The battle was frantic. Boruto’s Shadow Clones were popped like bubbles, and Sarada’s Sharingan could barely keep up with Kokuyō’s blurring movements. It was a clash of philosophies: the Leaf genin fought for a friend, while the Fabricant fought because it was programmed to survive.
Boruto stood in the dust, his hand still outstretched. He hadn't brought Mitsuki home, but he had seen the truth: Mitsuki was hurting, lost in a crisis of identity that no Rasengan could solve. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 74
Boruto and Sarada, defying direct orders from the Hidden Leaf, had tracked the missing member of Team 7 to a desolate, rocky canyon on the outskirts of the Land of Earth. They weren't alone. Shikadai, Inojin, and Cho-Cho had been sent to bring them home, but after a tense standoff, Shikadai had seen the look in Boruto’s eyes—the same stubborn loyalty that had once defined Naruto. He chose to help them instead. The battle was frantic
"Mitsuki!" Boruto yelled, reaching out a hand. "Let’s go back! We can fix this!" Boruto stood in the dust, his hand still outstretched
"We're not giving up," Boruto whispered, his resolve hardening. "If he's looking for his will, I'll be the one to help him find it."
The group began their trek deeper into enemy territory, no longer just runaway genin, but a rescue party determined to save a soul.
In the hidden labs of Orochimaru, the air was thick with the scent of ozone and sterilized steel. Mitsuki—the boy who had always been a shadow following Boruto’s sun—had vanished, leaving behind only a cryptic message and a trail of questions that led toward the Land of Earth.