The cart was as light a feather behind him as it rattled along the dirt road towards the spot in the woods where the caravan had made. Kaname was impressed by the supplies the outpost was to receive. All manner of food and clothing.
Kaname habitually fixed his coat over his person again. It was habit he'd picked up when began collecting weapons. It was not that they were trophies of victory to him. It was that they were useful.
"Mr. Kaname!" A small girl came running up to him.
"Hello Kiyi." He softly smiled at her.
A soft blush developed on her cheeks. She gazed in awe at the cart. "Where did you get all that?"
"Would you believe that thr town that the raiders came from were to receive this?"
"And you stole it from them?"
"Indeed. They'd already taken more than enough from your people, besides they don't need it if they're dead."
"You killed them all?" It wasn't fear in her voice. It was awe. Kaname wasn't surprised. The men that raided her father's caravan must've seemed like monsters to the child. For him to have destroyed a whole town of monster was nothing short of godlike.
Kaname patted her head as the two of them went towards the caravan's camp.
There were tents set up in an unorganized fashion. It made sense. He had been told that it was rather a rather destructive raid, but luckily no fatalities occurred. They were barely picking themselves up since last night's raid. Anger was etched into their faces and no doubt their souls. That was what they needed. There were men lain out on mats on the ground having their wounds treated. Mothers hugging children for comfort. It was like a scene of disaster. Kaname was told there were no real doctors amongst them. It was a pitiful state but there was potential in it. Kaname could see it.
The sorrow however seemed to lift when Kaname strode into with the cart. Murmurs of a miracle-worker. Of a saviour. But Kaname was none of those things. He had no desire to be any of those things.
Kiyi led them towards a large tattered tent. Kaname left the cart outside and went into the tent with Kiyi. Inside there was a man seated on a colorful on mat. "Father." Kiyi ran to him. "Mr. Kaname's back."
The man looked up at Kaname in surprise. "Y-you actually came back." The man's surprise slowly turned to relief and happiness.
"That's not the only thing I brought I back Ken." Kaname grinned and led the man outside.
Ken's knees began to wobble. Kaname half-expected him to drop to his knees. The man was incredibly emotional after all.
"All of this. Consider it a repayment for treating my illness and an apology for not being around to stop the raid in the first place. There are enough supplies here to last for the rest of your journey and then some." Kaname patted the man on the shoulder and turned to leave.
"Wait!" As expected Ken asked him to stop.
"It wasn't your fault you couldn't stop the raid. And this?" He motioned to the supply. "You didn't have to bring all this. We are used to being robbed."
Kaname frowned. "You saved my life. So I must repay. But you shouldn't condone the treatment of your people as lightly as this. If one feels endangered they are more than entitled to defend themselves, Ken." Kaname kept his voice soft and matter-of-fact.
"But we are not strong like you Kaname."
"The will to fight is strength enough."
"Thank you. We will forever be in your debt."
"I don't want you to be forever in my debt. Merely your friendship and support would suffice."
Ken's eyes filled with wonder. A man with the strength of a god asked him to be his friend. "Of course." He breathed out.
"Thank you." Kaname reached out his hand and Ken took it gracefully. He turned to leave again when he felt a light tug at his coat. He turned to once again face Kiyi. He face screamed of disappointment and her eyes threatened to let out a waterfall any moment. He knelt down to the ground and held out his index and middle finger over the grass. With wave, a green stem rose up of the ground and grew until it turned into a beautiful blue flower.
Kaname plucked it from its birth and offered it to Kiyi. She stared at him with wonder and awe as she hesitantly reached for the flower.
"Tell me Kiyi. Do you know what's special about this flower?"
"You made it out of nothing."
"No. What it makes it special is that I made it for you."
The young girl blushed furiously. He'd done what he needed. Kaname fixed his coat and turned to leave.
Crowds on both side of the red rope cheered on the parade. The capital of the Land of Fire viewed this as an important day. The day that they won the 4th Great Ninja War. Though it wasn't truly them, it was his father and Sarada's father. Though they were Leaf Ninja, the Village Hidden the Leaves was part of the Land of Fire thus, it was them who took the credit for winning the war, though the Shinobi Union was just glad the war was over.
The parade was a sight to behold. A band at the front, dancers dressed like ninja behind them, followed by great displays of ninja weapons. Kunai, swords, shuriken, spears; even Boruto couldn't help but feel impressed. Though being at the front of the parade, he didn't get to see it well except before it began its march. Boruto had placed Mitsuki and Sarada on either side and sent a shadow clone to the back. Why didn't I go the back myself and put the clone here? He felt the music was going to blow his eardrums out.
"Boruto." Mitsuki's voice rang through his earpiece. Boruto struggled to hear it over the music. "Check out the television screens." He was referring to the massive television screens on the sides of the tall buildings of the Capital. Indeed they seemed to flipping between the broadcast of the parade and several other channels.
Sparks began to fly out of some of the screens before one of them finally came loose. "Sarada!" He yelled into his earpiece. The figure of bright red flew thought the air and picked the massive falling television screen out of the air like a feather.
In an instant, panic engulfed the Capital. The music clattered out of existence as all the participants in the parade began to push and shove and past each other to get to safety that they didn't even know the location of. "Hey, everyone calm down!" He yelled over the panicked civilians. He ran through the crowd attempting to calm everyone down to no avail. Alright then. He formed the hand sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu and in an instant over 100 tangible copies of himself began directing the civilians away from the danger.
It was his first time applying his Shadow Clones in situation like this on large scale. Though he knew his father could create thousands of clones merely after learning the technique.
His closed his eyes focussing on an anomaly and sure enough he found it. It was underground. A ninja. Not just any ninja; a magnet-style user. That explains how he screwed with the television screens.
"Sarada, Mitsuki, there's a Magnet-style user hiding under ground. Head to your nearest manhole and smoke him out. Stay in contact."
"Roger." His teammates' voices said in unison in his earpiece.
He jumped down into the sewers genuinely impressed by their new friend's' capability of operating under these disgusting conditions. He didn't bother jumping into the water merely running along the sides of the wall.
He jumped, shifting to another wall. Though for a normal person he had just taken a left.
He was closing in on their target. He wasn't moving. This surprised Boruto. Was he that sure of himself, or was he simply arrogant?
Above ground the Boruto copies were overwhelmed both with directing civilians away from the would-have-been path of the parade and the electrical tearing themselves out of the ground and walls like snakes. The attacked like snakes as well.
Poof.
One of Boruto's clones had been taken out and all the information from the clone poured in Boruto's mind.
There was a man standing on a platform in the sewage messing around with a hole in the wall. There were strands of copper and rubber sticking out of it. Electrical wiring.
"Hey!" He called to the man messing around with wiring in the wall. He could sense him pouring his chakra into it, despite his eyes being unable to make it out in the dark of the sewer.
"There's nowhere to run." Mitsuki called hanging upside down from the ceiling beside Sarada.
Boruto still stood on his wall as several shuriken flew the enemy's hand at him. With his own natural speed and precision he deflected them all effortlessly with a three-pronged kunai.
Mitsuki's arms stretched like frog's tongue at the speed of a masterfully thrown kunai towards the enemy but this man was too quick.
Next came a torrent of flames from Sarada's mouth. The signature Firestyle: Fireball Jutsu of the Uchiha Clan.
The man jumped to the ceiling to avoid it. He held index middle finger together beneath his chin. IT the hand sign used for focussing chakra.
Immediately the stone material that the sewer was made of shattered with the eruption of countless cables from under them.
Before long the sound of blades and chirping of electricity filled the sewer. While the mysterious magnet-style user made his escape. Boruto didn't even get to see what he looked like.
Hikaru ran jumped from branch to branch. His left bicep wrapped with piece of sleeve, stopping the bleeding from the wound he received from the ninja who could stretch his limbs. It was not that the wound was severe, Hikaru could simply not afford to leave trail of his own blood.
The ninja he encountered were each interesting. One who masterfully utilize the Soft Physique Modification, an Uchiha with the Firestyle, and the Hokage' son whose speed was disturbingly immense. He had sense d that it was he who travelled the greatest distance to reach the location where he was working.
He stopped on branch to catch his breath, rubbing his fingers through his short silver hair.
His eyes widened at the sudden titanic presence he felt.
He looked forward. Several branches in front of him stood a tall man in great black coat. His red bangs hung over his eyes. The rest of his long hair tied back billowed in the breeze.
"Hikaru Saga?" The man spoke.
Hikaru nodded. How did this man know who he was? Hikaru brought his hand up to his face. There was something sticky and wet there. Sweat. He was sweating. This man frightened him.
Who was this monster in front of him?
The red-haired man made mad an ever so slight shift of his foot. Hikaru responded in kind. With five shuriken aimed directly at the man's face.
He vanished.
As if he were never there.
Hikaru turned his head and there he was. Standing upside down on branch above him. Making use of his mastery of Magnet-style, he instantly curved the direction of the shuriken he'd throw earlier, tearing them through the air towards his adversary's position. The shuriken however tore through branch where his adversary was literally just standing. He vanished once again.
"Impressive." The man voice was in Hikaru's. He was right behind him. Hikaru pushed of the branch he was on and away to several more ahead of him.
"Changing the direction of shuriken in mid-flight through the use of Magnet-style is incredibly creative. Not to mention the havoc you created in the Capital with the electrical wiring." This man's tone contained both awe and disappointment. "I have not come to fight you Hikaru."
Of course he hadn't. He knew that. This man had made no move to attack. He merely acted out of fear. Something he'd never done before.
"How do you know my name?" That was the logical question for Hikaru to ask after all.
"I've heard you enjoy using your abilities to cause havoc where ever ninja are involved. You hate them." That didn't answer Hikaru's question. "I wanted to meet you. Talk with you if I could."
Who was he? Why the interest?
"Who are you?" Hikaru asked. He meant for it to sound intimidating, but he himself was too intimidated.
"Kaname Uzumaki."
"Kaname Uzumaki." Hikaru stifled a gasp. "From the islands. You're the one they call the World's Enemy."
Kaname smiled. "My reputation precedes me."
"You are virtually non-existent amongst the Ninja Villages, and other wealthy areas. And even amongst the outliers you are little more than a myth. But there has been enough evidence to support not just your existence but your deeds on the islands." Hikaru hoped he didn't sound unprofessional.
Kaname continued to smile. "Now then. How about we talk?"
The Capital police were most startled by the attack on such an important but were grateful for the intervention of the Leaf Ninja. The mission was a success.
The Seventh stood from his desk. "So according to local authorities and the report you gave this mission was a success." His tone was matter-of-fact. "Sarada, Mitsuki, you may go. Boruto I'd like a private word with you."
Boruto shared a look with his teammates. It wasn't a look of pity or sympathy merely a look of reassurance.
Boruto turned to face the Seventh Hokage, the leader of the Leaf Village, and in this moment his superior officer.
"So Boruto." The Hokage said.
"Lord Seventh."
"Your mission for all intents and purposes was a success."
"'For all intents and purposes'?" Boruto narrowed his gaze.
"Don't get me wrong, for your first mission, you probably set a record for how well it went."
"But?" He had no desire for pity.
"You left to go chase to the perpetrator instead of making security a top priority."
"I left over 100 clones behind to take care of the people and they did."
"But you can't use shadow clones on such large scale without posing a risk to yourself. Sasuke told me that that isn't your fighting style."
"It was the best call to be made in the moment. I had to go after that Magnet-style user."
"Actually you didn't. Your job was security. The safety of the civilians. Catching the Magnet-style user was the job of the police."
Boruto scoffed. "As if they could've handled it."
"You couldn't either. Because you spread yourself too thin with the clones."
For a moment nothing but air passed between them.
"May I go now Lord Seventh?"
"You may. Son."
Boruto's eyes widened.
"Look son I just don't want you to be reckless is all. I am proud of you."
Indeed this man was his father. Though he couldn't stand how he just seemed to pick and choose when he could be his father, but he'd long since learned – the hard way – that his father wasn't always going to be there. He might even be against him.
Boruto offered a slight smile as he turned for the door out of the Hokage's office. His father's office. "Don't push yourself too hard Old Man."
Hikaru took another sip of his tea. It was rather bitter, but Kaname insisted on it against typical alcohol.
Indeed after hearing the man's story it was clear why Kaname Uzumaki was known as the World's Enemy. But the reasoning wasn't what anyone would expect. And now the World's Enemy was interested in him.
"So I've told you my story Hikaru. Care to share yours?" Kaname looked at him from across the table with his eyes. One damaged, one black abyss.
Hikaru looked around the tea shop. It was the evening and it was surprisingly empty. The owner had gone to the back for almost an hour. It was right after Kaname ordered the Tea.
When he was sure that no one else was around he began to speak. "You already know my story, that's why you sought me out, right?"
Kaname chuckled softly. "That's right. I meant your reasoning for the attack on the parade."
Kaname let out the air he didn't know he was holding. "My village is poor because of the debt owed to the Shinobi Union. The small non-Ninja Villages always get the short end of the stick." Hikaru smiled. "Of course that doesn't mean we can't learn nor create Ninjutsu. It's just that we aren't officially recognized. As far the Feudal Lords of the Five Great Countries are concerned, the Shinobi Union has monopoly on Ninjutsu. As far as they're concerned our knowledge of Ninjutsu doesn't even exist." Hikaru took another sip of his tea.
"You attacked the parade to send a message then?" Kaname said.
"Yes and no. I wanted to show them what ninja really are. They are not a spectacle. They're on the wrong side of the fence."
Kaname seemed to be digesting it. "I see. Thank you." Kaname drew out some bills from his pocket and placed them on the table. "The tea's on me."
He set down his cup and turned to leave. Hikaru was just confused now.
"So that's it? No offer to join your crusade?"
Kaname tuned back to him. "Would you like to join?"
In truth Hikaru hadn't thought about it. He was in awe of the story of the World's Enemy he didn't even consider joining him. "You're going to do here what you did on the islands aren't you?"
"You're as clever as they say." Kaname paused. "I needed to know more about the political and social climate of this continent."
"Why come to me of all the people you could've asked?"
"Because you're the best at what you do."
"Terrorism."
"Anarchy. Someone like you with no love for the established order would likely give the most unbiased account of it. Someone like you who's proven multiple times that you are convinced of your cause would give the honest explanation that I need." Kaname paused again. "You don't have to join me. But I'll be comfortable just being your friend." Kaname held out his hand.
Hikaru took it and gave it firm shake.
"Well I hope we meet again Hikaru Saga." There was a breeze coming through the windows of the shop and the World's Enemy vanished.
Friend. That word was tossed around like child's ball these days. But when Kaname said it there was some true weight behind it. He had genuinely wanted to be Hikaru's friend.
Do I want to be his friend as well?
Of course he did. But he feared what that would entail. It didn't matter though, he would follow through with whatever duty being a friend of the World's Enemy entailed. For this friend was a once in a lifetime man.
He didn't bother finishing his tea and he left the shop.
"So how badly do you think Boruto's screwed?" Sarada jokingly asked Mitsuki as they walked home.
"He's not. His first mission was a success. It went better than even your first mission."
Sarada became flustered. "Hey, I told you my first mission wasn't my fault."
"But you were the leader."
Sarada really wanted to smack him. But knew it wouldn't bother Mitsuki. She also understood that Mitsuki was being condescending. He was truly just stating the facts.
The fact was that Boruto was a real rising star.
"Well this is where I turn." Mitsuki pointed down the left street.
"Yeah, sure. Good night." And the blue-haired boy walked away. His footsteps barely made a sound when he walked it was like he was a ghost.
She wondered how Mitsuki lived on his own. Sarada felt guilty. She and Boruto always used to complain about their fathers while Mitsuki was truly on his own. He simply smiled when they would talk about their fathers.
"That's quite a tale." Sarada's mother said with her legs crossed on the center table as she leaned back in the couch.
"Yeah it is."
"So where's Papa?"
"Oh, honey. He left a few hours ago for the Sand Village. The Hokage sent him on a mission."
Sarada frowned. It had been four years since the ogres attacked. She thought her father would be home for good but he kept getting sent on missions. "Well, I'm going to bed. Good night." There was no emotion in her voice. Sarada had grown used to her father's long absences. She had half her life to get used to it after all.
"Wait sweetie." Her mother said from behind as Sarada walked up the stairs. Sarada didn't look back. "Your father wanted me to tell you, that he loves you."
"Right." She didn't turned to see the sad look likely plastered on her mother's face.
Sarada knew her father loved her but she hardly knew anything about other than he was the only survivor of Uchiha massacre and he left the Village when he was young as well.
She wagered that Boruto knew more about her father than she did. His own daughter. She just hoped her gambling luck was as bad her mother's and the Fifth Hokage's.