AFFLICTIONS AND ROYALS – CURING FAUNA BLIGHT

Outside CheoCho, Aturia

Sasuke uses his Rinnegan to observe the city inside the Imperial Guard's perimeter. He has seen a few cities since he arrived in Homeworld. He was particularly impressed with Boni, the capital city of Seblix. Despite being built between deserts and volcanoes Boni is one of the most prosperous cities in Homeworld, even during these times of imperial dictatorship. Compared to the other cities he has seen CheoCho is unremarkable. CheoCho is more people-friendly than other place has seen, but in terms of engineering and architecture it is rather plain.

It is strange to think that his own eyes are analogous to Homeworld's in this situation. Everyone is looking to CheoCho, waiting impatiently to know whether Fauna Blight can be contained. He feels useless, looking on while his friend and his student are fighting the affliction. This is one of the few times in his career as a shinobi that there has been nothing he can do. Instead he must remain here with the others and hope Naruto is successful.

Someone waiting just as patiently as Sasuke is Uzumaki Himawari. She has just as much to lose here as Sasuke, and just as little that she can do about it. Sasuke has not seen her since she accidentally killed Sakura. He had wondered how he would feel seeing her again. Instead of the rage he might have expected to feel, he experiences feelings of curiosity. Himawari is one of the most talented warriors he has ever met, yet she also has no interest in fighting. Apparently she tried to pursue an alternate career after Naruto defeated Clyde, but that obviously didn't pan out.

"Why did you leave?" Sasuke asks her.

"Hey, Himawari is a Princess of Homeworld," Mana tells Sasuke. "If you can't cope with her presence then I suggest you leave."

Mana's comment highlights the tension in the air. Sasuke has already noticed everyone's reaction to his question. Claude the Owl has turned on Hannah's shoulder to face him. Kushina is looking over her shoulder, clutching Mito tightly. Minato has his hand on a marked kunai. Michel the Horse and Mana are both ready to spring into action. Hinata has her hand on the Sacred Sword. Only Hannah, who's instinct has determined there is no threat of violence, does not ready herself for a fight.

"It's alright Aunt Mana," Himawari says.

Himawari is just as aware of the tension of Sasuke. She approaches him and takes him to the side, away from the others. She senses that he has no intention of attacking her, and even if he had she is confident that she could defend herself with the Sacred Dagger.

"I am sorry about the others," Himawari says. "They shouldn't be defending me against you. You haven't done anything wrong after all."

"Why did leave, Himawari?"

"You know why I left. It was my fault that Sakura—"

"That wasn't your fault," Sasuke says.

"But I—"

"You were being controlled," Sasuke says. "I know that. I knew that at the time as well. When I attacked you it was like my body was moving itself. I couldn't control the anger I felt towards you in that moment. But objectively I never blamed you for what happened. I don't even blame Hashirama. I blame the enemy I cannot see, this Hive Mind. I needed to attack something, and you both became the substitute for my invisible enemy."

"I don't blame you for attacking me. In the same situation I would have probably done the same thing. This power the people of the Dark Dimension created is twisted, turning us against each other like this. The people who created it aren't even alive anymore. I wish I could help you to fight that enemy, but I'm worried that not even my father can stop it."

"Naruto usually finds a way."

"The Hive Mind has survived longer than my father."

"Maybe so, but I still believe we will overcome it in the end. Naruto is not like me; he thrives on working with many people. This rebellion has him working with more people than ever before. Bad things will still happen. Bad things have already happened. When you walk his path it is inevitable that you will stumble from time to time. But I still believe that now his spirit is stronger than it has ever been. He will save you Himawari."

"Not if I save myself first."

"That is why you're leaving?"

"Yes. Before I may have asked him for help and followed his lead, but things are different now. The title of Hokage passes to the worthiest shinobi in the village. Lord 2nd first passed it to a member of a different clan. Since that time there have been Hokage from many clans, the Sarutobi, Namikaze, Senju, Hatake, Uzumaki and Uchiha. However, I can't escape the title of Blaze Princess. I need to be strong for the people of Homeworld because I was born a princess. I am going to free myself of the Hive Mind somehow, otherwise I will never be worthy of their trust."

"I understand Himawari. But you were born as a pocket-worlder and yet somehow you have mastered three elements of divine energy. In your short time here you have helped to start a war and destroy the Foundry. You would be a worthy Hokage, the people of this world should think themselves lucky you are their princess."

"Thank you, Sasuke."

"I hope that you can find a way to free yourself from the Hive Mind. Once you do, find us again. You belong with the rebellion."

"I will."

CheoCho

One of the Imperial Guard captains sends a message to Naruto by communication stone.

"Uzumaki, everyone is in place, begin whenever you are ready."

She sits with her fellow captains, leans back and sighs. This is one of the most depressing feelings she has ever endured. Ever since they were trapped in the city with Fauna Blight they have felt that their demise has been inevitable. It never occurred to them that the Beast Clan live with this affliction every day.

"Do you guys think he can do it?" she asks.

"Nope," one of them says, "We have been left here to die, may as well get used to it."

"Nobody is that fast," a third concurs.

They all pause when they hear a whirring noise outside the room. They all get to their feet and slowly approach the window having never heard a noise like this. After a few seconds the window explodes, the force throwing them back into the room. An orange streak of light just went past the window. That streak of light was Naruto. Their beliefs were rational, there is no way a class 8 warrior should be moving at such speeds. What they don't realise is how fast Naruto can go when he uses the full power of his divine oddity.

Naruto has rarely demanded divine energy with such intensity before, but he and Kurama manage to keep it up. He rushes through the city with power transferred to each of his legs. Every step is a massive leap, both demanding and receiving energy on a scale that few can provide. He uses these tremendous leaps to move at speeds comparable to the royals.

Naruto moves between the zones that Lang Zhou told him about, from parks to arenas, from temples to halls. In each area he cures thousands of people. The very act of curing people requires even more divine energy than his divine oddity, but he keeps it up. The Imperial Guard watch on in disbelief as the orange streak of light continues to zoom back and forward through the city. For these captains it is the first time they understand why the war is as serious at is. Naruto may not have reached the royal level yet, but when he does he will surely be a match for any of them.

The Imperial Guard are last on the list, so when Naruto arrives in the room with them he is completely drenched in sweat. He musters most of his remaining energy and pours 'life' into the room, curing the men and women who the Imperial Guard stationed in CheoCho.

When he is done Naruto can barely stand upright.

"See, told you it would be easy for you," Kurama says.

"If it looked so easy next time you can do it!" Naruto jokes.

Then Naruto remembers that there is one place left on his list. He needs to return to the Mayor's Office and he needs to do it right away, otherwise Fauna Blight may continue to spread. He turns and walks out the door, mumbling something to the Imperial Guard as he leaves.

"Tell people to stay inside," he says tiredly, "This is not over yet."

Half-way through his walk to the city hall Naruto collapses, completely devoid of energy. He has always known that Detonation Martial Arts has had the potential to hurt him if he overused it, but he never expected to feel pain like this. His divine oddity depends on continuously detonating a portion of his own core and using 'life' energy to immediately fix it. With his mind divided and the portion of his core detonated increased, that only became more taxing on his body, it was inevitable that there would be a price to pay.

Unfortunately, this price is too steep for Naruto. If he can't make it to the mayor's office then Fauna Blight will begin to spread once again, and Boruto will die. He refuses to let that happen, reaching forward with his hands and dragging himself along the ground. Thankfully it is not very far to the mayor's office, but from this position it looks like the longest journey of his life. Nevertheless, he is Uzumaki Naruto, he will not give up no matter how long the odds.

"Naruto, are you OK?"

"I'll make it Kurama!"

"Idiot, you won't make it. At the rate you're crawling it will have spread before you make it back to the mayor's office."

"Then I will have to walk."

"Naruto if you walk now you could do permanent damage to your—"

"I said I will walk!" Naruto shouts at his partner.

Naruto pushes himself back up to his feet, resisting the urge to cry out in pain. Yet no matter how much he tries to hide it, Kurama can tell how much pain Naruto is in. The tailed-beast has known Naruto his entire life, his insight into his thoughts is so great that he can help with his divine oddity. The agony that the 7th Hokage is surely enduring is more than most people could ever tolerate.

Three minutes later, Naruto forces his way into the mayor's office. Lang Zhou runs to his side and lifts his arm over her shoulder. She effectively carries the 7th Hokage up the stairs and into her office where Boruto is waiting.

"Are we the only ones left?" Naruto asks.

"King Max's subordinates have been in contact with me with one of their communication stones. They think they have created a mobile detector for Fauna Blight. If so then we are the only three humans left with the affliction."

Naruto puts his hand on Zhou's shoulder, pushing some of his little remaining 'life' energy into her body. He then pushes her away, even as he falls to the ground. She tries to run back to his side but he shouts, insisting that she leave immediately. Now only he and Boruto have the affliction, so he crawls towards his son, the noble Crown Prince of Homeworld. They have both risked their lives to save everyone from Fauna Blight, and now the only ones who need saving are themselves.

"Why did you leave Boruto?"

"What are you asking… at a time like this…"

"I want to know why!" Naruto shouts. "Himawari I could understand. She probably felt responsible for what happened. But why did you go? Why did you leave us? I was finally reunited with my family, and you ran away!"

"Because it is my fault… the Hive Mind wouldn't have come… to our world if not… for me."

Naruto understands how Boruto feels. It was Boruto who Tao Ma took on that fateful day while he was busy trying to save Dan. Hashirama's words reached Boruto in a way that even his had not at the time. Hashirama was a puppet of the Hive Mind, but Boruto agreed with him, the people of Homeworld had only ever caused the pocket-world problems, eliminating them would be much more final. Destroying Homeworld at the time seemed like the most effective means of achieving long-term peace.

Now Boruto has seen that after Tao Ma's death Hashirama largely regained control of his own mind. If Boruto had trusted Naruto in the aftermath of the captained-six contest what would have happened? If he had killed Tao Ma after understanding his own 'death' powers, would Hashirama have not regained his own sanity? Would Hashirama then not have persuaded Boruto to side with Naruto? Had they been together all along would they not have been better prepared for everything that came since? Could Carmen's death have been prevented? Would the rebels have stayed together instead of separating when Furst attacked? Could Sakura have been saved after the attack on the Foundry?

"Sakura's death is my fault!" Naruto insists. "This 'death' energy you use, it has always been my responsibility. When Sarada first summoned me you showed me that it was hurting you. Since the captained-six contest we have known that I could counter its effects. I should have anticipated the possibility! I should have been ready to heal her if something happened!"

"You're not responsible… for my pain…"

"I'm your father! You reached out to me, you asked for my help. That makes it my responsibility to help you!"

"You couldn't have known… it would affect Himawari…"

"She's my daughter, I knew it was possible, I should have been ready!"

"Not even you can protect everyone," Boruto assures his father.

"Then what am I good for? What was I brought here for? You said it yourself, were you wrong to believe in me? Was Clyde wrong to trust me? Was Lara wrong to become my ally? Should Carmen have let us die to Furst? Should Sora have trained somebody else? I am responsible for the rebellion; how else could I possibly feel? Everything that has gone wrong is because I wasn't as good as people expected."

Boruto faintly chuckles. "Father… you have exceeded… all our expectations…"

"Then why do I feel like this?"

"That's the power of 'death'… we are all driven by it… we all live our lives afraid of it… because it hurts us all… it can make a servant of a king… it can even make a civilian of a Hokage… but what matters is how… you come back from the loss… from the pain… and just look at you… you have done something amazing…"

Naruto reaches Boruto and places a hand on his chest, trying to force 'life' energy into his body. This time Boruto doesn't resist but the problem is with Naruto. He doesn't have enough energy left; only tiny sparks of divine 'life' energy are dancing around his fingertips. He shouts at himself to do better, but it is not a matter of willpower anymore. He asks Kurama for more energy, but the tailed-beast has nothing left to give. Is this is the cruel end that he has been dealt? Is he able to save everyone except the people who matter most to him?

"It's fine father… I know that you… tried…"

Naruto keeps trying.

"What you said about 'death', 'life' is important in the same ways. We are all driven by our desire to live, for those we care about to live. We spend our entire lives celebrating it. New life can make a servant feel like a king, and a civilian feel like a Hokage. Life is so important, all of it. That's why we're doing all this after all, isn't it? We run from death and we protect life."

"Yeah, I suppose… that's true… our understanding… of our elements… isn't so different."

Naruto watches his son losing consciousness and is flooded with determination.

'No, not this time. This time I will not let him die. This time I will save him!'

Boruto's eyes close and he loses the ability to speak. He feels afraid, that maybe this is the end for him. This is exactly how he felt before, when he lead a team of shinobi to fight off Clyde's invaders, back when 'death' first started to affect him. The same thing is happening as back then, only this time it is happening as it should. A metamorphosis takes place in his inner world, the tablet with 'death' written on it becomes clearer and larger, now dwarfing the one marked 'fate'. He realises what this means as golden particles of energy start to flow from it. He has broken through, although still a class 8 warrior he now has a tier 3 'death' understanding. Energy rushes into his body but it is too late to make a difference.

Boruto resigns himself, this is the end for him.

Or so he thought.

The Shadow 9th Hokage's eyes flutter open. He sees gold particles floating just over his face. He sighs, believing that his breakthrough will keep him alive for just a few seconds longer. He wishes that he could speak, that he could say farewell to his father. Then he realises what has happened. This golden energy is not his, it is his father's. Naruto broke through as well, gaining a tier 3 'life' understanding.

As the golden 'life' cloak surrounds Naruto the 7th Hokage's energy comes rushing back to him. He is easily able to eradicate the Fauna Blight in his son's body. Boruto finally regains his ability to speak, laughing with his father as he sits upright. When his vitality is fully restored he and his father stand up together. They have set out what they aimed to do; humanity is free of Fauna Blight!

Boruto extends his fist and Naruto bumps his own against it. This time nobody needed to die. This time they achieved the perfect victory they were looking for. This time everybody wins.

Updated Battle Classes

Uzumaki Naruto (8) - Life (2 → 3) + Transcendent (2) + Shinobi (3)

- Also has Fate (2)

- Divine Oddity: Detonation Martial Arts

Uzumaki Boruto (8) - Death (2 → 3) + Transcendent (2) + Shinobi (3)

- Also has Fate (2)

- Divine Oddity: Death Mask