(This is between Uncle Sasuke and me. You guys don't get involved.)

On this day, the sunshine was bright and the Konoha Village was as prosperous as usual. On the street filled with people coming and going, a girl was suddenly seen running swiftly over the rooftops of a row of houses.

Sarada held the photo of her father with an unfamiliar woman, rushing towards the Hokage building. Looking at the red towering building with the Hokage Rock, her jet black eyes were filled with determination.

——The Seventh Hokage must know where dad is now. I'm going to ask dad personally...

She tightened her grip on the photo, unintentionally crumpling the red-haired woman in the picture.

——Just who is this bespectacled woman!

Wary of the shinobi walking to and fro, Sarada stopped outside the door of the Hokage's office, panting for breath with her hands on her knees to calm her rapid, erratic breathing. After quite a while, she finally settled down. Unconsciously clutching the photo to her chest with one hand, she raised her other hand, about to knock on the door.

".....I can only ask for details face-to-face."

The Seventh Hokage's voice drifted out.

Sarada's raised hand paused.

"Anyway, meet up with Sasuke first."

Sarada was startled. There was silence inside for a moment before the Seventh Hokage's voice sounded again, much closer to the door this time. She quickly hid herself behind a nearby wall. But this did not prevent her from hearing the Seventh Hokage's final sentence, unusually grave in tone:

"Those guys are after Chitose, and have likely already succeeded......I have to hurry."

The blonde man in a cloak and his advisor walked out one after the other towards the outside in a hurry, while the black-haired and snow-skinned girl leaned against the wall with a dazed look on her face. Only when the footsteps of the other two had faded away did she absentmindedly emerge from the deserted place, staring blankly at the end of the corridor for a moment before suddenly returning to her senses. She then turned around, slipping out of the window of the corridor.

A bad premonition that grew increasingly acute suddenly arose in the girl's heart.

Big brother...

The sight of her brother leaving the village flashed across her mind, making her heart panic.

Returning to the hospital, she suppressed her shaking hands and pushed open the door to her still unconscious mother's room. After staring at Sakura's weary face for a while, Sarada looked up at the clock on the wall and bit her lip.

The Seventh Hokage should have arrived at the village gate by now.

***

Hiding behind a big tree not far from the village gate and already changed into simple and neat combat gear, Sarada watched Naruto and Shikamaru with a solemn look. Suddenly, the carefree voice of her friend Chocho rang out beside her, giving her a fright: "Yo, been waiting long Sarada?"

She turned to see Chocho with a fully prepared expression as if going on an excursion, unable to help frowning awkwardly: "Sorry Chocho, but can we go look for your dad next time? "

The chubby girl was startled for a moment before noticing her bosom buddy's full battle readiness with bad complexion. Somewhat worried, she asked: "What's wrong? You don't look too good——"

"Ah!" Before she could finish speaking, Sarada who had been closely watching Naruto suddenly exclaimed upon seeing him bolt towards the outskirts of the village. Immediately she wanted to give chase but was grabbed by the hand by Chocho instead: "Sarada?"

The little miss couldn't help feeling anxious, trying to pull her hand free: " Chocho, I have to follow the Seventh Hokage to go find my brother this time! He seems to be in danger! So looking for your dad will have to wait for next time, alright?"

Chocho was shocked to hear this but still tightened her grip on Sarada: "There's danger for Chitose as well? But I still feel you shouldn't go! It'd be even more dangerous for you if Chitose doesn't want to see you getting hurt because of him!"

Sarada turned to retort: "But——"

"Hey!" Boruto's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting her.

Sarada looked back at him in surprise while Chocho watched them, somewhat worried: "Although Boruto whose skills aren't bad will be going along, it's still a bit worrying..."

Mitsuki beside her lamented instead: "Chitose is really the only person who can make those two get along, huh."

Shikamaru on the other hand was thinking even more than them. He was unable to stop those two brats so he might as well let them stick with Naruto, still safer to some extent. However...

He took one final look before turning to leave, busy with handling various matters. He had an inexplicable feeling that things this time wouldn't be so simple.

*

The two walking side by side had somehow fallen silent at some point. Having found out the general situation from Sarada, Boruto's expression was somewhat gloomy.

The specifics were obviously unclear to the girl as well. Only "Chitose has fallen into enemy hands" was undoubtedly true. And for enemies that required the village's Hokage to personally take action, they surely wouldn't be simple.

Boruto furrowed his brows in annoyance.

That guy Chitose...isn't he in some faraway place? How did he get found so easily?

Suddenly, he alertly halted his footsteps and called out to the girl: "Sarada!"

Sarada reacted slower than him but her weapon was also already drawn.

The boy and girl warily eyed the person who had just dropped down to block their path.

Sarada already vaguely guessed in her heart. First her brother's side, now her side too... Were they after the Uchiha?

However, the next second, she saw the Sharingan with three tomoe revealed in the boy's eyes who had raised his head. The shock in her heart made her eyes wide in disbelief as she instinctively tightened her grip on the kunai in hand, vigilant.

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"Those eyes... Just who are you?"

The white-haired boy remained expressionless, only an icy aura constantly emitted from him: "Uchiha Shin."

Sarada sucked in a breath of cold air beside Boruto then almost snarled: "There's only my dad, brother and I left of the Uchiha clan!"

Boruto glanced at the girl in mild surprise over her use of "only left".

——Only left over? Were there many in the past?

But faced with her interrogation, the boy merely took out a scroll: "Come with me."

Sarada pushed her glasses up. If this person had taken her brother away...

"Hey you! What have you bastards done to Chitose!" Just as she was about to speak, Boruto's voice sounded first, asking the very question she wanted to.

So she fixed a piercing stare on the boy opposite them.

"Lord Chitose is by my father's side." Upon mention of Chitose, for the first time the icy look of the boy changed somewhat but remained expressionless overall.

Exchanging glances, astonishment and puzzlement were apparent in Boruto and Sarada's eyes.

"Lord......Chitose?" Boruto muttered, repeating Shin Uchiha's words.

But the other party clearly did not intend to say anything more. Seeing Sarada show no intention of leaving with him, he took out his weapon from the scroll, killing intent instantly erupting from him: "Abducting you away." With that, the sharp scythe attached to that chain shot towards Sarada swiftly.

Sarada's expression turned cold. Accurately gauging the height of the scythe, her foot pushed off the ground in a kick and she leapt up, dodging the scythe. Then with her right hand she rapidly fired several shuriken before landing a foot on the attached chain of the scythe, jerking the boy holding the chain till he stumbled.

Now's the chance!

The black-eyed girl called out: "Boruto!"

The golden haired boy had somehow already arrived behind that staggered boy: "No need to tell me!"

Having finished his last hand seal: "Wind Release: Breakthrough!"

The spiraling cyclone brought up a cloud of dust and blasted the caught off guard boy away. But unfazed by the wounds sliced open by the wind blades, he quickly stabilized himself in midair while giving the chain he held a forceful tug.

Sarada who still had her foot on that chain lost balance and fell. Boruto watched the boy land on a high tree branch, clicking his tongue in irritation just as he was about to give chase. Then he sensed the wind pressure attacking from behind his head! Caught unaware, he hastily turned to see a leaf-shaped sharp blade already right before his eyes.

That weapon! Is that knife connected to the back of this blade too?!

Boruto's blue eyes shifted from the blade of that knife to the horrified contracting of his own pupils reflected in it.

Having tumbled to the ground, Sarada watched and shouted: "Boruto!"

Clash!

At the critical moment, the sound of weapons colliding suddenly rang out, barely an inch from Boruto's eyes. The wielder of that long knife forcefully deflected the three-pronged weapon with a swipe before promptly pulling back his chained weapon.

Boruto dumbly blinked at the long knife in front of him. Its owner gave a sharp tug of the chain to withdraw his own weapon, then respectfully knelt on one knee towards the suddenly appeared person, right fist against the ground: "Lord Chitose."

Giving a start, Boruto hastily turned. Seeing the side profile of that black-haired, black-eyed boy right before him, he murmured in bewilderment: "Chitose?"

But the latter only retrieved his own long knife without bothering to respond. Nodding slightly to Boruto, his gaze was already fixed on Sarada.

Ignoring the still kneeling boy, he quickly strode to Sarada's side and pulled her up by the hand before getting tackled into a hug the next second: "Big brother!"

The corner of his mouth hooked up as he raised a hand to pat Sarada's head: "It's alright now, Sarada. You're not hurt right?"

"Mm!" Sarada shrank into his embrace, nodding her head then abruptly recalled something. Pulling away some distance, she grabbed her brother's arm and anxiously checked him over: "What about big brother then? I heard you were in danger!"

Somewhat at a loss, Boruto watched from the sidelines. He saw Chitose's smile instantly turn superficial. Without answering Sarada's doubts, he instead blandly said while glancing at Boruto: "You two shouldn't have come, Boruto, Sarada."

Giving Sarada's shoulder a reassuring pat, he then released her and headed towards that still kneeling boy despite the confused looks from both.

Not knowing when, a dwarfish one-eyed creature had appeared by the boy's side.

Halting before it, Chitose's tone was icy cold, his black pupils deeply obscure: "Why make a move on Sarada?"

That thing kept silent for a while before slowly answering: "......Sasuke is a traitor to the Uchiha clan, his daughter should also——"

His words were cut off by the blade abruptly pointed at his neck.

"Silence. I'm the one who judges if he's a traitor or not, you've no right to pass verdict on matters of the Uchiha clan."

The boy's voice was exceptionally icy, mingled with a fearsome aura of killing intent.

Watching her brother who had somehow become somewhat unfamiliar, Sarada stood in place, rather at a loss. Boruto watched this scene unfolding before him in puzzlement. About to inquire Chitose, he subconsciously felt this wasn't the right time to speak out.

That single-eyed creature's expression turned sinister for a moment from Chitose's blade poke. Fresh blood trickled down.

"Don't implicate unrelated people again. This isn't a warning but an order."

The black-haired boy's eyes were narrowed, his entire being exuding astonishing momentum. Out of sight from Boruto and Sarada's angle, the cruel coldness in his pitch black eyes as he emotionlessly watched that one-eyed creature was akin to looking at a dead object. His brows were knitted with killing intent, sharp eyes seeming to want to pierce through it on the spot. Beneath those obscure dark pupils even flickered hard to discern traces of loathing.

Beads of cold sweat unknowingly slid down that creature's face under such a gaze. Keeping mum for good while, it finally squeezed out a reluctant "...Understood."

Chitose sneered coldly in his heart as he watched its expression.

Just then, Naruto's voice abruptly rang out from the side, freezing the young lad: "Chitose...what exactly is going on?"

"Dad?"

"Seventh Hokage!"

Boruto and Sarada cried out at Naruto's sudden appearance. But Naruto only silently watched Chitose who had turned to face him without a word. He asked again: "What are you trying to do, Chitose?"

The scene before him completely clashed with his imagined scenario of Chitose captured by enemies or something.

Likewise waiting for Chitose's explanation, Boruto and Sarada stared at him.

An unbearable silence descended among the few.

Just when Boruto couldn't hold back and was about to speak, Chitose finally moved. But his first words chilled the hearts of Naruto's group.

"This has nothing to do with Seventh Hokage Naruto or Boruto and Sarada."

Dressed in black with a long blade in hand, the composed look on the young lad's face held no expression besides aloofness. Making those present feel somewhat uneasy.

"Hey, hey Chitose. What're you...why're you standing together with those enemies! Isn't it us who're your companions!" Unable to endure Chitose's cold demeanor, Boruto burst out.

——He was still so gentle that night at Mount Hot Water's haunted temple. Why's he so ruthless now?

The scene of that night inevitably flashed across the blond boy's mind. Bathed under the firelight, the black pupils contained intoxicating warmth while handsome brows and eyes were filled with gentleness. The corners of his mouth even lifted in a faint smile. Compared to the current person staring emotionlessly back after taking a stand against him as an enemy, Boruto couldn't help feeling flustered.

I really...don't want you looking at me with such eyes anymore Chitose! What's the difference between eyes like these and your initial indifference when we first met! If that's so, what about your earlier gentleness!

Clenching his fists tightly, Boruto's eyes grew somewhat red without him realizing. He stared fixedly at Chitose opposite, even having an urge to stride over and loudly interrogate why he was looking at him with those eyes.

Watching the aloof faced Chitose, Naruto had a fleeting sense of facing the Sasuke from the past. Taking a deep breath to calm his mood getting somewhat chaotic over this thought, he echoed his son's words: "That's right Chitose. I don't know what you're trying to do now but aren't we your comrades! What can't you tell and must rely on enemies instead!"

Chitose silently looked from Boruto to Naruto. Raising a hand, he sheathed the long knife by his waist.

Then meeting Naruto's gaze, he enunciated word for word: "I only want to know the truth. Yet you guys are destined to never tell me."

In that instant, it was as if someone had smashed a rod on Naruto's head, nearly making him unable to stand. He blankly watched Chitose with his mouth opening and closing, at a total loss how to react. His mind went completely blank as he absentmindedly watched Chitose's mouth shape cold, heartless words.

"This is between Uncle Sasuke and me."

Chitose deeply regarded the three for a moment before shifting away. The Sharingan eye of that single-eyed creature released a grey spatial vortex that enveloped him and Shin Uchiha. His final words lingered for a long time around the ears of those three.