Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to the author.


After being traumatised by the crude thoughts inflicted by the Akimichi, Boruto finally returned to normal after spending the whole day throwing shurikens. Though he managed to ace the 90 degree throw at his one target, he could not tell whether he was simply throwing at a dot or a certain person. His feet brought him to a red bridge right above an azure stream. Only then his cerulean eye caught sight of the two that created the mental chaos.

"Argh! Sarada! Mitsuki!" Boruto yelled out and that turned the two puzzled heads to the blonde. The latter quickly rushed to the other end of the bridge. The two however did not seem curious about his call.

"Hei Boruto." Sarada greeted.

"Don't 'hei' me! Where on earth did you two go!? I've been looking everywhere for you guys!"

"Just training, Boruto." Sarada replied firmly and that was followed by more complaints. Mitsuki was silent during the whole ordeal, thinking of her words previously.

"Mitsuki, keep my training with Hatake-sensei a secret from Boruto. I…want to surprise him with this technique."

As much as he wished to keep it, nothing could escape Boruto's alertness and awareness on certain things.

"Sarada, what's wrong with your hand? It's all burned and bruised…" Boruto pointed at the girl's reddened and scarred left hand.

The Uchiha quickly pulled that hand out of his sight and gave out a fake smile "N-Nothing! Just overworked myself in training!" "Darn, he's gonna find out…"

Boruto was taken aback by her being all worked out and about to question her further before a mature male voice set the tone down.

"So you guys were here the whole time?"

The three genins looked up to see the proud figure standing on the bridge arch with his arms crossed over the other. The man leapt off the red arch and landed smoothly on the bridge in front of the three.

"Sensei! Where did you go this time? Thank to that, I have to…!"

Konohamaru smacked the boy's head in annoyance "Show some respect to your sensei here kore!"

"Itte…" Boruto held onto his injured head as Sarada sighed at his ignorance.

Konohamaru coughed once and spoke again "Alright, guys. I just want to say here that this team has been approved to participate in the Chunin Selection Exams…"

"YATTA! THANK YOU, SENSEI! I WO…!" Boruto was interrupted by another hit on the head.

"WAIT TIL I FINISH KORE! Anyway, in five days, you will meet me at Konoha Station by noon to get your exam qualification sheets before departing for Sunagakure."

"Suna? Is that where the exams are held this time, sensei?" Mitsuki asked.

Konohamaru nodded at his smart claim and continued "However, unlike the previous that was conducted jointly by the five Kages, this one will only be by Nanadaime and Kazekage-sama. So give it all you got, everyone."

The three nodded and Konohamaru turned to Sarada "Sarada, I've already permitted…Ha?"

Much to his confusion, the girl signalled the man to keep quiet on the matter behind Boruto's back. Curious at first, he then realized her reasons without her words at all before Boruto butted in.

"Permitted what, sensei?"

The Sarutobi sighed with amusement but struggled to improvise "Ah, p-permitted…to…tra-train by herself with Mitsuki while I fix your terrible chakra control!"

"Ah come on! My chakra flow in my hand is all better already! Can't we do something else!? Like teaching me a cool jutsu!?"

Konohamaru sighed again at the blonde's demand. As much as he wanted to teach the Uzumaki the cool jutsus Naruto-niichan taught him with great hopes back then, he restrained himself from doing so because there are some things that should be taught by the man himself to his son. Also, his signature jutsus are not suited to the blonde, regardless of style or innate chakra nature. Instead, Sarada or Mitsuki would be better suited.

"We'll do all of that once you prove me wrong, Boruto. Alright, team, dismiss."

The jonin disappeared at once and Boruto turned to the other two who kept their silence during the 'conflict'. The blonde then complained "Man…all I need now is a cool jutsu…"

Sarada spoke "Boruto, you already have Rasengan. Aren't you asking too much?"

"Rasengan's just the first. I need more…like Sasuke-occhan."

Sarada flinched and unconsciously gripped her bruised left hand. It was that feeling again. Just like the time she acclaimed herself to be different than her distant father in the first exam. Her thoughts of becoming a figure like her mother who managed to distinguish herself from her peers further strengthened.

She eventually began walking towards the other side of the bridge, passing Boruto. "Well, I'll see you guys during the exams."

"Huh? You're not training with us?" Boruto asked.

"I have my own training to handle, Boruto. You should really focus on your training with Papa and Konohamaru-sensei. See you then." Sarada then ran off on her own.

Boruto kept his stare upon the disappearing back and murmured to his friend "Sarada…She's hiding something, isn't she?"

Mitsuki turned his golden eyes to him "What makes you say that?"

"…just saying…" His blue eyes slightly lowered at the disappointing view in front of him, with her figure completely gone.

Mistaken those glister in his eyes as something different, Mitsuki boldly asked "Boruto…do you like Sarada?"

Hearing the word immediately heightened the boy's temperature and tensed all his muscles. He then jumped with a shout.

"WH-WH-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? M-M-ME L-L-L-LIKE SARADA!? WE'RE JUST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND RIVALS! WH-WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!?"

Mitsuki then gave a simple smile with his eyes closed; a normal reaction towards Boruto's lash-out like any other day. "I see."

Boruto positioned himself in a way that he was backing away from Mitsuki. With a scowl, he nervously asked "T-T-Then….are you?"

Again, he watched Mitsuki in the same smile "Hmm, who knows. See you later."

The pale genin then walked to the opposite direction, amused by Boruto's puzzled expression after listening to such vagueness.


Her legs finally gave in. Sarada completely fell on her knees the moment she reached the footway of her house after running in the dark night. A few deep breaths were needed to relieve the shaking pressure in her chest and hands. It was then washed off by a loving voice in front of her.

"Sarada, are you alright?"

Sarada looked up to see a worried expression of her pregnant mother bending slightly towards her. Not wanting to burden the woman whose hormones had heightened during the pregnancy, Sarada quickly stood up with fake energy emitting with her raised hands and smile.

"I'm fine, Mama. Just a bit tired from training."

Sakura, relieved, stood up prospered before being attacked by a sudden question from Sarada "Mama, you looked pale. Did something happen?"

The woman kept her surprise from the girl's sight and recalled the bloody image she saw earlier. Unsure but also unwilling to share such a trivial matter, she then responded, resting her hand onto her jawline to show a sign of tiredness "Nothing happen. I'm just abit tired from the watering just now."

Sarada breathed out and sat on the wooden floor to remove her shoes when Sakura took her turn to attack her with a question "Sarada, what's with the bruise and burns on your hand?"

The young girl frozen but then continued "Ah, just got from training."

"I see. The bath is ready and dinner will be up soon."

"Got it. Thanks, Mama." Sarada reluctantly answered as she walked towards her room to change.

Like herself, Sakura is a really stubborn person that would not listen to her own daughter or husband's prohibition from performing any 'hard' labour. The woman has imprinted such tough image to the girl that the latter would be raising an eyebrow should the former changes.

As Sarada began removing her gloves, she could see bits of dried blood falling out of the left piece. She simply stared at the result of her effortless training with Kakashi. With her joy escalated at the results she achieved in only a day, she could not hide her joy in figuring out the ultimate conclusion in the next few days of training with Kakashi. The young Uchiha then continued with cleaning herself before dinner.


After releasing a few teams from their fruitless reports on Jashin, Naruto was left alone in his office again, signing his paperwork before a familiar chakra entered his range. He straightened his back and crossed his fingers when the door swung open gracefully.

"You're finally back, Sasuke. You're faster than I expect."

That silence emitted from the mentioned created a frown Naruto to recognise it as trouble.

"Did something happen on the way?"

"Ah." Sasuke began explaining the stories to the Hokage, including the massacre in the village and his mysterious meeting with the child-like figure.


After listening all of Sasuke's words, Naruto fell towards his hands on his chin and muttered the Uchiha's words for reinforcement "I see…Somehow, I have a feeling those guys must be Jashin."

Sasuke frowned "Jashin?"

"A cult that worhips their god by killing people. Darui warned me that the group might be approaching Konoha based on their attacks and tracks. It seems that he's right about that."

"I see…"

"But…what does it mean by 'lie in this reality'?" Naruto questioned both Sasuke and himself. The way the former described the cloaked figure creeped his nerves. It has been a while since he had heard or faced beings with a screw loose in their heads. He tried diving deeper into the true meaning of the words but nothing came across his mind. Naruto shrugged his short hair out of frustration and tiredness.

Sasuke said "You should rest, Naruto. Running our heads all day is never the right thing to do."

The Uzumaki gave out a light sigh upon that realization "Hn, I guess you're right. You should do the same. You must be drained out now."

"Hn, at least mine is from a shinobi mission."

"Ha?! What was that, teme!? Doing paperwork is also as tiring too." Naruto slammed on the desk to retort such words that put him down.

However, after a short silence, the two grown-ups chuckled in different manners, in memories to their usual childish bickering in the past.


The herbaceous scent was the first for his senses to realize home before the certain feminine scent captured his attention. Then it was her sweet humming that drew his body towards the kitchen accompanied by the owner of the voice. Her back with the Uchiha crest was an eyeful to the oynx but what added in was the following call.

"Ah, Papa! Tadaima!" Sarada called with a towel on her wet hair.

Turning at the call with a hot dish in her hands, the call startled the pregnant Sakura and the dish fell out of the shock. In a flash, Sasuke switched his place with Sakura, leaving the woman at the vast walkway and him being burned by the smashed dish on his feet.

"Anata!"

"Papa!"

The two ran to his aid but he cared less. He faced the concerned Sakura with his eyes scanning for any injuries "Are you alright, Sakura?"

"Don't worry about me! Your feet are burned!" Sakura cried with her hands trembling at the wet, reddened feet.

Before she could react, Sarada immediately surrounded limbs with her chakra. While the glowing green relieving the redness, the young girl was too focused to be aware of the proud eyes from both adults. Silence enveloped the house, alongside the familial love inside.

Feeling enough of the healing, Sarada lifted her head to begin her query "Papa, do you feel anymore burns?"

"No. I'm fine now. Thank you, Sarada." Sasuke expressed his gratitude as the three stood up at once. Sarada went to the storeroom for a mop as Sasuke rested Sakura at the chair.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Sakura asked with wavering eyes onto him.

"I'm fine, Sakura. More importantly…you should be more careful."

"Na!? Well, I can't help it if you're there without even telling me!" Sakura said in such a flustered tone.

Sasuke sighed at her and simply replied "What I'm saying here is that you should be aware of yourself. Though it's something you should be a few months back."

Sakura pouted "But I can't be lazing around and completely rely on Sarada or you…"

Those curtained eyes brought Sasuke back to the many times she felt useless in front of him. It was nothing new or unusual but it continued to frustrate him from a lover to a husband. He leaned closer to the former Haruno who again flustered by the rise of her hormones.

"But I want you to rely on us…on me…"

"Anata…" Sakura slowly muttered the namesake and was easily filled with bliss by the simple closure. Their eyes narrowed to each other's level with great passion in them. They closed in with their lips before their mouths together. A sole right hand lifted a graceful chin for more access for himself but it also gave her the chills as a woman.

Behind the walls, gripping onto a wooden mop with such a light-hearted body was Uchiha Sarada who was grinning at the loving ambiance between the two.


"So Sarada, how's training going?"

Sarada met those emeralds and spoke out "Em, great that I might surprise both of you."

"Hm, I see. Who are you training with?" Sasuke questioned calmly before munching onto a fish piece.

Deciding earlier to keep her training with Kakashi a surprise to most, the girl answered the similar to him "With Mitsuki."

The man paused before swallowing his silent shock, along with the piece. He recalled that name being mentioned by the two Uzumakis; as a teammate and the son of his former mentor. The latter in fact heightened his watch on the boy and had him questioning the Hokage and his former mentor. Knowing Orochimaru to be watched by Konoha's eagle eyes, he could not help but to think of Mitsuki being a possible spy for the man.

"Why him? What about your sensei or Boruto?"

"Boruto needs all of sensei's attention for the matter and also, sensei has permitted Mitsuki and I to train by ourselves. Rather than training by myself, it's better to help each other then."

"…that so?"

Sarada shrugged at her father's sudden queries but stood on her guard "M-Mitsuki's a great ninja. He helped me a lot when Boruto wasn't that excited in training then. He's not someone to be looked down at."

Sasuke's eyes widened at her words. He never imagined his daughter praising or defending boys of her age other than the blonde under his tutelage. Before he could say anymore, Sakura broke in to stop a potential argument "Ne, Sarada, your father is just worried about you training alone in preparing for the exams. And you too, anata, Mitsuki-kun's not a simple ninja."

The word '-kun' twitched the black eyebrow. He turned to her who appeared to be amused by that little notion. He then gave in with dinner. The other two recognised that and grinned to each other at their 'win'.

Nearing the peak of the dinner, Sakura noticed her daughter to be thinking deeply through her eyes. Wanting to rid those walls of worries, she began "Is there anything else bothering you, Sarada?"

"Eh?! N-No, nothing…just…"

"Just say it." Sasuke pushed the girl but it would be one of his biggest regret of the night after hearing her question.

"Well, Papa, can you tell me about the Uchiha clan?" Sarada excitedly asked for a final answer.

He froze on his seat, as well as Sakura. The question was unexpected, yet predictable in a far future that the man was hopeful to not face at all. His fingers unintentionally gripped tightly on his chopsticks with all thoughts swirling in a whirlpool.

Sakura then hid her anxiety with a question "Why are you asking, Sarada? You normally don't ask me about the clan."

"That's cause Papa's the only blood member of the Uchihas. I just want to know more about our past and contribution to the village."

Sakura's eyes shifted to the man whose mouth were tightly sealed and shaken. Her worries was about to come true at his reaction to the anticipating girl.

"We'll leave the question another day, Sarada. You should rest. Thank you for the meal." Sasuke than left the table towards the master bedroom, leaving Sakura worried for his well-being. When she turned around, she caught the unwanted sight of a dumbfounded Uchiha in front of her.

"Sa-Sarada…"

"Is there…something Papa's hiding from me? Ne, Mama, it's been bugging me but…why did the grand Uchiha clan became just us? If it's so great like what everyone's been saying, why did it became from a big clan to a small family?"

Unable to see her daughter break down, Sakura spoke out with sincerity "Sarada, there are things that should been told early but also late. Your Papa needs time to settle down and the clan is not one of them."

"Eh?"

Sakura hesitated "…Sarada, can you give your Papa some time? With that, maybe he will be more comfortable talking about it."

The girl kept quiet at the request but complied for her mother's sake. The two females then proceeded in clearing dinner.


Her feet continued to touch the wooden floor but her heart was elsewhere. The moment her fingers touched the doorknob, her eyes ventured to the past where the true Uchiha secrets were revealed to her innocent soul.


Will add in author's notes later...