It's Not Really A Date, but is sort of kinda (Boruto x Sarada)

Part 9

[19:51]

He was 2 hours into his watch and could barely suppress a yawn. Kawaki was bored out of his mind. But he shook his head, reaffirming his vigilance.

The young Teen Shinobi looked over the streets below from his 3rd Storey rooftop perch for what must have been the 89th time. Looking back on his 'upbringing' under that B1#[1|d Jigen, he wasn't exactly sure what passed for 'normal' civilian night life behaviour around a wider social event. But Lord 7th had trusted him to stay on the lookout for any suspicious activity tonight and he would NOT let him down. Even if a lot of things could be interpreted by Kawaki as suspicious.

Flashback (2 Days Earlier)

Kawaki stood to attention in the Hokage's office. And at the other side of that desk sat the man he admired most of all. The person who was first to accept Kawaki, a stranger and a potential threat to Konohagakure, into his home and to treat him as family. To treat him as a person rather than as a weapon or a 'vessel', and to grant him a future. A debt which the Young Teen could never repay. But he would gladly undertake any mission in a bid to try.

"So Kawaki. I'm sure you're wondering why I've summoned you here without the rest of your team?" Kawaki didn't answer outright but gave a short nod, to which the Hokage continued. "Recently, we've received a troubling update from Amado currently still being guarded at Konoha's Research Facility. He says he received a tip off from an anonymous source that suspicious individuals would be entering Konohagakure on the first night of the '5 Great Nations Cross-Cultural Festival', each carrying materials he believes will be used to create bombs!!

"We don't know for sure who or how many or where these bombs are likely to be placed? Nor do we know the insurgents intended targets? But we have been informed they are using gear previously affiliated with Outers, the subordinates of the Inners of 'Kara, the Husk'. So it's possible the insurgents are Outers themselves, or closely affiliated with them..."

"And you want me to search around the village in case I see anyone or anything I recognise from my time trapped in the organisation. Right Lord 7th?" Kawaki answered the unasked question not too rudely, but unable to completely hide the edge in his voice upon bitter reflection of his traumatic past. Naruto allowed him a sympathetic moment to recompose himself before continuing. "I'm not asking you to scout the whole of the village Kawaki. I've assigned you a specific sector of downtown Konohagakure within which you'll be patrolling and checking in regularly with our reconnaissance operatives assigned by the Konoha Barrier Team-"

"If you ask me..." Lord 7th's aide Shikamaru Nara standing beside the desk interrupted (seeing as nobody asked him), "... we could greatly minimise any threat of mass casualties simply by cancelling the Festival. Or at least postponing it until the tip-off about the bomb threat has been officially substantiated." Kawaki looked to Shikamaru with a neutral expression. It wasn't often the Young Teen found himself in total agreement with the ponytailed Shinobi. But even he could admit (to himself, never to others) that the man every so often did have kind of good ideas. And in this instance, keeping ordinary people off the streets and out of the way so Konoha's Shinobi could concentrate on eliminating the threat made the most sense.

Naruto looked to Shikamaru patiently. "Shikamaru, I do understand the risks here. But if we do just cancel the event all of a sudden, it could start rumours that would lead to a public panic which our enemy could exploit to their advantage in destabilising our society. And we'd be alerting our enemy to the fact that we're onto them, in which case they might just slip away again, leaving us back at square one. This really may be our best shot at luring in and capturing what remaining Outers we can. And with any luck, any intel we can get from them might lead us to Code, and to finally bringing 'Kara' down once and for all.

"Besides, the whole point of this Festival is to celebrate the strength of our bonds with one another here in Konohagakure and with our allies in the other nations. I will not have the people I've sworn to protect perpetually living in fear!!"

Shikamaru looked off to the side with a grimace, clearly still not convinced. ".. Such a drag." Kawaki heard the Older Shinobi grumble. And honestly neither was Kawaki convinced, as much as he admired the blonde man. Said blonde then again addressed the youth directly. "I'll be taking Hinata, Boruto and Himawari into the village when the Festival gets underway...
(Kawaki didn't like the idea of Mrs. Uzumaki or Himawari being in the centre of danger without even being aware of it, but he didn't interrupt)... I do hope you appreciate Kawaki that I wouldn't exclude you from family activities under normal circumstances, since I consider you as part of my family..." Kawaki remained silent, fighting back a small lump in his throat. "... But I think it's a safe bet to assume you'd be reluctant to do anything sociable with Boruto, which will serve as a plausible excuse for your absence. And I can't risk doing anything else out of character that'll give the game away, or we might well end up forcing our mystery insurgents' hands and making them launch a panic attack prematurely.

"Remember, firstly your reconnaissance mission is strictly Top Secret. Outside of this room no one knows what we're planning besides Amado, Sasuke, Sai, Ino Yamanaka and our operatives in the Konoha Barrier Team, and the other Four 'kages plus their closest aides. And they likewise will be keeping the Op secret from their own citizens to avoid a mass panic. For the safety of all, no one else is to know what you're doing during the Festival. That includes Hinata and Himawari as well as Sumire, Boruto, Sarada and Mitsuki. I hope that's clear..."

Seriously, why do people seem to think there's something going on between him and Sumire? Just because they both have experience with abusive 'father's, and her being one of the first few people to treat Kawaki like a human being, along with Lord 7th.....

"And secondly Kawaki... (Naruto continued, looking particularly stern)... Your role in this operation is strictly surveillance only! Ino will be keeping psychic wavelengths open awaiting intel from you or your fellow operatives. Should you observe any suspicious persons or activity while on patrol, DO NOT engage them, and do not put yourself in jeopardy! Report back directly to me or the other named members of the Security Team and wait for further instructions...."

Kawaki frowned darkly. It wasn't exactly his style to support from the shadows, and much less to avoid danger. But then again he'd asked him to...

Naruto sighed and locked eyes with him. A look of saddened resolution in those bright blue eyes meeting his grey ones, seemingly knowing the Teen's mind completely. "Please Kawaki. I need to know I can count on you to follow orders, and to keep yourself safe. I don't want to imagine what I'd do... if something... happened to you...."

Kawaki stood to attention with stony resolve on his face, not wanting to see that saddened look again. "Thank you Lord 7th! I won't let you down!!

End of Flashback

Kawaki's eye was caught by something below. Hurrying away from a Goldfish Tank. Or rather someone. Or more specifically TWO someones. Two someones who looked particularly like they wanted to go unnoticed.

Kawaki couldn't explain why but something about the ginger kid really got under his skin. He was about to head down for a closer look, when he saw someone else. Someone with a dark green hoodie and his face partly obstructed by a long scarf, who also looked like they wanted to just blend into the crowds. Kawaki was about to perform the Hand Signs to connect with Ms. Yamanaka's psychic wavelength to report in, before he stopped and looked again.

Though still three storeys above the streets below and though his face was partly hidden, there was no way the Young Teen Shinobi could ever mistake those eyes, a shining silver/grey deep set within a dark-skinned frame. Those same belonging to that guy who so often stood side by side with Jigen on the opposite side of that containment bag that had been Kawaki's personal hell. And so often put his own sadistic spin on the lad's 'Training'.

The disguised man vacated the crowds around him down a side alley, and Kawaki began leaping off the rooftops in pursuit.

"Sorry Lord 7th.. But looks like I'm gonna have to dive a little deeper to get that intel." he assured himself the necessity of his actions, and barely containing the urge to pummel the B1#[1|d into oblivion.