Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Boruto/Naruto franchise.
Chapter 1 - Familiar eyes
Sharp click clacks resounded off of polish flooring, echoing within a empty hall. lengthy raven hair kept neatly together with a ruby red elastic. Bouncing lightly, just hovering over the white portion of the Uchiha crest, marked on the back of the slim moving figure.
He was returning to the village. After seven long years, he was finally coming home. She should be thrilled, so filled with joy but...
Light water droplets pitter patter down onto the hot pink umbrella she held within her gloved left hand, metal pole wrapped by slim fingers. Sloshing sounds were made with each hurried step she took. Strides made each time her path was met with puddles but the haste within her movements never ceased just as the light rain fall from the grey cloud filled sky never did.
The familiar, welcoming view of a home, came into her sights. Heart thumping in her chest in anticipation.
Boruto. A warm smile graced her face.
Finally making it to the front door. She reached out her unoccupied hand toward the doorbell, rang it once and waited patiently until the door opened. Revealing Boruto's mother.
Upon seeing her shivering form, the older woman beckoned her inside the house quickly.
"I'm sorry for coming by unexpectedly." A lone finger motioned to the now closed umbrella, being held upside down, hanging by her side. "But I had to get this back to Boruto, may I see him?."
The older woman's brows crinkled together. Confusion lit up in her lavender eyes but the confusion quickly died out, replaced with sympathy as a realization came to. Her lips formed into a tight line carried with disappointment.
Noticing this, a sunken feeling invaded Sarada's chest. Smile disappearing into a wary frown.
A sadden sign came out from the missing boy's mother before those words were softly spoken. "Sarada, Boruto isn't here."
Sarada's lips formed to ask the obvious but Hinata stop her with a gentle hand, placing it onto her shoulder in a supportive gesture.
He left last night, for his travels. He's...not going to be back for quite some time."
The rain from the outside speed up, drops turned into heavy wet thuds, hitting the shingles of the roof, harder. The beating from it evidently louder.
He left.
"I'm so sorry Sarada, I thought he'd told you of his plans."
Lightening strikes, followed by a crackling boom and roaring fury of thunder.
Without telling her, without saying goodbye.
Dark brows creased inward, a ache settle within her chest. The paperwork within a single hand, crinkled by the tightening of the grip it was held in.
Taking a deep breathe and heavily blowing it out, she calmed her nerves and whisked away the memory back into the depths of her mind.
It didn't matter anymore. Years have passed since then and things changed...she changed. She wasn't the same girl she was back then, she's a woman now. A woman focused on her one & only dream. She didn't have time to dwell on the past, all that mattered was the present.
Averting from her thoughts, she realized she was only a few feet away from the Hokage office. Taking the adequate amount of steps forward, she then lifted her free arm toward the door handle. Wrapping her fingers around the sliver doorknob, twisting it around. Feeling the smoothness of the metal brush against her palm as she did this, only lasting until the door slid open, with a slight creak. Steps continuing right after, into the office and halted once completely inside, to the middle of the room.
"Lord Seventh." Sarada greeted with respectful regard.
The older blonde seated behind the office desk gave a cheery smile upon seeing her. "Ah Sarada! I hope the trip back wasn't too tiring."
"No, it was no trouble." A lone hand waved off and she moved forward, closer to the desk. Enough to use her other arm. Outstretching it, to pass the paperwork off to its destine grasps. "The mission report you requested."
"Thank you so very much!" Gleefulness rode off the man's tongue. Grin so huge, majority of his teeth were on full display. Eyes almost hidden within it, due to how greatly arched up the corners of his lips were.
A single dark brow rose up in wonder. It wasn't unlike the Seventh to be a radiate ball of sunshine...but he seemed much to happy to receive a mission report. So she wondered what was it...? Well whatever it was, it probably wasn't much, she shrugged off.
She gave a light bow, excusing herself, but as she turned around, taking a single step forward towards the exit. A sudden black spiral mist appeared, engulfing it.
Fierce crimson instantly coated each of Sarada's irises, replacing the tamed onyx. Three dark tomoe surfaced within both eyes, respectively.
The mist was so thick, she couldn't make out what exactly was within it. It was irritating not being able to see the mystery being responsible for the foreign mist spiral. Yet at the same time, It wasn't much worry. Prepared with her sharingan's ability of keen perception. Her hand swiftly reached into the white poach wrapped secure around her waist, fingers scurrying around a bit then circling around the handle of the weapon she sought and pulled it out. Lifting her arm and thrusting the kunai forward. It's blade pointed toward the flowing spiral.
"Oh! Sarada there's no nee-"
Hearing the rowdy voice of the Hokage, caused Sarada to briskly turn her head around, enough to examine the Seventh's face. It was unfazed and oddly clam. Just what is with him today? There's a unknown presence within his office and he's-
"Sarada..."
At the surprised low murmured of her name, the seventh's much louder words died out. Her earlier thoughts turning into irrelevant nothingness. Due to that voice, that undisputed voice of the one she once knew so very well. Now strange to her ears, deeper. The hint of a childish rasp once present in his teenage years, long gone. Yet it still sounded like him, just more mature.
Her defensive arm lowered, going limp at her side, the weapon slipping out of her loosening grasp and a solid clang echoed throughout the office once it hit the ground. The effortless ability to breathe seemed to falter, the fluid pumps of her heart quickening. Resounding within her ears, vibrating relentlessly throughout her ribcage. In spite of this, she somehow sharply turn her head back, toward the owner of that voice.
Onyx eyes widen at the sight of him. His familiar sky coloured eyes steadily staring back into her own. Though it was clear, from the loss of innocence and carefreeness. These eyes were no longer the ones she had stared into countless times since from when they were very small to adolescents. The vertical scar on his right eye had faded a bit, more blended to his natural complexion. Just a few shades darker, though the outline of it was still pretty visible. Nevertheless a great improvement from how pink & raw it looked in the past. Considering how fresh of a gash it was then.
A nostalgic ache swam across her chest at the memory of how that scar came to be. So she quickly moved her analytical eyes from his face down to his upper body. The dark cloak draped over his stature emanated that of her father but he was nothing of the sort. The pink accents on his collar and cuffs was more his tune. At least that part of him was still recognizable. Not that she cared. He was a stranger, and like all strangers, he simply exist and she wouldn't bat a eyelash at this fact.
With this resolve she brought her eyes back onto his own. They were intently looking her over, focusing on every detail of her being. Haven't been so immersed in her own time studying him, she missed the way he was also studying her. Noticing it now, made her uncomfortable, because of the all the conflicting emotions he's eyes were stirring within her.
He was a stranger, So why? How could he be paying so much attention to her in this moment? Was he too, shaken up by her presence as she was with his?
Azure pools remain unblinking, difficult for her to decipher, giving off a emotionless gaze. Yet the concentration involved in maintaining eye contact with her made it seem as though...
Her finger nails bit into her palms by how tightly she had fisted her hands into a ball. She tore her eyes away from his. She had enough of this stupid staring game.
In fulfilling this action, out of the corner of her eye, she finally noticed the other cloaked figure in the room. He stood close to Boruto's leg, tiny dirt filled fingers peeking out of their long sleeves, clutching tightly onto Boruto's pants. Hooded head meeting just up to the blonde's hip. Most of their face was covered by a shadow cast from their hood. Only a small button nose, chubby heart shaped jaw and chin could be seen from where she stood.
A child? Sarada's head was spinning in question. What was Boruto doing with a child?
Unconscious steps were made by the perplexed young woman. She now stood a couple steps closer to the pair. Sole focus on the child, trying to get a better look. For some odd reason she felt drawn to the kid.
With one simple movement of the child's head tilting toward her. His hood slide back, revealing the hidden half of his face.
Sarada first observed the dirty blonde locks framed messily over his forehead, tips of it brushing upon his brows. Her eyes continue trailing down his face, widening in disbelief at what stared back at her. Big onyx eyes. A startling gasp slipped out of her parted lips.
Sarada's heart beat picked up, pounding more vigorously in her chest then before. Those eyes...
The boy put off at her reaction, crinkled his nose at her. Staring at her like she was a strange alien for gaping the way she was at him. He gave an annoyed huff, dipping his head down, stubbornly looking at the ground.
Sarada caught this, breaking out of her daze. "Sorry."
He brought his head up and plainly grunted out "Its fine."
Usually she wouldn't lose her self like she had done, rudely staring openly but those eyes. His eyes, so hauntingly familiar in colour. Shaped much like the ones she hasn't seen in years...until... A unsetting tension twisted inside her tummy. She shot a quick glimpse at her past childhood friend, fixating around his eyes rather than looking in. Then returned her sights speedily onto the eerily captivating boy's eyes again. The tension thicken, and now it felt like her insides were squeezing in on themselves. Her eyes glisten, it was uncanny, she concluded.
Her head swelled, filling up by the second with various thoughts, and questions. From the unexpected appearance of Boruto, all the feelings swirling inside. Entangled in past and present. To the mysterious little boy with the striking eyes. The stress of both encounters were catching up to her and she had more than enough. She had to go, get away from both of them.
Sarada took her eyes off the boy, inhaled once and collected herself, sharingan turning off in the process. "Lord seventh." She drawn out as a final respectful departure, while leading herself to the exit.
The older man, simply waved in farewell from behind his desk.
Boruto moved aside for her, arm circling around the boy's shoulder to move him along with him. She didn't give them a single glance, only staring straight ahead. reaching the door handle, opening the door, and getting out the room.
The child hang his head down low again, at this. Chewing on his lower lip.
Boruto never took his eyes off her until the office door shut soundly after the Uchiha's retreat. Then he brought his eyes to his father.
"You knew she'd be here, by the time we'd be back."
"It was simply a coincidence." Blue eyes blinked twice, forging pure ignorance. "You'd just happened to return in the nick of time, really."
Boruto shot a irritated glare at his father, seeing the fun in his eyes and the silly undertone in his voice. "Dad." He bite out, patience's thinning.
"Don't dad me. Are you seriously upset?" Naruto asked. Eyes narrowing into his son's eyes, the playfulness no longer reflective in his own. "You got to see her."
Boruto cast his eyes downward, for a few seconds then longingly toward the door. A heavy sign blowing through his lips, faint words following after. "It wasn't the way I wanted it to go."
Hearing this, the little boy lifted his head up, his big eyes looking closely at Boruto's face. Taken note of blonde eyebrows arched inward, causing a slight crease where both his brows pointed toward each other. Eyes weary, hard on the exit. Lips set in a taut line.
Unease and sympathy filled the boy's chest. So he out stretched his small arm upward, and reached, pulling onto the blonde's hand with his own.
Feeling the softness of pudgy fingers curling into his own. Boruto's head dipped down, low enough to gaze at the boy, eyes softening at the sight of his concern onyx eyes. His own bigger coarse fingers further interlocking his smaller ones with his own in solace.
"So tell me, what of those scrolls?." The Seventh asked, bringing his son's attention back to the conversation they had much earlier in private, which then was paused to get and bring in the kid stranger with him back to the office. Which was another curious act within itself. It seems the child is more than what meets the eye, Naruto suspected.
"Right as I had been saying..."
A/N: Thank you very much for reading. I really appreciate & welcome feedback so please don't shy away. So any thoughts? Questions?