The Uzumaki have always been frequent visitors at the Hyuga main house since the families were related. But the number of their visits grew exponentially when they were informed about the new six inhabitants. Both Hinata and Himawari volunteered to help with the childcare and more often than not remained for dinner at Hyuga's. Some evenings they were even joined by the ever-busy Seventh Hokage.
During that particular dinner the Hokage was indeed present, but Sarada, who usually questioned him about various Hokage duties, excused herself from the table after barely eating anything. The dinner was drawing to a close when the Uchiha and the Uzumaki heard rumbling on the stairs.
"What was that about?" Naruto muttered, gathering the plates, to which Sasuke just shook his head in dismay. Naruto should lay off work if he can't even recognize the chakra of his own son approaching.
The collision was painful, loud and sent road dust into a tornado around them, but neither of the colliders cared finally having the other in a tight embrace.
"I missed you… I missed you so much, Boruto." The same smell, the same cracking energy, the same power engulfing her, making her feel safe… whole, for the first time in months.
"I missed you too, Sarada. You can't imagine how much. You have an answer for me?"
"I still want to be hokage."
Boruto took a step back, perceiving Sarada's answer as another dismissal, but she grabbed onto his jacket to hold him in place.
"I want to be hokage, but Lord Seventh will not retire for some time, ten years or more, and even if he does, I will refuse if I am chosen during the next fifteen years. It will be enough for me to come to power, to gain experience, but also for the children to grow up."
"Okay."
As usual, Boruto's smile made her weak in the knees, but Sarada's hold on the jacket steadied her enough to push on. "I do not want for you to be my shadow now or later."
"Police Force then. It will be the greatest honor to continue the Uchiha legacy."
"Okay…" It couldn't be that simple, right? But what if it actually was? What if she was overcomplicating things by considering too many possibilities instead of just voicing what was in her heart? "And… I want you by my side. Always."
"When we are to make another promise then?"
"Wha-a-at?" He couldn't possibly suggest?! And in such indelicate way!
"'Always' does usually imply that, Sarada. Of course, we can date for a year and then wait for another year for everything to be ready. I obviously don't care much, but our parents will never forgive us if all traditions are not observed properly. Being the Hokage's son does have disadvantages in that regard."
The dishes were cleared and Naruto was getting ready to follow his wife and daughter into the yard when he noticed Sasuke watching something through the gap in the curtains. And even more shocking was a smile on his lips, when he turned away from the window. And Naruto had no recollection of when he last saw Sasuke smiling.
"Is everything okay?" Naruto asked his more or less former rival.
"Everything is going to be alright now," Sasuke answered enigmatically, still smiling when he left the room.
Driven by curiosity for such uncharacteristic behavior, Naruto also peeped through the curtains to see the yard and in the very center two familiar figures bathed in the moonlight and shamelessly making out. Naruto would've been put to death if he had been caught like that while he was courting Hinata, and Sasuke just left them be…
Naruto hurried to hold back his girls not to walk in on the young lovers, but when the Uzumaki reached the yard, there was no trace of them.
A shinobi must always think of a way to retreat safely. It was a testament to Sarada's absentmindedness during the last days, months really, that she rushed out the house at the first sign of Boruto's chakra and she left through the door and not her window which would allow her to return to her room with nobody the wiser. But at that moment, her mind had only one thought and it excluded any care about not being discovered at three in the morning, when she was creeping through the house to her room.
Clearly, her luck had run out for the day, because she ran right into her father, who – accidentally or not – was leaving the younger triplets' room, after presumably checking on them.
It was still strange for Sarada to see her father in a domestic setting, a yukata thrown over his shoulders. She was trying and failing to come up with an excuse for her late arrival when he completely threw her off with:
"So when is the wedding?"
Sarada's brain must've completely short-circuited because she blurted out, "In seven months."
"A spring wedding, hm… Very reasonable."
"And this is all you are going to say, Papa?!"
"And what do you want me to do, Sarada? To challenge Boruto to show he is unworthy of you? First of all, he will lose, although I am certain, he will reach my level at some, may be not very distant, day in the future. I am also certain he is, in fact, worthy of your hand."
"Why?"
"Because during those four years he had never treated or touched you inappropriately. He could; for fun, out of curiosity or simply because he desired to. But he didn't. He fumed silently from jealousy while you flirted with other boys, but kept his distance. Boruto respects you, Sarada. As a shinobi and a woman. Moreover, I never was against this union."
"But-but… Papa…"
"Do you love the boy, Sarada? Does he make you happy?"
Sarada hoped she has fulfilled her quota for blushing for the day, but felt her cheeks heat up again at the direct questions. Still, the answer came easily this time. She finally knew her heart, the last thoughts of hesitation left her tonight when she found herself in Boruto's arms. The phrase 'fit each other like yin and yang' finally made sense. They were opposites that were two parts of the whole. "I do, Papa. And he does. Even being obnoxious and self-important and damn right irritating at times, but he is also kind, caring and… and-"
"And he loves you. It is not easy to love an Uchiha. He could, however, organize a proper omiai and so forth, but I suppose it is not required in the modern age anymore."
"He didn't, no- I didn't, hm," Sarada stuttered, trying to find a proper answer and not to embarrass either herself or Boruto. "Boruto did propose… in a way. I suggested we keep it on a down low first."
"No spring wedding then?"
"You want it to be, Papa?"
"I just want you to be happy, Sarada. However you archive that is your choice."
"You must come at once, Lord Seventh!"
Konoha has been relatively peaceful for a couple of years, but the instant reaction to danger had been engrained into Naruto since the times of the Shinobi War, so he followed the messenger without asking if his panic was justified. On the way, the man told him in gushed sentences the bare bones of the situation: the police shinobi was patrolling the area of the park when he was hailed out of the blue by a young man, who turned out to be the Hokage's son. The younger Uzumaki shouted to the police shinobi that he must fetch the Hokage right away, hundreds of lives were at stake! What calamity required Hokage's presence was not exactly clear, since nothing seemed to be happening in the park.
On arrival, Naruto still didn't see any reason for his son to react in such a way. Naruto hoped that Boruto had already outgrown his prankster days. So what was going on? At least the reason for Boruto and Sarada being in the park was easy to explain – there were remains of suddenly abandoned picnic on a tossed blanket. Naruto didn't see Sarada at first, because she was practically engulfed by Boruto, whose arms were encircling her from the back with his forearms disappearing under her top?! She was standing still like a statue with outstretched arms, looking at the sky without blinking.
"What is going on? If you are messing around again, Boruto-"
"There is a… rock… a meteorite falling down… You need to blow it up before it hits the town," Boruto forced through clenched teeth.
It looked like his son was exerting himself physically, but Naruto couldn't understand what he was doing so hard. Naruto also looked upwards, but saw only a perfectly clear sky with not even a dark spot in sight. "A meteorite? Are you sure?"
"Dammit, old man, just do what you are asked for once! How long do you need to make a Giant Rasengan? Five seconds? How fast does it fly?"
Naruto reassessed the situation, hearing Boruto to be deadly serious. Moreover, Sarada's eyes were not her usual black or even red, they were black with something akin to a three-petal flower. "Is that-"
"We don't have time for questions, old man! The meteorite has to fall into the Rasengan to be… completely obliterated. No debris, nothing. Get it?"
At that moment, Naruto did see a tiny black dot, but it was not growing bigger, at least not at the rate a falling object should. And he got it. "I suppose, eighteen seconds altogether."
"You suppose?! A rock the size of your office is falling down on your village, your family, and you are not sure?!"
"I've never needed to make exact calculations, I just go with my gut. Like you do," the father parried the son.
"Whatever. Just start the moment I tell you to, not a second less."
Naruto wanted to snap back at the bossy command from his son, but the dot did grow large enough to understand the angle of the fall, and it was a very small one, the Rasengan would have to be sent vertically. If they fail, not only there be considerable destruction to the village, but the three of them will be dead. No margin for error indeed.
Nothing was happening for several minutes if one excluded blood running from Sarada's eyes and Boruto's sweaty forehead. Naruto started to form an idea of what was going on, but it seemed too unbelievable for him to accept it.
"Now!" Boruto shouted suddenly.
Naruto's reaction was immediate; he was still in his prime, despite his son's opinion of the opposite. A Giant Rasengan torpedoed into the sky and obliterated the incoming rock formation that appeared as if from thin air and disappeared as suddenly in the shower of blue sparks.
Naruto geared up for questions he considered he had all the right to have answers to, but was interrupted by the appearance of a portal that signified the arrival of another father, who deemed the situation dire enough to waste chakra on forming a portal within town limits. And he did that, because he knew exactly what was going on, but failed to inform the Hokage. Naruto clearly had to have a tête-à-tête with his friend.
To which a perfect opportunity arose, because Sasuke ushered the youngsters through the portal, which was a more comfortable way of transportation since Sarada fainted right after Rasengan's release and had to be carried to their destination.
"What does-" Naruto began his interrogation, but was interrupted by the most bizarre question.
"Is Himawari Hyuga heiress?"
"Why in the world would you ask that?"
"I understand there have been negotiations for a couple of years with other clans outside Konoha, but there is a high possibility that Hanabi will remain childless. I am asking, because your son is of the opinion that Sharingan should remain in the Uchiha clan. And yes, for two people who are not officially engaged, they do talk a lot about marriage."
"Well, they have been inseparable since his return. Wait, are you saying that Boruto wants to marry into your family?!"
"Indeed. And if Himawari is forced to continue the Hyuga line, the Uzumaki clan will be extinguished. The turn of events you obviously do not want to commence."
"I understand that he would do it if Sarada was the only Uchiha left, but that is not so anymore. Sarada can marry into the Uzumaki clan without the danger of the Uchiha ending with her."
"Frankly, I don't know what is worse: for the Uzumaki to disappear or for them to possess Byakugan and Sharingan. You think others will just let it be?"
"Why do you always complicate things, Sasuke?"
"Because such things started wars. My clan was massacred because of their power. You think, I don't know that vultures are already circling? Sakura didn't hide the boys only so they will be a surprise upon our return. You know, there were numerous attempts on Sarada because of the value of her eyes. And now there are six more pairs. Some are saying that they will surely compete among themselves thus invoking the Curse of Hatred and possibly triggering another war. Some can be ambitious enough to nip the threat in the bud, particularly if they get priceless eyes in the process. I will do everything for them to grow without festering hatred, but they should be protected from outside threats too. I predict they will leave Konoha eventually, but they need to survive until then."
"I understand your concerns, but they are not even ten. They couldn't possibly have awakened their Sharingan yet. Or had they?"
"No, not yet, but they are similar to Sarada; it will happen in the nearest future. I can feel it."
"So what do you suggest, Sasuke?"
"The youngsters had an idea." Sasuke took a long stick and draw the Uchiha fan on the ground. Then he added the Uzumaki swirl onto the upper part of the fan.
Boruto looked for a long time at the harmless squiggles on the ground that had horrendous meaning. "And what will it be? Absorption?"
"Unification."
"Into Uchiha-Uzumaki?"
"Into Uzumaki-Uchiha."
"You seriously want me to believe that after all your prideful actions, you will finally agree to take second place?!"
"They are my children, Naruto. Their welfare is my primary concern. They adore their new nii-san and nee-san and will certainly feel the same toward their future nephews and nieces. We will bring them up with affection and care, so the stigma of the curse doesn't touch them. But I need the protection of the name of the irreproachable hero for them to survive."
"This is… unprecedented. On various levels. I'll check things and talk to Hina… Has that ever been done before?"
"You know how prideful clans are," Sasuke remarked with a smirk.
"Still… what was happening to Sarada? Will I receive a proper explanation in the near future? You do understand, that I will need to report this incident to the Council."
"Let's see how they are faring and then we will talk."
Naruto was surprised that they did not head to the Huyga compound, but to Sakura and Sarada's former residence which was now given to Sarada. He was even more surprised when upon discovery of Sarada sleeping, sprawled on top of Boruto on the floor of the living room (where they must've simply fallen onto from complete exhaustion), Sasuke only covered them with a blanket and gestured for Naruto to leave.
Naruto would've questioned the propriety of just leaving them like that, but before the blanket covered Boruto's bare forearms, Naruto managed to glimpse strange black sigils drawn on the skin.
"What are the marks on Boruto's arms? Why don't I have any idea about those?"
"He is a grown-up, he can do whatever he wants with his body. I assume, it is a recent development, even if we did talk about those previously. Those sigils allow transfer of chakra to another person without the bother of doing a complicated hand seal."
Naruto recalled what was happening when he arrived at the park. Boruto was not steadying Sarada or coping a feel; he was giving her his chakra for who knows how long, and that completely depleted his own. That is why they were more or less out cold on the floor. "For the last time… look me in the eye, Sasuke, and tell me you did not force this union only for your daughter (who, let's be frank, did not go through much hardship and thus could not develop her Sharingan the traditional way) to use my son as a chakra source, particularly after Kurama's chakra will be available to him. And what the Hell does her Mangekyo Sharingan do?"
"We can't talk about this here in the open. Also, the answer to your first question is neither 'yes' nor 'no'. Follow me."
Naruto had no choice, but to follow Sasuke out of the town, despite remembering that he had an enormous amount of paperwork to go through at the office. But this time his son took precedence. Naruto failed him numerous times during the boy's childhood, but not this time.
"Speak," Naruto ordered when they reached a small clearing as far from civilization as possible.
"Sarada is a special Uchiha. The power of her Sharingan does not come from trauma or despair as was during the previous generations, but from emotions of the opposite spectrum. Both Boruto and I thought that the loss of the best friend will fuel the activation of the Mangekyo Sharingan as it was with previous Uchiha. And even after its activation, I was of the same opinion, but then I recalled the moment Sarada's eyes changed. It was not the loss, but the relief of him being alive. Only a handful of months passed since the manifestation and we did not dare to test or train it out of fear of developing blindness.
"And you are indeed right about Sarada's chakra reserves that remain… average. During the last four years, she developed her chakra control and Sharingan techniques, but she couldn't reach further, as if something was blocking her. Since her return, the progress has been considerable and not because she trains differently. There isn't much time for training with six toddlers around. No, her chakra flows better because of the positive emotions around her. And obviously, there was a major shift since Boruto returned. In short, Sarada does not yet have enough chakra to use her Mangekyo Sharingan fully which we discovered previously, so to lower the stress on the eyes that can lead to blindness, she can use it while channeling chakra of another. Experiencing happiness, love, fulfillment… makes Sarada develop her powers. So in a way, Boruto is her power source for as long as he is making her happy. Moreover, we've been trying things out under Sakura's observation and, so far, there is no sign of eyesight weakening. Also, if I did force them together, then everything mentioned above would've happened much sooner which would've been a much better outcome for everybody.
"As for her powers… Her fire is white. It creates an impenetrable shield. Nothing can get in or out, depending on her choice. As for what happened today… Sarada can control the flow of time for the chosen object and theoretically area."
"So she was standing there and preventing a meteorite the size of a house from falling by freezing it in time?!"
"Slowing it down, to be more accurate. You do understand that something this big requires enormous amounts of chakra? We were all extremely lucky Boruto was there. Are you satisfied now?"
"All of this is very difficult to process… This power… If fully developed… just extraordinary. I understand, you want it to be kept secret? This is why you dragged me out here?"
"Indeed, Naruto. I deprive myself of my family only for something crucially important. And so I want to return to them if you do not mind."
"And the other matter… If by some miracle we do unite the clans, what does it make us?"
"Brothers, I suppose. And before you gloat, I am older than you."
"Hai, hai, nii-san. Oh, sorry," Naruto apologized, seeing Sasuke visibly shudder.
"It's okay."
"Is there any specific day when your girlfriend can materialize in this world, Mitsuki?"
"This is a very particular question, Boruto. I assume, there is a reason for you not asking it at the Police Headquarters, where we see each other every day and bringing me to a place where no one can see or hear us."
"I wanted to hang out with you outside of work with nobody bothering us, and yes, there is a reason. So?"
Mitsuki looked his friend over. They were sitting in the bleaches of the chunin exams' stadium of all places. Boruto popped a soda can open and was drinking without his usual rush. He looked relaxed, comfortable in his own skin… content with the world around him. It was somewhat of an unusual state for the previously rambunctious boy, but it did not look bad on him.
"You do understand that it can be in three weeks or in several years."
"We will wait for as long as needed. So how soon is it, Mitsuki?"
"We? And wait for what?"
"Well, you know…" Boruto muttered, busying himself with slurping ramen, which pretty much covered his blushing face which he didn't want his friend to see. But Boruto did get himself together on the account that it was natural to talk about such things and he actually had no reason to shy about the subject, particularly since it was his initiative to push things forward. "We are setting the date for the ceremony."
"Strange that nobody has used that strategy before. Although not many believe me."
"And that frustrates me to no end, Mitsuki! I've heard plenty of guys teasing you and harassing you on the subject of your 'nonexistent' girlfriend! And this is just wrong! You are just like everybody else and deserve love more than some of those stuck-up shinobi! We will not allow our best friend to celebrate our happiness alone. No matter what! And what strategy?"
"You do know how much money is riding on determining the day when you two finally tie the knot? And how much money has been already lost because nothing was happening? I've never placed a bet, because I was painfully aware that you will drag your feet for a ridiculously long amount of time."
"Money? What are you on about?"
"Didn't Himawari-chan tell you? She is holding the bets. Says that all the lost money will be a perfect wedding present for you two, because she has no doubt about you marrying eventually."
"That little sister of mine… Why would anybody even gamble about something like that? Although, somehow I am not surprised. I was confronted on numerous occasions after the chunin exams since we both won, thus nobody won any money. For some reason, nobody bet on a tie, but to me, it was the most obvious outcome. Sarada is the future hokage after all. People are crazy…"
"Your level of skill is nothing to be ashamed of, Boruto. Frankly, I think that your stay with the Police Force is somewhat of a waste."
"You shouldn't have followed me then. Even if I couldn't wish for a better partner."
"Neither could I. Yuna will manifest on this plain during the night of the next lunar eclipse. It is in 128 days."
"Perfect."
"You sure that all hokage will manage to arrive on time?"
"They'd better. You are our esteemed guest, not them."
"Because I was the first to name you two a couple of years ago?"
"You will never let us live it down, won't you?"
"Never, Boruto, never."