UNEXPECTED GIFTS & UNSPOKEN CONFESSIONS
When Sarada prepares a special present for the Rinne Festival, Boruto can't stop teasing her and guessing who it's for. Young Adult BoruSara.
It was late afternoon when Boruto and Sarada ventured out to the training ground, their footsteps disturbing the fresh fallen snow from the night before. To sharpen their skills, the best friends tossed kunai and shuriken at a few distant targets while they discussed their team's most recent mission. Their breath was visible and their noses were pinkened from the frigid air.
Sarada glanced at Boruto as he spoke, hesitating a moment before she quickly shook her head, trying not to notice the way his eyes were somehow even bluer against the cold winter backdrop.
She threw three shuriken in quick succession and grimaced at where they hit the target. Not her best, but she had had a lot on her mind lately.
"We've really been on a roll these last few weeks with our mission success rate, but I'm honestly looking forward to a little time off for the holidays," Boruto commented as he sent a kunai sailing through the air right into the bullseye.
"Right…the holidays," Sarada murmured quietly.
The Rinne Festival — a widely celebrated holiday in Konohagakure — was that Saturday. Throughout the week leading up to the grand village-wide event, families and loved ones exchanged gifts and many took the opportunity to confess their feelings to those they admired most.
Her less than enthusiastic response had blue eyes glancing in Sarada's direction. For a moment Boruto observed her tense posture and seemingly distracted stare.
"Is something on your mind?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
But before Sarada had a chance to respond, their attention was stolen by the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Hey, hey! Check it out, Boruto! Three presents! Just from today!" Iwabe bragged, holding up the assorted packages.
Boruto laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I hate to burst your bubble, dude, but I got five presents today."
His friend's dark eyes widened in surprise. "What was in them?! — Wait, more importantly, how hot were the girls that gave them to you?" Iwabe asked with a salacious grin.
For the last few years, Boruto and a handful of his guy friends would compete during each Rinne Festival season to see who received the most gifts and love confessions. Sarada found both this tradition and their discussion about it abhorrent.
She rolled her eyes and began stomping away without a word of goodbye, finding herself growing more irritated each moment she spent listening to their obnoxious conversation.
"Wait, Sarada! Where are you going?" Boruto called after her retreating form.
"I'm bored!" she snapped and continued on her path.
"Jeez, what's her problem?" Iwabe mumbled with a teasing chuckle.
Blue eyes continued watching her for a moment longer before Boruto shrugged. "No clue."
The sun had sunk below the mountains, casting the sky in a deep shade of indigo, but the streets of downtown Konoha were well lit and bustling with holiday activity. Banners were strung up in shops and festive wreaths decorated nearly every lamppost. The Rinne Festival was a cheerful time of year, one that had couples using the cold weather as an excuse to get extra cozy.
Sarada walked down the street, her hands shoved in her coat pockets to combat the winter chill. Dark eyes watched her feet trek through the mushy snow-covered path, purposefully avoiding all the shop signs that boasted the perfect gift for that special someone.
She sighed at the notion.
"Where ya headed?" The familiar voice had Sarada looking up just in time to watch Boruto throw his arm around her shoulders.
She was used to his casual affection after their many years of friendship, so Sarada allowed herself to settle against him and steal his warmth. Her head rested against his shoulder, cushioned by the scarlet red scarf his mom knit him that wrapped snugly around his neck.
"Dango shop. I'm in the mood for a hot tea and something sweet," Sarada told him.
"Can I join you?"
"If you must," she hummed as they continued down the busy street.
After several minutes of companionable silence, Boruto dared to ask, "Hey, what had you so irritable this afternoon?"
Heat rose in her cheeks as storm grey eyes darted around, searching for a reasonable reply.
"I don't know," Sarada muttered unconvincingly. "I guess… It's my training progress. We'll probably get recommended for the jounin exam at the beginning of the new year and… and I just want to feel prepared."
Boruto nodded, easily believing her excuse. A stagnation in his training progress was enough to put him in a huffy mood as well. They were very similar in that regard. "Well hey, we can train more tomorrow if you want? I'm happy to do whatever you think will help you get out of your slump."
A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Yeah, I'd like th—"
"Um, Boruto-senpai…" a timid voice interrupted them from behind.
The pair turned around to find a beautiful girl, maybe a year or two younger than them, with big eyes and long, chestnut brown hair. She wore an adorably shy blush as her feet shuffled ever so subtly in the snow. Both her hands tucked behind her back.
It was easy to deduce from her nervous behavior what she was hiding.
"What's up?" Boruto greeted with a smile, his blue eyes full of warmth. The color on the girl's cheeks seemed to intensify from his attention alone.
"Do you think maybe… I could talk to you for a minute?" the brunette shyly asked. Her gaze flickered to Sarada before adding, "privately."
"Oh! Yeah, of course," he nodded before turning to Sarada. "Excuse us for just a second."
"Sure," she mumbled.
Boruto ushered the brunette several steps away, his hand resting on her lower back. Sarada couldn't help but watch them curiously from the corner of her eye, wondering if other girls thought it so impossible that she and Boruto were involved that they would confess to him literally right in front of her.
The girl was soft-spoken, so Sarada couldn't listen to what she was saying, but it was obvious she was confessing her feelings to him. At that thought she turned away, suddenly feeling awkward for invading their personal moment.
"Thank you so much, I promise I'll cherish it," she heard Boruto say softly and she couldn't help but glance back over to see him accepting the decorative package the brunette had been holding.
They exchanged a hug that lasted a few seconds before parting ways. Boruto was wearing a bright grin when he sauntered back over to her.
"Sweet! That makes eight! Iwabe is definitely going to be buying all my burgers next month!" Boruto cheered to himself.
Sarada could hardly believe that was his first thought after a girl seemingly just poured her heart out to him. She scoffed and turned away to continue walking in the direction they were headed.
"What?!" He trailed behind her, chuckling at her obvious annoyance. "Don't hate the player, hate the game, Sarada!"
She replied with a roll of her eyes.
After ordering their snack, the pair took a seat in a back booth of the little dango shop. With both hands cupped around his mug, Boruto blew on his steaming green tea before suggesting a few training methods they could try.
Sarada nodded her head as she sipped at her own tea, but her eyes kept wandering to the package that the brunette had given him.
"Umm, can I ask you something?" she said, interrupting his explanation of why they should be doing their kenjutsu training on the river near the waterfall.
"What's up?" Boruto asked, a blonde brow raised in curiosity.
"I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to," Sarada began shyly, before glancing again at the gift on the table. "But like, what kind of gifts do these girls give you when they confess?"
"Oh haha, it kind of varies," he shrugged casually, like he had no qualms with sharing. "Some girls give generic things like plushies or sweets. Others give custom kunai or more practical stuff. Then there's some girls who are really bold."
"Bold how?" she questioned, confused by his tone. "Like they write you love letters?"
"Oh, I meant bold like dirty panties, but I have gotten a few love letters before."
"Dirty panties?! What the hell?!" she squawked, her dark eyes wide with shock. Boruto just laughed at her scandalized expression while Sarada slapped a hand over her mouth, embarrassed by the attention her exclamation drew.
"Why do you ask? Are you thinking about giving someone something for the Rinne Festival?" Boruto asked with a suggestive wiggle of his brow.
She blushed immediately at the question. "No!"
"Oh my god…" His face lit up with surprised intrigue. "I was just kidding, but you totally are!"
The pink hue on her cheeks deepened as she turned away. She knew there was no denying, her best friend could always read her so easily.
"Wow! I can't believe some lucky bastard has finally caught the eye of Sarada Uchiha! I thought your one true love was the Hokage's hat?!" he teased.
Sarada covered her face to hide her embarrassment. "I am not talking about this! So please just drop it, okay?!"
Boruto's smile widened at her uncharacteristically shy behavior and took another sip of his tea. "Okay."
It was late morning when Boruto was walking home from Hokage Tower after dropping off a breakfast bento made fresh by his mother. A smile tugged at his lips the moment he spotted Sarada in the village square, pacing back and forth. She often did that when she was deep in thought.
"Sarada!" he called, waving as he jogged up to her. Her confounded expression suddenly morphed into something akin to embarrassment, but he wasn't sure why.
Before he reached her, blue eyes watched as she suspiciously shoved something into her jacket. A curious grin spread across Boruto's face as he stepped closer, "what ya got there?"
"Nothing!" Her immediate reply only made him all the more interested.
Dark eyes widened as he grabbed her jacket in an attempt to see what she was hiding. "Ya know, if you're smuggling contraband into the village, I'm obligated to report it to the Hokage," Boruto teased.
She swatted his hands away. "Shut up! You know it's nothing like that!"
"Oh yeah, then why can't I see?! Huh?!" Sarada squirmed as he poked her on her sides, right in her most ticklish spot.
"Stop!" she whined, trying to resist the urge to giggle. His tickles persisted until she had to push him away, but in her attempt to free herself he got a peek at what she'd been hiding.
Boruto's face lit up upon realizing her secret was, in fact, a Rinne Festival present. "Oooh! So, I was right! Who's it for? Who's it for?!"
"No one!" Sarada practically shouted in his face. But her aggressive volume was almost never enough to deter him.
He poked the package with a cheesy grin. "Ooh, look at that wrapping paper! And the ribbons!"
"Stop it!" Sarada blushed, unsure if she should try to hide the present or her face. The way he looked at her with those teasing blue eyes made her all the more flustered.
"Oh my goodness, I can't believe our little Sarada-chan has a crush! You must really like this guy if you're dressing up his gift this nicely!"
A mortified Sarada hugged her present tightly against her chest and ran away screaming, "shut up!"
Boruto laughed, surprised and amused at how flustered she was acting about this guy. It only made him more determined to learn his identity.
"Okay, so I've been working on a list of possibilities," Boruto began as he and Sarada slid into a booth at Thunder Burger. They had just finished up all their post-mission paperwork that afternoon and were officially on holiday vacation.
"For what?" she hummed as she unwrapped her burger.
"For your secret lover, of course!"
"Wh-What?! I don't have a secret lover!" Sarada sputtered, dropping her burger on her tray.
"Oh my bad!" Boruto said with an amused laugh, clearly unconvinced. "We can just call him your Rinne present recipient then."
Dark eyes widened.
"That one jounin you're always flirting with at the mission desk at Hokage Tower?" he guessed with a confident grin.
Sarada gasped and slammed her fist to the table in offense. "I'm not flirting with him! You told me to befriend him so we get assigned higher ranked missions!"
"You don't have to lean over his desk and twirl your hair to be his friend, Sarada!"
Her mouth fell open, gawking at him in complete shock. "I do not do that!"
"It's okay! Chill!" Boruto chuckled and popped a fry in his mouth. "Being attractive and using it to your advantage is not a crime!"
"Ugh!" she scoffed and angrily sipped at her drink.
"Okay fine, if not him, what about what's-his-face who guards the gate and always gives you an exaggerated welcome when we come back from missions?!"
Sarada frowned at his continued guessing. "First of all, he doesn't do that! Second, he's like… old!"
Boruto raised a brow. "Old? So you're saying he's our age?" Sarada averted her gaze, clearly trying and failing to come up with a reasonable denial. "He is! Does that mean he went to the academy with us?!"
"Just finish your food so we can leave already!" she snapped.
But Boruto clearly wasn't ready to drop the subject. "He definitely did! Oh my god… is he in our friend group?!"
Sarada blanched as she pushed away her barely touched burger. "I'm done eating, I'm out of here!"
"Wait, Sarada! Don't go! You didn't even finish your food!" He reached out to her but his teasing laughter only made her walk faster. "Can I eat your burger then?!"
Boruto was out taking a stroll along the river when he spotted a familiar figure sitting on the snow-covered hill admiring the setting sun. An unconscious smile stretched across his lips as he diverted from his path toward Sarada.
He sat beside her without a word, but when he noticed the conflicted look on her face and the Rinne present still hugged against her chest he let out a sad sigh. Boruto stretched his arm around her and Sarada instinctively leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I don't know what you're waiting for," he began. "Just give him the damn present, already. If you keep carrying it around and shoving it into your jacket you'll ruin the nice packaging you did."
She was silent for several moments, her gaze still fixed on the sunset reflecting on the icy river. "I don't know if I can…"
"What do you mean?" Boruto questioned with a furrow in his brow.
"I'm scared."
He sighed again and rested his head atop hers. "Alright. Here's the deal, if you give him the present and he rejects you, then I'll challenge him to a spar and beat the shit out of him for your viewing pleasure."
Sarada snorted a laugh. "You're so arrogant. Why would you automatically assume you're stronger?"
He pulled away to look her in the eyes. "Are you saying I'm not?! Damn Sarada, what kind of guys are you macking on?!"
"Shut up," she grumbled, even as a soft smile played at her lips.
Blue eyes observed her apparent weariness. "What makes you scared?"
Her gaze fell to the present, hugged protectively against her chest. Her voice was small when she finally admitted, "I don't know, I see you… and other guys… accepting presents and confessions without much consideration for how those poor girls actually feel or the effort they put in."
"Sarada, it's not like I just take the presents and run."
"Don't you?" she questioned. She saw him do exactly that just two days prior.
"No, ever since I got my first Rinne Festival gift a few years ago my mom made me either write a thank you letter with a gentle rejection or take the girl out on at least one date and give them a chance. She said it takes a lot of courage to confess to someone as handsome as me…" Sarada glared at him from the corner of her eye. "Her words, not mine! — But she told me the least I can do is be considerate of the hearts I'm offered."
"Your mom is so nice."
"Yeah, she's the best."
Sarada swallowed nervously, allowing a few moments of silence to pass before voicing the question tickling the back of her mind. "…So have you gone out on any dates with these girls?"
"Nahh, I usually just give them a thank you note. With our mission load and the jounin exams coming up, I'm not really looking for a relationship right now."
"Right…" she hummed, nodding like she completely agreed. "Anyway, it's getting pretty cold, I think I'm going to head home."
"Oh alright. Do you want me to walk you?"
"No, it's okay," Sarada replied with a shake of her head. The melancholy in her tone had the corner of his mouth curving down, but it was apparent she was done talking.
"Okay."
It was the evening of the Rinne Festival and Boruto was so excited about the dinner his mom was preparing he didn't even care about having to run to the store and fight the crowds as he picked up some last-minute ingredients. Despite the number of people bustling on the street, his blue gaze gravitated over to Sarada, sitting alone on a bench near the train station by his house.
It was unusual that she was on this side of town, but it was almost like he was compelled to always look for her even if he didn't expect to find her.
His feet carried him over to Sarada, knowing he couldn't pass by without at least saying hello. But the moment he saw what she was holding, he couldn't help his reaction.
"Sarada, you're kidding me, right?! Why haven't you given him the present yet?!" Boruto sighed in exasperation. "The Rinne Festival is tonight!"
"Because!" she defended, glancing down at the gift. She planned to give it to her special someone a dozen times, but her nerves always got the best of her.
A sharp gasp escaped her lips when Boruto snatched the present from her hands. Her dark eyes grew wide as he shook the package next to his ear, hoping the sound would hint at its contents. "Will you just tell me who it's for?! The suspense has been killing me!"
"Give it back!" she whined, lunging at him to grab the present. Her cheeks warmed as he kept pulling away before she could take it.
"Should I just give it to him as a proxy?" he offered jokingly. Sarada grew more flustered by the way he laughed as he caught her grabby hands. "I can even recite your love confession if you write it down for me!"
"Stop!" Sarada cried as she ripped her hands from his hold. "Give it back!"
"C'mon who's it for?!" Boruto pestered, clearly not willing to give up his little game of keep away. Each taunt had her frantic heart beating faster. "C'mon! Just tell me! Why won't you tell me?! Why is it some big secret?!"
He let go once she got a hand on the package, not wanting to rip it and actually upset her. "Oh my god, if it's for Iwabe I'm going to throw myself off the top of the Great Stone Faces!"
"It's for you, you colossal idiot!" Sarada shouted, her face red with frustrated embarrassment. Boruto's teasing grin faltered as she shoved the package against his chest. "But I'm sure it's stupid compared to the mountain of gifts from your fan club."
His mouth opened then closed again, struggling to find the words to say, but Sarada barely even gave him a chance. She stormed away with a huff, leaving him standing there, stunned and staring.
When Sarada heard a knock at her balcony door, she didn't ask who it was. She already knew. "What do you want?" she grumbled impatiently.
"To talk," Boruto's voice replied on the other side of the glass. She pulled her curtain back to find him standing there, earnest blue eyes imploring her to listen.
"Okay, talk."
"C'mon Sarada," he pouted. "It's freezing outside, aren't you going to invite me in?"
"Ugh, fine," she scoffed with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. She unlocked the door and slid it open, the frigid air rushed into the room and made her shiver.
Boruto closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes to avoid trailing snow in her room, before refocusing his attention on his best friend. Sarada was already dressed in her pajamas, a cozy, oversized sweatshirt, and a pair of short shorts. Her long raven hair was free from her usual ponytail and cascading over her shoulders.
At his continued observation, she defensively crossed her arms over her chest. "So are you going to talk or what?"
His brow furrowed, confused by her tone. "Why are you acting so pissed off?"
Her angry facade cracked with a huff as Sarada turned around to hide her face. "It's because I'm so mad at myself! I should have never got you that stupid present in the first place. I knew… I knew you would interpret it weird."
"How did you want me to interpret it?" he questioned softly.
"I don't know…" Her storm grey eyes darted around the room looking for an answer. "…like one comrade to another."
"That's what we are… comrades?"
Sarada shrugged and peeked over her shoulder to see if he was buying it. "Yeah, obviously."
"Just comrades?" Boruto pressed.
"Yes, okay!" she snapped and turned her head back around to hide the furious blush consuming her cheeks.
"So did you get one for Mitsuki?"
She swallowed nervously. She knew she couldn't lie about that one, so Sarada chose to say nothing instead. Boruto sighed as he stepped closer. "I'm just saying I wouldn't give a present like that to just a comrade."
"So?" she mumbled, her dark eyes fixed down at her shuffling feet. "Who cares what you would do? I'm nicer than you."
"Sarada, look at me."
She shook her head, too embarrassed to face him. Her breath hitched upon feeling his warm hand gingerly cupping her cheek, forcing her to meet his compassionate blue gaze.
His concern only grew when he found her eyes were rimmed red and drowning in unshed tears. "Why are you crying?"
"Because I feel so stupid right now!"
Gently, Boruto reached up and combed her tousled raven bangs behind her ear. "Sarada…"
"Can you just give me the thank you note and leave?" she whimpered. She couldn't quite place the emotion swirling behind his ocean blue eyes, but Sarada could only imagine it was pity.
"…I don't have a thank you note for you."
"Cool, so I don't even get the same courtesy as the random girls who fawn over you?" she grumbled as she tried to push him away.
But Boruto wouldn't budge.
"Will you please just listen and stop being so stubborn?!" he begged but Sarada just jut her bottom lip out in a petulant little pout. "I asked you how you meant it because I'm about to say something I can't take back."
Slowly, her gaze slid up to meet him, the earnest look in his blue eyes made her heart violently pound against her chest. Her brow furrowed, nervous about what he might tell her.
"Say you just meant it as one comrade to another again and I'll believe you and we'll leave it at that," Boruto whispered.
He was giving her an out, but her lips struggled to form the words because they wouldn't be true.
She couldn't admit that though, couldn't confess properly like she had imagined because everything was ruined.
It suddenly became harder to breathe as Sarada began to fear their friendship was irreparably broken, all because she couldn't keep her stupid feelings inside.
Boruto stared into her eyes for a long moment, seemingly summoning the strength for his next words. His thumb softly swiped across her cheek, wiping the tear that escaped.
"I told myself a long time ago that you would never feel like that about me," he began, his voice surprisingly timid. "But Sarada… I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember."
Dark eyes slowly blinked at him as she processed his words. His cheeks grew warm with each prolonged moment of silence.
Her brain struggled to articulate a response, so instead, Sarada leaned closer, her hands clutching the front of his jacket. Her eyes fell closed as their lips brushed together in a soft, shy kiss, the contact making her skin tingle and her heart flutter uncontrollably.
She was about to pull away when the hand cupping her cheek slipped into her silky raven hair and kept her locked in place. When Boruto kissed her the second time, he seemed much more confident. And the third took her breath away.
Eventually, Sarada lost count as her mind grew fuzzy, all thoughts consumed by the feeling of his soft lips caressing hers again and again.
When they finally pulled away, they were both breathless and wearing giddy smiles. Sarada wordlessly stared at him as his hand fell from her face, her dizzy brain still trying to process the fact that she really just kissed her best friend.
"I'm sorry I don't have something special wrapped up for you… but will you accept this?" Boruto asked softly as he began removing his signature bolt necklace.
Sarada nodded immediately, her stomach filling with butterflies as she tilted her head forward so he could put it on her.
She clutched the bolt in her small hand, fighting back the urge to cry. She usually wasn't so sentimental, but the way the bolt hung right next to her heart, right where the man himself had always been, it was poetic. She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his.
"Thank you," Sarada whispered before closing the small distance between them and crashing her lips to his again. His warm hands slid over her waist, pulling her body closer as they resumed their tender kiss.
Sarada allowed her palms to trail up his chest and tangle into the hair at his nape. The taste of his kisses had her heart racing.
"The fireworks…" she mumbled against his lips.
"Mmm, yeah I feel 'em too," Boruto replied as he peppered her jawline with featherlight kisses.
"No, you idiot!" Sarada gently pushed him back, a cheesy grin on her face. "I meant the Rinne Festival fireworks, should we watch them?"
"Oh!" he chuckled, his cheeks warming at his misinterpretation. "I mean, we could, but if I'm being honest I'd rather do this."
Boruto grabbed her hips, falling into her bed before reconnecting his lips to hers.
A/N: ahh! thank you so much for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts and reactions and theories of what Sarada got him in the comments!
and of course, happy holidays!
