A.N. - Hello, dear readers! I hope you're well and staying safe.
This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I hope you'll still enjoy! Also, not that it really matters, but I imagine ChoCho, Sarada, and their friends to be 15 /16-years-old in this snippet.
Akimichi ChoCho sipped on her soda, drawing a harsh sucking sound as the straw scraped the bottom of the cup. She sat in a booth at the Lightning Burger across from her best friend, Uchiha Sarada. Sarada had her hands in her lap, staring at the table. The hamburger and fries that ChoCho had ordered for her sat to the side, uneaten.
ChoCho pushed her cup away and sighed. Sarada had seemed withdrawn and miserable all week, and at first ChoCho decided to give her some space - not hard, since both their teams had been handling a lot of missions lately. But today, they'd both been free, and ChoCho wanted to get to the bottom of her friend's problem. She'd dragged Sarada to the Lightning Burger and got them both food, hoping the Uchiha would open up eventually. But they'd been here for half an hour already and Sarada hadn't said a word.
ChoCho sighed again. Guess she would have to start the conversation herself.
"Sarada," she began lightly. "Aren't you gonna eat your food? You shouldn't let it go to waste!"
Sarada's gaze flickered to the burger and fries before focusing on the plain white table again. "You can have it, then, ChoCho. I'm not hungry."
"Hmm. Have you been eating this week at all? You seem a little thinner," ChoCho pressed. Sarada didn't look any skinnier than usual, really, but ChoCho's grandmother always said that when ChoCho visited. It was an Akimichi's way of asking, "How have you been?" ChoCho didn't know what was bothering Sarada, so she'd have to do some guesswork.
"I...it's fine. I'm just not hungry," Sarada repeated.
ChoCho frowned, gnawing on her lip. It was that middle part of the day, too late for lunch but too early for dinner, so they were practically alone in the restaurant. The only other occupied booth was in the opposite corner, and held a man and woman, perhaps a couple enjoying a date. Soft conversation and the clinking of dishes drifted from the restaurant kitchen, along with the delicious smells of grilling burgers and greasy, fried foods
Suddenly, an uncomfortable thought entered ChoCho's mind. "Is it me? Did I do something wrong? Do you not wanna talk to me?"
Sarada's head snapped up, black eyes wide with surprise as she looked at ChoCho. "No, no, not at all, ChoCho! It's not your fault at all! I - it's -" she broke off then, and, to ChoCho's dismay, stared down at the table again. Her voice was barely audible as she continued, "It's me. I'm the one who's - wrong."
ChoCho tilted her head. "What do you mean? What's wrong, Sarada? What happened?"
Slowly, Sarada brought her hands up and rested them on the table. Her hands were clenched into fists. "I...I learned some stuff last week. From my papa. About...our family. About the history of the Uchiha clan."
ChoCho's eyes widened slightly. She knew that the Uchiha clan used to be larger than just Sarada and her parents. And she had long suspected that Sarada's papa had a tragic past - a quiet man who wandered the world alone, away from his home and family for long stretches of time, either had to be a criminal or atoning for being one in the past. But still, what could Sarada have learned that would leave her like this?
"But, isn't that a good thing?" ChoCho asked. "I mean, you've always wanted to learn more about your clan, right?"
"Yes, but..." Sarada glanced at ChoCho through her eyelashes. Her face was twisted in pain. "But what I learned was...what my clan did...and, and what was done to them..." A sob escaped her throat.
Something twisted in ChoCho's chest at seeing her friend's pain. She reached across the table and covered Sarada's hand with her own. "Tell me," she encouraged softly.
Sarada finally looked ChoCho in the eye. She swallowed, and then, like a dam breaking, the story spilled from her lips: about Uchiha Madara and his break with Hashirama Senju and Konoha; about Uchiha Obito and his vengeance against the Leaf Village; about the Curse of Hatred and the Uchiha Massacre, committed by Sarada's own uncle in order to save the people of Konoha from his clan's planned coup. About her father's betrayal of the village and how he'd hurt the people he loved most.
"My clan is full of hate and misery," Sarada sobbed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "And now...and now I'm so afraid that it's going to happen to me. I mean - even my own father went down the path of revenge and violence. So what if - what if one day I - ?"
"What? Sarada, what are you talking about? Of course you won't be like them!" ChoCho exclaimed. Hearing Sarada's story was like having ice water injected into her veins - no wonder Sarada had been acting so strange this week! But there was no way she could let Sarada keep thinking like that.
"How do you know?" Sarada countered. "You don't understand, ChoCho. How could you? Your clan is so welcoming and friendly you've maintained close ties with the Nara and Yamanaka for generations! It's nothing like mine." Sarada's tone was bitter, just like when she would complain about her father being absent for longer than he'd promised, or when he would spend his precious free time in the village training Boruto instead of being with his wife and daughter.
ChoCho leaned forward. "Listen, Sarada," she said, tone urgent. "Just because your clan has done some awful things, doesn't mean you're awful. You're - you're Sarada. You're one of the smartest, most loyal, sweetest people I know. You're a chunin of the Leaf Village, and you're gonna be Hokage someday! You, betray the village? Betray your friends? That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard of! And you're not allowed to entertain it anymore! So get that thought out of your head right now."
Sarada sniffed, wiping a hand across her eyes. "Are you - are you sure? Are you sure it couldn't happen to me?"
"Absolutely," ChoCho affirmed. "Because, you're wrong, you know. I love my parents and my clan, but every family has a dark side. Like, did you know, the Nara used to put to death anyone who trespassed in their forest or harmed their deer, even by accident. And one time, a leader of the Akimichi hoarded all the food in the village for himself during a terrible famine. Those are both pretty awful, don't you think?"
Sarada nodded. "Yeah...yeah, I guess that's true." She was quiet, a thoughtful look on her face. Then she stared directly into ChoCho's eyes. "Listen, ChoCho. I hear you and - thank-you, for what you said. But...I need you to promise me something. I already asked Boruto and Mitsuki, and they said yes, of course, but I want you to do it, too."
ChoCho nodded. "Anything for you, Sarada. What is it?"
"If I...if I ever lose myself, to the Curse, to hatred, to anger...if I ever try to leave or hurt Konoha...I want you stop me. I need you to stop me."
ChoCho took a deep breath, then released it through her nose. Then she gave a sharp nod. "Alright. If - if, in the extremely unlikely event that you go temporarily insane and wreak havoc on the village, I will bring you back to your senses. I promise."
Sarada dragged the tray of forgotten food over and presented it to ChoCho. "Will you swear it on this food?"
ChoCho's lips twitched in a smile. Sarada knew her well. Food was practically sacred to the Akimichi, and binding oaths had been made upon shared meals. But, there was something that they valued even more than food.
ChoCho gently pushed aside the food tray and wrapped Sarada's hands in her own. "I'll do you one better. I'll swear it on our friendship."
Sarada face brightened, and the beginnings of a smile graced her lips. "Thank-you, ChoCho. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Let's never find out, 'kay?" ChoCho replied, grinning."
Sarada nodded. "Mmm!" Then she looked down at her food and smiled sheepishly. "And, you know, it is wrong to waste food. I might be able to eat a little of this..."
ChoCho grabbed the tray and pulled it towards herself. "Uh-uh! If you have your appetite back, then you're gonna get the good stuff! Fresh from the grill! I'll eat this." ChoCho then twisted her neck and called back towards the kitchen, "Oi, your attention please! We'll take a large fry and a double cheese-burger! And a green tea ice cream, too, please!"
Sounds of affirmation drifted from the kitchen. But it was Sarada's laughter, echoing around the almost empty restaurant, that sounded the most beautiful to ChoCho's ears.
A.N. - I know this focused a bit more on Sarada and the Uchihas, but I've wanted to include some of Konoha's other clans for a while. And ChoCho had some things to say on the Akimichi clan still, anyway.
I find it interesting how little the Boruto generation seems to know about their own parents' past. And I know sometimes that parents wouldn't want to burden their kids or dwell on sad moments, but Naruto + co's past is really important to the current world that Boruto and his friends are living in now. The Tailed Beasts, the Uchiha clan, jinchuriki, Akatsuki, Orochimaru...all these people, concepts, and events have made the world of Boruto, and it's startling to think how little they know about it.
So I like to think that, when the new generation got older, their parents eventually told them. I had a bit where ChoCho mentions Inojin learning about Sai's past, Shikadai about Gaara's, and Boruto and Himawari learning about Naruto's, as well as the Hyuuga clan's dark side, but ultimately it didn't fit in. Maybe for another chapter.
Anyway! I hope you enjoyed, and I'd love to know what you think! Until next time.
