~ Four years later ~
"Naruto."
Two mountains of papers found themselves on the floor of the office of the Seventh Hokage with him inadvertently pushing them over, surprised by the appearance of his guest.
"Kso, Sasuke! Why can't you just make an appointment like any other person?"
"It is my pleasure to test your security and every time it fails spectacularly."
"Enough with your usual snarkiness. What news? How are Sarada and Boruto?"
"Sarada has opened her Mangekyo Sharingan."
"Good for her- What?! What have you done with my son?!"
Thankfully, it was late evening, so there were no people around Hokage's offices, otherwise they could've fallen victims to Lord Seventh's rage, when he tossed out his visitor through the window. Naturally, Sasuke just landed on the ground with no harm done and grabbed onto Naruto's fist that was heading right at his face at divine speed. Those fights were getting too old for Sasuke's liking.
"The boy is alright, even if there was indeed… an accident."
Naruto's anger instantly evaporated. "Yeah? He is okay?"
"Indeed. But I prefer we move this important conversation somewhere private."
"Important?"
"Crucial, Dobe."
Naruto's choice of locale did not surprise Sasuke in the least, since they ended up at the ramen place. A private room that proudly displayed Uzumaki's crest above the door, but still the ramen shop. Weren't they nearing being forty?
"Before you start, Sasuke-"
"Order you a bowl?"
"That won't go amiss, but I want you to swear that the purpose of all that special training outside the village for Sarada and Boruto was not just to open her Mangekyo."
"I can't do that. And before you break something in this respected establishment, you were well aware of this before you agreed for them to leave with me, as were the kids themselves. You knew your son was the only one, who could trigger the Mangekyo."
"How could I? They are close friends, so what? Yes, they make a great team, but they are at each other's throats half the time."
"Are you completely blind, Dobe? Their bond is the strongest two humans can have. And they are destroying themselves following their chosen paths."
"What are you on about, Teme?! Didn't you support Sarada's dream to become Hokage? What is wrong with such dreams?"
"Because I was made to sacrifice my whole life and my time with my family not for my only daughter to do the same, but this time by her own choice. Do you know that your son petitioned to join Anbu just months before we left? Leaving aside the fact that he even knew whom to ask… He was rejected on the grounds of favoritism (he will hate you for that even more), since Anbu are directly under your command and they could not recruit him even if he had obvious potential to be a valuable member. And he wanted to join them because he made a promise to protect Sarada when she is Hokage. Made it long before that, and he inherited your stubbornness so he is ready to do anything and everything to take my role when Sarada takes yours. I tried everything to dissuade him, but his mind is set."
"You think, he will fail?" Naruto, the proud father, protested.
"Not at all, he is my student after all. Already with his current level of skill and power Boruto is destined to accomplish great things."
"Then what's the problem, Sasuke? What are you getting at?"
"Because the paths they have chosen are walked alone. I can't watch my daughter destroy her own happiness."
"But how are those two- Oh… But are you sure? Maybe it is just a reflex; apart from coming home for a couple of months two years ago, they have not seen anyone but you for years. And when you returned two years ago, they kept distance from each other as if contagious!"
"Because they know that they can't survive otherwise. They refused to spar at close range at sixteen, saying they did not pose enough challenge for each other anymore, but I know better. It is logical to believe that it would be my wish as an overprotective father to make them follow certain rules, but everything was decided by themselves. They keep themselves apart even if they desire the complete opposite.
"If you still do not believe me, let me enlighten you about the… accident. We were traversing a mountain range on a narrow ridge with a river roaring at least thirty meters below. There was a sudden stone slide and Boruto pushed Sarada out of the way before anyone could move. Huge rowing boulders cut him off from us and when he attempted to come closer, another rock pushed him over into the river. Sarada would've dived after him right then and there if I hadn't grabbed her by the tunic. She pushed chakra into her feet and practically flew down to search the roaring waters. After hours of frantic searching during which she had become completely hysterical, we did find him washed out onto the bank. Sarada poured every ounce of her chakra into healing the boy, and there was enough to heal with broken ribs, legs and a head injury. She didn't care about the ice cold water, she didn't care that her Mangekyo revealed itself, all she was focused on was bringing Boruto back. When he came to, his first words were 'Sorry, it took me so long to die. Totally worth it since it's so beautiful.'
"Several months before that we were ambushed by a gang of bandits. Not an unusual situation during our travels. I drove the majority of them away from the kids, leaving them with the number of attackers they could definitely handle. Upon my return I was met with a gruesome sight of Sarada trying to close up her tunic, ripped at the chest, and Boruto standing over a bandit with a blooded sword, the latter begging the boy to spare him while the blood gashed from the bandit's severed forearms. If I had returned just minutes later, Boruto would've killed the man. The mask of hatred on the boy's face… It was as if a beast sealed inside of him came to the surface. When I demanded to know what sins had the bandit committed to deserve death, Boruto only whispered: 'He touched her'. And it was only Sarada's touch that got Boruto out of his vengeful stupor, made him sheath his sword and let me rope the gang up. Now do you believe me? And no, neither of them has taken a life despite the amount of fighting that had befallen them."
"I should've never allowed you taking them out there! Just mere kids!"
"They need to experience the real world and its people if they are to fulfill their dreams."
"But back to this… thing you are insinuating… It could be brotherly affection for all you know! Boruto would do the same for Hima, in a heartbeat. They grew up together, they've spent so much time together as a team, it is natural for them to behave and care for each other like siblings."
"So when Boruto is around Himawari, it is natural for him not to look at her or touch her and pretty much completely ignore her presence, but be completely in tune with her chakra and react to even the smallest sign of distress?"
"Well, of course not! We are a very affectionate family, like it should be, with hugs and everything!"
"Which proves my point exactly. Our leave removed the general distractions like missions, the village folk and establishments, but there remained two major ones – Sarada and Boruto themselves. And they have been valiantly fighting the attraction all these years to some degree of success. And I've watched this masochistic torture suffered in the name of the greater good, in the name of their big dreams. And I cannot condone it. To reject such precious gift…"
Naruto looked over his oldtime friend, who seemed unusually emotional that evening. And it was understandable, since the topic of the conversation was his precious and only daughter. And Naruto's son. As in together. Not only in the same sentence, but on a much permanent basis. "So-o-o… Where are they now?"
"Camping, some hours away from the village."
"You left them alone? In the woods? After everything you've just told me?!"
"They are adults, they can fend for themselves, Dobe."
"That's not what I am worried about! Wait… Let me get this straight…. You of all people not only support, but encourage our children's… union?"
"As I said, there is nothing more important to me than my daughter's happiness."