Saruto | The Celestial War (Part 2)

Chapter 2: Five Years

Levitating down to the wooden porch, I approach the weakened state of my friends. Kakashi gets to his feet and stumbles before I lay out my hand to touch his chest. In an instant he is healed and looks at my face with mystery.

"Saruto?" Tsuki's voice wandered from behind me, "Is that you?"

Turning around to meet her gaze, I remembered how long it had been since I had seen my friends.

"Cousin," I responded.

My eyes then wander to her neck to see a bruise.

Her eyes widened at the sight of me. Walking towards me, her hands lift up to me.

"I don't understand," Haru says from behind her, "What happened to you?"

Before I could respond, Kakashi emerged from beside me, "He went back in time."

They all widen their eyes as they come to the realization that I was gone for a long time. Seeing all their states of being, I could tell they all were in pain from their fight with Shishiki and Seishiki.

"Graceful touch," I whispered and immediately their wounds healed.

Tsuki then reached to feel her neck and the bruise was gone.

"What is this power?" Choban spoke as he rubbed his arm, which was previously broken and face scarred.

"Chaos chakra," a soft voice spoke as a woman walked through the door of the structure.

"Shikadami?" Haru spoke as she looked at her friend.

Shikadami stood with her hands wrapped around herself. She wore a black half crop top with black sleeves that ended at her top check. She wore a green skirt and white wrapping around her legs like socks. Her dark brown hair stretched to her shoulders. Through Haru's eyes her hair was short and she was more mature. Her eyes then glided towards the neck where she wore the Uzumaki-Uchiha symbol.

As Shikadami walked into view everyone they noticed a girl walking behind her.

"What?" Haru questioned as the girl was disciplined by Shikadami's side.

"My daughter," Shikadami responded, then looking up to me, "Our daughter."

"What?" Tsuki spoke with shock.

The girl looked up to them with a mysterious gaze.

"How long were you gone?" Choban spoke with a hurt tone.

Looking down to my daughter and then to them, "Five and half years"

Tsuki then stepped back, creaking the boards beneath her. Putting her hand over to her mouth, she tried to hide her feelings. As I felt their chakra shift, I noticed Haru glance back into the structure.

My heart sank as I reminisced about him.

"W-Where's Inojou?"

I then glanced down as a wave of sadness flowed through me.

"W-Where's Inojou?" she repeated.

"Haru..." Shikadami spoke in sadness.

"No," Haru spoke, her voice croaking, "no, no, no."

As I looked at her, her eyes welled up in tears. Choban then clenched his teeth.

"No," Haru denied, "I just saw him, he was alive. We all did!"

As she hugged herself, her face streamed in tears.

"He was," Shikadami sympathized but Haru had already collapsed.

Choban and Tsuki came to her side and clutched her as she wailed. I felt her pain fill the air and she cried out to him. She had loved and in an instant, he was gone. Shikadami was quick to run and hug her. She cried into her shoulder, trying to hold onto the pain.

Her cries filled the cliffs as I began to feel the pain of his death all over again. Pain pierced the cold, winter air.

Inojou, my friend, was gone.