The sun broke over the horizon, shining into the dusty windows of the snuggly duckling. Sarada blinked open her eyes, the wooden furniture fuzzing into view.

"Where..."

"Oi. Itachi. She's up."

"…Good morning."

Uchiha Itachi's deep and solemn voice was gentle on her sensitive ears. "Good morning," Sarada replied sleepily. "...What am I doing here?"

"We're waiting," said Kisame. "Looks like the other members haven't showed up yet... I can't imagine Pain getting taken out by Orochimaru without a fight."

"If Orochimaru can use jutsu, I suppose even with Pain, they would have struggled..."

"I'm tired of waiting." Kisame reached for the handle of his sword. "Can't we just march in there and grab the brat?"

"If it was that easy, they would have returned a while ago," Itachi replied, his dark eyes drifting closed. "We just have to wait here until they're done."

Kisame shot a glare at Sarada. She wasn't too fond of looking at his face, all things considered. She trusted her uncle. But this guy's sharp teeth and beady eyes made it seem like he wouldn't mind eating her alive.

"Oi, Itachi... Didn't you say Orochimaru needs both kids?"

"Yes. That's why we're hiding one here."

"Don't you think it would be more effective to use her as a hostage? The blonde brat is the one with the magic hair. He can use jutsu. We should waltz in with her at sword point and threaten to kill her if they don't hand over Naruto's kid."

"...That wouldn't be very considerate, now would it, Kisame?"

Sarada blinked a few times, processing what he said. "I... I don't think that's a bad idea."

Both Akatsuki members stared at her. She gulped.

"I mean... If Orochimaru really does need me, that is... But if Boruto has enough of an opening to escape the tower and see his parents, he can end the story and we'll vanish from it. Even if I get captured, it will only be for the time from when he leaves the tower until he reaches the castle, as long as you can make sure he gets out."

"Hm. Would you look at that. Your niece has guts... But what do you mean by story, little girl? This ain't some fairy tale."

Sarada laughed awkwardly. "Actually... it is. To us anyways... We got sucked into a scroll and ended up here. Every time we complete a story, we get dragged into another one. This is the fourth one so far... So just get him out of the tower, and we'll both be out of your way."

"You're from an alternate dimension?"

"I guess that's one way to put it," she replied, laying her tired head on the rough wooden table. Being in a new environment had momentarily distracted her, but she was beginning to remember her predicament. They had to move on from this story at all costs, even if it meant enduring Orochimaru's wrath.

"...I don't really like the idea," said Itachi. "We could be overpowered in minutes and fail the entire operation. We should at least wait until lunch time."

"Hm. Fine. But if the blonde brat doesn't show up by then, we're using my idea."

. . .

Lunch time rolled around, and the other members still hadn't returned. Kisame clipped his spiky sword onto his back and walked towards Sarada. "Well little girl, do you think you can pull this off?"

"I... I think so." It wasn't a matter of being able to or not. She had to. That was the only way they were going to be able to get out of the story.

Walking out of the restaurant, they found a chameleon and a horse playing shogi in the dirt.

Itachi rubbed his eyes.

"Oi. Are you seeing this?"

"...I think so."

Sarada walked past them as if the scene in front of her was completely normal. "Shikadai, we're going to the tower."

The chameleon looked over at her and tilted his head.

"They're using me as a hostage to get Boruto out."

His eyelids covered half of his eyes as he put a toe on his chin and made a growling noise. Then he looked back up at Sarada with a worried face.

"It's ok. If Boruto gets to the castle, we can end the story. That being said..." She turned to the horse. "Shikamaru, I need you to take him there the second he's out of the tower. Orochimaru will likely overpower everyone in seconds if he still has jutsu."

Shikamaru neighed. Shikadai still didn't like the idea.

But as Sarada climbed onto Shikamaru's back with the help of Itachi, the chameleon patiently crawled onto her shoulder.

. . .

When they arrived at the foot of the castle, the other Akatsuki members were surrounding it, sitting in the grass.

"Oh, Itachi. Kisame. You're here."

Kisame narrowed his eyes. "Why are you all sitting down?"

"We can't get in. We tried stacking ourselves up, but we're one man too short, hm." Deidara shrugged.

"It's your fault for being short, Kakuzu."

"Keep talking, and I'll kill you."

"Stack yourselves up again," said Itachi, helping Sarada off the horse, "we have a plan."

"Oh? And what is this plan?"

"Orochimaru could be listening," he replied. "But I'm fairly certain we can pull it off. Kisame will enter the tower with the girl. Then he can pull me up... If he has the opportunity."

Grumbling, the remaining Akatsuki members got off the ground. "This had better work."

"Heh," said Kisame, "I don't think it will fail."

And so, they got in a stack. First was Sasori. Then on his shoulders was Hidan, claiming he wouldn't die even if he was crushed. After him was Kakuzu. Then Zetsu, Deidara, Nagato, and Konan.

"Oi. Climb up, Itachi."

Itachi made his way to the top, Kisame close behind. The last one to climb up was Sarada, Shikadai camouflaged on her back.

Just before entering the window, Kisame grabbed her vest. "Sorry little girl. It's going to get rough from here on out."

Yanking her through the window, Kisame announced in a loud voice, "Yo! Orochimaru. If you don't want this brat to be killed, you'd better listen to what I have to say."

But the situation on the inside wasn't what Kisame was expecting. Boruto was chained to the wall, a gag over his mouth. At the sight of Sarada, his eyes widened. She could tell he was trying to say her name through the gag, shaking his head and gesturing towards the door.

Sarada was suspended by Kisame; she couldn't move. She stared at him, her eyes wide in horror, only to feel four shuriken impale her joints, the fifth and sixth pinning the fabric of her red hood to the wall.

"Hm. I suppose I'll help myself to her eyes now, since you don't seem to be able to put up a fight," Orochimaru said over Boruto's pleas.

Kisame, knowing he wasn't going to be able to beat Orochimaru alone, turned around and stuck his arm out the window, but rather than pulling up Itachi, he pulled up Konan.

"Huh?"

"Pulling him up would only make the situation worse, so we switched. Not that I am much use without my jutsu. But I will assist you as best I can."

Kisame stared in awe. "You... can talk?"

"Yes. Of course I can talk."

"Well then. Should we leave her here and run?"

"I, for one, would rather not let Orochimaru have overwhelming power," said Konan, dropping into a fighting stance. "Pain-sama has instructed me to assist you in whatever way I can."

"Heh," laughed Kisame. "Alright then. Let's see what you've got. If he gets to the little girl behind us, it's game over."

Orochimaru pulled a sword off of his belt. "Do you really think the two of you, as powerless as you are, can stand up against me?"

Kisame stood against him. "Samehada may not be able to eat Chakra, but he's still a decent sword. I have confidence that I can beat you."

Orochimaru rushed at Kisame, metal scraping against metal as their swords clashed.

"Hm," Orochimaru hissed, pushing hard to overpower Kisame. "I don't even need jutsu for this fight..."

"Oh? We'll see about that." Kisame abruptly released the held tension between them and jumped back, causing Orochimaru to stumble forward. "Konan! Assistance!"

"Roger."

Her geta sandals were practically noiseless against the wooden floorboards as she made her way around behind Orochimaru. With one swift kick to the back of the knees, Orochimaru fell towards Samehada. But before the weapon could cut put so much as a scratch on him, Orochimaru rolled out of the way and dashed back to Boruto.

Boruto tried to duck out of the way, to break the cuffs on his wrists, fighting with all his strength to get free and make sure Orochimaru didn't touch him.

But he only lasted for a few seconds before Orochimaru grabbed a fistful of his hair. "That's enough out of you." Simultaneously, lightening crackled around his sword. "I suppose I'll have to take you a bit more seriously, Kisame."

Kisame gritted his teeth. "Hey, Konan. This isn't looking too good."

"I am not leaving until my orders are fulfilled."

"Fine," he said, reading himself again. "Have it your way. I'll fight the man with the death sword while you sit there and watch."

"I am providing assistance."

"I don't know if assistance is going to stand up to that," replied Kisame, barely managing to block Orochimaru's sword in time. "It's gotten about five times faster. Can you even assist me without getting hurt?"

"I did not receive orders to come back unharmed," said Konan, "only to assist."

Kisame smirked. "Well. Isn't that convenient. Do me a favor and look for an opening to grab the sword."

"...Very well."

Orochimaru leapt back and slashed again, wounding Kisame's right shoulder. He ignored the pain and continued to swing his Samehada around, barely managing to block Orochimaru's attacks each time.

Just as Orochimaru thought he was about to land a finishing blow, Kisame smirked. He jumped out of the way, and Konan's hands clenched the sword. She was electrocuted, but it gave Kisame the opening he needed. He plunged the sword into Orochimaru's shoulder, fatally wounding him.

But Orochimaru only smiled in return. Pulling the sword out of Konan's hands, he stabbed it into Kisame's shoulder, sending electric currents throughout his body. Both Akatsuki members collapsed to the ground, their consciousness gone.

"Now," said Orochimaru, sheathing the sword and walking over to Boruto. When he placed his hand on Boruto's blonde head, his shoulder wound magically healed. "I'll be needing your eyes, Uchiha Sarada."