While Kawaki was shooting at plates and dodging flying forks, Sarada was beside herself in tears. "I forgive you," she whimpered against his neck. "I forgive you… So please…" Her eyes squeezed shut, hand clutching his shirt as tightly as she could. "Please don't leave me…"

She was scared. Scared of everything. Of the gunshots. Of the amount of pain she was in. Of the horn sticking out of Boruto's head. But more than anything, she wanted to be held by him. She wanted his comfort, for him to take all of the scary things away. She wanted the real him. To know that he was still in there.

But he was dying.

He couldn't move his arms. And as his eyes dropped closed, the words left his lips in a breathless whisper.

I love you.

She felt all of his emotions at once like a flood. Sobs crept up her throat. Out of her mouth. He slumped over against her, lifeless. All of her hope shattered in a single instant.

Fear turned into panic, eyes searching for any signs of life despite knowing that there were none.

"Boruto?"

As if he would answer.

"Boruto!"

Her childhood friend was leaning against her, a knife in his shoulder, smile all but gone. Eye empty. And he wasn't breathing.

"BORUTO!"

Her voice was raw as scream-sobs murdered her already dying throat. Her entire body trembled as memories flew through her head like lightning.

Sarada! Five-year-old Boruto, inviting her out to play with everyone.

Sarada! Complaining about being ratted out for a prank.

Sarada? The tone of voice he only used when she did something out of the ordinary.

Sarada… The way he called her name when they both knew something wasn't right, either with her or with him.

Sarada. The serious voice that contained a hint of longing, just before he nearly kissed her in the last story.

I love you.

She never thought those words would leave Uzumaki Boruto's lips in front of her until now. But as he lay there in front of her, slumped against her shoulder, she wondered why on earth she hadn't noticed sooner. Why she didn't say it sooner. Why she didn't try harder to end the story.

Forcing back the torrent of grief that was threatening to swallow her whole, she leaned him back and worked his head into her lap with her good arm. Gunshots were exploding behind her, the fight reaching its peak. But she didn't care.

"Idiot," she sobbed, tears dripping out of her eyes like a leaky faucet and onto his face. Her shaky fingers gently caressed his cheek.

Behind the mask of the 21 year old man, she could still see his childish features etched into the corners of his mouth and the curvature of his nose. She moved his bangs to the side and shuttered as her eyes traced his horn.

But she swallowed back her resentment for the monster inside of him and drew the knife out of his shoulder. As a shinobi… She should have taken that knife and used it to fight. She should have ignored her pain and put her emotions aside. She should have focused on a way to get out of the story. To bring him back.

But as Boruto's childhood friend… As the person he loved. As the person who loved him. She couldn't bear to leave his side, alive or not.

Gently setting the knife next to him, she bent over and pressed her lips to his forehead. The fingers on her good hand weaved through the hair on the top of his head.

"I…" Her lip quivered, looking at his peacefully lifeless face. "Fell… in love… with you… too… you stupid… idiot."

A tornado of grief and sadness took over her. The disbelief was now reality. He was gone. And he'd never hear her say those words.

The sound of gunshots and shattering porcelain behind her no longer registered. She leaned her head against his chest and cried. It had at least been since the last story. That she realized her constant feelings of stubbornness and concern for his well-being weren't just out of their long-time and somewhat forced friendship.

It was in the way she got all embarrassed thinking about him in a suit. The way her heart pounded the second he put his face a little too close to hers. The way she wanted his comfort more than anything else in the world. Even before they got into this stupid game.

And now he was gone.

"I love you so please…" Her eyes squeezed shut, voice cracking out of her throat. "Please don't leave me…"

As the words left her lips, Boruto's body shifted underneath her.

She stiffened in surprise. Her teary eyes slowly opened wider.

As if being pulled up by balloons, he was lifted into the air. At first, she thought something had come to take him. And she nearly screamed at it in rebellion. But the moment his appearance started to shift, she shut her mouth.

His Karma mark began to fade into bright yellow stardust, blue stripe dissolving off his body like dust.

His horn shrunk back into his head, letting his hair fall back down around his face.

The empty hole where his eye was restored, previously sagging flesh now properly curved.

The wound in his shoulder was no longer leaking fresh blood.

Boruto was completely Boruto again…

He opened his eyes and first, looked at the back of his hands. Then at his palms. And then at her.

"Sarada..."

His voice was his. Completely his.

Relief rushed through her insides. The moment she was back on the ground, she reached out her arm and pulled him into a tight hug. "Idiot!"

"Sarada... I'm so... I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault." All she wanted was to confirm his presence. To feel his heartbeat. His scent. The familiar warmth that came from being enveloped in his arms.

"But I-"

"Please just hold me..."

It seemed like he couldn't argue with that. His arms came around her waist. He buried his face in her neck.

Her fear, her panic, her anxiety began to die. She trembled against him as tears of a different kind leaked from her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"…Never do that again…"

He pulled her closer. "That's not what I—"

"I don't care! I don't care about that other stuff… But… I can't lose you again."

"You can't say that... Not after what I-"

"I don't care," she whimpered. "I don't care. You're alive. You're you. Boruto, I—" Her words fell short as she squeezed him tighter. "I thought I was never going to see you again."

He gently shifted her in his arms, holding her more securely. "I thought you might be ok with that."

"Idiot!" She tucked her head further down into his shoulder, her heart racing against his as more tears spilled over her cheeks. "I'd never be ok with that."

"But…" He ducked his head. "I tortured you. I don't know why I'm alive but I—"

"Boruto," she said, cutting him off to keep him from making her angry with another mention at attempted death. "You never would have done any of that."

"But Sarada, it was me. It was my—"

Sarada shut him up with her lips. She was tired of him talking. Of him blaming himself when it wasn't his fault. Of him feeling guilty enough to wish for death. She weaved the fingers of her good hand into his hair at the base of his neck and kissed him with all of the anger and emotional overwhelm she was feeling, pressing him back and leaving him completely startled.

When she realized he wasn't going to kiss her back, she pulled away and stared straight at him.

"Do you get it now?"

He didn't do anything but stare at her and blink. And suddenly she felt a bit embarrassed. But that didn't matter.

Face slightly red, she did her best to hold eye contact with him and gently slid her palm against his cheek. "I don't blame you for any of that… I just wanted you back."

Two tears spilled over the edges of his eyes. His startled gaze softened.

Dropping her gaze, she whispered against his lips. "…Will you actually kiss me now?"

He blinked, unsure whether or not to pull away. "Uh. I mean. Well. That's… I don't…"

"You love me, don't you?" she teased, relief easing the hardened edge of her roller coaster of emotions.

Boruto slowly closed his eyes, tears dripping out the sides of them. But his hands slowly came up, sliding into her hair as his arms gently pulled her closer and into a hug instead.

"More than anything," he mumbled into her neck.

She smiled, listening to the last of the dishware clatter to the marble floor behind them. They didn't have much time. But before they fought off Kawaki once and for all...

Sarada pulled back just enough to brush against his nose. She gently touched her lips to his.

He was hesitant to move at first. In fact, his entire body tensed. He seemed like he was going to pull away. But she coaxed him closer, running her fingers gently through his hair. And he slowly, but surely, accepted her kiss.

Blue dust swirled around them as Boruto's hand curled around the base of her head, her silky black hair falling in between his fingers. She felt the tightened and torn skin on her body loosening and coming together, the pain dissipating, the burning, cramping sensation in her stomach easing.

Unlike before, every single one of his movements was kind and gentle, only serving as further proof to her body and mind that he wasn't anything like the monster that possessed him.

When she slowly receded back, she couldn't help but grin at the glassy far off look in his aged blue eyes. He reached up and traced her face where she'd been burned, another tear dripping over his cheek. His touch was so gentle and familiar, and she couldn't help but lean into it.

"Now were both back to normal." She wrapped both arms around his neck and let her head fall against his shoulder, watching plates shatter in the distance.

"Finally…" He gently pulled her closer, supporting the weight of her head as she leaned into him.

"Hey Boruto… Should we go help Shikadai?"

"That would be good, wouldn't it?"

. . .

Boruto no longer felt like an empty husk of a man. Regret still gnawed at his insides, but he had someone to protect. He could fight.

Staring down Kawaki, he watched as he tried to fire another shot. But nothing came out of his gun. It was now or never.

"Kawaki," said Boruto, gently ebbing Sarada behind him and releasing her hand.

"Who the hell is Kawaki," he muttered turning around. "And... what happened to your wounds?"

Boruto smirked. "I guess you wouldn't know..."

"Take one more step, and I'll use this gun to knock you out." He turned the rifle around and held it at arm's length towards Boruto's chest.

Summoning the hidden strength within him, Boruto took another step.

Kawaki leapt at him, only for his rifle to be blocked by Boruto's arm and shoved away. He sent his fist into Kawaki's stomach, but fingers wrapped around his hand and shoved him to the left. It seemed like Kawaki still had some of his reflexes left intact.

Through kicks and punches, Boruto fought, blocking and dodging when he had the chance. He landed a few solid blows, but nothing heavy enough to take him out. Just when he felt as though he was going to be overpowered, he heard a voice from the other end of the hallway.

"Boruto!"

Shikadai, Inojin, and Cho-Cho all stood at the other side of the hallway, battle-ready expressions on their faces.

"I don't know what this is about, but it's to help the master, right Cogsworth?" Inojin, who had previously been a candle, was the one who asked. His hands came apart as he stood, fists at the ready.

"Yup," Shikadai folded his human arms, a smirk on his face. "Remember the battle formation we talked about?"

"It'll be different now that we have our human bodies back," said Cho-Cho, "but I think we can pull it off."

"Alright. Let's do this!"

Boruto watched as Cho-Cho came hurtling down the center of the hallway, charging Kawaki straight on. Even without her boulder jutsu, having Cho-Cho charge you like a bull was scary enough to make anyone put up their defenses.

Kawaki turned over his shoulder and attempted to dodge, but Cho-Cho lifted him above her head with ease.

"Lumiere! Now!"

Inojin had been running behind her, his feet in perfect sync with hers. He went around behind Metal and pinned his arms to his sides. "Cogsworth!"

"On it." Shikadai ran around behind them both. "You can drop them!"

Cho-Cho heaved Kawaki onto the large carpet that ran the length of the hallway, Inojin pushing Metal forwards. In seconds, Shikadai had the carpet overtop of Kawaki and began rolling him like sushi, Metal getting tangled up in the chaos.

With smiles on their faces, the three high fived at the exit. Boruto grinned. In a game with their memories intact or not, Ino-Shika-Cho was always Ino-Shika-Cho.

"Boruto?"

He turned to her, his eyes getting lost in hers all over again, not fathoming how she could possibly forgive him for everything he did and accept him for who he was.

"Hmm?"

"What is my name in this story?"

"I... I don't remember..."

Cho-Cho ran up to them, her eyes sparkling. "So? When's the dance?"

"...The dance?"

"You know! The dance! With dresses and suits and ballgowns."

Boruto watched Shikadai slide his hand down his face.

"The castle staff has been hard at work on making your outfits since the girl was brought here!"

"...I guess it wouldn't hurt to dance."

"That's the spirit!" Cho-Cho grabbed their hands. "Your outfits are in here!"

With that, she shoved them in the room and clicked the door shut.