THE MOON HUNG heavily above. Scattered clusters of stars hid behind splatterings of wispy gray clouds. The nighttime air was cold- colder than what Eri preferred-

Fine. I agreed to go. I'm not going to complain only for them to mock me more.

Besides-

she wasn't about to let Toma and Garu have all the fun.

This aforementioned pair walked ahead of Eri now, passing underneath the hidden gaze of short, thick trees that shed multicolored leaves.

"It's a faster path," Toma had informed earlier. Eri frowned, following the boys in silence as they joked with each other- sometimes turning around to make a face at Eri before breaking down into hushed laughter.

Eri frowned.

Idiots.

Eri carried a fishing rod in one hand, while the other lugged a heavy bucket filled with bait and various other snares. Since she hadn't caught anything the previous day, Toma and Garu decided Eri should be the one to carry their gear.

Garu, the nicer of the two, convinced Toma that they should at least carry their own fishing rods- to which Toma agreed, though not without deciding to mock Eri the entire journey. Finally, after Eri's sullen protests, Garu led Toma slightly away from her- distancing Eri from Toma's passive cruelty.

While Eri found both boys irritating, she was somewhat glad to have Garu around. Garu had empathy, understood when Eri needed to be left alone, and overall was much softer in his approach than Toma.

Still, Garu viewed Toma as a younger brother of sorts and often worked to placate him, meaning for the most part Garu would go along with Toma's taunts.

All three hailed from the Tanzaku Quarter- a walled district far away from Konohagakure. It was home to an orphanage that they were, unfortunately, a part of.

Even though The massive, sprawling lands of Fire were safe and well regulated for the most part, petty crime between rogue nin factions and bandits were common- often in the many smatterings of smaller outlet villages- themselves shantytowns growing from desperate dreams of hope- hundreds of kilometers away from the watchful eye of the current Hokage.

Eri's parents were killed during a bandit raid on their village. She had no idea of what happened to Toma and Garu's parents.

She knew Garu's mother had been a drunk. No doubt, Garu was abandoned at the steps of the Orphanage, as many had been.

"Hurry up, Eri. We're almost at the lake." Toma yelled, Eri's dark eyes looking up to catch the boys' silhouette in the light of the stars above.

Eri frowned- quickening her pace, allowing even a small smile to grace the boys as the smell of water filled her nostrils. She jostled between the two, thinking rather darkly that whatever village she hailed from, it must've been a place that was close to water.

"Mr. Kabuto is going to be so happy with all the fish we're gonna catch. It's been hard for him to feed everyone." Garu smiled, taking the bucket from Eri.

"You don't need to carry this anymore. We're almost there." Garu said.

"Ugh. She lost the bet. You always take it easy on her." Toma complained.

Eri frowned.

"Shut up, Toma. You're in second place by the virtue of one fish, which means you only caught one fish. You're almost as much of a loser as I am." Eri retorted.

Garu laughed good heartedly, stretching both his fishing rod and bucket to Eri and Toma.

"Guys, come on. I know times have been.. hard for us. We fight more now..we never used to. At least not like this. I miss how things were." Garu looked down, his voice growing quieter.

"I don't want to lose either of you." He finished-

Before Toma sprinted ahead.

"Toma!" Both Garu and Eri yelled in unison. Eri could see the lake now. It shined underneath the ocean of stars above.

Eri noticed that the clouds.. were gone. The moon.. seemed closer than normal. The stars spread across the night sky- something that was once ethereal and beautiful now suddenly bore an alien distinction, heavenly bodies that did not want to light the way for the trio.. Rather, devour them.

"We need to hurry and fish, not talk about old times like a pack of geezers. Let's go!" Toma screeched back-

Running down the steep hill between them and Toma's potential prizes that swam underneath silent currents.

Garu gave Eri an apologetic look, before chasing after his friend.

Eri hesitated.

The air was even colder the closer they were to the lake. She heard these two sometimes friends laughing together, now out of sight behind the curve of the hill.

With a sigh, Eri followed.

The hill descended to a patchy stretch of sandy grass.

Dirt gradually became a darker shade of sand, pockmarked with blades of green grass. Further ahead, the water of the lake was still, motionless.

As Eri approached she raised her voice to be heard.

"I feel like we're not going to catch anything tonight." Eri's eyes scanned the still water with each lead filled step.

Toma scoffed.

"Don't be dumb. With that attitude, we're not going to do anything, save for disappointing Mr. Kabuto." Toma, surprisingly, did give Eri a smile then.

He blushed.

".. I guess I'm.. sorry for being mean. I've just been stressed out. We're constantly running out of food.. the cries of the younger kids.. it freaks me out. I guess I'm scared. I worry about what's going to happen to us. All of us." Toma spoke as he looked away- then turned around fully to face the lake.

"I just want this world to be better. We didn't do anything wrong. So why do we suffer the most?" He said quietly.

Garu opened his mouth to answer-

A screeching sound of air filled their ears instead.

All three youths turned, eyes wide as.. reality opened.

Eri dropped her fishing rod, blinking with disbelief as the blackness churned-

She saw images within the celestial dark. It seemed to bear.. burning villages, bodies. She even heard screams from within it. As if entire lifetimes previously extinguished were within that swirling pool.

She moved back- beside Garu and Toma.

Behind them there was nothing- nothing but the lake that impassively watched beyond.

Blackness curled once more-

Three beings gingerly stepped from it.

They were of white skin and similarly colored hair- though their bodies were anything from uniform. The first of the three had strange, bark-like horns that traveled upwards as if a deer's, and was dressed in white robes dirtied by grime and blood. It carried some sort of staff in its hand- the staff was a deep and throbbing red, while white eyes glowed underneath a comically furrowed brow as it too regarded the youths as they regarded it.

"Interesting.. So this is.. The Mundane." It marveled casually.

The second being knelt upon the ground- it thrust its face into the sand and grass. It drank the murky, muddied water that was an arms distance away from its replesedent white dressings.

The creature gathered up fistfuls of it between small hands. Its long silver hair pooled beside gaunt cheeks, as a strange noise began emanating from it.

It was then Eri realized the being was sobbing.

The third towered over its companions to a comical degree-

though it seemed the most intellectual and cold of the visitors. It bore the forehead and eyes of something Eri would recognize as human.. being said, it was easily twice the height of even the tallest man Eri had seen. It had a wide body, complete with thickly muscled arms and a distended belly only somewhat hidden by flapping robes. Its mouth was wrapped in black cloth, distorting the disapproving voice that hissed from underneath it.

"My Lord, this is no way for a Successor to act. Compose yourself." The giant cautioned.

The smallest one, the one termed Successor, sobered at this.

It rose to a kneeled position. It marveled at the stars above, before settling an inhuman gaze on Eri and her friends.

Eri saw tears glistening down the being's cheeks.

"Urashiki.." the Successor began.

The one with the staff answered.

"Yes. These are remnants... though it looks like they're not from Amakushiki's cycle."

The giant spoke next.

"Then they can be used, as they are from this world. We will succeed where my great grandfather failed. Then, we may be able to free him."

The one called Successor laughed.

It stood to a full height, brushing muddied sand that clung to its robes.

"Vayushiki is nothing to us. I'm sure you can tell now.. can't you, Kinshiki.. How quiet thoughts are here. I understand why Kaguya went mad with rebellion. This Realm..truly contains everything. The song of the air, the kiss of the oceans.. the temptation of freedom."

The Successor moved towards the three youths. .

"Even these beings.. deluded as they are by remnant blood..carry Kaguya's stolen gift." The Successor gave a quaint smile. It rose a shaking hand, chakra vortexing within the center of the Successor's palm.

The chakra-

"W-what's-" Garu began, falling to the ground. The boy desperately scratched at his throat.

Blood poured from Garu's mouth, his bones breaking with horrid snaps-

only to reform themselves.

"Garu!" Eri leapt to help her friend-

Before she too was thrown to the ground by invisible and violent hands.

Pain flared throughout Eri's body. She screamed- feeling blood pool behind gnashing teeth as the cries of her friends filled the air. All three of them writhed on their stomachs, sharing blood within a puddle that moistened the sand.

Eri turned herself over, gasping for air- peace- for the burning to go away-

She wept uncontrollably. Garu and Toma's suffering caused almost more hurt than whatever curse was.. changing them.

She closed her eyes- or vision went black.

Eri.. wasn't sure.

She heard footsteps approach her. Then, the voice of that thing.. the one the giant called Successor.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Such a thriving red. Remnant blood.. a byproduct of the lasting fruit their existence pays credence to."

The Successor continued.

"It seems I gave this one too much of my power. The other two will survive.. though this one may not." The Successor seemed to laugh after speaking.

Then, other than Garu and Toma's screams, there was silence.

The agony erupting from within Eri's body grew tenfold.

A demon's voice broke through blackness.

If this rubbish.. Kaguya's refuse.. survives.. I suppose I, as Kaguya's blood, should give it a name begetting those of us in heaven.

Eri heard the voices.

She was no longer aware if she were alive..

Or dead. It felt as if parts of her were being rewritten, memories vanished while new emotions clawed into Eri's consciousness.

This one.. will be named Mizabëshiki...First of the False Three.

Mizabëshiki..? Eri thought. She wanted to cry out, wanted to fling herself at these strange creatures, make them pay for what they did to her friends.

However..

As pain and thought faded away, the only truth Eri clung to was a name- a name cruelly given.

Mizabëshiki.

Mizabëshiki's eyes flew open, rising from the bloodied sand with a scream that shook the night around it.

TRAINING DAILY TOOK ITS TOLL ON BORUTO.

Typically, even when he did train, Boruto was able to at least sleep. Quite obviously, it was easier.

Now.. there was a sort of quiet dread that loomed at the edge of Boruto's thoughts.

Relax.

Boruto sighed, looking up at the night sky.

His eyes widened.

It was strange..

The clouds.. they're all gone. It was cloudy moments ago. Boruto shook his head, looking downwards.

In a bandaged hand, Boruto held a hot cup of tea prepared by Sasuke. Sarada told him that it was an ancient Uchiha recipe, one that was from even before Madara.

Among other things, it was supposed to relax one's muscles, and allow them to heal.

Sasuke's kettle rumbled underneath the heat of a hastily made fire. Across from the kettle, Sarada sat. She was silent, eyes downcast and looking into the flames.

Boruto wanted to ask again what it was Sasuke told her- if he told her anything at all. Boruto hated entertaining thoughts on a close friend that bordered on private gossip..

Boruto then noticed that Sarada wasn't wearing her glasses anymore.

Is it because she unlocked the power of the Sharingan?

Naruto.. had told Boruto what abilities the Sharingan possessed. Even then, Boruto could tell Naruto was holding back information.

He knew that at the very least, it allowed its user to see movement before it happened, and further, it could even grant them the ability to copy jutsu.

Boruto shifted, wind causing blonde hair to fly across his face. He caught the wayward locks with his free hand as he sipped at the tea. Surprisingly, it did begin to calm the ache that traveled through his body.

As Boruto lowered the cup from his face, he noticed Sarada watching him from the darkness.

"It's good, isn't it. I didn't want to admit it to him." Sarada offered simply.

Boruto had noticed Sarada didn't like calling Sasuke dad or even father. She always termed him as a man, a stranger that wasn't truly welcomed in her family.

"It's sweeter than I expected," Boruto replied. He finished the tea, placing it down beside the fire. He got up, stretching before sitting back down on his stump.

"You're probably sick of this...sorry. Chocho tells me how good of a cook her dad is. How he's constantly making things for her. She.. she's annoyed by it.

She doesn't get how lucky she is. To have someone like that around your entire life.." Sarada placed her unfinished tea down.

"I'm not sure if I love Sasuke, or if I hate him." Sarada laughed quietly.

Boruto nodded, a gust of wind accenting the silence that grew between the two genin.

"I feel the same way about my dad sometimes." Boruto said.

"Hima.. no matter what, she loved him. My dad was really good at making a big show of himself coming home after ignoring us for weeks. He'd come with presents, play games with us. For Himawari, that was enough. For me.." Boruto closed his eyes, wondering once more if he was the selfish one, not his father.

"You needed more. It makes sense. I won't lie.. I look up to our Hokage, Boruto. I know he hasn't made life easy for you. It's ironic..that they're such close friends." Sarada whispered.

Boruto knew immediately that she was talking about Sasuke and Naruto.

He nodded, turning blue-silver eyes back to the stars above.

Silence.

Then, Sarada started again.

"Listen, Boruto." The urgency in Sarada's voice brought him to a keen alertness. Across the fire, Sarada's dark eyes bore into Boruto's own.

"That trick you used on me.. transformation. It was a good jutsu- you can't use that ever again." Sarada looked away, flames now illuminating the hawklike shape of her hair.

"You caught me by surprise the first time. The second time, I knew exactly where you were when you used it. I just didn't have the chakra to react. If you use that on anyone even an ounce more skilled at sensory techniques than we are.. you'll lose. Or worse. You'll die." Sarada disclosed. She turned her attention directly back on Boruto.

"It'll work during sparring matches. You'd be an idiot to use that sort of trick during the exams. Especially if you try to do it twice in a row. If you're in another fight.. and it works the first time.. you just got lucky. Don't test luck."

Boruto nodded.

"I know. Like I said before, you would've won." Boruto looked up once more at the moon- it loomed ominously close, causing shivers to crawl up and down Boruto's spine.

"I didn't want to tell you at first. Funnily enough, I didn't want to hurt your feelings. The Chunin Exams are going to be serious, Boruto. I would feel bad if I didn't tell you this when they started." Sarada gave Boruto a smile.

"I want you to last long enough for us to fight for real."

Boruto laughed, stretching his Rasengan arm. His overworked bones gave a satisfying crack.

"It's funny." Boruto said quietly, eyes catching Sarada's.

Sarada gave a confused frown.

"What is?" she asked.

"My Rasengan.. your Sharingan. Powerful abilities given to us by our parents. They're so powerful that we can't rely on them." Boruto spoke, watching pine trees waver in the wind behind Sarada's smile.

"Sasuke's been teaching us Taijutsu because of that. I'm not sure if he told you this. He wants us to focus on our own innate abilities, and create our own jutsu.. as opposed to relying on their legacy. He said if either of us rely on those techniques.. we'll die." Sarada spoke with a bite of finality.

Boruto shuddered, laughing to himself.

"Morbid." He said.

Sarada grinned.

"You know Him by this point."

Boruto nodded.

He still wasn't tired. His thoughts however, compelled him to want to be alone. A fear ached at him- something that felt more foreboding that the exams.

Boruto nodded to Sarada, before returning his eyes to the heated kettle that whispered hot air before the both of them. Sarada offered no other words- to which Boruto was grateful.

He suddenly wanted to ask her about Mitsuki..then thought better of it. No doubt, Sarada hadn't spoken to Mitsuki either.

Boruto closed his eyes, seeing once more Mitsuki's face.. how it slightly fell when Boruto asked him to never bring… that up again.

Cursed eye..

Boruto and Sarada sat in silence for a few more minutes, before both of them retreated to their respective sleeping bags hidden amongst the ruins of the Uchiha.

"KAWAKI,"

Kawaki shut his eyes tighter.

"KAWAKI!"

Kawaki rose, catching the metallic fist of Madān Goro as it fell for his stomach. Madān gave an amused chuckle, black smoke billowing from the machinery that was implanted within the man's head.

"I saw that, you know." Madān said coolly.

Kawaki pushed Madān's hand away from his chest, glaring darkly at the cyborg that distanced itself from Kawaki's bed.

"I can tell, Madān. You're already breaking apart." Kawaki grinned.

Madān gave a boisterous chuckle.

"You've made a full recovery. It seems Kashin Koji truly was the key." Madān mused. His eyes looked away from Kawaki, seemingly focused on some faraway promise Kawaki wasn't privy to.

Kawaki recognized that look amongst numerous members of Kara.. at least, the ones whom he directly interacted with. Amado was one.. and before Kawaki's.. incident With Madān, Code was another. Of course, none of them meant as much to Kawaki as Jigen.

Kawaki doubled over subconsciously, though no pain flew through him. Thoughts of his father.. Jigen, often caused Kawaki pain, despite the man's kindness. Now however..

Madān watched Kawaki from the shadows of Kawaki's chambers. Rain steadily beat outside, an orchestra of antagonistic sound that paired with Madān's sneering voice.

"Perhaps Kashin wasn't the solution we'd hoped for." Madān gave Kawaki a grin- or at least the best grin Madān could muster, given the man's cybernetics.

Kawaki waved a hand in the air. Madān was someone who constantly assaulted Kawaki with micro aggressions- aggressions that when they trained, escalated into true hatred. Kawaki knew that Madān was one of the first potential vessels.. and as such, carried a resentment for Kawaki..

And an enduring love for their shared Father.. Jigen.

"Why are you bothering me..." Kawaki gave an incredulous laugh.

"We're not training today, my friend. Amado said I need at least three weeks to rest. It's been two." Kawaki hissed, narrowing black eyes.

Madān gave a rueful chuckle.

"Just checking to see if you still live. We're going to be moving, soon." Madān rasped through the metallic vocabulator that covered the lower half of his mouth.

Kawaki furrowed his brows.

"Moving? I like the rain." Kawaki replied.

It was true. Kawaki.. heard things. Voices.

The rain.. helped that not to happen.

Kawaki winced.

The voices..

Things urging him to find something.. an object.. or someone, Kawaki wasn't sure.

The voices asked him, constantly.. for the Cursed eye.

Kawaki shook himself, grateful that with whatever Kashin did, the voice's speech was nearly muted. It was still audible within Kawaki's thoughts..

Kawaki notcied that it wasn't nearly as loud as it had been before. The past few days within his chambers had been, ironically, some of Kawaki's happiest.

"Yes. To another hideout within Amegakure. Amado has reported the local Shinobi are on to us. Obviously, they don't know of you.. All the same, he has ordered us to a different location within these lands." Madān's one human eye narrowed at Kawaki.

Kawaki laughed at Madān's animosity.

"So when are we moving, Madān?" Kawaki asked, leaning back into the cushions of his bed.

He lifted his right arm. Opening a cold palm, Kawaki closed eyes newly adjusted to the touch of light.

Yes. I can feel it. I'm.. more powerful. The chakra within me.. it feels different. Different from Dad.

Kawaki wasn't sure entirely just who Kara was, or what Jigen himself wanted. With that said, he had warm memories of Jigen, ever since childhood.

I saved you, Kawaki. Saved you from your parents, your village. They were going to kill you due to your gifts.

Jigen's faraway voice echoed within Kawaki's mind. It seemed as if it had been a millennia since he had seen his father-

Kawaki missed him.

"Tomorrow night. I'm telling you this now so I don't have to wake you again. And.. once we're settled, Amado wants us to spar once more. He told me not to say this to you… Kawaki."

Madān's human eye captured a particular venom that surprised even Kawaki.

"Amado doesn't want me going all out. At least not yet."

Kawaki heard the cyborg spit within his mask.

"..Once we're moved and situated.. I will try my very best to kill you. As a fellow vessel, I'm sure you understand." Madān laughed, gaze unmoving from Kawaki's own.

Kawaki's mind rewound to what Madān had done to him- forcing Kawaki to activate karma, despite it being unstable. The act had saved Kawaki's life while apparently leading to his near untimely death at the same time. Jigen punished Madān severely, resulting in Madān losing his lower jaw.

Jigen's devotion brought a smile to Kawaki's lips.

"Don't think you need to talk so coldy, Madān Goro.." Kawaki's eyes flexed to meet Madān's exposed pupil.

"I can't wait for the moment. Killing you.. it'll come as easily to me as breathing." Kawaki's smile deepened at Madān's slight pause.

Madān recovered in seconds, however. He sighed, metallic vocabulator deepening natural sound by several octaves.

"Just be ready, Kawaki. And be ready for the truth I'll present to Jigen. The truth that despite everything.. Neither of us have become a suitable vessel."

Kawaki laughed once more.

"Sure. Can you leave? You reek, Goro." Kawaki lowered his head, an evil smile stretching across his face.

Madān's eye flared in anger.

The man said nothing further, opting to leave Kawaki's chambers in silent hatred.

Kawaki fully reclined back in his bed.

He thought of Jigen. Then, he thought of the World.

Kawaki was excited.

He knew there was more- more than research, endless lab reports and boring diagnostics.. he knew that an entire civilization waited for him on the outside.

And with this newfound power.. Kawaki.. despite the love he held for Jigen..

Wanted to escape. If not for a little while.. if not to discover what his existence truly meant.

Kawaki closed eyes bored of sleep, imagination assailing him with images of what could be.. beyond that of which he knew.

NEXT TIME! THE EXAMS BEGIN- SHUFFLED TEAMS?! THEN, KOIĒ AND KILLER BEE!