Chapter 9:
Son of the Hokage
Sarada let out a sleepy sigh, opening her eyes and finding that she was alone in her room. A part of her was disappointed, and yet there was a smile on her face just knowing what had happened in this bed. She closed her eyes and turned her nose to snuggle her face into the pillow that now smelled like Naruto. She inhaled deeply wanting that scent to stay with her. She hugged the blanket bundled up against her side.
As she laid there for the moment she thought about how Naruto managed to get out of the house, and if he managed to go unseen. She did not want to get out of the bed, but Sarada didn't even know if her mom was home yet. If her mom wasn't home yet she would be home soon, and Sarada already was expecting her mom would ask rubbish questions about the mission, and Naruto being here in the home. Sarada groaned not looking forward to that.
Sitting up, Sarada realized she had carelessly taken her glasses off earlier and without paying attention to where she put them had misplaced them. She lifted the pillows and the blanket looking to see if they were still on the bed. She felt irritated with herself. She looked over the edge of the bed on the floor and didn't see them. She climbed out of the bed gathering her clothes up in hopes that they would be unbroken and laying beneath her clothes. They were not there though. She put her clothes back on and was about to get on her knees and look under the bed, but an orange blur caught her attention on the night stand. Sarada looked over the top of the night stand and there laying on the nightstand was her glasses with an orange flower. Sarada put her glasses on and took the flower into her hand. She smiled staring at the bright orange petals. This was the same kind of flower she saw in Ino's flower shop, and the same kind of flower she found in the village on her mission. She looked out her window feeling happiness fill her heart. She never felt such a connection to any other male in her life. She put the flower to her nose and breathed in the earthy scent as the petals brushed her lips and tickled her.
She got lost in her thoughts thinking about Naruto, and how sweet of a gesture that was for him to go out of his way to find this little flower just for her. She thought about what he must've done to find it. She got a silly scene in her head of 20 or 30 Naruto clones racing to find a flower. They tugged and pulled at roots until they found one. She giggled because in her thoughts they all started tackling the one that finally found it arguing that they would get it to the Hokage before anyone else. She looked down at the flower and gathered her thoughts. She imagined that's exactly what happened.
Heading down the stairs Sarada prepared heself for just in case her mom was home and had her arsenal of motherly questions ready to aim at Sarada. Sarada tucked the flower behind her back. As she walked into the living room area she found her mom was home, and she was pouring over a Medical Ninja Scroll.
"Oh. You are home. I didn't hear you come in." Sarada held smiled trying to act as casual as possible.
"Sarada." Sakura smiled looking up at her daughter. "I didn't even know you were home either. I thought you might have left."
"Nope… Was just in my room… boring." Sarada rolled her eyes.
"Well we didn't get to talk about your mission… So how did everything go?"
"Mom… Super simple… nothing to go all crazy about." Sarada waved her free hand gesturing that it wasn't worth her time.
"You always say that."
"Well…" Sarada shrugged. "Boring missions that have nothing worth noting…" Sarada tried to sell it this time, because it was a mission of the complete opposite, and yet she didn't want anyone thinking that.
"And the meeting with the Hokage?" Sakura glanced at the childhood picture on the wall of Naruto, and the rest of team 7.
"It was fine…" Sarada nodded and glanced over at the picture now too.
"He didn't make a fool of himself, did he?"
"uhm…" Sarada looked over at the couch where they had started making out. Sarada smiled it was quite the opposite actually. She recalled his strength as he stood up from the couch and walked her up the stairs. Her smile widened. She still could not believe that all just happened.
"Of course, he did..." Sakura shook her head with a smirk. "Oh, Naruto will always be Naruto…"
Sarada wondered how in the world her mom grew up with that blond little boy, and watched him grow into a teen, and then the sexy man he is now, and not be attracted to him. She wondered for a moment what her dad had that Naruto didn't. What made her dad more special than Naruto? Her eyes lowered to the ground and she sudden felt irritated thinking about her dad. She sighed.
"Sarada. Sorry I was gone this morning." Sakura watched her daughter lower her head.
"Work…" Sarada said dully. "I get it." She turned and walked in the kitchen. She slid the orange flower in front of her. Sarada looked around for a snack.
"It was supposed to be my day off…" Sakura said trying to remind her daughter that she was planning to make time for Sarada.
"I get it mom. Things happen." Sarada looked around a little more. Now that her dad was on her mind she felt irritated. She pushed aside some food packages, and lost interest in eating now. She returned to the living room and stared at her mom.
"I am going to go out… I guess you're busy anyways…" Sarada sighed.
"Maybe we can meet somewhere for dinner?" Sakura smiled trying to make up for missing out on time with her daughter.
"uhmm… Okay…" Sarada shrugged. "meet at sunset at Ichiraku's?" Sarada suggested.
"Ramen?" Sakura laughed. "Definitely have been spending a lot of time around the Hokage."
Sarada lifted a hand to her face embarrassingly. "I guess so…"
"Well.. Don't be late!" Sakura waved a hand at her mom. "I will be there."
Sarada turned quickly realizing she was starting blush as she thought about spending time with the Hokage. Sarada did not even realize she said Ichiraku's until her mom said ramen. She shook her head walking down the street. The Hokage would have said Ramen in a heartbreak without hesitation, and without thinking. Sarada held the orange flower in her finger twirling the stem in her fingers. She had no idea where she was going or what exactly she wanted to do. She just knew she needed to get outside for a while before her mom pried more in to the mission details.
"Oh! Sarada!" Chōchō waved from a distance. Sarada looked up to see Inojin, Shikadai and Chōchō sitting on a small grassy patch just beyond the playground. Sarada forced a smile and waved back. She hoped the three of them were too busy to expect her to join them. By the looks of it though she was about to beckoned over.
"Sit with us! Come on!" Chōchō gestured for Sarada to join them. Sarada wanted to just run away, but she knew Chōchō wouldn't let that happen. Sarada walked to them. She sat on the grass next to Chōchō. Chōchō was eating from a bag of chips and grinned widely at Sarada. Sarada forced a smile. Inojin was bent over a sketch journal that was open on the grass. Sarada couldn't make out what he was drawing. Sarada turned her head to Shikadai, who was staring at the playground. After a moment of silence Shikadai looked at Sarada, who was staring at him.
"Your dad is so annoying," Sarada spoke bluntly.
"You're telling me…" Shikadai sighed. "Another week without a piece of technology. What the hell is a guy like me supposed to do…" Shikadai leaned back in the grass placing his hands behind his head. Shikadai watched the clouds mover across the sky.
"Why don't you get missions and buy your own stuff?" Sarada made a so what face at Shikadai's complaint.
"Uhm…Advisor to the who?" Shikadai lifted his head to look at Sarada.
"You didn't even try though, did you?" Sarada rolled her eyes. Shikadai let his head fall back on his hands. He closed his eyes ignoring Sarada.
"Who cares about Shikadai's dad!? How was the wedding?" Chōchō Smirked at Sarada.
"It was fine, but…." Sarada made a confused face. "How did you even know?"
"Number one big mouth ninja!" Inojin finally spoke up. He didn't take his eyes off his work. "Boruto."
"Ugh…" Sarada bent her knees and pulled her knees to her chest. She put the orange flower in her lap. She wrapped her arms around her legs. Boruto. That makes sense… she thought as she rested her head on her arms.
"So you got to go with one of the Hokage's clones?" Chōchō began to pry again. "How was it?"
"Probably so annoying…" Shikadai said coolly. "Dad says the Hokage and Boruto are the same."
"I thought you got along with Boruto?" Inojin piped in.
"Well… it is like you said; Number one big mouth ninja…." Shikadai lifted his head to look at Inojin. Inojin smirked looking at Shikadai.
"He does have a big mouth." Inojin said in a matter of fact tone.
Sarada sighed. Boruto was so annoying. How could anyone say that Boruto and Naruto are the same? They were not the same. Sarada spent more time fighting with Boruto that she actually did getting along with him some days. Sarada started thinking about how Boruto from time to time would complain about the Hokage. She hated that the most. Sarada felt the loneliness in her heart consume her. She buried her face in her arms as Inojin and Shikadai continued to jokingly mock, jokingly make fun of, and impersonate Boruto. Sarada's thoughts lingering on the absence of her own father. She could not understand how anyone that has both parents in their life would have the nerve to complain about their life being unfair. She just wanted to know her dad… She just wanted to see him finally.
"OH HEY! Sarada! There you are!" Boruto's voice carried to her ears. Inojin and Shikadai got quiet. Sarada picked up her head, and there was Boruto running towards them. She rolled her eyes. Why does he always show up when I don't want him around…. She thought irritably. Boruto crouched down beside her.
"What Boruto?" She looked in to his eyes. Sarada looked down at her arms.
"What do you mean, 'what boruto'?" Boruto repeated her words in his best impression of her annoyed annoying voice. "Konohamaru wants to meet with us. He told me to find you. This could be like the perfect time to get a good mission!" Boruto grinned widely.
"Wait! Sarada, You never even told us about the mission!" Chōchō groaned in disappointment.
"Maybe she doesn't want to tell us." Inojin looked from Chōchō to Sarada.
"Is that true Sarada?" Chōchō gave Sarada a hurt facial expression. Sarada looked up at Chōchō. Inojin was right, but Sarada knew better than to hurt Chōchō's feelings.
"Chōchō!" Sarada groaned at the position Inojin had left her in. Sometimes Sarada wondered why she even bothered with being in the presence of all her friends.
"Come on!" Boruto's voice filled with excitement.
"No No No! Boruto. I asked her a question." Chōchō glared at Boruto. Boruto looked Chōchō in the eye, but then looked to Sarada again. Sarada looked from Boruto to Chōchō.
"Here we go…" Shikadai sighed and laid back down in the grass. "Inojin you are that bored."
Sarada tried to think quickly. She was not about to get stuck with Chōchō mad. No one wants to be stuck with an upset or mad Chōchō. She bit her lip and looked down in her lap finding the flower there still. She took the flower in her fingers and got on her knees.
"Chōchō how could we even talk with these two dumbasses talking about the number one big mouth ninja!?" Sarada pointed to Shikadai and Inojin. Chōchō tried to hold back a smirk, because the number one big mouth ninja was crouched right beside Sarada. Shikadai and Inojin looked at each other then as they started laughing they looked at Boruto. Chōchō's eyes widened seeing Boruto's confused expression and she tried to hold in the laughter trying to escape her throat.
"I owe you, okay?" Sarada forced a smile.
"Okay." Chōchō glanced at Boruto for a moment, before waving with a wide smile.
"What did I miss?" Boruto glared at Shikadai.
"Nothing number one big mou-" he waved. "Boruto!"
Sarada turned on her heel feeling relieved that she was able to shake Chōchō's prying into her mission details. Boruto puffed his cheeks at team Ino-Shika-Cho. Sarada continued to hold on to her orange flower. She followed Boruto as he eagerly took lead in meeting up with Konohamaru. As she followed him she began thinking about the Hokage again. He eyes glanced over at Boruto, and he grinned at her. His two whiskers flashed by her as he quickened his pace. She rolled her eyes.
"I am not racing you, Boruto!" Sarada said sternly.
"Sure, you are. We can't keep my dad waiting either…" Boruto pushed his front foot to the ground and chuckled as he crouched down into a runner's lunge.
"Your-"Sarada felt a pang in her stomach. "The Hokage?" Boruto looked over his shoulder with a playful smile on his face. Sarada smirked at Boruto. Sarada mimicked his stance, and hastily tucked the orange flower in her headband off to the side. She adjusted her glasses and let out a "heh"
"Oh, for the Hokage you'll race…" Boruto's smile changed to a determined stare. Sarada instantly blushed at the Hokage's son's words. She turned her head and stared down the road.
"Always so damn dramatic Boruto, Uzumaki." Sarada took a deep breath. She knew Boruto was right though. She could really care less about Konohamaru calling for her, or Boruto's determination to get a well-paying mission. Sarada bit the inside of her lip thinking that there was not much interest until she realized that the Hokage would be there too.