Hi everyone, I'm back. I'm sorry I've been away for so long. I've been annoyingly busy with University, but I'll be making time to update as often as I can from now on.

Thank you for being so patient.

Enjoy!

The lava from Haru's power had consumed all but completely consumed the forest that had been their path of escape from the village. All the was left was a thick flaming sea of charcoal and melting earth. The smoke and heat from below reached and clawed at everyone's bodies even up in the air upon Sasuke summoned great hawks. It didn't help that his left eye socket still throbbed on his face even after Sakura had stopped the bleeding. Now he was a ninja with just one arm and one eye.

Sasuke looked at the two silent families riding on the two massive hawks he summoned. His wife and daughter rode on the hawk with him folded into each other for comfort, and the remaining Uzumakis were on the other hawk right beside them. Everyone's bodies and clothes were stained with blood. His daughter's and student's eyes were dark and sullen with defeat. They had been the last hope against Haru and they had failed.

Sasuke knew that there was nothing they could have done against the impossible enemy they had faced, and the friend who made the impossible betrayal, though it wasn't so impossible for Sasuke. He just wished he'd acted sooner. He looked to both the families. "We are going to get Himawari back." Sasuke breathed out slowly. "We know where they've gone so all hope isn't lost yet."

Sakura looked at Sasuke through the corner of her eye, and Boruto and Hinata didn't look at him at all. I can't blame them.

Boruto in particular seemed to be in another world at this point. His shoulders were tight beneath his sports jacket and his eyes narrowed in frustration and rage. Sasuke's young pupil was clearly shaken by Haru Chinatsu. Had his words truly impacted him so deeply? Or was it Mitsuki's betrayal? Sasuke decided it was both.

They reached the village but simply kept flying towards the Uchiha district. They wouldn't waste time by returning to report. Sasuke had the hawks flying at top speed. He kept the sharingan in his remaining eye active, scanning their surroundings. From the buildings far below to the skies around them, nothing yielded anything of the enemy. No dark hoods and no arrogant men in white clothing. He looked back down at the houses expecting nothing, instead he saw a something fast, red, and bright coming at them from one of the buildings. He got the hawks to dodge the projectile, everyone grabbing the feathers of the great hawks completely unaware of what had come at them. He saw another flaming projectile from the corner of his eye and had the hawks dive.

Before he knew it, they were being targeted by a volley of flaming projectiles, with the two hawks nearly overwhelmed by the attacks and the insanity of dodging them. Sasuke, concerned for everyone's safety had the hawks climb high into the clouds, out of the sight of their attackers.

"Fireballs targeting the skies. That means they've secured the district and likely half the Village around as well." Sasuke said as the hawks stabilized and everyone recollected themselves. He made his calculations based on how many had been fired at them. It was too much just to be fired from the Uchiha District.

"Why?" Hinata said turning to Sasuke. "If they're going to sacrifice Himawari right away, why would they bother securing so much area?"

Sasuke let out the breath he was holding from the ordeal with the fireballs. "It's because they don't want to sacrifice her right away."

Everyone's eyes suddenly shot up, wide and open as if they had been woken from a nightmare.

"What do you mean Old Man?" Boruto asked using the annoying nickname he'd made for his teacher.

"If they wanted to sacrifice her right off the bat, they would be doing that instead of securing so much of the village for themselves. It means that there's still time."

"How much?" Hinata had that motherly instinct and rage in her eyes now.

"A good guess would be until the lunar eclipse that will occur in seven days. Sacrificial rituals require the unique energy of the light during an eclipse."

"We can save still her." Hinata wasn't looking at Sasuke now. She was looking at her knees that were crouched on the hawk.

"So what do we do Sasuke?" Now Sakura had asked.

"We regroup with Hokage and Himawari's guards and launch a joint attack." Sasuke replied. He turned to Hinata. "Are you okay with this?"

"No. But we don't have a choice." Her voice was cold and sharp with silent anger but Sasuke admired her resolve and strength in such a desperate situation.

Everyone sighed in relief except Boruto who stood up and shook his arms legs. "You guys have fun with that plan. We're gonna save my sister." Boruto pulled out a kunai and both he and Sarada leapt from the hawks they were on as their mothers screamed after them.

"Damn it!" Sasuke reached out to grab them but to no avail. He was now livid, especially after he saw the two grab hands and vanish mid-air with a yellow flash. Boruto's flying raijin. Why'd I ever teach him that technique? Sasuke cursed himself mentally for being so careless. He stood up and tightened the sword at the back of his waist. "I should've seen this coming." Sasuke berated himself. He moved to push aside the hair curtaining the left side of his face and suddenly felt emabarred at the comment he had just made. "Oh, right." He whispered under his breath.

He looked to the remaining women still frozen in shock of watching their children leap into unparalleled danger. "Sakura, Hinata. Return and meet up with the Hokage. I'll get the kids."

"I'm coming with you." It was Hinata who'd spoken. "We'll be able to find them with my Byakugan."

"But-"

"We don't have time to argue." Hinata cut him off. Sasuke decided not to argue. He knew a woman scorned would be a terrible adversary indeed.

"Then I'll go report to the Hokage." Sakura said. "Someone also has to be ready to heal the kids when you bring them back." Sakura looked at her husband with an electrifying look that said: "if you don't bring them back in one piece, you're dead."

"Alright. Good luck." Sasuke replied. I love you.

Sasuke and Hinata jumped from their hawks. Sasuke's black cloak billowing in the wind made was the image of a dark knight with his black cloak billowing behind like pair of a crow's wings. Hinata, the image of warrior goddess, her dark hair flying out like tendrils, ready to bring down judgement as they descended into enemy territory.

Himawari was locked in a large steel cage in the dark basement of one of the many village houses that had been evicted taken over by the Black Sun. Mitsuki, her guard circled the cage avoiding eye contact with Boruto's sister. "Hey." Himawari said.

Mitsuki simply continued his path around the cage, paying no mind to Himawari's attempts at communication. He had no reason to.

"I'm talking to you!" The young girl's voice rose in pitch, with obvious frustration. "You're my big brother's best friend. Do you have any idea how much you must've hurt him?"

Yes. "I'm impressed that you're still able to worry about the others despite your own disposition Himawari." Mitsuki still didn't meet eyes with Haru's sacrifice, keeping his tone down and straight.

"Why are you doing this? My Dad can help you, you know?" Her tone had lowered as well.

Himawari still cared for those besides herself. She truly is one of a kind.

"You're a kind person you know." Himawari said. "I don't think you really want to do this."

Mitsuki froze in his tracks. He turned to face Himawari with his mouth slightly opened. She stood and looked right him with the same soft eyes as the Hokage. They were calm and welcoming and sad. This girl, was sad not for herself, she was sad for Mitsuki. "What did you say?" Mitsuki stammered.

"Mitsuki!?" His Uncle's plain voice called from atop the stairs.

Mitsuki let out the breath that Himawari's comment had unknowingly caused him to hold. "Coming Uncle."

He turned his back on the Hokage's daughter, and dutifully climbed the stairs to his golden-haired. "What were you talking about with the girl?" Haru asked.

"Nothing important." Mitsuki kept his eyes to his feet. "Just how I hurt her brother."

"I see." Haru twirled the sun blade in his hand rather skilfully. "I'm not going to try and tell you that you did the right thing. But you did what you had to."

Mitsuki still didn't meet eyes with his Uncle.

"Mitsuki."

"Yes Uncle."

"Look at me."

Mitsuki did as he was told. He saw what was expecting. His Uncle's messy golden hair, casual white clothing and the Sun Blade, ready for the deed. "Anyone who has willingly accepted the duties of the Sun's Chosen One has gone through this. Are you ready?"

"I was born ready."

Haru chuckled. "They usually aren't."

The Sun Blade began to emit a rosy red light that illuminated the dim hallway they were standing in. In order for this to work the sun blade must have natural energy flowing through it and since Mitsuki was unable to control natural energy it was up to Haru.

He brought the blade to Mitsuki's heart and thrust. Mitsuki threw his head back, collapsed to the hardwood floor and cried out, clawing at his chest where the Sun Blade was sinking on its own into his body, becoming one with it. Never in his life had such excruciating pain entered his body.

It was like being pierced over and over by a thousand flaming kunai. That pain intensified as the Sun blade sunk deeper into his body. His muscles were tearing themselves apart like paper, his bones shattering beneath his flesh and tearing apart his insides like a shards glass in every inch of body. His brain overloaded with the pain and unfulfilled dreams of his predecessors, those who had accepted the blade into their body and who hadn't. He expected the he would explode at any moment.

He would receive no aid from Haru, but through the tears and hellish pain he looked up at him as he coughed up blood.

His Uncle's devilish purple eyes relishing his Chosen One and the dark grin over what he could accomplish with him bore down upon Mitsuki.

Naruto buried his head in his fingers as he processed all the information being given to him at the Uchiha Residence. Himawari's bodyguard squad had driven off their opponents sustaining minimal injuries, though they captured none of the enemy, and the one called Jet escaped. Half of the Village had been taken over by the Black Sun, holding the residents of the area surrounding the Uchiha District hostage, including the family of his adviser Shikamaru. The worst of all was the news Sakura brought. If he'd been there he could've saved his daughter. That's what I'd like to think.

"Sasuke and Hinata will find the kids and bring them home." He said to his pink-haired teammate who hiding her distress at the situation.

He and Sakura stepped out of the house to meet with Himawari's former bodyguards all wearing apologetic faces. "Don't look so down." Naruto said to them. "Gaara. Bee. I'd like you to return to your villages. This threat is the Leaf's now."

Both of their faces shot up. "Yo, Naruto. We ain't going nowhere. Fool, ya' fool!" Bee rapped in anger.

"I agree." Gaara said firmly.

"The last thing this needs to become is an international incident. If either of you get hurt here, I'll have to take responsibility. And I'm afraid on my plate right now." Naruto stated firmly.

"Naruto." Bee said. He wasn't rapping anymore. "You trying to do everything alone again?"

Naruto simply looked into Bee's eyes through his sunglasses.

"Well then . . ." Bee turned to leave. "I suppose I'll go and see what else I can do around here." Bee leapt away at a speed that would've been considered unnatural for someone his size, or for anyone at that.

"What about you Gaara?" He said to the red-haired man. "You're the Kazekage. Imagine what it'll mean if something happened to you here."

"That's true. But I've still got some vacation time to kill, and my sister and nephew is in danger here. Plus, unless I find another worthy successor, Shikadai is practically my heir. Losing him won't be good politically or emotionally. So I'll go meet up with Shikamaru at your office." Gaara leapt away as well, no slower than Bee.

"That leaves you Kakashi-sensei." The former hokage had his hands in his pockets and and his posture was slouched and beaten like a man ready to crash from a hard day's work. His eyes however did not reflect the same lack of energy.

"That leaves us actually." The Sixth Hokage said with the firmness of the teacher he had once been to the Seventh.

"That's right." Sakura spoke up. "We're still here. We're still Team Seven."

Naruto silently scoffed and began to walk away.

"You plan to attack the Black Sun alone?" Kakashi-sensei said behind him.

Naruto turned with a weak smile on his face. "You always figure me out sensei."

"That's right. And you haven't changed in a lot of ways. Do you really think you're gonna beat these guys alone?"

"It could happen." Naruto said without thinking. In truth he didn't know what would happen. "Look sensei. Sakura. I know you guys are worried, but this is something I have to do."

"Because it's your daughter?" Kakashi said. "I'm no parent. But let me tell you. The second you put on the hokage hat. Well actually when Konohamaru put on the hat for you, There were no longer things that just you had to do."

"Well, like you said. You're no parent. You can't know what's it like to fail your kids like I did. I haven't been there for them when they really needed me. I told myself that it was because Hokage duties take up a lot of time, but . . . it doesn't matter."

He looked into his sensei's dark eyes. He's not convinced. Of course, Naruto didn't expect him to be.

"Well." Kakashi began. "Whatever your reasons are really isn't my business, but you are. So I'll hold down the fort here, while you and Sakura go to the Uchiha district."

Kakashi looked to Sakura at his side. Who seemed flustered that her former sensei had already figured out her intentions.

"Naruto. Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." Kakashi repeated the first lesson Naruto had learned from him. "Trying to everything on your own and pushing them away is kind of like abandoning them too."

A lump formed in the Seventh Hokage's throat.

"Well. Good Luck." Those were the last words the former hokage spoke before leaping away.

Naruto stared at the spot his teacher had just leapt from for a moment. "Let's go. Sakura."

"Right."

The two members of Team Seven leapt away as well.

Mitsuki's chakra control was practically superhuman. The boy had stabbed him in the back using chakra to both render him unconscious as well heal most of the damage at an incredible pace. Konohamaru made a mental note to praise him for that after he found and beat the living daylights out of him.

He'd been tracking Mitsuki's chakra to know that he was near the Uchiha District, with Naruto's daughter. That meant that Haru succeeded, but for whatever reason couldn't sacrifice her yet, that meant that there was still time to stop them, and what ever plan they had. Konohamaru had to be quick if he wanted to stop them. He was running towards the Uchiha District,n o doubt having to pass through parts of the Village that were Black Sun territory.

It was shameful. The village his Grandfather had given his life for, now half of it was in the hands of the enemy. I won't fail you Gramps Third.

Konohamaru skidded to a stop from his run when he found his path blocked by figure in a dark hooded poncho. "Are you Black Sun?" Konohamaru asked of him.

"I don't answer to the likes of you!" The figure replied in a male voice. A strange glowing blade appeared in his hand and he charged Konohamaru with supernatural speed.

I'll take that as a "yes."

Konohamru held out his hand, grabbed his attacker's throat and squeezed, crushing everything under the man's flesh, and slammed the man's body into the ground causing the earth to sink, crack, and shatter. All of this Konohamaru accomplished in one fluid movement. This was the power of one of the Hidden Leaf's best. You had no idea who you were dealing with fool.

His attacker's dead eyes were stuck open, wide with shock. There was blood dripping from his mouth. It was a most foolish look. What was he fighting for? Did he truly believe all ninja were evil? Or was he simply following orders?

Konohamaru knew he'd never know, just like the dead man didn't how helpless he truly was against the grandson of the Third Hokage. He removed the man's poncho at pulled it over his own head.

He looked down and examined himself. These people have tackiest sense of style. He removed his signature blue neckerchief and ninja headband. He had no intention of rushing in for a full-scale attack as tempting as it was.

He started running again, towards Mitsuki and Himawari's location. Konohamaru knew that there was time, but nonetheless he had to hurry. He had to save his student.

The Flying Raijin jutsu. An almost instantaneous transportation technique invented by the Second Hokage, and taken to further heights by Boruto's grandfather, the Fourth Hokage.

Sarada supposed it was in Boruto's blood. Even so, being the first in over thirty years to be able to use the technique on his own was a stellar feat. Sarada believed her friend might just be the second coming of the Yellow Flash. It was clear that hokage flowed through his veins.

Boruto threw open the door to an old-looking, rickety, abandoned shed for them hide. It was empty. There were short strands of hay on the ground, so Sarada guessed it must've been a gardener's at some point. And it was cozy. Too cozy.

She and Boruto struggled to get themselves in to the shed without bumping their heads against each other. Once inside they each sat against opposing walls, longing for more space.

Sarada looked across to her friend. "Where'd you learn that technique?" She asked.

Boruto didn't look up at her. "Your Dad."

"My Dad can't do the Flying Raijin."

"Yeah but he'd seen my reanimated Granddad and the Second use it during the war with his Sharingan. He knew perfectly well how it worked even though he can't do it himself, so he used genjutsu to show me."

"I see."

"But it's not much. It's not as near as fast as my Granddad's or the Second's. I mastered the basics, but that's about it."

She was impressed at Boruto's modesty. The Boruto's she grew up with was friendly but never missed a chance to boast about his prodigious abilites. "You ought to give yourself some more credit. I mean, it worked pretty well against Haru." She was being sincere. After her father had been taken down, she didn't expect anyone else to be able to even scratch their enemy.

Boruto simply scoffed. "I just got lucky. Caught him off guard. That's all it was." He still wasn't looking at her.

"Yeah but every success means something. You Dad told me-"

"I don't care what my Dad told you!"

She finally saw his wide and hard sapphire-blue eyes. They were filled with icy rage, and boiling sadness.

"The one chance the old man had to be protect his family, and he blew it." He exhaled sharply.

Sarada was taken aback and bunched even tighter against the wall. "I'm sorry." Normally she would've yelled back. But she understood her friend's anger. There were many times in her life that she wished her own father were there for her.

Her friend turned away. Not looking her in the eyes anymore. "What about your Dad?" He said quietly.

"What about him?"

"He's gonna kill you when he gets his on hands you." He said with light, humorless chuckle.

She couldn't help but smile at that. Despite what she thought of him, the man did his best and even gave up an eye to protect everyone. Maybe he isn't so bad after all. "He's gonna more pissed at you."

"For ditching everyone?" He looked at her again, the laughed. "I'm more worried about what my Mom will do. She can be really scary you know."

"I don't mean for ditching everyone. I mean for holding my hand when we jumped."

Boruto's blushed furiously. "I- It was for the jutsu. You know that! He knows that!"

"Yeah, but do you really think that's going to keep him from killing you?"

Boruto's face turned paler that Mitsuki's, and the boy shrunk into himself. Sarada put her fingers to her lips, trying to keep from laughing.

For a while that seemed like days, there was a nagging silence between them. Himawari's stunt kept scratching her mind. She offered herself up on a silver platter to the enemy who she knew would kill her. Did she know that her family and friends would come to her? No. She couldn't have. She forfeited her life for the lives of the people precious to her. Like a real Hokage. Would Sarada had been willing to make such a sacrifice if in the same position as Boruto's sister.

"Why'd you come Sarada?" Boruto's voice shook her from Sarada's self-pity. She looked up the boy. The anger had settled down in his eyes. It had not left them though.

"I just. . . I wanted to save Hima." She said. "And Mitsuki." She quickly added.

"Why him?" Boruto's voice froze Sarada's heart. "He made his choice. I don't plan on risking my neck for him." His voice was as potent as a cobra's venom. Sarada couldn't believe she was hearing this. Was Boruto sick?

"Did I hear you right? It's Mitsuki. Your best friend. I figured that you, having been his friend since the beginning, you would want to save him more than me." She would've yelled but kept her voice down knowing that they were in enemy territory.

"Knowing Mitsuki. He thought everything through. He knew what risks he was taking and the consequences."

"Yeah but. What if he didn't betray us? What if he's just-"

"What? a double agent?" Boruto interrupted. "All the more reason to mind our own business."

"But we're a team. We don't just give up on each other like that."

"He decided to go off on his own!" The anger returned to Boruto's eyes. "He gave up on us. So as far as I'm concerned, He's not our teammate anymore."

What happened to them? What happened to the perfect team they'd built together? Or was it ever perfect?

"If he gets in my way, if he keeps me from saving my sister, I'll kill him." Boruto's words alone could've killed someone. Every word was as heavy and unyielding as a mountain.

"No." Sarada said, with every fiber of her soul. "I won't let you kill him." She activated her Sharingan, glaring at Boruto with all her anger. "The Seventh didn't give up on my Dad when he betrayed the Village."

"Yeah, I heard about that." He coldly. "And both of them lost an arm."

Stop talking. She wanted to say, but couldn't the words to leave her tongue.

"Are you gonna give up an arm to save Mitsuki? Or your life even?" Boruto's eyes pierced like icy swords. It was clear that this boy had no intention to go after Mitsuki.

"I don't know about that. But how can I become Hokage, if I can't even save one friend?" She didn't mean to quote the Seventh, but the words poured out on their own.

Boruto didn't make a reply. She was glad he didn't. Anything further would've started a fight between them, and they had to conserve their energy for their real enemies.

"We should get going." Boruto said. He opened the door slowly checking both sides of the opening to see if they were being watched. "You lead the way." He turned to Sarada. "You know how to get the Uchiha District right?"

"I haven't been there myself, but I know where it is from every angle." She replied stoically.

The two stepped out of the small shed. The sun was setting. "Time's running out." Boruto spoke.

"Follow me." She said to her angry friend who followed behind her. "We should also get some of those Black Sun clothes, to disguise ourselves."

I know there wasn't much action in this chapter. But expect some for later on.

I figure at this point it's only fair to let all you loyal fans know that a theme throughout this fanfiction is helplessness. By having powerful characters being defeated, and naive youngsters being made aware their weaknesses, I hoped to create a situation in which people change because through feeling helpless. I promise you this change won't necessarily be for the best.

I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this, so please stay tuned.

P.S. I am planning another Naruto fanfiction as a sequel to Boruto: Naruto the Movie (I haven't seen the movie but I've the light novel) and the main themes will revolve around human desire and dreams.