Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Boruto nor its characters.

"So, how was your mission?" Sakura hummed as she walked into the living room carrying a tray that held a brewed pot of chrysanthemum tea and two teacups; one for herself and her daughter who just returned from the Land of the Moon. "Tell me all about it and make sure not to leave a single detail out!"

"You sound very excited to hear about it, more than the usual." Sarada pointed out as she helped to pour the tea into the cups once her mother had placed the tray down, before taking a seat next to her daughter.

"I can't help it," Sakura chuckled. "I haven't been to the Land of the Moon for a long time and I'm curious if anything had changed. Not to mention, this is your first mission as Kakashi's student outside of Konoha. I had been wondering if he still kept any of his old strange habits."

"'Strange habits'?" Sarada queried, lifting the cup of tea her mother brewed and blew on the surface gently.

"Well… there was one mission where he read three chapters of Icha-Icha tactics while fighting the enemy…"

Sarada listened to her mother as she rambled about her childhood when she was still under Kakashi, taking a few sips between each fun-fact her mother generously offered to her about him. It was safe to say Kakashi had his own signature quirks; his Icha-Icha book being one of the main ones. Sarada wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that—for one thing, she still had no idea what that book was about. But if Kakashi was that obsessed with the book, she was sure the contents of it must be full of wisdom.

Maybe she'd be able to read it one day.

Once Sakura was done with her sharing, Sarada began to tell her about her mission. She told her of the shadow animals that came to hunt her, only to be frightened by her lightning. She told her about Raku and his mother, expressing her heartfelt wishes for them to mend their relationship. She told and showed her Raku's parting gift, expressing how she wished she could've left him with something too. She then told her about what the King said—of how Sakura nearly crushed his hand once…

"Don't look at me like that! Let me explain myself!" Sakura whined when Sarada gave her an awfully unimpressed look. It was fun to tease her mother sometimes.

"Okay, I can see why you tried to break his hand." Sarada sighed when Sakura was done with her explanation. "But still—"

"Oh hush now, I didn't know any better at the time!"

Sarada loved spending time with her mother like this. She enjoyed exchanging stories with her mother whenever time gave them the chance. There was something comforting about sharing their own memories and experiences with one another. It made Sarada feel closer to her mother.

She just wished her father had been here too.

Sakura had explained to her how Sasuke was summoned to Naruto's office the moment they caught wind of Kakashi's and her return to Konoha. Sakura presumed it was to receive an important update of some sort.

Sarada initially wanted to join the meeting as well, after all, she was there with Kakashi too. But her sensei told her to return home and rest up instead. And she complied with no complaints, having assumed both her father and mother would've been home.

However when she returned, she was only welcomed by her mother's arms. She should've known better.

"Don't worry, Sarada. Papa will be back later today for dinner." Sakura reassured.

"Eh? I didn't say anything—"

"You don't have to." Sakura smiled. "I can tell."

Of course she could.

"That aside… It's no easy task to build back a relationship like that though." Sakura said, referencing to the relationship between Raku and his mother that Sarada summarised for her.

Sarada nodded. "I agree… but later on, to put simply, she ran into the battlefield and shielded Raku from the monster without hesitation… it must've been so scary for her. If only I was a little faster, then maybe I could've…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Sarada." Sakura gave a little encouraging nudge to her daughter. "The mission was an overall success, was it not?"

"Yeah, yeah… but that shadow beast was nothing short of horrifying. Yet, she placed her life on the line for Raku even after everything hurtful he said to her." Sarada could still remember the scene so vividly. "I know I can't force a relationship to be fixed… but after all that, I just hope that… you know."

"…Well, a mother's love is not so easily broken by words. I'm also sure his mother would've still done that regardless if he forgave her or not." Sakura said before taking a few sips of her tea, letting her mind wonder about everything Sarada had just told her about them. She noted how Sarada held no judgement towards Raku's mother and her wrongdoings. If anything, she had expressed how she was happy to see his mother trying to make things right.

This wasn't anything too surprising to Sakura. Over the years of raising Sarada, she noticed how her daughter appreciated whenever spoken words translated to any effort or action; whenever people made an effort to change. She recalled how much brighter Sarada's smile was when Sasuke fulfilled his promise of coming home more often.

What was surprising was how Raku's story paralleled with Sarada's just slightly. There were many major differences, complications that were incomparable. Although—

"Mama?" Sarada called out when her mother didn't respond to whatever she said. Sakura wasn't sure, she had been too deep in thought to catch it. "Is there—"

"I would put my life on the line to protect you without hesitation as well." Sakura said without much thought as she placed her emptied teacup down. "Even if you ever come to hate me and whatnot… I would still come protect you."

I'm sure Sasuke is the same. Sakura thought.

"Ehh?" Sarada frowned, feeling her body tense at the sudden ominousness of her mother's words. Just where was this coming from? "I don't need any protecting! I can protect myself just fine. You don't have to… risk your life for me, ever. I wouldn't want that."

"I know, and I am not doubting your strength." Sakura took a deep breath and smiled as she turned to face her daughter. "But I'm your mother."

But I'm your mother—It was a simple explanation, really. Yet the weight of these very few words were heavy. Sarada could feel it, and she sought to return it.

"And I'm your daughter." Sarada retorted. She refused to back down on this one. "I'm old enough to take care of myself. I'm old enough to be the one protecting you. I should be the one protecting you."

There was this determination burning in her eyes that Sakura couldn't ignore even if she wanted to. They burned fiercely, just as Sarada's love for her mother. They looked at Sakura so intensely that it almost made her miss the worry hidden beneath.

Sarada had just witnessed how Raku nearly lost his mother, and perhaps sub-consciously it reminded her of the times she saw Sakura's life in danger. And death tended to tip-toe around the lines of danger, threatening to befall on anyone and Sakura—and no one was completely immune from that possibility. The world is cruel after all, and the shinobi world even more so.

"I didn't mean to worry you, my apologies." Sakura said tenderly, before leaning forward to gently press her forehead with Sarada's.

Sarada relaxed at her mother's gesture, and when her eyes met the softness of her mother's, she felt the remaining of her tension melt away. A mother's love was simply extraordinary.

Sakura then extended her pinkie finger out and smiled, "Then let's make a promise, okay? We'll protect each other… and Papa too. Our family."

To that, Sarada's frown slowly surrendered into a slight smile at her mother proposal. It was a good compromise, and it made her remember how sometimes protecting wasn't exactly a one-way thing. She reached out her own pinkie finger, wrapping it around her mother's. "It's a promise, then."

"That's all I have." Kakashi concluded his report during the meeting held with Naruto, Shikamaru and Sasuke.

The three of them stared at the 'Chakra' object Kakashi had brought in, looking at it with unease because regardless of its origins something like this was nothing trivial. Not to mention, it was something evidently not known to anyone in the room; and the unknown never failed to make things scarier.

"There isn't too much to go off from." Kakashi sighed. "But I do have a feeling it's them—the new criminal group that've recently made themselves known."

"I had the same feeling as well, but it's hard to tell… we still do not know what are their intentions, motivations…beliefs." Naruto sighed, turning towards Sasuke who had just activated his own pair of Sharingan to observe the object. "Anything, Sasuke?"

"It's… not exactly chakra," was all Sasuke managed to gather from the object. "It's difficult to explain. But from what I just saw, it seems… synthetic. Artificial. There's something off about it."

"Sarada said something similar." Kakashi figured the results of the Uchihas' observations would've been around the same. This object was definitely in uncharted territory. Just seeing it wouldn't be enough to understand it. "Although, I do have my suspicions, it's better to send it to the research lab to get a closer look of what this thing does… and more importantly, what we are exactly against. That is, assuming the criminal group has more of these."

"But shadow animals, huh…" Naruto grumbled. "Shikamaru, do you know anything?"

"… Not exactly. But I'll look into it and see what I can find."

Naruto nodded. "In any case at least we know their weakness. I'll alert the other shinobis, just in case they ever come across these creatures in Konoha if they come back looking for that."

"If that's all, I'll call this meeting to an end—"

The sound of Naruto's doors being crashed open against walls of his office interrupted the man himself and it alerted the others in the room who all snap their head towards the culprit behind the violent entrance.

"Lady T-Tsunade?" Naruto stuttered, caught off guard by her abrupt entrance, much less presence in Konoha. To Naruto's recollection, just a month or two ago, Tsunade had informed him of her decision to have a little getaway from Konoha. And well, he assumed that meant she was off gambling somewhere. He wasn't expecting for her to be back so soon, especially when there was nothing as of late that required her dire assistance.

Albeit, the distress look that painted her face told Naruto and the others in the room that she might be the one who needed their dire assistance. And for better or worse, it most likely had nothing to do with her gambling debt.

"Naruto!" There was urgency ringing loudly in her tone as she stampeded towards The Seventh's desk, slamming her hands down as she came face to face with him. "There's been an emergency."

Somewhere in the calm of the forest, Mitsuki and Boruto found a vacant training area to practice their ninjutsu. More specifically, Boruto wanted to practice using his wind-styled Rasengan with an opponent and Mitsuki complied without protest, seeing that he had nothing else to do today.

To start off, Boruto decided to warm up by throwing his shuriken at the available targets hanging by the trees. Mitsuki simply watched—observed, offering feedback every now and then.

While Boruto didn't miss any of the targets so far, Mitsuki noted the stiffness present in his shoulders, growing with each and every throw. Was something troubling his friend? If there was, Mitsuki wasn't notified of it.

So far, Boruto acted normal the whole day. Mitsuki didn't notice anything different until now.

"Your shoulders are a little stiff." Mitsuki pointed out.

"Ah… is it?" There was an attempt to loosen up, but alas it was a failed attempt. The tension was still there as he threw and landed two shurikens on the bullseye.

Mitsuki wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing, seeing that it wasn't affecting his aim. Interesting, Mitsuki thought. Something is bothering him, yet… hm… is he even aware?

Instead of pushing the matter, Mitsuki—who was curious— tried something else. "I heard Sarada's coming back today." He said to Boruto, who landed three accurate hits on the surrounding targets at one go. He had yet to break his streak. "Should we welcome her back?"

"Nah, she's probably spending time with her family now." Boruto replied as he took out another shuriken, readying his throw to one of the more faraway targets. "We shouldn't disturb her."

"Hm… when it comes to Sarada, you're really thoughtful about these sorts of things eh? Like with that bento you made for her and all…" Mitsuki hummed before 'innocently' adding, "You two make a good pair."

"H-Harh?!What does that—ah! Shit!" Boruto cursed, having accidentally tossed the shuriken in the air out of embarrassment to Mitsuki's words. It was going to miss. Damn Mitsuki and his words, if it hadn't been for him, his shuriken streak wouldn't be about to break!

Except, it didn't.

Another shuriken came flying in at the same time as Boruto's failed shuriken throw took to the skies. It hit against his shuriken with precision, re-adjusting its trajectory in a single motion and second with pure accuracy as it hit the bullseye. There was no doubt a planned, strategic intent behind this interjection. Given the circumstances, it could've only been—

"I thought I heard the voices of two troublemakers here." Sarada laughed as she emerged from the shades of the forest, entering the training field with her hand resting on her waist.

"Sarada!" The two of them exclaimed in unison.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be with your parents?" Boruto asked.

"Ahh, well, Papa's currently in a meeting. I finished catching up with Mama and she told me I should head out to say hi to my friends while she prepares dinner." Sarada explained. "And Boruto, I thought your aim would've been much better by now." She teased.

"Ah, actually, Boruto was having a good streak going on until he got distracted by the thought of y—"

"SHHH! Mitsuki! What are you even—you misunderstand me!" Boruto silenced his friend faster than lightning bolts flashed in the skies. His face flushed a light shade of pink, and if asked about it he'd push the blame to the exhaustive and totally intensive training he just did (even if it was just a warmup).

Sarada wasn't really sure what was going on between her two teammates, and her gut was telling her not to press about it. She decided to shrug it off as some silly banter between the two. While it could get annoying at times, today Sarada found the noise oddly comforting. It was strange, really. She hadn't been absent from Konoha that long that it warranted this feeling. But what could she say? She missed working in a team with them. It had been a while since the three of them went on a mission together.

Plus, it was nice to be reminded she had a team waiting for her back at home.

"Eh, Sarada, what's that on your neck?" Mitsuki asked, having just noticed the necklace she wore.

"Oh, this?" Sarada lifted the little trinket up, once again being reminded of little Raku back at the Land of the Moon and smiled. "Just a little gift from someone back at the Land of the Moon…" She hummed and fiddled with it briefly. "I only wish I could've returned him a gift with something from Konoha… I wouldn't want him to forget me as well."

Raku was just a little kid after all, and frankly while she did promise to visit again (a promise which she still planned to keep), she wasn't sure exactly when. Do kids his age forget easily? Sarada wondered. Well, she hoped not.

Her life as a ninja had been getting busier as of late, and the Land of the Moon wasn't exactly near either. She wasn't sure if the next time she met Raku if he'd forget all about her. And it wasn't just that, but she really wanted to return the gesture—to gift something as a token of their friendship.

Boruto watched as Sarada got lost in her own thoughts. His eyes shifted down to the necklace around her neck. And well, Boruto being Boruto started to string together the little bits and pieces of the puzzle and gasped.

He turned to Mitsuki the moment his hypothesis was formed, and he was fairly certain that he was on the right track with his theory. Even if the puzzle was still missing important pieces. Well, whatever. It made sense to him. "You don't think—"

"You could try mailing it." Mitsuki suggested, ignoring Boruto completely (who did take a bit of offense to that).

"I thought about it… but the Land of the Moon is far. What if it gets lost? Or breaks? And…" Sarada sighed, her shoulders falling and her back slumped. "I don't have a clue on what to get him…"

"We wouldn't know until we try. Besides, these days the mail rarely gets lost… if you pay for the upgraded service, that is. Even then, it's still affordable. That's what I heard." Mitsuki said before turning his attention to Boruto, who still appeared displeased with the entire situation. "Boruto and I have nothing else to do today. We could help you find a gift for him."

"Oi, oi, oi, when did I agree—"

"Really?" Sarada squealed. She clapped her hands in delight, after all three minds were better than one! Surely, they'd be able to help her find the perfect gift for Raku. Her smile widened and her shoulders were no longer slumped at the prospect of finding the perfect gift for Raku. "That'd be great! Thank you!"

And once again, damn Mitsuki, how could Boruto say no after seeing her looking like that?

"Oi Mitsuki… you don't think that dude is… you know." Boruto whispered to his friend while Sarada browsed the shelves and displays some distances away, too distracted by the trinkets that the one of the merchandise stalls were selling; wondering which Raku would like the best.

"'You know'?" Mitsuki tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Don't act coy with me! Dattebasa…I'm just… curious who he is. Aren't you?" Shikadai once complained to Boruto how Chocho was starstruck by some guy they met along their own missions; complaining how she wouldn't stop talking and raving over him especially when he gifted her some sort of hairpin as a thanks.

Was this the same thing? Boruto wouldn't be that surprised if it was… but then again, this was Sarada. And more often than not, despite Sarada's love for certain kinds of romance drama (of which, Boruto still didn't understand the point of the plot…); the reality was Sarada found herself more fed up with men than interested—at least, that was his observation.

"Sarada didn't even tell us about what happened during her mission yet!"

"… if you're so curious about him, why don't you ask her?" Mitsuki replied bluntly.

"I can't just do that!" Boruto was sure Sarada would straight-up murder him if he assumed anything wrongly.

"Why not? It's very simple."

"You do it th—"

"Do you two see anything nice over there?" Sarada asked as she made her way back to them. "I can't really decide what to get for him."

"Sarada, what is he like?" Mitsuki asked plainly. "Boruto was wondering about it."

"OI! Mits—"

"Eh? Oh, right!" Sarada had almost forgotten. "I should've told you guys a bit more about Raku before we shopped together, so you could help me narrow down what he would like. Thanks for the reminder, Boruto, Mitsuki." She nodded to them.

It was, indeed, very simple.

And Boruto wanted nothing more than to wipe off that 'I told you so' look written all over Mitsuki's face.

"Well… we didn't get to know each other long but from our time together, I can tell he's the type to really admire strength and all… I also know he wants to train very hard to become stronger… so I wanted to get him something that'd represent strength— but at the same time, unique to Konoha or shinobi… I could tell he was quite curious about those." Sarada explained. "Nothing too sharp or fragile, though."

"If that's the case, I think I saw something that fits that description over there." Mitsuki gestured to a store that was a few feet away. Upon entering the store, he pointed to the item he was referring to. It was a necklace, with a small kunai in the centre. When Mitsuki flipped it to the other side, the kunai had the word "strength" engraved into it.

Mitsuki parted his lips, about to explain his reason of choice but Sarada was already sold.

"This is perfect!" She squealed and made her way to the cashier to get a new piece before either one of them could say anything.

As Sarada went to pay, Mitsuki turned to Boruto, deciding to comment about an observation he just made. "When Sarada said, 'this is perfect', it reminded me of you when finally managed to assemble the perfect bento for her and proceeded to—"

"Not. A. Word. Mitsuki."

…

To Sarada's luck, the premium shipping fee wasn't too far out of her budget. After signing some forms and writing a small note for the receiver, the item was swiftly packed, stamped and set for its journey to the Land of the Moon.

"Ahhh! Thank you, you guys." Sarada could already imagine Raku opening her gift; all wide-eyed with smiles and childlike wonder. She wished she could've seen his reaction for herself.

"I'm sure he'll love the gift," She smiled. "If he ever visits Konoha, I'd be sure to introduce him to you. I'm sure you guys would get along with him."

"Yeah, yeah whatever." Boruto said as he rolled his eyes. Was this how Shikadai felt? It wasn't as if Sarada was continuously blabbering about whoever the person was to the point of annoyance. He couldn't quite place the emotion he felt, other than classifying as genuine curiosity.

Well, anyway, if Sarada really developed a crush (something that Boruto was now one-hundred percent convinced of) … it would be a shame not to joke about it.

Sarada raised a brow. "Hey, what's with the change of attitude? I didn't force you to be here—"

"I just can't believe you had the time to flirt with someone during your mission, dattebasa!" Boruto scoffed, shaking his head as he feigned a dramatic look of disappointment. "Who knew our future Hokage would be like this? Jeez, I wish my missions had that much spare tim—"

"Wait. What?" Sarada blinked.

"… Huh?" Boruto blinked back.

Judging by the way Sarada's hand started to curl into a fist, Boruto figured that he must've said something stupid or wrong or both.

Uh-oh.

"Boruto… Raku is a child. I was tasked to protect him during my mission."

Oh.

"Ahhhhahaa… is that so—"

"And flirting?!" Sarada exclaimed exasperatedly as she raised her fists, giving Boruto a fright who immediately hid and cowered behind Mitsuki. "Who do you think I am?! Did you assume I was slacking off my duties as a Shinobi?! Is that how you see me?!"

"N-No! I- uh- Mitsuki!" Boruto whispered desperately. "Help me out here!"

"So not only are you thoughtful, but you are an overthinker." Mitsuki mused, laughing to himself at how the situation unfolded.

Boruto then realised that Mitsuki probably had a hunch of his misunderstanding all along.

And he didn't bother to correct him?! Teme!

"It's getting late now. I no longer have the energy to be your shield, Boruto." Mitsuki said as he removed himself from Boruto's grasp onto his shoulders. "I should head back. It was fun. You two have a safe trip home." He chuckled, giving both of them a wave as he strolled himself away.

How dare he!

"O-Oi! Mitsuki! Teme! You can't just—" Boruto was cut off as he noticed a shadow looming over him, he tentatively turned, facing an even more angered Sarada. He gulped nervously. "Ehehe… Sarada, wait… I-I can explain!"

Boruto wasn't sure how he escaped Sarada's wrath this time, but he did. Barely.

Presently, they were around Konoha's riverside; taking the more scenic route on their way back home. Albeit, despite the nature around them such as the grass they walked on that had some bushes of flowers blooming at the side, the river to their right that glistened under the sunset's glow, the walk back was anything but enjoyable.

Sarada was still giving him an awful earful. By then, Boruto was sure he could recite at least ten of the long-winded insults Sarada hurled at him. Well, at least it was better than being tossed into the river… right?

"Honestly… what kind of shinobi did you think I am?" Sarada huffed.

"… In my defence," Boruto tried, "You didn't say he was a— okay, okay. My fault." He quickly corrected himself, revoking his defence and admitting defeat when Sarada stopped in her track momentary to face him with that horrifying glare of hers. Not today. Boruto preferred to return home safely.

"Moving on," Sarada sighed, deciding to excuse Boruto. She ran out of things to nag at him for anyway. "How's your training going? Or did Konohamaru-sensei bring you guys on any missions?"

"Well… he told Mitsuki and I that he might get busier with his own missions around this time… I wonder if it's because my old man wants to see if he has the skill to be Hokage." Konohamaru did make his ambition clear of wanting to be Hokage. Moreover, it wasn't a secret that Naruto viewed Konohamaru highly, and he was aware of his ambition too. So Boruto wouldn't be too surprised if this was his father's way of testing Konohamaru on relevant missions. It seemed like something his father would do.

"Is that so? Ahhh! I can't lose out to him!" Sarada sighed. She hoped her efforts and recent success of securing that 'Chakra' item were at the very least acknowledged by Lord Seventh. "That aside, what about you and your training?" She asked again when Boruto failed to follow up.

"Ah… well… it's going fine, I guess."

What kind of answer was that?

Did something happen while I was gone? Sarada thought quietly.

The way Boruto shifted into despondency was evidence to her suspicions that something did happen. But of what she didn't know.

"Hey… you can talk about it to me." Sarada started carefully, any anger or frustration targeted at him earlier for his ridiculous assumptions were quick to melt away. "If papa was too harsh on you, I could—"

"No, no. It's not that it's…" Boruto trailed off, unsure if he should continue. Something was definitely troubling his mind. He couldn't deny that very fact even if he wanted to. However, he could hide from it. He tried. He tried to keep his mind away from it when he was with others. He tried to keep it to himself.

His little outing with Mitsuki and Sarada had helped distract him. He just didn't think he'd be confronted by the end of it. Looking back, it was a little naïve to think so when his friends had proven to him time and time again that they could see through him. There was no running from them.

Suddenly, he wished Sarada was yelling at him instead of looking at him like that—with concern.

"It's nothi—AHH!" Too caught up in his thoughts, Boruto failed to see the stone ahead as his feet tripped over it, causing him to fall.

"Boru—ACK!" In a futile attempt, Sarada reached out for his hand, hoping to grab and stabilise him before he fell. To no avail, the moment their hands met and connected, Boruto unintentionally pulled her down along with him.

Fortunately for them, the grass they fell in was soft and thick enough to save them from having sores the following day.

Their hands were still connected when they fell. Although, it wasn't for long. The moment Boruto fully registered what just happened, he was quick to break free from Sarada's grasp—a little too forcefully. He turned away from her without a word as he held the hand she just touched.

This action didn't go by unnoticed by Sarada. The fall didn't throw her off one bit. His hand retracting away from her was all the clues she needed to piece together the puzzle.

Unlike Boruto, she knew she wasn't too far off from the bullseye regarding the matter that was bothering him.

"Boruto…" She said his name more softly this time. And now, damn her. Her tone alone made it clear to him that there was no point in hiding it anymore. Because if he tried, he was sure Sarada would find him. Again and again. There was no running away from her.

"…it's really, technically nothing." Boruto's back remained facing her. He didn't want to turn around. He refused to. His eyes remained lock on the hand she touched; the hand that had the karma seal on it. "It's not like… I spiralled out of control or anything while you were gone. It's just…"

"'It's just'?" She prompted.

"…I've been working on suppressing being controlled, yeah, sure. But, y'know… I thought I could try controlling it. Him. I wanted to show that… I'm not just his vessel." He mumbled, squeezing his hand tighter as he coiled himself up a little. "But… I'm not sure if it was just a bad dream, or what, but after I thought that he… reminded me just how weak I am against him."

It seemed like that was all Boruto was willing to offer about his dream. There were certainly missing details, missing words or threats exchanged, missing pieces of the puzzle but Sarada didn't push. She was grateful enough for Boruto to open up this much to her. It mustn't have been easy.

"You are strong, Boruto." Sarada said quietly. "And you're becoming stronger… you're not just a vessel."

"That's easy to say." He scoffed bitterly, but Sarada could hear him breaking. "I feel like I'm… spiralling. I don't even have complete control over the Jougan. Pathetic, isn't it?"

"You wouldn't get it… just forget it, alright? And don't tell anyone what I said." I haven't told anyone… perhaps it should've stayed that way. Boruto thought.

He didn't want to come off as rude, really. He was just growing tired of hearing similar remarks. It was easy to listen to praises and reassurances like those.

You're strong. It'll be alright. You've got this.

But what if they don't translate to reality? What if, in fact, he was not becoming stronger?

Sarada thought otherwise. She always saw him and Mitsuki running ahead of her; getting stronger while she stayed stagnant. She didn't think Boruto would have seen himself as regressing. Not when she saw him often confident in his abilities. Not when she saw him as the opposite of whatever failures he implicitly claimed.

She saw his strengths, his improvements, witnessed his will in action, his undying spirit and now—a moment of weakness.

But despite this moment of weakness, never once had she seen Boruto as weak.

If only Boruto could see himself as how Sarada saw him.

"…Boruto." Sarada called out to him even gentler this time. It was just his name, but the wind carried it to his ears as if she were singing a lullaby. "Boruto, look at me." When he didn't respond, she tried again. And again.

"Look at me, please?"

He gave in at the third try, slowly turning around to face her—and that was when she grasped the hand with his karma seal, albeit gently, and the look she gave him made it abundantly clear she didn't plan on letting go.

This time, oddly enough, Boruto didn't want to.

"You're right in the fact that perhaps I'll never understand completely. It won't stop me from trying though." Sarada said first, before tightening her grip. "But Boruto, believe me when I say that you're more than just his vessel."

The kindness emitting from her eyes made him want to melt. He wondered if it was intentional. "I'm afraid, Sarada. What if… I lose control completely? It happened once… who's to say…"

"You know. Your father made it clear he wouldn't hesitate to stop me… if push comes to shove." Boruto continued with something else. Both statements were vague in implication but Sarada was no fool. She knew what he meant and disliked the direction he was heading into. "I'm sure… Sasuke-san must've cautioned you about the same thing."

Her father did.

If Boruto stops being himself, if he becomes someone who can cause harm…

She remembered how her father raised his kunai in front of her and how fast she understood what he was implying before he could finish his sentence.

Could you stop him? Even if it meant taking the life of someone who is your friend?

Sarada answered yes.

Her answer still didn't change. She would never admit to ever wavering in that decision—in that promise to her father. It was just that if she were lucky enough to have a choice…

"… I would prefer not to."

"But if you have to, don't hesitate… I mean, what's the point of you becoming Hokage if I might end up… destroying K—"

"I would prefer if you stayed by my side." Sarada confessed quietly. "Remember? To be my shadow…"

Once that confession slipped past her lips, both of their cheeks were tinted with a light shade of pink. Although, ask either of them and they would quickly deny anything and throw the blame to the setting sun and its pinkish orange glow.

The sun was always to blame it seemed. Perhaps one day honesty would triumph against the weather. Until then, the two young shinobis were comfortable with having the sky carry the blame.

"What's with all these gloomy topics? Honestly…" Sarada sighed. First her mother, and now Boruto…

She refused to believe the future was so grim. She wouldn't allow it.

"My bad," Boruto mumbled. "You just returned and I…"

"You don't need to apologise for opening up… Besides, if you're going to be my 'shadow', all the more we should be open with each other, right?" Sarada reassured. "I just… You shouldn't look at the future so grimly… I mean, whatever obstacles ahead… you, me, Mitsuki and all will solve it together." She was sure of this. Boruto must know this—that he wasn't alone.

Quietly, Sarada's thumb caressed his karma mark and Boruto was quick to tense at the gesture. He was quicker to relax, however, upon realising that this was Sarada's own way of telling him that she wasn't afraid of him.

She wasn't afraid of what he could become.

"Yeah, I guess so…"

They let the silence blanket them as they lay in the grass field for as long as the sun remained in the sky in its fleeting moments. Sarada didn't let go of him and Boruto didn't protest. Sarada couldn't remember the last time Boruto was this quiet. It was almost funny to see a chatter-box like him last this long in the silence.

Then again, this moment between them was more than just understanding silence, wasn't it?

It was peaceful.

But like all things, this peacefulness eventually came to an end with Boruto seeing her to her doorstep.

With their hands finally parting, Boruto bid her a farewell in by far the strangest way yet.

"I'm… grateful to have someone like you as a friend, Sarada."

"Like me?" It was a question that invited elaboration, and Sarada was more than willing to listen as long as she needed to except…

"Like you." Boruto repeated without hesitation. And when Sarada met his blue eyes that shone his sincerity so clearly underneath the moonlight, it gave her all the clarity she needed. She understood what he meant and laughed softly, sheepish by this confession.

"The same goes for me, Boruto."

The last thing Sarada expected to be greeted by when she entered her home were the troubled-looking faces of her parents.

Seriously, was today her unlucky day or something?

The reminiscent of any sweetness she felt with Boruto dissolved as an uneasiness set in her stomach. It was rare to see both her parents like this. Something serious must have happened to warrant such a reaction.

Am I in trouble? Did I do something wrong? Were the first few thoughts that came to Sarada's mind. Surely… Kakashi-sensei didn't over-exaggerate any of my… mistakes during the mission, did he?

The truth was far from what Sarada anticipated, and her parents wasted no time in explaining the situation to her.

According to them, there was something like a virus spreading outside Konoha borders that was reported by Lady Tsunade. There was already an alleged case reported from the Land of Sand. In an effort to contain and cure it, Tsunade had asked her mother, along with other skilled medical shinobi, to go on a mission with her to do so.

It was only when her mother mentioned how this might be a long-term mission did she understand the worry on their faces.

Her mother might be away for months, or even a year (and possibly more depending on the seriousness). Her father as per usual, might not be able to stay in Konoha for too long.

This would be the first time her mother would leave her for that long—for an unpredictable and volatile period of time. And her father couldn't promise to fully make up for her mother's absence.

"Jee, was that all? I thought it would be something far worse." Sarada said when her parents were done explaining. "I'm old enough to understand the life of a shinobi. I'm also old enough to take care of myself, both of you should know that by now. I'll be fine."

Knowing her parents wouldn't be convinced, she continued. "Besides, I'll have Boruto, Mitsuki, Chocho, Kakashi-sensei and all to keep me busy… I'll be fine really."

Sarada could only wondered what was going on in her parent's mind—especially her father's. He looked a bit guilty, if anything. Was it guilt that he couldn't stay during the period of Sakura's absence?

Truth be told, Sarada wasn't entirely sure how she should feel about this situation. What she did know was that the people needed her mother and that Konoha needed her father as the Shadow Hokage for the sake of peace and safety.

Sarada didn't allow for any thoughts of what she needed or wanted to enter her mind; much less be entertained.

With her back straightened and a reassuring smile plastered on her face, she walked past both her parents, humming to herself as she made her way towards the kitchen. "Anyway, Mama, did you cook salmon?" Sarada asked, following the trail of aroma. "I heard salmon shouldn't be left out waiting for too long and it's a bit past our usual dinner time… we should eat before it gets cold."

Author's Note:

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for their patience! It's been rough trying to find time and motivation these days to write so I really appreciate it for those who waited :,))

The following 2-3 chapters after this will probably be something like a filler? arc (is that the word? I'm not too sure haha) before we fully dive back into the plot of Kurai and Sarada (if anyone remembers her haha) plus the 'Chakra object'. But it'll still be important to Sarada's growth. As to what I have planned so far for this arc (subject to change):

- Gai and Kakashi 'battle' with Lee, Metal and Sarada (hinted in a previous chapter hehe)

- Sarada and Sasuke bidding Sakura farewell + some tender moments between Sasuke and Sarada before…

Hope you'll look forward to that… and I hope I can finish writing them before end of January TwT

Other than that, I'm not entirely sure if I've highlighted this before but Sasuke didn't lose his rinnegan here (yet? Who knows hehe). A bit canon divergence haha

Otherwise, thanks for sticking by! Feel free to comment any questions if you have etc and I'll try to reply. Also feel free to tell me what you hope to see, especially between Sarada's and Kakashi's dynamic so far hehe I'm curious

Please leave a review, constructive criticism is appreciated!

And while I can't always reply to everything, just know I appreciate all the likes/kudos and comments I receive on each chapter. It really means a lot to me :))