Chapter Text
Sarada was in the library, sitting in one of the rich armchairs that made up the furniture in the room, holding a book that she intended to read, but her mind was so restless that she realized she was reading the page without assimilating anything. From time to time her eyes would land on her hands, more specifically on the delicate, glittering engagement ring that rested on her ring finger.
Whenever Sarada looked at the ring, her heart felt mixed feelings. She remembered her mother saying she wanted Sarada so badly to get married, but always said it should be for love. That respect, love and affection are essential, because she wanted Sarada to be happy.
As for her father, Mrs. Sasuke Uchiha, the most important thing was security and stability and for that reason he is really happy with this engagement. She understands the desire of both, but since it was impossible to marry for love, she had to be practical like her father.
But, a small part of her still cringed in agony every time she saw the ring, as if parts of her body begged her not to do it and every time she had to suppress those feelings, reminding herself that she had already waited too long.
After years of not accepting the advances of any suitor, and after much insistence from her father, she had agreed to meet Mr. Shikadai Nara. Mr. Nara was a handsome men, very well-educated and with a kind heart, but it was clear that he wasn't really interested in getting married either, mainly because of his former reputation as a libertine along with his best friend Mr. Boruto Uzumaki. Now, a few years older, he was probably also being forced by his parents or because he knew it was an advantageous marriage, after all, she was an Uchiha. The only heiress and ice heart, Sarada Uchiha.
Sarada remembers her last meeting with Mr. Nara, when he proposed to her, and she spoke so frankly of her conditions that Mr. Nara had spit out his tea in surprise, causing a stir with the house workers, who came quickly to set the table again and offer him a napkin.
“So you're saying that you'll marry me on the condition that you can do whatever you want without my intervention? Well, I have no plans to stop you from doing anything you want if it is acceptable.”
“We have to be honest Mr. Nara, that if we're going to get married, we're not doing it out of love or because we've fallen for each other's charms, so I believe I should be honest with my wishes. I also want you to know that I will respect you and try to be a good wife, but don't expect love or passion from me, because you know that's impossible."
“I know very well, Miss Uchiha, and we are aligned on this matter. We will look after each of our own interests, respecting our space. I promise to respect you and take care of you, even if without romantic love, there is affection for who you are. If I have to marry, I'd rather it be with you, whose character and heart I know, than someone I don't know.
“So we have an arrangement, Mr. Nara. And I agree with you, among the possibilities, I prefer it to be with you.”
And with that, Shikadai had given the beautiful diamond ring that was on her finger, sealing the most sincere agreement, trying to make the best of the reality imposed on them.
Sarada remembers blushing slightly when Shikadai claimed to know full well why it would be impossible to love him. After all, Shikadai not only witnessed, but often helped to hide the romance and probably the biggest madness of Sarada's life: her romance with Mr. Boruto Uzumaki, from the noblest family like her and one of the greatest libertines and rebellious heirs Konoha has ever seen. As well as her first and only love.
Boruto had been away for three years and three years since her heart had been broken beyond repair. He had gone abroad to take care of the family business, traveling to different parts of the world and since then they had never spoken again. Sarada didn't have the courage to ask Mr. Nara if he had told Boruto about the engagement, even if it was just something forced, Sarada couldn't help but imagine his reaction.
There were so many hurts, resentments, regrets and at the same time so much love that it could suffocate Sarada in her story with Boruto.
There were five times Boruto had tamed her heart and six times he had broken it.
I - The Curious, Attentive and Vulnerable Boruto
Sarada had known Boruto since she was little, their families being the most noble and famous in the region and her parents being very friendly, which naturally made them be together at the most diverse occasions, dinners and events. As children, they never got along. They were too hot-tempered, they always wanted the same toy and didn't spend more than an hour playing without one of them starting a fight.
And they were never small fights. There were times when Boruto would pull Sarada's hair and she would push him to stop, and when they realized they were rolling around and fighting on the grass, having to be separated by their parents or house workers, resulting in them being punished. Or they said horrible things to each other after they couldn't come to an agreement, vowing never to speak to each other again. The result of these encounters was several fights and punishments from her parents, who were always more severe than Boruto's parents, which made Sarada even more angry, as it was usually Boruto who started the whole thing.
When they grew up, they were able to get along without fighting, but honestly, after so many fights in childhood, they grew apart in adolescence, and had never talked more than mere formalities. For a long time, Sarada thought he was very juvenile and with extremely reprehensible attitudes, so she thought it best to avoid him in order not to get involved in the confusions and scandals that he created. Boruto didn't have much respect and zeal for the norms of the time they lived and although Sarada agreed with several criticisms that he had, she repudiated the rebellious way he put himself.
However, it wasn't until she was 17 that she really got to know Boruto . It was at this time that he started to frequent Sarada's house, as he had started studying business law and her father was mentoring him.
It was another usual night for Sarada, who took refuge for the night in the immense library of the Uchiha family, where she finally had moments of peace and solitude to do one of the things she loved most: reading. There were books of all sorts: novels, law, biology, medicine, and Sarada's favorites that were about history. She loved understanding historical events and learning about the most diverse places in the world and how they worked. Unfortunately, it was a genre of book that did not allow her to read at any time and that the stillness of the dawn allowed her to read without people bothering her.
Sarada was in her nightgown, her hair disheveled in a long braid, a lit candle beside her sitting on the library divan, her eyes glued to the third copy of the General History when she jumped at the door opening and was even more surprised when who appeared was Boruto Uzumaki.
"Oh, my apologies, I thought there wouldn't be anyone here at this time."
"Oh, it's just you Mr. Uzumaki. God, you scared me." Sarada responded by adjusting her posture on the divan, placing the huge book hugged in front of her, a little embarrassed to have been found in those clothes. "What are you doing here?"
“Your dad and I finished a little late today and he said I could stay in one of the guest rooms… But I couldn't sleep, so I thought maybe I'd come here and read something. Sorry, I'm already leaving"
“You can stay if you want. I don't mind. Just don't tell my dad you found me here." Sarada said, gesturing to the armchair beside her.
"I don't know if it would be appropriate for me to stay, Miss Uchiha."
“I'm surprised you care, Mr. Uzumaki.” Sarada returned it. "At least I've never seen you care about any rules before."
“You are correct, in fact I don't care, but I do care about you. It wouldn't be good for you if they saw you alone with me in the middle of the night.” Boruto replied with a shrug.
Oh, where did that come from?
That sentence made Sarada finally look away from the book and realized that Boruto was still in the same position, looking at her. Something always bothered and made Sarada shiver when he looked at her like that, so deeply with his blue eyes. That was also one more reason in the long list of why Sarada avoided him.
Today, wearing a blue linen shirt, it looked like his eyes were even bluer, if that was possible. Well, that still didn't explain why he cared.
"Why would you care about me?" Sarada asked frankly.
“Why wouldn't I care? I've known you my whole life, Miss Uchiha. I know that as children we didn't get along very well and we grew up a little apart, but I like you. I do not wish you harm.”
“It's really a relief to know you don't mean any harm, Mr. Uzumaki.” Sarada replied with irony burning on her tongue before she could stop it and turning her gaze to her book.
“The library is the furthest wing of the house, nobody comes here at night. Don't worry about me, you can stay if you want. No one will show up until at least six in the morning, when the sun starts to rise.” Sarada explained frowning when she felt that Boruto was still standing in the same place.
“How are you so sure about that?” Boruto asked curiously, finally leaving the place and approaching.
“Two years ago I spread a rumor with the house staff that this wing is haunted. I never expected it to really work, but after that no one approaches here after midnight so I can read in peace. My room is close enough that no one appears before I can sneak back in.”
“Very smart of you. But couldn't you read during the day? I can't imagine your parents objecting.”
Sarada could tell that they wouldn't object, but that they constantly liked to recommend what she read. And that she enjoyed these moments of solitude, where she can be herself, doing what she likes without justifying herself. Sarada could also tell that the dawn used to haunt her and that her thoughts didn't usually let up until the first rays of the sun, when she finally managed to fall asleep for a few hours before someone knocked on her room for the start of another day.
However, Sarada simply replied:
“I prefer to read at night, it is calmer than during the day.”
"I understand." Boruto replied simply. “Do you want to tell me what you read?
Sarada straightened up on the couch thoughtfully, adjusting her glasses on her face, in a mixture of wanting to talk about what excites her so much, which is reading, but afraid of Boruto's presence. Usually no one is usually interested in the same interests as Sarada and the possibility of commenting with someone, even if it is with Boruto, excites her.
"I don't want to disturb you, I can leave if I want." Boruto reinforced when he saw Sarada's hesitation.
"No, it’s alright." she said simply, reaching over to show him the copy she held tightly.
Sarada started shyly, but Boruto paid real attention that somehow she started feeling so comfortable that she continued to talk excitedly about her favorite subjects. Sarada felt as if she had been talking for hours, with Boruto facing her, leaning his face on the dais of the divan and eyes shining in admiration. From time to time, Boruto would interrupt her to ask questions or tell a story from his various travels that coincided with the theme, paying unwavering attention to every word that came out of Sarada's mouth.
When Boruto noticed that Sarada was getting a little tired, with her speech slower and her eyes hard to stay open, he thought it would be better to continue another day.
“I think we'd better stop here, Miss Uchiha. I think you should rest. Thank you for telling me about your books.”
“My pleasure Mr. Uzumaki. However, I will remain here for a few more hours.” Sarada said with a shy and sincere smile.
“Don't you feel tired?”
"I do, but I know I won't be able to sleep until sunrise." Sarada said sincerely this time, startling herself that she had shared this with someone for the first time.
“Is something bothering you?”
"Is there anyone who doesn't have something bothering them?"
“I suppose so, after all we all have our ghosts, some scarier than others, but still ghosts.”
“What kind of ghost do you have?”
“I hate to admit they are “the terribly scary” ones.” Boruto said, smiling sideways. "And yours?"
"I'm afraid to say they are the terribly ugly type."
“Maybe we can do something together about them, what do you say?”
"I don't know if you can handle them."
"If they're terribly ugly, I'm terribly handsome, I think that must count for something." Boruto gave him a wink and Sarada cringed as she felt herself blushing involuntarily at his response. Yes, Boruto was terribly beautiful.
Despite spending years not putting up with him, it's not easy to ignore how adorable he is. His blond hair never stays in place, but it gives him a unique charm. His eyes are penetrating, because Boruto always talks looking into the eyes and his blue eye competes with the blue of the sky on the most beautiful days of summer.
The next day, Boruto showed up at the same time and stayed until the sun came up listening to Sarada talk about the chapter she had read before he arrived and the novel she had read during the day. Sarada noticed that Boruto was more interested in romance stories than in the books of history, and found it funny how he asked curiously about the characters and their adventures without any shame.
When asked if he would rather read with her than listen to her, Boruto said that he already spent the whole day stuck in books with her father and confessed to Sarada that he was studying medicine on his own too, which doubles the amount of books he is reading at the same time. Boruto confided that he would like to become a doctor, not a lawyer. He admitted, strangely shy, that hearing Sarada's voice calmed him. And that day, Sarada's heart felt warm with his confessions.
"Can I ask you a question? You never do what is expected of you, so why in that regard, are you doing what is expected?
“Because it affects my family's future and I can be a little rebellious, but I'm not reckless, especially with the well-being of those dear to me. Someone needs to take over the business in the future and Kawaki has already requested my dad that he doesn't want that role, which has made me the next main responsible now.
When Sarada made a sad face, Boruto promptly replied. “Don't worry Miss Uchiha, I've found some pleasure in it and your father has been an excellent mentor. Also, I get to spend time with you when I'm here and I confess that it's been good for me.
The day after that, Boruto found her in the gardens to check on her and brought her a tea his mother had prepared, promising that it would help Sarada sleep, also warning her that he couldn't stay that night. He said that although he had known Sarada had been doing this for years, he didn't like to imagine Sarada alone all night with her ghosts in the library. Sarada promised him that she would try to sleep that night.
The next day, Boruto did not attend the Uchiha House, but sent a note and a new book to Sarada by one of the Uzumaki Houses workers. Interestingly, it was not a history book, but a book about a boy who faces ghosts and other magical beings. On the note was written:
Dear Miss Uchiha,
I thought we could learn something from this brave character. I want to be prepared to face our ghosts together. Looking forward to you telling me this story and also knowing what you think. Your critiques and reflections are almost or as much better than the stories themselves.
From your favorite listener,
Uzumaki B.
Constantly after that day they met whenever possible for Sarada to talk about the next chapters of her books and they also created the strange habit of not only sharing the stories they read, but their days and concerns.
Sarada found herself looking forward to these encounters and as much as she hated to admit it, she felt less alone after almost a lifetime of feeling that way. She felt impatient for night to come so they could talk, and she also found herself looking for him during the day, even if it was to see him briefly, as he and her father passed from place to place, or during lunch or dinner, even if they barely talked during that time. Sarada was longing to see his smile, his blue eyes, his messy hair, to feel dizzy when he got a little too close than he should or when he held her arm for a walk in the garden.
And Sarada realized, after a while spending time with him, that Boruto wasn't just physically beautiful. He had a beautiful laugh, a beautiful voice, a beautiful conversation, a beautiful soul. "Isn't it unfair for someone to be so beautiful in all other parts?" Sarada thought annoyed.
The first thing Sarada fell in love with Boruto was for his singular ability to be so attentive of Sarada and everything that mattered to her, for his insatiable curiosity and his raw vulnerability.