A/N: Thank you for your support, fam!

We don't own Naruto/Boruto.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Sarada asked her manager who was bouncing on his feet in excitement.

They had just arrived at her parents' home and Boruto opened her door for her. She looked from his hand to his eyes, wondering why she was the one feeling nervous. Her uncles had come for dinner as well after all and Boruto couldn't get past the idea of meeting them to even worry about the real reason he was here—to meet her parents.

"I am! I'm excited." Boruto grinned. "My first time to come to your parents' house, ya know? This is the one place you go without me."

"You're not going to pass out when you meet my uncles, are you?" She asked worriedly as she took his hand and got out of the car.

Boruto buzzed his lips and snorted. "Princess, please. I've met celebrities before. Have I ever embarrassed you?"

"Well, normally you don't act as if they're anything special. Not even for me… but you are such a fanboy for Uncle Itachi and Uncle Shisui." Not that she blamed him, Sarada adored them even more, but she knew they were going to embarrass her.

"They were my childhood heroes," Boruto bounced in place, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I've always wanted to experience being on the set of Keeping Up With the Uchihas, ya know?"

Sarada rolled her eyes, laughing. "You never know, maybe we will have a reunion one day. I'd love to meet with the entire cast." Some of them barely kept in touch these days, but all of the people she'd worked with over those years were special to her.

"Would you take me?" His face lit up, hoping to get a chance to meet them all.

They walked up the steps and only the porch, stopping only when they reached the door. "I wouldn't go without you." Sarada smiled and reached for the doorknob, but before she could touch it the door was swung open and she was yanked off of her feet and crushed by a too strong hug. Almost as strong as her mothers.

"Kiddo!" Shisui exclaimed, swinging Sarada from side to side like a rag doll.

Boruto's blue eyes went wide, stars appearing in them. "Oh my god." A large, dreamy grin spread on his face.

"It's been so long, and you didn't call me!" Shisui gushed. "And no invitation to your premier? I am hurt."

"You can put me down now." Sarada breathed, feeling completely squished. When he let her down to her feet, he still held her to his chest so she couldn't break free. "You know why I didn't invite you!"

Shisui plopped her on the floor and held her hands, spinning her around a bit—as if he didn't shake her up enough from the hug. "You look good, not the little Sarada anymore." He faked a sob, almost convincing Boruto. "But still! Your first romance. I told Itachi we need to see it."

"No way! I forbid it," Sarada scoffed, prying her hands away from him just before she was tugged into another bone-crushing hug.

"Sarada!" Itachi cooed and rubbed his cheek on her hair, messing it up.

"OhmigoditsItachi," Boruto breathed, the stars in his eyes grew even bigger.

"Uncle Itachi, nooo!" She whined, pouting since she'd been trying to look extra cute tonight. "You both stop and let me introduce you to Boruto."

The two uncles stopped. Itachi placed Sarada down on her feet but kept a hand on her shoulder. "Your manager?"

Their heads turned to the blond, just a few steps behind Sarada.

"Yes." Sarada nodded with a smile, reaching her hand out towards Boruto. "And my best friend." And more, but she didn't know how to say that exactly.

Boruto held her hand and grinned at the two. "Hello! I'm such a big fan of yours."

The two uncles looked at Boruto from head to foot and back up again, before zoning in on their interlaced hands.

"What do you think you're doing?" Shisui glared at Boruto.

The poor manager flinched and attempted to let go of Sarada's hand but she only held on tighter.

"Don't scare him, Boruto is really precious to me. He treats me like a princess and I can't have you two ruining it. Besides, he loves you both."

Itachi's face went passive and looked at Boruto again from the corner of his eye before turning around. "Very well, come in." He walked in the house as if it was his and not Sasuke's. Shisui gave Boruto another pointed stare before following after Itachi.

"Sorry about that." Sarada laughed nervously and started walking as well, pulling Boruto along with her.

"Y-you didn't tell me they were scary," he mumbled, lower lip jutting out, but followed her in any way. "And this is your dad's house, right?"

"I tried to tell you they are very overprotective. You were too busy being a fanboy to listen." She huffed. "And yes, this is my parents' home. I grew up here."

"Overprotective doesn't equate to that," Boruto was mortified. He had never felt so judged in his entire life. But he lit up at knowing that this was the house she grew up in. "This is where little you ran around?" He grinned, happy at imagining Sarada as a child walking around this house.

"They're fine, just relax. They'll loosen up soon. Yeah, I have many, many memories in this home." She smiled at him and then they reached the opening to the dining room, finding her uncles at the table with her father. "Papa!" Sarada let go of Boruto's hand to run to her father. He just did manage to stand up in time to catch her as she flung herself at him.

"There's my girl." Sasuke sighed, kissing the side of her head as he hugged her tight. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too, Papa." Sarada grinned, squeezing him around his neck before they separated and she gestured to Boruto. "This is Boruto. Finally."

"Boruto Uzumaki." Sasuke greeted curtly, extending his hand without taking a step closer to the blond. "It's about time that I meet the man managing my daughter's career. She's told me a lot about you, some things even I couldn't find out with a little digging."

He laughed nervously and shook Sasuke's hand firmly. "It's a pleasure and an honor to meet you. I'm a fan of your movies." Boruto grinned at Sarada. "Managing Sarada is the most fulfilling thing I've done."

"Hn. It better be." Sasuke pulled his hand back and smiled down at Sarada. "Sakura is finishing up dinner now, I'd like to hear about everything I've been missing lately." He returned to his seat at the head of the table and gestured to the seat on his right. "Please, Boruto, take a seat."

Boruto smiled and obliged, taking a seat next to Sasuke. But he froze when Itachi and Shisui took a seat across him, leaving space for Sakura on the other side. Sarada sat next to him and patted his shoulder reassuringly. She didn't want him to feel pressured, but her family was intense. And her mother wasn't even sitting at the table yet.

Sasuke pulled a set of folded papers out of his breast pocket, along with a pen that was black and white with an Uchiha crest on the cap. He unfolded the papers and then locked eyes with Boruto. "I'm a man of research and I must say, Sarada's boyfriend is a little too clean for my liking."

"Papaaaa!" Sarada whined, not wanting him to get started. This was supposed to be a family dinner but he was always turning things into business somehow.

"Fake boyfriend," Boruto corrected. "Yes, we also did a check. I made sure he was okay before letting Sarada work with him. My negotiations regarding their arrangement also dragged on fairly long, well into shooting on their first week."

"So since then, you haven't been keeping tabs on him?" Sasuke asked while scribbling something on one of the papers.

"I keep in touch with his manager often, and I always keep an eye on Sarada," Boruto's brows furrowed, seemingly concerned that he could have been careless.

Sasuke hummed and continued to write on the paper. "Taketori is already being considered for an upcoming role in another romance. There has been talk of him suggesting that if sales from Sincerely Yours reaches a certain number, and the relationship he shares with Sarada goes smoothly, that the role as his lover will be offered to her. I suspect this is his way of hoping to trap Sarada in her fake relationship with him because he's aiming to have a real relationship with her. Tch, of course. He'd have to be a damn fool not to want more with her, but I don't want the bastard near my peanut."

Sarada had sunk down low in her seat, unsure what to think of her father's words. He was as overprotective as her uncles, but he was also wise and wasn't one to accuse people falsely. This was the first she was hearing of something like this, but honestly, it wouldn't surprise her.

"Another role with Hōki?" Shisui snorted and crossed his arms across his chest. "That could work, with the wave of the latest movie, but it'll die down before the next movie comes out. They're not planning well enough."

Itachi nodded. "Another role or a series would suit Sarada's momentum."

"I was not informed." Boruto frowned. "And her contract with Hōki's fake relationship is only good for another five months, or until Sarada starts shooting for another project."

"He doesn't care about the hype dying down, he cares about keeping Sarada tied to him. It's painfully obvious and sad really. I'd hate to have to ruin him, but—" Sasuke started writing a little more, a sadistic smirk on his face. "He's asking for it."

Shisui made a low whistle and laced his fingers behind his head. "And this is why I'm on break."

Itachi smirked. "You're too much, little brother. The boy is only starting his career. But indeed, it would be rather… unfortunate."

"I won't take any drastic measures unless I have no other option. For now, I'm looking at other roles for Sarada to consider auditioning for before he can bring this suggestion to her."

Sarada straightened in her seat, looking at her father with big, excited eyes. "You found some good roles for me?"

"I have three in mind." Sasuke looked up from the papers to her with a soft smile.

"Some of the other managers also reached out to me. Ochako's manager will have her audition for a movie and two shows, she asked me if you will want to consider it. They're looking for four girls. Grass Productions is small, but they produce quality films. I can check if they have anything new, too. But I thought you might want a break." Boruto smiled at Sarada apologetically. "I didn't think you would want to go right back to work."

Sarada grinned at her manager. "I am enjoying some time off, but I'll be glad to work on something new as long as it suits me." She wanted to act more because she loved it, but she knew she didn't want another role with Hōki, at least not anytime soon.

"If you want another movie role, I'll make a few calls," Boruto nodded and smiled. "Anything you want."

Shisui faked vomiting sounds. "I'm gonna be sick."

"Shut up!" Sarada screeched, holding up a threatening fist at her uncle.

"No need to make any calls," Sasuke mumbled as he set three different papers in front of Boruto. "These are details for the three productions I have considered for Sarada. All are projects I'm working on exclusively. The one on top will probably excite her most of all, but the audition is soon…"

"How soon?" Boruto asked, taking the first page from the pile and reading it over. "Only one female role?"

"Wednesday," Sasuke answered calmly, he didn't doubt Sarada could ace the audition even on such short notice. "It's about a high school volleyball team, there's only one female role because it revolves around the team, but their manager is a female student."

Sarada leaned over on Boruto to get a good look at the paper, her heart was beating faster just thinking about auditioning for something new so soon. "It sounds soft and funny, but exciting too!"

Shisui's eye twitched seeing how close his niece was to another man who wasn't a family member. He coughed loudly. "Sakura, come quick. I think I'm gonna barf. I need a doctor."

Itachi smirked and sipped his tea. "Or we could use a doctor for another reason."

Boruto stiffened in his seat.

A beautiful lady with pink hair and green eyes came walking out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her pink apron. "I heard someone call me?" She smiled, looking at everyone sitting in the dining table. "Oh, darling, you're home!" She came over to Sarada and kissed the top of her head. "You didn't send us an invitation to your movie." She pouted. "I was looking forward to going with your father."

"Mama!" Sarada gawked. "You all know I couldn't invite you to see this movie." It was embarrassing just having them keep bringing it up.

"I'm sorry I didn't send you all invitations," Boruto smiled apologetically. "But I knew Sarada wouldn't be too comfortable with it. Next time, I'll be sure to send you all invites."

"Oh, you're so kind," Sakura giggled and kissed Boruto's cheek. "How have you been, Boruto? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm fine, thank you." He grinned brightly at Sakura. "I meant to catch up, but the movie had me tied."

"And that scandal," Shisui rolled his eyes. "What the hell was up with that?"

The whole table went silent.

Sarada knew Boruto would begin to panic over this again if she didn't speak up quickly, so she cleared her throat and said, "The picture was from months ago. I think the only reason it was released was in hopes of sabotaging sales for the movie. We weren't expecting it, but it all worked out in the end."

"If only it would have ended your fake relationship." Sasuke sighed.

"It's already taken care of," Boruto defended. "And it's starting to die down. Everyone's been really supportive to defend Sarada."

"She wouldn't have needed to be defended if it didn't happen in the first place," Itachi pointed out.

"And we never get talked about that way, you know," Shisui sighed. "Certainly wouldn't have wanted it to happen to Sarada, too."

Sakura swatted Itachi and Shisui's heads. "Oh shut up," Sakura frowned. "As if your managers didn't have to make magic happen for you two when you were younger. These things happen, and I think Boruto's crisis plan worked splendidly, don't you think, Sasuke-kun?"

"It was almost perfect." Sasuke hummed.

"Almost?" Sakura disappeared into the kitchen but kept on talking. "Darling, if I were still managing Sarada, I would have already punched somebody."

"Hn." Sasuke smirked. "If only he had told the bastard to fuck off and leave Sarada alone… then I could be fully satisfied. I don't like the guy."

Sarada knew well how her father was when he didn't like someone. He hated them. "Hōki isn't that bad… he just wants to be my real boyfriend."

All heads turned to Sarada abruptly, all the men sitting around the table said in unison, "That's never happening."

Boruto looked at the two uncles in front of him, a wide grin on his face. "I'm glad we agree."

"As if he stands a chance," Shisui scoffed. "Thinks he can get a ninja series and be good enough? Please."

Itachi nodded. "He doesn't seem as pleasant, too. I looked at his Ninstagram. He's too… showy. Overshares and all." The actor waved his hand around as if it bored and disgusted him at the same time.

"He's far, far off from a man I'd trust my little peanut with," Sasuke muttered, giving Boruto a calculating look.

"I don't trust him with Sarada, either," Boruto agreed quietly. "But hey, the sooner you get a new role, the sooner we can get rid of him. We might not have to wait for five more months, ya know?"

"I'll do this audition," Sarada announced happily. It was the soonest one and it sounded like it would be fun. She nudged Boruto's shoulder and leaned close again. "You'll help me practice, right?"

"R-right. Of course, anything you need!" Boruto's cheeks flushed, face turning red. He couldn't look Sasuke in the eyes.

"The hell is that?" Shisui squinted his eyes at Boruto. "You stuttered."

Itachi put his teacup down and looked at the blond as if waiting for an explanation.

"I need help in the kitchen!" Sakura called. "Honestly, you expect me to carry all of this out?"

Sasuke was up on his feet right away, followed by Shisui and Itachi.

"You should have said so sooner," Shisui mumbled.

Sakura started chiding him, her words were barely understandable from the dining area.

Boruto sighed and slumped back on the chair. "I'm glad your mom still likes me."

"What do you mean? They all like you." Sarada giggled and moved her lips to his cheek to give him a quick kiss.

"Your uncles wanted to kill me just a second ago," Boruto muttered. "I swear, they looked a lot nicer on the show."

Sarada rested her head on his shoulder and laughed. "They are nice… they're just observing you, seeing if you'll crack under the pressure. Any other guy would have tucked tail and ran by now."

He laughed nervously and leaned closer to whisper, "I'm pretty close, not going to lie. Your uncles look like the type Mitsuki would be dealing with, ya know?"

"Don't worry. I promise they just want to figure you out for themselves and know that you don't have any bad intentions."

"I don't," Boruto muttered. "I would never."

"I know. And soon, they'll know too. I'm really happy… I didn't think we would have papa's blessing so soon."

Boruto smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad he hates Hoki, too. I can see us hating on him over coffee, ya know?"

"Oh my goodness." Sarada rolled her eyes and leaned back to sit properly. "I swear, I can totally see it and that's sad."

"Talking shit over coffee is the fastest way to make friends." Boruto winked at her and had a sip of water.

Sakura came walking in, holding on to a big tray of pasta and setting it on the table. Shisui and Itachi also had lots of food in their hands while Sasuke brought out the cake.

"Everything looks amazing, Mama. Thank you for having us." Sarada smiled at her mother and then her father. "Thank you for inviting us, Papa. And you two—" she grinned at her uncles. "I missed you guys but this time, I feel a lot more complete, since Boruto is with me."

The two uncles looked at each other, as did Sasuke and Sakura.

Sakura smiled warmly at her daughter. "We're all happy to have you, both of you."

Boruto grinned and thanked them as well. "Sarada always talks about you and meeting the important people in her life makes me happy."

"Well let's not just sit here," Sakura chuckled. "Let's eat. Please, help yourself, Boruto."

"Mama is the best cook ever." Sarada proudly stated as she began loading Boruto's plate, giving him way more than he needed.

"Th-that's a lot," Boruto chuckled nervously. "No cooking like your mom's right?" He grinned. "Everything looks delicious."

"I promise you'll love it. You better eat your fill, Boruto. Or else." Sarada poked his cheek teasingly, topping off his plate with a fresh baked roll before she started filling her own.

Boruto dug in, and everything he ate was delicious. Sarada kept putting more food on his plate, and he had to complain at some point because he was stuffed, but the pointed look from Sasuke had him sucking it up and finishing his food.

When they finished dinner, they all moved to the living room for dessert, but Boruto opted to have tea instead. Sasuke seemed pleased with his choice, but couldn't refuse when Sarada fed him a few bites of cake. Her uncles were glaring at him every time.

"Boruto," Shisui started. "Have you been dating lately?"

"Y-No." Boruto averted his gaze and sipped his tea. "I-I don't really have the time."

"You make time," Itachi responded.

"Yeah but like…" Boruto looked away again. "I don't really want to."

"Are you gay?" Shisui squinted.

"No!" Boruto exclaimed. "I'm straight."

"Huh." Shisui crossed his arms across his chest and looked at Itachi. "Do you believe that?"

Itachi looked at Sarada and waited for her to answer.

"Of course he's straight and no he isn't dating because... UGH! if he even dared I would… I'd… he's mine, okay?!" Sarada had snapped, needing her uncles to know now that Boruto belonged to her. She wanted everyone to know.

Boruto choked on his tea.

Sakura giggled. "Yours?"

"Mine," Sarada repeated firmly. "As in, like my real boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Shisui hissed.

Itachi turned to face Boruto, his thin lips set into a fine line. He spoke to his brother but kept a piercing gaze on Boruto. "Sasuke… did he ask you?"

Boruto stiffened and felt his soul leave his body.

"Uncle Itachi!" Sarada whined and then pouted at her father. "Papaaaa."

"No, he didn't ask me," Sasuke said coolly as he raised his glass to his lips for a sip of water. When he set it back down, his eyes locked on the fidgeting blond. "But I had already accepted him so I'm not that upset."

Boruto tried to respond, but his words came out as a strangled whimper. "I—well… I would have but I wanted to ask Sarada first. I'm still her manager, after all."

"He's very sweet and really spoils me. He makes me feel like a princess every day." Sarada sighed dreamily.

Sakura cooed and clung on to Sasuke. "See, I told you! I'm so happy for you, Sarada."

Shisui pouted. "Well, I guess you're better than that ninja shit."

"Much better." Sasuke hummed. "I've been keeping tabs on Boruto for over two years now. I trust him."

"Oh my god," Boruto breathed, scared out of his mind.

"And you didn't share the information," Itachi looked at his little brother, a little perplexed.

The only reason Sarada didn't say anything was because she wasn't surprised.

"He's clean, but in a natural sense. Has made a few mistakes in his younger days, but he is wholly dedicated to Sarada and that's exactly the kind of man she deserves."

"Papa…" Sarada's heart swelled and her bottom lip quivered in emotion. He understood her so well.

The manager placed a hand on his chest and released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Th-thank you. I really do adore Sarada and I would do anything for her."

"See?" Sarada hugged Boruto's arm while giving both her uncles a pointed look. "You should be glad I picked the right guy to start with."

Itachi smirked. "If he really makes you that happy, then I support you, Sarada."

Shisui was pouting, but with a nudge from Itachi, came around. "Yeah… what he said."

"Yay!" Sarada squealed, happily hugging Boruto without a care in the world. "See, I told you."

Boruto grinned at her and then looked at everyone else. "Thank you. I promise I'll take good care of Sarada."

.

.

.

Dinner with Boruto meeting her family had been eventful, but overall a wonderful experience. Sarada felt even closer to him now and truly didn't know how that could be possible. She was happier than ever though and excited about an audition coming up so soon.

The role she would be trying for was about a girl who loves volleyball but is unable to play the sport due to an incident years prior that put an early end to her days on the court. Her love and passion wouldn't fade though, so she takes up managing the boy's team when they're desperate for help and she knows just how to help support them and make them grow.

For the audition, Sarada would be acting out a short scene with the entire team—giving them all a pep talk before their biggest game of the season. The audition was meant to be a challenging one since the actress would need to portray emotions as if she was already invested in this team and had been working with them for months. What made it worse was that her father refused to give her the entire script—only sharing with her the audition bit. It frustrated her, but she was more than willing to show him how capable she was.

The team had already been cast, but Sasuke wouldn't give her any names. The last day of auditions was for the role of the manager and Sarada was determined to secure the part. She wanted to put Hōki behind her and hopefully be able to end in good terms with him without feeling uncomfortable.

Sarada and Boruto arrived at the studio half an hour early. Since she and Boruto were an item now, Sarada hated going in public because she was limited to the affections she could give him. They didn't want any more issues and she was still under contract until she could get out of it. Even when she finally broke herself away from Hōki, Sarada couldn't just announce to the world that she and Boruto were together and that hurt her. It wasn't fair that just because she wanted to act, it gave her all these limitations. She wanted more than anything just to be able to live a normal life and not have to worry about being judged for every little thing.

Sasuke was inside, seated next to the director—an overzealous, older man with a bowl cut and bushy eyebrows. He was dressed in all green, clothes so tight Sarada was afraid to look in his general direction. She was quick to walk over to her father though and hug him in greeting.

"Hello, Sarada. You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Papa. I'm excited about the audition. Poor Boruto has been dealing with my practicing since Sunday." She giggled and gave Boruto a grateful look.

"It's not really practicing if all I do is sit and watch you," he laughed. "You'll do great."

The actress nodded, a look of determination in her eyes. Sasuke kissed the top of her head and then briefly explained the set up to her and Boruto who would wait with Sasuke while Sarada did her audition. Since the cast had already been chosen, she wished she could meet them first, but Sasuke wouldn't allow it. Three other girls went before her and the wait seemed too long, but she was able to watch and she wasn't blown away by any of their performances. If nobody came along doing any better than them, Sarada knew the role would be hers.

When her turn finally came, Sarada took her place on the open stage, waiting for the team to walk in. She was supposedly in the locker room, waiting for the group who were all anxious and one who couldn't stop getting sick. They all entered the stage with a heavy sense of gloom—as if they'd all already been defeated. The smallest guy was the one acting as the sickly one, mumbling "oh no," and "I'm gonna be sick" among other things continuously. He was small and adorable, looking even smaller than he was compared to the rest of the guys who were all tall.

"It's like… all of our hard work has been for nothing." One of them spoke sullenly and the rest of them started mumbling agreements, supposedly oblivious to Sarada's presence. They continued to sulk, even started a few arguments between each other and then finally, her time to shine came.

"You guys… you really still don't get it, do you?" Sarada clicked her tongue, putting on a disapproving look as she strutted over to stand along with them in the circle they'd formed. She jutted out her hip, placing her hand there while flipping her hair to her back. She needed spunk and a provocativeness that made the entire team swoon over her.

For the next few moments, Sarada delivered her lines with firm confidence that her character was meant to have, staring pointedly and meaningfully to each individual as she addressed them—going over their weaknesses and explaining how they'd overcome them—how much they'd grown, and how finally, they had become a real team. By the end of her speech, all the guys were huddled around her in one big group hug, some putting on exaggerated and comical crying while others expressed their gratitude for her. It ended when she finally managed to calm them all down and then took a deep breath before wishing them good luck with a smile.

It had taken ten minutes to act out the scene, but there were no hiccups and Sarada was feeling pleased with her audition, heart pounding with pride at how Sasuke and Boruto were applauding her with big grins on her face. Having supporters like them was only one of the upsides of her career, but it was certainly one of the bests. She wouldn't know right away if she got the part, but she loved acting out that scene, challenging herself and showing off her abilities that she was so proud of. She loved what she did and was so happy that her manager loved her audition as much as she did.

Boruto praised her over and over, taking her out for ice cream after and then back to his place where he spoiled her a little more. She was so in love with him she could barely stand it—and so thankful to have him by her side. She could feel a new chapter in their lives beginning, one that she was looking forward to with all her heart. As long as she had Boruto in her corner, she could get through anything.

Reach for the stars.

Never settle.

Her manager had the utmost confidence in her and that gave Sarada reassurance and a determination to do more—do better. Even if she didn't get this role, there would be others and she knew she would be happy no matter what. In the meantime, she would enjoy her free time with Boruto.

A/N: Volleyball. High School Boys' Team. Only female on the main cast. Can you guys guess what "movie" we will be doing next? Teehee. The tide will be shifting very soon.

Thank you so much for your support! :)

Cheers,

Kairi and Tyy