I'm sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer : Boruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto.
The Truth at Last Revealed
Boruto looked at the ruined village that Konoha had become. Fatigued, he had barely managed to teleport beyond the Hokage statues. They were destroyed, but Naruto's statue, despite heavy damage, was still standing. He collapsed to the ground, drained both physically and mentally.
It's all over, he thought. He had fought Kawaki to the brink of death. He could not break through to him. He did not know how long their battle had lasted. It felt like days. Kawaki was in the same state as him, and he too did not want to give up. But Boruto had promised himself he would give him the beating he deserved and that he would make his brother see reason. Because despite everything, Kawaki was still his brother.
Boruto's final blow sent Kawaki crashing into unconsciousness. But just before his eyes had closed, Boruto had seen Something. A glimmer he had not witnessed in years. And in that fleeting moment, he allowed himself to believe. To believe there was still hope. Hope of reuniting with his brother, of shaking hands, of grabbing a burger with their friends. Like before. He fled before anyone could arrive to arrest him. Before revealing himself, he needed to know if that glimmer in Kawaki's eyes is still there.
Boruto felt like everything was spinning around him. His body gave way, and he collapsed backward, darkness swallowing him whole. Faintly, he thought he heard someone call his name. Sarada... The thought barely formed before unconsciousness claimed him.
~00~
Sarada guided her chakra through her hands, carefully mending Mitsuki's wounds as he lay unconscious. The village lay in ruins, its people evacuated, yet the air was thick with the cries of the injured. She knew she was not as skilled in medical ninjutsu as her mother, but that would not stop her. She would do whatever it took to help.
For minutes now, something had felt different. The Otsutsukis, Code, Kawaki, Juubi… She no longer knew what to think. But one hope remained. Boruto. Wherever he was, she prayed he was safe. Beneath her hands, Mitsuki's wounds closed, and slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
"Sarada."
She helped him sit up.
"Do you know where Boruto is ?"
Why, she thought. Why all he could think about was protecting Kawaki from Boruto.
"Mitsuki, please..."
She stopped talking when he took her hand and squeezed it. She looked into his eyes and in them, she saw torment. A storm of emotions swirling beneath the surface. She had never seen him like this before.
"I feel like I've lived two lives," he murmured, his voice unsteady. "One where Kawaki is my sun. It feels true. Logic tells me it's true. And in the other…"
His words faltered, and he swallowed hard. Sarada, sensing his turmoil, gently placed her other hand over his, a silent promise that he was not alone. And in that moment, she felt it. A glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel, where Boruto might finally reclaim his life.
"In the other, Boruto is my sun. When I think about it, everything seems to fall into place."
Sarada threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face, tears of pure joy.
"He is. Boruto, he truly is your sun."
Mitsuki embraced her, his arms wrapped tightly around her, desperate.
"Everything I did. I tried to kill him to protect Kawaki. I blame myself so much."
"It wasn't your fault. It's because of Omnipotence. Boruto knows that, and he doesn't blame you."
"We have to find him."
Sarada nodded and they broke their embrace. She helped Mitsuki to his feet. They were about to head back to the village when someone called out to them. Shikadai, accompanied by Inojin and Chocho, approached them.
"Are you going to look for Boruto ?" Shikadai asked.
Sarada and Mitsuki exchanged a glance. Were they still under the influence of Omnipotence ?
"Don't worry," Chocho said. "Shikadai explained that Boruto was our ally and that our memories had been altered."
All eyes turned to Shikadai, who scratched the back of his head with a bored expression. Yet, his friends could sense the confusion behind it.
"We all remember living two lives," he explained. "One with Boruto Otsutsuki, which feels real to us, and another with Boruto Uzumaki. We just need to think logically and analyze the behavior of Boruto and Kawaki to figure out which memories are true. But I still haven't worked out what caused this."
"I'll explain everything later," Sarada said. "First, we need to find Boruto."
They headed toward the village and split up. Team 10 going one way, Mitsuki and Sarada the other. Along the way, they found Kawaki, unconscious. They alerted Team 10 and resumed their search. As they approached the Hokage statues, Sarada spotted a figure perched atop Naruto's statue in the distance. Her heart raced.
"Boruto!" she shouted.
Without hesitation, she took off at full speed.
~00~
Boruto opened his eyes as sunlight streamed through the window, momentarily blinding him. He found himself lying in a bed, disoriented and trying to piece together what had happened. His thoughts immediately turned to Kawaki. Had someone found him ? Was he safe ? And perhaps most puzzling of all, why was Boruto in a bed and not in a prison cell ?
He glanced around the room, which resembled one of the academy classrooms. Sarada was fast asleep in a chair beside his bed, while Mitsuki sat silently by the window, watching him with a thoughtful expression. At the very least, Boruto could sense that Mitsuki harbored no murderous intent toward him.
"Hi Mitsuki," Boruto said in a hoarse voice.
Mitsuki's gaze softened, a mixture of sorrow and relief reflected in his eyes. He rose from his seat and approached Boruto who struggled to sit up.
"I... I'm so sorry," Mitsuki said, his voice trembling. "You're my sun. I know it, I feel it."
Mitsuki clutched his shirt over his heart, and Boruto could see the pain etched in his expression. Though Mitsuki was no longer under the influence of Omnipotence, the weight of what had transpired remained heavy.
"I wanted to kill you..." Mitsuki muttered.
"I never held it against you," Boruto reassured him. "And I'm happy to have my friend back."
A broad smile illuminated Mitsuki's face. They both suddenly noticed the sound of soft sniffles coming from Sarada's direction. Boruto chuckled and Mitsuki joined in.
"You're too sensitive, Captain," Boruto teased.
Sarada shot him a sharp glare.
"I just had to sneeze !" She retorted.
Boruto erupted into even louder laughter, only to be called an idiot by Sarada, a title she extended to Mitsuki as well. And in that moment, with Mitsuki and Sarada by his side, it almost felt as if the nightmare of the past few years had never happened.
~00~
More than an hour had passed since Boruto had woken up. Sarada and Mitsuki had left the temporary hospital room while he underwent examinations. Several doctors had come to check on him. Sarada had explained that Mitsuki was not the only one who had regained his memories, it was the entire village. Boruto noticed that the medics did not quite know how to act around him. Some avoided his gaze, their hesitation palpable. Others muttered apologies or pretended nothing had happened. But Boruto was not concerned about them. All he wanted was to know how his sister and friends were doing. Were his parents here ? And Kawaki ? What had happened to him?
A few minutes after the doctors left, the door creaked open again. Boruto tensed, still haunted by the fear that someone might come to arrest him. But then he saw Sarada and Mitsuki walk in. They were not alone.
"Hima," Boruto murmured.
Himawari looked at him with wide eyes brimming with sadness, regret, and joy.
"Ni-san."
Tears streamed down her face as she flung herself into his arms. Boruto, startled at first, quickly wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I felt something was wrong, but I didn't do anything."
"It's gonna be okay, Hima. I could never blame you."
He tried to comfort her, just as he had when they were little and she was upset. Finally, he had his sister back.
"Your parents would like to see you too," Mitsuki said.
"My parents ?" Boruto echoed.
Himawari let go of him, her face lighting up with a wide smile.
"They're here, and they're fine."
Boruto shot to his feet and rushed to the door, completely disregarding the doctors' advice to rest. He felt fine and all he wanted was to see his parents. He left the room, with Himawari and his friends following close behind. Guided by his sister, he made his way to the courtyard and pushed open the door. His parents were there. They had not aged a day, they were exactly as he remembered them.
Hinata was the first to notice him. She darted toward him and embraced him tightly. Boruto froze for a moment before hesitantly wrapping his arms around her. This was the moment he had been waiting for all these years. Though he had tried not to dwell on it, the longing had never disappeared.
Naruto approached and joined the embrace, holding both his wife and son close. Boruto did not know how long he stayed in their arms, fighting with all his strength to hold back his tears. The exhaustion, stress, and anxiety of the past few years, combined with the overwhelming joy and relief of the past few hours, threatened to spill over.
"There are others who want to see you," Naruto said.
They walked toward the academy's exit, a route Boruto knew by heart. With each step, it felt as though he was traveling back in time. As they stepped outside, Boruto's eyes widened in surprise. All his friends and the villagers were gathered there, waiting for him. The crowd was silent at first, until Chocho broke it by calling out his name and clapping enthusiastically. Shikadai, Inojin, Denki, and Iwabe quickly joined in, and soon the entire crowd was clapping and cheering. For the first time in what felt like ages, Boruto felt truly at home.
~00~
Boruto stepped into the makeshift prison located in the basement of the movie theater, one of the few buildings still standing. Naruto had explained to him that Kawaki was being held there and despite the Hokage's relentless efforts, he had been unable to secure Kawaki's release.
The guard cast an uneasy glance at Boruto, much like many villagers did, and unlocked the cell door. Boruto stepped inside, his eyes landing on Kawaki. He was sitting on the floor, staring blankly into space, his hands and feet bound in cuffs.
"You came to finish what you started," Kawaki said.
"Stop it," Boruto replied.
Boruto lowered himself to the floor, sitting opposite Kawaki. For a long moment, they stared at each other in silence. Boruto searched his face, trying to catch a glimpse of the spark he had seen in Kawaki's eyes during their fight.
"Nanadaime came to see me. He doesn't blame me. Despite everything I've done."
"Of course he doesn't blame you, idiot. We're a family and we stand by each other."
Kawaki allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.
"And you ? Do you forgive me ?"
"You're my brother, of course I forgive you. Even if sometimes I have to knock some sense into you. We'll do everything we can to get you out of this."
Boruto extended his arm, holding up his index and middle finger. The universal symbol of shinobi. A gesture of peace, marking the end of their conflict. Kawaki mirrored the motion, accepting the symbol and sealing their peace agreement with Boruto.
~00~
Boruto perched himself atop Naruto's statue, gazing out at the village as it underwent reconstruction. The sight before him felt surreal, almost like a dream. For years, this had been his deepest desire. To return to the village, surrounded by his friends and family. He had fought relentlessly to save everyone, even when the odds were stacked against him.
Now, everything was finally over and he could begin to lead a normal life. He knew it would not be easy. Some villagers would still avoid meeting his gaze or feel uneasy for having once treated him like a criminal. But none of that mattered anymore because he was finally home.
The end