Capítulo 2: SUDDENLY, IN SIXTEEN YEARS IN THE FUTURE...
Long ago, in the darkest corners of the village, a story was told that echoed like a distant echo in Konoha's heart. It was a legend known but little told today, a narrative that had faded with the passage of time, relegated to oblivion by those who preferred not to remember it.
It was said that, on that fateful night, the screams of terror echoed incessantly in the silence of the darkness.
The sound of the tearing of the flesh was almost as clear as the last breaths of those who fell victim to an indescribable evil. That demonic creature, lacking sanity and mercy, had mercilessly ravaged the lives of children, women, the elderly, and men alike. A prosperous and peaceful village had been plunged into chaos and desolation by a being whose evil knew no bounds.
How much time had passed since then? Thirty years? More?
No one knew for sure. The younger generation had hardly any idea what had happened on that October night. The protagonist of that tragedy, the man who had jealously guarded the identity and honor of a demonic beast, was now the Hokage of the village. A leader who had not only forged a friendship with the tailed beasts, but had also managed to keep the peace between nations near and far.
Chaos reigned once again in Konoha. In the midst of a thunderstorm and the roars of beasts, cries of despair could be heard. "Hokage-sama is struggling! I repeat: The seventh is in a battle, and it demands that no one else intervene! Our job is to exterminate the Filth completely!" cried someone in a broken voice. The second-in-command, Nara Shikamaru, had given the evacuation order to the outskirts of the village. The people of Konoha, in a panic, fled their homes in search of safety, while the orders of the lost Hokage continued.
The storm, relentless in its fury, showed no sign of abating. The rain fell in torrents and the lightning struck the earth with ferocity. More than one fell victim to the wrath of nature, their lives snatched in an instant by the fury of heaven.
Konoha, once a symbol of prosperity and peace, was now reduced to a desolate and desolate setting. It was as if the past had returned to reclaim its place in history, reminding everyone that even the most powerful ninjas were not exempt from fear and vulnerability.
In the legends that were told about wartime and dangerous ninjas, the events were narrated in an almost heroic way, exalting bravery and courage. However, those stories omitted the true nature of ninjas, flesh and blood beings who also experienced fear and uncertainty. It was that historical error, that idealized view of ninja reality, that many young aspiring ninjas ignored as they adjusted their bandanas, not realizing the true gravity of the circumstances around them.
And boy was it. However, never were as many lessons needed as those given in those times. In that era when war was as routine as dawn and was forgotten at nightfall.
But now, for something like this to happen in a population where most ninjas hadn't lived through that time, it was completely disheartening. Mirai was in a state of confusion and disorientation. He was in limbo, unable to hear, feel, or smell anything around him. It all seemed so unreal, so confusing, that at first, he thought it was a dream. It was only when a sharp branch tore his cheek unexpectedly that he woke up from his trance.
The sharp pain of the wound reminded him of his reality, and his legs refused to continue running. They had been on the run for who knows how long. The endless waves of water that fell from the sky and the lightning that lit up the horizon like harbingers of war were the sad anthem of his hometown, Konoha.
The echoes of the screams echoed in the air, carried by the wind. Even though the buildings and structures had been reduced to rubble and the faces carved into the rocks were unrecognizable, Mirai knew that they were still in Konoha's territory. At the time, there was nothing more dangerous than the village itself, now upholstered with trees that locked sleeping people inside.
As her legs began to tremble, reaffirming her decision not to continue, Mirai heard a sound behind her, followed by a familiar splash. As he turned around, he found a young man face down on the flooded ground.
"Hey...!"
His trembling voice was lost in the roar of the storm. Mirai cautiously approached the young man who was coughing violently, expelling the water he had swallowed. Her own limbs trembled, but her concern for Shikadai's condition prompted her to act.
"Shikadai!" He called urgently, looking for an answer in the boy's eyes. However, what she saw left her frozen. The coldness in Shikadai's gaze sent shivers down his spine, reminding him of what they had both witnessed.
Mirai looked back at the village for any sign of help, but found only chaos and desolation. The darkness of the night hung over them, exacerbating their sense of helplessness.
In the distance, the dark figures of Konoha's ninja fought against the storm and humanoid enemies that attacked the first one that crossed their path. The falls of the Ninjas were marked by the deafening sound of combat.
Uncertainty gripped Mirai. Where were the others? Were the Jōnin nearby? The lack of leadership only added to her anguish, leaving her at the mercy of despair.
Under the crackle of the rain and the roar of the storm, Shikadai barely managed to articulate his mother's name. Mirai, worried, called his name, but young Nara was focused on getting up to talk.
"Let's go to my house." Shikadai said with effort, his voice barely audible through the din. "Your house is not far away... Maybe my mother is there."
Mirai, in her soaked and dirty Chunin uniform, listened in silence. Shikadai did not look at her, absorbed in his thoughts and theories about his mother's whereabouts.
"I don't know her like you do." Mirai replied sadly, preparing a painful Hint. "But she doesn't seem to be the kind of woman who stays at home waiting."
Mirai's words struggled to come out as Shikadai continued to think to himself, expressing his fears and doubts in his expressions, in the pouring rain.
As she listened to young Nara's words, Mirai struggled to contain the pain that threatened to overflow into her chest. The certainty that Konoha was no longer saved weighed on them, remembering the words of their master, Shikamaru.
In the rain and war, Mirai put her hands on Shikadai's, feeling how reality engulfed them with brutality.
For the first time, he understood his family's sacrifice. They had given their lives to protect young men like Shikadai from the discouragement and despair of war.
Because, despite all the titles and accolades, Shikadai was still just a child, unable to stand up to the brutality of the ninja world.
With sadness barely contained in her determined voice, Mirai turned to Shikadai, seeking her complicity amid the chaos.
"Let's go, Shikadai. If there's an opportunity to find your friends alive, we'll take it. But we can't waste time."
Mirai's words echoed through the air, carrying with it an urgent call to action.
"Shikadai!" She exclaimed, exasperated by young Nara's inaction. Their eyes met in a moment of shared despair. "I am sorry to say so, but we must be aware. If we stay here, lamenting, we will die. Do you want to cause that concern to your parents? When... have they lost everything, as long as you ran away?!"
Shikadai's expression was that of a specter, pale and dazed by the magnitude of the tragedy around them. Mirai, with a deep sorrow in her heart, silently begged for the strength needed to face what was to come.
"Please..." She whispered, her hands sunk in the mud and her soaked hair stuck to her face. "I don't want to be useless. I don't want to disappoint my teacher... or anyone else."
With renewed determination, Mirai stood up and took Shikadai's hand firmly. Though she avoided meeting his gaze, she walked determinedly, quickening her pace to prevent young Nara from seeing her distressed face. This attitude was new to her, far removed from the familiarity and trust they used to share.
In days gone by, Mirai and Shikadai entertained each other unconsciously, fighting each other between shōgi games and complicit jokes in order to let each other's guard down. All under the smile of his father and Master, Nara Shikamaru.
But now, amid Konoha's devastation, all of that seemed like a distant memory. Shikamaru, once full of life and wisdom, was now just another void in the rubble.
With a lump in her throat, Mirai spoke, still not looking at Shikadai directly.
"I will be useful to my master." He began, his words full of emotion. "I want to be useful in every action, in every word. I will comply with your last request, even if my life is at stake."
(~~~)
That day, that rainy and gloomy day, had a special meaning for Mirai. It was the sixteenth anniversary of his father's death, a day marked by tragedy and loss. But it was also a day of renewed determination, a day to honor his legacy and fulfill his last wishes.
The grim landscape of rubble and desolation stretched out before Mirai and Shikadai's eyes as they made their way through the ruins of what was once their home. There was no determination in their steps, only the crushing weight of hopelessness and grief clinging to their hearts. Mirai's house lay in ruins, a heartbreaking monument to the violence that had wiped out everything in its path.
Every step they took echoed like an empty echo in the ominous silence that enveloped the place. Before them stretched the streets they used to walk with joy, now covered with rubble and shattered memories. The old candy shop lay in ruins, its broken glass flashing faintly in the grayish light of the sky.
In the midst of its desolation, a barely perceptible murmur broke the silence. Shikadai, staring into the distance, muttered faintly.
"Hey..." She heard Shikadai behind her. She stopped in her tracks, turning slowly to face the direction of his voice.
That's when they saw him: an arm, barely visible in the rubble, reaching out in a gesture of supplication.
A shiver ran down their spines as they both opened their eyes helplessly. They remembered the companions they had lost in the past, but the tragedy they were witnessing now eclipsed any other pain. In an era of supposed peace, they found themselves facing the deepest darkness.
Mirai reacted first, pushing Shikadai away from danger with an urgent gesture. His words were a barely audible whisper, full of equal parts fear and determination:
"We have to hurry..."
They knew they couldn't afford to stop at the devastation around them; They had to find what they were looking for and survive in the midst of the chaos that surrounded them.
The road to Mirai's house was marked by devastation. The streets that used to be the scene of daily life were now silent witnesses to the tragedy that had befallen the village. Rubble lies scattered everywhere, as the remains of what were once homes stand as monuments to despair and chaos.
When they finally spotted the body of a man in the rubble of their own home, they had already overcome the most difficult stage of their journey. Mirai and Shikadai looked away in disgust and fear, rushing toward some specific rubble that seemed to contain something important.
The horror of what they saw seemed to amplify with every step they took. Mirai's house, the one that used to house her most cherished memories with her mother, now lay reduced to a pile of rubble. The twisted wood and crushed beams suggested destructive power beyond comprehension.
The devastation surrounding his home was no accident. The streets were marked by the desperate attacks of Konoha's own ninjas, who fought fiercely against the filth that stalked the village. The beasts, the size of a man and with an unquenchable thirst for destruction, locked their victims in their deadly embrace, turning them into prisoners within twisted trees where they fell into an unconscious sleep.
However, around Mirai's house there were no trees with people inside. In the suburbs, most people had been evacuated before the tragedy reached its peak. Those who perished did so because they returned in search of their belongings, facing the horror that now dominated their home.
Mirai and Shikadai stepped into the rubble with determination mixed with palpable fear in the air. The mud and rain made every step difficult, but there was no time to lose. In the midst of the chaos and destruction, their mission was to find what they were looking for, the supposed belongings that Mirai's mother had prepared for the occasion.
The atmosphere charged with confusion and fear enveloped Mirai as she stepped into the rubble of what was once her home, with Shikadai at her side in silence. As he carefully brushed aside the charred remains, his mind was buzzing with questions that crowded inside him like a swarm of angry bees.
Why was his mother involved in this? And what did all that they had discovered so far mean? Had he collaborated with the high-ranking ninjas, as the contents of the mysterious hideout implied?
The thought that his mother was entangled in such dangerous matters was unsettling. What had happened in the days leading up to the attack? She felt as if she were in a trance-like state, trapped in a spiral of unanswered questions.
Then, a hollow sound broke the oppressive silence, attracting Mirai's attention. A glimmer of hope surged in his chest as he discovered a familiar corner amid the devastation.
"Here!" She whispered in a barely audible voice, excited to have found something she still remembered.
But the excitement was quickly replaced by uncertainty when he realized that this was not normal. Despite the destruction that surrounded her, that place was still her home, the place where she had grown up and lived important moments.
With trembling hands, he pushed aside the rubble and revealed a damaged wooden surface, hidden under a layer of dirt and moisture. His curiosity was piqued when he discovered what appeared to be a secret hiding place in his own home.
With determination, Mirai managed to lift the lid, revealing a small compartment hidden underneath. Shikadai, who was watching her with interest, came closer to see what was inside.
"What is this?" Mirai asked, her eyes wide open, as she took the first objects out of hiding.
Shikadai frowned, equally bewildered.
"It's strange." He murmured, examining the contents carefully. "Why would your mother keep all these things here? And more importantly, for what?"
Among the carefully arranged objects, they found canned provisions, scrolls labeled as spare armaments, and precisely folded cloaks. Everything was meticulously arranged, as if someone had carefully planned every detail.
"This seems... a preparation." Shikadai suggested, his thoughts swirling for answers.
Mirai nodded, her mind spinning.
"But for what? And why hide it here?"
Uncertainty enveloped them as they continued to examine the contents of the hiding place, their minds overwhelmed by the possibilities. Meanwhile, the distant noise of war intensified, like a distant echo that lost its power as the seconds passed.
Nara's lips became involuntarily moist as both young men's hair stuck to their torrential rain-soaked faces. The sound of the downpour hitting the rubble and the ruined village created an oppressive atmosphere that added an extra layer of tension to the already charged situation.
A sudden noise broke the monotony of the rain, alerting Mirai and Shikadai. In the presence of someone else in the rubble, Mirai was on guard, prepared to face any threat that presented itself. Though she tried to keep her composure, latent fear hung in the air, threatening to paralyze her.
With the Chakra blades in hand, Mirai struggled to maintain her steadfastness as her legs trembled beneath her. The thought of drawing a kunai crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. In the midst of the destruction around them, any wrong move could prove fatal.
Between the roar of rain and the flashes of lightning, the debris began to move, revealing the presence of people hidden among them. With her heart pounding in her chest, Mirai clenched the blade tighter, ready to defend Shikadai in case of need.
However, the appearance of familiar faces among the rubble changed the tone of the situation. Mirai held her breath as she recognized Boruto, and Sarada. In turn, behind them were added a great variety of familiar faces, each and every one of them, with dirt on their faces and uncertainty personified.
Team Ibiki, Children Anbu, Namida and Wasabi, as well as Tsubaki as well. Many of the twelve Ninjas, of Shikadai's age, had appeared in front of his eyes from behind the rubble.
"Are you Mirai Sarutobi?" The Adult Ninja's voice resounded like a harsh echo in the midst of the chaos around them.
Mirai nodded, unable to take her eyes off the Chunin's piercing eyes, whose almost unearthly serenity baffled her.
The Chunin approached her with determination, his imposing presence overshadowing everything around him. Mirai felt trapped under his piercing gaze, struggling to maintain her composure amid the uncertainty that enveloped her.
"Take your things and come with us." Chunin declared with a coldness that sent shivers down Mirai's spine. "We'll guide you to the safest exit. The village is no longer safe. You and these ninjas are the only survivors. The Hokage has ordered the release of all who remain."
The news hit her like a punch in the stomach, leaving her stunned, not only by the magnitude of the tragedy she had just witnessed, but by how rushed it all seemed. Almost as if it had been orchestrated by its own people.
Then, La Sarutobi gasped.
He felt the overwhelming weight of the tragedy that had fallen upon his village. What exactly did it mean to be the "only survivors"? How had such a swift and devastating massacre occurred?
Questions piled up in his mind, but he found himself unable to verbalize them in the presence of the adults watching all around him, their expressionless faces suggesting that they were there only to get them out of imminent danger.
¿Why... Would these men risk so much?
The question echoed in Mirai's mind, like a lingering echo that refused to go away. What were the adults hiding? Why did they act with such haste and mystery? Her lips tightened, suppressing the urge to confront them with her questions, though curiosity burned within her since she was a child.
The Chunin spoke in a monotone, urgent, authoritative voice, urging them to hurry up and take what they could from the makeshift hideout. His sideways glance at the pile of hidden objects ignited a spark of unease in Mirai's heart, as she felt increasingly caught up in a web of secrets and dangers she couldn't fully comprehend.
"Quick, everyone, take what you can and follow us." The Chunin ordered the Genin, as they hurried to the indicated place.
Mirai stood there, paralyzed by uncertainty and bewilderment. On both sides, the Ninja children followed the path that the Chunin had pointed out to them, to get all the provisions they could from the newly discovered hiding place of the now only Sarutobi.
His master's words echoed in his mind, mixed with the sounds of rain and distant explosions. How had they come to this desperate situation? Why were adults acting so quickly, without explanation or comfort for the young people left behind?
Although he wasn't expecting a pat on the back and a few words of comfort, he'd been waiting for at least a little bit of information to be lent to him due to Hokage's own absence from the villa.
"Hey..." Young Chunin's voice interrupted his thoughts, full of fear and bewilderment. "Don't you feel... that something pushes us...?"
The young man's words echoed through the air, creating a tense and heavy silence. They all looked at each other, expressions of confusion and fear reflected on their faces. Young Chunin stared toward the center of the village, where the Hokage was supposed to be fighting the threat that had led them to this desperate situation.
Against the people who had caused all this.
Mirai swallowed hard, feeling a lump in her throat as she struggled to comprehend what was happening around her. Time was running out and they needed to act quickly if they were to have any hope of survival.
Equally confused, and thus stopping the collection of things, the Genin looked in that direction. The Uzumaki sank his feet as far as he could into the ground, as long as he did not run to help his father and teacher. They were both fighting for him, to protect him and all those who could not defend themselves.
Boruto held his courage, and lamented in silence. Only he could know why he couldn't fight, even though he might have what it took to defend himself.
He served his people better, if he stayed away from the core of the battle.
Shikadai gasped behind Mirai, who reacted instinctively to feeling him stagger. Without thinking twice, she grabbed his arm, preventing him from falling to the ground. Shikadai's energies were exhausted, and his state was evident even without seeing his face.
A frown of sadness was drawn on Mirai's face. She still couldn't believe that now it was her turn to take on a leadership role in the midst of the tragedy that surrounded them.
Suddenly, something outside his field of vision caught his attention. At his feet, small pieces of incinerated debris were found. The strange thing was that, despite their weight, these fragments moved almost imperceptibly. There was no wind strong enough to move them that way, and yet there they were, slowly sliding in a specific direction.
Mirai stared at the rubble intently, feeling a strange sense of attraction towards that particular point. It was as if something invisible was dragging them along, a mysterious force that defied all logic. The storm roared around him, but there was no wind strong enough to explain the movement.
A shiver ran down Mirai's spine, as her mind worked frantically trying to find a logical explanation for what she was witnessing. But amid the chaos and confusion that reigned in the ruined village, the only certainty he had was that something very strange was happening, namely, something that lay in the center of the Arboreal village.
"Shit... Walking, we're leaving now!!" The old man of the group shouted, his voice echoing over the roar of rain and distant lightning.
His eyes reflected the urgency of the situation, and his tone left no doubt about the gravity of the moment. Wasting no time, all of the Genin and Chunin rushed to collect as much as they could, stuffing scrolls into their ninja bags with trembling hands.
"Quick, quick, quick!!" He made desperate gestures, trying to hurry the young people who crowded around him.
The tension in the air was palpable, and the groans of some betrayed the fear that consumed them. Namida, the girl in the orange sweater and brown hair with two pigtails, was no exception.
Mirai watched the scene with a heavy heart, feeling every footstep on the rubble as a direct blow to her soul. However, he understood the imperative need to act quickly in the midst of the emergency. There was no room for contemplation, only for action.
As time passed, the group darted through the forest, illuminated only by the flashes of lightning. Tired gasps echoed in the darkness, as the Genin struggled to match the frenzied pace of the Chunin leading the march. Although they were ahead, some teams, such as Sai-san and Ibiki, were starting to fall behind.
Mirai followed behind the group, with Shikadai and her team in front of her. She watched the teams around her, recognizing each of her teammates in the midst of the chaos and confusion.
Team seven, struggling to keep their eyes ahead; the Hanabi team, on a human chain as they ran; and among others, the Genin team previously led by Ibiki, all of them showed signs of alarm and desperation, running with all their might and making sure that none of their teammates were left behind.
But the most terrifying thing was not the unbridled running or the rain falling furiously, but the abnormal behavior of the nature around them.
As Mirai kept her focus on the race, her eyes couldn't help but scrutinize the ground as she passed. From time to time, he would put a hand on the Ino-Shika-Chou's back to keep his speed under control and prevent them from falling too far behind.
The anomaly on the ground did not go unnoticed by her. Stones, branches, rocks and even animals were dragged in the opposite direction to the one they were following. Without having to look back, Mirai understood that something was catching them, something was happening in the village that absorbed everything in its path. His heartbeat quickened at the imminent threat.
"The ground...!" Mirai exclaimed with effort, addressing the two older ones who were running ahead. "Something's dragging things off the floor!"
"Wah!!" Enko's cry echoed through the air, alerting everyone.
The girl, her leather gloves hugging her arms, fell face first to the ground with a deafening splash, while her companions shouted her name, alarmed.
The scene came to a screeching halt, even the two Chunins looked at each other with a mixture of surprise and concern.
Enko's companions, Doushu and Tsuru, rushed to help her off the ground. However, the small incident only served to confirm Mirai's suspicions.
"What...?" One of the Genin began, his gaze fixed on the stones that moved on their own.
"What's that? Why is it happening?" A confused Tsubaki asked. "The stones are under water and piled up in the mud... Why do they move alone in the direction of the village?"
"That's true..."
"What's going on?!" Exclaimed his companions, adding to the general bewilderment.
With everyone's attention focused on the village in the distance, Mirai stood in front of the children, who were muttering their fears in hushed voices. The black sky swirled over the village, and the rain seemed to be waning. However, it wasn't because it stopped, but because all the water was being absorbed by Konoha. Despite the distance, rumbles still rang in his ears.
Mirai's eyelashes opened wide, allowing water droplets to glide cleanly down her cheeks. She was stunned, a mixture of awe, disgust and fear reflected in her trembling eyes. I wanted to see, I wanted to count how many were present, how many had survived.
"Those few..." She whispered to herself, a lump in her throat. "They won't be the only ones, will they?"
Images of her superiors emerged in Mirai's mind, men and women who were older, but just as brave and brilliant as the young men of her generation. He recalled the moments shared with them, the moments of camaraderie and learning. However, one question remained: how was it possible that none of those leaders, fathers and pillars of the village, were present?
"It's all right here." One of the men intervened, bringing them all out of the trance they were in. "Young men, I need you all to gather here in the middle. Stay together, don't be separated."
"Huh? What are you saying...?!" Boruto exclaimed, visibly upset. "What are they talking about?! The village was destroyed and my father and Sasuke-san are fighting together with everyone who can fight!! This is not the time to do an experiment!!"
"Uzumaki-kun..." The man tried to intercede.
"Stop calling me that!!" Boruto cut vehemently, abruptly pushing the hand away from the man who was trying to calm him down. Then, he dropped his shoulders in resignation. "All is lost... Kawaki is beside himself while I'm here, Eida is on her own and hasn't appeared. My whole family... the village... my teachers... Everyone is..."
A heavy silence settled in the group, burdened with the desolation and weight of tragedy.
Suddenly, all the children seemed to agree with Boruto. Their faces reflected the same hopelessness and resignation. The village no longer existed, the adults were not present, and few had survived. To top it off, something imminent and catastrophic seemed to be lurking, and none of his abilities could stop it.
However, in the midst of that absolute depression, two flashes in the distance broke the monotony. Despite the rain that was heading towards the village and the growing cold breeze, the barely perceptible but audible sound indicated that it was not a threat.
"What are those? Bad news...?" Namida asked, clinging to her best friend's arm.
A tense silence came over the group as they watched as the two lights, after making their appearance, emitted smoke and vanished.
"It's a lightning-style technique." Taketori Hoki, the masked chestnut tree, reported. His only visible eye opened with almost shocking admiration as he watched the lights fade. "They say that the sixth Hokage used to use his Raiton as a signal, adapting it into objects so that his companions could use it as alarms."
A scroll was unfurled on the flooded ground, capturing the attention of everyone present. The younger Chunin held the scroll firmly, placing stones in each corner to prevent it from closing due to the breeze.
What caught the children's attention the most was the distinctive drawing that adorned the center of the paper. Made with crisp and detailed black ink, the tracing was so clear that from Boruto's position each of the lines and points could be distinguished with precision. Yamanaka Inojin recognized that stroke, despite being somewhat removed from the parchment.
"A summoning scroll...?" Sarada inquired in a whisper. "Why do we have to stand here if we had to get away from the village? What are they going to do with that parchment?"
A sudden sizzle startled them all, leading many to gather closer together to seek protection. Ninjas like Iwabee or Tsubaki wielded their weapons, ready to face any threat, only to be surprised by the explosion of flare after flare. Soon, the surroundings lit up with the light of flares, revealing even the dirt on the nails of those present.
"What's going on?!" Enko exclaimed, as her friends surrounded her in a comforting embrace. —
"They are to illuminate the seal." Mitsuki explained, taking many of his companions by surprise, with a hint of suspicion on his serene countenance. "Although also... they can work to see them from a distance."
The older man walked toward Mirai, his eyes unchecked, as the young ninja of Konoha made way for him.
"Are you ready?" He asked, with the same expressionlessness that characterized all the adults present.
"Ready...?" Mirai replied, with a confused expression. He then shook his head slightly, letting out a pitiful tone. "And what do I have to prepare for, sir?" What am I supposed to be ready for?"
The man closed his eyes for a moment, pondering.
"Really... I didn't think this would ever happen, not even in my worst nightmares." He muttered to himself. "Sarutobi Mirai, as the highest-ranking Ninja here, I am obliged to be the one to give you your last mission: From this moment on, you will be the leader of Squad 13. Your connections and obligations with Konoha... now they will be null and void. You, along with your squad, will have to get as far away from here as possible."
"What?" Mirai was speechless at the statement. His younger friends also seemed equally dumbfounded.
After scrutinizing each of the children as if they were something from the past, the man turned back to Mirai.
"Do you see that stamp that my colleague is preparing?" He said, waiting for an answer that didn't come. "That seal, Mirai, will get you out of here. Upon release, a space-time Jutsu will be executed."
"So it's a summoning jutsu...?!" Sarada exclaimed, interrupting with her question while she was between her two teammates, who looked at her in surprise. "A space-time Jutsu...! Those are very difficult to use on people...!"
After casting a sideways glance at Sarada, Mirai, with her red eyes full of alarm, turned her gaze to her superior.
"Sir...! Can you be clearer, please? What do you mean by that?" Mirai asked, her voice trembling slightly, as she desperately sought to understand the situation.
"The answer lies in the objects you and those children have, Mirai." He replied calmly, his tone conveying an unwavering serenity. "All that canned food, all those scrolls full of provisions and weapons, are for you and your squadron to stay alive until you can find a good stable place in the place we'll send you."
The man hesitated a little with his words before continuing.
"A place that, although far from being pretty, will probably give them a second chance and they can avoid this outcome."
"Sir?" Mirai's voice sounded even more confused, petrified at her superior's words.
"They will have to be very careful in that place." The man continued with his story, ignoring both her and the children he was now leaving behind. He stood next to the young man sitting on the ground. "The war... It's not a pretty setting for ninjas as talented as you. But surely at least getting out of all this problem, will help them achieve the happiness that we adults could not get them."
"Hey, old man!! What are all those ridiculous things you talk about?!" Boruto burst in, lunging at the larger figure vehemently, but was stopped by Sarada, who, though equally affected and confused, managed to keep him under control. "Be clearer! Why are we here talking nonsense when something is happening in the village?! W-We have to do something...!"
With a single slap of the man's hands, the Chunin with the flares mimicked his gesture. Their faces reflected a mixture of sadness, deep melancholy and regret. If that turned out to be dangerous, there was no escape, they were surrounded in a circle from which they could not get out. Mirai was imprisoned, accidentally colliding with one of the young ninjas in front of her.
"Do you know why adults have hidden so many things from you?" Igniting interest in all the children and in Mirai, the man spoke solemnly. "Because if they made more contact with you than you were used to, we'd have to rewrite this whole seal again. And what was most subtracted was time."
"What is it...?" The blond Uzumaki asked, his tone denoting bewilderment.
"This Jutsu... This technique will send them to a time before the current one." The elder Chunin explained.
A chorus of gasps and exclamations echoed among those present.
"Wait! A Jutsu that can take people back to the past?!" Metal Lee joined the wave of confusion. "Is there such a technique?"
"It's not easy." One of the many Chunin around them rang. "To secure their lives, their parents would have to make a kind of history. Make a blood pact with the seal, and lock up there everything that is at stake in the case of breaking the pact. In that way, we could invoke you until that time, in reverse; through the blood of many in Konoha. But about this... it's just once; There is no second chance, once someone else has already agreed."
"The pact serves to ensure at what time they will arrive, and is carried out if the pacts promise something." Another Chunin continued. "Your parents... You are part of many ninjas, including us, who gave their being to this Seal in order to bring you there."
Many were about to question loudly, when the old man interrupted them with authority.
"It was decided from the beginning that you would be the saved ones, guys. Those warning lights that the boy noticed were from other ninjas who survived, and they will try this technique with a few others. Although I do not promise that you will meet you so easily..."
"But... That's crazy!" Boruto exclaimed, with frustration and confusion in his voice.
"In a crisis, this is the best option, Uzumaki-kun." The elder Chunin replied calmly. He began to form seals with his hands, alerting Boruto and the companions behind him. "It's really sad... But if adults spoke more words to them than usual and created more important memories, this seal would no longer work. Take this as the last will of your parents and adults who gave blood for you, please."
A funeral silence fell over the young ninja of Konoha. Mirai, the one behind it all, just opened her eyes wide, oblivious to what was happening around her.
From the village, a loud detonation was violent. Right after the rumble, a force pushed them along with the trees in the forest. These were bent in such a way that they looked like plastic trees. The young girls screamed, and the boys covered their faces with their forearms to prevent anything dangerous from entering their eyes.
Mirai, on the other hand, had her back to the village. She endured that force as best she could, and stood still, serving as a shield for some team that took refuge behind her motionless figure.
I believed it before, and now it was a fact. It was in a more than finished reality. Their home was now nothing, and their companions were dead. To top it off, the Chunin of the village carried out a supposed seal that would take them back in time.
Would that be a salvation or a downfall?
I mean, it would be nice to start from scratch and avoid all this... right?
But what if that was just an excuse not to lose hope? Mirai felt finished.
"Let's release the seal!!" Shouted the Chunin who led the hand poses.
"What are you going to do?!" Namida shouted in panic.
The Chunin loudly shouted the names of the hand poses. Mirai's sense of hearing was becoming more and more distorted. He was hardly able to hear anything anymore, his ears felt pressured.
An indescribable pressure hung over everyone. They felt that at any moment they would be swept away, and the trees of the dark forest leaned in the direction of Konoha. The world was tilting, and even birds seeking to find a safer place were suffering the sudden change.
Mirai alerted the children, taking the backs of the Ino-Shika-Chou as an initiative. He believed that thus, none would be swept away or fall if their leaning perspective of the world turned out to be reality. Within seconds, the children became attached.
Hoki and his team put all the strength into their legs so as not to succumb to that invisible force that wanted to drag them down. The screams subsided, and in their place, came the gasps of effort. All of Konoha's teams of excellent ninjas were collaborating so that none of them would be swept away.
"Ready! Everyone, let's do it!!" The Chunin in charge of the parchment shouted, with all his might.
"Sarutobi!! We wish you the best of luck!!"
Barely that could get into his ears. By the time Mirai was able to open her eyes normally to see her superior's face for the last time, blood was running from the palm of her hand. And within seconds, his vision blurred after a blinding light shot into his eyes. After that, he couldn't feel any signs of life from his body.
And in an echo that receded, the voices of the Chunin said goodbye to her, thus showing her, for the first time, a treatment that was not the result of being someone's daughter. If not, because they were colleagues. And one comrade was willing to give his life to another.
A whistling sound lasted until it dispersed to the ear, and in a distant echo, all the senses she had at her disposal had given way to sudden exhaustion, and they fell asleep while the call to technique was carried out by the adults in unison.
No matter how much the eternal storm insists, the bonds will always be present, even if it flashes or five hundred years pass.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
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