Boruto followed Sasuke all the way back to the Uchiha household, wondering how much trouble he'd get into if Sasuke figured out what was actually going on.
"I thought you hated Dr. Katasuke," said Sasuke as they walked, eyeing his disciple out of the corner of his eye. "Why the change of heart?"
"…It's not like I had a change of heart, or anything… Sarada said I should go," he fibbed, looking off into the far distance to avoid Sasuke's gaze.
"And so you went?"
"Yup."
"You're awfully quiet."
"More importantly, Sasuke-san. Sarada was talking about this cool move called Chidori earlier. You think you could teach me?"
Sasuke sighed. "Chidori can't be used without sharingan, and it isn't very practical if you miss. Be content that you mastered the Rasengan in four days."
He pouted. "Fine."
"Boruto, I'm not stupid, you know."
"…What?"
"I know that everything you were talking about just now was a lie. What really happened?"
Boruto looked away, his face a bit red. "Nothing really… We just—"
"Just professed your love to each other?"
"Wha- No! It's not like that, I…"
"Hm." He walked forward, black cape trailing behind him. "That's the way Sakura gets when she's not expecting me to come home. Either Sarada said she liked you, or you like her, or you both like each other and she just found out."
Boruto looked away, red spreading to his ears.
"I'm sure you have your reasons… And you're not an awful human being. Other than the fact that you are Naruto's son… And you have a lot of bad points… And your whiney, and—"
"Alright, alright, I get it… Jeez."
"So? If you want her, you have to go through me first."
Boruto turned even more red. "It's not… really… I just…"
"You just decided that you liked her?"
His entire face turned red.
"So that was it." Sasuke smirked.
"That's not really it either," said Boruto, looking past Sarada's head towards the ground.
Sasuke sighed. "Whatever it was… You'd better protect her. It was only for a mere moment, but I sensed the disappearance of her chakra. And I'm assuming it had to do with you."
Boruto lowered his head glumly.
"So I was right."
"That one was right."
"…You may be the son of that loser… but because you are the son of that loser, I suppose I can tell you. It would be… somewhat reassuring if you decided to protect her."
Boruto looked away. "Fine… But in return," he began, looking up at Sasuke and immediately looking back down when he saw the malice in his eyes.
"What?"
"In return, you have to come home more often. Every chance you have."
"…I assume this isn't for your benefit?"
"No," he said, his gaze firm on the house in front of him. "It's for her."
Sasuke eyed him wearily. But he didn't object. As he opened the door, the resounding noise of his "I'm home," brought an excited Sakura to the door. But when her eyes fell on Sarada in Boruto's arms, her jaw dropped. "What happened?!"
Boruto smiled sheepishly. "Seems like no one but me can pick her up. Not really sure why though."
"I see…" Sakura eyed him suspiciously, but let him in, nevertheless. "Ah, Boruto," called Sakura as he headed for her room. "Did you ever complete that mission?"
Boruto grinned. "Yup!"
"And what about the important thing?"
His cheeks pinkened. "Well… I took it, but that person didn't seem to mind."
"Hmm… I see." Sakura's gaze turned softer then Boruto had ever seen it. "Can you take Sarada to her room and set her in bed? I need to discuss something with my husband."
"Hm? Oh. Yeah… Sure."
Sakura blinked. "Hey, Sasuke-kun," she whispered after Boruto was in Sarada's room. "Since when did he look at Sarada like that?"
"…That's what I'd like to know," replied Sasuke, putting his hand up to his face. "Him and Mitsuki concocted some elaborate lie… And I still didn't get to find out what the truth really was. But at least I have an idea. What was that about a mission you mentioned?"
"Ah, well…" Sakura started, sitting down at the table. "A few days ago, Sarada got really mad that Boruto was going on a secret mission without her. I guess maybe he just came back?"
"Hmm… So that's what the party was really for… But that doesn't explain why she's dizzy…"
"Dizzy? She didn't pass out?"
Sasuke shook his head.
After thinking for a moment, Sakura giggled. "I have an idea."
"What's that?"
"It's a secret," she replied, staring off into the distance.
"More importantly, don't you think Boruto is taking a while?"
"Don't worry about that," said Sakura, laying a hand on his arm. "More importantly, you haven't been home in so long…"
"I'm going back out again shortly… I'm not even sure why I came home." Sasuke stood to his feet. "Tell Sarada I said goodbye when she wakes up."
He didn't have to look to know that his wife was pouting. Turning around, he held out two fingers and tapped her forehead. "I'll be back."
Sakura smiled. "Have a safe trip."
The moment Sasuke was out the door, Sakura went to spy on the children.
When Boruto made it up to Sarada's room, he laid her in her bed, taking off her shoes and putting them by the door. Just as he was covering her up with a blanket, she began waking up.
"…Boruto?"
He draped the blanket over her shoulders and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Hmm?"
"Am I… dreaming?"
He chuckled. "No."
"Oh…" Was all she said before she fell back asleep.
Noticing a strand of hair that was under her nose, he gently brushed it back behind her ear and took off her glasses, placing them on her nightstand. Looking down at her now, he saw her in a completely different light than he had before. But somehow, it was still the same. She was still the same bossy idiot, but now, she was pretty. And rather than teasing her out of spite or to get her to do something, he wanted to make her face turn red.
So much for those cruddy romance movies, thought Boruto, remembering how the characters simply got together because they fell for each other at first glance. They don't know what their missing out on.
Sasuke's words echoed in his head. Even though you're whiney… He sighed.
Standing up, he walked over to the windowsill. I guess I should get out of her before they wonder what's taking so long, thought Boruto. He wondered if Sasuke and Sakura ever spent any time alone together that Sarada didn't know about. I think I'd go insane if I only got to see her once every couple years. Sneaking one more timid glance over his shoulder, Boruto opened the window and walked out of her room.
Sakura tiptoed upstairs and peeked in Sarada's room to find the window just barely closing. Darn, she thought, I missed it.
But just as she was about to walk away, something caught her eye. A shadow darted from the window over to her bed. She spun around, only to witness a head of blonde hair blocking her view of her daughter's face, the side of a black jacket dangling down in front of her body as he leaned over her bed, his face only close enough to hers to be doing one thing. Sakura's eyes sparkled. She knew it. Boruto liked her.
Boruto made his way back to Mitsuki's, his head in a blur. He had planned to leave. He really had. At least she was asleep.
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, he made it to Mitsuki's in a matter of minutes, but Mitsuki was waiting for him outside.
"Yo, Boruto."
"Yo, Mitsuki," he replied. "Are we not having that party?"
"I did want to celebrate, but the party was actually an excuse for something else... Boruto, will you treat me to one of those burgers now?"
Boruto smiled. "Sure thing." But then Boruto remembered. He hadn't gone on any missions since their mission with Suzuno that ended up not even being reported. Which meant he was still broke. "Hehe… I might have to take a rain check on that one… I could run home and see if there's anything in the fridge and bring it back," he offered.
Mitsuki shook his head. "Don't worry about it. More importantly, I need to discuss something with you… It seems like we're all going to lose our memories of everything between meeting Hebi and now at 7:25 pm tomorrow," Mitsuki said, getting some cup ramen out of the cabinet.
Boruto froze. "…What?"
"I overheard a little bit during Sasuke's fight with the boss. But then Hebi told me directly. I wanted to tell you both, but I never got the opportunity. The party was an excuse. I thought maybe Sasuke-san and Kakashi were trailing us… But I never imagined they'd be in my apartment."
He blinked a few times, unsure what the emotion welling up inside of him was. "You mean…"
Mitsuki nodded. "I thought it was strange. Hebi said that her people show up in our dimension all the time, but we never remember them…"
"So that's why Sasuke-san and old man Kakashi don't have any memory of what happened! If that's the case…" He trailed off. "If that's the case…"
"If you didn't complete the mission tonight, you might not have had enough time. That being said, Boruto, are you sure you don't want to go back? I'm sure Hebi made Sarada like that for a reason. You're the only one who can force her to go anywhere. No one else can make her move."
Boruto smiled glumly. "Even if I did force her to come with me somewhere, what would I do? She would be kicking and screaming the whole way," he said with a chuckle.
"Hmm? I don't think she would. Boruto, are you really ok with forgetting everything?"
Mitsuki looked over to see Boruto's face in a state of pure misery. He couldn't help but feel some sympathy.
Tears began dripping from his eyes. "Why… Why am I crying? Hey, Mitsuki… What is this?"
"Who knows," said Mitsuki. "I'm not too sure myself. Perhaps you're already missing her."
"How is that possible," he said, a confused smile coming up to his face, tears streaming down the sides, "I was just with her a few seconds ago."
"Hey, Boruto."
"What, Mitsuki?"
"I think you should go back."
"Go back… Ah. I'm in the way aren't I? I'll go home."
"That's not what I meant," said Mitsuki, pushing Boruto's shoulders in the direction of Sarada's house. "Go back to her."
"But… But Sakura oba-san and Sasuke-san are there, and—"
"They're going to forget everything too."
"But she's asleep."
Mitsuki smiled. "Perfect opportunity to test how heavily she sleeps."
"Mitsuki!"
"What will you do?"
Boruto hesitated. "I think I'm just going to go home… Even if I did go back, there's nothing I could do besides tease her and get punched, if she did wake up… She doesn't like me back."
Mitsuki blinked. "…Are you sure?"
"Why would she? I complain about my dad all the time when hers is never home. I get to eat homecooked meals while she cooks and cleans and does laundry. I've been playing video games while she's been taking responsibility for practically everything. Compared to her, I'm…"
"…You're?"
"A loser," he said smiling. "I guess that's why Sasuke always called my dad that. Maybe I'm more like him than I realize."
"Boruto," said Mitsuki, putting his hands on Boruto's shoulders. "You're not a loser. If you want to go home, by all means, go home. I'll just prove it to you tomorrow."
"Prove what?"
"That she likes you."
Boruto laughed. "That's impossible."
Turning his back on Mitsuki, he trudged home, silently walked up the stairs, and laid in bed. But he didn't fall asleep for many hours after he lied down, playing the events from the week over and over again in his mind with his pillow in his arms.
