Chapter 98:
"That kid named Mitsuki... he must be the ghoul I encountered that night."
Zabuza walked into the Hokage's office alongside Sasuke and Sai as he spoke.
Everyone in the office paused.
"Are you sure?" Naruto asked in return.
"Yeah. We've already found conclusive evidence. We also found decaying meat in Mitsuki's home," Sai replied, and Naruto's expression turned grim.
If Mitsuki really was a ghoul, then deciding what to do with him after rescuing him would become a serious issue. One thing was for sure—he couldn't stay near Boruto and Sarada anymore.
"...Hey, what exactly is a 'ghoul'?" Boruto asked Naruto, instinctively feeling that something was wrong.
"A ghoul is a man-eating monster. Kind of like those zombies in the popular movies lately—but unlike zombies, ghouls are conscious. Your friend Mitsuki might even be thinking about how to eat you right now."
Zabuza added, with a twisted sense of humor.
Boruto's face showed disbelief. "No way. Absolutely not. Mitsuki would never try to eat me!"
Seeing the adults in the Hokage's office all wearing complicated expressions, Boruto turned and ran out. To him, the village using resources to save someone who turned out to be a ghoul seemed impossible.
"Hey! Boruto, wait!" Sarada quickly chased after him.
By the riverbank of the Hidden Leaf Village, Boruto paced back and forth, clearly worried about Mitsuki.
"Calm down, Boruto. Getting anxious won't help anything," Sarada said, sitting on the grass, her chin resting in her palms as she watched him.
"Mitsuki is in danger right now! How could I not be anxious? Damn it… looks like I can't count on that idiot old man. We'll have to find a way to save Mitsuki ourselves."
"But... Mitsuki is a man-eating monster. He might have always been thinking about how to eat us..." Sarada's voice grew softer and eventually fell silent.
"Even if Mitsuki is a ghoul, even if he eats people, I still believe in him. He's our comrade. He would never want to hurt us!" Boruto clenched his fists unconsciously. "And that's exactly why I need to find him and ask him face-to-face."
"And then what? Even if you get your answers, it won't change the fact that he's a man-eater. Are you saying you'd kill someone else just for Mitsuki's sake?"
"...We'll deal with the future when it comes. Right now, I just want to save Mitsuki." In truth, even Boruto didn't know what to do after rescuing him—but he had always believed that there are more solutions than obstacles.
"Hm?" As Boruto looked at the silent Sarada in front of him, he suddenly felt something lightly brush his ankle. He looked down and picked up a small white snake slithering at his feet. "Mitsuki?"
The small white snake, cradled in Boruto's hands, opened its mouth and spat out a tiny scroll.
This was a snake Mitsuki had released from his sleeve before being captured.
"Boruto, what does the scroll say?"
Sarada stepped up beside Boruto, both of them examining it together.
"It's Mitsuki's summoning technique. It can lead us to his location." Boruto looked at Sarada. "I'm going to save him."
Sarada remained silent.
"...I get it, Sarada," Boruto said, disappointment in his eyes. "Hey, Sarada… what do you think it means to be Hokage? Is it just about being strong?"
Sarada touched the forehead protector on her head and replied, "...Who said I'm not going? Until we figure out Mitsuki's true intentions, I'll stay by your side. As for what happens after we rescue him, let the adults worry about that."
Seeing Sarada before him, Boruto finally smiled a little—for the first time in a while. Truthfully, he was nervous about going to find Mitsuki on his own.
"Leaf genin are as arrogant as ever, huh."
"Who's there!" Boruto immediately turned toward the voice. He couldn't let his idiot dad find out he was sneaking out of the village, or he'd definitely be grounded.
"Mr. Kōsuke Hōji," Sarada identified the man who appeared before them.
"I can help you rescue your comrade—but in return, you need to help me rescue mine," Zabuza said, looking at Boruto.
Zabuza could, of course, rescue Haku on his own. Involving Boruto was just a precaution. Besides, he hadn't forgotten his real mission.
He truly would help Boruto find Mitsuki—but once they did, he planned to kill Mitsuki without hesitation.
"Alright. Deal." Boruto nodded.
Not only would having a powerful adult along ease his mind, but it would also help ensure Kōsuke didn't report their little mission to Naruto.
That night, at Konoha Hospital—
"Uncle Kōsuke, are you sure it's here?" Boruto asked the man beside him.
"Yeah, this is the place. Leave the rest to me." Kōsuke formed a hand seal, and white mist engulfed the entire hospital.
"White mist… this is bad! Alert the Hokage!" The Anbu team captain assigned to monitor Juuzou Suzuya reacted instantly, ordering his subordinates to notify the Hokage.
Two shadowy figures suddenly burst from the hospital. Zabuza turned to Boruto and said, "Let's move. If the Hokage shows up, things will get a lot harder."
"Right."
Under the cover of the mist, Zabuza successfully rescued Haku. The Anbu members were knocked out with ease.
"You okay, Juuzou?"
"I'm fine, Lord Kōsuke. The Leaf's treated me well," Haku said, then noticed Boruto nearby. "Naruto?"
"Naruto's my dad. I'm Boruto." Then he turned to Kōsuke. "Uncle Kōsuke, let's get out of here."
Kōsuke nodded.
Meanwhile, the Anbu, unable to stop them, rushed to the Hokage's office.
"Lord Hokage! Konoha Hospital has been attacked—"
Naruto didn't wait for the full report. Fearing Juuzou had turned into a zombie, he instantly entered Sage Fox Mode and raced toward the hospital.
Sasuke, who had a deep bond with Naruto, sensed the shift in chakra and frowned. "What's going on with Naruto...? That's... the direction of the hospital!"
Within the Leaf Village, every ninja with keen sensory abilities also picked up on Naruto's sudden surge of energy.
Outside the village gates, Zabuza glanced back toward Konoha and muttered, "Such powerful chakra... We need to hurry, or they'll catch up to us!"
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