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Sarada took a deep breath, calming her racing heart as she walked through the facility's corridors. The distant sound of her own footsteps was the only thing she could hear, creating an eerie atmosphere as she made her way through the hallway. Not long after, she already saw the heavy door before her. She felt her gut twisted in a weird way, knowing who she might find behind it.
Taking one last deep breath, she pushed the heavy door and stepped inside. Temporarily blinded by the sudden bright light from the room, she covered her eyes with her hand. When her vision finally adjusted to the environment, her eyes scanned the room frantically, only to find Mitsuki standing with his Sage Mode activated and Ibiki's furious expression.
No sign of Boruto!
"What happened here? Where's Boruto?" Sarada demanded, confused by the scene she witnessed.
Ibiki's scary face turned toward her, and his scars really did add to that. "Your friend here," he snarled, jabbing a finger toward Mitsuki, "let the motherfucker escape!" His hand snapped down on Mitsuki's shoulder hard. Sarada felt that, but it seemed like it was nothing to Mitsuki.
Ibiki huffed, his scarred face still tight with anger towards her other friend. "Fool!" he yelled. "We had him, and now he’s gone." His grip tightened on Mitsuki’s shoulder once more before releasing him, leaving the room without another word.
After the long silence. Mitsuki's Sage Mode completely faded, the glowing cyan chakra and snake-like features behind his back retreating as he turned toward Sarada. Her breath caught in her throat when his golden eyes stared back at her with no emotion.
Mitsuki took a step in her direction, his eyes never leaving her as he approached. He stopped just short of her, his expression blank, yet there was a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.
His eyes narrowed slightly. “What?” he asked coldly, sending chills down her spine. “Don’t act so suprised, Sarada. I know this is all you wanted."
Sarada stepped back. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She knew he had hit the spot; there was no point in lying when all the evidence was right in front of him.
Mitsuki chuckled, but her cold expression did not falter. "You can deceive yourself, Sarada, but not me," she said with a firm tone. Brushing past her, he walked toward the door as if their conversation had reached its conclusion. Holding the door handle, Mitsuki stopped. "Now, go, before you end up too late again." With those words, Mitsuki left the room, leaving her standing there.
The room felt suddenly too quiet, too empty. Sarada clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. Mitsuki was right. She had to find Boruto—and fast before Kawaki found him first. She turned on her heel, sprinting out of the room. She could hear Sumire calling after her, but she paid no mind. She knew exactly where Boruto would go.
Hokage Mountain.
Her gut told her that was where he’d go.
The wind picked up as she burst out of the building, the cool air hitting her face, but it did nothing to calm the storm brewing inside her. She sprinted through the streets of Konoha, dodging civilians with her activated Sharingan.
Her lungs burned as she climbed the steep path leading up to the mountain. Her muscles screamed in protest with every step she took, but she pushed forward, driven by a resolve that she needed to see him. He promised her to talk! He can't just leave without fulfilling that.
The landscape grew more dangerous as she climbed higher, with sharp rocks and loose gravel threatening her footing. But Sarada did not falter. Reaching the top, Sarada finally allowed herself a moment to catch her breath, her chest heaving from the exertion. The beautiful view from the top offered a momentary distraction from her. Below, the village of Konoha lay peaceful and beautiful with its flickering lights.
Then she saw him.
Boruto.
He stood at the edge of the cliff, his back facing her as he gazed out over the village below. His cloak fluttered with the wind, strained with his own blood that was no longer fresh.
Sarada approached slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say or what to do
“Boruto!” she called out, her voice hoarse from running.
He didn’t turn at first, but she saw his shoulders stiffen at the sound of her voice. Slowly, he glanced over his shoulder, his face partially obscured by his blond messy hair. His stare, however, was heavy with guilt and exhaustion. The boy she knew who once smiled at everything now seemed worn down, aged beyond his years by the trials he’d faced.
"You found me," he said, his voice barely a whisper, as though he had expected her but dreaded this moment all the same.
For a brief second, she wanted to scream at him, to demand why he always did this, on why he always left her chasing after him. But instead, Sarada took a deep breath, and without thinking, without allowing herself to hesitate, she closed the distance between them, her feet carrying her swiftly to his side. Her breath was ragged, her chest tight as she reached him. And then, in a sudden rush of emotion, Sarada threw herself against him, her arms wrapping around his body, pulling him into a fierce embrace.
Boruto stiffened, his body rigid against hers, as if he hadn’t expected this, as if he didn’t know how to respond. But Sarada didn’t care. She wasn’t letting him go, not this time. She will not let shame overcome her again like the last time.
“You idiot,” she whispered, her voice trembling as her fingers clutched at his blood-stained cloak. “Why do you always do this? Why do you always run away from me?” Tears welled up in her eyes, but she fought them back, refusing to cry. She wasn’t weak, and she wouldn’t let him see her like that. Not now.
Boruto stood still for a moment, his hands hovering awkwardly at his sides. Then, slowly, he let out a breath, his head dropping on the crock of her neck. "I'm sorry," she heard him whisper. "For always hurting you."
But Sarada shook her head against his chest, her grip tightening as she held him closer. "I chose this myself; you are not at fault."
Boruto’s hands finally moved, hesitantly wrapping around her in return. His touch was light, almost as if he were afraid to hold on too tightly, afraid that he might hurt her or that he didn’t deserve her comfort. But as Sarada pressed her face into his chest, breathing in the faint, familiar scent of him beneath the smell of blood. Eventually, she could feel the tension in him slowly begin to melt away.
For a moment, the world seemed to still be around them. The wind whipped through their hair, the distant village below forgotten as they stood together on the edge of that cliff, just the two of them in a world that seemed determined to pull them apart.
After the long silence, she felt Boruto’s hand come up to brush her hair from her face, his fingers trembling slightly. "You cut your hair," he mutters as he stares at her intently.
Sarada looked up at him, her dark eyes meeting his in the dim light of dusk. Her breath hitched at the intimacy of the moment, Boruto's fingers still brushing lightly against her temple where her hair had once been longer. She swallowed and cut their staring contest. "Y-Yeah," she stammered, feeling her cheeks flushed. "A few changes would not be bad. Right?"
"I like it," he muttered. "It suits you well."
The wind around them stirred the air, but neither of them moved, locked in the intensity of each other's presence. His hand lingered a little too long on her cheek, the warmth from his fingers spreading across her skin.
"Uhm, thanks," Sarada muttered, stepping back hastily, trying to hide the flush spreading across her face, which had turned the same shade as her father's favorite fruit. She knew Boruto could sense something was off, but she couldn’t bear to let him see how flustered she was.
Her eyes shifted downward, focusing on anything but his penetrating gaze. That’s when she noticed the blood trickling down from the wound on his temple to his pale skin.
"Boruto, you're bleeding," Sarada's voice came out shakier than she intended. "What they did to y—" The image of Ibiki’s twisted face flashed in her mind. That stinky old man!
"I need you to sit down," she instructed. She reached into her pouch and pulled out the handkerchief she always kept with her.
"Sarada—"
"Shut up, Boruto, and sit!" she cut him off instantly.
Defeated like a toddler, Boruto reluctantly sat on the ground. Kneeling onto the ground, Sarada soaked the cloth with the water from her flask. Gently, she lifted the cloth to his temple, wiping away the blood with careful strokes. His muscles tensed beneath her touch, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.
"There's no need for that," Boruto said, his voice low, almost raspy from exhaustion. His hand lifted as though to stop her, but Sarada shook her head and avoided her grasp. Without uttering a word, she dabbed his wounds with shaky hands.
"I swear I'm gonna punch Ibiki's face when I see him again. I'll make sure it's the hardest punch he'll experience in his entire life," she whispered in much anger. She could feel the hot sting of tears threatening to fall, but she bit them back, refusing to let Boruto see how much it hurt her to see him like this.
"I'm fine, Sarada. No need to soil your garment," he muttered calmly.
"Shut up!" she snapped, cutting him off before he could say anything further. "You're not fine. You never are." Her voice cracked, betraying the tears she had tried to suppress. The sight of him bleeding, bruised, and exhausted. It was too much. She hated that he always tried to hide his pain, to carry it all alone. But she wasn’t going to let him do that this time.
Her hand lingered at his temple, brushing gently against his skin as she continued to clean his wound. Boruto’s hand instinctively reached for hers, but Sarada pulled away, not ready to feel the warmth of his touch. If she did, she feared she might break entirely.
"You never let me help you," she whispered, her tears finally slipping free to her face. "You always try to protect everyone else, but who’s going to protect you?" She looked straight into his gaze, but Boruto looked away, guilt shadowing his features, but said nothing.
His silence only made the knot in Sarada’s chest tighten. She hated this distance between them, the walls he’d built up to keep her out, the constant fear of losing him that gnawed at her every time he disappeared without a word.
The tension between them grew thicker with an unspoken feelings simmering just beneath the surface. Sarada kept her hands steady, focusing on Boruto’s wound even though her fingers trembled slightly. She knew he was watching her, she could feel the intensity of his gaze burning into her, but she resisted the urge to look up. If she did, she feared she would crumble.
She swallowed down the knot of frustration lodged in her throat, knowing that if she met his lone eye, those deep, troubled blue eye that always held more than he ever said, her anger would melt away like it always did. She wasn’t ready to let it go yet. Not this time.
Finally, with her task done, she pulled away completely, standing up and taking a step back. The distance between them was suffocating, but there was nothing more she could say. Not now.
They both stared at the horizon, the silence stretching between them like an unbridgeable chasm. The village below seemed so far away, so distant, just like him.
"I cannot drag you into my own mess." Sarada turned her head in his direction when he suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. His gaze, however, stayed locked on the village below, the light from the rising sun reflecting his troubled face. His arm rested lightly on his knee and the breeze from the early morning tousled his hair, revealing the scar on his one eye that he obtained from protecting her.
"I deprived you of the perfect family that you deserved when I took Uncle Sasuke from you," he continued after the long silence. His gaze then shifted to meet hers, his pained expression revealing the depth of his feelings. "I always end up hurting you when you're near me, Sarada. And I hate that."
Sarada clenched her fists, her heart twisting painfully at his words. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath. "I was already in it the day I asked Papa to accompany you in fleeing the village." Her voice shook slightly, but she kept her gaze steady, locking eyes with him. “You don’t get to decide what I deserve. I chose this, Boruto. You and this mess. You’re part of me now as I am part of you!" The last sentence spilled from her lips before she had the chance to process the meaning of what she had just said.
Shit! He might think I'm confessing to him!
The weight of her words hung between them, and for a moment, Sarada felt as if the universe had paused.
Boruto’s eyes widened, surprise, and then suddenly, he laughed with all his heart out. His laughter rang out, echoing against the cliffside and breaking the heavy tension that had enveloped them. Sarada's eyes widened in disbelief, confused with his sudden change of mood.
"What the hell are you laughing about, you idiot?" she snapped, crossing her arms defiantly, trying to mask the way her heart fluttered at the sound of his joy.
At least I made him smile.
His blue eye sparkled with amusement, and he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “You’re just so cute when you’re mad, Sarada! I can’t help it!” His laughter continued to bubble up, lightening the atmosphere around them.
Sarada felt the heat rise to her cheeks in embarrassment. “This isn’t funny, Boruto! I’m serious!”
“Yeah, I know you are,” he replied, his expression shifting to something more sincere. Rising to his feet, he brushed off the specks of dirt on his pants before taking a few steps toward her. With both hands tucked inside his pockets, he leaned forward a few inches from her, his eye softening as they locked onto hers. “Pretty girl."
Feeling her heart skip a beat at his sincere words, the irritation that had clouded her expression melted away, replaced by a shy smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. "You really think I'm pretty?" she inquired.
“Definitely,” Boruto replied without hesitation, a goofy grin spreading across his face. “You’re always pretty, even when you’re yelling at me.”
Sarada rolled her eyes, unable to contain her amusement. "You're absolutely insufferable, you know that?"
Their gazes met for a brief moment before they both erupted into laughter, echoing through the place.
However, just as the moment began to settle into something beautiful, their peace shattered with the sound of multiple footsteps approaching their direction.
Boruto's smile faltered, replaced with the pain spreading in his features. He straightened his body. "That's it. My time is over," he said bitterly.
"Wait, Bo—" Her plea was cut short as he leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her lips that was both tender and desperate against the curve of her lips. The warmth of the contact sent a shiver down her spine, leaving her momentarily breathless.
“I’ll be back again,” he promised in a hushed voice. “And next time, I swear, I won’t leave your side again.”
With one final smile, a silent goodbye that seemed to wrap her in a comforting embrace, he stepped back and disappeared into the twilight, leaving Sarada standing at the edge of the cliff watching the space he had vanished.
Sarada stood there, the warmth of Boruto’s presence still tingling on her skin, when she felt a sudden weight land on her back. Kawaki had appeared with his dark aura.
“Where is he?” Kawaki demanded in a very serious tone. He scanned the surroundings as if expecting Boruto to reappear at any moment. Behind him was a few shinobis with their weapon, ready to fight.
Sarada met his gaze and shrugged nonchalantly. "Gone," she replied, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "If you were a little faster, maybe you wouldn't have missed him," she added, mocking him.
Kawaki's jaw tightened with frustration, and Sarada could sense the seething anger beneath his usually stoic facade. Despite knowing the risks, she couldn't help but feel good to hold a little power over him.
END