Fic - Water and Blood, Chapter 1

[moon_blitz]

Title: Water and Blood
Fandom: Boruto
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Hoshigaki Shizuma/Karatachi Kagura, Mitsuki/Uzumaki Boruto
Characters: Mitsuki, Uchiha Sarada, Uzumaki Boruto, Karatachi Kagura, Hoshigaki Shizuma, Hachiya Tsurushi
Summary: "The Hokage's kid is dead and Yagura's grandson is the Mizukage!" With Boruto missing and presumed dead, Kirigakure teeters on the brink of civil war as the rest of the ninja world looks on. Bloodshed seems inevitable, but at what cost?

Chapter 1 – Bloodstains

Mitsuki knew that the scroll he carried was useless even before he reached the mist-shrouded Memorial Stone. He had been tracking Boruto’s chakra since leaving Suigetsu and the others, and while it had remained relatively steady as he sped towards Boruto, it had just plummeted dramatically. Was Boruto--? No, his chakra wasn’t extinguished completely.

Sprinting across the grass of the Memorial Park, he focused on the pinpoint of chakra that was his sun. Mitsuki’s hands were a blur as he formed the hand seals for his Snake Clone Jutsu, his clone appearing beside him in a puff of twisting snakes. Together, they entered the mist than contained Boruto, his other self vanishing to his left in order to enact the rescue he had planned. Narrowing in on the rapidly dimming pinpoint of chakra, Mitsuki slowed. Through the mist, he heard Shizuma congratulating Kagura on killing the Hokage’s son. Fool. Boruto wasn’t dead yet.

Crouching, he waited until his clone was in position before he extended his arms, slowly slid them towards his downed comrade. A glance told him that the two Kiri ninja hadn’t noticed himself or his clone. Mitsuki paused as his hands found Boruto, suppressing his rising alarm at Boruto’s rapidly cooling body. Arms slowly encircling Boruto, he carefully pulled the other boy away from the fight. His clone stepped in then, distracting Shizuma and Kagura long enough for Mitsuki to gather Boruto to himself and secure him to his back, arms wrapped tight around his wounds to stop the flow of blood.

“Boruto, hold on,” he murmured as his friend’s head bounced gently against his shoulder as he leaped away. Sarada was nearby with another familiar chakra signature, so Mitsuki sprang towards them, landing lightly as the pair emerged from a large hole in the ground.

“Boruto!” Sarada exclaimed from Tsurushi’s back, both of them going pale at the sight of the student’s wounds.

“We need to leave the village. Shizuma and Kagura won’t be far behind,” Mitsuki stated calmly. His clone was fighting well, but it wouldn’t last long.

“But the others-” Sarada started, Mitsuki stopping her with a shake of his head. There was no time. Their classmates would have to fend for themselves.

“We need to leave, or they’ll kill Boruto,” he insisted firmly. Sarada swallowed hard, then nodded.

“Fine. Tsurushi-kun, do you know an escape route?”

The blonde genin’s voice shook as he replied. “Yeah. Follow me.”

As Tsurushi led him away from Memorial Park, Mitsuki was already at work, infusing Boruto’s body with his own chakra. They had to get somewhere safe so he could use proper healing techniques, but for now, this would have to do. As they fled over the rooftops, Sarada kept her eyes fixed on Boruto, and Mitsuki resolved to do everything in his power to keep her safe as well.

- - -

Mitsuki vanished in an eruption of white snakes as Hiramekarei tore through his body, revealing itself to be a clone of some kind. Letting the heavy sword swing to the end of its arc, Kagura rested the tip of it on the ground and turned as Shizuma let out a roar of anger.

“Damn it, he’s gone! That stretchy brat was a distraction!” Surprised, he followed Shizuma’s gaze and felt his heart leap. Boruto’s battered and torn body was gone, a pool of blood all that remained. Shizuma was cursing, swearing he’d find Boruto and finish him off, but Kagura intervened.

“Shizuma-san, calm down. He’s badly wounded, he couldn’t have gone far. In fact,” he paused, scanning the silent mist around them. “Mitsuki probably rescued him and they’re hiding nearby. Although skilled, he’s only a child. I doubt he can heal Boruto to any major degree.”

Shizuma ground his pointed teeth together. “So he’ll bleed out no matter what? Whatever, we’ll find them later. Either way, the Hokage’s kid is dead. We just have to deal with Chojuro now.”

“Then deal with me.” Kagura’s stomach twisted as the Mizukage stepped into view, clothes torn and stained with blood. A katana with half a blade was in his hand, and Kagura’s fingers tightened on the hilt of Hiramekarei. Would he have to fight the man he had looked up to, the one who had led the village into an era of prosperity? Fighting Boruto had been hard, but facing the Mizukage would be so much harder.

“So Hebiichigo and the others didn’t finish you off.” Shizuma strode forward, lifting Samehada from his shoulder where it had been resting and swinging it around to point it at his foe.

“They tried their best,” the Mizukage replied, focusing entirely on Shizuma and not even glancing in Kagura’s direction. In a way, Kagura was glad for that, since he wasn’t entirely sure he could meet his mentor’s gaze after all that he had done. Betrayal, theft, joining a revolution...his actions were nothing but despicable to a man like the Sixth Mizukage. Chojuro must despise him now.

“Heh. You just missed the big fight. Kagura just took out the Hokage’s brat with your precious Hiramekarei. I’d say it’s time for you to join him in the afterlife.” Shizuma grasped the hilt of the bandaged Samehada in both hands, and Kagura saw a shiver go through the sword.

“Is that so?” Chojuro’s voice was level as he spoke, but the flexing muscle in his jaw told Kagura that the news of Boruto was a blow to him. “And you’re going to fight me? Shouldn’t Kagura be the one to do that?”

Shizuma snarled at the man. “No! I’ll be the one to cut you down! Kagura has dirtied his hands enough tonight. I’ll slice you to bits and return pride to Kirigakure!”

“Return war, to Kirigakure, you mean.” Chojuro raised his broken katana, and Shizuma laughed.

“You’re fighting me with that? ” He sounded more amused that insulted, but Kagura still frowned. Even without a good sword, Chojuro hadn’t become the Mizukage by being a weak fighter.

“Be careful, Shizuma-san! He’s a war veteran, remember?” Shizuma waved off his warning, but he shifted his stance ever so slightly. Then he swung Samehada, and the fight was on.

“War is the lifeforce of this village! Without bloodshed, we ninja can never reach our full potential!” The mist around them thickened and turn dark red as Shizuma released his Bloody Mist Absorption Jutsu, and Kagura knew he was trying to weaken Chojuro as much as possible.

“The world has moved on, Shizuma! There is no place in it for the Bloody Mist Village!” Glowing blue chakra needles split the red mist for a moment, but Shizuma deflected them with his sword, his free hand a blur as the mist closed over the fighters again.

“Then Kagura and I will make a place!” Shizuma’s roar was mixed in with the familiar sound of his Water Spikes attack forming, and Kagura heard a thud as one of them hit Chojuro. Not seriously, for racing footsteps told him that the pair were on the move, trying to gain an advantageous position. His stomach clenched tighter as he he listened to the swords clash, Chojuro’s blade cutting through Samehada’s bindings to scrape against the metal beneath. Kagura should be watching the battle, since his fate hinged on its outcome, but he preferred let it be obscured by the mist. He had already watched one friend die, he didn’t need to see the death of another.

It was impossible to tell how long the fight was. It seemed to drag on for hours, but it was probably only minutes. Chojuro and Shizuma didn’t speak much beyond their opening remarks, and Kagura thought that Chojuro realized that Shizuma wouldn’t be deterred through words. Neither would he, or so Kagura told himself. So he listened to the battle, gauging its progress by sound. The scuff of sandals on stone as they moved. The rush of water as jutsu were used. The hiss of pain through clenched teeth as an attack struck home. The shriek of metal on metal as their swords met. And throughout it all, the red mist darkened to crimson, telling him that Chojuro was losing more and more chakra.

Buntan appeared at his side at some point, complaining that “the Uchiha bitch” had tricked her, but Kagura kept his focus on the battle raging just out of sight. Finally, with a sickening tearing sound and a howl of triumph from Shizuma, it was over.

Kagura approached as the mist lightened and dissipated, his stomach dropping as he spotted the ever-expanding pool of blood surrounding a familiar blue-clad body. Chojuro was on his side, his body split nearly in two from the massive sword wound across his chest. The man’s glassy stare was enough to tell Kagura that he was dead. “Shizuma-san...” he said brokenly, at a loss as to how to react. He should be celebrating like Buntan was, cheering for the revolution to come. But all he wanted to do was kneel next to his mentor’s body and sob.

Suddenly an arm was slung across his shoulders. “Congratulations, Kagura,” Shizuma said, his breath warm on his neck. “You’re our new Mizukage.”

“Mizukage...” he repeated distantly. Mizukage. Yes, Shizuma was right. He was the Seventh Mizukage now. And he had a village to reform. Straightening despite his shaking hands, he nodded. The Memorial Stone stood before them, illuminated in pale blue light. “Let’s erase this eyesore,” he said decisively, getting a laugh from Shizuma.

“Yes, let’s gather our comrades and bring this disgrace down.” Shizuma left him then, and Kagura’s gaze returned to Chojuro’s body. Hiramekarei suddenly felt ten times as heavy in his hands, but he grasped the hilt and held the blade in front of him. He would keep Boruto and Chojuro in his memory, as a reminder of what could have been; but he would stand by his ideals and return Kirigakure to the ninja village it should be.

- - -

Mitsuki dashed up the mountain slope behind Tsurushi, slowing momentarily to adjust his hold on Boruto. His arms were wound tight over Boruto’s wounds, continually infusing them with chakra to keep them closed. Satisfied, he sped up again, doing his best not to jostle his friend as he bounded over the rocky ground. Kirigakure was several mountains behind them now, but he wished to put as much distance between them and the village that was now their enemy. Tsurushi was starting to falter however, so they would have to stop soon, if only to rest.

Sarada was still on the genin’s back, but she was looking more alert than before, so Mitsuki assumed her strength was returning. Their eyes met as she glanced back, and he saw hers widen. “The Memorial Stone is gone,” she said, and the group stopped and turned to look at the distant village. She was right, he saw. The mist that had shrouded the tip of the cliff was gone, and with it, the towering monument that had sat there.

“Those bastards!” Tsurushi growled, sounding like he might cry. “I can’t believe they really did it! I can’t believe I sided with them...” Mitsuki looked back at him at those words, seeing that he really was crying. Curious, he watched the tears stream down his face, only pulling his gaze away when Sarada coughed.

“We should keep moving.”

“Y-Yeah.” Shifting his hold on Sarada, Tsurushi wiped his nose and nodded. “There’s a cave just over the peak of this mountain. It’s not much, but we can rest for a while.” Mitsuki nodded in agreement, and followed him again. The temperature dropped as they ascended higher up the mountain, and the mist for which the village was named closed in around them. Tsurushi knew where he was going, as while he was no longer moving as fast as before, his steps never wavered. It didn’t take long for them to reach the cave, tucked away on the far side of the mountain and looking like a mere cleft in the rock unless one looked carefully.

“My team found this place when we were on an early mission,” Tsurushi explained as they slide inside the narrow entrance. The mist thinned as they went further in, revealing a comfortable a dry cave. “I don’t think anyone else knows about it, although some of the older ninja might. But they would expect us to flee the country entirely, right? So we should be safe here!” Tsurushi sounded confident, but Mitsuki could see the doubt in his eyes.

He set Boruto down, carefully unwinding his arms. His friend’s chakra levels were still dangerously low, his body soaking up all of the chakra Mitsuki had given him. He quickly scanned Boruto’s body, focusing in on the major slash wound to his left side and the large gash on the back of his head. There were numerous other cuts and bruises, but it was those two that needed the most attention.

Tsurushi had deposited Sarada against the wall of the cave and stood, shifting his weight nervously. “Do you think we can risk a fire?”

“Yes,” Mitsuki said at once. The cave entrance was narrow enough and the mist thick enough that one would have to be right on top of the cave to see any light from within. Besides, warmth would would everyone good, and make his job easier.

“I’ll go gather some firewood, then.”

“Wait.” Mitsuki dug his teeth into his thumb, then made some handsigns and pressed his palm to the ground. A seal pattern spread across the rock, and two small green snakes appeared in a puff of smoke. “Take one with you. It will sense any threats.”

“Thank you!” Tsurushi looked grateful as he scooped up on of the snakes and left the cave, the remaining snake slithering off to guard the opening. Sarada watched him as he pulled Boruto’s blood-soaked shirt up to get a better look at the slash wound.

“How can I help?” she asked, and he wondered how well she could see in the near-darkness that surrounded them. He could see just fine, his night vision being excellent under normal circumstances and only enhanced by his ninja abilities.

“Rest,” he told her. “Conserve your strength for the coming journey.” If her mother has been here, he would have welcomed her help, but to his knowledge Sarada had no medical-nin training.

“So we will have to keep running.” Her tone indicated that she had been thinking that already, so he only nodded. Kagura might be willing to let them go, but Shizuma would certainly kill them. And based on the scroll he had been given, Shizuma had allies in neighbouring countries, so they had to keep moving.

Sarada sighed. “Can we even make it back to Konoha on our own? Will...Will Boruto last that long?” Mitsuki glanced at her pale, drawn expression and suppressed a frown. No need to worry her any more than she already was.

“He won’t,” he said softly, spreading his hands across the boy’s chest. He knew medical jutsu, but he wasn’t nearly experienced enough to heal his friend completely. Sakura could, but she was too far away, as was his parent.

“Then-” Sarada cut herself off, and her tone was clipped as she said, “Never mind. I’ll stop distracting you.” Mitsuki placed his fingers on either side of the wound, probing it gently with his chakra. A small amount of blood leaked out, but otherwise, it held. He activated the Mystical Palm Jutsu and placed both hands over the slash, letting his chakra flow into the torn flesh and shattered bones.

Tsurushi returned as he was stabilizing the outer portion of the wound, placing an armload of scrub and small branches at the back of the cave and sitting down to light a fire. Mitsuki ignored the small talk between him and Sarada as he turned his attention to Boruto’s head wound, aware that his own chakra levels were running low. He had enough left to close the gash, but Boruto needed serious surgery on it and his abdomen, which Mitsuki simply couldn’t provide right now. Kirigakure had the facilities to do so, but going back there was a death sentence. No, he would do what he could, and save the rest for later.

The fire was lit and blazing cheerfully by the time he dropped his hands from Boruto’s head. Boruto’s face was still pale, but not the deathly white it had been when he started. With Tsurushi’s help, Mitsuki moved him next to the fire, removing his robe and spreading it over Boruto. Sarada moved closer to the fire, her gaze intense as she stared into the flames. “Mitsuki, teach me the signs for your lightning jutsu,” she said abruptly, swivelling to face him. Seeing his hesitance, she added, “I won’t activate it, I just want to memorize the hand seals.” He nodded and showed her the signs, explaining how he used it in battle. He saw Tsurushi practicing the signs as well, but the genin quickly stopped once Mitsuki finished his demonstration.

“I’ll keep watch if you want to sleep,” Tsurushi offered a few minutes later. “You two both used a lot of chakra, so you must be tired. I’ll protect you, I swear!”

Mitsuki glanced at Sarada to see her reaction, and watched as she stared at the Kiri ninja. “If you do anything – anything – to Boruto or Mitsuki, I’ll hunt you down myself.” Her icy tone made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and he smiled slightly. She would make a fine ninja once she graduated the academy.

Tsurushi recoiled and bowed low. “I won’t do anything! I was wrong to believe Shizuma’s lies, and I shouldn’t have kidnapped your friend and fought you guys! I’m really sorry, so let me make it up to you!” He remained kneeling on the ground, head bowed low as Sarada frowned at him.

“Keep watch until 2 A.M.,” she finally said, removing a watch from her pocket and handing it to him. “I’ll take over for you then.”

“Yes ma’am!” He scrambled into a sitting position with his back to the fire, the snake he had taken with him coiling itself on his shoulder. Mitsuki stretched out next to Boruto, confident that between his snakes and Tsurushi, no one would be able to surprise them.

- - -

Kagura walked down the corridor leading to the Mizukage’s office, feeling empty and tired. He had no idea what time it was beyond it being late, but he had so much work to do before he could rest. Kyoho trailed him, a solid presence at his back. He hadn’t been injured in his fight with Chojuro, and so had been appointed to guard Kagura. Shizuma had said he was going to track down the Fifth Mizukage, and the others had gone to get medical attention for their wounds and gather their allies scattered through the village.

He slowed as he approached the office, aware of the two Kiri Anbu that flanked the doors. They stepped forward as he and Kyoho drew near, and he wondered if they were allies or enemies.

“The Mizukage is out on business,” one said politely, stance loose and non-threatening.

“Chojuro is dead,” Kagura said stiffly, noting the slight recoil from both ninja. “I am the Mizukage now.” The pair glanced at each other, then stepped back.

“Welcome, Lord Seventh,” the first one said, bowing deeply. His partner echoed his words and bow, and Kagura nodded, satisfied with their response.

“No one is to enter this room aside from myself, Kyoho-” he indicated the large ninja behind him, “-and Hoshigaki Shizuma. Do you know him?”

“Yes, we know him.” The Anbu pair straightened as Kagura walked by them, pushing the doors to the office open. His office. He swallowed, pushing aside the memories of Chojuro seated behind the Mizukage’s desk. Instead, he leaned Hiramekarei against the wall and sat down in the familiar chair, running his fingers over the polished wooden desk as he contemplated the situation.

“Did Shizuma-san say how long he would be?” He felt oddly anxious without Shizuma by his side, and hoped he would return soon. But tracking and subduing Mei might take a while, and he half-wished he had gone with Shizuma to convince her to be put into custody quietly. Otherwise, there would be another death tonight.

“No.” Kyoho wasn’t much of a talker, in least from the short time Kagura had known him. So they looked at each other awkwardly before Kagura motioned towards the door.

“Go send one of the guards to gather the other Anbu members, and wait there until they return,” he ordered, suddenly wishing to be alone. He needed to think, to gather his emotions, and most importantly, to grieve. Kyoho nodded and left as quietly as he was able to, and Kagura heard him passing on the orders as the doors closed behind him.

The new Mizukage leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, teeth gritted as grief welled up inside him. Boruto and Chojuro dead, the former by his hands and the latter for his sake. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to the empty room as the first tears trailed down his face. “Please, forgive me.”