Kawaki ran alongside Mitsuki through the canopy of trees. He closed his eyes and felt for chakra in the surrounding area.
Several snakes slithered out of Mitsuki's kimono. "I'll try to track them this way... But then again, what are we going to do if we find them? Interrogation is usually left up to Boruto and Sarada."
"We'll just beat them into talking," said Kawaki, punching his palm. "What are we trying to find out, anyways?"
Before Mitsuki could answer, the four ninja showed appeared, surrounding them from their lofty positions.
"Welp," said Kawaki, "that saves us the trouble of having to go and find 'em."
"Tch. These guys again." The leader flicked out a kunai. "What's this about finding us? I thought you were escorting that thief."
"We were," said Mitsuki, "but we came back to hear your side of the story." His yellow eyes gleamed under the shadows of the trees, kimono sleeves billowing. "My teammate tells me that your father made the vase?"
"Oh? You actually want to listen to the story, now do you... Too bad. We're on our way to go reclaim what's ours. It's four on two. I doubt you can stop us."
"Hah." Kawaki's arm transformed. He dropped into a crouched stance and beckoned the rogue ninja with the face of a man who knew far too much pain. "If you're going to steal again, I guess that means I don't have to hold back."
Mitsuki smiled next to him. "Do refrain from killing them if you don't want to tarnish the seventh's name."
"You don't have to tell me what I already know!"
With that, the two Konoha genin launched themselves at the rogue ninja.
. . .
Boruto laid a fresh damp washcloth over Sarada's head. Her fever only dropped a half a degree, but the nurse seemed contented enough with the change to go attend to someone else.
"Mama..." She whimpered her mother's name for the second time in fifteen minutes.
He expected this development. The tough outer exterior that Sarada displayed 24/7 melted in the face of sickness. They were both especially sensitive to matters concerning their parents, and to Sarada, fevers and colds happened to be one of them.
It was only natural; Sakura was possibly the best, most skilled medical ninja in existence, second to only her master Tsunade. That was why Sarada rarely got sick, and when she did, she got over it within a matter of hours.
Scrapes, cuts, bruises... Every little scratch she got on missions was always treated the next day. Boruto suspected she tried to hide it, not wanting to inconvenience her mother. But Sakura was very perceptive. It was one of the reasons Boruto never tried to prank her. The second reason was because he found Sakura to be downright terrifying when she was angry.
And so now, as Sarada lay feverish, whimpering her mother's name, Boruto couldn't help but feel bad for her. She was probably thinking, I wouldn't be suffering this much, if only my mother was here, or something along those lines.
He stared at her limp hand and trailed his gaze up her arm. The tiny hairs were all standing up straight.
When he was sick, his mom would put a warm washcloth on his head and feed him porridge, just to give him something in his stomach that he could take his medicine with. Judging from the slight growls emitting from her stomach every now and again, Sarada hadn't eaten breakfast. But it was too late to feed her now.
All he could do was watch as she suffered, laying there and breathing through her mouth until her throat became sticky and raw, hot water the only thing that would sooth it.
Once she started coughing, he stood up and took the cup, sliding his arm underneath of her head. He helped her sit up to take a drink. And then waited for another grueling five minutes.
This time, her temperature rose half a degree above what it was before.
"Mama," she whimpered, fingers weakly stretching out, eyes moving behind her eyelids. "Don't go..."
Boruto sighed. He turned away and clenched his fists. "Sorry Sarada, I'll be right back. I've gotta tell the nurse your fever went up... And find you some herbal tea and porridge."
He stalked out into the hallway and hunted the nurse down, volunteering to brew the tea himself if she just told him where it was. It seemed like no one in this hospital had time for anyone.
When he returned, Sarada was sliding her feet against the mattress, her fingers digging into the sheets. He nearly dropped the tea.
"Oi!"
"Mama... I want mama..."
"Sarada..." Something in his chest twisted, shooting a tightness up his throat. "She's not here. Your in a different hospital. I got you some tea so just-"
"Mama... Where are you? It hurts..."
Boruto muttered something under his breath. And then he had an idea. As embarrassing as it was... It wasn't like anyone was going to come in the room anyway. And despite not knowing how to use medical ninjutsu... He knew the mere sight of her mother would calm her down enough to take her medicine.
He placed the tea on the side table as quickly as he could without spilling it. "Henge no jutsu!"
With a poof of smoke, his 12 year old body was transformed into a woman with gorilla strength and short pink hair. Sucking in a breath and letting it out, he remembered Sakura's voice. Gentle. Slightly over pronounced "s" sounds. Always using polite speech with her patients.
"Sarada."
Sarada's struggling turned to whimpers as she reached out her hand.
Boruto hesitated for a moment before gently taking hold of it, bringing it back down to the covers. Blush dusted his cheeks. He'd held her hand before for various purposes: dragging her somewhere, saving her from falling, or coordinating a combo attack. But never gently... not like this.
The small gesture seemed to calm her down. Her legs dropped from their bent angles and sunk down into the mattress. Her breathing slowed. Her body relaxed.
"I brought you tea," he said softly. "Will you drink it?"
Sarada turned her head and cracked open her eyes. "Mmm..."
He helped her sit up and gave her the tea to drink, but the moment she swallowed it down, she leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his back, her limp fingers hooking into the fabric of Sakura's pink vest.
"Don't go..."
His face was likely a mess of red, heartbeat pounding through his chest. But he had to continue the act. Gently placing his arms around her shoulders, he patted her back. "It's ok. I'm not going anywhere."
Sarada snuggled her head into his stomach. He had to keep himself from squirming.
Suddenly, a nurse opened the door. "She's- Ah, Mrs. Uchiha! When did you get here?"
Boruto furrowed his eyebrows, then frantically shook his head. But the other nurse was completely clueless to his transformation.
"If you're here, I suppose we'll leave your daughter to you. Thank you for your service!" With a curt bow, the nurse scurried away.
Sarada only clung to the back of his vest tighter. "Mama..."
He was the only one who could help her. None of the other nurses would dare interrupt Sakura, and he didn't have the skill to order them around. He would just have to hope that the tea did something... And put her to sleep before he ran out of chakra.
Sarada's small and slender frame was burning up against his transformed adult stomach. Now that she was breathing against his chest, he could tell just how ragged and raspy her throat was. He really did feel terrible about letting her come on the mission instead of sending her home... but as she whimpered, he blinked a few times and looked away. She needed the attention of a real nurse... Not a fake Sakura.
"W-Why don't you lean back? You need rest to help you get better."
Sarada shook her head lightly and balled the back of Sakura's shirt into little fists. "Mmm..."
This isn't good. His chakra pattern wavered, nearly causing him to lose the transformation. He had to find some way to make her stop clinging to him. Stupid Mitsuki, making me realize things I didn't want to... In times like these... Mom usually... Boruto sighed.
He gently placed one hand on the back of her head and began to hum. Boruto never really felt Sarada's hair before. He was always wearing a jacket. Even if she fell asleep next to him on the train or brushed by his arm, his jacket blocked the sensation of her hair.
He had no idea how soft and velvety it felt. How nicely it flowed through his fingers. How the ends seemed to taper off perfectly into little bits of fluff.
Even though her scalp was much too warm and her hair was slightly damp, the action provided emotional relief for the separation anxiety she was feeling.
When her fists loosened away from the fabric of the vest, he slowly leaned her back against the bed. She was hesitant to let go, but he worked her arms away and took hold of her hand.
Sarada reached up at tapped her forehead. "Mm."
"...Huh?!"
"Mm."
She tilted her face to him.
Please don't tell me she wants me to... But in Sakura's transformed state, he knew that was probably exactly what she wanted. His mom always did it to him to. Although if Hinata did it to him now, he would shove her away and call her an embarrassment.
I can't, he thought, blush creeping up his neck. Even in Sakura oba-san's body... That's impossible!
"Mm!"
Boruto tucked his lips into his mouth. He fidgeted with his fingers. Taking one last look at the door, he leaned over. Swallowed thickly. And gently touched his lips to her forehead.
When he pulled away, his gaze averted straight to the floor, clouds swirling cotton into his brain, face as pink as the inside of his jacket. "Now be a good girl and go to sleep so you can get better..."
"Mmm..." Sarada turned to the side, her other hand falling limp against the bed.
But Boruto's face grew redder by the second. I can't believe I just did that. I'm so glad no one saw that. I really hope she doesn't find out it's me.
That was when he realized.
At some point, Boruto had turned back into himself.