Chapter Text
Art by me :D It's late, but I finally made a proper cover! Thank you for coming here to read this story! I hope you enjoy!
"..ii-chan... nii-chan! ONII-CHAN!"
. . .
Boruto sucked in a breath and sat up, eyes wide. "...Himawari...?"
"Sheesh! It took forever to wake you up! Hurry, or you're going to be late!" She raced out of his room.
A deep and dull aching spread through his pounding head. He curled his fingers into his bangs in agony.
He was fighting Kawaki. The entire village was destroyed. They both stabbed each other at the same time, pain skyrocketing through his insides. Even now, he felt phantom pains in his stomach.
And more than that...
Sarada... He let the darkness overtake him, her silhouette reflected on the back of his eyelids. The last thing he could make out with his tunneling vision was her cracked glasses, tears dripping off her cheeks and onto his face. Yelling at him. Calling him an idiot. Trying to heal him. He was losing blood fast. All of the pain in his body was fading to cold numbness.
If he was awake... He had to see her. He had to find her and tell her he was alright, and... Why... Was he in his room?
As the realization settled into his frazzled brain, Boruto wiped wayward tears from his tired eyes, peeled off the covers, and found himself in his usual PJ's he'd worn as a kid: a pink t-shirt and black shorts.
The color changing rainbow LEDs inside his computer keyboard caught the corner of his blurry vision. That was new.
His blue eye skimmed over his dresser, tired legs hesitantly sliding off the edge of the bed for a closer look. A metal frame encased a picture of him holding a scroll over his head wearing some sort of uniform, almost like a suit and tie. Probably around age twelve.
There were similar photos, birthday pictures and him riding on his father's shoulders when he was small. But if this was his room, a very significant photo was missing.
Where was the picture of team seven? Of him, Sarada, Mitsuki, and Konohamaru? And more importantly... He'd been too disoriented to notice before, but he couldn't feel the flow of chakra rushing through him at all... Momoshiki wasn't prickling at his consciousness.
Boruto closed his eyes, breath quickening. And came to a very important realization. He could see clearly... Out of both eyes.
He spun around and threw open the closet. Checked his reflection in the mirror that hung behind the door, feeling his face for good measure. There was no scar. His previously callused hands were as smooth and soft as a baby's. The two black whiskers he always attributed to making him look like a cat were missing from his cheeks.
What... Is this?
He frantically yanked open drawers and shoved aside papers. No shuriken. No kunai. Sasuke's headband, his sword, his cape, none of them were there.
No... No no no no!
Himawari appeared in the doorway again. "Onii-chan! Hurry it up! Or you'll be late for school! Why are you still in your PJ's?!"
"Himawari," he said, panting. "Where is all my ninja stuff?!"
"Huh? Ninja stuff? Don't tell me you're going through some sort of chuunibyou phase..."
"...What are you talking about?" He couldn't even be happy that his little sister was talking to him, that she was there, because all of this was incredibly wrong. He learned to cut off his emotions a long time ago and deal with cold hard facts and logic before jumping to any conclusions. The only exception being when he was around... Boruto bit his lip. Sarada. Maybe... This was a dream. He took a deep breath. Tried to focus. This was just a dream. A really, weird, wrong, dream.
"Come on, it's your first day at your new high school... I know you're upset that we moved and all, but you're acting a little weird. Mom is gonna get mad if you're not ready in five minutes, so hurry up!"
He blinked a few times. School. Moved. Mom. Himawari. Nothing was familiar. Not even Himawari's haircut.
His chest hurt. This was too realistic to be a dream... He was in his house when it should have been completely destroyed. His little sister woke him up as if he'd simply been asleep in bed. And what was this about school? He'd already gone through training at the academy. This wasn't the past. This wasn't the present. This felt... Like a completely different reality.
He needed to find Sarada sooner rather than later and ask her what was going on. She wasn't affected by omnipotence, so if this was Eida's doing, she would know. But... Did Eida have the power to alter his appearance, to rid him of Momoshiki and take away the very concept of Chakra?
Again. He needed to stop scrambling and act normal until he had more info.
His closet contained his familiar black and pink jacket with an array of white t-shirts and black tracksuit pants. There was also the suffocating looking suit outfit from the picture... But he wasn't touching that.
As Boruto got dressed, a chill ran down his spine. He missed the feeling of the cape on his shoulders, hiding his body, his hands from view. To make matters worse, he had no toolbelt at his waist, no bolt necklace around his neck, no kunai strap to tie to his leg... He was defenseless, vulnerable, and exposed. He hated this.
After another onceover to make sure his room was completely devoid of ninja tools, he combed his fingers through his messy blonde hair and descended the stairs.
Himawari took one look at him and dropped her face into her palm. "Why are you wearing your casual clothes?"
He blinked. "I..."
She ran to him and reached up to feel his forehead. "Hmm... You do feel a little warm. Do you want to stay home?"
Boruto looked down at her bright blue eyes. He missed this. This feeling. This nostalgia. Being a part of...his family. But something still wasn't right. He had to set it right to feel at ease.
"I... should be fine. But Himawari... Do you know where Sarada is right now?"
"Hm? Sarada?" She tilted her head to the side. "Who's Sarada?"
He froze. Himawari's memories had been manipulated. "Never mind."
"You're acting weird. You must've hit your head pretty hard yesterday."
Yesterday. So in whatever reality Himawari believed this was, he'd been awake and perfectly fine the entire time. A sinking feeling nagged at his chest. "I'll... Go change. Sorry."
"Make sure you put on the right uniform," she called back.
Uniform. As much as he hated the idea of wearing that thing, he had to pretend to be the person Himawari believed he was until he figured this out.
Shuffling through his closet, assembled all the pieces. Dress-like pants came first, followed by the blazer. He left his white T-shirt underneath, thinking that as long as it was white, it was fine.
But when he went back down the stairs again, Himawari pouted. She took his hand and pulled him back up to his room. "You really aren't feeling well. Lay down and rest."
Boruto swallowed. "I'm promise, I'm fine..."
"Jeez, I thought you were done with your 'playing pranks on everyone' phase." Himawari fished through his closet and pulled out a white collared button up shirt along with a tie. "Put it on properly this time. I'm going ahead without you."
A tie. There was only one time in his life he'd ever worn a tie. It'd been so long since then, he had no idea what to do with it. Hoping he wouldn't seem any more suspicious than he already was, he slowly redressed himself.
On his way out the door, his mother stopped him. "Boruto?"
It was her voice. He froze, just staring off into the distance. It'd been so long since he heard his mother's voice. As Hinata stuck her head out of the side door that led to the dining area, he noticed her longer hair and the age that wore on her gentle features. He bit his lip to stop it from quivering as she approached him with a smile, eyes trailing down to his tie.
"We can't have you going to school looking like that, now can we."
She took hold of the ends, retying it and smoothing down his collar. Having his mom fix his appearance like this... Was something he wouldn't have stood for as a kid. But now... It made the back of his eyelids sting.
"There you go..." She handed him a bag and a lunch box. "Have a good first day."
He tried to smile back at her, but everything just hurt. Turning away to hide the tear spilling over his cheek, he slipped on his shoes. "See ya later... Mom."
"Mm. Have a safe trip."
Both Sasuke and Kashin Koji didn't care much for formalities. There was no, "I'm home," "Welcome back," "See you later," "Have a safe trip." Instead of "Good morning," it was, "No sleep again?"
He didn't realize... How much he missed this. How much he told himself it was something he could never have again. Not after he learned about Konoha's future and what it held... Not after the entire village turned on him... And then the Shinju...
Boruto took a deep breath and stepped out the door. It was no use thinking about the past right now.
The streets were familiar, but not completely the same. New shops sold electronics that were more advanced than the ones he remembered and snacks he'd never heard of. Did Amado create someone even stronger than Eida that could rewrite the landscape as well?
Suddenly, he heard voices coming from an alleyway. "Heh! Not much in your wallet, you say? Hurry up and cough it up, corporate brat."
Three thugs were beating up a kid around his age. When he got a look at the kid's face, he realized he knew him. Denki?
Boruto snuck around to the side of the building and listened.
"I'm sorry... This is all I have."
"This is it? It won't even buy us lunch."
Even if Denki thought he was a murderer, Boruto wanted to do something about it before anyone got hurt. He stepped out from behind the wall, his chin lowered. "Give the kid back his money."
"Oh? Another kiddo has come for a beating!"
"I wouldn't recommend trying," said Boruto, lowering his chin. "I can make more shadow clones than there are members on your side."
Nothing happened. Other than spontaneous resounding laughter coming from the thugs.
I don't have chakra after all... This is bad. But even Denki should be able to take on those guys without chakra... Maybe he doesn't remember that he can fight?
"Clones? Did he really just say shadow clones?"
"Hey, boss. This idiot just tried to use some sort of ninja magic on us."
"Oh? He's got the same uniform on. He goes to that rich kid school too. I bet he's loaded..."
"You got money brat? Cough it up!"
Boruto tensed his arms, just to check and see how much muscle he had. It wasn't too bad, but it wasn't quite enough to overpower the thugs in front of him. "Run," he said calmly to Denki, dropping into a fighting stance, knowing that this was a fight he had to win whether he had chakra or not. "I'll hold them off."
"You?"
Boruto gulped as the man neared him, staring him down like he was trash.
"You think you can take all three of us?"
His eyes darted around for something to use as a weapon. There was nothing. The man threw a punch. Despite flinching back, Boruto's hand reacted on its own and caught the fist with surprising ease. It was just instinct. A natural reflex from years and years of ninja training.
And it clearly pissed the man off.
They seemed to be simple muscle heads who had no experience fighting. This would be child's play.
Another clenched fist flashed into his peripheral vision. Boruto remembered Sasuke's taijutsu training on fighting multiple opponents at once, bare-handed with no use of jutsu. It became especially necessary to preserve chakra and fight without ninjutsu to prevent Momoshiki from taking over due to depleted reserves. Always use the opponent's momentum to your advantage. Minimize your own movements to preserve your stamina.
The third piece of advice was to sense their movements instead of following them with his eyes. That was impossible in this situation. But either way, Boruto made quick work of the thugs by using their momentum against them, taking all three of them on at once like the amateurs they were. He threw them against each other, made them trip over each other, ducked as two came at him at once and had them punch each other in the face.
"You little..."
One pulled a knife, but he easily flexed their hand down to disarm them. As the knife skidded across the pavement, Boruto looked on with a glare of disapproval. "Still wanna fight?"
"Tch." One spat off to the side. The others followed in suit, walking past him, bruises on their faces, dirt on their clothes. "We won't forget this, blonde-haired brat..."
Boruto heaved a deep breath in and slowly let it out. He turned to Denki, who was staring at him from the ground, eyes wide, mouth hanging open.
"You... Who are you?"
Boruto blinked a few times. Himawari recognized him... But Denki didn't.
"I go by Boruto," he said finally, extending a hand to help him up. And then he decided he would test something. "Uzumaki... Boruto."
Denki's eyes widened. "Uzumaki??" He pushed up his glasses and stared harder. "You mean you're... Mayor Uzumaki's kid?!"
Mayor Uzumaki... As far as he knew, he didn't have any relatives named Mayor, but it was probably better not to say anything. He pulled Denki to his feet.
"Ah! Our school uniform! I'm so sorry... Because of me you're going to be late! We should get on the train!"
"Oh... Sure. Right." If he couldn't use chakra, the walk from his house to Sarada's would be slightly faster by train anyways.
The thunder train was still in the same spot, same look, same sound. He stared up at the metallic roof. Riding on top of it and feeling the gentle breeze pass through his hair was just what he needed to put his restless mind at ease for a few moments. "Denki... Go ahead and get on. I'll catch up with you later."
Denki froze for a moment, then laughed nervously and ducked his head. "I guess I'm famous too, huh."
Boruto's stern brows knitted in confusion. And then he realized. Denki never introduced himself. With a sigh, Boruto took a step back. Dashed forward. Jumped. And smacked right into the window.
"Geh..." He pushed himself away, eyes stinging from the rough hit to his nose. I guess without chakra, I can't jump very high...
But just as he pushed all the way back, he caught a glimpse of the train passengers. And his eyes widened.
There, staring at him through the glass, was Uchiha Sarada.
The world around him froze. He didn't blink. He couldn't breathe. He just stared into her eyes. He hadn't mentally prepared himself for seeing her yet. What... What was he supposed to do? To say? Especially... On a public crowded train?
No, Sarada should have known this was urgent if she was self aware. She would come off the train and talk to him... Wouldn't she?
Sarada tilted her head in confusion. He wanted to make a motion, to signal her to come out, that it was him and he was fine and he remembered everything and needed help, but he couldn't move.
She looked away. Shook her head. Smacked her face for good measure.
His heart dropped.
And she hesitantly looked back at him, dark eyes narrowed like he was just some random stranger who was starting to creep him out.
And that was when it broke.
The train pulled away from the station and took her with it, leaving him stunned on the platform.
His limbs suddenly felt heavy. Numb. Limp. Pain shot through his chest as if he'd been run through by chidori.
The past flashed through his head in the span of a millisecond.
Sarada darted in front of him. Kawaki's bow-staff stabbed a hole through straight through her chest. Metal poles impaled her limbs. Her body fell to the ground, blood dripping out of the side of her mouth, her eyes lifeless. "Hm. What a turn of events..."
"S-S-S..."
"Let him out, Boruto," Kawaki snarled. "Let him out and destroy everything. That way no one will have any qualms about your death."
He collapsed to his knees, crawling over, words caught in his throat. He cradled her head, his own expression to muddled to breathe. He had to do something. Anything. But she was completely lifeless in his arms.
Boruto crumbled. His master was gone, his parents were gone, his little sister trapped right along with them. The world hated him. And now, the girl he vowed on his master's name to protect... He'd let her die. He couldn't save her.
He tried desperately to stop Momoshiki, but he wasn't strong enough. Seeing her lifeless in front of him ripped his fragile willpower to shreds.
The monster took over and destroyed everything.
Boruto came to his senses to find Konoha completely obliterated. Every building reduced to rubble, the stone faces mangled. And it was his fault.
That was when he realized. Two hands were wrapped firmly around his forearms. He turned, eyes widening. Sarada was there, supporting him, holding him back as she suppressed her tears. She was the one that put an end to his rampage and shut up Momoshiki.
He still didn't understand how she was alive. He didn't understand whether what he saw was an illusion created by Kawaki, or whether she'd somehow revived herself. But from the look on her face, it was obvious she'd lost something in order to save him. Something precious.
Boruto begged her to kill him before he could hurt anyone or destroy anything else.
She refused. Kawaki was fighting a losing battle against the ten tails and she wasn't strong enough to ward them off either. Without him, the world would fall to ruin anyways. That shut him up.
She explained that Sumire and Amado had been working on a way to get Momoshiki out of him for three years now, and they figured out something that might work. But if he didn't stand up to Kawaki now, no one would. So she would go with him, and together, they would get his parents and little sister back and save Konoha.
As much as he wanted her at his side, he told her to stay hidden. Kawaki would use her as a hostage. A pawn. Just like he did before. He didn't think he could protect her, especially since he'd already failed once, and she saw what thinking he lost her did to him. So she stayed... Despite it being frustrating. Because she understood.
Just before he left, she took his hand. Stood on her tiptoes. And touched her fingers to his forehead.
Boruto... I believe in you.
The pain in his chest sunk heavier as he thought of leaving her again, knowing he was likely going to his death. Despite that... He couldn't bring himself to say it. He wanted to save it until he knew he could really keep her safe. Until he fulfill that promise he made to her as kids, until he could really be a cool ninja like Sasuke... And protect her. He held back all that time. Until he didn't have any time left.
Kawaki shrunk. Boruto searched him out with his charka, only to realize... She was close. And Kawaki was heading straight for her. He teleported to her and threw his sword in Kawaki's direction, but before he could get her to safety, a metal rod pierced him through the chest. Another was quick to follow.
Through the numbing pain and slowing beats of his heart, he saw Kawaki, katana through his chest. Breaths came and went as blood splattered from his wounds onto the rocks at his feet.
That was it. He knew they were both done for. Boruto hoped to come out of it alive, to resolve everything and live in peace with everyone, Kawaki included. But somehow, he knew this was for the best. Kawaki was finally satisfied. Sarada didn't have to suffer as a hostage for him to get what he wanted. He would release Naruto and Hinata and then... It would be the end of the Otsutsuki.
He could barely make out Sarada dashing out of her hiding place, tears streaming down her cheeks. His knees went weak, and he collapsed right into her arms.
"No... No no no no! Boruto? Boruto!!"
It was all he could do to lift his hand. For those two years after Sasuke sacrificed himself, he endured strict training, emotional pain. And she was what kept him sane. His final message before he left was to tell her not to worry, because he'd definitely be back. In order to protect that promise as well as his promise to Sasuke to keep her safe... No matter how tough things got... He endured.
"I-It's gonna be okay," she stuttered, her lip quivering, medical ninjutsu emitting chakra into his rapidly slowing heart. "Don't you dare give up."
"Sarada..."
He knew just as well as she did that he didn't have much time. And so while he still had breath in his lungs, he pulled his lips back into a smile.
"Thank you."
Tears spilled over her cheeks. Her eyes squeezed shut. "Shut up idiot! Don't talk."
Now he regretted not taking more time to look at her... To see how much she'd changed. He regretted focusing so much on saving the world that he didn't take the time to spend with her, more time just to hold her when he knew how much everyone's absence hurt her and left her all alone.
But now, that time was up. And he too, was leaving.
Doing his best to see as much as he could through his tunneling vision, he thwarted her wishes and continued to speak. "I'm sorry... For everything."
"I told you to shut up!" She yelled, one hand coming up to hold his, knowing her attempts and medical ninjutsu were futile but trying her best anyway.
"I protected you pretty well, ya know..."
"I didn't ask for it!" She whined, her lip quivering. "I didn't ask for it so please... You can't die... Boruto!!"
It was too difficult to keep his eyes open. They closed, his head easing into her lap, hand going limp.
"Boruto?! No... No! Please... Please, I'll do anything... You can't... Not after I... All this time..." The sun that had been shining on the backs of his eyelids was darkened by her shadow. "I've been in love with you for so long... You stupid idiot!"
She was sobbing now, more painful cries than he'd ever heard in his life. And that was his final conscious memory.
Boruto ran after the end of the departing train, legs pumping, heart pounding. He had to catch up and at least talk to her.
It felt good to finally run. To let his racing heart pump blood for a good reason. He recalled his first lesson on jumping like a ninja instead of like a normal person. Arms swinging back. Crouching low. And then... He flew.
He caught the end rail, pulling himself up over the metal pole fence and onto the tiny platform that stuck off the back, much to the relief of the startled onlookers. Unfortunately, the door was locked while the train was in motion.
Boruto leaned against the cold metal, his palm falling flat against the door as the train picked up speed. Weight seeped back into his chest. He somehow knew. This had nothing to do with Eida... Not if Sarada didn't know who he was. Not if he couldn't use chakra, and not if his room, his family, his circumstances were completely different.
He didn't know much about the afterlife. But he got a sinking feeling that this was... This was wherever he got sent to after he died. Some sort of utopian society that didn't have ninja, and that didn't have chakra. He had the feeling he would never see that world again.
If this was the afterlife, it meant he'd left Sarada alone in a world where everyone else would finally be happy... And she would experience unimaginable pain and sadness. There was some small hope of Kawaki releasing his family before he died. There was some hope that her mother survived the aftermath. If there was a way to get back to her, he would, but it just didn't seem possible. And in this world... She didn't even recognize him.
His throbbing heart suddenly felt cold. Like someone attached weights to it. His limbs felt numb and heavy, losing their ability to move. And as he sunk down, the wind rippling through his hair, a tear leaked over his cheek. Just what was this place?