"We have to find her!" Boruto complained to his mom. "I am seriously going crazy waiting! I have to know if she's alive, where she's at, What she's doing! Who she's with! Where Itachi went! I have to know everything that happened since she left."

Hinata laughed. "You certainly got that from your father. The need to know everything."

"Oh yeah. Except Naruto doesn't get half the things he learns with the need to know everything. You're three times more intelligent than him because of Hinata." Younger Sakura floated by, then left the room looking for Izumi.

"I HEARD THAT, SAKURA!" Older Naruto shouted from where he was playing poker with the Sasuke's, his younger self, Tsunade, Shisui, Older Sakura and (shockingly) Izumi.

"GOOD!" Younger Sakura grinned. "BANANA!"

"BUBBLEGUM HEAD!" Older Naruto retaliated.

"VIXEN!"

"CHERRY TOMATO!"

"BLONDIELOCKS!" She shouted, mocking Naruto's short hair.

Older Naruto narrowed his eyes at his cards. "STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!!"

"DUMB BLONDE!"

"PINKIE PIE."

"LEMON HEAD!"

"BLOSSOM BUTT--"

"Naruto." Sasuke said, pushing some chips toward the middle. "Shut. Up."

"She started it!" Naruto complained to his friend, pointing at the pinkette.

"Oh really? What did she do?" Sasuke asked, not looking up from his cards.

Naruto thought about it. And thought about it. And thought about it. Everyone's gazes turned to him, and even Sasuke had to look up. "I forgot..." Naruto finally murmured sheepishly.

Sasuke snorted, and before long everyone was on the floor laughing.

"Did my dad just spend 5 minutes yelling at Aunt Sakura for something he can't even remember?" Boruto whispered to Izumi.

Izumi nodded, giggling.

"My dad may actually be really dense..." Boruto groaned, facepalming.

"Well no duh, Boruto..." Sakura sighed. Looks like the denseness runs in the family too... "What have I been telling you this whole time?"

"Don't worry, it's adorable." Izumi laughed. "That's how he gets friends so quickly."

Boruto frowned, but continued to watch the game. When the laughter died down, things got a little more competitive. Sakura got out, so she left to go talk to Hinata. Soon after, Izumi was cut, and she ruffled Sasuke's hair. "You'd better win for me, Sasuke-kun. I can't steal my money back from the Hokage."

Sasuke glared at her, then rolled his eyes and went back to the game. Now it was only Shisui, Tsunade, Naruto and Sasuke left. Shisui was laughing at something Naruto was saying, and Tsunade was staring intently at her cards. Then Sasuke stood up and started cursing violently.

"Sasuke." Sakura said, looking over. "What's wrong?"

"Sakura, you, Shisui, Kakashi, Hinata, Izumi and Naruto come with me now. We missed something." Sasuke grabbed his cloak and opened the door.

Izumi frowned, but grabbed a cloak and followed him, Sakura at her tail.

Boruto followed, but was held back by younger Sakura, who had a rock solid grip on his shoulders. "Boruto. They don't need you."

Boruto looked up at his younger aunt with a desperate look in his eyes. "Please, aunt Sakura? Let me go!" He saw Sasuke disappearing out the door and knew he was running out of time. "Aunt Sakura, this is so not fair. You've got to let me go!"

"Boruto." Sakura sighed. "Now isn't the time for this, okay? This is not something that they can just bring you along for." She wrapped her forearms around his neck and leaned down, laying her head on his shoulder in a hug.

"How do you know?!" Boruto asked angrily. "You don't know anything! You're just a useless BĪTCH who doesn't understand anything that I'm going through."

Sakura froze up. Younger Sasuke was coming down the stairs and heard what Boruto said and froze mid-step.

Sakura let him go and backed away, a hurt expression in her green orbs. "Fine. You know what, Boruto? I give up on you." Boruto's mouth dropped open, and he could hear the tears in Sakura's voice.

He turned around and saw Sakura staring at him, a tear slowly sliding down her cheek. "Aunt Sakura, I'm so sor--"

"What are you waiting for?" Sakura asked expectantly, bitterness etched into her voice. "Go save your Sarada. I bet all of my money it won't work. Not the first time. How many times do you think Naruto and I tried to get Sasuke back?!" Sakura wasn't aware of the boy still frozen on the stairsteps.

"Aunt Sakura, I'm really--"

"No, don't be sorry. It's true." Sakura ran a hand through her hair. "No matter how long or how hard I train, it'll never be enough. I'll never be good enough." She looked at the kitchen, and Boruto followed her gaze. There was a knife sitting on the table, handle facing her. "Sarada is gone because of me, and Sasuke was gone for three years because of how weak I was. I'm just a burden. I'm annoying. I might as well just die and let you all be free."

Boruto stared at his aunt in awe. He'd had no idea she felt like that. She was always so happy!

"Aunt Sakura?" He went up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, and she crumbled into his embrace, letting her tears go. "You're not weak. You're not useless. You mean more to everyone here than anything else. We love you."

Sasuke leaned against the stairway, eyes widened as he listened to Boruto reassuring Sakura. All those times he'd called her annoying... she took them seriously?

"You are the light of Team 7, and my dad, Grandpa Kakashi, and Uncle Sasuke have all told me lots and lots of times that the only reason they're still together is because of you. Everyone in Konoha loves you, and you are an awesome doctor. I did NOT mean what I said. Sometimes I say things I don't really mean and hurt people that are important to me. I'm so sorry." Boruto said, squeezing the depressed Sakura tightly. He could tell that she needed it, but Sarada...

She could wait. Sakura needed help right now.

Sasuke blinked. Sakura would want consolation. He'd almost forgotten how to comfort someone in the time that had gone by. Inhaling, he stepped out of the stairwell and made a beeline toward the Haruno, who had stopped crying and was looking at the blonde.

Boruto pulled back. "All the people who call you useless are arrogant åsshöles who have no idea story behind the things you've been through. Don't ever believe a word they say."

Sakura smiled at him. "You certainly inherited Naruto's Talk no Justu."

Boruto stared at his aunt. For the first time in my life, I don't think being compared to my dad is a bad thing.

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"OKAY LET'S MOVE." Sasuke shouted to the people he'd chosen to take. Shisui and Naruto were on either side of him, a little ways back, discussing what they possibly could've missed.

Izumi, Hinata and Sakura were talking about how to get Boruto and Sarada together, with Naruto and Sasuke often butting in. Most of their plans were too old for 13 year olds.

Reaching the hideout, Sasuke split them all up to look around the whole place for clues. He passed many rooms, and he ended up partnered with Kakashi. They looked around for awhile until they came across a room.

Pushing the door open, Kakashi cursed. "No way."

"How could we miss this...?" Sasuke turned around the room slowly, running a hand through his hair. "It's so..."

Then he noticed the paper.

"...obvious..."

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Sarada doubled over, gripping her knee caps and panting heavily. He's way too fast... I can't catch up...

Minato appeared next to her, smirk on his face. "Need a break? I'll let you stop for some water, then we can try again later."

Sarada nodded quickly. The idea of water sounded promising at the moment. Especially when she was tired, sweaty, and thirsty.

"I don't blame you, you know." Minato nodded solemnly. "None of my students could catch up to me. Even Kakashi fell short, over and over and over again. I'm not expecting you to be perfect. Especially not now that you're still a kid." He reassured her.

Sarada stood up straight, still breathing heavily, and leaned against the wall. Then stooping down, she rubbed her ankles, and forced a wince to come onto her face. "Minato-ojii-chan? I think I sprained my ankle."

His face immediately contorted with concern. "Aww, you're hurt? I knew I shouldn't have gone so hard on you. Here let me--"

Then he felt his pocket.

He looked up.

"You took it, didn't you?" He asked, sitting down in bewilderment.

Sarada pulled it from behind her back and dangled it in front of his face. "Damsel in distress trick. Always works. Especially on you Namikaze bloodline. Your son and grandson are some of the easiest to trick because of that. I'm willing to bet they got it from you."

Minato scowled playfully, but the smile remained on his face. "Your determination definitely comes from the Uchiha. Especially the stubbornness."

Sarada giggled, then it pitched into a groan. She slid to the ground and clutched her thigh, and near the knee blood began to surface on her standard Shinobi jonin pants. She cursed, and Minato's eyes widened. "You're actually hurt, aren't you?" He bent to his knees and tore a strip off his Hokage cloak. Tying it in a tight knot, he managed to stop the blood. He then picked her up and began to walk out of the room. "I'll just get you to your uncle..." He muttered to himself.

Sarada resisted the urge to giggle. Minato was a giant goofball, which was probably where Boruto got it from.

He carried her to her room and set her down gently on her bed so she didn't hurt her injured leg. "I'll be right back with Itachi. It was fun sparring with you! You're the first one to actually ever get the kunai, too. No one thought of tricking me. You're smart, Sarada." He nodded and used the Flying Thunder God to leave the room.

Soon after that, Itachi ran in, a worried look on his face. He sighed in relief when he saw Sarada was okay. He'd hate to loose his only niece. He noticed the blood on her leg and tore the bottom half of her shinobi pants off, from the thigh down, and used it to replace the one Minato did, because the blood was leaking out. Frowning in concentration, he tied the knot, trying to ignore her small scream of pain.

Then Madara came in with a first aid kit, and Itachi took the necessary steps to clean and properly bandage her wound. Sarada changed into shorts and threw the pants away, sitting on her bed. Madara sat with her, watching as Itachi executed the procedures flawlessly. Sarada let out a squeal once in awhile when he hit one of the parts that stung, but other than that, she showed now outward emotion toward the bandage.

She looked at Madara, smirking. "I got the kunai."

His eyes opened significantly wider after that. "Really now?"

"Yep!" She grinned proudly, and Itachi looked up at her cheerful attitude. "I totally faked him out with the Damsel in distress method. You should've seen his face."

Madara smiled. "You're a cunning child. You'll make an excellent ruler someday."

"Yep." Sarada nodded. "I plan to be Hokage." That earned another glance from Madara.

"Really?" Madara asked. "Why must you limit yourself so? The world is yours for the taking, yet you only want the Leaf Village?"

"Can you tell me honestly how easy it is to rule the entire world, Madara-ojii-chan? All 7.5 billion of the people that live on it? How do you keep absolute control over everything??" Sarada scoffed. "I wouldn't survive a WEEK having all that power. Someone would, like, assassinate me or something. Get tired of my crappy ruling. But by all means, Grandpa, go ahead. Try to rule the whole world by yourself. We'll see how that works out then, eh?"

Itachi fully looked up from his position. That was a very intelligent way to look at things...

"And what do you do with that many people? Is it just gonna be boring all your life? No battles? Who are you gonna fight if you're all united? The people from the moon?" Sarada asked. "I don't know, Grandpa, ruling the world doesn't sound that promising to me. But I'm not going to be the one to crush your dreams. Go ahead and rule the world."

Itachi snickered a little at that. Madara would be so bored, he'd, like, prank his own people for a good time.

Madara laughed. A great, belly laugh. "I see, that is a new perspective, eh! You really are a smart girl, Sarada."

Itachi was shocked-- that didn't seem like something the great Madara Uchiha would say. And Madara doesn't laugh, either.

Sarada was working miracles around there.

But Itachi's mission was still to keep her safe. That was his one and only mission. His otouto's daughter was very important to him in her own little way.

"Okay, Sarada, you're all good to go, I think." Itachi said, standing up. "Just try to stay off it for a few days. What happened to it anyway?"

Sarada looked at it, an amused expression on her face. "What do you mean? How did I get it?"

"What did you scrape it on?" Itachi asked, cleaning up the supplies and handing them to Madara, who would know what to do with them.

"The kunai." Sarada grinned. "While I was being stupid awhile ago, thinking I could actually chase the Leaf's Yellow Flash." She smirked. "I accidentally caught it on his kunai when he went flying by, I guess."

Itachi nodded, smirking. "Well, you've made history. Congratulations."

She smiled at him and Madara, who was watching the whole thing with a smirk. "Thank you."