-sama taught you better than that, didn't he?"
Sakura saw that Naruto was glaring at their former sensei from the corner of his eye and sighed. "Oh, boy."
Next to her, Boruto jumped from a branch and landed in her and Kakashi's line. "Isn't he supposed to be in line with us?" He asked her, watching Naruto.
"Yeah," Sakura jumped to the next branch. "'Supposed to be' is the keyword."
Boruto chuckled. "He must really be worried about the Kazekage," he said, his lone eye tracking Naruto's back.
"He is," Sakura said. "But I wish he'd try to stay calm. At this rate, he'll exhaust himself before our first break."
"Onii-chan," Himawari appeared from Kakashi's side, leaning forward to speak with her brother. "How long until we'll be in Suna?"
"About three days," Kakashi answered in Boruto's stead. "That is if Naruto over there doesn't tire himself out and slow us down."
Himawari nodded and turned her gaze back to the trees ahead. On the next branch, instead of jumping off it, she used chakra directed to her feet to climb up the trunk a bit and push herself off there, shooting herself ahead with enhanced strength far enough so she could catch up with Naruto.
"Looks like we have two whiskered people who like to break formations," Kakashi stated dryly. Boruto watched his sister in concern for a moment before sighing. "She's just worried about Naruto," he said, getting weird looks from the both of them. "Because you said he's pushing himself too hard. She's going to check on him, to see if she can't help him calm down," he explained quickly.
"How do you know?" Sakura asked. Even though she worked with Sarada for a couple of weeks already, the siblings who lived with the bespectacled girl were very much a mystery to her.
"Because that's who she is," Boruto shrugged and used a kunai to cut a small branch away from his face before he collided with it.
"There's someone else here," Sarada informed them from her place at the end of the formation. "To your right, seven o'clock."
Sakura glanced down, noticing someone familiar walking the dirt path.
"Temari!" She called out to the fan-wielding girl.
Temari turned to face them all as they landed on the path. "What are doing here?" She asked them, suspicious. "Did something happen?"
"You don't know yet?" Sakura asked her. "We got a message from Suna. The Akatsuki infiltrated the village and have taken the Kazekage with them."
"Gaara?!" Temari called out in shock. "You mean he's been-"
Kakashi nodded silently, confirming her fear. Temari looked away, biting her lip.
"We're two and a half days out from Suna," Kakashi said. "We should hurry."
"Right," Temari nodded firmly and jumped up, the rest of the team following.
Hopefully, they'd get there on time.
The moon was already making its way to the middle of the sky and they were still jumping between branches, Naruto soaring ahead of them all.
Himawari was thankful that all of her training with Neji had helped her get accustomed to using her endurance in a way to not get tired. Just channel bits of her chakra every ten minutes to her limbs, lungs, brain, and heart. It strengthens the organs and helped her move forward.
She could almost feel the distress emitting from Naruto. And she knew her brother could too.
"Naruto, will you come on already?" Sakura asked him from behind Himawari. "Stop getting ahead of us!"
"I can't take this anymore!" Naruto yelled angrily and startled Himawari, who was just behind him.
"I know why they're after Gaara and me," Naruto said, and Himawari suddenly felt like an intruder to a private moment. "It's not like it's a mystery or anything." Without turning, he directed his words to Sakura. "You know too, don't you, Sakura-chan?"
They continued to move in silence before Naruto spoke again. "There's no point in hiding it," he said. "The spirit of the Kyūbi is sealed away inside of me."
Himawari averted her eyes from him and turned to look at her brother. Boruto had a hard-to-read expression, but she was almost sure he was sad. In their time, their father having Kurama inside of him was a reason for many civilians to sleep soundly at night. There were so many times he had saved the village using the power of the Kyūbi. The fox spirit had been named a hero, not a monster. But in this time, people still treated Naruto badly for having the spirit in him, and as much as she didn't like it, Himawari knew there wasn't much she could do to help. Only hope that eventually, people will realize that there is nothing to be afraid of.
"Gaara and I are the same," Naruto grabbed the front of his jacket as if his heart was hurting. "We both have monsters locked up inside of us. That's what these bastards are after!" He stepped on a branch with so much force it broke under his feet. Himawari had to make sure to be careful and not let her emotions get the best of her and cause her to destroy a tree or two by accident.
"That's the worst part about this!" Naruto yelled. "To them, were just monsters. All those bastards see is the means to an end!"
Himawari turned her face away from the group, so they won't see the tears welling up in her eyes. She could feel the hurt in her young father's voice. All she wanted to do was hug him and promise him it's going to be okay. But instead, all she could do was silently wipe her tears in silence and hope that nobody saw.
"Everything about us was exactly the same," Naruto said sadly, the tails of his headband moving in the wind. "And he had to fend for himself, a lot longer than I ever did. And now," Naruto crushed the branch underneath his feet as he pushed himself off again. "And now he's a target of the Akatsuki. One more thing we have in common."
The tears in Himawari's eyes flew freely into the night as they met with the wind hitting her face. She just hoped that if someone saw them, they'd think it's sweat.
"Why should his life be so full of misery all the time?" Naruto asked the wind. "Why is it always him?" But no one answered. "That's why I gotta hurry," he explained. "I don't have a second to waste!" He jumped to a low branch and launched himself into the air. "This time is gonna be different. I'm gonna be there to save him!"
A drop of water hit Himawari's face, but she was pretty sure it was not her own tear. Looking ahead, there was only one conclusion. She looked at the blonde in front of her, who was hiding his tears just like her.
A sudden shattering sound made them all look back, only to see that on his jump, Boruto used enough chakra to make the branch he stepped on disconnect from the tree and fall to the ground.
"Boruto?" Sarada looked at him in concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Boruto shook his head. "Just a bit tired, that's all."
Her brother was so upset he accidentally broke a thick branch with his seems Himawari wasn't the only one who was struggling to keep her emotions in check.
It was early morning, yet Sarada still felt energized. The headaches that had plagued her for the last couple of weeks had become so frequent she could now even predict when they'd happen. She still had… three more hours before another one occurred, so she needed to keep up her strength to be able to heal herself right away when it happens.
"Sakura-san," she called to the pink-haired medic. "Do you have any soldier pills on you, by any chance?"
Sakura looked at her. "Yeah, I have some," she opened a small pocket and took out two. "Here you go," she placed one in Sarada's hand and took the other one herself.
"You know, these soldier pills are only for emergencies," Kakashi informed them, mildly concerned. "And girls at your age should especially be careful with the high fat-" Both Sarada and Sakura glared at him before jumping ahead. She liked Kakashi, she really did. But sometimes he said things that made her want to punch him. Ever heard of sexual harassment?
"Naruto," Sakura moved closer to the blonde. "So tell me. You've met him before, haven't you?"
"Huh?" Naruto clearly didn't know who Sakura was referring to.
"Itachi Uchiha," Sakura clarified and Sarada inwardly winced. She forgot that to them, Itachi was a dangerous and evil individual. "He's after you now, isn't he?"
Naruto stared at her dumbfounded and she frowned at him. "You know, it's not like I spent my time just training this past two and a half years," she said. "I snuck into Tsunade-sama's library and snuck out of the village as much as I could. And now, the one thing that bothered me more than anything else has become a reality." Her gaze became distant for a few moments. Is she thinking about Papa? Sarada wondered.
"The person that Sasuke wanted to kill, it was his older brother, Itachi, wasn't it?" Sakura asked Naruto. "A member of the Akatsuki." Sarada gasped and felt like someone punched her in the gut.
Papa wanted to kill… Itachi-niisan?
It didn't make sense. From all that her father had told her about her uncle, he always made sure to describe him as a wonderful and kind person. Not someone he'd want to kill.
What did he tell her, that time she asked how Itachi had died?
"I made a mistake."
She felt like the world has stopped moving, and everything around her blurred away. He couldn't have… did he? Why would he do that? Why praise the person you wanted to kill? Nothing made sense. The pressure she had learned to associate with her headaches had appeared behind her eyes, throbbing, and making her dizzy.
"Sarada?" Boruto jumped to the branch next to her. "Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine," she barely managed to utter, the pain in her eyes grew stronger. "It's just a headache. I'll be alright."
Boruto frowned, watching her worriedly. She focused her chakra on the nerves of her eyes, where she felt the most pressure and started the healing process. Healing herself without the use of the Mystic Palm was a strange experience, and she needed absolute concentration. She tried to relax her mind and body, leaving it on auto-pilot. Come on… come on… she urged the process.
Slowly the pain subsides, but her vision was blurry. Not understanding why, considering she was wearing her glasses, Sarada turned to Boruto to ask him about only for him to gasp. "Sarada!" He yelled-whispered. "Your eyes!"
"What about them?" She asked, confused.
"Your Sharingan, it's appearing," he explained in a hushed tone. "Make it disappear."
"Oh," she blinked. Had she accidentally activated her Sharingan? Focusing for a moment, she felt the special chakra that belonged to the Sharingan recede back to her head, leaving her eyes and sighed.
One thing was for sure. The next time she saw Itachi, she was going to have a talk with him.
She didn't notice that while she was having her headache/panic attack, Naruto and Sakura had been discussing something important. Now she'd never know.
Naruto stood on the tree branch and watched the forest, his mind elsewhere. Underneath him, the rest of the group was resting against the trees, the fire they made earlier long gone. Sunrise was beginning, and soon, they'd be on their way again. On their way to Gaara.
"Can't sleep?" Out of nowhere, Boruto had appeared on Naruto's branch, sitting crossed legged. Naruto watched him suspiciously. Something about Boruto just seemed off. He couldn't quite place his finger on it though.
"Not really," he answered.
"Yeah," Boruto nodded. "I guess that would be the case if they took one of your friends from you."
Naruto looked at Boruto in surprise, but he just looked back at him with a small smile. "I have ears, you know. I heard you talking about you and the Kazekage."
"Oh," that means he also heard the part about the Kyūbi. "A-are you sure you want to be near me?" He asked Boruto. "After all, I do have the Kyūbi in me."
"So?" Boruto asked him. "Why should that matter?"
Naruto stared at him. No one has ever dismissed the fact of the Kyūbi so easily. "Don't you get it?" Naruto frowned. "The Kyūbi that destroyed Konoha is inside of me."
"I get it, believe me," Boruto uncrossed his legs and let them dangle off the branch. "But that doesn't mean anything. It's not like you went around and destroyed the village."
Naruto blinked. "Well, yeah, but still-"
"It almost sounds like you want me to hate you," Boruto told him with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course I don't!" Naruto was getting confused.
"Then there's no problem," Boruto got up and stood next to Naruto. "Look," he said. "I can't imagine what you've been through all of those years, but I don't think it matters. People aren't what they seem. And you don't really look like a blood-thirsty demon fox to me, -ttebasa."
Naruto blinked. "What did you say?" He asked Boruto.
"...that you don't look like a bloodthirsty demon?" Boruto half-asked.
"No, after that," Naruto urged. "What did you say after that?"
"Oh," Boruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "That verbal tic thingy. Yeah, it happens to me sometimes. Luckily Hima never had it, otherwise, Mom might have felt left out."
"Your mom?" Naruto asked. He realized that he didn't know much about Boruto at all.
"Yeah," Boruto smiled nostalgically. "The best mom in the world. And the best cook, too." He chuckled again. "Just don't tell Hima I said that," he whispered.
Naruto chuckled too, surprised at how easy it was for Boruto to cheer him up. "What about your dad?" He asked, and Boruto froze. "Oh, sorry."
"No, it's okay," Boruto shook his head. "It's just that… Dad and I had an odd relationship, is all. Nothing to worry about."
"What was he like?" Naruto asked, curious. It wasn't any day he got to speak with others who had lost their parents like he lost his.
"My Dad?" Boruto tilted his head in thought. "He was absent-minded, disorganized, a slob on his days off, acted like a baby when Mom was around, used to wear his shoes wrong, and was almost always late." Naruto winced, it sounded like the guy was a piece of work.
"He was the best dad ever," Boruto said, smiling sadly. Naruto blinked and looked at him in surprise. "But you just said-"
"All of his bad qualities?" Boruto shrugged. "Just because a person has bad qualities doesn't mean there aren't any good ones too. And Dad, as shitty as he was, had one of the best qualities a person could have," he scratched his neck, turning to look Naruto. "My dad was amazingly strong, and it seems like everyone depended on him. He was really busy and didn't get to come home a lot."
"Oh, is that right?" Naruto tilted his head. Boruto's dad started to sound pretty amazing.
"But," Boruto unconsciously smiled. "When he was home, I guess he was so exhausted that he became completely useless again!"
"Eh?" Naruto blinked. Boruto really seemed to go back and forth on his opinion about his dad. "What was that like?"
"On Himawari's birthday, we got a special cake all ready for her," Boruto told him, shaking his head with a smile. "But my dad was so tired, he dropped the whole thing before we could eat it!"
Naruto laughed. "You're right, he sounds like a totally useless dad." Naruto then figured what he said was insensitive. "But you know," he continued. "It seems like you enjoy talking about your family a lot."
Boruto blinked. He must have been unaware of the smile on his face.
"Even if your dad's like that, you don't hate him, do you?" Naruto asked.
Boruto didn't answer for a few moments, a sad smile on his face. Then he placed for his hands behind his head and nodded. "No, I don't hate him."
That talk about Boruto's dad made Naruto think about Gaara. He was the leader of Suna, and if what the report said was true, he was only taken because he was also busy protecting his people. They depended on Gaara like the people of Boruto's village depended on his dad. Who knows where he was now, and what those Akatsuki bastards were doing to him. Boruto must have noticed where his thoughts were going because he placed a hesitant hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed it. "He'll be alright," he told Naruto firmly. "You'll save him."
"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "Thanks, Boruto."
Boruto gave him a short nod and jumped down from the branch, landing neatly on his feet and walking over to where Sarada and Himawari slept. He ruffled Himawari's hair and whispered something to her, and she stirred a little. Naruto wondered what their parents were like. From the way Boruto talked about his dad, Naruto didn't know what to think. The guy sounded like a bum and a no-good, but at the same time, he sounded like a hero.
A sudden flash in his mind caused him to stop. Two men with white skin and horns, floating above him. The shorter one smirked. An explosion-
Naruto blinked. What was that?
Underneath him, Kakashi got up from the tree he was leaning against. "Alright," he said. "Break time's over."
Sakura stretched and looked to the sides. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei, where's Naruto?"
"Right up there," Kakashi pointed upwards.
The sun was finally rising.
One more day until we reach Suna, Naruto thought to himself. We have to hurry.
Naruto stayed unmoving while the others grabbed their stuff and prepared to set out.
"Okay," Kakashi raised his voice so that Naruto could hear him clearly. "Let's get moving."
"Are we going now?" Himawari rubbed her eyes absentmindedly as Naruto jumped down and grabbed his backpack.
"Yeah," Boruto told her as he counted the kunai in his holster and closed it. "We'll be there soon."
"I hope so," Naruto heard Sarada say. "I want to check something when we get there."
"You guys ready?" Kakashi asked them and they nodded as one. "Then let's move out."
One more day, and then they could rescue Gaara.
Tsunade sneezed, pretty loudly too. Rubbing her nose, she tried to breathe calmly.
"Tsunade-sama, are you alright?" Shizune asked her worryingly.
"I'm fine," Tsunade sighed and leaned on her desk.
"There's a very bad cold going around the village," Shizune placed down a teacup and a teapot. "You really should be careful."
"I will," Shizune nodded and left the room, leaving Tsunade to wonder if she should go take some cold medicine.
Team Kakashi left two days ago, Tsunade read an interesting report without taking in any word from it. If all goes well they should be there tomorrow morning.
Reaching for her tea, the cup had cracked before she could touch it, and her eyes widened. "That's a bad sign." Pushing herself from her desk, she looked for the lottery ticket she filled out that morning. "Don't tell me-"
Placing it on the newspaper next to the winning number written on the page, she scanned the numbers. Group three, number one one seven zero three seven. The numbers matched. I knew it! She bit her lip, frustrated. I won, and first prize too. Definitely, a bad omen.
"Shizune!" She called for her assistant. "Shizune, get in here!"
I hope those kids are fine, she thought to herself worryingly.
Is what the mysterious woman said coming true? Is the first move about to be made?
They stopped walking once they crossed the forest and reached the desert, looking over the dunes of sand.
"Alright," Naruto groaned. "We finally reached the desert!"
Boruto scanned the mountains of the waste, calculating. By this time tomorrow, they'd be at Suna. Meaning the fight will begin soon after. He glanced at Himawari and Sarada, both of them a bit tired, but determined.
"Sunagakure is just up ahead," Temari walked forward and then turned to them. "It's best if I take the lead from here on out."
"Lead on," Kakashi nodded.
They started walking into the desert, their feet sinking a little bit into the sand before they lifted them to take another step. Last time Boruto was in the Wind country's deserts he was on a mission with Sarada and Mitsuki, to deliver an important artifact to the Suna. That felt like a lifetime ago.
"I'm assigning you essentially the same mission as Team Kakashi," Tsunade told them. "Get to the Sunagakure as fast as possible and provide any support necessary. Is that clear?"
"Crystal!" Guy gave her his Nice Guy thumbs up.
Lee finished tying his shoes and nodded. "Ready, Tsunade-sama!"
Tenten adjusted her backpack. "Leave it to us!"
"We're on it," Neji said.
"Good," Tsunade nodded with her hands crossed.
"Team Guy is always ready for action," Guy said before sneezing.
"You have a cold?" Tsunade asked with mild concern.
"No, no!" Guy waved her off. "Just my allergies acting up. That's all!" He laughed. "Don't worry, we'll make it to Suna in one day!"
"I think we can make it in half a day, Sensei!" Lee told him.
"It will take three days, no matter how you slice it," Neji told them with a frown.
"Yeah," Tenten rolled her eyes. "What's the point of making promises we can't keep, huh?"
"We won't know until we try, will we?" Guy didn't let their comments affect him. "Forward everyone, with the speed of youth!"
"Before that," Tsunade stopped them. "Neji, may I have a moment with you?"
Neji was surprised but nodded, walking to the side with her. He could feel the curious gazes of his teammates but choose to ignore them. "What is it, Tsunade-sama?"
"I just thought I should inform you that I sent Boruto and Himawari on that mission as well," she told him and he blinked in surprise.
"I see," Neji nodded. "Anything else?"
"Just make sure you keep an eye on them," Tsunade tapped her arm with her finger. "Something tells me this mission is not going to be nearly as easy as I hoped."
"Of course, Tsunade-sama," Neji raised his head. "As long as I'm there, no one will lay a finger on them."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Kid," Tsunade shook her head and started heading back to the group.
Neji frowned. "It's not something I can't keep," he told her back quietly. "I intend on making sure of that."
The sandstorm that had begun a few hours after they walked in the desert was still going strong, trapping them in the cave longer.
"We got this close to our target and we're just sitting here!" Naruto complained angrily. "I can't stand this waiting!" He was about to go out of the cave before Kakashi stopped him. "Naruto, for the last time, relax." He told him. "There's nothing we can do."
"I know but-" Naruto sounded frustrated.
"Just be patient," Sakura scolded him. "Would you look at Temari? She's the one who's worried the most."
Temari does seem calm, Himawari noted as she glanced at the blonde girl.
"The cardinal role of traveling in the desert; if you hit a sandstorm, you stay put," Temari recited.
"You lose all your sense of direction in a storm like that," Boruto commented, making them all look at him.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Have you traveled in the desert before?" Temari asked him.
"A couple of times, yeah," Boruto nodded, and Himawari noticed her brother was choosing his words carefully. "Running errands for my dad and stuff."
"I see," Temari said, relaxing against the cave's wall. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we have been introduced."
"I guess not," Boruto chuckled. "I'm Boruto," he slightly bowed with his head.
"Temari," she answered before turning back to Naruto. "Don't worry, the sandstorms we get this time of year usually don't last very long."
Kakashi removed his hand from Naruto's shoulder and the boy looked out to the sandstorm raging out there. "Well," Naruto said. "I just hope you're right."
A stomach growling broke the silence around the cave.
"Onii-chan," Himawari turned to her brother with a scolding tone. "If you're hungry, you should say so."
"I'm not hungry," Boruto protested, but then his stomach growled again, louder this time. Sarada laughed and Himawari sighed, going through her bag. Taking out some dried meat, she gave it to him. "Eat it, please?"
Boruto tried to resist her but eventually sighed and took the meat, chewing on it.
"Are any of you hungry?" Himawari asked the rest of the group. They shook their heads.
"No," Sakura said. "Thank you though, Himawari-san."
Himawari smiled at her. "Just Himawari is fine," she told the pink-haired girl. "Himawari-san makes me feel old."
Boruto chuckled. "Yeah," he said while chewing some dried meat. "We wouldn't want that."
Himawari blushed. "Onii-chan!" She called out in embarrassment. Sarada punched Boruto's head and sighed. "Idiot Boruto," she mumbled.
"Ow! that hurt, Sarada," Boruto rubbed the place she hit him.
"Don't tease Himawari," Sarada told him.
In front of them, Temari chuckled. "You all seem to have a close relationship." She noted.
"Do we?" Boruto asked sulking, still rubbing the sore spot on his head.
"You do, actually," Sakura said. "Like a family."
"Well, Boruto and Himawari are siblings," Sarada said, pointing at Himawari who was checking the contents of her bag and Boruto who was sulking and eating the last of his meal. Himawari looked up from her bag and shook her head. "You're our family too, Sarada," she told the Uchiha. "And when we grow up and you and Onii-chan get married, we'll be related for real!"
Boruto choked on the meat and started coughing violently, and Sarada blushed ten shades of red. "Himawari!" They both yelled, mortified. She could tell they were slightly angry, so while giggling, she moved away from them and sat between Kakashi and Naruto, to protect herself. The two shinobi must have been surprised she just suddenly sat down between them as they sent her curious looks, but she was too busy laughing. "I'm sorry, Onii-chan, Sarada," she said eventually, having calmed down at last.
Sarada huffed, her cheeks still red. "You have to stop saying stuff like that," she told Himawari scoldingly, Boruto nodding next to her.
Hima had to use everything she had not to comment on something else, giggling again instead. Her giggling was then stopped by a loud yawn that escaped her mouth.
"Are you tired?" Sakura asked her.
"Mhm, a bit," Himawari said, rubbing her eye.
"You should get some rest while you can," Boruto told her, his only eye scanning her features with worry. "Barely rested at all on the breaks."
"Okay," Himawari was tired, so she didn't argue. Leaning against the cave's wall, she adjusted herself to get comfortable and closed her eyes. The storm wailing outside reminded her of the storms she used to listen too when she was younger, only that then she had her parents there with her.
Without her noticing, her head fell down onto Naruto's shoulder, making the blonde freeze. But before he could say anything, she had drifted off to sleep.
Naruto sat still as Himawari slept on his shoulder. It had been around twenty minutes after she fell asleep, and he still didn't know what to do. At first, he glanced at Boruto and Sarada to ask for assistance, but those two just shrugged and went back to waiting for the sandstorm to pass, as if Himawari falling asleep like that was a common happening. Afterward, he tried to relax and just let her sleep. She looked like she was sleeping soundly, which was good.
She must have been really tired, Naruto figured.
Another few minutes passed before the sandstorm started to weaken. Temari started moving and getting her stuff together. "It's almost over," she said. "We should get going."
"Right," Naruto was about to stand up when Himawari squirmed, making one of the cutest sleepy sounds he had ever heard. "Um…" he looked around at his friends, silently asking for help. What should he do?
Boruto chuckled and got up, walking to them and crouching next to Himawari. "Hima," he nudged her gently. "It's time to move," he told her.
Himawari still didn't open her eyes, making a whining sound and cuddling closer to Naruto. The Uzumaki blinked in surprise. Was his shoulder that comfortable?
"Hima," Boruto touched her shoulder. "Come on, we need to go."
"No," Himawari mumbled in her sleep, turning her body away from Boruto. "No, no." She started to squirm more, her eyelids moving fast like her eyeballs under them were going all over the place.
"Mama!" She yelled, shooting up and panting. Looking around, she probably didn't recognize where she was. Her eyes were wide and her pupils were dilated. Boruto grabbed her shoulders and shushed her, remaining calm unlike Naruto, who was completely nervous about the Himawari's sudden outburst.
"It's okay, Hima," Boruto told his sister with a calm tone. "It was just a dream," he said, smoothing her hair. "Just a bad dream."
Himawari's trembling seem to have calmed, and she breathed deep a few times, blinking rapidly. "I-"
"It's okay," Boruto removed his hands from her shoulders and handed her the bag. "We're about to move out. The storm stopped."
"R-right," Himawari drew a shaky breath. She looked around and her shoulders relaxed a little more as she recognized the people around her. She reached out and took her backpack from Boruto, wearing it slowly. "Okay."
They all understood Boruto's behavior as a sign to not mention Himawari's outburst. It must have been a common thing because Boruto didn't even flinch the whole time. They got their things and waited for the last remains of the storm to blow out.
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Once we get to Suna, we're going to have to meet with the Council right away and get our instructions," he told the team. "We won't be able to make any moves until we're told so, do you understand, Naruto?" He asked Naruto who huffed.
"Yeah, yeah," he said dismissively. "Now let's go already, -ttebayo!"
And so, they began their final steps to Sunagakure, and to Gaara.
Author's note: now, before anything else… corona sux.
Okay, now that we got that out of the way, hi! This chapter was a fun one. If you didn't notice, I'm still not bringing such big changes to the timeline just yet, but I'm inserting more subtle changes, to slowly but surely change things. I believe all the characters need to bond first, not just trust each other blindly because of the plot, and I'm working to do that accordingly. Those little interactions between them are what eventually will make the bonds stronger.
For those wondering, Boruto and Naruto's conversation is taken from the time travel arc in the Boruto anime, with little tweaks and changes. I try to see how Himawari and Boruto being there might affect Naruto's overall mood. In the anime and manga, he's very focused and impatient to get to Gaara, and it's not like they are not, but they're also trying to be more calm and collected, like their mother. I guess one of the perks of having Hinata as their mother is that they can stay calmer than Naruto.
About my updating schedule: it doesn't exist anymore. I will try to update as frequently as I can. This arc is planned to be 16-20 chapters long, so hopefully, it won't take too much time for me to finish writing it. But I need to be in a certain mood to be able to write fanfiction, so it's always a gamble. I figure that this story is sort of an AU at this point. of course, it WAS technically an AU from the start. But eh, why get stuck on specifics?
What did you think of the chapter? Please leave your review and let me know what you think!
Thank you for reading!
Beta Reader: AgresteBug, I don't know what I would do without you.