Broken Pieces (Naruto and Boruto Reader Insert)

Chapter 31

A few months passed by without trouble, just trying to stay in that hideout for as long as you all could. Madara, Obito and Izuna weren't planning a war as at some point, you imagined. They were just... Trying to survive? Could that even count as that? But who were you to judge, it wasn't like you were any better. You had been just doing that, surviving, but at least they had one another and you didn't have anyone.

But once there were rumors that Kiba, Neji, Kabuto had joined Goro, and Itachi, that's when you knew that you had to move somewhere else. Since Itachi used to belong to the Akatsuki, he knew about this location and since it was the closest one to the Sand Village, be would be arriving here soon.

So you all gathered your things, and with the ability of Obito to transport you guys somewhere else, you were taken close to a small hidden village. He didn't take you close to it because they didn't want to alarm the villagers. However, when you arrived to it, there was no one at the entrance.

It didn't take you all long to realize that something was not right, Izuna and Madara rushed inside the village to see what was going on. But when you entered it, it was empty, there was no one there. Like a ghost Village, but the most buzzard nothing was that some things were left as if they had left all of a sudden . Inside a few houses, tables were set with plates of food, food that was now rotten.

"What do you think happened here?" You asked Obito who stuck by you the entire time. "There are no signs of blood, no corpses left behind."

The man remained silent, clearly angry about the situation. These people, even if Madara, Izuna and Obito kept to themselves, they had protected this village for twelve years. Obviously, they can to cherish it and its people.

"I don't know," came his reply lager, Izuna and Madara joined you both too. From the grim faces, they definitely didn't have good news.

"It doesn't make any sense, there is no sign of struggle but there is no one." Izuna told you what you already knew, but maybe he was telling himself that.

Madara frowned, Obito frowned, they knew who used to do this kind of thing. Orochumaru used to go to villages and take people against their will. "This is Orochimaru's doing." Madara finally said it.

But thing is, this wasn't Orochimaru. You had no reason to defend the man, but this couldn't be. "This is not his doing," you explained, "Orochumaru had been helping Leaf Village since the war."

This came to a surprise to them, but the matter still remained unsolved. You all stayed there for the day and moved on to the closest village. Nothing out of the ordinary, though the rumors of the ghost Village must have reached them, they seemed hesitant about allowing you four to stay.

It went on like this for a  few months until you came to find another village empty with no inhabitants. You didn't have to investigate further to know that there would be more villages like this one. Furrowing your eyebrows, you had to do something about it. If you didn't, people would just continue to disappear. "We need to tell someone about it," you told them.

"Can we leave go to the Sand Village?" You asked, right now they were the closest and you trusted Gaara to do something about it.

They just stared at you as if you had grown another head, but they knew that if they didn't help you, you would just go on your own.

In the end, they agreed, though the furthest they could take you too was the entrance of the Villages where you requested to see the Kazekage. For the sake of not alarming anyone, you all covered your faces and chakra signature.

It took about an hour for Gaara to appear, Kankuro was trailing behind his brother to protect him if necessary. He didn't need to know your chakra signature or even to see your face, he recognized you instantly. But since there were others watching, he refrained himself from approaching you. "Come," he motioned for you to follow him, which you did. He only took you a couple of meters away from the others. Though his gaze shifted from your face to the trio waiting for you.

"I'm sorry," you started, "I know you welcomed me here and I would have taken your offer but I couldn't just throw all of my problems on you. I can't. But that's not why I am here," even as he looked as you, there was nothing but warmth in his gaze, just the way he looked at you. "We've encountered so far, two villages with no villagers. They left everything behind, food, clothing, as if they had just banished."

His gaze hardened, "we haven't heard anything, but what do you mean exactly?"

"People banished, we both know that one of the people who used to do that was Orochumaru, but he's in the Leaf Village. So it must be someone else, what if it's the same person that manipulated me so that I could bring the Kages and Jiraiya to life? What if he or she is planning something?"

"After you were gone, all the search teams have been ordered to find you. I had also sent a few teams to investigate who could have been manipulating you but we found no traces of them. But maybe that is what they needed for us to lose interest, and they took advantage of it." Search teams, maybe only him. The others were sent to kill you, but he knew that.

"Well, if it is not too much to ask, can you please look into it? We'll do the same and I'll report back if we find anything knew."

"You don't have to leave, you're welcome to stay." It wasn't an offer, more like his inner desires.

It made your heart ache, he still was waiting for you. Getting closer to him, you reached for his face and caressed his cheek, he leaned more towards your hand, bringing his own hand to lay it onto of yours. He grabbed it and took it to his lips, where he kissed your knuckles.

"I think I should give you my answer," one which you knew would break his heart.

But he didn't let you finish as he pulled you forward and kissed you, not minding the people still watching you both. His lips moved slowly, his arms pulled you closer to his body, probably knowing that it would a while until he saw you again. "I am going nowhere, I'll be here waiting for you."

"You're such a good man, you know that?" What had your life been if you had chosen Gaara? How would it had been? A good and happy life. "How," but as much as you prolonged it, you felt like you had to ask, "how is everyone else doing? I know Kiba, Itachi, Goro, Kabuto, and Neji and Kabuto are on their quest to find me and bring me back. If you see them again, tell them that I'm fine and to stop looking for me. Maybe one day I can return, but right now please tell them to return home. I can't just do this to them, to disappear and then appear and for them to just keep...This cycle."

"They're fine, you shouldn't worry about them." Because if he told you the truth, you would blame yourself with what had happened for the fast six months. Sasuke and Sakura were no longer together, Naruto and his family were not doing so good either. His very own sister wasn't...It wasn't because of you, even his own sister knew that. Time, obstacles were her main enemies.

So much had been happening that it requires the time of Shikamaru, leading him to just spend less time with his wife and son. Temari wasn't very patient, and that led to a lot of fights.

"I'm glad," you smiled but someone called out your name, Izuna, telling you that it was time. "I have to go, but please stay alert and stay safe." With a quick hug you said your last goodbye, and with a smile towards Kankuro, you left.

There was just one question that ran through Izuna's, Madara's and Obito's head, did you love Gaara?