I'm so sorry this took me 2 months to update. Grad school has been really taking up a lot of time for obvious reasons, and between that and some personal going-ons, I needed a small break. But I'm back!

I also wanted to add what will be the next chapter to this chapter, but I'm about to be with my family for a week and wanted to update before that began, so unfortunately what I had planned had to be split up because I didn't have time to finish. But the next update will be just after Christmas, I promise! In the next chapter, Team Seven + Boruto and Itachi finally figure out how to sneak into the village, and Shikamaru and Sai will make their own useful discoveries in the future, bringing everything to a clash.

This isn't my favorite chapter I've written, I'll admit, but it's nice to get back into it and set them up for what I am excited about in the next chapter.

"Boruto? Is that-" Naruto grabbed Itachi's real face, desperately searching his black eyes for any indication his blue-eyed son was inside the Uchiha's body.

"How did you get here?!"

Itachi stood on the sidelines with Sakura, Kakashi, and his brother, watching Naruto grip his son's cheeks and smooth back his hair; it was surreal seeing himself- his real body- react to reuniting with the Hokage. Here he was, his body that he had grown up in, with all the scars and memories on his skin he laid claim to, but watching someone else in it now who was using Itachi's own voice to cry out "Dad!" to someone who was not Fugaku Uchiha. It was almost enough to make his head spin as his brain couldn't quite logically make sense of it.

Itachi could see that the other person probably felt the same way he did. The person in his body gripped tightly to Naruto but when he caught sight of Itachi he stumbled backwards again, eyes widened and sharingan blazing.

"It's me!" he blabbered stupidly and pointed to Itachi."I mean… you. I mean- that's my body, give me back."

"Yep," Sasuke deadpanned beside him. "That's Boruto."

Itachi could only give a tightlipped smile at his image. "Hello, it's nice to meet you," he said calmly and held out a hand to help him up from the ground. "I'm Itachi...and I'm assuming you're Boruto?"

Boruto's face stayed frozen in shock as he also tried to process what he was seeing. "Have you...have you been me this whole time?!"

Boruto didn't make a move, so Itachi grabbed his arm- well, Boruto's arm, he supposed- and pulled him to his feet. "If you mean you also just woke up a few weeks ago in another body then yes, I have been you this whole time."

"Unfuckingbelievable," Boruto muttered and didn't pull his arm out of Itachi's grasp as he took him in.

So this was the boy he was pretending to be for almost a month, Itachi thought, sizing his taller body up. Clearly still hot headed, easily amused and rustled. It was new seeing those emotions on his own face.

"Are you okay?" Naruto's cry broke their introduction and he began to inspect his son again.

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm fine- stop, I'm fine." He weaseled his way out of his father's grasp. "How did you even get here?" He finally regarded the others. "How did you all get here?"

"Sasuke," Naruto replied. "We were looking for Sarada and Mitsuki. Itachi knew where you were, and we figured out how to get here because Sasuke had apparently accidentally been here before."

"How did you know where I was?" he asked Itachi, clearly confused.

"I felt you. I just had this...feeling. I just saw you with Sarada and Mitsuki."

Boruto balled his fists to his side. "Well, they aren't with me anymore," he growled. "We got separated."

"How?" Naruto asked.

He sucked in a big breath. "I can tell you on the way to them. I can tell you a lot of things on the way there, but we need to hurry. When we were separated we had headsets to stay in contact with each other, and I think they are on the way to the village."

"The village?" Naruto repeated.

"Yes, and we need to get there before they do because I can't go into the village as Itachi obviously." The boy stopped for a second and Itachi could see his brain working as he looked back at him. "Obviously."

The Uchiha swallowed and nodded once. He knew- of course he knew. He had all access to Itachi's memories as Itachi had access to his; he realized Boruto was the first person to see how he truly felt, how he experienced the massacre, leaving Sasuke alone. He knew it all.

They held eye contact for a moment longer before Itachi broke it and started off in the direction toward the village. "Tell us whatever you know," he called over his shoulder. "We'll need to create a plan to get in somehow."

There wasn't time for Sasuke and Naruto to talk, for Sasuke to make another plea of an apology, as Boruto ran up beside Itachi and launched into his story while the others trailed.

"-so once Mitsuki and Sarada left I met Madara-"

"Madara?" The adults all spat the name out of their mouths and stopped running. Boruto and Itachi paused on a branch and looked back, confused.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Boruto, that's not Madara," Naruto said slowly.

"Yes, it is," Itachi maintained. "He… He offered me a place in the Akatsuki in the first place. That's Madara."

"No." Kakashi's voice was deep but Itachi could hear it waver slightly. "That's Obito Uchiha, not Madara."

"Obito?" Itachi repeated. He remembered that name and funeral. It was the first time he was ever aware of Kakashi's existence as he was the subject of the Uchihas for a time as they debated what to do with the kid who was given a sharingan.

"Isn't he dead?" Boruto answered for him, and shot a glance his way. Itachi could tell he was stuck in the same memory he had.

"No. He is behind wanting to collect the tailed beasts."

"Or what he thinks is actually happening," Sasuke piped in. "Itachi, remember when I talked to you and Sarada about the Fourth Great Ninja War? A few weeks ago? The Otsutsukis? That was the real threat, remember? Obito is heading what is going to lead up to that."

"He's being manipulated," Kakashi added.

Boruto started nodding, his nods picking up speed as he worked through something in his mind. "That makes a lot of sense actually," he said, his voice growing louder with excitement. It then pitched down again as he continued into his conversion he had with Obito.

He explained how Obito wanted Mitsuki and Sarada; how he knew he and the rest of the Akatsuki were going to die; how to bypass death and continue toward their goal, they needed to get to the future, and how they tried to send Itachi forward but they believed it didn't work; how they needed Orochimaru's research on the reanimation to make it work; how the kids were the perfect ones to retrieve that and stay under the radar; and ultimately, how the Otsutsukis promised to help the Akatsuki attain peace through enabling them to kill off those who defeated the group the first time.

Itachi's head swam as Boruto talked. This was it. This was the answer to why. "They put me in the future without me knowing?" he asked, lightheaded.

"Well, they thought it didn't work."

"So the Otsutsukis, whoever is behind it, lied," Naruto said firmly. "They want the Akatsuki to help kill us so they can get what they want: us out of the way. Am I interpreting this right?"

"It's easier to bring more manpower in, so they made Obito think they could live and get what they want if they killed us," Sasuke added. "They are making him believe we are the enemy. But he doesn't know what they really want. I wonder what they told him..."

"He really doesn't know anything," Kakashi muttered. "They're using him to only do their dirty work. If he really knew the truth of what happens to him…" He trailed off and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I don't know what we should do right now. This could mess up the future if we involve ourselves, but it will definitely mess up the future if we leave it as is."

Everyone looked around at each other, waiting for an answer to materialize, but no one said a word.

"He said there are people in the village helping," Boruto finally added. "But I don't know who or what he means by that, or if that's even now or in the future. That's why I'm so worried about Mitsuki and Sarada. So come on, we're losing time!"

They continued on their journey, chasing the sun in its own path toward the Leaf Village.

"Once we find them, what about Obito?" After a few minutes, Kakashi's voice cut through the silence.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Do we let this continue on in hopes that the future won't change? If we do nothing, at worst you will die and at best, what? We'll continue on as is and Sasuke will leave the village again? Do you know what that means?"

"He's right," Itachi replied, his eyes lingering on his brother. Sasuke refused to look his way. "If we do nothing, at some point the future will come to pass and Sasuke will come after me. And by me, it'll be Boruto if we can't find a way to reverse this."

Boruto looked between Itachi and Sasuke. "What does that mean, 'come after me.'"

Sasuke's eyes lasered in ahead as he continued to actively avoid their eyes. "Boruto, you have my memories, right?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah. They are...heavy." Boruto didn't know what else to say. He had tried to avoid the horrific memories that kept cropping up because he didn't know how to process it. Sometimes while he slept the image of a desperate Sasuke, shell shocked and tear stained, burned into his brain and shook him awake. There was so much he didn't know about his sensei, and he struggled even weeks later to make sense of it all.

"Sasuke will kill me," Itachi continued.

"Wait, what?!"

"And if nothing happens he'll come searching for you eventually if we are unable to switch back."

"I-I don't want to die!" Boruto babbled. "Not from Sasuke!"

"You won't die," Naruto snapped. "I won't let you. We didn't come this far to let that happen."

"Oh so you have a plan?" Boruto teased. The Hokage narrowed his eyes at his son. "We save Sarada and Mitsuki and we prevent whatever plan the Otsutsukis have. Whether that means Obito finds out the truth or not, we have to stop it. Then we get you switched back. If we prevent the future from changing but don't switch you back that still doesn't help you or Itachi- I refuse to leave you back here."

"Well, the future might already be changing…" Boruto said slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"When Sarada and Mitsuki were taken, and Mitsuki told me where he was going… I believe he said something about Lord Sixth and Seventh as well…" He gulped, a ball forming in his throat, as his memories began piecing together.

The voice he heard over his headset, the one he thought was familiar-

"I think they're with your team…Your past selves..."

"You know, that's really something you lead in with," Naruto groaned.

Neither Sarada nor Mitsuki dared to speak as they followed Team Seven back into the village. Sasuke laid unconscious in Kakashi's arms the whole way back, his small limp limbs swinging heavily as they walked. Naruto and Sakura took turns peeking at the strangers, no doubt wondering who they were and what about them had made Kakashi react that way. Every once in a while Sarada would see Naruto lean over to Sakura to whisper but Kakashi would always shoot him a glare that would make the small blonde move back in line to keep walking silently.

When they reached the gate, Kakashi called out to a familiar figure walking ahead.

"Gai!"

The other man turned and waved ecstatically after recognizing the team. "What can I do for you, my rival?" he asked as he bounded over to them.

"I need you to make sure Sasuke gets back to his place safely."

Gai looked perplexed as Kakashi passed over the unconscious Uchiha that flopped into his arms. "You two," he then spoke to his other two wards squirming beside him, "go with Gai and stay with Sasuke. I'll check on you later. Got it?"

They nodded silently at their sensei. Again Gai looked down confused at the boy in his arms and to the other silent two that were a far cry from how they were acting when Sarada and Mitsuki happened upon them. "Is everything okay?" he asked but Kakashi was already walking away, gesturing for the other duo to follow him.

"I owe you one!" he called behind his shoulder.

As Sarada and Mitsuki guiltily fell into line next to him, Sarada heard Naruto mutter, "Did Kakashi-sensei kill Sasuke?"

"Where are you taking us?" Sarada asked quietly when they were out of earshot of the three they left behind.

"The Hokage." Kakashi sounded flippant as he walked with his hands casually hanging in his pockets. "And from there he can decide what he wants to do with you. I expect the Torture and Interrogation Force will be called in."

Sarada and Mitsuki exchanged a glance and both felt a surge of panic rush through them. Even if someone peered into their minds, would they believe what they were seeing, or would they think it was some kind of trick? And even if she or Mitsuki could convince them to trust the truth, could that potentially change the future for themselves? Sarada didn't think she had a way to wipe their minds, and for now that was the only idea she had to keep the future from changing. There wasn't a chance she had the skills to overpower the Hokage in order to escape, and even if they did escape, where could they go? They were helplessly lost from Boruto again and who knew what was out there waiting for them.

Maybe it was safest inside the village; maybe that was their best bet in surviving. They could play their parts to stay. She could pretend to be an Uchiha- and that wasn't necessarily lying obviously. But she could pretend to have no recollection of her life before the massacre and feign amnesia; if the interrogation corp saw her true memories, she could lie that she was manipulated.

No, she quickly thought. They've probably been through that before. Plus, even if that did work, what could Mitsuki use as an excuse?

Biting her lip, she snuck a glance at him. He was pensive, looking down at the ground as they followed Kakashi. He was probably going through the same thought process, sorting through every possibility to get out of their situation.

"Keep your mouths shut when we're inside," Kakashi suddenly barked at them as they entered a building. They followed him up unfamiliar stairs and wound through a hallway to reach a door. Kakashi knocked once before opening it and nudged the teenagers inside. Sarada had to stifle a gasp as she looked at the familiar people across the room who peered up at them from a meeting they were obviously interrupting.

"Kakashi." She recognized the old man raising his eyebrows at them. She had seen the pictures, she had heard wise words repeated over the years that were attributed to this man. This was the Third Hokage. Their sensei's grandfather. She felt lightheaded.

His eyes grazed over her and Mitsuki. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt but this couldn't wait. I found these two outside the village hanging around Sasuke." Kakashi pushed them forward. "I figured you would want them in your custody."

Hiruzen didn't say anything for a moment as his eyes wavered on their headbands. "Step closer please," he demanded. Sarada's heart pounded in her chest as she and Mitsuki shuffled forward. "What's the problem, Kakashi?"

"They say they're from the Leaf but this one is wearing the Uchiha crest."

The Hokage's eyes fluttered wide along with two others who flanked beside him. They each exchanged a knowing glance with each other, something secret passing between them that Sarada couldn't penetrate. "Uchiha?" he repeated. His voice then deepened. "What are your names?"

The two uttered their names, trying to hide the shaking in their voices.

"Your headbands say you are from the Leaf but I don't recognize you. What are your registration numbers?"

Sarada and Mitsuki exchanged glances.

"Okay, well then, if you can't give me that then where are you really from?"

The kids continued to keep eye contact with each other; lying would just complicate things and bring other nations into this problem. The boy nodded once and Sarada was thankful for the years of working together to learn to read each other's body language.

"The Leaf," she said softly.

"Speak up, dear, I can't hear you," Hiruzen said.

"We are from the Leaf, sir," she repeated louder.

The Hokage sighed, eyes searching hers for a moment, before speaking again. "The Uchiha are all dead, I am sure you know," he announced. "You understand why this is hard for us to believe. I am giving you the opportunity to reveal your true selves as Kakashi saw it necessary to bring you here alive, so please accept this gift of dignity we're extending you. I will ask again: where are you from and who are you?"

Sarada's heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears. "I-I promise we're not lying," she squeaked.

Hiruzen once again let out a sigh. "You seem like you want to help us, to come out with the truth- look at you, you're shaking. I can promise you there won't be much trouble if you can help us. I know you can agree, if you are wearing it, that there is something problematic about seeing an Uchiha crest with only one living member left. Who are you working for? We will find out this information with or without your help, so it's in your best interest to talk."

Sarada could feel her legs begin to shake harder under the glare of the Hokage and the elders, and with Kakashi's presence behind them the walls felt like they were closing in to trap them. "It's hard to explain… I just…"

Was this it? Was this the end? No words could find their way to her lips as nothing sounded appropriate. The truth would sound like a lie, and a lie could get them killed.

"Let me handle this. Clearly we aren't going to get what they want out of this." A man at the end of the table finally spoke for the first time. Half of his face was wrapped, and even though he was frowning, Sarada could see a gleam in his eye. Everyone turned to face him.

"Danzo, what do you expect to do?" one of the elders asked.

"We need to let the interrogation corp handle this. I will take them there."

Sarada was about to open her mouth to protest when the door behind them burst open, giving way to a small child in the doorway.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi cried.

"We tried to stop him!" Behind a seething Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto ran in panting. "But he was too fast!"

Sasuke ignored his sensei lunging at him to drag him backwards in order to keep him from flying at Sarada. "I knew you'd be here!" he snarled, red eyes lasered in on his daughter. "I'm not done with you!"

Sarada took a step backwards as Mitsuki instinctively stepped in front of her. "Don't," Sarada hissed, "if they knew you're from Orochimaru-"

"Let me at her!" Sasuke continued to scream and try to pull himself out of his sensei's grasp. "If you're with Itachi I'll kill you, that's a promise! You can't hide here! Just let me at her! I will finish this!"

Sarada felt her breaths begin to come out in small gasps, a sensation she rarely had; she had always been good at keeping her emotions under control, but seeing her dad again like this- who had woken up and mustered all his might to continue after her, in front of a room of jonin, a seething hatred clearly moving his tiny body- spun her into a panic attack.

Sasuke slid his hands from around Kakashi and Sarada could tell he was about to form hand signs. She forced herself to activate her own sharingan to read his moves and counter because she knew if she let herself stay immobilized, she was all but dead with the amount of hatred spinning through Sasuke's might. Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked into Sarada's eyes, and beside her she heard Mitsuki hiss before pushing further behind him.

Her stomach dropped as she realized the chaos emitting around her grew as soon as she showed her red eyes; she just proved she was an Uchiha. The other adults were on their feet in an instant, and she half-expected to die immediately.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her backwards toward the doorway. In an instant the door slammed behind them, closing off the raving Sasuke in the room. She looked up to see the man called Danzo dragging her and Mitsuki behind him.

"T-Thank you," Sarada couldn't help but blurt.

"Are you taking us to the interrogation force?" Mitsuki asked.

"Something like that," he replied without looking at them. "I figured they could handle the other Uchiha brat. You really did something to make him mad, didn't you." Sarada recognized a smoothness to his voice that seemed to match the gleam she saw earlier in his eye.

"Please," Mitsuki began, "we truly mean no harm. You don't need to interrogate us. We can tell you what we know but it may take some time-"

"Oh, I already know who you are." He was leading them now under the building and into the tunnels below the village.

Sarada's heart jumped into her throat. "H-How?"

"Well, I can hardly believe my luck that you came to me so easily. I was about to send a team out to find you."

"Find us…?" Sarada echoed faintly.

"Yes. You're quite the targets today, did you know that? You didn't stay put as you were supposed to." He slowed slightly to a casual meander but continued to grip the teens' wrists tightly. "But that's no matter. You're here now, so we can really get this rolling. Oh, don't be scared," he said to their stunned silence, "we're actually well acquainted."

"What are you talking about?" asked Mitsuki.

"You've been working for me in the future," he said as though it was obvious. "Well, not me specifically, obviously- I can't be in two places at once, though that would make the whole thing so much easier. The Anbu? Didn't you know? Haven't you wondered at all who was giving you orders? Most people would have questioned something. But again, that makes it easier. It's easier to hold you while we figure out the next steps." He then twisted both of their wrists until Sarada heard a sharp crack; her stomach violently flopped as he let them go and she stumbled into the wall.

"And while you're here," he added, suddenly turning around to look directly at Sarada, "I guess I can get what I want as well."

The next moment was slow motion for the girl. She was certain these were her final seconds, deep under the village in the grips of a man who had somehow been stringing her along for the last month. Maybe this was supposed to happen, she thought; she had tumbled right into the path of her family which led her straight into the arms of someone who clearly knew how she and Mitsuki got here. What were the odds? This had to mean something.

Before she had a chance to make her next move, however, Mitsuki, glowing in sage mode, jumped in front of her again.

"RUN," he cried out to her, breaking her thoughts.

Sarada jumped up and ignored the searing pain in her arm as she ran in the opposite direction. Just make it out, she begged herself. She hated the idea of leaving Mitsuki, but deep in her core she knew that if she didn't find someone, anyone, this would be where they ended. Even if Mitsuki's parent had tried to kill them only hours earlier, she silently thanked Orochimaru's future self for outfitting their child with sage mode, her and Mitsuki's only saving grace at the moment.

As she turned the final corner before she was above ground, another person walked straight into her, knocking her down. She instantly sprung up again and was just about to fly past the person when they stepped in front of her again. It only took Sarada a second to register the dark hair and pale skin belonging to the child in front of her.

"Excuse me, I'm sor-"

"Uncle Sai?"