Author Note
Hi everyone.
Sorry for posting this a little later than usual.
And some forward notice, I may not be able to write a chapter tomorrow as I've been rather busy lately.
Since the last chapter this story has gone past the 300 followers mark. Thanks for all your support, it means a lot to me.
Thanks for reading,
Me
THE BATTLE FOR THE EARTH – WHO ARE YOU TO HIM?
The Invader's Hill
Colonel Sheer slowly limps up the side of her hill. Beaten and battered, nobody has come to help her, something that has only just struck her as unusual. When Mirai had lost, her parents had come to her side. When Kakashi had lost, his teacher had come to his side. Yet when Sheer lost, nobody had come to her side. Why is that?
Coming down the hill is Colonel Martin, his sneer conveying his emotions at this moment. Near the start when he had drawn number six he had considered himself lucky, he had considered that he would be unlikely to compete and yet here he was, in the last match.
As the two pass, one another Martin stops, allowing Sheer to walk past him as his gaze fixes on his opponent on the opposite hill. "Hey".
Sheer stops, rubbing the dirt from her face with the back of her hand. "What is it?".
"You realise that it was your incompetence that has forced me into this fight, right Sheer?". Martin is a coward, against this opponent, in this situation, a Colonel should have nothing to fear. It is not because he is modest, far from it, he is actually quite arrogant. It is because he has been spoiled his entire life.
Sheer chuckles lightly, amazed that Martin could still speak like this after so much has happened. "You are still underestimating; these locals are different".
A moment of silence passes between them before Sheer begins to walk once again, she continues up the hill. Her trek does not last long though, a bony hand stretches out and grabs her by the arm. Of course, this is Martin.
"If I get seriously injured in this fight, it will be your fault" he declares, "My sister will hear about what you have done. Your survival will become impossible".
"Impossible" Sheer mutters the word before smiling. It is a word that Sarada has changed her understanding of.
Suddenly, a gust of cutting wind arrives, bound for the duo's arms. Martin releases Sheer's arm so that he can escape the attack. Sheer also avoids the attack, after all, she is the one who created it.
"You…".
"It may be impossible" Sheer smiles as her long purple hair flutters in the wind, "But, I think that I may be able to overcome the impossible now".
Martin attempts to complain further to Sheer but she simply walks off. This is a level of disrespect the Colonel has not had to deal with before. His position is a great one, a rare one, few people have connections anymore, much less powerful connections like he has. If Clyde were to show him no respect that would be one thing, but Sheer, that is something else entirely.
The Hidden Leaf Hill
Half way up the hidden leaf hill, the last survivor of the Uchiha clan struggles to keep calm, she has actually defeated a Colonel after so many years of losing to them. For Tobirama to do it had been emotional for her. Tobirama comes from the past though, Sarada is from this time, someone from the present actually defeated a Colonel. This is unprecedented.
A cheesy grin comes to her face as Boruto approaches. "I did it Boruto".
"Congratulations" he mutters as he walks past his Hokage. When he speaks, it is under his breath, it is as if he doesn't acknowledge her existence, as if she is just another person in a crowd. Right now, that is how focused he is.
"Boruto".
The blonde shinobi turns to face Sarada, showing a lack of any emotion when doing so. If anything can be taken from his body language it is his irritation, irritation that his thought process has been interrupted.
"I know that look" Sarada claims, "I've seen it on the faces of many shinobi".
"It's determination" Boruto replies, "I have to win here".
"It's not determination" Sarada snaps as she approaches Boruto. "This look is hatred, it's the look my mother warned me about. My father spent years with this look on his face and it brought him nothing but misery".
"You're the last person I want to see with this look on your face" she finishes.
"I will be fine" the Uzumaki clansmen dismisses her concerns, "As long as my friends are here they can save me. As long as they never give up".
"I hope you know what you are doing".
Boruto raises his head, looking over Sarada's shoulder to the shinobi at the peak of the hill. His gaze falls on the man who has advised him on this fight, on Senju Hashirama. "I know what I'm doing".
With that said, Boruto turns once again and walks down into the valley. The valley is now more damaged than ever before, looking more like a warzone than the venue for a competition.
Sarada considers that perhaps this valley represents what is happening to them. Each time they battle it gets more and more damaged. When Mirai had walked into it, it looked heavenly, now Boruto is walking into it, it looks like hell. Perhaps, with each passing fight, the psychological impact these battles are having on the participants is growing.
In the Valley
Martin observes his approaching opponent, with one thing immediately jumping out at him. 'He looks just like their leader'. His eyes shift between Boruto and Naruto, noting their similar hair and facial features, 'Yes, I'm sure of it, they must be related somehow. Perhaps he is their leaders father'.
Boruto activates his Byakugan and just as the two warriors reach the centre of the valley they pause.
"Hey" Martin shouts at Boruto, as if speaking to a servant or a slave, "What relation are you to the leader".
Boruto decides against answering the question. Or perhaps he cannot even hear the question. Such is his steely gaze, such is what he would call his determination and Sarada would call his hatred.
"I asked you a question".
This time he is not answered with silence but with actions.
A single kunai.
Boruto reaches into his pouch, producing a single kunai and throwing it towards Martin. This is naturally not a threat to someone like a Colonel, but this is Uzumaki Boruto, he is not throwing this kunai without assurances.
Martin watches the kunai as if an annoying insect is flying towards him. He seamlessly raises his hand into the air before him and waits for the last possible second before grabbing towards the weapon's handle.
As the Colonel's hand is about to touch the kunai, Boruto's plan begins. With a thought, the kunai transforms into a brilliant ball of blue light, a jutsu that his grandfather had invented and his father had mastered. The rasengan.
The rasengan may not be enough to seriously injure a Colonel, but it still gives Martin a nasty shock as his hand contracts around it. He pulls his hand back, dazed for but a moment. In a fight at this level though, a moment is all the time in the world. It's easily enough time for a shrieking sound to appear. Easily enough time for another rasengan to be formed.
This is exactly what Boruto does. He forms another rasengan and charges towards Martin. With his lack of training he only has this one chance, use as many tricks as possible, battle your opponent in ways they are not used to. He has this one advantage. He is not a warrior, he is a shinobi. Make this a competition of skill, not one of might.
Boruto swings the rasengan towards Martin's chest, seemingly with nothing that can stop him.
That is what it seems like to him, it is far from reality though. With ease Martin dodges the rasengan, appearing at Boruto's side and catching his arm.
Boruto's eyes widen as he contemplates what just happened. 'There's no way, I couldn't follow his movements, even with the Byakugan'.
With one firm squeeze of Boruto's arm, Martin forces him to dissipate the rasengan. His first sneak attack is over, just like that.
"I am not a patient man" Martin declares. He releases his grip on Boruto's arm and switches instead to his throat.
The Colonel questions what he had been worried about as he watches his opponent gasp for air. Not so long ago he complained about the possibility of being seriously injured, Sheer had claimed he was underestimating these locals by scolding her for losing. His cowardice and Sheer's admiration seem to have both been misplaced though, Boruto is truly week.
"Tell me" he says again, tightening his grip around the shinobi's neck, "Who is Uzumaki Naruto to you".
The Hidden Leaf Hill
Himawari cannot bear to watch, she has deactivated her Byakugan, instead resorting to covering her eyes as she comes to the edge of tears. For all her talent, she has not worked as hard as Boruto or Sarada, she has not achieved their great strength. She cannot do anything to help him in this situation.
"Boruto!" Hinata screams as she begins to run towards the valley.
A hand grabs hold of her shoulder. "Stop".
Hinata can see who this is with the Byakugan but turns around, a subconscious weakness. She can see who it is but cannot believe it, so she turns around to verify what her eyes are telling her. There is no mistake, Naruto has stopped her.
On this rare occasion, Hinata feels angry at Naruto. "If this keeps up he is going to die" she says, tightening her fist and preparing for a fight.
"I know".
"Our son will die".
"I know".
"I know we have come from the past but aren't you still his father?".
"OF COURSE, I AM". Naruto's raised voice startles Hinata, her fist loosening as she looks at him.
"Naruto…".
Naruto looks at his own feet, sharing his daughter's reluctance to watch this battle. "My father or old man 2nd could save him easily" Naruto remarks, "But if we save him now an all-out battle will start and we will be slaughtered".
"Boruto will die either way" Naruto declares.
"But…" Hinata begins before noticing something. She notices Naruto's hand. 'He's trembling'.
"Please believe in him".
In the Valley
"Come, tell me. I won't ask again" the blonde Colonel snaps as he tightens his grip even further.
Boruto's determination, his hatred increases for a moment. He tightens his fist just like his mother had not a second ago and lashes out, throwing a quick flurry of punches to Martin's face.
"That was pathetic" Martin laughs.
Boruto does not give in however. Again, and again he punches towards Martin. Still, compared to Sarada who has great chakra control, his punches are weak, if they could truly affect a Colonel, summoning the previous Hokage would not have even been necessary. It's just a plethora of hopeless attacks. It brings tears to the eyes of many on the hill, many who have spent time with Boruto, grown attached to him.
Martin is a sick man though, he revels in his enemy's hopelessness. Laughs in the face of Boruto's struggles.
Finally, Boruto lifts his arm one last time before it drops down. His whole body stops moving as his arms fall limp to his sides.
The Hidden Leaf Hill
Sarada shakes her head. "No. This can't be happening".
"It can't be" Mitsuki grinds his teeth in a rare showing of frustration, "Boruto wouldn't… he wouldn't come this far only to lose".
In the Valley
Mitsuki is right.
Boruto's arm lifts one more time.
He punches Martin in the face one more time.
But this time it is different, this time it creates separation between the competitors.
"Bastard…" Martin curses as he rubs the bruise on his previously undamaged face.
"It's still far from perfect" Boruto manages to get out through staggered breaths. "But for now, this is all I can do".
The Uzumaki clansmen raises his face so that Martin can see it. It is not the same as before, it is clad with several animalistic features. Namely, he looks like a toad.
The Hidden Leaf Hill
"Sage mode" Minato notes. "So, that's why he was still for a moment. Still, sage mode won't be enough to battle against someone at the Colonel level".
"This guy is just toying with Boruto" Mirai says.
"Exactly".
"No, you don't understand" Mirai refutes Minato's reply. "I have worked with Boruto, there is nobody better at finding and targeting weak points. That is what Sasuke trained him for".
"I get it" Naruto suddenly yells, "So as long as the Colonel continues to toy with Boruto, he can win".
'Boruto' Kushina thinks to herself. 'I held a grudge against you for what you said, for wanting to sacrifice Minato. I'm so sorry, you really just wanted to protect the leaf, right?'.
"You want to know who I am, to Uzumaki Naruto" Boruto roars. "I am his s… I am his s…".
Then, the blonde-haired shinobi takes a moment to think. To calm down, a smile slowly creeps onto his face. "I am to him what I am to everyone in our village. I am his shadow Hokage".
The tension in the air clearly rises as the two face down. Boruto has increased his senses, powered up his taijutsu and amplified his ninjutsu to the upper most limit he can. Martin though, is annoyed, more so than he has been at any point in this battle. He considers Boruto to be a mere insect before him, how dare this insect dare to defy him, how dare he survive being stepped on.
'My opponent's weakness; he feels superior to me' Boruto smirks, 'He is incapable of doubting his own judgement'.
Boruto throws a smoke bomb down to the ground beneath him. Not a second later, three identical figures emerge from the smoke.
'These clones, they are only a distraction' Martin quickly decides, 'Whatever technique you are using, I can feel the rumbling of the ground'.
The Colonel bends his legs slightly before launching himself past the clones and into the smoke. His speed is so great that it creates a small wind current, a draught that clears the smoke away from Boruto.
The aforementioned shinobi is stood in the place from which the most smoke has cleared, in his hand an enormous rasengan has formed. "Massive rasengan" he calls as he smashes the blue ball down into the head of Martin. It is only after a great struggle that the Colonel is able to dissipate the rasengan.
POOF!
'That was a copy' Martin starts.
From the ground beneath him, Boruto emerges with a rasengan in hand. The shadow Hokage uses the rasengan like a boxer would use a fist, smashing it into the underside of Martin's chin, knocking him up into the air.
POOF!
Now this Boruto disappears
'If he wasn't underground then where was he?'.
The Colonel realises the answer to this question, far too late. Boruto drops down from above, a rasengan in his hand, he slams his grandfather's jutsu into the chest of his enemy. In a seemingly unending wave of deceptive attacks, Boruto has downed a Colonel.
Hinata and Naruto marvel at the attacks. Jumping into the air through a cloud of smoke, hiding a clone underground, these are attacks used previously by Naruto. Techniques which Naruto's business, likely meant Hinata has taught Boruto.
Boruto takes a few deep breaths as he thinks back to hearing stories of Naruto. It is indeed the future Hinata who taught Boruto these attacks. Despite Boruto's perceived distaste for his father, when he was really young he would often get excited to hear these stories from his mother. Who would have thought, that after so long, a bedtime story from his youth would help him defeat a Colonel?
The toad-like features disappear from Boruto's face. "There goes sage mode".
It matters little though, he managed to hit Martin with a nature-chakra enhanced rasengan.
1...2…3…
Martin is on his feet.
After all of Boruto's efforts, it only takes three seconds.
'Just how did the others fight against a man like this?'.
"I'm going to put you through an unending world of pain for that" Martin claims, "I will make sure you aren't killed instantly with the others. I'm going to take time to torture you for myself".
Boruto isn't sure if it's his imagination but the sky seems to darken slightly. This falls in line with a change in Martin's aura. A mauve coloured elemental cloak forms around him as a sinister smile arrives on his face. "I'm going to start your torture right now".
This aura is unlike the others before. It is not one of raw, unchecked power but instead one of unmatched coldness, of unmatchable evil. The plants around Martin begin to die as he approaches Boruto.
'This is… poison' Boruto starts.
The Hidden Leaf Hill
"His element is poison" Tobirama grits his teeth, recalling the poisons they have dealt with in the past, how Mito had been killed by poison and Minato nearly shared her fate. "This is troublesome".
"Boruto would have been made immune to poison by Sasuke" Mitsuki notes, "But, there is no way his immunity will withstand that poison. If he is hit by that he will surely die".
In the Valley
Many people have noticed Boruto trembling, just like his father not so long ago. Though when the shinobi raises his head, almost everyone is surprised by what they see. Boruto is not trembling because he is afraid.
He is trembling because he is furious.
Hashirama smiles at Boruto's newfound rage. Feeling that this is the way forward for Uzumaki Boruto. This is the route of absolute power.
"So, you were the one" Boruto gnashes his teeth.
"Oh".
"You were the one who poisoned my grandfather".
This realisation finally makes it to many people of the hidden leaf. For a healer of Hashirama's ability, is there anyway a Captain could poison someone and elude his healing. No, the poison that killed Mito and nearly killed Minato, it must have been from a Colonel, it must have been from this Colonel.
"Grandfather?" Martin looks at his furious opponent in shock, switching his gaze then to Minato. 'I thought they were all mortals. It is definitely that man who is poisoned though'.
Boruto's chakra begins to change. It is not something that many can notice but those present are no ordinary people. With people who could see chakra such as Hinata and Himawari, how could they not notice.
Boruto's chakra is getting colder. Much colder.
"I definitely won't forgive you" Boruto growls at Martin.
It is one thing to get angry, to become furious, to embrace your rage. It is another entirely to become stronger as a result. Is Boruto capable of this?
For the sake of his family he better be, for if he is not.
The hidden leaf will die.