WAR NEVER ENDS – NEVER STRONG ENOUGH
Boruto and Sarada's House, Later that Night
Sarada looks at her wall, in the direction of the front door. Years of training as a shinobi have afforded her many experiences. Training with various specialist clans like the Inuzuka and Hyuuga has helped her to enhance her senses using chakra. Even if she weren't an Uchiha with remarkable visual prowess, even if she had never trained as a shinobi before, she could have heard her approaching guest staggering around on the path to her front door.
Boom. The door opens, slamming against the inside wall, thankfully missing the photo frames wisely placed slightly to the side of the impact point. For Boruto to come home and act this clumsy can mean only one thing, he is drunk. Intermingled with his repeated jokes are throwaway lines of rap taught to him by Killer Bee. He laughs as he staggers away from the front door, feeling as if he is going to fall back forever. Neatly placing a foot back, he saves himself.
Sarada exits from an office where she has been doing paperwork. As they are collectively the 9th leader of the village, Sarada and Boruto have fallen into a fortunate situation where they can share various paper-based duties, allowing them more time together. This situation is rare, being the Hokage, or shadow Hokage, seldom allows the pair time to get drunk. This must be a special occasion.
"Well?" Sarada prompts Boruto, uncaring of the fact that he is drunk and instead eager to find out if he has kept his promise.
Boruto pauses for a moment before throwing his hands in the air, an exaggerated pose. "It's a day for celebration, there is some big news".
"Big news?" Sarada raises her eyebrow. She has experienced this deflection before. When Boruto is too scared to admit to her that he has avoided confessing to his parents, he always does his best to avoid the question. She is doubtful that this time is any different; perhaps he even got drunk to summon up some courage.
"My mother and father are getting married again" Boruto shouts.
"They're getting married, that's fantastic" Sarada declares, turning around and sitting on the edge of the nearest chair she can find. While she is excited about the news, it is a lot to take in all of a sudden, after all, they are only in the future because of her, she had often wondered if that would ruin their marriage.
"I summoned not only the Hokage but their spouses as well. I thought that they wouldn't be able to fight to the best of their abilities if they didn't have that moral support. I believed that to achieve the happiness necessary, they would require that much". Sarada recalls the day, she almost killed herself to bring these people forward, that is how firmly she believed her actions were necessary. "I'm glad that things are working out for them. It makes it all worth it".
Boruto approaches Sarada and hugs her for a moment, separating only to offer his sincere gratitude. "Thanks for bringing them both back. I know that my father could never have been this happy if you didn't".
"It's no problem" Sarada smiles as she replies. The momentary excitement fades away and her former thoughts return, there is a more pressing issue as far as the two of them are concerned. "So, did you tell them?"
"I… uh… you see…".
"Boruto…".
"I didn't tell them" the shadow Hokage admits.
"Boruto!" Sarada shouts as she raises her fist into the air and slams it down towards the ground.
'Not good' Boruto thinks to himself, recalling how Sarada's family home had been destroyed when Sakura had a burst of rage. The shadow Hokage is swift to avert disaster, something that very few people could do. He activates his byakugan before dealing a blow to Sarada's shoulder, forcing her arm to go numb and making her strike to the ground less dramatic than it would have previously been.
This is the 9th Hokage however, the control quickly returns to her arm and she raises the fist into the air once again. This time her target is very different, it's her partner, the shadow Hokage. Boruto isn't afraid of many things but Sarada is one of the few.
"You can go back to their house right now if you want to save yourself" Sarada warns.
"Wait, wait" Boruto begs as he waves his hands in front of his face. "I was going to tell them, I was just about to say it I promise. They interrupted me, they announced that they were planning to get married when I was about to say it".
"You expect me to believe that?" Sarada asks as she grabs Boruto's shirt and raises her fist to the underside of his chin. "You've been avoiding telling them the truth for ages now and this is the last straw".
"Come on Sarada, let me do it tomorrow" the blonde-haired shinobi pleads. "Tomorrow, I will go and train with dad and you can train with my master instead".
The last Uchiha loosens her grip as she is overcome by a nervous excitement. "Me, train with Hashirama?".
Boruto smiles internally, he is getting somewhere. "That is the perfect chance for me to tell dad about us. I promise that I won't come back without doing so".
"… do you promise?".
"I promise" he swears, nodding his head eagerly, "Even if I am struck by lightning, I will stand up again and tell him everything".
"You won't make any more excuses?".
"I didn't make up any excuses today" Boruto protests. "You believe that I was telling the truth, don't you?". This is the truth after all, the moment that Boruto was going to tell his family everything was interrupted by a far larger announcement.
"I guess so". The 9th Hokage relinquishes her grip on Boruto before stepping back, her fit of anger finished.
"Anyway, I know you're interested in training with my master" Naruto's son declares as he uses his fingers to force his girlfriend's face into a grin.
"Oh, you know that do you?" Sarada counters.
"There is no way that you aren't. He is the strongest shinobi out there besides my father" Boruto boasts. There is merit in what he says, the battles of the past have shown that there is only one person who can keep up with Naruto in the world of shinobi, the other transmigrant of Asura, Senju Hashirama. "Perhaps your training will prove more effective than mine, perhaps you could defeat him".
"Won't it dent your ego too much if I defeat him" Sarada takes her turn at teasing, tapping Boruto on the head as if he is a small child.
"Don't get ahead of yourself" Boruto chuckles, "Besides, I plan on defeating my father as well".
They look at each other knowingly.
"Good luck with that" Sarada offers.
Laughing, Boruto takes the well wishes. "Thanks, I will certainly need it".
Tsunade's House
Mitsuki waltzes into the house of the 5th Hokage. For a long time now he has been helping her to develop her skills as a shinobi. It is not that his talent, nor his power are superior to hers. It is that he has a supreme knowledge of how a shinobi should develop and knows exactly how she can improve.
"How is your training going" he asks casually, an ice-breaker.
"It's going well" Tsunade replies, reporting on her progress. "I've been keeping up with all the strength training you have suggested I do".
Mitsuki's training suggestions all resolve around strength. Not metaphorical or philosophical strength but instead the raw power Tsunade hits her opponents with. When they began Tsunade already hit with a power that only Senju Hashirama could compare to. That was before she had improved considerably while training. The logic behind this training is simple, it doesn't matter if Tsunade is slower than her opponents, shinobi are specialists at surprise attacks. Any invading enemy would underestimate the 5th Hokage, then when the surprise attack hits, it will feel as if they are being hit by a planet.
"Good" Mitsuki nods, "And sage mode?".
Sage mode, a power that his father lusted after but was unable to achieve. A power that Mitsuki is well acquainted with through his sensei and through Boruto.
"I can enter sage mode fairly quickly and without any outside help" declares the 5th, "just like I have been training for".
"Excellent" the snake lover offers his praise, "If we were to host the captained six contest again today you would be easily good enough to fight in it".
"Is that good enough though?".
Mitsuki can already tell the line of thought that Tsunade is going down. Like always, he is perfectly calm despite the question coming out of nowhere. "What do you mean?" he asks, as much to drive the conversation forward as to discover the answer.
"Mitsuki, don't tell me that you haven't noticed it too. Don't tell me that you haven't looked around the circle, around the shinobi in the village and seen it" she begins, "Everyone is getting stronger, not just me and that's a good thing but…".
"But?".
"They're improving at a far greater rate than I am".
Tsunade is right and Mitsuki knows that. He understands her frustrations, he has been told stories of her life for longer than she has been alive, "That's only natural but it will change soon. Each of these individuals you are referring to has grasped the invaders' power".
"My uncle can now use their powers to control water" the 5th Hokage explains what her trainer already knows, "My sensei can now use their powers to manipulate the earth. Both of them can do so much more than their former selves using this incredible power that they have understood".
"Of course".
"Then there is Minato with his powers of wind. Have you seen how fast he can move now?".
"I have" Mitsuki replies. Minato's speed has always been incredible even without the flying thunder god. Now that he has mastered new powers that increase it even further, there are few people who could ever hope to keep up with him.
"Kakashi too, lightning for him, like everyone else, he is becoming stronger more quickly than I am" Tsunade resists the urge to punch something, foreseeing the same devastating consequences Boruto did just minutes prior. "And what about Naruto, he's years ahead of me. When you look at them, don't you think they are improving faster than me for a reason? Do you think they were just born with more talent than I was?".
Mitsuki maintains a smile of indifference despite his closeness to the uncertainty in Tsunade's head. "You first sought me out three years ago when you thought that you were not strong enough. Now you are claiming that you have no talent. Just look at these three years and say that again, look at how strong you are now compared to then".
"But I haven't comprehended their power, not at all".
"That doesn't matter, that doesn't show your talent" Mitsuki protests.
Orochimaru's son continues his explanation.
"Tsunade, look at the members of the circle who haven't understood this power".
"Uzumaki Boruto, the only person we have ever seen unlock the Tenseigan naturally".
"Uchiha Sarada, the third from a legendary clan, the Uchiha, to have unleashed the power of the Rinnegan".
"That's two people who I have teamed with for years, two people who I know are incredible. Then there is a third one".
"Then there is your grandfather. Someone so strong that he is perhaps mightier than the other members of the circle despite having no understanding of their power".
What Mitsuki says rings true to Tsunade. She casts her mind back three years to the battle against the invaders. Besides Naruto and Clyde only one man had displayed power that could shock even the other contestants. Hashirama's power had completely overwhelmed his opponent, it was only thanks to his attitude, his overconfidence that he lost that battle. Then, in the final battle his power proved mighty enough to overwhelm even Peterson, the strongest of all colonels.
"Do you see what I am saying? Despite their overwhelming power, they are yet to discover an element. Perhaps it is because of their remarkable talent. Perhaps it is the same for you".
"Yeah" the Hokage reluctantly nods, "Maybe you are right".
"I know I am right. Tsunade, it's your destiny to understand that power eventually and when you do your strength will be incredible".
"Thanks Mitsuki" she smiles.
"You can pay me back by becoming the Hokage you are meant to be" he offers philosophically, "Fulfil your destiny Senju Tsunade, and show me just how high you will soar".
The Land of Water
Dred runs up behind two of his awaiting captains. He dares not use his power to speed his approach, not here where he fears his own detection.
"Colonel Dred" one of the captains bows, a seasoned veteran amongst the group who has fought alongside Dred for years. A toughened man from many campaigns. Captain Cuts.
"You need not bother with the title" Dred says as he waves off Cuts. "I never officially got promoted before we became outlaws".
"I know that sir, we all do" Cuts declares, "But respect does not depend on our status as outlaws".
Dred nods his head, appreciating that the lower ranks amongst Clyde's group are maintaining their discipline so well, despite the times. "OK, I got your report, there has been a sighting here?".
"Yes sir, Jones was the one who saw it" Cuts declares as he gestures to the woman next to him.
"Colonel Dred" Jones salutes to her superior. Dred had long since been the most senior captain in the group and had been a mentor figure to the others even before his improvement in his abilities.
"You saw the portal Jones?".
"Yes sir but it was different this time".
"Different?" Dred asks doubtfully. He has never known that differences between portals could exist, other than destination.
"I was on portal guard duty before" Jones declares. Her lack of experience is what permitted Boruto entry to the portal previously. "This portal however, it had a different feel to it than the last one. A different aura".
"Jones is new to the job sir" Cuts interjects to stop her from looking too foolish. "This world is the first one she has been on portal guard duty for".
Dred nods and takes a deep breath. "It doesn't matter about how the portal felt, but you are certain that this was a new one, yes?".
"Yes". Jones is assertive, not a doubt in her mind. This portal is different.
"That matches our assumption that Uzumaki Naruto found destroyed the previous one".
Nobody stayed with the portal during the captained six contest, all captains were summoned to witness the battles. That meant that after their loss, Clyde's captains were unable to find it again. Even as Sheer herself scoured the lands, she was unable to find the elusive portal. It was on this basis that the assumption was made that it was destroyed. Only one man could have possibly done that.
"Damn him" Cuts curses, "By doing that he probably aroused more suspicion. His actions have delivered this cruel blow to us ahead of schedule".
"Or maybe he slowed them down". Dred speculates this to play devil's advocate. He knows the mercy that Naruto has offered them, something not many would have done. To hear him spoken poorly of is difficult to accept.
"I suppose so sir but you must admit that strange things have been happening, things that never happened before he showed up".
"What do you mean?" Dred asks.
"I saw a man using our powers the other day. Someone I didn't recognise. He wasn't even wearing a uniform".
Dred quickly dismisses this as a hallucination. "You must have been seeing things, the military is strict on uniform. There is no way they would let someone come here without the proper attire".
"No, I suppose you're right" Cuts admits that this is unlikely. It is unusual for his eyes to play tricks on him.
"Did you see any activity around this portal?".
"Initially there were just a few captains keeping a healthy rotation" Jones reports. "Then colonels came through to maintain things. Tens of colonels, each on your level".
The present captain turned colonel sighs. "That is to be expected, Lara commands a force far greater than our own".
"Lara…" Cuts repeats the name and a shiver travels down his back.
"Dred, may I ask you a question?". Jones is highly formal due her to her lack of experience but in this moment, she drops her military jargon and speaks plainly.
"Go ahead".
"We've known it was coming for some time but is this really it? Is this the war that you have warned us about for three years?" she asks, "Is this the war the general warned us of".
"A colonel came to HQ earlier today and spoke to General Clyde. By the end of the meeting Peterson had killed him" Dred explains. "I don't mean to dishearten either of you but you should brace yourselves for the worst".
"The war is about to begin".
Jones is stunned for a moment. "We… we will do our best Colonel" she stammers.
"It's hard to imagine" Cuts admits. He is scared but he is a veteran, he contains his fear behind a cloak of calmness. "We are really going to be fighting Lara's forces then?".
Dred places a hand on the shoulder of Cuts. "Believe in the General, he will pull us through this somehow, he always does".
Cuts smiles, "Yes".
Dred shares his smile, looking at his two subordinates. 'Defiance in the face of the enemy' he thinks to himself.
As his eyes drift up to the sky, his expression drops. He tackles his two allies to the ground, "Get down" he yells.
The two captains look into the sky and see a man floating there. A man with a golden cloak on his back and the number 1 on his uniform. Thankfully, he has not spotted them.
This man is a general.
"Is that him?" Cuts whispers with disbelief.
"There is no doubting it" Jones adds, "If he is here then Lara's forces are really on their way".
Dred has seen this man before, he knows how terrifying his power is.
"Lara's second-in-command, he is already here…".
"… General Elliot".