Cold as Fire, Hot as Ice || borusara

Chapter 4

When Sarada arrived at the rink on Monday afternoon after class, she had two small coffees in hand and the school newspaper tucked under her arm. Boruto was seated on the bleachers lacing up his skates. He smiled brightly as he accepted the coffee she offered.

Sarada sipped at her own drink before pulling out the other item she brought him. "I snagged a copy of the school newspaper, you're on the cover and I know how much you like looking at yourself," she teased before tossing it to him.

Boruto chuckled as he caught it and unfolded it, not even bothering to deny her joke. The front page had a huge picture of him from Saturday's game, his hockey stick raised in triumph after his game-winning goal, his teammates swarmed around him. The headline read "Uzumaki Dynasty". Blue eyes scanned over the article.

"In Saturday's big game against Kiri University, the men's hockey team won thanks to an impressive last minute goal from Boruto Uzumaki, son of Konoha Hurricanes Hall of Famer and Konoha Uni alum, Naruto Uzumaki..."

His brow furrowed deeper with each line he read. An article that was supposed to be about his team's victory somehow morphed into a fluff piece about his dad! Crediting all of Boruto's talent, not to the painstaking hours he put into practice or his superior strategic intellect, but to having been Naruto's son.

Making his skill seem baseless and inherited.

Sarada flinched at the sound of Boruto suddenly and aggressively crumpling the newspaper up and throwing it at a nearby garbage can.

"What the hell did you do that for?" she scoffed, feeling slightly irritated at the way he disregarded her gesture.

"Why would I need to read the recap!? I was there, wasn't I?!" Boruto snapped.

She blinked at him silently, stunned by his tone. "Boruto..." Sarada began softly. "What's going on?"

He averted his gaze and exhaled a harsh breath before answering. "It's nothing new. C'mon, we're losing practice time." He pushed himself up off the bench and walked over to the ice.

Sarada sat down, watching him with concern written on her features as she laced up her own skates. Boruto quietly began running through their usual warm-up drills. He had always been so playful and easy-going that this mood he was in unsettled her.

Every time she thought she had figured him out, he did something totally unexpected.

She treaded lightly throughout their practice, worried about setting him off again. But as time wore on and he was landing both his salchows and toe loops consistently, a Boruto she recognized began to resurface.

Sarada didn't bother to pry, thinking he wouldn't open up to her anyway. Instead, she tried to distract him by engaging him in their usual banter and explaining that he may be ready to start working on his lutz jump at their next practice.

They continued to bicker as Boruto packed up his belongings and griped about how he was going to be late because she demanded he do three perfect toe loops before he could leave.

"You're making me late for my other practice! I'm starting to think you want to keep me all to yourself!" Boruto said, and for once Sarada was happy to see that teasing grin.

"Psh, get out of here already!" she laughed and waved him away. He slung his heavy equipment bag over his shoulder and ran through the lobby of the ice complex to the neighboring rink in just his socks.

Sasuke looked up from his phone at the sound of Boruto's voice. "Sorry I'm late," he panted. "Sarada held me up." He plopped down on the nearest bench and fished his hockey skates out of his bag.