A/N: I've finally caught up with Boruto manga and anime and, of course, Sakura's ring has given me all those romantic feels that are usually absent – to my great dismay – from the franchise as of late. I had no plans to write another Borusara fic, but this idea just didn't leave me be. The funniest thing is that I felt very accomplished when I finally finished this one-shot only to realize that I don't have a title. So I apologize for not having a good one.

Disclaimer: Naruto and Boruto franchise's characters belong to their proper owners.

For You to Worry Not

By Lady Arabella Malfoy

"Out of it, Boruto," Sasuke snapped, abruptly freezing on a boulder thus making the young shinobi run straight into his sensei, confirming Sasuke's fears about Boruto's lack of concentration on their current mission. The boy was unnaturally pensive, didn't bombard Sasuke with pointless questions, and not only was he quiet, but also distracted by something non-mission related, which had a death sentence written all over it. They were not on a S-rank mission, but being so careless was uncharacteristic of Boruto.

"Out with what?" the blond asked defensively as if he was once again accused of a prank he 'didn't' execute.

"Your head has been somewhere else the whole way here. I don't see the point of us continuing together if you are not going to uphold the shinobi code properly. Which at your rank and experience is, frankly, disrespectful to me and Konoha."

Boruto mumbled something under his breath which Sasuke did not understand, but the boy at least looked properly reprimanded. At least until his proper response came: "The ring you made for Sakura-sama… Can something similar be made without Earth release?"

Absolutely nothing could prepare Sasuke for that question. The hows and whys multiplied with every new thought, but he opted for: "How do you know about the ring at all?"

"Sarada told us, how you found Sakura-sama by sensing your chakra in the ring when she was unconscious. Something like this can really help team members in serious trouble."

"That ring is not some ninja tool one can mass-produce," Sasuke snapped, losing his temper (which happened so rarely that seemed impossible and Boruto's shocked expression was a testimony to that). "What happened, was a lucky coincidence which I am very grateful for. Sakura's ring is a symbol… nothing more."

"I get that. Doesn't mean it can't be both."

With that Sasuke considered the topic closed until Naruto cornered him, demanding what special training was Boruto disappearing to during every spare moment. Was it karma-related? When confronted, Boruto explained that he was experimenting with a personal project and it is not in any way karma-related. Naruto was not convinced and sent a security-nin to investigate, well, spy on his rule-breaking son. The report said that Boruto's activities looked like he was trying to create a new jutsu. This coincided with Boruto's answer, but what bothered Naruto was that he was doing it alone. Team 7 was pretty much attached at the hip, so why was Boruto working without his friends?

….

"Why the Hell did you drag me out of bed so early, Boruto?" Kawaki grumbled, rubbing his eyes for them to stay open. "Sun hasn't even risen yet!"

"Stop cussing with ladies present, Kawaki!"

"Ladies?! Where?"

Sarada cleared her throat especially loudly to make her presence known. "That's why girls avoid you, Kawaki. In addition to your brooding personality."

"And they can continue doing that, I am perfectly happy without them."

"Alright, guys, enough bickering!" Boruto attempted to draw his teammates' attention to the matter at hand. Quite literally since he brandished three pendants in front of the sleepy faces. "I finished them yesterday and couldn't wait to give them to you. I don't know if they can do anything special, but I managed to trap my chakra inside these stones or crystals or I don't even know what to call them. I want you to have this piece of me in case… well, I already died once because of the Otsutsuki and it is quite possible that I will die a couple more times, one of which will be final in whichever form. So I want you to have a piece of my true self. The pendants won't blow up or get damaged. I checked- hmph-"

Boruto's disjointed speech was interrupted by Sarada's bone-crashing hug. She was mumbling something, but it was hard to hear through the tears. Mitsuki soon joined the hug 'snaking' his hands around Boruto and Sarada.

Kawaki did not join and only partially because he wasn't one for such displays. His real reason was that he killed Boruto once to prevent his body to be overtaken and he will do it again if it will save the world from being consumed by the wannabe gods. And Boruto knew it too and he was willing to return the favor if needed.

Years went by and Sarada, Mitsuki and Kawaki continued to wear the pendants hidden from the public eye not to draw attention to a spinning Rasengan trapped in a crystal, its rough edges smoothed with time and care of their wearers. The only value of the 'jewelry' remained decorative, but Team 7 continued to wear them, each for their reasons.

The Otsutsuki did not manage to reincarnate and consume yet another world, but their demise cost the shinobi a considerable price. Some young shinobi buried their peers and some – their parents, some were unfortunate to do both. Despite Team 7's sacrifices and self-sacrifices, they came out of the bloodbath visibly intact – even if with horrifying nightmares that would plague them for years to come – with Boruto and Kawaki retaining some of the karma-enabled powers.

The life of young shinobi slowly but surely started to turn to normal or as normal as one can have while going on missions to save civilians from rouge shinobi, wild animals, natural disasters and brewing civil wars.

…..

"Kawaki! Hei, Kawaki, wake up!"

Kawaki did hear the urgent whisper but decided to ignore it, because he was sleeping and anyone who dared to disturb him could bugger off for all he cared. But the intruder did not let up and continued to shake Kawaki until he sent a proper uppercut which did not connect, unfortunately, and that fact made Kawaki wake up to a panicked face of Boruto.

"What the Hell, man? We are leaving with the sunrise. What can be so important?"

"I woke you up just to say that I am not going with you. I need to… go somewhere else."

"Are you crazy, Boruto? We are in the middle of a S-rank mission. If you leave now, it's pretty much desertion! This is not simply a reprimand, they can take your headband away!"

"I know all that! But I need to go! Now!"

"Why-"

"Sarada is in trouble, okay?" Boruto blurted out, throwing glances at the tent's entrance where he very much wanted to be instead of Kawaki's rolled-out bed.

"Sarada and Mitsuki are assisting the mission in the Land of Wind and we are heading to the Land of Lightning. There is a whole Land of Fire between us, how in the world would you know?!"

"I just know, okay? Listen, I just woke you so you knew, so you won't waste time searching for me or whatever," Boruto threw, getting his backpack and heading out of the tent.

"It's not okay at all!" Kawaki spat, grabbing Boruto by his backpack and throwing him on the ground. They were the same height now and close in strength, so Kawaki had to throw all his weight into not letting Boruto escape from his hold. "If I am to condone this madness, I at least need to have the whole story! How are you even planning on getting there?"

"I'll make a portal," Boruto whizzed out, trying to push Kawaki's forearm from his throat.

"Yeah? You need to rest for five to six days after that. How are planning on getting back?"

"I don't know! But I need to get to her NOW!"

"Sarada is an able shinobi and she is with Mitsuki. They can handle a bit of trouble."

"She may be DYING, Kawaki! I don't feel her anymore!"

That got the older shinobi's attention. "What do you mean-"

"Seriously, Kawaki, I don't have time for explanations, I need to go!"

"Alright, but I am going with you. And that's final."

Boruto's portal brought them into the heart of a sandstorm. Absolutely nothing could be seen for miles around, not even the Sun or any landmarks. Only red dust.

"Now what?" Kawaki grunted already regretting following Boruto's hair-brained scheme. But his worry for Sarada looked so real…

"She is right there," Boruto pointed somewhere in the distance. "Hm… Mitsuki is too."

Boruto created an air bubble around them so they could move unhindered, but still too slowly for their liking, through the sandstorm.

"Now spill, Boruto. What was it about 'not feeling' Sarada or whatever? Because right now it looks like we are walking in the middle of nowhere. It is easier to find our deaths here than anybody else."

"I don't know how to explain exactly… I feel you through the pendants… It's like an extra heartbeat close to mine. I've gotten so used to it through the years… And Sarada's beat disappeared during the night waking me up."

"So you are telling me that you sensed your chakra on Sarada's neck all the way from the Land of Lightning to bring us here? How is that even possible?" Kawaki asked incredulously. "What sensory technique is this?"

"It is no technique… It's like a gut feeling…"

Gut feeling… So like Boruto… "So while we are in this comfy bubble, we have all the time to address the fact that you 'felt' Sarada being in trouble and not Mitsuki who is clearly near her."

"Of course, I will worry about Sarada, she is like a sister to me!"

"Listen, Boruto, I treat Hima like a sister, right?"

"You better be-"

"So have you seen me never sit with her on one bench at the burger joint; avoid all situations where there are only two of us, particularly missions; stare at her legs whenever she wears those sassy pumps of hers, but try to hide it-"

"Wha-"

"Oh yeah. Also… blush and stammer whenever anybody asks about her dating status and completely blow my top when a land lord's son asks her out and don't talk to her for a week when she goes on a date with him."

"That guy was a prick."

"Yeah, he was, didn't mean you needed to flip on him like that, particularly since we were there to protect him from attacks, not inflict them. And if I was not clear, you are doing everything I just named and more. I don't know much about all this 'liking' and romance and attraction, but whatever is going on between you and Sarada is not abrother-sister thing. I don't know why you are staying in denial-"

"I am not!"

The bubble shook, making Kawaki uneasy about their circumstances and about Boruto's confession. He didn't care much about dating or playing matchmaker (as some of their friends dubbed themselves putting people together into couples), but all their peers were saying that if you like somebody, you must confess or do something about it or something. So why would Boruto do nothing about his feelings? There was no threat from the Otsutsuki anymore. Although, considering their present ordeal, shinobi can die from pretty much anything on any day of the week.

"So what's going on with you, bro?" Kawaki rarely invoked the brotherhood the Uzumaki family insisted on, but it seemed appropriate for the direction of the conversation.

"Remember when we went to stop the war between the pirates and the Village Hidden in the Mist?"

"When you decided to off yourself by jumping into the sea? Yeah, that was really smart on your part!"

"Sometime later Mitsuki told me what happened when I was in the water. As was promised, neither Mitsuki nor Sarada did anything to help me. Mitsuki said: 'Imagine, Boruto, how far you and Sarada have come from your competitive bickering if she considers you her brother'. A brother, Kawaki. That's who I am to her. Whatever I feel, doesn't matter. She will be Hokage and I will deal with the threats outside of the village because she would drive me mad otherwise."

"That was years ago. You were kids back then. Surely things changed since then."

"Have they? She did go out with that guy."

"Well, he asked."

Not-in-denial Boruto did not say anything in return. Mostly because they finally came up to something that was not swirling sand but a rock formation that emerged practically out of the ground.

"They are inside. We need to move the rocks carefully not to crash them."

"Are they even alive? I don't see any openings. It's like a grave."

"Do not say things like that, Kawaki. Sarada and Mitsuki are much stronger than that. Move that rock first."

Painstakingly slowly they moved the stones right after the other with Boruto maintaining the air bubble, but his chakra control was slipping, so the sand started to get in which meant it was in their eyes, mouths and pretty much everywhere else. Finally, they found an opening at the side of the formation and soon after - Sarada and Mitsuki unconscious, covered with sand, with weak but present pulses.

Kawaki shook his head in dismay, watching the tenderness with which Boruto placed Sarada into his arms, cleaning sand from her face with his thumb, and cared her out. He didn't have anything against Mitsuki, but he just grabbed the guy and followed Boruto out of the cave.

…..

The first thing Sarada saw, when she opened her eyes, was the white ceiling of Konoha's hospital with she was intimately familiar with from visiting her mother at work. She was not shocked at seeing the pure whiteness but opening her eyes at all. She slowly set up unsure of her bearings. Was she injured in the scuffle with those desert bandits? And what happened to Mitsuki? All she remembered was the ambush, defending the caravan with Fire jutsu and then darkness.

"Look who is finally up," came from the side. "How are you feeling?"

Sarada turned towards the voice. To the voice engraved in her brain from years of friendship, years of life. She will recognize this voice in the crowd, those blue eyes out of thousands, that smile… She didn't even remember when she saw it last, he has been so gloomy lately… Has lost his bounciness, his bravado and charm… But he was smiling now. She was afraid she would not see it ever again.

"I thought, I'd never see you again!" Sarada exclaimed, hugging Boruto as close as she was able sitting on the hospital bed.

"That's my line, Sarada. You were the one, who let some idiots get a drop on you." Boruto tried to get out of the embrace, but Sarada held tight. So he had no choice, but to sit down on the bed. The moment he got closer, Sarada tightened her hold even more. "What happened?"

"I don't know exactly. I think we were lied to about the true level of danger and- How is Mitsuki?!"

"You know Mitsuki… He felt in some kinda stasis and it allowed him to survive the sandstorm. Whoever attacked you, put you two in a cave so you would die on your own."

"So how did I survive?"

"Are you planning to let me go in the near future?"

"No. It is much better to feel the real you instead of just a tiny piece of your chakra," Sarada replied, rubbing her head against his chest. "So how did I get here?"

Boruto didn't know how to react, but could only assume that Sarada was doped on drugs to act like this. She hasn't touched him like that in years. He didn't know if being not of clear mind would help her to get over what he was going to say next. "The pendant worked. It helped me find you and Mitsuki. Well, you mostly. I had several days to think why I wasn't alerted by him being in danger the same way I was about you… When I was making those pendants… trapping Rasengans into crystallized ice… The pendants for others came out relatively easily after I came up with the method of joining the chakra with an object. But with yours… Attempt after attempt failed. The energies just rejected each other, or it broke or blew up. At first, I thought it was because I was using Fire nature release because I wanted yours to be red even if others' were blue or grey. I went back to water release, but it was the same. So I remembered why Sakura-sama's ring was made – to convey earnest feelings that were rarely spoken. With that in mind, I started the process again, but this time I intervened with my jutsu what I truly felt for you, and it finally worked. I am sorry, Sarada."

"For what, pray tell? This pendant saved my life."

"I… I can't view you as a sister anymore. Haven't for quite some time. And I really can't do anything about it." There, he finally said it. Now Sarada will toss him out of the ward and won't speak to him ever again. And Boruto was okay with that. He will leave the village and be the shadow he promised to be. With no regrets.

Instead happened quite the opposite – Sarada hugged him even tighter. "I am very happy about it, Boruto. Should've told me earlier, then I wouldn't have to make you jealous by going out with that disgusting land lord's son."

Kawaki was cranky. At least it was what Hinata told him he shouldn't be, but cut him some slack… Boruto collapsed on the spot the moment Sarada was taken away by the medical-nin, and had to be hospitalized as well. Hinata was preparing for her next mission and everybody else seemed to be extra busy, so it fell to Kawaki to check on Team 7 and their recovery. Boruto woke up just a day after but refused to leave until both Mitsuke and Sarada were okay, so Kawaki was told to bring him food etc. Seriously! He made a portal too, he needed his rest, but no! The golden boy was always more important!

The door of the ward was ajar and Kawaki was planning to kick it open just out of spite, but the hushed voices stopped him. Was Sarada awake? He glanced through the opening to see a rather peaceful picture of Sarada and Boruto embracing. And it didn't look much like sister-brother thing. As far as Kawaki could tell, at least. Had Boruto finally gotten the balls to confess? Well, prop to him for that, but now Kawaki had to go back and return at some other opportune moment. And to quote Shikadai – that was a major drag. So Kawaki turned around and headed outside, researching his pendant once again. His was of dark grey stone, but somehow Rasengan was still visible. Was there any point to wear it since it seem only to work for Sarada? But Boruto did say that he felt all three of them, but he didn't understand Mitsuki was also in danger because of the stasis?

Kawaki's other contemplations about the pendant were interrupted by someone ramming into him. He pushed the offender away, but it resulted in not only him hitting the wall, but a crazy pain in his eyebrow which was followed by the familiar feeling of healing chakra.

"The Hell you think-" 'You' who practically knocked him over turned out to be a girl with some crazy braids and beads in them that must've caught on his eyebrow piercings and pretty much ripped them out. She also had the most mesmerizing colorful tattoo around her right eye. And that eye was concentrated on his eyebrow with her cute nose practically in his face.

"Sorry for running into you. I was told to check on Uchiha Sarada, who has just woken up."

"I… I don't think it's the right time…" Was he stammering? And who is this girl?

"Oh, I get it," the girl drawled with a conspirational wink. "I'll check on her later then."

"Get what?" She was leaving, so she was out of his face and his life. So why did he ask?

"You are Hokage's son's friend, right? I've seen you visiting these last three days."

"Yeah, I, well…" Seriously, why can't he find even basic words?

"It's so obvious in how he was hovering over her. I am not going to interrupt any private business. Sorry again, but I need to run."

The girl was almost at the corner when Kawaki had finally gotten his wits about him. Not all girls were as possessively crazy as Ada was, right? And yeah, he didn't know much about this whole dating thing, but he would never understand if he didn't try. "Hey! Wanna go out with me?"

The girl, whose name he still didn't know, turned around on her heels and returned to the flabbergasted Kawaki, who didn't believe he's just said that.

"Do you usually ask girls out without even knowing their names?"

"What's your name?"

"Kiwa."

"Wanna go out with me, Kiwa?"

"Hmmmm… I'll think about it."

And she was off again. But did she wink at him with that gorgeous tattooed eye of hers? Hmmmm indeed.

If anybody noticed Kawaki hanging unusually long periods of time around the Konoha Hospital, nobody commented about it. At least until Cho Cho saw something she just had to share with everybody else.

Sasuke was not sure why Boruto was insisting on continuing his training. There was always room for improvement, but why waste time with an old Uchiha at twenty? Surely, there were others, more worthy and younger partners he could use to improve his sword technique. But Boruto insisted on training with his old sensei whenever the latter was in Konoha, so Sasuke indulged him.

That evening was something different about Boruto, however. It took Sasuke some time to uncover the reason since the feeling was the same, but different. Sasuke sensed an unprecedented amount of Sarada's chakra around the boy, well, the young man now.

The sense was so strong as if his daughter was right there beside them. Sasuke had even gotten used to feeling Boruto's chakra around Sarada, since he was the only one who knew exactly what she was caring around her neck. And at that point in time, Sasuke was proud of his student for accomplishing that fit. When the two started dating (they were smart enough to get together when Sasuke was on a mission outside the village and thus had an established relationship when he was informed of it and could do nothing to prevent it), it wasn't at all unusual to sense Sarada's chakra around Boruto, but the current amount was just off the charts! It was as if his daughter was right there with them.

Sasuke continued his observations of his sparring partner and finally deduced that the flow of Sarada's chakra is coming from somewhere around Boruto's shoulder.

"Come here, Boruto," Sasuke ordered in a tone that guaranteed everyone's compliance. Boruto was clearly reluctant and looked somewhat guilty, which made the situation even more worrisome for Sarada's father.

The blond shinobi stabbed his sword into the ground and neared his sensei. He was not surprised when Sasuke ripped apart his shirt to reveal a black mark on his chest.

But Sasuke was surprised and that did not happen often. "Is that a… seal?" Sarada's chakra was all over the seal. Moreover, the seal looked like an activated Sharingan. What have those kids done now?

"In a way. This way Sarada knows if I am okay and where I am and other staff."

"And I will find something similar on Sarada when she returns from her mission?"

"Yeah… We wanted to tell you all upon Sara's return. But-"

"Tell us all what?" Boruto's words brought a feeling of panic for some unknown reason.

"The seals are not only for us not to worry about the other's well-being. These are also symbols."

"Of what?"

"Strange for you to ask, sensei. They are symbols of our love. Sarada and I are getting married."

Sasuke should've known that they would end up in that situation when Boruto asked about Sakura's ring all those years ago. No boy asks how to make a wedding ring without considering its true purpose. Sasuke took out his sword from the ground and prepared to continue their sword-fighting lesson, but what else could he do? The marks were removable, but sent a clear message of serious intentions. Sasuke wasn't going to ask about something he was very much familiar with.

A/N: The comment about Boruto staring at Sarada's legs – in the manga Sarada wears a dress with a surprisingly short skirt and killer pumps. I have no idea how she runs in those heels. Any male with eyes will check out those legs, but, unfortunately, this is yet to be used in the manga.

Thanks for reading and drop a review!