There are streams of lighter blue strikes across the dark blue sky, in preparations for the sun rising.
Sarada adjusts her tool bag around her belt, to keep it from bumping with her backpack.
Mitsuki's yellow eyes stand like beacons in the shadowy beginning of the day, scanning the area around them both.
"He's here."
For a moment Sarada sets her shoulders for an argument, thinking Mitsuki is talking about Boruto. Then Konohamaru -Sensei approaches them quickly. She sighs, relieved but also feeling surreal.
This really is going to happen – missions without Boruto.
"Good you're both here – let's head out! We'll discuss the details of the mission on the way, Kore!" Konohamaru calls, barely stopping to address them as he kept going through the open gate.
Neither argues with him; Mitsuki and Sarada nod at each other then set out after him.
Konohamaru leads them in a fast run. "Alright, here's the thing, we're getting late into the game this time; this mission came a week ago and accidently got misfiled as a D-Rank, so it took a while to put it on the map, and by the time they figured out the mistake in rank the team they gave it to wasn't enough – they had just graduated the Academy last month, and so a C-Rank was too much." Konohamaru climbs one of the trees and starts hopping from tree to tree going in a general direction that has no road from down below to follow. Sarada and Mitsuki change direction and copy him.
"So we'll need to focus more on arrival, even if it means tiring ourselves from the journey, so keep up, and if you start to lose focus on your feet don't hesitate to use chakra to make sure you don't fall." Konohamaru says, glancing back to make sure they were catching up to him.
"Got it."
"Yes."
Sarada makes a note to check her chakra levels occasionally, to leave enough so she'll still be able to activate the Sharingan in a moment's notice if they find themselves under fire.
For a while no one speaks, all three jumping from tree branch to tree branch speedily.
"So what's the mission?" Mitsuki asked sharply.
"Oh right, hahahaha. Sorry, Kore! I just expected Boruto to have his usual fit of questions and whatnot – I was sort of waiting…" Konohamaru blushed. "It's at the border with The Land of Rivers. We'll aid patrol for three days as they've got the flu spreading there, and they need some fresh eyes and ears to help. We'll do what we can. I'll go by myself, you two together – if anything out of the ordinary you may view as a risk comes across you, you are to report to the closest border control shinobi. Any questions?"
"Are we expecting anything of potential risk to approach from the border?" Sarada asked at once.
"No we are not. Nothing is supposed to happen."
Sarada and Mitsuki glanced at each other. Those few formations they've done last night were the only time they worked alone together – quite frankly, Boruto was Sarada's bridge to the enigma that is Mitsuki. If she were honest, she wasn't completely sure he has her back – without Boruto, he may think saving her a waste of time if something happens.
If we want to be assigned more challenging jobs, this mission needs to go smoothly. I have to reach out to Mitsuki; we have to trust each other more. Why is it that it was so easy to do with Boruto in the mix?
Focused on keeping up the same speed, and generally used to silence, Sarada isn't sure how long they've gone without speaking until Konohamaru -Sensei comments on it suddenly.
"SO! Eh… you two have any other questions? Or maybe something you'd like to say?"
"No." Sarada said, perplexed.
"Not me." Mitsuki answers at once.
"Well… isn't that… great, Kore."
Sarada didn't find it convincing much, but didn't comment further on it. No one likes being told they're easy to read - shinobi in particular,
It wasn't long before Konohamaru spoke again. "Well Boruto is not with us today! Anything you want to say about it? Maybe talking will help!"
"About what?" Sarada asked.
"Anything you want!" Konohamaru said, his voice turning to a plea. "Mitsuki? What about you?"
Mitsuki blinked, and Sarada wasn't sure he understood what was being asked of him.
"Well, I do find your perplexing derision from silences annoying." He smiled shyly, like he just came up with a difficult text answer.
Sarada hid her snort behind the palm of her hand poorly.
Konohamaru did not say another ward until they reached the border, the back of his neck red.
"Six O'clock." Mitsuki said quickly.
Sarada turned to look, perplexed when a Leaf Shinobi she's never seen before came their way. She glanced at Mitsuki, concerned he treats fellow shinobi from the same village as them as threats.
Thinking about it, usually whenever somebody approaches them he alerts it – sometimes even Konohamaru -Sensei. A cold thought popped in Sarada's head – does he do that with me too?
"Are you from Konohamaru's group?" the green-haired kunoichi asked sharply, not bothering to go through a greeting or introductions before jumping right into it. Sarada liked her instantly.
"Yes. Where are we posted?" Sarada asked.
She nodded. "I'll show you – you'll be going back and forth between certain lengths of the border. Do not separate, and use this signal to alert us in case anyone or anything is approaching from your assigned territory. Questions?" she handed Sarada a small device with one button on it.
"No."
Mitsuki didn't even answer.
"Good. Let's go." She ran off and Sarada and Mitsuki followed.
It's been two hours of walking side by side in silence, keeping their eyes on the horizon to their left.
Realizing she was already bored she figured she might as well attempt it. "Hey Mitsuki, listen… Do you think we can work together, like, like a team?"
Mitsuki glanced at her, and then returned his sharp gaze on the barren land they were charged with guarding.
"I don't mind doing missions with you Sarada. But I need to be by Boruto's side."
"Need to be?"
"It is my will."
"…You're leaving with him, aren't you?" it hurt, when she was left behind by her father and by Boruto. She didn't realize it would hurt if Mitsuki left her too.
Now it's just me.
… And Konohamaru-Sensei.
Great.
"Yes. I – I need to know." Mitsuki frowned, and looked down at his hands. "Why the moon can rise when the sun is up, but the sun dies when the moon is up."
Sarada stayed still for a minute, and then resigned herself. Again, she'll have to be mature and let go. She sighed. "Right. Well, good luck, I hope you find what you need."
Mitsuki grinned at her politely. "We still have some missions to do together until Boruto leaves. Let's work together as a team, Sarada."
"Sure."
And then it'll be even worse when you leave like I don't matter.
Everyone is chasing after Boruto. I'm right here. How am I not good enough?
The silence after was heavier, but Sarada did not want to speak again.
They went on, uneventfully, with their job for long hours every day for four days, passing the dull times with a suggestion made, surprisingly, by Mitsuki. Every day, nothing happened. When they were relieved they all lodged together in a small chamber built close by to their section of the border.
On the morning of the fifth day, before they separated, Konohamaru told them "Today's the last day. Tonight we're done, and we'll head back to the village."
"They still don't have enough guards to patrol." Mitsuki said. They've both noticed that there were far too little guard shinobi around.
"Flu's dying out – most of the ill shinobi will be reinstated for duty starting tomorrow morning. Pack up, we won't be coming back to the lodging."
Sarada made sure everything was on her person or in her small backpack. She put it on and turned to Mitsuki. "Ready?"
"Yes." He said, pulling a bit on the straps of his own bag to make both even.
They both headed out to their usual location. Sarada could hear the sounds of the border shinobi training in the background as some do most mornings. They clocked in with Nina-San (the green-haired kunoichi in charge of their section) and started their last shift.
"I'm not sure, but I think I insulted you."
No warning. Sarada wasn't sure how to respond, so she didn't. She just kept watching the landscape.
"You see, Boruto attracts me."
Sarada's jaw fell, and she stared at Mitsuki, shocked.
"I came to the leaf village to be with him."
Sarada felt herself redden. "O-oh. Well, I didn't realize – " She took a deep breath. "I want you to know I support you, Mitsuki. Yeah. If you need to talk I'm here for you."
He grinned. "You sound like Konohamaru -Sensei. I don't understand it too well myself, but I need to find out why I keep being pulled towards him. It's like my body knows something that I don't…" he seemed deep in thought, lost in his own words.
"Eh? Wait, you meant attracted like – physically? You're actually gravitated towards Boruto?"
Mitsuki tilted his head to the side to show his confusion at her needing to ask. "Yes, I meant what I said. My powers and my destiny are tied to his, I know it."
"Oh – oh! I misunderstood. It's on me, yes. Destiny, and powers, of course…Yes. I thought – no never mind now I get it – we're on the same page. Not that there's anything wrong if you were –"
"You're spiraling, Sarada."
"Yep."
"I wanted you to know that Boruto is special to me."
"Yes." A sinking feeling in her stomach, Sarada replied bitterly. "To my father as well."
To everybody it seems.
Mitsuki chuckled. "No, your dad is probably doing this to return the favor to Lord Seventh."
Sarada didn't let herself believe his words just yet. Ignoring her hopeful heartbeat, she asked casually "What do you mean?"
"The Hokage kept you safe in the village all those years Uchiha Sasuke was gone. It's no surprise he'll reach out and take the opportunity to help keep the Seventh's son safe outside of the village now that he can. Your father doesn't seem like the type that likes owing anyone anything."
Sarada mulled it over in her mind, eventually her frozen state released and the tension from her shoulders eased. She smiled genuinely at Mitsuki.
"Thank you Mitsuki."
"For what?" he tilted his head, politely asking.
"For saving me; I came close to resenting a friend."
The rest of their time past as it usually did, and soon enough the time arrived to return to the village. They bid Nina-San goodbye formally, and watched in amusement as Konohamaru -Sensei attempted to flirt with her to better her report of his team and failed spectacularly.