A Not so Sickfic

Henge no Jutsu: Uchiha Sakura

Kawaki ran alongside Mitsuki through the canopy of trees. He closed his eyes and felt for chakra in the surrounding area.

Several snakes slithered out of Mitsuki's kimono. "I'll try to track them this way... But then again, what are we going to do if we find them? Interrogation is usually left up to Boruto and Sarada."

"We'll just beat them into talking," said Kawaki, punching his palm. "What are we trying to find out, anyways?"

Before Mitsuki could answer, the four ninja showed appeared, surrounding them from their lofty positions.

"Welp," said Kawaki, "that saves us the trouble of having to go and find 'em."

"Tch. These guys again." The leader flicked out a kunai. "What's this about finding us? I thought you were escorting that thief."

"We were," said Mitsuki, "but we came back to hear your side of the story." His yellow eyes gleamed under the shadows of the trees, kimono sleeves billowing. "My teammate tells me that your father made the vase?"

"Oh? You actually want to listen to the story, now do you... Too bad. We're on our way to go reclaim what's ours. It's four on two. I doubt you can stop us."

"Hah." Kawaki's arm transformed. He dropped into a crouched stance and beckoned the rogue ninja with the face of a man who knew far too much pain. "If you're going to steal again, I guess that means I don't have to hold back."

Mitsuki smiled next to him. "Do refrain from killing them if you don't want to tarnish the seventh's name."

"You don't have to tell me what I already know!"

With that, the two Konoha genin launched themselves at the rogue ninja.

. . .

Boruto laid a fresh damp washcloth over Sarada's head. Her fever only dropped a half a degree, but the nurse seemed contented enough with the change to go attend to someone else.

"Mama..." She whimpered her mother's name for the second time in fifteen minutes.

He expected this development. The tough outer exterior that Sarada displayed 24/7 melted in the face of sickness. They were both especially sensitive to matters concerning their parents, and to Sarada, fevers and colds happened to be one of them.

It was only natural; Sakura was possibly the best, most skilled medical ninja in existence, second to only her master Tsunade. That was why Sarada rarely got sick, and when she did, she got over it within a matter of hours.

Scrapes, cuts, bruises... Every little scratch she got on missions was always treated the next day. Boruto suspected she tried to hide it, not wanting to inconvenience her mother. But Sakura was very perceptive. It was one of the reasons Boruto never tried to prank her. The second reason was because he found Sakura to be downright terrifying when she was angry.

And so now, as Sarada lay feverish, whimpering her mother's name, Boruto couldn't help but feel bad for her. She was probably thinking, I wouldn't be suffering this much, if only my mother was here, or something along those lines.

He stared at her limp hand and trailed his gaze up her arm. The tiny hairs were all standing up straight.

When he was sick, his mom would put a warm washcloth on his head and feed him porridge, just to give him something in his stomach that he could take his medicine with. Judging from the slight growls emitting from her stomach every now and again, Sarada hadn't eaten breakfast. But it was too late to feed her now.

All he could do was watch as she suffered, laying there and breathing through her mouth until her throat became sticky and raw, hot water the only thing that would sooth it.