Credit
Hi All,
This story now has a delightful cover image.
The cover image has been supplied by jessejzette.
Unfortunately, I can't provide a link but please head over to Deviant Art to find more excellent work from jessejzette.
Thank you,
Cbehrills
A NEW WORLD – BORUTO AND SARADA
The Camp
Sarada rests her head in her hands, her elbows rooted to the table beneath her. All that covers the top is plans and diagrams. This is possibly the hardest time to manage the village. This move is a logistical nightmare for her. They have to take every villager with them to keep them safe.
Moving children and the elderly through the portal and around the enormous world on the other side is difficult, especially if they are depressed or disheartened. Groups of shinobi have been established to look after the most vulnerable of the villagers. Additionally, she and Shikadai have devised drills to use should they need to run away, plans for who should help which villagers to run. Who needs to use clones, how many clones they each need to use, what should happen if any of the guardian shinobi die – all questions that required answering.
She used to be much happier going through plans like this. She remembers spending hours with Shikadai and with Konohamaru planning exactly where the village should go in the future. That was part of her dream, a necessary part of being Hokage. She was amused when she found out how Naruto hated it, paperwork was never for him. This has been different though. Unlike before when she took pleasure in being a perfectionist, now her only option is to rush, completing the work as quickly as she can.
She wondered for the first few days if this displeasure was connected to recent events. Of course, it was. Everything has changed since she first became Hokage. Her parents had died, her teacher had died, her fiancée had abandoned her. Only one loyal companion from her days as a member of team 7 remained.
Mitsuki entered the tent she and Shikadai had been using for planning without a word.
"Thanks for coming" Sarada says, not needing to look back to tell that it is him. His footsteps have always been gentle, as if he were quiet naturally rather than through practice.
"… is this about Boruto?" he asks.
"Of course it is".
"So, what are you going to do about him?".
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to kick his ass, make him apologise and then drag him back to the village where he belongs".
Mitsuki takes a moment to observe Sarada. Her breath has quickened, her fist has clenched, her back arched slightly – it doesn't take a trained eye to realise when Sarada is feeling the pressure, and his eye has been trained by the best.
"You always talk as if things are going to be easy, you take too much after your parents" Mitsuki says with a smile. "Boruto won't be defeated just like that, he's strong, incredibly strong. I admit that I wouldn't even be able to touch him anymore. And on top of him, there is also Hashirama, I assume you remember what happened when Naruto and he fought".
Sarada spins round, looking angrily at Mitsuki. "You know that Hashirama had an unfair advantage, that Naruto would have won that fight if…".
"… are you confident that Lord 7th could defeat him now?".
The silence grips the air between them for a moment as Sarada's anger calms and Mitsuki's curiosity peaks.
"No" she eventually admits.
"Then, are you so confident that you could make Boruto realise what he has done is wrong? Lord 7th spent years, went through suffering that only he and your father could understand, and after the greatest war in history, they fought again. It was only after that, after a battle where they almost killed one another, it was only then that Lord 7th was finally able to get through to him".
Sarada knows the story well. She has heard the details of it from her father once or twice, including events that he was reluctant to tell her. She also heard similar stories from her mother. Two separate records of what transpired between Naruto and Sasuke. Each story reinforced to her exactly how much her current master had to go through to bring her father back.
"I get it Mitsuki, I really do. Perhaps I can't make Boruto change, at least not as quickly as I would like. But, I have time, I can make him understand, no matter how long it takes. Then I can bring him back".
"… but?".
"I still wish I could get through to him quicker".
Mitsuki, deep down, has the same wish. He realises that he will likely never be strong enough to reach Boruto in that way but that doesn't change the desire. It was his connection with Boruto that he credited with his understanding of the Hidden Leaf Village and its people. He knows that the Boruto from back then would never agree with the Boruto he sees now.
"… some things nobody can do" Mitsuki sighs.
"Everyone has someone they listen to" Sarada replies. "Someone whose words will move them, like my Uncle was to my father".
"Like Lord 7th is to you?".
"Yeah, I guess Naruto is like that to me".
"What do you think about what Boruto said then Sarada. About how if you acted differently, Lord 7th, your hero, would have come back and used 'death' to save us".
What Boruto pointed out that day rang hollow for many of the shinobi of the hidden leaf. For those at the top however, their power gave them a clearer view of the larger picture, one free from Naruto's presence. The villagers had practically been indoctrinated into believing in Naruto, indoctrinated by his fairy-tale like accolades. The Kage and Senior Shinobi could tell that Boruto was telling the truth. The circumstances were as he said. If Sarada hadn't brought Naruto forward from the past, the present-day Naruto would have been revived by Sheer and he would have understood 'death'.
"I know that he is acting like the 7th Hokage from our childhood" Sarada smiles. "He is the 7th Hokage who I had hoped to bring forward in time, and I feel much more comfortable having him at my side, especially when he is using 'life'".
"Then you can relax, he is aiming to bring Boruto back too. You can depend on him, can't you?".
"Yes, of course I can".
Sarada's comforted smile disappears, she rocks back and forward slightly and lowers her elbows from the table to her thighs. She lowers her voice as if ashamed and keeps her eyes fixed to her feet as she asks Mitsuki a question that is more painful than she could ever have realised.
"I did the best thing for the village, didn't I Mitsuki?".
"Yes. You did. That's why you're our Hokage after all".
With a few more words of comfort exchanged. Mitsuki turns and leaves the tent once again. He has to make sure that Tsunade has been keeping to her training schedule. He may not be able to influence this conflict much on his own, but by training her, he can truly make a difference.
As Sarada is left alone in the tent, she rises to her feet and looks to the open space on the ground beside her.
"Everyone has someone whose words will move them…".
Outside the Tent
Having left, Mitsuki takes a moment to collect himself. He seldom shows emotions to those around him, there are very few people he is comfortable doing it with. The first person after his father was Boruto. After Boruto came Konohamaru sensei and Sarada. Two of those people are dead, one of them has gone rogue. Now the only person left he can show his weakness to is Sarada, but that is under normal circumstances. These are not normal circumstances. He can't show Sarada his weakness now, he has to be strong for her. If Sarada breaks down, the village may well follow.
Looking around the immediate area he is stunned by how calm it is in face of the imminent manoeuvre. There is no fanfare, no guard on the tent, nor on the Uzumaki tent where she has supposedly been staying recently. Mitsuki notes how Sarada is living subtly, quietly, just as she and Boruto must have done for years. They spent so much time as a couple, refusing to tell anyone, even Boruto's parents, about what was going on.
He wonders for a second, '… could they not have at least spoken to me'.
Boruto had reason to be nervous about telling his parents. There shouldn't have been any reason to be afraid of telling Mitsuki, should there? He had never been judgemental of either of their actions, he had simply observed them. Had he not also been their friend? He rarely spoke to anyone else about social matters, so there was almost no chance of him letting the secret out?
"Uh… it's Mitsuki isn't it?".
Mitsuki turns back to look at the source of the voice. Unfamiliar, educated, calm. He is surprised to see that the speaker is wearing a uniform from the other world, bearing a cape of silver that runs down her back.
"I'm surprised you know me… it's Colonel Sheer, right?".
"Yes, I am Colonel Sheer".
Mitsuki has always been intrigued by Sheer, particularly due to the parallels between her and his father. Both had been scientists, experimenting immorally to return people from the afterlife and turn them against their own kin. It is an art that he is afraid to admit, he has practiced himself. After fighting with an Uchiha, both Orochimaru and Sheer had reversed their loyalties and sided with the Hidden Leaf Village. He cannot help but wonder if that is how he would have ended up if had been born in their world.
"Is there something I can do for you, Colonel Sheer?".
"I want to know about their history together. I'm referring to Sarada and Boruto of course".
Mitsuki nods his acknowledgement. "They're strong for sure, and key figures in this conflict we're about to enter. But, this doesn't feel like that kind of routine enquiry. Am I correct?".
Sheer smiles. He is.
"You might recall that Sarada and I battled during the captained-six contest. She and I also fought over Naruto's freedom while the General lead you into battle against Lara" Sheer begins. "While we often fight, she has helped me to walk a new path. Sarada is the reason I feel confident to go home and be part of a rebellion, to fight against Jonas".
"Really?".
"Yes, Sarada, you could say, is the first friend that I have made in a very long time".
Mitsuki accepts this explanation.
"Very well, I wouldn't mind telling you a few things about the two of them".
"Thank you".
Casting his mind back, Mitsuki tells the couple's story. "She, Boruto and I first met in the shinobi academy where the three of us formed a team. It was Sarada's dream to become Hokage, Boruto's dream to become a cool shinobi like his old master. The three of us were part of Team Konohamaru. We were taught by the man who became the 8th Hokage".
"I remember him" Sheer guilty admits. She had a large part to play in the death of that very man.
"Indeed, the 8th Hokage was still an active shinobi, one of the leading figures in the village when you declared war. He sacrificed himself to save our lives and left the fate of the village to Sarada. As you can see, by asking the right people for help, Sarada did just what he asked and saved the village".
"Was Boruto one of those people?".
"Yes. The two of them are the children of the duo recognised as the village's greatest shinobi" Mitsuki says. "From the start, only the two of them understood the pressure they were under. It is likely that during three years of peace, that mutual understanding and appreciation developed into something more".
"Presumably that is when Boruto asked Sarada to marry him?".
"That's right. Their circumstances pushed their relationship into the dark, where the rest of us could not see it. If the rest of us had worked out they were together, we may have been able to save Boruto from what he has become".
Sheer listens attentively to each detail Mitsuki provides her. "They are clearly special to one another".
"More than could ever be explained".
"Will she be alright. After this betrayal, I wouldn't want to face up to it".
"She has no choice" Mitsuki explains with a shrug of his shoulders. "The Hokage can't just stop. But if you are concerned for her, she is in the tent behind me. Head on in and ask her how she is feeling".
Mitsuki walks past Sheer, his hands hidden by his sleeve as he marches towards Tsunade.
"Is that alright?" Sheer calls after him.
"… you are her friend, aren't you?".
Sarada's Tent
Sheer tentatively peels back the entrance to the tent and peaks inside, looking around to see if Sarada is there. Upon not seeing her, she pulls the canvas fully back and enters.
"Sarada, may I speak with…".
Sheer's words get caught in her throat when she realises that something is wrong.
Sarada is hurt.
Laying on the ground without moving or breathing. One arches over Sarada's head, the other is trapped underneath her torso. Her eyes appear unblinking and vacant, absent is the texture of the rinnegan and the colour of the rinnegan. The total lack of motion is enough for anyone to draw the same alarming conclusion.
Sheer runs quickly over to Sarada and rolls her onto her back. She performs a quick inspection of her body to confirm any signs of life. Every member of the military is given the basic training to do that and while Sheer isn't a doctor, she is a scientist. She quickly realises that she can't get a pulse and that she can't feel any air passing in and out of Sarada's lungs. If she doesn't act quickly something terrible could happen.
"Sarada!" Sheer shouts while shaking her body, hoping to wake the Hokage from her deathly sleep. "Sarada, wake up! Stay with us".
Nothing.
The sound nor the vibration is stimulating the Uchiha.
Sheer realises that she needs help.
"Naruto!" she shouts. "Someone get Naruto now!".
A Few Minutes Later
Naruto arrives in the tent and begins doing what only he can do. He urgently circulates the power of 'life' around Sarada's body, healing her in every way that he can think of. Each organ, every inch of skin, flesh and bone is bathed in the pure energy that only the 7th Hokage can wield.
Along with Naruto the other senior members of the Hidden Leaf's medical entourage arrive. Mitsuki united with Tsunade shortly after leaving to find her only to return immediately with the 5th Hokage, one of the village's leading experts. Also quick to the scene was Biwako, who rushed to the medical emergency at the first sign of trouble. There are other patients but none such high-priority as the 9th Hokage.
"Has she been unwell at all?" Biwako asks the tent's occupants.
"I was speaking with her earlier, she seemed depressed perhaps but not unwell" Mitsuki says.
"And when you found her Colonel Sheer?".
"She was just collapsed on the floor, not breathing at all. She looked like all the blood had drained from her body, like she had been running for a thousand years without rest".
Tsunade strokes her chin and contemplates the strange occurrence. "It's like she is dying of exhaustion. But coming out of nowhere like this, I don't understand it".
"She doesn't look like she's been in battle".
"A self-inflicted injury then" Tsunade concludes. "Mitsuki has she ever…".
"No" Mitsuki cuts the medic off mid-sentence. "That's not something Sarada has ever done. She has never even hinted at it. She was looking to the future as well, talking about how to bring Boruto back to the village".
Mitsuki has been worried for a while now about the possibility that the Hokage could give up. He has worried that they could do something stupid and end up hurting themselves out of grief. Tsunade had been the one he worried about most, Sarada's mental strength seemed far greater, it seemed like she would never falter. The 9th Hokage is headstrong, perhaps more than anyone else. If she could do this to herself, it would be tremendous blow to the village's morale.
"This looks familiar" Naruto mutters.
"Familiar, have you seen this before?".
"I've never her seen her like this before, Lord 7th" Mitsuki says, dismissing the idea with a flick of his hand.
"It seems familiar to me too" Biwako says, scratching her head as she attempts to recall where from.
The room goes quiet when Sarada's lungs begin to function once again. Her eyes slowly regain their focus and blink as she opens her mouth to speak.
"… Naruto…".
The room shares a collective sigh of relief. Sarada is alive!
Naruto grins to himself as he finally stops circulating his divine energy. "Don't worry me like that Sarada, not now of all times".
Biwako leaves the room to order a pair of medical shinobi inside with a stretcher, eager to take Sarada to receive care as quickly as possible.
"I'm so sorry" Sarada says, "So sorry, I… couldn't do anything".
"What are you talking about?".
"Naruto" Biwako yells under her breath, "Now's not the time, we need to take her to the medical tent right now".
"Right, sorry" Naruto says as he stands away from Sarada and allows the medical shinobi to lift her onto the stretcher. He has saved her twice using 'life' now and it's never been a pleasant experience.
Biwako follows after Sarada as the two medical shinobi carry her stretcher.
"Sarada, have you ever had problems with exhaustion?".
"No".
"Dehydration?".
"No, I've been drinking plenty"
"Do you have any idea what might have caused your incident?".
Sarada shakes her head dismissively, "I don't really want to talk about it".
"… it's not like it worked anyway".