Everything

Morning

"Well, it's about damn time!" Sarada's voice split the morning quiet, making them both jump. Boruto blushed hard but still fixed her with his most mutinous glare. Mistsuki, however, just smiled up at the Uchiha, completely unabashed. In direct contrast to her tone of voice, Sarada was all smiles. Most of which were directed at Mitsuki who beamed back. Boruto looked from Mitsuki to Sarada and back again. Had he missed something?

Breakfast was a quiet and awkward affair but Boruto preferred this awkward. Being caught cuddling with Mitsuki was humiliating enough to make him move and change his name but at least things weren't weird between him and Mitsuki anymore. Said person was practically glowing as he sat down beside Boruto to eat. Sarada ate across from them with a smile like the cat that ate the damned canary. Really, such self-satisfaction should be illegal. And she kept exchanging those irritating knowing looks with Mitsuki. Just what the hell had he missed?

"SO, what do you think about the mission?" Boruto asked Sarada, breaking the silence and praying business would end the inside conversation (that evidently didn't need words) between his childhood friend and his... Mitsuki. Boruto wasn't exactly sure what they were now. 'Friend' was no where close and 'best friend' didn't do it either. Best friends didn't typically kiss and sleep in each other's arms. Boruto had no idea what this meant for them but he did know that they had a mission to finish. Maybe they could set it all aside for now and figure everything out when they got back to the Leaf.

Sarada looked thoughtful.

"The legend is fascinating but it was definitely a genjutsu that was put on Mitsuki." She paused to take another bite, then continued, "If it really had been the forest, it should have affected us as well. Odds are, the one responsible is also the one responsible for the robberies. Did you get a good look at them, Mitsuki?" She asked, turning to Mitsuki. He was looking much better after last night, Boruto thought. He was much more relaxed and talkative. He still wouldn't go into detail about what he had seen but that didn't really matter. Boruto was just glad he wasn't distant anymore.

"I believe I did but I'm not sure when he placed the genjutsu on me so there is no guarantee the person I confronted was really him." Mitsuki said thoughtfully, "What I am troubled by is how he knew what my worst fear is." He finished. A shiver crossed the table but no one said anything. There was a lengthy pause.

"Maybe, he saw you." Sarada suggested quietly. Mitsuki nodded and looked down at the table, a troubled look on his face. And just like that, Boruto was once again the odd-one-out. It was starting to piss him off that they were having an inside conversation right in front of his face and that said conversation was starting to upset Mitsuki. Maybe a bit too quickly, he came to his defense.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" He challenged Sarada.

"Isn't it OBVIOUS?!" Sarada fired back, slamming her hands down on the table to help her glare back at him.

"What did you say!?" Boruto yelled back, mirroring her energy and returning her glare. They growled at each other until a chuckle from his right drew his attention away from his glaring match with his childhood friend. Mitsuki was laughing at them again. There was a genuine smile on his face which glowed with his happiness and amusement. His right hand was held close to his face as if attempting to hide his laughing. He looked so... cute. Boruto lost steam immediately and sank back onto his cushion, choosing to sulk instead and hoping it hid his blush. If Mitsuki wasn't upset, then that was all that mattered, even if he wasn't sure what had upset him in the first place.

"Well, whatever." Boruto muttered, letting it go. Sarada did as well.

"Anyway, what are we going to do about this?" Boruto asked, once again trying to steer things back to business and away from the feelings he'd rather not deal with right now. Sarada went back to her food.

"Not sure." She said after a couple of bites. "No matter what, we will have to go back to the forest and I would feel more comfortable going out there if we had more information first. We could try around town again but after yesterday, I don't think we will learn much more." Boruto and Mitsuki nodded their agreement. Mitsuki was looking sober again but said nothing.

"We could try to find one of the witnesses again." Boruto suggested, trying to be helpful.

"Worth a try." Sarada agreed between mouthfuls. They ate in silence after that. Boruto knew they would have to go back to the forest tonight but he was worried about Mitsuki. Every time the forest was mentioned he would pull back into himself. At least this time, it was less pronounced. It was like he had a new determination and Boruto was grateful for it. Perhaps, whatever they had shared last night had succeeded in comforting him.

By the end of breakfast, it was settled. They would try again to talk to a witness, then prepare for a night in the forest. The innkeeper gave them no promises but told them where they would be most likely to find a witness. They thanked him then headed out into the clear day.

*

The witness had been completely useless. Just as the innkeeper had warned, he insisted he didn't remember anything even though he broke out in a cold sweat every time the forest was mentioned. Finally, Sarada agreed with Mitsuki that they weren't going to learn anything new here and they left the man to his paranoia. The one thing useful they did get was a broken description of a masked person which matched the person Mitsuki had seen.

Now they could piece together at least a few facts. The first was the person Mitsuki had seen was most likely the culprit and not an illusion. Whoever he was, he was a skilled genjutsu user and was probably working alone and using the forest legend to terrorize the villagers. The intel was based on a lot of assumptions but it was all they had to go on. If they were right, the only major obstacle they faced was his genjutsu and that they could prepare for.