Sarada Uchiha was normally a brave girl. Fears? None. Phobias? None. She had no fears for many reasons. One of them would be because she was convinced that Hokage were scared of nothing, and two, because her mother told her that her father had no fears. Sarada was told by many people that she was just like her father. So to defend her case, Sarada must be absolutely fearless. But there was one thing... One thing that made Sarada shiver every, single, time.

Thunder.

Not lightning, not rain, not the darkness, no. The noise that came with them-- the loud booming sound that shook Sarada to her core. Ever since she was a child, it bothered her. This was mildly irritating, considering that one of her chakra natures was lightning. But it all stopped one night, when Boruto and Himawari Uzumaki were sleeping over at Sakura's and Sarada's house.

<>

Sarada narrowed her eyes, and shouted angrily. "MAMA!!!"

"What is it, Sarada?" Her mother replied from downstairs, sounding exhausted. "You should be cleaning your room. Boruto and Hima are coming over."

"My room is clean." Sarada mumbled. "And that's what I'm mad about! Didn't you know that there's a storm coming tonight?" Sarada asked, rubbing her head.

Her mother was silent. "Oh yeah... you'll be okay, Sarada, Hima won't tease you."

"But you know Boruto-dobe will." Sarada shouted, not frustrated at Sakura, but frustrated more at herself for her stupid fear. Boruto was her friend, and his father and mother were making a trip to Suna to visit the Kazekage. Sakura offered to take the kids for a few days, considering that their Aunt Hanabi and their grandfather were also going to be leaving. Sarada usually didn't mind them coming over- Himawari was adorable, and annoying as Boruto was, Sarada had the most fun around him. But tonight, a severe thunderstorm was on the forecast, and Sarada being scared of thunder wasn't a pleasant thing when Boruto could borderline bully people.

"Boruto won't tease you. He understands fear." Sakura came up to her room and sat on Sarada's bed, looking out her window. "I hope Naruto and Hinata are going to be okay, traveling in this..." she muttered to herself. Sakura looked like she wanted to mention someone else when she saw her daughter, though she was already in a bad mood, and bringing up her constantly absent father wasn't going to help.

"Mama, Uncle Naruto's the Hokage. He and Aunt Hinata will be fine. And you know he will." Sarada said, leaning back onto the bed. "Boruto's like an ultra annoying little brother."

"He's your age." Sakura raised an eyebrow, a sly smirk gracing her beautiful features. "and, you're both around the age where I started acting on my feelings for Sasuke-kun."

"Mama." Sarada glared at her mother, gagging. First off, she didn't need to hear any more about her dad. Second, she didn't like that face that her mother was wearing- that was almost always the face she had when she was going to mercilessly tease Sarada. "What, exactly, are you suggesting?"

Sakura grinned, looking at her daughter. "Nothing, Sarada, now let's go downstairs to greet your friends."

"MAMA!" Sarada groaned, blushing uncontrollably, wishing she could die. That was the most horrible thing her mother could've said. "How could you suggest that?"

Sakura stood up and stopped at the doorway. "Open your heart, Sarada, so you don't end up like your father at that age."

Sarada rolled her eyes. "Papa had a reason. He wanted revenge on Uncle Itachi for the Uchiha clan. He certainly didn't need girls crawling all over him." She stuck her tongue out in disgust. She'd never been interested in dating, though she had gotten more than her fair share of admirers. She had a goal too- she wanted to be Hokage, and related much more to her Papa than to her perverted mother.

"Oh, he got his revenge, alright." Sakura said, sounding troubled, and for a good reason. Sarada felt a stab of guilt at mentioning her hero uncle so disrespectfully. Uncle Naruto told her that her biological uncle was one of the greatest ninja to ever come out of Konoha. "And you already know the rest of that story."

Sarada frowned. She hadn't ever gotten to meet her uncle before he died, and she would be forever saddened that she wouldn't be able to meet Uncle Itachi.

The doorbell interrupted her thoughts, and her mother rushed downstairs to chat with Lady Hanabi, who was delivering her niece and nephew in lieu of their mother. Hanabi-sama and Sarada's mother got along quite well, to Uncle Naruto's constant fear.

Sarada looked out her window and saw the clouds gathering and becoming darker, and she watched the first drops of rain fall. The rain was beautiful, she loved this peaceful part of the process. She loved the rain, she just never loved the horrible noise that came with it. Usually the pitterpatter of the rain lulled her to sleep after the thunder had passed.

"SARADA-CHAN!!!" Sarada's thoughts were interrupted by Boruto's voice calling her from downstairs. Loud clomping sounded, and she knew that the idiot would be coming up very soon. Sarada groaned, preparing herself for loud noises.

"OK, DOBE, I'M COMING!" She shouted back, angrily. "GEEZ!!"

<>

After a day of enjoying themselves, the kids were settled in to go to sleep. They were all sleeping in Sarada's room, because no one wanted to sleep alone in the slightly scary guest rooms of the Uchiha Compound.

Sakura came in and kissed everyone on the forhead, making Boruto grin, and Hima smile softly. Sarada looked at her mother with scared eyes, and Sakura just smiled a reassuring smile.

"Goodnight eveyone," Sakura said, which was immediately followed by a chorus of "Goodnight Aunt Sakura" and "Goodnight, mother"s.

Hima fell asleep first, and Boruto stayed up listening to the rain for a little while, but fell asleep as well. Only Sarada was awake, clutching her pillow. She counted Boruto's breaths and turned to look at him, resisting the urge to mess with his blonde hair. He looked like a mini replica of his father when the Hokage was young, Sarada's mother had told her once.

But Sarada knew that Boruto hated his father, and never wanted to be compared to Naruto, although people did it anyway.

Sarada closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but then lightning flashed and close behind it came a jolt of thunder. Sarada winced slightly and dug her head into her pillow deeper.

Then, someone picked her head up. "Sarada?" Boruto called her Sarada. Normally it was 'teme' or 'baka' or more insults. Sarada felt well up behind her eyelids, then cursed them angrily. She should never cry in front of this idiot, he'd never let her hear the end of it.

"Sarada, what's wrong? Please don't cry! I never know what to do when girls cry!" Boruto protested, making Sarada chuckle and wipe away her tears.

"It's nothing, idiot." She sighed, laying back down. "I'm fine."

"My best friend is crying her eyes out. Nothing is 'fine'." Boruto layed down next to her and watched Sarada take off her glasses. Sarada narrowed her eyes. First of all- she was not 'crying her eyes out'. Sarada never cried more than a few tears, and that was only when she was really sad. She nearly never cried when she was scared, so something more was obviously up.

"Boruto, go to bed." She said sharply, making Boruto glare at her. Unfortunately, he'd also inherited his father's stubborness.

"No." He said sharply back.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes!!"

"No."

"YES!!!"

"No."

"Why are you doing this? Are you TRYING to be a pain? 'Cause it's working, dobe."

"No."

"OH MY GOD, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???"

"You won't tell me what's wrong with you."

"SO? Why do you need to know? Why do you want to know???" Sarada asked, trying to keep from shouting so she wouldn't wake Hima and Sakura up.

"Because you're my friend." Boruto said. Sarada froze in shock as Boruto quoted his father's words, the same words he had said to her father, Sasuke, a long time ago.

She sighed and looked at Boruto, mentally cursing herself for not expecting this. Of course he'd use his father's words. He knew exactly how to get her to crack, after all, even though Boruto is a baka, he is still her best friend.

"Gah!" She put her forhead in her hands. "Stupid Uzumaki!"

"Tsk tsk. Sarada Uchiha, you know better than to use that language." Boruto smirked.

"I hate you." She snarled, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"You love me."

Sarada sighed. "You're like my brother, Uzumaki. You're a dobe, but yes, I do love you." At first, a slightly hurt look passed over his face, but it was so quick, Sarada wasn't sure if she was dreaming.

Then an evil grin spread across his face.

"Don't you dare take that the wrong way, Boruto." Sarada growled.

"I'm gonna tell everyone." Boruto smirked. "Inojin, Choū-Choū, Mitsuki, Hima, your dad-"

"You wouldn't!" Sarada gaped.

"My dad knows where yours is. I can just ask him. Anyway, I'll even tell the grown ups! Ino, Kakashi-sensei, Shino-sensei, Iwabe, Shikadai, Konohamaru-sensei, Shikamaru, Tenten, Uncle Gaara, Konkurou, Temari, Aunt Hanabi, the Ramen guy---"

"OH COME ON, BORUTO! What do you want me to do? I'll do anything, just don't tell anyone!" Sarada cried, gaping.

"Tell me what's wrong with you."

Sarada sighed, putting her pillow over her head.

"I'mscaredofthethunder."

"Huh?" Boruto's face scrunched like he was thinking something over very hard. "I couldn't understand you, teme, you'll want to take that pillow off your face."

Lightning struck and thunder followed, making Sarada jump and grab Boruto, hugging him to herself.

"Ah," Boruto whispered. "You're scared of the thunder."

"No I'm not-- yeah I am." Sarada peeled herself off the blonde idiot and lay down again.

"Wow." Boruto seemed genuinely shocked. "I thought you weren't scared of anything."

Sarada nodded. "You, my mother, and undoubtedly my father (since he apparently knows everything) are the only people who know. Let's keep it that way." Sarada looked at him, and no smirk appeared. She was entirely serious. "And if you even think of telling anyone, you will be six-feet-under before you can say 'dattebasa'."

"I, Boruto Uzumaki, solemnly swear that I will tell no one." He lifted his pinkie and wrapped it around hers.

"Boruto, we're, like, 13. We don't do that." Sarada rolled her eyes. "But I'll take it."

"Thank you." Boruto layed down again, staring up at the ceiling.

"So, while we're talking of fears, why don't you spill yours?" Sarada grinned, looking at the blonde.

He looked at her solemnly. "Disappointing my father."

"But-- wha-- how--" Sarada was confused. "I thought you hated him."

"I don't hate my old man." Boruto shrugged. "He's just annoying because he never spends time with me."

"Well, he is the Hokage. He's pretty busy."

"He's Naruto Uzumaki! He should be able to balance his life better!" Boruto protested, his brows furrowing angrily. "I'm his kid!"

"I know. I'm sorry." Sarada conceded.

"Why? Your father's like that too."

"I know. I barely know him, or what he looks like. He's never here. At least you get to see your father sometimes." Sarada said sadly. "I do miss him."

"At least Sasuke loves you." Boruto sat up and leaned against the bed that Hima was laying on.

"I don't know that."

"My old man ignores me."

"Mine barely knows I exist."

"Of course he knows you exist! He made you." Boruto rolled his eyes. "Plus, with all the cute pictures Aunt Sakura took of you as a baby, he's bound to have at least some of them.

"But--" Sarada started blushing. "Oh, shut up, Boruto, you know how my mom is. She has pictures of you too, and she isn't even your mom.."

"Anyway," Boruto yawned. "Are you done being scared of the thunder?"

"I don't know." Sarada confessed. "I hope so."

"Well, I'm tired. Let's go to bed." Boruto yawned even wider and tucked himself into the blankets again.

Sarada did the same and closed her eyes. Then thunder shook the room, and her eyes popped open again. Her hands were curled into fists. She tensed her muscles, preparing to jump up. Her fight or flight instinct was being activated.

Then, something warm slipped into one of her hands. She realized right away that it was Boruto's hand.

"It's okay, Sarada. I'm here." He reminded her, looking over. Sarada was amazed that he was entirely serious, not playing around or joking with her. He understood that fear makes people feel alone, and when someone is with them, sharing the burden, it's harder to be afraid. Sarada's breaths came easier, and her hands unclenches.

"Thank you, Boruto."

"You're welcome." He whispered, and closed his eyes. "And Sarada?"

"Hn?" Sarada felt her eyes drift close. Boruto's hand in hers was very comforting, and the exhaustion that she had been shoving away in favor of panic was catching up to her, making her fall asleep easily.

"I think of you as more than just a sister." Boruto whispered. Sarada heard the words, but it took forever for her dead-tired brain to process.

By then Boruto was already asleep.