BORUSARA - Oneshots xx

I missed you Pt.1

Standing on top of his father's stone face and watching his home from above, Boruto found a certain dark satisfaction in the fact that every single thing, from harsh weather and explosion-burnt trees to dead cats on the streets and his broken-down computer, seemed reluctant to embrace new life.

The village itself was recovering like a man whose broken bone has been melded but still hurt whenever he moved. The world was still grieving the great Seventh Hokage.

Not that Boruto didn't want better for the village, but deep in his heart he felt that change meant forgetting, and he couldn't bear the thought of his father falling into oblivion. It was too soon, and the wound was too fresh.

Even the spring had been windy, nuzzled with a cold sun that brought no hint of the upcoming summer.

Boruto went on missions and came home mechanically, ate the food without feeling its taste, went to bed and spent countless sleepless nights, waking up more tired than he had been in the evening.

He felt annoyed and apathetic at the same time, hated being with people and dreaded being left alone with his thoughts.

Some days he paid full attention to his mother and sister, trying to be their anchor now that father was gone, and other days avoided them like the plague, for even though he loved them endlessly, he had absolutely no idea how to help them, and their sorrow only added to his own.

The thought of Kawaki tortured him more than he wanted to admit. Anger mixed with hurt and worry, feeling of betrayal and the inexplicable feeling that if he just looked his brother in the eye, everything would finally make sense.

With Kawaki missing, there was only one person in the entire world he wanted to see, one person who understood everything he felt without him needing to explain it, and that wasn't the person who was approaching him now.

Sarada's step was calm and confident even the world was falling apart, but the steps he heard behind himself were irritating in their uncertainty.

"B-Boruto?"

He sighed. Class Rep.

"Hey," he said quietly, turning his head to look at her. "What's up?"

"Uh, well, nothing. I just wanted to see how you're doing. And to let you know that I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

He smiled faintly. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

They stared at each other awkwardly.

"Well, how are you doing?" she asked carefully, taking a small step toward him.

"I'm managing," he said a bit dryly, sick of being asked the same meaningless question over and over again.

She smiled, hesitant to sit next to him. "Right. Of course. Your family needs you now. And you're such a strong person, Boruto."

But I'm not, he thought with desperation. The strong one died. I am nothing compared to him. He thought then of Sarada and her unwavering strength, so similar to his dad's, and of that last night they spent together before she was sent on a mission.

The scent of her skin, so familiar, yet so different than everything he knew. Arms that held him from crumbling apart and the voice that led him out Hell. He wished he could hold her now.

"... and it's been a while, so," Sumire shrugged, making Boruto realize he missed a good deal of what she was saying.

"You helped me so much back then. But now, everything is changing so suddenly," she went on, speaking more quickly than he was used to hear from her.

"The village is changing. We're changing."

No, he wanted to say. You're wrong, you're wrong, you're -

"And poor Sarada. It's terrible what happened to her mom. I heard it did something to her Sharingan?"

Boruto inhaled deeply. He actually liked Sumire most of the time, but now everything that came out of her mouth sounded like pointless rambling.

"She awakened Mangekyo Sharingan," he confirmed.

"She's really strong," Class Rep said in a tone Boruto couldn't quite distinguish.

"But you're stronger. You're so much stronger than everyone and we're all counting on you, Boruto, but you know you can always lean on us."

"I am sick of it," he hissed, surprising them both.

"What d-do you mean?" she stuttered, taken aback by his sharpness of his voice.

He stood up, unable to listen to her anymore.

"B-Boruto!"

"Just leave me alone," he said harshly. "I don't want anyone to count on me for anything!" He turned and jumped down, leaving her there.

He spent the rest of the day training, trying to get himself tired enough to get through the night without nightmares.

Once home, he took a long, hot shower, made dinner, washed the dishes and locked himself in his room. Himawari had wanted to participate in making dinner, and he let her, but she kept talking on and on about what dad had and hadn't liked and Boruto felt sick to his stomach. He drifted off while he was playing the last game that came out before the Great Blast. 

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(@Ladyuchiha96 on tumblr)

Disclaimer : Naruto and Boruto : Naruto Next Generations belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Ukyo Kodachi and Mikio Ikemoto.