Call of Silence

chapter 1 – after the fall

"I know that you'll find me there,
After the fall,
I know that you're waiting,
I know that you'll find me there."

It had taken a little over a day to reach the target area where the supposed drop was said to take place. These pick-ups never came without risk – not only were they wanted shinobi but, considering the fact that both Uchiha Sarada and Akimichi Chocho were both from Konoha and in one way or another connected to Uzumaki Boruto – well, it just made things that much more of a risk. Thinking his name still hurt. Sarada had never imagined the boy she grew up with would change as much as he had. It was a constant struggle to remind herself that it wasn't truly him. That he was simply a vessel now. Nothing more, nothing less.

And yet.

The face she saw in her nightmares, the dark, taunting voice she heard – it was Boruto. Her Boruto. At some point, it had become hard to separate the him she knew from what he was now. It was hard to forgive what his hands had done to the people she cared about. No matter what the future held, Sarada wasn't sure that she could forgive him, that she could ever look at him in the same way. Had she truly given up on him? No. Not entirely. If there was a way. To save him. To bring him back. Yes, Sarada would do whatever it took. But it had been years and while her mother, father and the Hokage had left them – searching for a way to change things, they hadn't returned. Not for a long time. What was left of the Konoha shinobi had grouped together, attempting to survive underground until something could be done – some plan could be formulated to defeat the invading Ōtsutsuki.

Sarada was still waiting.

That was all she ever did. Wait. Perhaps…perhaps she'd given up hope altogether, living out her days until she was eventually captured or killed. At this point, she wasn't sure which option would be worse. But she knew for sure that she would die violently, that that was the fate that awaited her at the end of this road. It was the one thing she'd ultimately made her peace with. Since the day Boruto lost control for the last time, she felt like all she did was move, go through the motions every day, doing what needed to be done – being a tool, something she'd never quite understood before the fall of the shinobi world. Now, it made sense to her. What made a shinobi useful, what truly made a shinobi a tool – was loss, pain, fear. Using trauma to keep yourself moving forward. Because a shinobi with no experience meant nothing for a village. Which was another reason genin were sent out into the world so soon. And now she was just another one of them. Another product of the life she was born into as an Uchiha and as a shinobi.

"Sarada," Chocho's voice was faint, her touch light on Sarada's arm. She jerked her chin towards the building. The intel they'd received had brought them here – to a town called Sora-ku. Hatake Kakashi, the unwilling leader of their so-called resistance had sent Sarada and Chocho to investigate – mostly because no one else was available and because they desperately needed the supplies. Kakashi hadn't said as much but it was obvious to everyone, and to Sarada herself, that he was trying to protect her, to keep her away from the missions that put her – one of the last Uchiha – at risk. Her eyes might help secure the future, after all. Whatever that meant. If Sarada hadn't overheard Kakashi mention this mission, he probably would have sent someone else – anyone else. But she needed to get out of the caves, too long in there had her feeling like the walls were closing in, slowly suffocating her. Here she could breathe, the night air, the cool wind was crisp – a hint of coming rain in the air, and Sora-ku was dark, the only sound a soft howling of the wind against concrete, the slight crunch of dirt beneath her sandal. And there, in the window of the building Sarada saw what Chocho had alerted her to. A shadow in the window of the target location. It was faint, possibly nothing, but with the angle of the moonlight the movement of a person was unmistakable. Sarada and Chocho made eye contact, years of working together made it easy to communicate without saying a word. Chocho shot off towards the left, keeping low as she went around the building to enter from the other side. They'd spent the entire day covertly scouting the area and mentally mapping the layout – so that they could make a quick escape or alter plans if need be. The intel had simply suggested there would be supplies dropped off, messages were hard to deliver these days because it was nearly impossible to get past the Ōtsutsuki but when they did manage to make it through, the trouble of decoding began. Suna had been stockpiling supplies in secret for years and thanks to the Hokage's bond with the Kazekage, supplies came as frequently as possible, although Sarada had no idea what the situation was like in Wind. She assumed it was the same everywhere.

As far as she knew, no one from Suna had ever stayed behind to chat. It was too dangerous and there was no way that the Kazekage would sacrifice anyone like that, so the only possible option was that whoever was lurking in the building would be an enemy. The building, much like the others in Sora-ku stood desolate. A shell of what it once was. No doors, no windows. Just a structure of walls and floors.

Sarada stepped through what she assumed used to be the front door, her eyes sharpening as the Sharingan spun to life. She stepped over some rocks and debris, it was clear the building was coming apart but she kept her back close to the walls none the less. The foyer was empty – at least from what her Sharingan could see, the enemy was on one the higher floors. There was no way they could turn back though, if they failed – if they couldn't get the supplies, the situation in the caves could turn dire. Food had already began to run dangerously low and they would soon have to start rationing. Farming wasn't an option if they wanted to remain undetected, and finding other sources of food and supplies had proved impossible, at least in the last few years when the Ōtsutsuki had become even more relentless in their pursuit of the Konoha shinobi. Sometimes Sarada wondered if they were so dead set on finding them because of Boruto – that there was some part of him still aware in there and that he wanted to find them. But she knew not to think like that. Boruto was gone. She knew that.
Urgency rushed under her skin as she took the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could. Whoever they'd seen would only have one goal and Sarada would have to stop them. Whatever it took.
Sarada stopped on the stairs, staring into the room to her left, her fingers digging into the wall where the doorframe should have been. Just as the intel said, the supplies were up on the fifth floor, containers set out neatly in the room. But there was someone in there. Cloaked. His back to her. But she could see the tense set of his shoulders. He was ready for a fight. Sarada knew that Chocho should be coming up the stairs behind her at any moment and fear set into her heart. She would need to take care of this before Chocho got involved. She wasn't about to lose Chocho too. She couldn't.
Sarada pushed herself forward, further into the room. "Step away from the supplies."
The man stayed still, only his head turned slightly in her direction – it was the distraction Sarada had hoped for and she pushed herself into action – appearing in front of him in the next second, her heel connected with his abdomen, sending him flying from the room and back towards the stairs. Sarada pushed herself towards him and he grunted, twisting mid-air with such incredible speed that Sarada only had time to throw her arms up to block the kick. She cursed lowly, using the strength she inherited from her mother, she struck out again and he caught the blow in one hard but it didn't matter, all she needed to do was make contact. The blow knocked him down, through one, two, three, four floors until he landed in a heap at the bottom. Sarada leapt through the hole he'd created – intending to drop onto him, to be sure he was dead – but the spot he'd fallen in laid empty at her feet.
"Tch," Sarada let out a harsh breath, her eyes scanning the area around her. He wasn't a typical enemy. She wouldn't be able to deal with this as quickly as she'd hoped. Her previous attack had kicked years of dust into the air around her – it would make it harder for Chocho to see. Sarada slid in behind a broken wall, pressing her back to it as she used her senses, trying to feel the enemy out but the room around her was deathly quiet, not even the sounds of the night outside rising around her. He was good. Too good for a random shinobi. But he wasn't Ōtsutsuki – she would have known the moment she'd first made contact with him. Which village was he affiliated with? Konoha? Perhaps. But what would another Konoha shinobi be doing out here, unless he'd been planning to take the supplies for himself. That made him an enemy of Konoha and Sarada would have to deal with him regardless. And where was Chocho? Going around to the back entrance should not have taken her this long. Sarada hadn't sensed anyone else, but she wouldn't rule out the possibility that Chocho could have encountered another enemy. Which meant that this wasn't random at all. It was an ambush. Could the Ōtsutsuki-
No.
Sarada closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing. Now was not the time to let herself panic. She needed to stay calm. Focus on the situation at hand. Once she took care of this guy she could consider the possibilities – until then, she needed to forget about the outside world. She needed to shut down and allow herself to become a tool. Konoha's weapon.
Something shifted to her left and Sarada's lids snapped open, her eyes struggling to adjust to the dark – but he was there. She brought her hands up but it was too late, the blow connected to her face, sending her reeling back – her hood slipping from her head, but her hand was already in her pouch – fingers grabbing at a kunai as her Sharingan came to life once more. The enemy hesitated for a moment and Sarada wasn't about to let the opening go to waste, she slammed a kick into his side and he hit the ground hard, sliding a few feet away but Sarada was on him before he could make another move. She lifted the kunai high and for that brief moment there was nothing inside of her – no hate, no love, no pain and no regrets. And then it all came rushing back at the sound of his voice.
"Sarada?"
Her arm froze in the air, breaths away from his jugular. Her lips parted in a sharp inhale as she stared down at him, at the face underneath the hood for the first time. Her hand shook as the kunai slipped from her fingers, clattering to the ground next to his head.
Chocho appeared in the doorway then, calling out, but Sarada couldn't look up – she couldn't move her eyes away from him. He didn't move underneath her, his eyes simply stared up at her, waiting for her next move and silently telling her he would allow whatever she did.
Sarada went limp, the battle draining from her almost immediately, the hand that had been bracing her against his chest fell to her side. And her heart ached. Because this wasn't possible. This couldn't be happening.
Her voice broke on his name. "Kawaki?"
"Kawaki?!" Chocho stepped into the room, inching closer to them carefully, her kunai flipping into her hand.
Sarada thought she wasn't breathing. That somehow the enemy had killed her and this wasn't real. But Kawaki continued to stare up at her with those storm sky eyes of his, the eyes she'd always secretly liked. But now – she felt fear. Their last moments seemed to play in her mind on repeat the metallic smell of blood stinging her nostrils as if it were real. As if it were happening now.
"Sarada."
Her eyes focussed on him again, lying underneath her, making no move to push her off or to attack.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, finally. Her voice a thin thread between them. "Did you know we were coming?"
"You, specifically? No."
Sarada nodded slowly. "But you knew Konoha shinobi were headed here." Not a question.
Kawaki answered anyway. "Yes,"
"Why were you waiting for Konoha shinobi, Kawaki?"
"Because I have information."
Sarada answered immediately. "I don't believe you."
Chocho stepped up to them and Sarada could see the blood on her hands. Not her own, but still wet. "It's not mine," Chocho said when she noticed Sarada's eyes moving from her hands and then back to Kawaki. "I found the Suna shinobi outside. I'm assuming they delivered the supplies. But I do think pretty boy over here killed them. It's a shame he's so attractive, isn't it?"
Kawaki gave no reaction to that, his eyes still on Sarada's face. "Did you kill them?" she asked.
Kawaki's lips thinned and Sarada noticed how dry and chapped they were for the first time. When was the last time he had a drink of water? "They attacked me first."
"Somehow," she said, pushing herself up. "I don't believe you."
Chocho hummed in agreement.
"Get up," Sarada ordered, her hands going to her hips but she never let her guard down. Kawaki stood. He moved to put his hood back into place but Chocho shoved her kunai at him. "Hey, no sudden movements, pretty boy."
"Can she stop calling me that?" he directed the question to Sarada, who didn't even bother answering him. While she appeared calm her insides were shaking. Kawaki had been one of the few people she'd truly trusted. And he'd betrayed her. A part of her had hoped she would never have to face him again, or face how his betrayal had ripped her in two. Because Kawaki had turned on her. He'd tried to kill the person most important to her.

And she'd been powerless to stop him.

"Did you destroy the bodies, Chocho?" she sounded calm. Too calm. Chocho turned a sharp look towards Sarada.
"Yeah, of course."
Lightning lit the room up briefly and thunder rumbled in the sky outside. "Let's get the supplies." Sarada told her as she walked past Kawaki to retrieve her kunai from the ground. Not once did he take his eyes off of her.
"What about him?" Chocho jutted her chin towards Kawaki and Sarada, very reluctantly, turned her gaze back to him.
"What about you?" Sarada turned Chocho's question on him.
Kawaki's voice was deeper than she remembered but still…just as familiar. "Whatever you want, Sarada."
Sarada's head tilted to the side, her hair falling over her face. "And what if what I want is to kill you?"
"I won't stop you."
Sarada tensed visibly. "You don't mean that."
Kawaki took a step towards her and Chocho shifted uneasily, her hand tightening around the kunai. "Do it," Kawaki whispered lowly and Sarada found herself following the way his lips curved around the words. "Kill me, Sarada."
Sarada's eyes flipped up to his. "I don't have orders to kill you. You'll be coming with us. As a prisoner."
This got a reaction. Kawaki's eyes narrowed. "I never agreed to be a prisoner."
"Who said you had a choice?" Chocho asked cheekily and Kawaki turned his glare on her.
"We need to hurry." Sarada said, coming around Kawaki to restrain him. He tensed but stilled when Chocho came closer. "Bring the cart closer, Chocho. I'll watch him."
"Roger that," Chocho dashed out of the front door as Kawaki took a seat on the fallen rocks somewhat uncomfortably. The storm finally started outside, pouring down and falling through the cracks in the walls, dripping down around them.
Sarada stayed facing Kawaki but it was hard for her to look at him fully. She needed to focus on the mission now and she couldn't do that when all she could see was what he'd done. Kawaki continued to watch her and Sarada had to wonder what kind of expression he had when he looked at her. What he was thinking.
"Sarada-" he began after the tense silence stretched between them.
"Don't." Sarada took a deep breath, shaking her head. "Don't speak to me, Kawaki."
Chocho stepped inside then, her cloak drenched. "Cart's ready and as close as I can get it."
"Good," Sarada turned on her heel. "Watch him. It'll be faster if I do this myself."
Chocho didn't argue, she walked to the spot Sarada had been standing in as Sarada rushed up the stairs, creating two Kage Bunshin as she went. Her father had taught her the technique before he left (once again) and Sarada's current limit was set at two clones since it wasn't a technique she liked to practice. For many reasons.
Chocho kept her gaze on Kawaki as Sarada and her clones moved back and forth between where the supplies were and the cart and the actual loading took all of ten minutes.
"What do we do with him?" Sarada whispered to Chocho. "We only have the two horses and I'm not sharing."
Chocho eyed Kawaki appreciatively. "I wouldn't mind sharing with him."
"No," Kawaki said, his gaze moving between the girls.
"Your loss," Chocho batted her eyelashes at him but she didn't seem all that offended.
Sarada's face was tight when she turned away. "Fine. Let's go."
Kawaki stood and went into the space between Chocho and Sarada as he followed her out into the rain. Without his hood his hair was soaked and sticking to his forehead within seconds. Chocho stayed close behind him and from the tense way Kawaki walked, Sarada knew that he was very aware that Chocho wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he made a move against them.
Sarada turned when they reached her horse and she reached a hand out, stroking along its face. "It's okay, Chocho." She said loudly, attempting to speak over the rain.
Chocho hesitated for only a moment before she moved away towards her own horse. Sarada's face lifted towards Kawaki and she seemed to take pity on him, her hands reaching up around him to lift his hood back into place. It happened so fast that he had no time to hide the shock from his face.
"Get up." Sarada indicated towards the horse and Kawaki gripped the saddle with his bound hands, hoisting himself up. Sarada waited until he was settled before pulling herself up.
"Your hands." She called back to him and Kawaki shoved his wrists forward to the side of her. Sarada quickly undid the rope she'd tied around him, gripping it tightly between her fingers.
"Put your arms around me." Sarada said through clenched teeth.
This time, Kawaki did hesitate. "…What did you say?"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
Kawaki's arms went around her waist slowly and Sarada grabbed his wrists impatiently, tugging him forward so that she could bind them together once again. To escape from the horse he would have to take her with him and there was no way Sarada would let him get away again.
"You have got to be kidding me." Kawaki hissed from behind her.
"Shut up back there."
It was an awkward position for them both but it was the only way forward. And that was all Sarada could do. Keep moving forward.
She moved the horse into position, bringing up the rear of the cart while Chocho took the front. The horses on the cart were trained and knew the way home should something happen. Chocho gave a low whistle, one Sarada barely caught over the rain. She whistled back and Choco took off, the cart right behind her. Sarada nudged her horse's side and Kawaki grunted when it took off in a sprint, his chest knocking into her back. Sarada ignored it as she leaned forward slightly, her hands tightening on the reins.
Why were you waiting for Konoha shinobi, Kawaki?
Because I have information.
Sarada had to wonder what information Kawaki could possibly have that would be of any use to Konoha. But, more importantly –

Why now?