Description: Sarada Uchiha and Boruto Uzumaki struggle to communicate unsaid feelings in times of distress and early stages of teenage years.
âSarada! Come hang out with me!â Himawari squealed, dragging Sarada out the hallway and up the stairs.
The Uchihasâ had come over to dine with the Uzumakisâ that evening. A habit theyâve all picked up for the past year every Saturday night.
âHey! I thought we were all going to play a board game together?â Boruto called out, Kawaki nodding in agreement.
âLater! After dinner. I want girl time with Sarada.â Himawari replied, eagerness visibly bouncing in her tone.
âAlright, just be down in five minutes.â Hinata smiled as she beckoned Sakura to follow her into the kitchen, leaving Boruto and Kawaki lone wolves with nothing to do.
Before Boruto can say a word, kawaki started to put on his shoes, eyes swollen and tired.
Last night, he had come home with a mysterious bruise on his arm. No matter how many times the siblings urged him to explain himself, Kawaki kept his reservations.
âWhere do you think youâre going?â Boruto huffed, exasperated. He could already feel the tension impending in the air. The common ânone of your businessâ was sure to be spat.
âIâm going to get Taiyaki. You want some?â He answered in a surprisingly civilized manner.
âIâm good. Just be back in time for dinner.â
âAlright.â He nodded, making his way out the door.
âOh, and if you see Dad,â Boruto started making his way up the stairs, âtell him to get his ass home for dinner.â
Bored out of his mind, Boruto walked towards his room in a vexed manner. Unintentionally, he caught a wisp of the girlâs conversation leaking out beneath the creak of his sisterâs bedroom.
âI justâŠI want to see him smile again.â
As if his body suddenly had a mind of its own, Boruto, leaned silently next to the door frame, careful not to let his shadow betray him.
âI know. Heâs going through a lot right now.â Saradaâs voice soothed, he could imagine her rubbing Himaâs back, as she always did in times of dismal manner.
âBut something you must always keep in mind,â she continued, âis that your brother is the most courageous and selfless person I know.â
Listening closely, he can hear Himawariâs small sniffles muffled against her arms. He had no ideas how much his pain was directed onto his younger sister. It was the last thing he wanted.
âAnd with selflessness, comes a price.â Saradaâs tone suddenly dropped to what was now throaty and perhaps, if listened carefully, shaky.
âWith the kindness that overflows his heart, he thinks nothing of his well-being and only has the image of the people he truly treasures in time of immediate action.â
Boruto stiffened, biting his bottom lip anxiously.
âB-but, it costed him his heart.â Himawari sniffed, âliterally. His heart was punctured.â
âI know, I know.â Saradaâs voice allayed.
A couple of moments of silence distilled in the air. Although he stood motionless, Borutoâs mind rang boisterously. Different voices buzzing through his fearful mind all at once.
He loved his little sister. He wished nothing but the best for her, to keep her out of danger and vulnerable in certain situations.
He knew it was out of his control to keep her from the sad truth of reality.
But hearing Saradaâs wordsâŠit drove a sharp pain of uncomfortable emotions to his chest.
Emotions of all sorts. Sadness, for making everyone worry. Irritation, for the turn of events life has given him. Anger, for what heâs become. Fear, of the future and the people around him. Gratitude, for her choice of words.
She knew him too well. He knew that. Theyâve been together for too long. He loved her too, no matter how many times heâs tried to deny it or suppress it.
Selflessness comes with a price?
No, love comes with a price, more costly than anything else, guaranteed.
âHimaâŠdonât worry. Donât worry at all, ok?â Saradaâs voice rang once more, with a sudden wave of hope.
âIâll protect him. Heâs under my care. He doesnât have to know that of course, but Iâll make sure that idiot doesnât do anything impulsive.â Just listening to her, he could hear the warm smile in her tone.
âThank youâŠSarada.â Himawariâs gloom seems to lighten. Noise shifting in the room, he could guess they were in a warm embrace.
âOf course.â She chucked.
Feeling disoriented with thoughts, feelings and emotions, Boruto staggered away from Himawariâs bedroom door, walking with no sense of direction or control.
âDinnerâs ready kids!â Sakuraâs voice rang from downstairs.
Kawaki came home late, but with a good reason. Well, two good reasons.
With Kawaki came both Naruto and Sauske.
Surprised and elated, the dinner table buzzed with three different conversations shooting back/to-back across the table.
The only one who ate in silence, was none other than Boruto.
Sarada, of course, caught on quickly, giving him a light tap on the foot from underneath the table. He gave her a quick glance, giving her a small smile to put her at ease, but she knew better than to trust his small smiles.
After everyone finished, the adults retreated to the patio with a couple of drinks, Himawari dragged Kawaki into the living room to set up their board game, and Sarada and Boruto were left to clean the dishes.
Silently gathering up dishes and dirty napkins, Sarada stared at her staid childhood friend.
Once a lively and outspoken boy, now stood a conservative and quiet teenager in his place.
âYou heard us, didnât you?â Sarada stared him down, giving him no choice of escape.
He looked at her apologetically, and somewhat amused. She was an excellent ninja if she was able to sense his presence from just outside the doorway.
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to.â He gave her a nervous smile, his eyes panicked.
They stared at each other, unknowing what to say. She leaned on the other end of the counter, distanced from him. Boruto sighed, wiping his hands on a rag, making sure the remaining dish soap was off his light tan skin. He walked towards her, braving himself to face her.
âDid you mean itâŠ?â His voice weary.
âYou told my little sister that you would look after me?â His eyes lowered towards the ground.
âO-of course I did,â her face suddenly flustered, âDonât think you can get rid of me that easily! Iâm staying by your side and thatâs that.â She huffed, crossing her arms in finality.
âIâm not, Sarada. Youâre the most obstinate person I know. Thereâs nothing I can do to change your mind once itâs set on something.â His tone became flat, giving Sarada anxious tingles.
He cautiously grabbed a hold of her arms, staring into her widened eyes.
âBut I was supposed to protect youâŠthat was the promise I made whether you become Hokage or not!â His throat burning, on the verge of shameful tears. Nevertheless, he held it in, as he always did.
âBoruto Uzumaki,â her glare turned into eyes of anger, âdo you think I ever want to see you on the TV news headlines stating âHokageâs son on the verge of death after unfortunate accidentâ !?â
He held his breath in, his grip on her arms tightened.
âDo you think, I ever want to rush into the hospital, arguing with my mother to let me in the surgery room to come see you!?â
Tears poured out of her eyes like a flowing river. Underneath his touch, Boruto could feel her shiver, as her face crumpled up in deep anguish.
âSaradaâŠâ he took her glasses off carefully, both his hands cupped around her face, wiping her burning tears. She fell still under his warm touch.
âI-I was s-scared. I-I thought Iâd n-n-never see you a-again.â She mumbled.
âShhh,â he soothed, âIâm here now. Itâs ok, look at me, Iâm here ok?â He brushed a couple strands of loose hair behind her ear.
She nodded, holding tightly onto the side of his arms.
âThank you, for being there for Himawari.â He gave her a true genuine smile.
âI love her, sheâs like a little sister to me. I love your family Boruto. I love your mother, she always looked after me since we were kids. I love your Dad, heâs cares so much about the village, Iâve never seen anyone with such kindness. I love Kawaki too, heâs an asshole sometimes, but thereâs good nature in him. And I love yâ â
She froze. Words itching to get out of her throat, but stayed stuck.
He stared at her with widened eyes. An uncomfortable wave of heat radiated from the two, enough to put them in a sweat.
With no warning, he leaned his head forward, moving dangerously close to her lips. His nose lightly brushed against hers. She leaned back a bit against the cold kitchen counter, feeling overwhelmed with shock.
A moment of hesitation struck, as he met her eyes for a sign of consent.
She closed her eyes in surrender. The press of his lips against hers sent spirals of shock throughout their bodies, giving them both a kick of adrenaline.
One kiss turned into multiple kisses, but none were rapid or messy. They took their time, despite the fear Boruto had in the back of his mind of Sauske coming up behind him at any moment.
Saradaâs hands clenched to the back of his shirt, to keep something tangible in her grasp, preventing her mind from tricking her that this warm, safe feeling was all some sort of dream.
It was real. It was really real. She could feel a fistful of his shirt clenched in her hands, the warmth radiating off his face and onto hers, his thumbs caressing her face tenderly.
It was only two minutes, breaking away from each other breathless and amazed. They stared at each other speechless, until Boruto came up with a witty remark.
âGeez, youâre face is red.â
She reconnected her lips to him, catching him by surprise, a muffled gasp that never escaped. She wrapped her arms around his neck, his arms wrapped around her waist.
Sarada leaned further against the counter, aching her lower back, but the kiss on her lips distracted her from the pain. The fast beating of his bismerched heart beat only delighted her more.
Suddenly the sound of something crashing onto the floor, startled the two, quickly ripping away from each other at once.
It was Himawari, board pieces rolled all across the floor.
Speechless, all three of them stared at one another. Boruto and Sarada were both u sure how to tackle the situation. Everything happened all so fast, what were they to say?
âU-umâŠIâm going to go water the cat. Ok bye!â She raced out the room, leaving the teens stranded in the awkward atmosphere.
âCrap.â Boruto and Sarada hissed in unison. Unsaid feelings and questions were still floating all over the place, all yet to be resolved.