Saruto | The Celestial War (Part 2)

Chapter 10: A Ghost Hidden In The Stones

"T-They will all die," an Otsutsuki zetsu puppet croaked as I had my foot on its windpipe.

Suddenly, it grabbed my leg and my eyes glowed black.

As I stared at its cold and lifeless eyes, I felt an anger I had not felt in a long time. Immediately my eyes rolled back and I saw a flash of pain.

"Arghh!" I winced before turning back to the smiling Otsutsuki zetsu puppet.

Blood dripped from its mouth as it transferred negative feelings into my mind. Screaming, I used my strength to sever the head under my foot. As its blood splattered on my face, I huffed as I tried to calm myself down. Suddenly, I heard more Otsutsuki zetsu puppets approach me, some crawling on all fours. They moved inhumanly. As my breath grew heavy, I pierced my lip as I drew out the anger I had kept in.

As they reached me, I formed a partial susanoo as a left arm and grabbed one Otsutsuki zetsu puppet, crushing it in my grasp in one attempt. My eyes glowed with my Mangekyo Sharingan as I looped through the Otsutsuki zetsu puppets and used my bare hands to kill them.

Flashes of Sakura crossed my mind as I fell into blind rage, killing everything that crossed my path.

After I had massacred the Otsutsuki zetsu puppets I stood solemnly and looked at the ground that had been pooling with blood.

What would she say?

"Sasuke."

"Sakura?"

My eyes widened as her soft voice echoed through my head. Grabbing the headache, I felt a tear of blood stream from my Mangekyo Sharingan. I became lost in my own thoughts as I mourned her voice, her touch. She was like a ghost, haunting my immoral thoughts. My breath began to speed up as I thought about her. What did that Otsutsuki zetsu puppet do to me? Was this anxiety? What was-

"Byakugan!" Tsuki yelled as she activated her kekkei genkai causing her brown eyes to change into a pale white with veins stretching from her eyes to her cheeks.

From the corner of my eye I could see him strike the zetsu puppet in its fatal chakra point, immediately immobilizing it. From behind her, her sister, Haru emerged and used her taijutsu to break the neck of another. Acknowledging their help for covering my blind spot, they nodded before disappearing into the battlefield in a flash. I become reminiscent as I remember how many times Naruto had covered my back. Only fitting that his granddaughters would do the same.

Observing the battlefield, my eyes shot between every shinobi to see a group of three shinobi standing back to back as they took out humanoid puppets that had entered their Eight Gate barrier. They each complimented one another as they took out each zetsu with ease. Although they had no affinity for a particular chakra nature, Rock Lee, his son, and granddaughter had not been with reliable battle iq.

"Ultimate Genbu Technique: Form 68!" Second Division Commander Sekki said as he enacted one of his 108 taijutsu techniques.

Shinobi selected for this division had been chosen due to their advanced taijutsu technique and it showed. Under the command of Sekki of the Hidden Stone, they were a strong allied force.

"Lord Sasuke," Sekki said in a boastful manner, "Glad you could join us!"

In a stoic manner, I walked to his position and scanned the battlefield for zetsu puppets that might overwhelm us.

"Not sure if you need it," I said coldly.

"Ha! The opportunity to fight alongside the infamous Sasuke Uchiha?" he smiled as he pulled out a kunai and struck an incoming zetsu puppet, "I'll take it!"

Suddenly, a group of a dozen zetsu emerged from the ground behind us. Immediately I drew my sword.

"Earth Release: Drone!" Sekki announced as he pulled boulders from the ground.

Striking down half of zetsu puppets, Sekki crushed them with his levitated boulders that flew through the sky.

Sekki was a lean and tall man. He had fair skin, blue-green eyes and dull-brown hair with bangs covering the right side of his face. He also wore a Iwa-style shinobi attire, a red forehead protector, and a black glove on his left hand.

He then struck a nearby zetsu pupper with a strong direct punch that had a lot of force behind it. Creating boulders from the ground, then smashing through the boulders, launching it back at a zetsu puppet. As the waves of zetsu puppets died down, he grabbed his shoulder-guard and cocked his head.

"Ah, my back!" he groaned, "Been killing me these days y'know?"

I began to realize that Sekki was a cocky shinobi, maybe even arrogant. But he was skilled and I could understand why he was the Second Division commander and heir to be the Fifth Tsuchikage.

Covering each other's backs as more Otsutsuki puppets emerged, I could feel him smile at me through the back of my head. It was irritating.

"So you fought in the Fourth Shinobi War, yeah?" he gleefully asked to strike down two Otsutsuki puppets.

Ignoring him, I activated my Sharingan and dodged incoming Otsutsuki puppet kunai.

Bombs.

"Must've been a crazier time? Or maybe this is more crazy?" he continued.

I rolled my eyes and weaved signals with my hand.

"Katon!" I yelled, sending a great ball of fire from my mouth towards a horde of Otsutsuki puppets.

"I wouldn't know, ha! I wasn't born yet," he chuckled.

Won't he ever shut up.

"Y'know I used to know Boruto back in the day!" he yelled over the sounds of clashing forces, "You could say we were equals."

I highly doubt that.

Finishing off my zetsu puppets, I turned to him to be faced with a smirk. As he looked at me he tried to read my expression.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" he joked, pulling his arm over his head to scratch his loose hair.

Rolling my eyes and walking away, "What made you think that?"

He chuckled as he caught up to me, walking by my side.

"Heh, you're funny!" he spoke nonchalantly.

As the last Otsutsuki puppets were defeated, we walked through the canyon that surrounded us. I felt a moment of peace as I heard waterfalls fall. It made me think of when Sakura had accompanied me on my travels before Sarada was born. It was just two. That's when I truly understood that I was in love with her. I remembered her washing her long pink hair in the gleaming water and then the touch of her soft lips completed with a kiss. It had been years but I still held guilt over how long it took me to recognize her as something more than my teammate. So many things I regretted. And now she was gone, and it was all my fault.

"Looks like you've seen a ghost?" he wondered.

"Something like that," I smiled thinking about the treasured memory.

Suddenly, we turned to address the entirety of the Second Division. Lifting his hand in the air, he twirled his finger in the air.

"Okay, we are moving to the Fourth Division's position, get the wounded to the Medical Compound" Sekki ordered his troops.

Immediately we changed to a run as he exited the canyons and headed towards the Land of Wind.

Running next to me, Sekki seemed hesitant to address me again.

"I've heard stories of what you guys did during the last war," Sekki said more sympathetically, "You, Lord Hokage, and Lady Sakura."

My eyes widened before they were saddened.

"Team 7 of the Hidden Leaf, heroes of the Fourth Shinobi War," he said proudly before frowning, "It must suck to see us at war again."

As I ran in silence, I thought about his words.

"Yes, it does."