BORUTO : A Shinobi's Legacy

CHAPTER 21 : TRAUMA

Weeks passed by since Kawaki's battle with Amado, Shikamaru ordered ANBU's investigation team to scout the area that Amado & Kawaki was assigned to go since they haven't returned back to the village yet. No chakra traces of them.

{ SIDE INFO }
The reason that their chakra traces were gone is because of Amado's self-destruct explosion. It contains a super high nuclear fusion energy light style particle which eliminates everything that's in its way including chakra. This technology concept is also similar to Delta's light beam.

Shikamaru fearing that Code might have something to do with it, he also assigned Mirai, the Sensory team & the Ninja tool Scientist team to also investigate the area.

3 days later, finally they've found Kawaki washed up by the riverside unconscious. 2 of the sensory team Mirai & Kurami inform Shikamaru & take Kawaki back home & the rest of the team are still searching for Amado, Colt & Tadachi. Naruto, Hinata & Himawari are relieved by the good news. But Shikamaru has some suspicions towards Kawaki since they still can't find Amado yet.

The next day, finally Kawaki wakes up & his wounds are regenerating back. Naruto, Hinata & Himawari are beside him.. Naruto hugs him while crying.

- Naruto : Kawaki, where have you been? What happened?? Please don't make me & your mom worried like that my idiot son!.

- Kawaki : Hmm. I'm sorry..

Meanwhile Shikamaru is standing by the door staring suspiciously at Kawaki. Sumire comes & rushes to Kawaki worried about him. Sumire tries to talk to Kawaki but he just stares down looking at his karma. It's like he's trying to recover & recall what happened recently. Sumire understood his trauma and just sat beside him.

- Sumire while smiling : If you do have anything that you want to share, I'm here for you. Perhaps I might be able to help you with it.

Naruto & Hinata left the room giving Kawaki & Sumire some privacy. Shikamaru pulls Naruto aside and talks slowly to him.

- Shikamaru : We can't find Amado, Colt & Tadachi.. There's not even a single trace of them. I suspect Kawaki is plotting something.

- Naruto : Shikamaru! what made you think like that. Don't accuse such things without having any solid evidence that leads to your thought.

- Shikamaru : The sensory team can't even find or trace their chakra.. Usually in a case like this, there's only 1 way it can happen. I suspect Kawaki used his karma to teleport them away. I'm going to interrogate him once he's at least 80% recovered.

- Naruto : Calm down Shikamaru.. You're being hasty & naive here to accuse him of doing such things. Give him time to recover, then ask him nicely. Even i need to know about it.

- Shikamaru : Tch.. I hope I'm wrong about this. But we don't have much time.. It's Amado who's missing here.. Anytime Code could easily get him & lift his limiters off..

- Naruto : Relax Shikamaru, this is unlike you at all. If what you're saying turns out to be true, then I doubt that Code is able to access Kawaki's karma time-space even though both of their karma is based on Isshiki or should I say used too.. Nor do I think Kawaki is colluding with Code.

- Shikamaru : You do realise me and him had come trust issues in the past.. Ever since that day where he killed his own brother, I've completely lost my trust in him. How can you still trust him completely?!

- Naruto : Listen Shikamaru, I've never told anyone about this before but here's what I've learned from stopping Pain. The past can't be changed, it is what it is. But we still can change the future. That's why we need to guide him, have faith & trust in him. We need to be by his side at times like this.

- Shikamaru : How can you be so sure that he will change ?

- Naruto : Simple, I've been there before. I don't want him to walk the wrong path. After all, he's my one & only son right now. I can't afford to lose him too. As long as I'm still breathing, I will always be by his side & guide him.

The next day, Shikamaru & Naruto visit Kawaki at the hospital to investigate what has happened.

- Naruto to Kawaki : Have you get some breakfast yet? I'm glad that you're recovering quickly. (Kawaki just stares at Naruto while remembering what Amado told him)

- Shikamaru : Hey Kawaki, The hokage is talking to you. Don't just ignore him. Have some respect would ya. I'm going to ask you. What happened? Where's Amado, Colt & Tadashi?

- Kawaki inner logue : Even if i tell the truth, I doubt that this goat (Shikamaru) will believe me and going to accuse me of stupid stuff.

Shikamaru raises his voice to Kawaki as he repeats the same question for the third time.

- Kawaki : Ooi goat man, can you just shut up for a moment. I'm just about to speak up.

Shikamaru just stumbles while saying "What did you just call me? huh.. What a drag, Fine then, speak up. Don't you dare lie to us". Kawaki finally speaks up to them but twisting the story a bit since he doesn't want to deal with Shikamaru's doubts if he tells the truth.

- Kawaki : The moment we reached the cave, Code attacked us.

- Shikamaru : WHAT!! Then what happened to Amado, Colt & Tadashi?!

- Kawaki : Those 2 were killed by Code. While Amado... (Kawaki stay silent for several minutes)

- Shikamaru : Ooi, tell us more.. Did Code take him away?!

- Kawaki : Fortunately no, but unfortunately Amado sacrificed his life. He did manage to immobilise Code for a moment. Then self destruct himself, taking Code with him. He did that to prevent Code to lift off his limiter.

- Shikamaru : So can you confirm that Code really died from it? If what you're saying is true, then we could have traced Colt & Tadashi's chakra signature at least.

- Kawaki : No, I can't confirm that he died from the explosion.. regarding Colt & Tadashi's bodies & chakra trace, I've noticed that the explosion is based on a high light beam that will even destroy cells & chakra. Something like that.

- Shikamaru : Huh, So it's basically like Delta's laser eye beam. What a drag. So, we still need to continue our search for Code even more now.

- Naruto : Unfortunately so.

- Code : Ugghh!! That coward! After long years hiding, finally made a surprise return all of a sudden. We've already wasted a lot of resources & manpower just to find 1 idiot. It's getting frustrating. That said, I'm still putting you under intense surveillance, since he will probably hunt you down to feed you to the ten tails.

- Kawaki inner logue : Tssh.. Again and again, treating me like a caged animal by putting idiots to watch me. I just want to be free from this curse. Sometimes, I want to end my own life because I'm tired of all of this. But... (Kawaki glances at Naruto) I can't die yet as long as Nanadaime is still alive in this cursed world. Without him, this cursed world is meaningless to me.

Kawaki remembered what Amado said in the future event.

- Kawaki inner logue while staring at his karma : That's right, I'm going to use this curse to become even stronger until that day comes. I will use all of my strength to try to change the trajectory of the future and to prevent that event from happening.