It turned out Boruto's family showed up at the dreaded discussion. He was sitting between her and Himawari. Her mom and papa, along with Boruto's parents, were all seated on the opposite side of the table. Once everyone gathered, it was clear to Sarada it was pointless to mask her nerves.

In an unexpected show of courage, she looked straight at her mom with her gaze occasionally drifting to Boruto's dad. "Everyone's here already. Will you explain everything now?" The calmness in which she executed this question surprised her.

Her mom let out a sigh, then put the same blue box Sarada once peeked inside onto the table. She exchanged a silent nod with Boruto, who also recognised it. There was no doubt in their minds it contained the same letters they stopped reading midway through.

"Oh, I'm sure both of you recognise this, right?" That was more like a snide remark than a question. Sarada guessed mom still felt upset about their argument yesterday. Holding a grudge longer than it was necessary was a tradition in her family.

"I like this shade of blue!" Himawari blurted out. Sarada had no clue whether she tried to ignore the tension or was blissfully unaware of it.

"So do I," mom smiled at the compliment. That was the first time Sarada saw her being happy in a while during a conversation with someone who wasn't papa. Speaking of papa, Sarada knew he'd be quiet for most of this conversation, but that didn't explain why Boruto's parents were too.

"Hima's right. This shade of blue is pretty," Boruto chimed in. Sarada almost gave in to the urge to smile when he spoke up. Of course, he'd agree with Hima about the bright shade of blue she wasn't the fan of. If there was one subject, they never brought up again in their relationship, it was this one. They never seemed to agree whenever it came up. Boruto loved bright colours, while Sarada preferred darker ones. "It's very calming too, ya know! I'd love to know where you bought this!"

"Thank you, Boruto," mom laughed. "Just because you have a wonderful taste doesn't mean you or Sarada are off the hook."

"Yes, ma'am!" His shoulders slightly slumped. Sarada applauded him for the attempt to improve her mom's mood, even if it wasn't as effective as he hoped to be.

"Oi, Naruto. You're one of the responsible parties in this, too. Why won't you explain everything to me?" The smile of her mom directed at the principal of their school sent shivers down Sarada's spine. Scary.

Boruto's dad coughed a bit and went to stand next to her mom. "If you put it like this, Sakura, I have no choice but to do so." It was obvious the man was equally scared, or maybe terrified, more than Sarada was.

"You're the one who started this mess by not being careful enough!" After mom snapped, Sarada frowned a bit. She didn't like the way mom was releasing her frustration on the school principal, out of all people. It didn't help Mrs Hinata looked incredibly upset to the point papa said something Sarada couldn't hear from this distance to calm her down.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know Boruto would read a message addressed to me."

After Mr Naruto apologised, mom eased up and sighed in resignation. "I suppose we wouldn't be able to hide it from our children forever. I just never expected it'd come so soon."

"Yeah… So, are we showing them our letters in the right order?" Boruto's dad asked, and her mom nodded in response.

"Here's the correct order of our correspondence. Read those before asking questions, got it?!" Mom's irritation was obvious, but Sarada imitated her and nodded.

Sarada took out the first letter. Boruto whispered to her, he was fine if she read them first and handed them to him in the same order she took them out.

Dear Sakura,

I write to you, since I heard the upsetting news of Granny's Tsunade passing and thought we could talk about the past incident between us. As for how I learned where to send this letter, Kakashi filled me in on that matter.

I'm aware you never wanted to see me ever again, but I thought after a few years you'd change your mind.

Naruto Uzumaki

Sarada's chest tightened. So it was granny's death that made them get in contact with one another? She wordlessly passed the letter and grabbed the second one from the pile, squashing down a wave of unpleasant memories.

"Past incident?" Boruto muttered, lightly holding his chin. He did that sometimes when trying to solve a complicated riddle from magazines Chō-Chō brought to school. "If I am too nosy, you can tell me, ya know? But will you tell us what that past incident was about?"

"It refers to the falling out your dad and Sarada's mom had in high school," Mrs Hinata explained with a gentle smile, even though her eyes weren't smiling at all. "Let's just say they had a big fight over how to handle their mutual friend."

"Who was their mutual friend?" Sarada asked, encouraged after Boruto's question received an answer.

"That would be me," papa said and the party that was involved in the past incident mentioned in the letter sheepishly avoided the gaze of their children. "By the way, it was Naruto who was right back then."

Mr Naruto celebrated this knowledge with a loud cheer, earning a look of disappointment from his son. Mom crossed her arms and pouted, fishing for affection from papa. "Is that so?"

"Don't sulk, I still married you," he teased mom, while Sarada tried to ignore Boruto's 'Are they really flirting in front of us right now?' puzzled look without bursting into laughter. The silence returned when she began reading the next letter she was currently holding.

Dear Naruto,

At first, I didn't consider responding to you at all. However, things changed enough that I wouldn't mind catching up.

Do you want to meet me in person? Tsunade's death really took a heavy toll on my daughter. I'd really appreciate your advice. Past aside, you were always more in-tune with understanding other people.

Sakura Uchiha

She wasn't aware mom was so worried about how to interact with her. Especially after granny's death. Sarada knew herself how unresponsive she was back then, at least until she found her solace in playing games.

Dear Sakura,

I'm happy to see you responded!

The expectations you would have were already low, but I'm glad you want to catch up. I'd love to give you advice! In exchange, give me some tips concerning my son too.

Wanna go meet at Ichiraku Ramen? Is Thursday evening free for you? Respond to me when you'll be available.

Naruto Uzumaki

Tips concerning his son? If he wanted to get along with him more, she was sure mom wouldn't give him good advice. In fact, asking Sarada would be more productive. There was no way Mr Naruto would know that, though.

Dear Naruto,

Ichiraku Ramen on Thursday at 9 pm is fine. Let's meet there this week.

Sakura Uchiha

Ichiraku Ramen? It was the second time the place was mentioned. Wasn't this the spot Boruto always wanted to avoid during their dates every time Sarada suggested checking it out? Now it made sense why he was so hell-bent on avoiding it. It'd be awkward to bump into his dad there when they wanted to have privacy.

Dear Naruto,

I know we met at Ichiraku Ramen not that long ago… It was fun. We exchanged our numbers in person, so technically we didn't need to send letters anymore.

There's one issue. Things I want to talk about could be easily tracked down online, especially at these trying times. Why won't we stick to sending letters to each other instead?

Sakura Uchiha

"Why were you so worried about being tracked online, mom? Was what you talked about really that important?" What Sarada truthfully wanted to ask was whether those talks her mom kept 'secret' took priority over spending time with her. She wasn't disappointed, yet she found it hard to stop sounding bitter.

Mom let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes. I wanted to avoid unnecessary attention. It's quite ironic wanting to keep others away from my private life resulted in them doing so."

Sarada bit her lip. Her mom answered her question, which was a considerable improvement, but in a way, it was irritating. Would she always need to quarrel with her just to get honest answers? Perhaps, she worried too much and after this, her relationship with mom would improve? Boruto secretly held her hand under the table in a silent gesture of support. He was like her personal magician, making her feel better with a light touch. Sarada would walk away from this conversation long ago if she were by herself. Chō-Chō had a point when she mentioned she changed. Swiftly, Sarada grabbed the next letter with the remaining free hand.

Dear Sakura,

We should definitely hang out together soon. How about a reunion between me, you, Sasuke and Hinata?

I don't mind communicating with letters instead. It has its own charm; you know? You can stop with formalities too. Let's make those letters more casual. What do ya think?

Naruto

"Does it mean you got the reunion you wanted today, dad?" Boruto had a teasing grin. His dad awkwardly scratched his chin with a strained laugh. Sarada read that as a sign, the current situation wasn't the ideal reunion their parents hoped for.

"You can say that." That was the most flat response from Boruto's dad this entire evening.

Dear Naruto,

I'm not sure Hinata would want to see me after everything that happened, although spending time together with our old friend group for sure would be a blast. I'm glad you're fine with continuing our communication via letters.

I won't be more casual unless you finish the favour I asked of you. Meet me at Ichiraku Ramen next week. I'll provide the time and the date on a postcard I'll include along with this letter.

Sakura Uchiha

"A favour? What did you ask him to do, mom?" An inevitable question or one of many questions this evening that needed to be voiced out loud.

"Curious in the same way my husband was at this age, aren't you, Sarada?" Mom nonchalantly commented. "The favour I asked for was for him to talk to you in person, but he was so busy that said favour never got fulfilled. Another one was to bring a bottle of Sake and dice to Granny's Tsunade grave. Naruto only finished the second one."

Sarada creased her brows in disbelief. Did mom consider how much stress it would cause for her if their school principal wanted to talk with her out of nowhere?! "That's probably for the best," she muttered under her breath.

Dear Sakura,

I'll try to work around my schedule to be there on time. Is it the same favour you discussed with me before? Speaking of favours — did you already find the book I mentioned at Ichiraku? It's an important keepsake I'd love to have back.

Naruto

"Oh! It's that book dad brought home when big bro wasn't home!" Himawari announced with a melodious cheer, while evidently covering up the fact she peeked at the letters from behind Boruto's shoulder. "The same one I was forbidden to read."

"Really dad? Hima's more mature than you think. She can handle herself." Boruto deadpanned.

Mrs Hinata took a sip of her tea and shook her head. "It doesn't matter how mature Hima is, I won't allow either of you to read that book for now."

Boruto sunk deep into his chair. "Ah, that makes sense. As you wish, mom." From the looks of it, he should have figured it wasn't Mr Naruto that enforced this rule. Sarada snickered. It was clear as the sky that her boyfriend was mommy's boy. She'd not hesitate to use it for the future advantages it might bring, though.

Dear Naruto,

Yes, I managed to find it. I'll bring it for our next meeting.

Sakura Uchiha

Sarada quickly grabbed the next letter, while she saw Boruto quickly skimming through this one. She resolved the matter of the book, so she understood why his attention focused on the letter she held.

Dear Sakura,

I need to thank you. It's such a relief to have something so important to me back on my bookshelf.

I don't mean to worry ya, Sakura, but a group of students saw us together on our way back from Ichiraku. Unfortunately, that caused a rumour that I'm cheating on Hinata. Hinata confronted me about it today and I explained we got back in contact with one another, but it'd be great if you could talk to her too to reassure her nothing's going on between us.

Will you still help me pick the gift for my and Hinata's wedding anniversary?

Naruto

Boruto and Sarada exchanged meaningful looks. Wedding anniversary? Asking about it could ruin the surprise if the day in question didn't happen yet. Passing the ball in the court to Boruto seemed like the best course of action.

"So…" Boruto trailed off and the ensuing minute of silence followed. "Are you telling me that the rumours I've heard were caused by you two simply hanging out at Ichiraku?"

"That would be correct," her mom nodded.

"That doesn't explain the rumours I've heard about Sarada." Her boyfriend frowned and her heart skipped a beat. It was obvious he was worried.

"Oh. Those are because of what happened between me and Asami. Mostly. Your fan club caused some of them, since I didn't get along with certain girls in that circle." Sarada hoped this explanation had cleared it up for him. He already knew this story, so it should speed things up.

"Makes sense," he said and dropped the subject completely.

Dear Naruto,

Of course! A promise is a promise, and you are already helping me with a delicate matter. We need to be very discreet about that, too. Rumours? I'll try to learn about those and get in contact with Hinata too to clear everything up..

I miss Sasuke in moments like this. My taste in picking gifts is impeccable, but he has more connections and knowledge about good shopping spots. Please, try not to be late, alright?

Sakura Uchiha

Well, based on Boruto's question not too long ago, asking about wedding anniversaries was off-limits. Maybe mom would miss papa less if she spent more time with her and went unsaid by Sarada.

Dear Sakura

Got it! I promise to arrive on time, believe it! Are you sure you're alright without Sasuke around? I can always call him to come back for you, ya know?

Naruto

Sarada's eyes widened. It was the letters both she and Boruto were painfully familiar with, the ones that started everything. That wasn't important. What was important was that the order they initially read them was incorrect.

Dear Naruto,

I am sorry Hinata heard those stupid rumours. I went to explain to her everything personally.

I cannot blame her for that, considering all three of us were in an open-relationship before because I wanted to make my current husband jealous. We all did stupid things when we were teenagers, right?

Thank you for keeping your promise. And no. You don't need to call Sasuke. We're not teenagers anymore. Focus on your family, okay?

Sakura

The only reason neither of them was shocked was that they had already seen those specific letters. Otherwise, the shock factor would be greater. Sarada was grateful they read this content earlier. She'd not be able to handle it as well at this moment if she didn't. "Open relationship to make papa jealous, huh? You were more wild as a teenager than I ever was, mom." Or attempting to tease her mom like this.

Her mom flushed. "Please, watch what you say, Sarada. You're wilder than I ever was at this age."

"I disagree," papa, Mr Naruto and Mrs Hinata said in unison, which caused mom to bury her face in her hands.

Himawari, Sarada, and Boruto stopped themselves from making any other comments. They wanted to spare Sarada's mom from further teasing by the other three adults in the room.

Dear Sakura,

Guilt-tripping again, eh? We all did stupid things as teenagers, but I don't think the whole experience was negative. We are where we are because of it, right? Besides, it looks like my son is getting along with your daughter well. Both you and Hinata should meet up and explain everything to each other. I have a feeling we all meet soon considering our children are friends; ya know? We can talk about granny's death in person later, got it? I feel bad hiding our small letter exchange from Hinata. I don't want to make her angry.

Naruto

"Certainly we're getting along now, but that wasn't the case at first," Sarada smiled wistfully when remembering how upset she was during her first interaction with Boruto back then. "Well, I'd say it worked out for the best."

"Eh, weren't you both friends from the start?" The perplexity on Mr Naruto's face was hilarious and this time Sarada really couldn't hold her laughter back.

"May I ask what gave you the impression we got along at that point in time?" She knew very well her question served as a method to regain a semblance of composure.

"I dunno. Your interaction reminded me of my friendship with Sasuke back in the day, since you both had this rivalry going on according to other teachers." Was that how others perceived her arguments with Boruto? "They also mentioned Sarada glared pretty intensely at Boruto during breaks, so I assumed you were close."

"Dad… That goes without saying, but you should learn how to read the mood." It might have looked as if Boruto was scolding him, but his posture was very relaxed. "At the time you wrote this letter, we weren't getting along at all." In a way, Mr Naruto predicted they would be friends. This level of perception could be scary if somebody else had it.

"Didn't you ask me for a favour to lend you a school building during a weekend last month because you were trying to have a competition with Sarada?" What? That was the first time Sarada had heard about something like this. She was sure Mr Naruto was bluffing, right? Who'd do something like ask their dad to lend a school building on a weekend?!

"Pff… There wasn't any competition between us as of recently. If anything, we're teammates during an upcoming Konoha's Gaming Tournament." Sarada let go of Boruto's hand and grabbed an ornate teapot to pour herself some of her favourite black tea. "Though we ended up getting along as you predicted, even more so than anyone could imagine. After all, Boruto is my boyfriend." She put the teapot back in its place, then took a sip of her tea, calmly breaking the news.

"Yeah, you were quite close to the truth, dad," Boruto said while blushing. "I don't know how I feel about you exposing the school building bit to Sarada, ya know? She won't let me live it down now."

"He's not wrong," she added and was expecting everyone to digest the news by now.

"I knew it! Congrats, you two," Himawari squealed joyfully. "I was afraid my bro would end up with some hussy," an offended 'hey' at the same time said by Boruto didn't stop Himawari's speech," instead of someone cool like Sarada! Her being my future sister-in-law is the best outcome possible."

"Language, Hima. Congratulations to you two." First to recover amongst the adults was Mrs Hinata, who already suspected Sarada had feelings for Boruto way before they got together. "As long as my son is happy, I don't see the issue with you two being together. Sarada's a lovely person and always welcome to come over to our place."

"Thank you. You're a lovely person as well," Sarada responded to Boruto's mom. She was happy to have her approval.

"Congratulations," Papa seemed rather unfazed. Sarada guessed the only reason he didn't oppose their relationship was because he secretly ADORED Boruto. He'd never admit he did to the person in question, but he had a soft spot for her boyfriend. If she brought anyone else, they'd not be as lucky.

"C-congratulations," her mom was stunned, although she quickly got out of this state. "That goes without saying, but Boruto, if you hurt my daughter, I'll deal with you without leaving a trace of evidence, got it?!" Whoa. Who'd have thought that out of all the adults, her mom had it in her for shovel talk? That was something Sarada more expected from her papa rather than mom.

"Yes, ma'am!" Boruto saluted with a serious expression, though maybe the seriousness served as a cover for the way his shoulders slightly trembled. Sarada sulked quietly. The last thing she wanted was her mom scaring Boruto from being her boyfriend!

The most delayed reaction came from Mr Naruto himself. "EHH?! You two are together?!"

"Yeah? We told you we are like five minutes ago, dad," Boruto stared at him, unimpressed with his dad's reaction. What a poser. Sarada knew Boruto wanted his dad to approve of the relationship between them the most.

"What did I miss?" Mr Naruto mumbled. "I mean, congrats! I'm super happy for you two!"

"Idiot," papa said with a smug smile. "You were perceptive enough to know they're getting along, but not enough to realise they liked each other romantically? You're really slow on the uptake. Hmph."

"Sasuke, you jerk! Care to repeat that?!" Mr Naruto readied himself into a boxing stance.

He only stopped when Mrs Hinata leaped and forcefully put his hand on his shoulder. "Honey, you wouldn't fight with Sasuke during a joyous occasion like this, right?" Her smile looked like that of an angel, while the expression itself was hiding the devil underneath. Her mom was scary, but Sarada shuddered at the thought of ever angering Boruto's mom.

"Ahem," she exclaimed loudly. "With that news out of the way, let's get back to reading the letters."

After all, Boruto being her boyfriend might not be the only news this evening.

Dear Naruto,

For the old times' sake, we probably should stop our letter exchanges soon. I'll come back to addressing you formally too.

However, before that happens, could I ask you for one last favour? It's very important that nobody knows about it.

Sakura Uchiha

"What's the last favour, mom?" Sarada examined her mom's body language.

Her mom sighed, definitely tired of this day's revelations. "Nothing much. I just took up Naruto's offer to call Sasuke to come back home, after all."

"Really? You were the one responsible for papa's surprise visit?!"

"She was," papa nodded.

"I thought his visit might cheer you up and ease the tense atmosphere between us, Sarada." This admittance from mom made Sarada's earlier anger at her evaporate. Mama was just trying to cope after granny's death in her own way too. Their way of personal coping clashed, but she tried her best to cheer her up.

"Thank you. I think I owe you an apology for yesterday too," Sarada whispered and went back to sped-read the last two letters.

Dear Sakura,

You better believe it when I say that I'm fine with helping you out. It's sad our letter exchanges would be over soon, but hey! There's no rule against us hanging out ever again.

Let's finish the task you wanted my help with soon. When are you free?

Naruto Uzumaki

Dear Naruto,

Meet me today at our usual place. Don't let Hinata or anybody know about it, you know what I mean, right? Anyway, I'm counting on you!

Sakura Uchiha

"Um, I know you told us to ask questions after we read every letter and we kind of asked them in the middle of reading, ya know? We got our answers, so I'm satisfied," Boruto declared, and Sarada silently agreed with him. This evening was an exhausting affair, all things considered.

Their families playfully teased and made light jokes about them dating, creating a peaceful atmosphere for the rest of the dinner. They discovered the rule book Sarada religiously followed to have a safety net was written by mama and Mrs Hinata to prank papa. Papa, being an awkward person he was, thought it was a good idea to give it to her to move on from granny's Tsunade's death and the thought his daughter would take the contents so seriously never crossed his mind. Sarada never felt lighter in her life than in this moment. She felt safer than ever without following rules that shielded her from forming genuine connections.

After the mentally draining dinner at Sarada's house this weekend, classes felt like a chore to Boruto. They broke the news about them dating to their parents, but they still didn't tell their friends yet. He had a hunch Sumire and Shikadai already knew about their relationship. Well... if they didn't, it would surprise Boruto. Those two gave him love advice and a final push to confess his feelings to Sarada.

Sighing mentally at the preparations needed for Konoha's Gaming Tournament and fulfilling his duty as the club president made him walk at turtle's pace towards their club room.

Repeating everyday motion, he opened the door only to see Shikadai, Sumire and Mitsuki jotting down notes and throwing the crumpled pieces of paper to the bin that got moved under the desk they were occupying.

"What are you guys doing?" he announced his presence and raised his eyebrow.

"Trying to pick the team game we will send in during the Konoha's Gaming Tournament," Mitsuki greeted him with a short and concise explanation. "All three of us have different ideas."

"Postpone this discussion for a moment and try to relax, guys. We should discuss what to pick when everyone's here. It'd be rude to pick something without Chō-Chō and Sarada giving their input," Boruto ordered like a bona fide club leader he was. He knew that sometimes his friends forgot his position, but without his approval of the idea, it didn't matter what they picked.

"I guess without the club president pitching the idea to our club supervisor and registering us for the game we're getting nowhere," Sumire concurred and lightly tapped Mitsuki on his back. "Can I grab you to help me with snacks?" Mitsuki blinked in confusion at Sumire's question, but followed her to help make snacks without fuss, leaving Boruto and Shikadai alone.

"What a drag," Shikadai yawned, then slowly stretched his body, "at least your suggestion to take a break was great. Lord knows we need it right now."

Boruto plopped himself down on the chair next to Shikadai. "Glad to help. Once everyone's here, we will make more progress, since we'll take everyone's opinions into account."

"Right you are… by the way, how long are you gonna pretend you're not dating Sarada?" That wasn't the question Boruto minded, yet Shikadai's words surprised him.

"We already told our parents, so if our friends know, it isn't a big deal," Boruto shrugged. "It's not like we planned to keep it a secret forever."

"Figured," Shikadai answered. "Does that mean you completely moved on from what happened with Asami?"

"Yeah. I wasn't even thinking about her until you spoke her name." Boruto had an idea why Shikadai asked this question. "If anything, I think you're the one that didn't move on from her, ya know? Sumire and Chō-Chō gathered courage to confess to Mitsuki, got rejected, moved on, and now their friendship is stronger than ever. Sarada and I disliked each other at first and now we're dating. Everyone else moved on because they embraced those changes including me." 'Aren't you one stuck in the past the most, Shikadai?' wasn't spoken aloud by Boruto, but he knew his friend was smart enough to figure out what he was getting at.

"I admit defeat. Because you act like an idiot most of the time, I often forget how smart you are," Shikadai shook his head in amusement. "I'd not say I didn't change."

"Oh?" Boruto waited for Shikadai to expand the implication of his last statement.

"My strained relationship with Sumire isn't as strained as it used to be, for example."

"It was a significant change, fair enough." Boruto looked at the fancy lamp on the ceiling in thought. "But you know what the difference is? Most of us changed and moved on because of love, while your past love only drags you down. I've already forgiven you. It's time for you to seek your own happiness and move on, too."

"Hah, you all really are troublesome, always making me work the hardest I can," Shikadai laughed, while Boruto joined him.

"That's what friends are for!"

Before they had a chance to continue their conversation, the door to the club room creaked open. "Did we miss something?" Sarada asked with Chō-Chō who held a packet of crisps at her side.

"You're both late," Boruto chided them in a friendly manner. "Under normal circumstances I'd not mind, but we need to decide as a group the category we'll take part in."

Chō-Chō snorted. "From the guy who's usually late, this type of scolding sounds hollow." Boruto rolled his eyes at her jab.

"Makes sense. The registration and paperwork was already a headache when I was signing last year," Sarada grimaced. Her being aware of how the entire procedure worked saved them a significant amount of time for their preparations. "Where's Mitsuki and Sumire?"

"They went to get some snacks, while we had a break waiting for you two and should be back soon," Shikadai rubbed his eyes.

Speaking of the devil, both Mitsuki and Sumire came back holding the plates with a bunch of of snacks and tea. They were carefully navigating around the club room until they spread everything out on the desks. Without a word, they sat in the chairs they occupied before Boruto arrived. "Great! Everyone's here, so we can officially start the meeting!" Boruto gestured for Sarada to come over and patted the chair next to him. She sat down in the chair he pointed at and Chō-Chō just shook her head, opting to sit next to Sumire.

"Shikadai, Mitsuki and I couldn't agree on what category to pick for our team. The only thing we did was writing down some strategies for different games," Sumire summed up the current situation.

"Shikadai wants us to pick Shogi, just like last year. Sumire prefers Othello and I want us to play Scrabble." Mitsuki put an additional emphasis on the game he chose.

"Chō-Chō, Sarada, any input?" Boruto already felt the effects of his eventual headache. He didn't sleep well after such an emotional rollercoaster during the past weekend.

"I'd love to be properly in a Contract Bridge tournament again," Sarada added a fourth category to the pile that was already diverse. "After some thought, that's a bad idea. I'd prefer to be in any other category you guys mentioned."

"We can cross out the Contract Bridge then," Boruto crossed it off the list. He was sure everybody else would agree with this decision.

"Skat could be interesting to play," Chō-Chō chimed in and Boruto stopped himself from groaning. "I've heard it's an ideal game for the team of six players this year. You normally need a dealer, forehand and middle hand for the game."

"What do you think, Boruto?" Sarada asked softly. "We have Shogi, Othello, Scrabble and Skat as proposed games. I feel like adding more options would be counterproductive."

"Skat involves bidding, right?" Boruto tried to confirm, and everyone nodded in affirmation. "It's out then. The last thing I want is getting Sarada's mom upset."

"That leaves with Scrabble, Shogi and Othello, which was our starting point in the first place," Mitsuki took a cookie and bit into it, frustrated. Boruto remained calm. Shikadai, Sumire and Mitsuki discussed those options the longest, so for them to be on edge was to be expected. That was why he initially suggested that break when he realised what they were doing.

"I think this solves the issue for what we should go for," Sarada browsed the snacks carefully before picking to eat a strawberry chocolate. "To avoid another fight between Shikadai and Sumire, we should just go with Mitsuki's suggestion."

Progress! Boruto could now see the light at the end of this dark, dark tunnel. "Scrabble also has my vote in this case."

"You're already whipped," Sumire snickered. "It only took you dating Sarada for one month."

"Hey that's not tru—wait we didn't tell everyone yet we're dating!"

Chō-Chō, Mitsuki and Sumire looked at him as if he grew a second head. "Was that supposed to be a secret? You guys are obvious." Them saying that in unison seemed as if they practiced those words for this type of scenario.

Boruto changed the subject. "Moving on, that's three votes for Scrabble, one for Othello and Shogi. Chō-Chō's vote at this point wouldn't change the result."

"Does anyone know this year's rules for the Scrabble category for the team of six players?" Chō-Chō stuffed her face with the crisps, then threw the crisps packet into the bin.

As usual, the member of the group that looked into the tournament the most would know the answer. That meant it was Shikadai's time to shine. "Each member of the team will take at least one turn against the other player on the opposing team. The team that has the most points by the end of each round will move to the next one until the finals."

"So teams like ours will have the limit of six turns in total during the single round, then the judges will count our points," Sarada concluded, and her focus was absolutely adorable.

"Exactly. I heard that's the only rule that's different from a normal game of Scrabble to save the time of organisers. The rest of the rules just follow the regular convention of the game." Mitsuki followed up on Shikadai's explanation.

Boruto was very proud of the teamwork they displayed today. That was a good sign they'd be in sync during the tournament itself. "That's settled then! Phew, now I only need to stay behind to fill in the paperwork. If you guys want, you can go home."

"Um…" Sumire seemed hesitant. Was something wrong with sending them home now? "Before we go, isn't there something you should say, Shikadai?"

"What a dr—" he began, then stopped, seeing everyone circling around him. "It's not a big deal, okay? Sumire just wants me to tell everyone I'll be transferring to Suna High after this school year is over for the last year of high school."

What?

"You're joking, right?" The only one who said what was on Boruto's mind was Chō-Chō. "Neither I nor Inojin heard about you moving out so soon!"

"It's no joke. I plan to live with my uncle, then go to university in Suna." This felt like a fever dream. Not that long ago, Boruto thought Shikadai would be the last one in their group to figure out what to do in the future. Now he was telling them he'd be gone after this year's ends?!

"And while I'm not planning to move out from Konoha during high school, university in Suna is also my top choice. Either way, my plans involve studying abroad." Shikadai's revelation was gob smacking enough, but Sumire's news added additional shock to the rest of the group.

"Congratulations, you two!" Sarada said, overly cheerful, making Boruto narrow his eyes. She was acting too calm. "I wish you both success during your future studies abroad."

Mitsuki smiled. "Yeah, congrats, you two. Personally, I plan to attend Konoha's university, so don't forget to keep in touch." It makes sense. Mitsuki moved to Konoha at the start of high school. In a way, he was already studying abroad.

Slowly recovering from this bombshell, Boruto grinned. "Yeah, if you forget to keep in touch, you two, I'll haunt you in the afterlife."

"Does that mean it's possibly the last time we will all be present in the tournament?" Chō-Chō asked, while strongly gripping the edges of the desk. She was the only one that didn't pretend she wasn't devastated; their group would split and follow different paths soon.

"Hey, doesn't it just mean we need to win the upcoming tournament?" Boruto winked playfully. "That's why you should all go home, rest, and think through today's events at your own pace. I'll handle the paperwork now."

"And I'll help him," Sarada announced. "Don't worry about leaving us alone guys, we want to be."

All four of them just said goodbye in their own way after Sarada's words. The two of them cleaned up the club room and handled everything needed for registration of their team to Konoha's Gaming Tournament this year. He didn't say that out loud, but Boruto was grateful to have his girlfriend help him. Her being familiar with the procedures significantly sped up the process.

However, the thought of the future haunted him. What was Sarada planning to do after finishing high school? Did she also want to study abroad or attend Konoha's University like Mitsuki did? They never discussed their future on any of their dates.

"Hey, Sarada…" Unsure of himself, Boruto softly grabbed the hem of her shirt. "Are you up for a surprise date after Konoha's Gaming Tournament is over?"

"Sure, my schedule's always open to spend time with you." Her answer relaxed him enough to let go of the part of the shirt he was holding.

As long as she was with him, he felt being uneasy about their future together was okay for now.

AN:

Hello everyone,

It shouldn't be a surprise by now that I'm bad at estimating chapter updates. However, the longer wait for this chapter paid off because chapter 29 and Epilogue are already finished. I just need to edit them before publication. That will create shorter interval span between the updates for GoF as a whole.

Yes, GoF will be officially a completed fic soon! Haha!

Moving on, let me talk more about the chapter I posted. I'm very happy with the final results and hope the readers that stuck to this story for several years, and the readers that started to read it, enjoy it wholeheartedly without worrying GoF is abandoned!

Yours sincerely,
Karinrumi