Chapter Text
Hand Holding | Burden | Alternate Universe
. . .
Sarada's consciousness was prickled by the savory scent of rice, eggs, soy sauce and ketchup. It was rare for her mom to be home long enough in the mornings to cook breakfast, unless... Her father was back?!
She shot out of bed and then closed her eyes.Normal. Just get ready like normal. If he's staying for breakfast, you have time.
One deep breath later, she peered through her blurry vision and plucked her glasses off of her nightstand. The usual smooth surface felt oddly rough under her fingers, but it wasn't until the lenses cleared her sight that she realized someone gave her room a makeover.
All of the furniture was made of textured wood, hardly sanded before it was lathered in varnish, a kneaded rug under her feet. Her usual house slippers were nowhere in sight, a simple pink cotton dress with a floor-length white skirt hanging in her closet alongside a bright red hood. Her nose twitched at the suggestion. But it was better than going around in silky pajamas all day.
Either her father had used his rinnegan to transport her to a completely different house, or she was having a very realistic dream.
But when she walked out of her room and down the creaky hall, an old grey-haired ninja was shaking a pan atop a wood burning stove.
"...Sixth?"
"Sarada-chan. Good morning. I'm making rice omelets, so give it your best shot in training again today."
It was a strange sight. Kakashi in a dark grey robe, a cast iron skillet in hand, carefully stirring the cooked bits egg at the bottom of the pan into the runny yellow fluid with chopsticks.
"You're up late," came a girl's voice.
"I suppose I am..."
However, Sarada didn't see anyone who could have made the comment, other than the miniature doll resting in Kakashi's arms. Carmel brown hair came down to her shoulders, two purple stripes on her cheeks. Her eyes were closed, a small smile on her sewn lips...
But dolls couldn't talk.
It was decided. This was just an elaborate dream after all. She had them sometimes, thanks to the effects of her eyes creating entirely separate realities to trap other people in. Being an Uchiha came with having a big imagination. This was no different than a genjutsu.
"Would you mind setting out the plates?"
"...I guess I can do that." She searched the kitchen until she found an antique cabinet. Inside were delicate ceramic plates, likely handmade, an ornate pattern of baby blue forget-me-nots painted onto the rim. She set them carefully on the thick circular slab of wood that made up the table, followed by two traditional style Japanese teacups. In the drawers were silver forks, knives, and spoons instead of chopsticks.
For a dream, this was oddly realistic.
As she sat down at the table, Kakashi took her plate and skillfully used a bowl to create a mound of yellow-red rice in the center, topped with a beautifully cooked fluffy omelet just waiting to be sliced open. Who knew he was good at cooking? Then again, anything could happen in dreams.
He grabbed a ketchup bottle and wrote "good luck" on the top of her omelet.
Why do I need good luck?
Either way, Sarada's dreams usually ended before she got to eat anything. So she waited for the sixth to sit down, clapped her hands together, and said with him in unison. "Let's eat."
But as the innards of the omelet oozed over her rice, Sarada was reminded once again that she could, in fact, smell the dish. She hesitantly scooped up a steaming bite with her spoon. Lifted it to her mouth.
Come on, any second now.
Kakashi looked over at her and frowned. "Is there something wrong with breakfast?"
"You said you wanted rice omelets this morning," the doll's high-pitched voice came again.
"Haha, nothing's wrong..." Her nervous laughter seemed to appease Kakashi who went back to his own meal, the food disappearing through a hole in his mask.
Sarada gulped. She blew on her omelet one more time for good measure. And then she put it into her mouth.
Not only could she taste it, but she also had time to chew and swallow, to savor the delicious meal prepared by a respectable hokage in a quaint cottage in the middle of who knew where.
It was decided. This was, in fact, real.
"Um. If you don't mind me asking, lord sixth, how did I get here?"
"Hm? What do you mean?" Kakashi's grey brows crinkled into a furrow. "Did my breakfast give you amnesia?"
"Sarada-chan has always been a bit clumsy," mused the doll on the table.
Sarada would refer to herself as poised. But never clumsy. With the exception of the few times Boruto made her annoyed or embarrassed her enough to fail at a task, she tried her best at everything and almost always succeeded. A little vein popped out on her forehead. Whoever this doll was, she didn't particularly like it.
"Now now." A suspicious book with a big red circle-backslash symbol rested in Kakashi's hands as he tore his eyes away from breakfast. "Sarada isn't that clumsy. We still have plates left. Would you mind taking care of the dishes, Sarada-chan?"
"With all due respect, I'd still like an answer to my question. Why did you take me to this cabin? I was supposed to go to the academy tomorrow."
"Hm? You're still going to the academy tomorrow. If you pass your training test today, that is."
Sarada frowned. Maybe this was part of her enrollment? If there was such a thing as a surprise enrollment test.
She cleared the plates off the table and carefully washed them in the semi-modern metallic sink, making sure not to let so much as a clink sound out of spite. When they were all dried and put away, Kakashi called her back over.
"Sarada, before you start practicing today, I want you to take this."
"...What is this?" The strange pink container was embroidered with gold. It opened to reveal a golden necklace with a ruby set in between two golden wings, a bracelet, and ring.
"A memento from your parents. During your time at the academy, you will face many dangers. Always wear the necklace. It will turn into an arrow that pierces great evil..."
"What about the bracelet and the ring?"
"Give those to two people you trust to defend you from danger." He stood from the couch and waved her off. "I'll be outside once I finish this chapter of my book. Wait for me before you try to summon anything."
...Summon?Was there a need to usekuchiyosebefore she got into the academy?
She sighed and tucked the strange jewelry box into the front pocket on the apron of her dress, then slipped the golden necklace over her head. What kind of a test was this? Maybe she was the one that got to pick who joined her three-man cell. If that was the case, she'd gladly accept the privilege. But she didn't recall any of the other ninja wearing bracelets and rings...
After lacing on the only pair of boots that seemed like they'd fit her, Sarada walked out the front door. Off in the distance, a small white dog just shy of a puppy snuck out of the dense forest. It seemed to be checking over its shoulder for pursuers as it crept forward, but when it noticed Sarada, it froze mid-step, blue eyes wide.
Playing with a fluffy white puppy was just what she needed to ease her anxiety about this whole situation.
Sarada inched closer, her hand outstretched, palm up. "It's okay. I won't hurt you."
The dog shifted backwards, but its eyes remained on her hand.
Sarada's smile softened as if she were looking fondly upon an old memory. "It's alright... Come here..."
A few frozen seconds passed before the puppy slowly lowered its head and surrendered to gentle ear scratches, the pads of her fingers separating its fluffy white fur in just the right spots. That characteristic look of near drunken relaxation sucked the alertness away from its wide blue eyes.
"Good dog... See? I'm not scary. I bet you're hungry, aren't you."
In response, the dog took one sad look back over its shoulder. And sighed?! Setting his eyes on the door to her cottage, it laid flat with its chin on the ground.
This puppy... Was strange.
She tried tapping him to get him to move.
But the dog didn't budge.
"I guess it can't be helped..." Reaching under its stomach (much to its surprise and apparent horror) Sarada picked up the ball of white fluff and held it against her chest, supporting its hind legs with her other hand. "The sixth will be out soon... I'll ask him about feeding you then."
It seemed too tired to protest, completely lax in her arms. She leaned against the tree, staring out over the lake, running her fingernails through its velvety fur. She really wanted to bury her face in it. But out of respect for the dog... She decided not to.
This nice, peaceful, quiet and relaxed environment... She could get used to this. Not having to tail a blonde-haired idiot all the time to make sure he stayed out of trouble.
"Stupid Boruto."
At the remark, the dog lifted its head. And it glared at her.
"Mm? What's wrong?"
It picked up its feathery tail and let it fall back down against her arm.
"Don't tell me... Your name... Is Boruto?"
The dog's reaction was a shockingly familiar... expression. As if this dog could understand her.
"What a coincidence... Don't worry, I wasn't calling you stupid," she sighed, staring off into the distance. If it could understand her, she might as well talk. "The Boruto I know is alright sometimes, but other times, I really can't tell what he's thinking... But at the same time, I get it. It's just frustrating. Especially when he decides to cause trouble for his dad. I don't think I'll ever be able to get him to understand how much the seventh really does for the village..."
To Sarada's surprise, the dog nipped at her finger.
"Ow! Jeez, you do realize I'm gonna feed you, right?"
At the mention of food, it ducked its head and relinquished itself to more gentle pets, much to Sarada's contentment. "Your fur really is fluffy... It's hard to believe you don't have an owner to take care of you."
Just then, Kakashi walked out of the cabin with a yawn and a stretch. "Mm? Boruto, when did you get here?"
Boruto lifted his fluffy white head.
"Hey, sixth. I think this little guy is lost. Do you think we could feed him something?"
Kakashi chuckled. "Sarada, he's not lost. He comes here almost every day."
"Maybe she really did get amnesia," said the doll.
That was apparently news to Boruto the dog as well, because he tilted his weary head to the side.
"If you're hungry, there's leftover rice from breakfast," Kakashi continued. "Sarada was just about to get to her training. I suppose you came to cheer her on again?"
She set the dog down in the short grass and watched as he tipsily padded over to Kakashi. And then his short legs gave out and he fell onto his side.
"Hey!" Sarada ran up and knelt by him, gingerly lifting him back into her arms.
"Oh dear. Looks like he really was hungry."
"So... Hungry..."
She blinked. The dog... Just talked. In Boruto's voice. Before she could question whether or not it was her imagination, Kakashi reappeared with a plateful of rice and set it on the ground. "Here. I brought you a fork, but I suppose you won't need it if you plan on staying in wolf form."
"Wolf form??"
"Perhaps I should check the area for other wizards. You really have lost your memories. Boruto is a werewolf. Although right now I suppose he's still just a puppy. His human form looks like" --Kakashi snapped his fingers-- "this."
Sarada blinked back her terror. In front of her was Boruto, a bright pink t-shirt tucked into black joggers that were then tucked into black ankle high boots. His blonde hair seemed fluffier than usual, buffeted by the slightest of gentle breezes, spreading out to tangle with the grass. And he seemed completely devoid of life other than the longing look reflected in the same blue eyes the... wolf, apparently had.
"Food..."
This whole time, she was holding... Boruto?! Running her fingers through his hair?! Why didn't he say anything?!?! Was he... Enjoying it?! Or did he just have to surrender to fate because he was too weak to do otherwise? And how the heck did he turn into a dog? Was it ahenge? What was this about a werewolf?
Cheeks glowing red, she folded her arms over her chest and lowered her face. "Pervert."
"...Food..."
Despite wanting to chew him out, the kind motherly side took over her and had mercy on his collapsed form. "You're too weak to move then I guess," she sighed, pushing the plate over to him. "How did you even get like this?"
To her relief, he turned back into a dog. She picked him up, less gently this time, and held him up by his middle while he ate. Slowly, his tail started wagging. And he started eating faster. Until rice was falling off the plate and into the grass.
"You might be a... wolf, but you should still mind your manners," she grumbled, watching little bits get stuck in his distractingly fluffy fur.
When he'd licked every last grain of rice from the plate, he poofed back into a human and rolled onto his back, bits of rice stuck to his cheeks. "Ahh... That was good. So? Why am I a baby werewolf?"
"That's what I want to know," Sarada mumbled.
"Sarada, it's almost time for you to go to the magic academy," Kakashi interrupted, ignoring her inherent amnesia. "As a test, why don't you try turning those dandelion spores into something else?"
Floating above Sarada's head were numerous tiny white dandelion fluffs, carried by the gentle breeze. But... How was she supposed to turn them into something else? And what did Kakashi mean when he said magic academy? She was supposed to learn jutsu, not magic.
"Oi," Boruto stood to his feet, his face rather close as he whispered over her shoulder. "Don't you think old-man Kakashi is acting a little weird?"
"I swear, this must be a genjutsu... But why would you be in it with me?"
"Maybe it's some sort of test to get into the academy tomorrow..." He put his hands on her back. "Kai!"
"Eh? You know how to release genjutsu?"
"More or less," Boruto responded, taking a step back. "But it's not working..."
Kakashi eyed them with a smile. "Is something the matter, Sarada-chan? Hurry and say the magic words. Dandelions, dandelions, turn into... How about flowers? That seems like an easy place to start."
Sarada's cheeks flushed. "Why should I chant something so embarrassing," she muttered.
"Come on," Boruto nudged her. "Don't you wanna go to the academy, honors student? Old-man Kakashi must be here to test us... Maybe he turned me into a wolf to confuse you."
"Alright... Fine..." Sarada looked up at the dandelions. Kakashi held up his hands towards them, prompting her to do the same. With a twitch of her eyebrow, Sarada reluctantly lifted her hands, palms out towards the sky. "D-Dandelions, dandelions... Turn into flowers."
With a poof of smoke... White powder came raining down on their heads.
"Oi," coughed Boruto. "Sarada, what did you do?"
"I don't know," she coughed back, trying to hide her face under her hood. "What is this white stuff?"
"Sarada-chan..." Kakashi waved his hand and the white powder disappeared. "That was flour, not flowers. I guess it's too soon to send you to the academy after all..."
"What?! I've been training my whole life for this. Why wasn't the test a transformation? Or shuriken throwing?"
"Transformation? I'm afraid that's much too difficult for you. That's Boruto's specialty, after all," said Kakashi, winking at Boruto. "First you have to learn to master spells... Try one more time. What do you want the dandelions to be? I'll let you pick."
Sarada sighed. She held up her hands again, this time with more determination. Perhaps her hesitation was what screwed things up on her first try. "Dandelions, Dandelions, turn into feathers!"
This time, brown squares of soft fabric came raining down on their heads. "What did you do now," Boruto asked, glumly staring forward with a brown square on his nose.
"It was too soon after all," Kakashi sighed. "Sarada-chan, this is leather."
"That--" She clenched her fist. "With all due respect, Kakashi-sensei, I'd like to demonstrate some of my actual capabilities. Can you give me a shuriken?"
"Shuriken? Hmm... I think that might be too dangerous for you."
Boruto snickered. "Too dangerous, eh?"
"I'm not five!" Sarada shouted, fuming.
"Well, I suppose if you can summon them yourself, you're welcome to use whatever you'd like. I have to go clean up Boruto's breakfast plate and put away the food. In the meantime..."
With a snap of his fingers, Boruto was hanging upside down from a tree, suspended by rope and squirming like a caterpillar. "Hey!"
"If you can get him down from there using your magic, I suppose I'll reconsider your entry to the academy."
Sarada would've laughed at Boruto or found some snide remark to reply back with if she wasn't already upset over the whole failing ordeal. "Any ideas on how to get down?"
"No but if you wouldn't mind hurrying, all of the blood is rushing to my head and it's kinda uncomfortable."
She looked down at her hands. "What am I supposed to do? None of the other transformations went well..."
"If you transform the rope, I'm going to fall on my face. Could you at least make it something fluffy?"
"...I guess I'll try." Sarada held out her hands. "Rope, rope, turn into pillows!"
This time the rope turned into leafy green vines, still suspending Boruto from the tree. "Sarada... I think you turned it into willows."
"Why is nothing I do going right?! I didn't even receive training in this!"
"Can't you summon stuff too? Why don't you try that."
"I don't know what words I'm supposed to say. I didn't make any sort of contract with a scroll either."
"Go ask Kakashi... And hurry. I feel like I'm gonna pass out."
True, his head was getting rather red. And slightly purplish. Sarada turned, and then raced back towards the house. This test was ridiculous.
But apparently, getting Boruto down was only the beginning of her struggles.
A man with long raven hair that reached past his waist and skin as pale and pasty as her living room walls stood on the rug by the couch, a glass bottle in his hands. Orochimaru, a person she only knew from pictures and textbooks managed to invade her house and capture Kakashi's doll. And when she narrowed her eyes, she saw a miniature Kakashi through the green tinted glass... Who was very much alive, moving, and completely trapped.
"Hehe... I'll be taking your precious sensei. Good luck entering the academy tomorrow, Sarada-chan." With an evil snicker, Orochimaru held out his hand and blasted her backwards.
"Sarada!" Kakashi's distorted voice leaked out from the bottle. "Go to mount Urizuri! I'll be waiting for you there."
She struggled to her feet and chased Orochimaru out the door. "How do I get Boruto down from the tree?!"
"Try summoning some scissors!"
"What do I say!?"
"Come forth... Something!"
Sarada was just about to catch up, not quite knowing what she would do when she did. But Orochimaru procured a broom, sat down on the handle, and flew away. A broom. A flying broom. What was he, a witch?
Sarada sighed. She clenched her fist, then jogged back to Boruto. It was difficult to run in this dress. She missed her old clothes. But perhaps the dysfunctional clothing was a part of her test. "Kakashi-sensei has been captured... We need to go save him."
"Oh... I see... That being said, could you hurr...."
Before he could finish his sentence, Boruto passed out.
. . .
Sarada eventually thought to run to the kitchen, get a knife, climb the tree and cut him down. But for some reason, the tree climbing jutsu wasn't working. And slicing the vines made Boruto fall straight onto his head.
Luckily, he was somehow alright. And when he woke up, they looked at the mountain off in the distance with another groan.
"Do we really have to save Kakashi-sensei," asked Boruto, rubbing his throbbing head. "I don't think I can walk that far."
"This might be part of our test to enter the academy," said Sarada. "We have no choice."
"I don't care about the stupid academy."
"But I bet you do care about Auntie Hinata yelling at you for failing the entrance exams."
Boruto shuttered. "Fine. How are we going to get there?"
"I have an idea," said Sarada, starting back towards the house. "When Orochimaru captured him, he flew away on a broom... There's a broom inside. Maybe if I can use magic, I can ride it too."
"A broom? You mean like witches and stuff?"
"It's worth a shot. Flying would be a lot faster than traveling through the forest and getting lost."
She threw open the old wooden door and took the broom that leaned up against the wall to her left. To her surprise, it felt light in her hand, as if it was already floating.
"Well?"
"I think... I think I can use it. Can you transform into a dog again?"
"Wolf," Boruto corrected. "No matter how small it may be, I prefer the term wolf. And don't get all clingy and start petting me again!"
"T-That was only because I didn't know it was you! Stupid!"
Boruto puffed out his cheeks and made the transformation jutsu hand sign. "Transform!" In his place was a little white dog... But the only thing wolflike about it was its pointed ears and fluffy fur.
"...I guess I'm going to have to hold you and fly at the same time."
Boruto padded over to her. "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this."
Sarada picked him up, holding him with her pinky locked under one of his arms, his back legs resting on her hip. "Neither am I."
With that, she held the broom with her other hand and tried hovering in the air. So far, so good. The broom seemed to respond to her will. When she leaned forward, they went forward. And so, and with a bit of a yelp, they shot towards the direction of the castle.
"Um... Sarada?"
"Hush! I'm concentrating!"
"Shouldn't you be slowing down about now?"
"That's what I'm concentrating on, idiot!"
Unfortunately, she couldn't figure it out before they plummeted into the wall of cobblestone bricks with a splat, 30 feet in the air. Screams pierced the air as they plummeted down, Sarada deciding much to Boruto's determent, to wrap her arms tight around his fluffy wolf body. But when they hit the ground... She was surprised to find it only hurt a mild amount. As if she'd simply fallen backwards from a standing position.
"I swear this is a genjutsu," she muttered, sighing at the broken broom handle in her hands.
"Let's just hurry up and get this over with..." Boruto poofed back to human form and stood to his feet, blush dusting his cheeks. "We need to save Kakashi from Orochimaru, right?"
"...Right."
Double doors made of wood reinforced with steel towered well over their heads, sealing the entrance. Sarada pushed with all of her strength, but they didn't budge.
"Let me try."
"Huh? If I can't budge these, what are you going to do?" Sarada's hand rested on her hip in a typical Sarada like pose, but with a pink dress on, it didn't really have the same effect.
"I wouldn't if I were you. Those doors are made out of..."
Boruto started pushing. The doors actually budged.
"...5 tons of steel?"
And then they opened. "Heh. Seems like that old man decided to give me a power up," he grunted, holding them all the way open. "Hold on old man, we're coming!"
Sarada slipped underneath Boruto's arm. Dark and dreary walls surrounded her, a single candle sitting on a ledge lighting the way. How very unwelcoming for an entrance... But then again, she supposed Orochimaru wasn't the type to care about a room's decor or pleasantries.
"Come on," said Boruto. "We gotta find the stairs."
It was Sarada's first time being in a place that resembled a horror movie, where ghosts could be lurking around the corners and cobwebs dangled from the ceilings. The distance between her and Boruto gradually decreased until she was practically brushing his shoulder.
"W-Where do you think they are?"
"That voice sounded like it was coming from the top floor... Don't tell me... You're scared?"
Sarada turned her nose up. "As if!"
But the moment her denial rendered Boruto disappointed, a figure with white hair and pale skin dropped down from the ceiling and made her squeal in a voice that was far too cute and girly to escape from Sarada's throat.
"Hello."
"Who are you?!" Boruto dropped his arms from around Sarada's shoulders and shoved her away. He pointed an accusatory finger. "D-Don't just appear out of nowhere like that!"
"Hm. Feel free to call me Mitsuki. I was sent by my parent to stop the both of you... But I suppose it doesn't make a difference to me whether you reach them or not."
"...What do you mean?" Sarada pushed her glasses up on her nose. "Don't tell me this is some sort of trap."
"No," said Mitsuki. "I just enjoy observing people who seem to make good couples."
"We do not!" They both shouted in unison, heat burning between them for more reasons than their inherent embarrassment.
"Oh?" Mitsuki smirked and wrapped his arms around Sarada, holding her in a similar manner to the way Boruto had been holding her seconds before. "Then I suppose you wouldn't mind if I did this, then?"
Sarada's face burned.
"T-That... Get off her!"
Her eyes widened. "Eh?"
"You haven't even explained who you are! How do I know you're on our side and you're not going to kidnap her too?"
Oh. That's what it was. Jeez.Sarada's deep breath didn't do much to still her quickening heart, but it was worth a try.Why is it beating so fast in the first place?!
It didn't help that Boruto was now standing in between her and Mitsuki. He was surprisingly reliable sometimes. Just sometimes. Only sometimes.
"Would it help if I guided you to the staircase?"
"...Go ahead. But I still don't trust you."
Mitsuki simply smiled and turned his back, footsteps completely silent as he led them through the dark corridor. They finally arrived at a staircase, but it seemed like they were moving... In the wrong direction.
Boruto raced towards the stairs with a running start, but after a good thirty seconds of trying to climb it, he was carried back down, gasping for breath. "How is this supposed to help?"
"It's one way to get to the top," Mitsuki smiled. "You said you were looking for the stairs."
"Oi, Sarada," Boruto breathed. "See if you can summon something to get us up these stairs."
"...Alright." She held her hands out. "What did Kakashi say? Oh right... Come forth! Giant eagle!"
"Giant eagle?"
"...We can just use it to fly to the top. Like one of Inojin's birds."
"Oh! Good idea."
But when they looked, standing before them wasn't a giant eagle. "Um... Sarada? What is this?"
"...It's a giant Emu."
The emu stared them down with its beady black eyes. Craned its long neck forward right into Sarada's face. And squawked.
Soon, all three were running, a sharp pointy beak inches away from nipping at the backs of their clothes.
"Can't you make that thing disappear?" Boruto yelled.
"I don't know how to get rid of something I summoned yet!"
"I guess it can't be helped then!" Boruto dashed towards the entryway, reopening the giant steel doors just enough to slip through... Leaving the angry emu behind. "I guess we're back to square one... And why did you tag along?!"
Mitsuki's grin stayed on his face. "You two seem interesting."
Boruto narrowed his eyes and stepped in front of Sarada. She ducked her head. If this wasn't some cruddy genjutsu world... She could've easily protected herself. Why did everything she did have to go so poorly?
"So? How are we going to get up to the top?"
"I suppose I could be of assistance," said Mitsuki, "although it may anger my parent further."
"Your parent... Your parent is Orochimaru?!" Sarada gawked. "I didn't... I didn't think he ever got married... Or wait... Is he your mother or your father?"
"It doesn't make much of a difference to me," said Mitsuki, wrapping one arm around Boruto's waist and stretching the other all the way up to the window at the very top of the tower.
"...Your arms can stretch that far?!"
"A-And why are you clinging to me like this?"
Mitsuki tilted his head. "Hm. I guess it only works one way... I should warn you. My parent is unusually angry. I believe he might have been possessed by some form of magic, but I'm unable to save him. I'll leave that up to you, Sarada."
Sarada blinked, Boruto and Mitsuki's figures shrinking with every passing second. She thought for a few moments. And then she realized.He was trying to make me jealous by clinging to Boruto first?!
When Mitsuki returned for her, she hesitantly let his noodle arm wrap around her waist and then slid one arm around his neck.
"I don't understand," he said as he carried her up to the top of the tower. "What makes this okay, when earlier, it was embarrassing?"
Apparently, Mitsuki needed some lessons in social interaction. "You know Mitsuki..." But before they could explain, she was at the top of the tower. And Boruto was dangling from Orochimaru's grasp.
"Let... me... go!"
"Hahaha... I am the greatest sorcerer in all the land... Isn't that right, mirror?"
"I suppose," the mirror replied, "now that you have captured Kakashi-sensei, your sorcery has exceeded his."
Sarada hardly had time to process that Orochimaru's reflection was talking before Kakashi yelled at her. "Quick! The bracelet and ring!"
"Huh?! To these two?"
"It's the only way!"
Sarada knew she could get an item to Mitsuki, but she wasn't sure what to do about Boruto... Until.
"Squawk!"
In through the door burst the giant Emu.
Orochimaru finally freed Boruto from his clutches, turning to make sure his innards weren't pecked out.
Thinking fast, Sarada threw the ring to Mitsuki and the bracelet to Boruto. There was no way she was giving him a ring. But Mitsuki... Mitsuki probably didn't understand the implications.
The moment they dawned the jewelry, a bright light enveloped the red gem at the center of her necklace. It hopped over to the blue gem in Boruto's bracelet, and the green one in Mitsuki's ring.
An unknown force moved her hands against their will, picking up the necklace.
What is happening?!
"Love!" The voice left her lips, but she didn't intend for it to.
"Courage!" Boruto raised his fist in a similar fashion, the gem glowing brightly in the dimly lit room.
"Hope!" Mitsuki's hand raised into the air, the gleam of the ring on his fourth finger shining bright. Perhaps he did realize the implications after all...
But suddenly. A cold rush overtook Sarada's body. Her legs floated into the air, dress glowing. She wanted to make everything stop, but her limbs remained locked in place, completely resistant to her protests.
With a bright flash of light, her long pink dress was replaced by a short red miniskirt. She grew taller, more slender, her short hair suddenly grew long, luscious, and was billowing in wind from an unknown source. A thin blue silky scarf flapped from around her neck... And then.
"Love." Cold metal sat atop her head, hugging it like a headbang. "Courage." Metal shoulder pads and a chest piece fell into place. "Hope!" In her hands, a dull red light shone increasingly brighter until it transformed into a bow, a heart shaped arrow loaded.
With an air of confidence that wasn't hers, Sarada eyed the mirror, drawing back the string to the middle of her ear. "Magical, shoot!"
Tried and true, the arrow carved a path directly into the reflective glass until it was in shards on the floor. And with a smile that she was certain made Boruto's face turn abruptly red, she winked.
Sarada found herself completely mortified yet again.
"Quick!" Kakashi shouted. "Free Rin!"
"Rin?"
"On the mantle!"
While Sarada was busy turning back into her normal self with a rush of heat, Boruto grabbed the doll from atop Orochimaru's mantle and unbound her ropes. "This is bad, old-man Kakashi! I don't think she's breathing!"
"Of course she's not," he said, escaping from the bottle with his own power. "She's just a doll."
"Then why can she talk?! And what the heck was that?!" Sarada was finally back to her normal self, albeit, her hands were clenched in fists by her sides and her eyes were squeezed shut to avoid any more embarrassing things happening to her.
"It's just ventriloquism," said the doll.
"Either way," Kakashi added, a smile behind his mask. "That was quite the ordeal! I take it you’re feeling better now, Orochimaru?"
"Hm. Who would have sent me a magic mirror, I wonder?"
"We can leave that for another day... Fortunately, thanks to this incident, I can admit Sarada to the academy!"
"Hey! Old man! What about me!"
"I suppose you and Mitsuki will start tomorrow as well... Now, let's all go home and get some sleep." He banished the startled Emu with a wave of his hand.
Sarada stalked out the door. "Finally. I was getting tired of this stupid genjutsu."
"Genjutsu? What is that?"
All of the heat and anger in Sarada's body melted away... And was replaced with ice. "What... What do you mean? You're joking, right, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Of course not. You're the one with amnesia. Boruto needs to go back to his werewolf family as well."
Sarada's eyes met his for a shared look of horrified confusion. "You mean to say... That I'm really a mage, and Boruto is really a werewolf?"
"What else would I mean?" There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in Kakashi's voice. "Sarada... You need to prepare yourself for the many trials you will face ahead. The magic academy will be an important part of that journey."
A rock sunk into Sarada's chest. The world was wavering, her knees tempting to drop her to the floor if she wasn't careful. "...What about my parents? Mama and papa?"
"Your parents? I'm afraid we'll have to have that conversation another time... They left you in my care. That is all I can say for now."
"...For how long?"
"Hm? Forever, I suppose... Considering they died to save your life."
"...Hey... This is some kind of joke, right?" Heat stung the back of Sarada's eyelids against her will. She just wanted to be done with all of this and go home. This wasn't part of the academy. This wasn't what she trained for.
"I'm afraid not," said Kakashi. "We'll have to take a look at your amnesia tomorrow."
"Or," said Mitsuki. "You could stay here with us if you'd like."
Before Sarada could even wrap her head around giving him a response, Boruto's warm hand covered hers. He gripped it tightly, truly giving her the courage she needed not to cry. "She's staying with me," was all he said, before leading her out of the room behind Kakashi.
As they made their way down the creepy hallways, Sarada didn't have the heart to make any snide remarks or even play the situation off as a joke. She left her fingers loose until a tear spilled over her cheek... And then, her loose fingers gripped his hand back, her other hand clinging to the long skirt of her dress. What was this? Would she really never see her parents again?
"It'll be okay," Boruto said softly, making sure Kakashi couldn't hear. "There's gotta be some way to figure this out... I'm sure it's just part of the entrance exam..."
"...But what if it's not?"
"What's wrong? Is the honors student worried she can't pass a test?"
"...Stupid Boruto."
His joke wasn't serious, it was just an attempt to lighten the mood and stop her from crying. But even after she called him stupid... Sarada never let go of his hand.
The burden of what she was about to face, the confusing nature of it all... The only ones who could figure their way out of it were her and Boruto. And for once... She found herself grateful that he was the one she got stuck with in... Wherever this was.
