Approaching Day

Sarada posed in front of the mirror. No wonder… Kouga liked to play around. She felt like a completely new person, confident and powerful.

She looked around her new room, simply furnished. To think there were even rooms for people to stay connected to the Hall of Rinshinsho. There was a complete training facility and weaponry room, filled with all sorts of weapons and devices.

Did Kouga's mom support him to do all this…

…So rich??

That was what Sarada thought first. And the support behind Rinshinsho… Kouga claimed his mother had some super secret organisation. It was all true…?

Sarada had so many questions. She looked down at the white sparrow hiding beneath her cloth. It's Sharingan staring back at her. 

What is that man… Pontifex is it. Why did he have so many Sharingans planted on his head? Was he an Uchiha as well?

Is Kouga really serious? Is this just an unnecessarily expensive elaborate play?

Sarada sighed, feeling tired mentally. She took off her costume, wearing her normal clothes back. She came out to the main hall, her mind filled with many things to ask to his dad.

"Equinox, make yourself at home. You are a part of the Order now." Umbra sat on the stone throne at the other end of the stone table, elegantly crossing his legs. His deep cold voice still made Sarada dazed for a while.

"It's… quite hard to get used to. Umbra. I will go home first."

Umbra nodded. He raised his arm, an Eye Creature with wings and tail flew out onto a wall. Its Sharingan spun, the wall trembled and split open to reveal a long hallway.

"This exit leads to the abandoned building we came in before. Our fate will cross again after the next dawn… tomorrow then…" Basically see you in class tomorrow.

Sarada nodded and went through the exit. She found herself in the abandoned building after unlocking the other stone door, letting her out.

She noticed Boruto was still here, dazing around.

Sarada chuckled. "It's all unreal right."

"Yeah… it felt so unreal-ttebasa…"

"Kouga said our parents knew… should we…?"

"Yeah... I will ask my dad." Boruto wanted to get to the bottom of it. A part of him felt it's all maybe just extravagant play Kouga made, hopefully.

Sarada returned home, seeing her mom taking dried laundry outside. She went to help and couldn't help but ask her first.

"Mama, is it true there's… um… Otsutsuki clan…?"

 Sakura was shocked, her hands stopped moving.

"Who told you that?" She looked more worried than anything.

"So… it's true? That they would be coming?"

Sakura looked at the sides, at the ground, then back at her.

"It's something we adults would prepare for. We don't know exactly when. In a way it's been a long time, a thousand years I think? And those people haven't come yet. It might be the next year, or another hundred years when neither me or you can do anything about. That's why, don't worry!"

Seeing Sarada being silent, Sakura couldn't help but ask again.

"How did you know? It's classified information. We don't want the village to panic out of threats that might not even come in hundreds of years…"

"Uh… Kouga…"

"Huh? Oh… Huh? So his antics on Evil Gods and what not were about those?" Sakura thought that kid was just imaginative.

Maybe Tsuyu told him? Given her personality, maybe she just wanted her son to train harder and just let him know.

Sakura smiled at Kouga, patting her shoulder. "Do not worry yet. But don't slack off either."

"Got it, mama."

***

Boruto returned home, noticing his dad was late again as usual. He saw Himawari colouring with some crayons and just went to join. Redrawing his costumes to see if it could be cooler. Himawari had ideas and also put more designs to them.

Time passed slowly. 

"Mm…" Himawari took a Shuukaku plushie and went to take a nap on the sofa. 

"I am home." Naruto came in, exhaustion apparent in his face. But he still smiled seeing Himawari napping on the sofa, then at his wife preparing dinner for them. 

He went to take a look at the stuff they drew.

"What's all this-ttebayo?" Naruto chuckled seeing the stick figure in some weird clothes. But the blonde hair of the stick figure was him or Boruto?

Boruto felt a bit embarrassed. He really drew stuff like a kid, infected with Kouga's virus…

"Hey, Tou-chan." Boruto finally had the courage to ask.

"Hm?" Naruto waited.

"Does aunt really have some secret organisation?"

Naruto went quiet for a while, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Uh. You could say that. But… don't get close to it, understand? They protect Konoha too… but… I don't want you to get involved with them. Their methods weren't… exactly good."

"Why do you ask?" Naruto looked at Boruto, feeling anxious inside. He didn't believe Tsuyu would pull his son in that direction.

"It's a long story-ttebasa…"

"Then let's sit down. Go on." Naruto rest against the sofa, patting his side to let Boruto sit next to him.

"The thing is… you know how Kouga was being weird at times?"

"Uhuh?"

"Well… was it all true? There's… aliens, and they would be coming?"

"... What… ahaha… Boruto, Kouga were just playing." 

"He seemed so serious though… he said he wanted to help his mom-ttebasa. I don't think he would play about that. He even had pictures of some ruins… and… well, he explained stuffs. He called them Otsutsuki."

The theatrics may be a lie, but when Kouga said it without his mask, he could feel his honesty. 

Naruto frowned, clearly displeased that Boruto even knew the information. But his frowning expression returned to normal.

"Sigh. Yes… It's true but It's nothing to worry about. Hey we defeated one that's super strong already. We could defeat a new one if they come too-ttebayo!" Naruto grinned at his son, making sure he knew it's nothing.

Boruto thought about it, and it really seemed right. They already defeated one. It doesn't seem to be that worrying?

"You are right…" Boruto laughed a little. 

"But I can't just leave it to dad and others right? I want to help you too-ttebasa!"

Naruto rubbed his head. "Sure sure. I am sure you could one day."

"But really, what did Kouga say?" Naruto wanted to know the full context.

"Uhh… we just chatted and he was acting as usual… and he just spilled the beans." Boruto felt the need to keep Rinshinsho a secret, like a real one.

"... I see. Haha, leave those aliens to me! I punched that Bunny Grandma hard once ya know!"

"Woah… Is that Kaguya strong?"

"Yeah. You know we fought this guy and he suddenly got stabbed by this black thing and then this woman just appeared. Crazy stuff…" His voice weakened slightly at the end. 

That fight wasn't exciting, instead it's depressing because of what happened in the end. He recalled the time when he had to seal Tsuyu with his own hand.

Seeing Naruto stop narrating and having a blank expression so suddenly, Boruto poked his side a few times.

"Dad?"

"Huh? Haha. Sorry, I guess I was just a bit tired…" His voice was weary, his eyes tired.

"It's okay dad." Boruto smiled, understanding and didn't mind it.

"Boruto, Naruto, dinner is ready." Hinata went out of the kitchen and went to wake Himawari meanwhile.

***

"Everyone! We have a new transfer student-ttebayo! He is from Otogakure, go on Mitsuki, introduce yourself."

The pale skinned young boy came forward.

"I am Mitsuki. I moved to Konoha to find my own path… Pleased to meet everyone." He was calm and mature looking. The girls in class swooned over seeing how handsome and pretty he was. He almost had an androgynous look to him.

Sarada and Boruto looked at him, not surprised and expecting him. They chatted briefly to introduce one another and he let them see his face and revealed he would be in their class.

Mitsuki went to sit on an empty seat behind Kouga. His eyes were staring at Kouga's back, the person who gazed at him with a purpose. As a synthetic human being, he didn't know what kind of existence he was supposed to have.

But Kouga lent his hand, telling him he could just be Mitsuki, Solstice of The Order.

Since then, he had seen Kouga as his Sun…

Chocho took a chip under the table she hid, taking one into her mouth before whispering to Sarada.

"You think he had a crush on Kouga…? He seemed to keep looking at him. He got that pretty look too…. You think…"

"W-what…? What nonsense are you talking about!" Sarada blushed.

Mika overhearing them frowned. Two human males…is it possible? She recalled a novel that she saw on the dark corner in the bookstore a few days ago… perhaps… she could take a look she thought. To read was to understand the human experience…

Without anyone knowing, Mika was pulled into a forbidden world.

"No talking in class you two." Naruto called out with a huff.

"Sorry sensei!" Sarada buried herself under the table. It's all Chocho's fault for even saying such nonsense!

The days passed in peace. In close to 7 months, the graduation exam will be held.

Many would want to graduate early as it would mean they were a genius, and everyone that had a clan behind them all applied for early graduation to not embarrass their parents.

Tsuyu definitely questioned Sasuke once since she expected Sasuke would make some changes since Kakashi refused. 

Tsuyu tried to use logic on the fact that having everyone graduate at 16 wouldn't reduce manpower at all and instead would even increase overall retention.

The deathrate reduced, the birthrate maintained, the number of people graduating each year remained the same whether you lower the age or not since people were a finite resource.

Despite her argument, Sasuke felt it was good enough to give their parents to choose, and if they really were ready to graduate at 12 minimum. There was also political pressure from the Shinobi clans that refused change. These children's own parents give consent to let them become child soldiers, what can they say? So the system remained somewhat.

The time eventually arrived, a week before the Graduation Exam was held. Naruto took a look at the stack of application forms the class president just handed to him.

"Half of the class applied…" Naruto counted. His own son included as he thought Boruto was strong for his age seeing his performance in class, even more than Naruto…

He wasn't sure why, but he recalled the time back then. He was quite good too really, but he had it hard with Tsuyu training him. And it really was just in taijutsu then since he was just bad at everything else. He was desperate to prove himself, and endured a lot…

But seeing all these kids performing, he felt that he really was, nothing. Boruto didn't need to train hard like he did to get on his level. Naruto insisted him to take it easier, and even then his own son surpassed him easily at his age, as if Naruto's efforts were a stupid joke if placed here.

Naruto shook his head, shaking his thoughts away before it could consume him.

"All these kids were good…"He muttered as he gave his stamp to each of them.