Chapter 12: One To Watch
"It's good to see the snakes revealing themselves. They weren't actually hidden at all. People hide behind the masks, but eventually you see them for who they truly are."
― Amaka Imani Nkosazana, Heart Crush
Hiruzen-Konoha Central Hospital, Med/Surg ICU
'Where am I?'
White surrounds him on all sides as Hiruzen's eyes slowly open, jolting awake as a flood of memories hits him at once.
The Finals for the Chunin Exams, the explosion Kabuto set off, the smog that filled the Kage section...
Orochimaru peeling off his disguise.
A metallic, cottony taste fills his mouth as he attempts to fully sits up, wires and IV lines connected to both his arms pulling him back. The monitors to his left beep and flash red in alarm, two nurses rushing into the room.
"You're awake! Please relax Lord Third, you're at Konoha's hospital." The first of the women explains, Maika going by her nametag.
Hiruzen opens his mouth, swallows at his tongue's dryness.
Where is Orochimaru? The rest of his guards?
Akiko hurriedly grabs at a cup of water by his table, gestures for him to take slow sips.
"H-How long have I been out?" He manages to rasp out once he gets a few gulps down.
Akiko glances to Maika for an answer who sighs. "Master Jiraiya dropped you off here hours ago and left to help take care of the ongoing destruction around the village. I'll send an alert out now to him and the others that you've awakened. However, you truly do need to take it easy-"
Hiruzen pushes off his blankets, attempts to stand only for a surge of pain to rush through him like lightning.
He nearly topples out of the bed, Akiko and Maika instantly at his side to steady him.
Onyx lands on his feet, widen just slightly.
They're both as dark as charcoal, numb and cool to the touch when his fingers brush against them.
'I can't feel either of them.'
Maika sighs beside him as Akiko takes her leave to check on other patients on the unit.
"It's because you combined that Wolf's Bane with so many other chemicals and poisons against your earlier fight. Even our top scientists Higashino and Katayama had trouble finding a serum to stop the spread of tissue damage going to your lungs, liver, and other organs. Some of it is unfortunately...irreversible."
Hiruzen sighs, rubs at his head as he peers towards outside.
He can't tell if its still afternoon or closer to evening.
"Oh, never mind me. Can you send an update to Jiraiya and the rest of the ANBU in case he or one of them doesn't come by in time?"
Maika nods, goes in search for a notepad and pen.
Hiruzen gathers his thoughts as he watches her swish about the room before moving back into the hallway to the nurse's station. Outside, the sky is awash in pinks and ambers of probably sunset coming. Thick streams of smoke blacks to grays coat most buildings nearby, brick and wood crushed and tossed about in large heaps.
Even so, he can see lights on inside quite a few offices and stores. Scattered within the coming dark there's areas that still have power via luck, generators, or electricians getting to work.
He nods to himself, settles back against his pillows.
'Konoha will survive, will rebuild whether I'm here or not to see it.'
This is what he must tell Jiraiya, to watch and take over getting Boruto and Himawari back to their right time period. He's sure Jiraiya won't be pleased to find out all this once he's under anesthesia and unable to speak with him. He pictures his frustration too that he's doing this in the first place despite the possible risks. However, he can't sit around and wait for death either with all that's currently going on.
Maika pulls up a chair finding what he needs, drops her voice lower.
"Orochimaru's guards you should know have been found and are being held in interrogation cells as we speak. Inoichi and Ibiki are ensuring none of them try to commit suicide before we collect some intel."
Hiruzen hums. "And what about the man himself? Kabuto?"
Maika simply shakes her head, nobody has seen Orochimaru or his second in command since they escaped the stadium amid the chaos it seems.
Her fingers brush at his shoulder.
"More importantly Lord Third, I need to provide directions to the surgical team on how to proceed. I'm afraid despite the best efforts from both the Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine teams that we can't save your..."
She trails off and he follows her gaze to his necrotic feet.
Maika purses her lips at needing his consent, Hiruzen patting at her hand. He doesn't need her to review with him the potential risks of such a procedure, all the grisly side effects that will take days to weeks for him to recover from.
The poor prognosis at his current age of surviving this long-term.
Maika clears her throat. "M-My apologies sir. I only wish we had your other former student Lady Tsunade on board to aid us as well in such a operation. Double below knee amputation surgeries typically only take 1-2 hours.
But that's in better times.
Hiruzen shakes his head, grins despite exhaustion tugging at him.
"Trust me, she'd rather hold a drink these days then a scalpel from what I've heard."
Maika doesn't smile in return already thinking of dozens of worst case scenarios.
He is too.
She blinks back tears in her hazel eyes, remains the upmost professional as she composes herself.
"Right. We will do our upmost best to take care of you Lord Third."
She leaves out what they're both thinking as she briefly departs from the room to get a wheelchair and paperwork ready.
Hiruzen chuckles, he hopes no matter the outcome of this that she receives a nice bonus from her superiors, muses to himself over everything he's done as Hokage.
Maika returns and he nods.
"Go ahead and take me to the operating unit; I'm ready. I'll do the amputations and sign any forms you need me to."
Boruto & Sasuke-Southwest Forests
"What are you doing here?"
He wipes beads of sweat from his face, huffs at Sasuke's questioning look. He'd figured whoever he ran into first would be confused by his presence jumping in, though Sasuke's current tone conveys more annoyance that he'll potentially get in the way more than be of actual help.
"I need to help Dad or err Big Bro and warn you guys that Uncle, no that Gaara is a jinchuriki y'know! He didn't get to show the full extent of his abilities before the stadium was attacked!"
Sasuke's puzzled look morphs into a full on frown. "We've already received updates from the other jonin that he's Suna's jinchuriki. Kakashi-sensei taught me how to counter his sand."
Boruto bristles as he picks up his pace, moves himself to match his speed once more.
"No, I mean he's going to transform into a full on into Shukaku! Chidori won't be enough y'know!"
Sasuke doesn't answer him and Boruto turns his gaze ahead to see Shino just a few meters ahead, closing in on the trio as a river of black streams across the trees and forest floor.
'Aburame-sensei!' His shoulders relax just slightly as a pulse of relief runs through him seeing his insects charge across the terrain.
But he stiffens up all over again as just ahead of them is Gaara and his siblings, Kankuro glancing to them first. He takes in the sand beginning to coat Gaara's figure like a second ski; armor.
His teeth snap, eyeing them as well over his shoulder.
"Sis, they're approaching us from the south, directly from 5 and 6 o clock. I'll try and stall them, just keep going with Gaara!" Kankuro decides before she can answer, hops down.
He unwraps Karasu, grits his teeth as Shino impedes his path.
"I know enough about your clan to not let your beetles get too close."
Shino hums in return. "Good. Then you know already that you're surrounded."
He only glances their way once, nods for them to go on.
"You should stay behind with him; you'll just be a distraction." Sasuke adds when Boruto continues on with him.
Boruto lifts up a hand, crackle of lightning running across his fingertips. "No, what type of shinobi would I be to run from danger y'know?! Just let me help you already, it's better to face him 2 on 1!"
Sasuke arches a brow, he not only looks like Naruto, he sounds like him too...
'Naruto isn't around to stop me from asking questions this time.' He considers.
"Who are you really? And what do you know about my brother and the future?"
'Not the time!' Boruto wants to snap back at him as they hover directly above Temari and Gaara now. Temari purses her lips in alarm seeing them about to pounce, searches amid the greenery for an escape route. Gaara slowly moves his arm off of her, scent of blood further enticing him.
"You. We never got to finish our match. Finally, I can kill you here and now." Gaara growls, gold eyes locking on Sasuke.
Teal eyes shift from Sasuke to Gaara, Temari stepping in his way.
"No! We don't have time for this Gaara; please! We need to go, Baki-sensei has already been killed and who knows who else!"
A tail curls around her neck in response choking her from saying more, slams her body into the nearest trees.
"Move. You're in my way."
"His body's already transforming." Boruto whispers as Sasuke channels electricity back to his hand.
"Look. I'll use another Chidori from the front. Get behind him to attack him at the same time." Sasuke determines.
Sand bullets rocket for them both, Boruto nodding as they leap away.
He gathers back lightning to his fingertips as Sasuke jumps down first.
"Chidori!"
Boruto twists in from behind, slams a palm dead center to Gaara's back.
"Lightning Release: Current Strike!"
Gaara briefly stills from the double charge. Blood mixes with sand before he twists himself, slams directly into Boruto's chest before he can get out of range.
"I'll kill you next. But I want the Uchiha first."
Blood fills his throat hearing something crack, heartbeat knocking loud in his ears slamming hard against a mix of leaves and bark.
'Crap. I need to slow his sand down!' Boruto forces himself to get up.
His vision fights with him as spots fill his eyes, pain clawing at him trying to keep him down. Darkness swims up too fast, fingers twitching as he tries to keep his breathing steady. He can still fight, has to still fight.
'Move. Damn it, move!' Boruto wills himself to stay standing.
Sasuke gets in front of him before Gaara's sand can needle and pin his legs in place.
"This is why I didn't want you to tag along!" Sasuke hisses, obsidian swirling up along his arms and neck.
Boruto shakes his head, eyes widening studying that moving tattoo of his. He's only seen this from pictures in his science textbooks, demonstrations that showed how various seals work in theorem, how shinobi used them in the past for missions or war...
"Curse seals are no longer used due to the neurological and psychological risks when exposed to its effects long term." Nagawara-sensei explains to the class, PowerPoint emphasized grotesque images of bloody shinobi, haunted eyes of human experimentation.
He's never witnessed this in reality.
"Stop; don't use that curse seal! It's gonna make you crazy!" Boruto whisper-yells.
"...What other choice do I have?" Sasuke mutters back.
He goes in for a third Chidori that only barely fazes Gaara now, sand zigzagging forward to crush them.
"Get away from them!" Familiar voices shouts from above.
Naruto and Sakura.
Naruto jumps down, fist slamming against Gaara's cheek not yet coated in sand, Sakura placing a hand down as soon as his body starts to fall.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wave!"
The ground rises up covering his form, dirt spikes erected up around him like a shield barrier. Verdant peers back to them, shakes her head.
"That's only going to hold him for 2, maybe 3 minutes max." Sakura reasons.
"Pa-Big Bro!" Boruto calls out to him; winces that even just speaking now hurts.
Naruto looks over him from head to toe, azure lingering the longest on a blood stain forming on his shirt. Sakura catches his gaze as he peers back to her, nodding for Boruto to be checked by her for a better assessment.
Their eyes meet next and he tries not to crumple at the mix of concern, disappointment, and annoyance staring back at him.
When Naruto eventually speaks, he says in so many words the same thing Sasuke said to him. Everything he doesn't want to hear when he's the only one around who has some idea of how this Invasion could still play out.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Hinata ,Hiashi & Himawari-Hokage Rock
"Where did your brother go?" Hiashi repeats, voice rising a fraction as Himawari shuffles from foot to foot with no answer.
His shadow clone has popped right in front of Grandpa, not a good sign.
Himawari blows out a breath before straightening. "To help Big Brother Naruto and the others."
Hiashi's brows knot, shadow falling across his features as Hinata steps between them.
"Please don't blame her Father. Boruto knows how to handle himself and when to withdraw from a fight."
Hiashi fixes his glare to her. "He clearly doesn't if his shadow clone just abruptly dissipated like that! Things in the present and future will just alter even more now with his interfering. For better or worse."
Hinata nods slowly, she's sure this was in the back of Boruto's mind too.
She matches his stare, returns the frostiness back in her own voice.
"Have you forgotten that being a capable shinobi is what you drilled into Hanabi and I's minds for years on end?"
Hiashi's expression shifts, grimace marring his lips. If one of the Elders were here, they'd instantly slap at that smart tongue of hers, berate him for not having already done so as soon as those words left her lips. The changes in his eldest daughter's behavior since Boruto and Himawari's arrival have never been fully aimed at him until now.
"When have I taught you to talk to me in such a way?"
Anger roils at her gut. "Not you, Naruto. And Boruto and Himawari too. I can't keep standing by ignoring certain clan policies."
Pearl eyes regard her icily to explain herself, thaw just slightly at Himawari studying them both in confusion.
"Ma-Big Sister. Grandpa. Please don't fight."
Because she's never seen Hinata speak so harshly to him, old scars in their relationship peeled back open once more.
Hiashi's shoulders slightly drop, half smiles towards her.
"My apologies Hima. Old habits aren't easy to break. However, now is not the time or place; you're right."
Hinata tacks on a thin smile, nods her agreement.
Himawari beams. "Now you guys gotta hug and make up!"
She gently tugs on both their hands to step forward, neither moving, frozen as statues.
Affection is for behind closed doors at the Hyūga compound or away from a civilian's eye that will gossip in public. A couple must use the dead of the night where no roaming eyes will look if they want alone time without worrying. That or steal kisses in the corners of the garden where moonlight and sunlight never fall.
"No. Err, that's alright Hima. A verbal apology is enough." Hiashi begins.
She pouts at that, cobalt swirling red for a fleeting second.
Hinata brushes a hand slowly through her violet locks in surprise, same blue eyes like Naruto.
Not pure white like a Hyūga or red like...
She stops that thought from continuing.
'What was that just now?' Her thoughts repeat.
Her gaze moves to Hiashi. He must've seen it too telling by opalescent clouding with same uncertainty.
Himawari turns her head away out of Hinata's hand's reach. "Why not? Are you two still mad at each other?!"
She crosses her arms at their lack of response, stills when the ground below them shakes, stones shifting at their feet.
"An earthquake?! We're not safe up here if a rockslide starts!" A woman yelps out to their left.
Hinata activates her byakugan at the same time as Himawari, both eyes roaming towards southwest. There are various skirmishes going on of chunin fighting chunin or a Konoha jonin taking on a gaggle of shinobi from a mix of Kusa, Iwa, and Kumo.
But the main event is up ahead.
The same direction Boruto went in...
'Papa is there too!' Alarm knocks the breath out of Himawari, toes curling. Hinata tenses beside her too, even if they move now, that area is at least a half hour away.
'Still, I can check on the injured. There's probably lingering enemies hiding amid the smoke, shrubs, and leaves too.' Hinata decides.
Himawari stops her as she twists to go. The knots in her chest unfurl as two beasts immerge from the haze, eagerly shakes at Hinata's jacket.
"Look! Its a giant Shukaku and Kurama!"
Sakura & Boruto
"Stop moving already damn it!" Sakura barks out at him, chest splint coming undone.
Again.
A sigh comes from his left and his frown contorts into a full grimace.
'Why did Papa summon this toad? He's barely taller than a stump.' Boruto glares at him.
Gamakichi chuckles at his pain.
"She's right. You look like you're having trouble just keeping your eyes open."
"You...You don't have to laugh! How did you get here anyways? Toads don't live in these woods y'know!"
Gamakichi shrugs. "Your brother summoned me, I didn't ask to be a part of...whatever this is."
Boruto clenches his teeth as Sakura refastens the bindings twice as tight, tries and fails not to wiggle. It would help if she wasn't so harshly wrapping these bandages around him. He's not sure how Sarada handled any small injuries around Auntie Sakura growing up if she's always been this rough.
Sakura observes his theatrics with a huff, lightly flicks at his shoulder.
"You know it wouldn't hurt so much if you'd just stay still! You could have a rib fracture for all we know based on where that bruise is growing. Geez, you're being as stubborn as Naruto is when it comes to just sitting still and being patient!"
Boruto deflates at that, sighs.
'Ugh, even Auntie Sakura talks the same way no matter her age! Always lecturing me on human anatomy and bodily injuries I need to avoid when Sarada drags me to her.'
But she has a point, he doesn't have Dad's chakra reserves or stamina.
His eyes roam back to his and Gaara's clash below, Sasuke stiff and quiet opposite of them.
He's the most drained of them all.
Sakura follows Boruto's gaze, swallows.
"If he comes back this way, I'll stall him as long as I can."
Boruto leans forward, winces at the effort. "No! I can still fight-"
Sakura holds up a hand. "No, you can't. I'm not going to let you jump into what will only further injure you, potentially kill you."
She pulls out a kunai to prove she's serious, slides it against his neck until he goes completely rigid.
Her eyes regard him up and down, lack the same intensity as Sasuke's earlier look.
Though curious all the same.
"How did you and your sister end up in Konoha anyways? I've never seen either of you at the Academy, even in the grades below us." Sakura inquires.
Boruto scoots back from the glint of the blade.
Gamakichi keeps staring to below.
"Hey, I don't think we should stay up here." He mutters.
Sakura ignores the toad, green boring into blue as Boruto pipes up. "Hima and I are just from...faraway. But we share Hyūga ancestry on our Mother's side, that's what brought us to the village and Hyūga compound."
The vagueness of his answer only heightens her suspicion, emerald darkening.
"...I see. And why do you two look so much like Naruto then? Where does he come into this?"
Boruto shrugs, looks down to avoid her stare. The area is getting too clouded with smog, gray haze worse below them. Pretty soon, this whole area will be coated with a dust that will mess with his senses even further.
He blows out a breath. One too many lies, and everything will start toppling down.
And Sakura can see the cracks, how he's about to break.
So he forces a sharpness into his voice, matches her distrust and misgivings with his own.
Why does it matter? What exactly do you want me to tell you anyways?"
Sakura raises a brow. "The truth about the future. How we can help! If...If you're really here back in your past, then you and your sister are trying to stop catastrophic outcomes from happening; aren't you?"
Boruto bites at his lip until he draws blood.
When he looks up at her again, Gaara is on her right.
He pulls Gamakichi from the edge into his jacket.
And time seems to slow down.
Because Sakura instantly sees him too, pushes him back as a gush of sand shoots out at them.
Boruto shoots to his feet to see her whole body pinned beside Sasuke.
"No!"
The branch cracks under him in warning from the sudden weight, Sakura shaking her head as he tries to crack at the sand.
"Just...run." She hisses before her head lulls back.
'Why is everything going so wrong?!' Boruto blinks back back spots from his eyes.
Sasuke studies him with that same unreadable look, manages to nod his head faintly towards below.
"Go help Naruto. You said you wanted to help, so do it."
He rubs away grit and tears, shifts his attention to Gaara as Naruto's clones drag him back down.
Gamakichi stiffens within his hold.
"Wait, you're actually going to get closer?!"
Boruto nods.
He blocks out the cacophony of noises.
And eyes widen a fraction as Gaara's body slips away into the beast.
'His chakra network; I can see it.'
Naruto, Boruto & Gaara-Southwest Forests
"Summoning jutsu!"
Gamabunta isn't very pleased to see him again or Boruto.
"Why are there two of you now brat? A clone won't be of much use in this fight Kid. You know that, right?"
Gamakichi leaps out from Boruto's jacket.
"Hold on Dad, his twin brother protected me! You can help them out just this once; I owe them."
Boruto tries and fails to hide his scowl from the elder toad or correct the younger toad, reinforces Sakura's splint as he hangs on. He pokes at Naruto's back at his lack of quip to these remarks, huffs.
"You know I'm not a clone Gramps Toad! Why is it that both animals and humans keep downplaying Dad?" He half grumbles.
'Guess I'm included in that.' He offhandedly realizes.
He's never seen Naruto break a sweat in a fight though.
And Naruto, if anything, takes Gamabunta's snarkiness in stride, grins for a moment at his flat annoyance dealing with them both. His concern lies more with Boruto, lips setting into that annoyingly familiar frown.
"I'm not sure I want you to go with us-"
"No way! You don't have to face him alone!" Boruto quickly interrupts him.
Gamabunta pays their arguing no further mind, focuses straight ahead at Shukaku.
'I don't know how I did it before, but I have to work on finding Gaara's chakra network again.' Boruto concentrates.
His head pulses, chakra network just a weak glow now.
But it's easy enough to see Gaara's slumped figure at the top of Shukaku, Gamabunta slicing away jets of sand.
Boruto observes his shut eyes, vision sharpeming before blurring, taps at his head.
"We need to aim for dead center."
Gamabunta draws in a breath.
"Oil Bullet!"
Sand rains down into the forest in clumps, sighing as another barrage rockets for them immediately afterwards. They can't keep doing this back and forth, Gamabunta letting out a grunt.
"Hey, one of you needs to form an image that will get me close enough to latch on!"
Naruto wracks his mind quickly before nodding.
"Okay, I got it!" He draws up his hands.
Boruto gapes in awe as Gamabunta's body changes from toad to fox.
"Oh, Kurama. Good idea!" He beams, Naruto briefly puzzled.
"Who's Kurama?"
Boruto shakes his head, no time to explain as Gamabunta already begins charging forth, teeth and nails digging in.
'This is it. Make it count.'
His heart thrums into an erratic beat, Naruto leaping over, fist striking under Gaara's chin.
Gaara startles awake, sand encasing his arms and legs before he can throw another punch.
"This time for sure, I'll bury you."
Boruto launches himself under them, shoves Gaara back momentarily breaking his sand.
"Do something Dad! Anything!" He yells feeling sand coat his arms like glue.
Naruto tilts his head back, slams his head forward.
The crack echoes.
And with it, Shukaku's body disintegrates.
The treetops cushion them as they go into freefall, Boruto wincing as a new surge of pain ripples through him.
"Is...Gaara defeated?" He whispers, Naruto somehow managing to sit up some. Blood seeps from his forehead dripping onto his shirt and jacket, somberly gazes over to the boy.
Their eyes meet and Gaara stiffens for a killing blow that isn't going to come.
"I think so. He went about it the wrong way, but I know what started him on this path was an anger at society only seeing him as a monster, a loneliness nobody understands. You can't dwell on it though or give into that darkness. Gaara has his siblings, and I have my team...and now I know I have things to look forward too in the future as well." He states loud enough for Gaara to hear as well.
Boruto swallows, bile circling at the back of his throat.
"We need to go back. Old Man Third, hopefully he didn't die."
Naruto startles as if doused in ice, gaze sharply twisting back to him.
"Dies? He dies in this Invasion?"
Boruto stills, wishes right then he could sink into this tree at the ugly realization of what he's said, words he can no longer take back seeing Naruto's expression change.
There's so much he and Himawari have been keeping from him and Hinata. A mix of secrets and intel that isn't supposed to be leaked for a variety of reasons Old Man Third, Grandpa, and Jiraiya gave them.
But now Naruto knows, too late to un-ring this bit of truth he's spilled.
Boruto inwardly bemoans and curses himself.
'That's right, I don't think I ever told him that.'
-x-
New Month! The dynamics of younger Naruto and Boruto will shift some now with these new developments! The Search for Tsunade arc is coming up with changes to canon like Hiruzen currently still alive (and maybe, maybe not if things will stay that way for him?!).
As always, pa-tre-ons get early access to chapters and bonus content! I want to play with more this year doing more art, video, and animations for ideas that I haven't yet put to paper or video. But that's all a work in progress right now as I'm not an expert in either department! I go by TheLovelyMidnightWriter there!
Let me know your thoughts as always!
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!