Saruto | The Bloodline Prophecy (Part 1)

Chapter 33: Attack on the Leaf Part 1: A Village on Fire

"Saruto! Stay here with your grandmother and cousins!" I willfully shouted at my son.

He was concerned as he stood there aimless on the lawn of my mother's house. I knew that he was going to try and follow me. Looking back at the overlook at the view of the village above I heard and saw explosions. I need to get to the fight fast. We were under attack. I couldn't allow myself to be distracted by the ambitions of Saruto.

Catching his gaze, I gave him a hard look of intent that what I was asking of him was important. In his small stature, he looked back up at me. Although he had just graduated and was a chunin at age 9, I couldn't help but still see a child whom I would die for.

Suddenly, an explosion coursed through the cliffside and I realized that this was serious. Bracing myself, I looked wonderfully at Saruto. He had to understand that he could not fight this fight. He looked as though he had something to say to me but held it back. I nodded and then turned to my mother who stood in the doorway, Haru and Tsuki wrapping themselves around her legs. They were afraid.

It had been over a decade since we were faced with any threats. At least any to this magnitude, at least not since the days of Isshiki and the Kara threats. As I stared down at the village I couldn't help but feel a familiarity of this threat. Something wasn't right.

"Boruto..." My mother softly spoke as she gripped Haru and Tsuki to her side.

I looked back at her and then at Saruto. Closing my eyes hard, I cleared my head so that I could think straight. I wanted so badly to stay with my son but I knew my duty and what I needed to do.

"Mom," I stared longingly into Saruto's sky blue eyes, and then looked up to her, "Protect them."

She immediately nodded and I wasted no time leaping over the white picket fence, down the steep lawn, over the stone barriers, and down the Hokage cliff. As I scaled the cliffs, I felt conflicted as to whether it was smart to leave my son. But my mother was with him. I had to have faith that she would protect him.

I knew that he would have no problems protecting her as well. He was a very capable shinobi. I am a prodigy at best. But while he was smart in a familiar environment. This would be uncharted territory. And I can't just allow myself to endanger him. He was just too young. And yet I was where he was at some point in my life.

As I scaled down the Hokage faces, I scanned the village as I saw lower level shinobi helping with evacuations. Touching base on the village grounds, I noticed clouds looming in. A storm was coming.

In a sprint, I ran down the streets and then scaled up the shops and onto the roofs to gain ground. As I came closer to the Town Square, the buildings looked more and more like rubble. As I whisked through the air, I almost found myself missing someone reaching out from under some rumble. Backtracking myself I landed on an unstable roof. As I got closer to the rubble the person trapped recognized me.

"Lord Boruto!" He called out.

I was quick to grab his hand.

"I am here! Are you hurt?" I comfortingly spoke out.

"No sir!" he winced, "just my leg!"

No vital points were hurt. That was good.

"Okay, I am going to lift. I am going to need you to tell me when you can freely get free. Got it?"

He immediately nods as he watches me squat down and dig my hands under rubble. I looked back to him for one last reassurement. Clearly distressed, he nodded and then closed his eyes. I let out a big huff as I struggled to lift the boulder. I felt the strain in my arms as I continued to lift it higher and higher. From the excessive use of my strength, I began to scream as it became high enough for him to crawl out.

"I'm good!" He notified me.

Immediately I dropped the boulder and it shook the building. It was going to collapse. Quickly I grabbed the injured shinobi and leapt away from the roof and onto a neighboring block.

Once we were at a safe distance I looked back to see that the entire building had collapsed. That was close.

Looking back at the injured shinobi, I saw that his legs were badly bleeding out. As he laid there in pain, I was quick to rip off a piece of my under clothing to cut off the circulation in both of his legs. He winced in pain as I used my teeth to pull the cloth back and tighter. Soon footsteps approached from behind me and a medical ninja intervened. Before I could continue towards the Town Square, I clenched the shinobi's hand reassuring him.

"You're going to be okay!" I smiled.

He nervously smiled back.

"Thank you." He softly spoke.

Nodding, I then turned towards some shinobi to be informed of the situation.

"What's the situation?"

"Lord Boruto!" One spoke out with a bow, "Ah, yes! We have been attacked from both the East main gate and South gate at approximately 0900 this morning!"

"By who?"

"That is still unknown, sir!" He spoke out with intent, "But Lord Hokage along with Lord Sixth and Lady Fifth are engaged with the enemy at the Main gate. At the South gate, Lady Sarada and Lady Hima are holding back the enemy's reinforcements."

"I see."

As I rubbed my chin, I stared off into the direction of the Main gate. Who exactly are we fighting against to cause three hokages to engage with the enemy?

"And the Shadow Hokage?" I questioned.

"Sasuke Uchiha has been notified of the attack and is making arrangements away from his duties in the Outlands with Konohamaru Sarutobi."

As I looked up at the sky I thought about Kawaki. Where are you? I mumbled under my breath. I understood that we weren't on speaking terms. At least not since Mitsuki's funeral. But I needed him now.

As the clouds continued to darken, an abrupt explosion from the direction of the south gate rang through my ears. Everyone was on immediate alert. I watched as the shinobi flood from that direction.

"What happened!" I shouted.

A distressed shinobi stumbled in my direction without even an acknowledgement of what was in front of him.

"More enemy forces are flooding the south gate!" He shook.

No, Sarada and Hima are there!

"And my wife and sister?" I nervously asked.

With those words he finally looked to see who I was. His eyes widened in sadness.

"Sir..." I vaguely proposed not wanting to give me false hope.

Not waiting for him to respond, I leapt up on the roofs and headed in the direction of the south gate. I yearned to see them from the height of the structures but all I could see was a fight in the distance.

Please be okay.