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Boruto was dorky. At least, that's what she had always thought him to be. And perhaps dorky was still the wrong word, because he wasn't very silly or lame as far as kids their age go. He was just… Boruto. Sarada hadn't thought much about him other than that. He was just him, in all of his geeky and bratty tendencies.

Granted, she did respect him, how could she not? Beneath the surface, Boruto was truly a kind-hearted person. He was always after the best in everything; in strangers, in friends, in family, and in himself. She firmly believed Boruto to be a good person. And she always thought of him as a close ally, especially after the whole Chuunin exams fiasco.

So when Sumire said that she was interested in him? It was just—just—well, she actually didn't know what it was, but it didn't sit right in her stomach. But, she just let it sit there, settling in the pit of her abdomen like a rock, and just decided to ignore it. Surely she had no reason to feel uncomfortable from this. She wasn't interested in Boruto like that because Boruto was Boruto: bratty and childish. Kind and considerate. She shoved the latter thoughts down.

Liking someone had never been a major thought in her mind. She simply had friends and companions, people she trusted and some she didn't trust. But ever since Sumire said that, she couldn't help but notice a few things.

Boruto was quite popular. And not just because he was Lord Seventh, the Hero of the Leaf's son, but popular with the girls. His name would somehow always pop up in the conversations she'd overhear of girls huddled together in a tight circle, giggling and whispering. And Sarada wasn't blind. She wasn't completely ignorant to the shallow realities of attractiveness, and Boruto was sitting pretty handsomely near the top—no pun intended.

His blue eyes were striking, and his thick blond hair complimented his features all the more. He stayed on-top of fashion trends and his hygiene was surprisingly good for a boy his age. She always noticed he smelled fresh. Like a spring breeze… or a riverbed in the morning.

"You're quieter than usual," her mother said, brining Sarada out of her thoughts one evening as they ate dinner together. "Something on your mind?"

More like someone, she thought, but didn't voice it. "Just tired, I guess. Konohamaru-sensei has been kicking up our training," she said, not looking up from her food.

"This wouldn't happen to be about a boy, now would it?" Sakura asked, her eyes peering knowingly at her daughter. "Have you finally made some time in your busy schedule for romance?" she teased.

Sarada's face lit up. Whether it be in annoyance or embarrassment or both, she didn't know. "Mama!" she shook her hands in front of her face, dropping her utensils with a startling clank on her plate.

"You know, I remember being very distracted when I was your age by a certain boy," she smiled, her eyes twinkling in remembrance and playfulness at Sarada. "Dark and mysterious, cool and collected—all the girls loved him."

"You had a crush on someone when you were my age?" she felt silly asking that question because of course her mother had a crush on someone when she was a Genin. She knew her mother well enough to have assumed that.

Sakura nodded, "Of course I did. Your papa was quite the catch when I was in the academy."

"You had a crush on Papa when you were in the academy?" Sarada asked, surprised. "You've liked him for that long?"

Sakura laughed at her daughter's reaction, "Yes I have. Although, your papa was a different story. He may have been calm, cool, and collected, but he's always been a bit slower and recognizing what he feels." Sakura stood up, taking her plate with her and made her way towards the kitchen sink.

With all this boy-talk running through her brain, it wasn't entirely her fault that she couldn't sleep that night. Had she not been placed on a team with Boruto, she wondered if she'd even be thinking of him now. Being on his team made her realize how much he'd grown. He'd gotten more responsible, more intentional, and began to give more effort to things. Not to mention he'd gotten a bit taller since they were first placed on a team together.

So she blames her tired state as of now on her very poor night of sleep. And in her very tired state, she asks a very stupid question.

"Boruto?" Sarada grabs her teammate's attention. They're grabbing burgers and still waiting for Mitsuki to join them at their booth.

"Hm?" he responds, taking a sip of his soda.

She almost didn't wrack up the nerve to ask, but she does. "Do you… like anyone?"

Boruto nearly chokes on his soda, setting the drink down quickly and having a coughing fit. "Wh-what? You mean like, like-like, someone?" he asks, his face red from his previous lack of oxygen and what Sarada assumes to be embarrassment.

Sarada shrugs, acting nonchalant, "Yeah."

"Uhm, well…" he glances off to the side, looking at her through the corner of his eyes every few seconds. "Not really," he finally answers, picking up his drink and drinking from it, still avoiding eye-contact.

"'Not really?' That doesn't sound very convincing," she scoffs, crossing her arms and leaning back in the booth.

"Well it should!" he defended himself, "'Cause that's my answer!"

"It's a dumb one," she replies, leaning forward on the table, inching towards him. "It's not Sumire is it?"

Boruto set his drink down once more, looking at her in confusion, "Class Rep? No—and besides I told you I don't like anyone! You could ask a thousand names and it wouldn't change," he crossed his arms, huffing.

"You said 'Not really,' and that's very different," she said pointedly.

"W-well what about you, huh? Do you like anyone?" Boruto decides to flip the question back around on her.

She almost immediately wears a frown. Boruto seems strangely satisfied with her tight-lipped reaction, although, if she didn't know better, she'd say he also looks slightly… nervous? "…Not really," she finally says. Did he relax just then? Or was that her imagination?

"Aha!" he points an accusing finger at her, "See, it's a valid answer!"

"I guess—"

"Sorry I'm late. Am I intruding on a date?" Mitsuki asks, suddenly appearing by them with his eyes squeezed shut by his thinly stretched smile.

"We're not on a date!" Sarada and Boruto say in unison, crossing their arms and looking away.

Mitsuki opens his eyes and looks between his two teammates. "Ah, I see," he says knowingly, taking a seat beside Boruto and opposite of Sarada.

As Boruto and Mitsuki caught up, Sarada couldn't help but wonder about what Boruto had said. She shakes her head in frustration—she shouldn't be thinking about these things! She has a dream in mind and future Hokage's surely don't have time to think of such trivial and silly things.

Things like Boruto Uzumaki.


I feel like I relate to Sarada's personality a lot sometimes...

Just another simple one to set the scene. Hope you enjoyed :)

-LovelySheree