Uchihas: World Record for Family Dysfunction

I feel like this update was late for some reason...

OH WELL!!

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Boruto looked up at the rain, letting it run down his cheeks so it looked like he was crying. He was sitting on the swing, aimlessly gazing out at the pond-thing in the backyard. The rain hit it, causing it to mingle with the water that was already in the pond.

Boruto then looked up at the dark sky, letting rain fill his mouth. The sky was an onyx color, and Boruto could make out the color of Sarada's eyes in there. He knew it by heart, because he was always staring at them when she wasn't looking.

That made his heart hurt.

Then he recalled what Sarada had said about the rain when they were little.

A long time ago, when Sarada's mom was always at work, Hinata often babysat her during the day. Sarada mostly hung out with baby Hima, but when she was asleep, she was stuck with Boruto. 

"Boruto! Look! It's raining!" Sarada's eyes got unusually wild and she grabbed his arm and started running for the door. She then ran out to jump in the puddles.

"So?!" Boruto grumbled. He was getting really wet-- the rain was soaking his jacket.

"My papa says that the rain is the sky crying." Six-year-old Sarada said, staring up at the sky in wonder. "He used to dance in the rain with Mama."

"How do you remember that? Weren't you, like, three when he left?" Boruto asked, glaring up at the raindrops.

"Yeah." Sarada smiled wistfully. "But, whenever i see the rain... I just... can't help but think that Papa is out there somewhere, looking at the sky and thinking of Mama and me."

Boruto looked at the girl, and that was the beginning of his complicated feelings for Sarada. Her onyx eyes traveled from the sky, down to his sky blue ones. She stared at him, making him begin to blush a little. Sarada hadn't gotten her glasses yet, and was a really cute little girl. "Can you do me a favor, Boruto?"

"Yeah?" Boruto asked.

"Whenever you see the rain, think of me. Okay?" Sarada smiled, making Boruto blush more.

"I promise." Boruto said, giving her a small smirk. "But only if you think of me too."

"Deal." Sarada smiled, then ran off. "See ya tommorow, Boruto!"

"Boruto!" Izumi called from the window of Shisui's safehouse. "What are you doing out there? You'll get sick! Come inside!"

Boruto blinked a little, the remainder of the memory fading into real life. He winced, opening his mouth slightly. It hurt. His best friend had left him for power, exactly as his father's had. Was he not good enough for her? Was that why?

"Okay, Aunt Izumi." He said, turning his face to the window Izumi was nearly hanging out of. "In a bit."

Izumi caught his tone, and knew that he was thinking about, and decided that it would probably help him to let him remember. "Boru-kun, come in as soon as possible, okay? I don't want you catching a cold."

"Hai, Izumi-obaa-san." Boruto said, and stared off into the distance again.

"I'm worried about you, Boruto..." Izumi muttered to herself, leaving the kitchen.

Sarada... Boruto looked out at the water again, moving his eyes to the dark sky. I'm thinking of you.

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Sarada stared out at the rain. Tobirama-ojii-chan had pushed her hard during their training, yet the other three went a little lenient on her. Minato-ojii-sama had been her favorite, Hashirama-sama taking second place. Hiruzen was... quiet, really. Studying her. Minato said it was because he wanted to know what the new generation was like. Sarada believed him. Hiruzen was always concerned about the village, no matter what.

The rain... so many memories...

Boruto... she closed the window and sat on her bed. I kept my side of the deal...

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, pulling the covers up to her throat. She wanted to burst into tears, but as Grandpa Kakashi always says, "Shinobi don't cry."

"Well. I'm one heck of a shinobi." She muttered aloud, thinking back to all the times in the past week she'd cried. She normally NEVER cried this much. "If I'm going to live with ruthless killers and Hokage, I'm going to have to lose any and all emotion. If Papa can do it, so can I."

...but now I've got to let you go.

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"Sarada." Sarada was shaken awake, and opened her eyes. "Wake up, Princess."

Papa?

The onyx eyes... dark hair... small smile... all the same.

No. Uncle Itachi.

"Good morning." She stretched and sat up. Itachi sat on her bed and pulled his knees up to his chest. "Is there something you need?"

"You and I need to talk." Itachi said.

"Talk?" Sarada asked innocently, leaning her back onto her bed. She was, however, aware that her 'plan' would soon be out in the open. Her uncle could read her like a book. That's how he knew she was from the future. It was how he knew how to get her out of the Akatsuki. It was how he knew when Sarada was tired, depressed, happy, moody.

It was also how Itachi knew that Sarada was pulling a Sasuke.

"You aren't a very convincing villain." Itachi smiled. "I'm both proud and worried."

"You shouldn't be worried. I'm a big girl that can take care of herself." Sarada raised an eyebrow. "You know that, though. You killed your clan and joined the Akatsuki at 13. Which leaves me with the question-- why are you here?"

"Just looking out for my niece." Itachi shrugged. "Is that so wrong?"

"Yes. Yes it is. It is when your niece is knee-deep undercover, and is super close to killing Madara. You know that too, however. What are you doing, Itachi?" Sarada asked.

"I'm making sure you don't get killed from the idiot mistake you're making." Itachi said, arranging his seating from knee-up to criss-cross-applesauce on the bed. "You normally have brilliant plans. This is absolutely not one of them. At all."

"Gee, thanks for the familial support, ojii-san."

"Sarada, it is too dangerous for a thirteen year old to be messing around in this kind of thing. You know that." Itachi said sharply.

"What about you?! Come on, Itachi. The things I'm doing at this age are nothing compared to yo--"

"I know what I did." Itachi interrupted Sarada. "Have you ever once thought that maybe I don't want you to end up like me?! Like your dad?! What if I  want you to stay the sweet, innocent child that I wasn't!? Huh? Is that so bad?!" Itachi broke. "You have no idea how much it would hurt me to see the things Sasuke and I did happen again. To you. That would be--" he broke off, shuddering, a wince on his face.

Sarada closed her eyes and turned her face away. "Uncle Itachi, what you need to understand is that I am not a child. I was born to be more. I'm the last Uchiha where I come from. I'm expected to be a young prodigy. Like my family. No matter how you try to protect me... I'll end up like this no matter what."

"No!" Itachi shouted, startling Sarada. "I refuse to accept that. And you shouldn't either. Make your own stories. Have your own adventures! But please, don't go down this path. Sasuke and I have suffered so much. I couldn't stand to see you have to go through the same thing we did."

"Uncle Itachi, I--"

"Ahh, what's going on over here?" Madara opened the door. "Family reunion? And you didn't invite me?"

Itachi dipped his head. "Madara-ojii-sama. We were just discussing training exercises for the day."

"I see." Madara raised an eyebrow. "And what have you come up with?"

"Nothing so far," Itachi admitted. "I just got here. Was there something you needed, Madara-ojii-sama?"

"Oh, nothing. Just checking up on my favorite student." Madara's gaze turned to Sarada. "Hello, Sarada."

"Madara-ojii-chan." She dipped her head respectfully, mirroring her uncle exactly. That unnerved Itachi. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Madara said, smirking. "What are you planning on doing today? The Edo Tenseis don't appreciate being left waiting."

"Sounds like Sasori." Itachi muttered. "But then again Minato-jii was always so picky about everyone being on time."

"Hashirama was like that as well." Madara sweatdropped. "All of the Hokage are a little perfectionistic like that."

"Makes sense." Everyone looked at Sarada. "What? To be Hokage, you have to be on time for everything, blah blah blah. Or at least, that's what Uncle Naruto says."

"That idiot made Hokage?" Madara snorted. Then his gaze turned serious, and he looked at Sarada. "He did, didn't he?"

Itachi stared at her harshly, subtly but noticeably moving his head back and forth in a 'no no no' motion.

"Of course not. Uncle Naruto was too scatterbrained." Sarada lied through her teeth. "He just knows a lot about being Hokage because he wanted to be one when he was little. Obviously."

That makes sense, actually. Itachi nodded, sighing in relief. She's not bad at lying. It's just keeping up the façade for too long. I've got to find a way to get her away from Madara.

"I see." Madara nodded. Then he frowned. "What were we talking about before-- oh, nevermind. Keeping the old geysers waiting."

"Ojii-sama?" Itachi asked, struggling not to laugh. "You're probably older than most of them."

Madara turned around. "Pfftt. Age." He walked out the door. "Sarada, Itachi, i expect you in the training hall 20 minutes ago." And he was gone.

"Great." Sarada sighed, laying back in bed. "More training."

"Sarada, swear to me that you'll go back." Itachi whispered harshly. She looked at him as if he were crazy.

Which he may very well be.

But that wasn't what they needed to be concerned about at the moment.

"Sarada, I'm serious." Itachi hardened his eyes for effect. "You need to go back. Now. Today."

"No." Sarada snickered. "It's funny how even after I told you I why I wasn't going to, you ask me to do it."

"That wasn't a question." Itachi said. Sarada looked up at her uncle in shock. "You have got to go. Before it's too late."

"What about you?" Sarada asked once she had regained the ability to speak. "You're coming back with me, right? You BETTER be coming back with me."

"No, I'm not. I have to stay and kill Madara." Itachi said, his hidden motive still unknown.

"Then I'm staying too." Sarada said, standing up, stretching, and slipping into the walk in closet to get changed for training. "Sorry, Uncle Itachi, but even if there was a chance of me leaving earlier, there isn't one anymore. There is no way in hell that I'm going to leave you in this lion's den. Not by yourself."

"Sarada..." Itachi warned.

"You can try everything. I'm staying with you." Sarada said.

She had Sakura's stubbornness, she hung around Naruto (and his kids) not to mention Sasuke's ego and strong will. She wasn't budging until she wanted to.

Shìt.

"You never told me why you came here." Itachi said as his niece finished changing and opened the closet door to come out. "Why do this? Why risk your life to kill Madara?"

Sarada turned to him with a frown, thinking about it. "I don't know exactly... but I think seeing you... laying there while Mama, Papa and Uncle Naruto fought the Akatsuki during the escape was what finalized my decision." Itachi didn't like that it was him that finalized the decision. His stupid eyes caused the whole issue, his weakness is why Sarada is in so much danger.

Sarada noticed that her uncle didn't seem to be very happy.

"And yes," she said, gleam  in her eyes. "The dream-coma thing was me, not my clone. Somehow we managed to switch the perfect time."

"Well that's a relief." Itachi rolled his eyes. 

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"We'll give you a simple task." Hashirama said, sitting on the floor. Sarada and Itachi had come in late, but they weren't mad. It couldn't be helped.

"And? What is it?" Sarada asked, eyes widening in excitement. Itachi's eyes, however, narrowed, Sharingan ready to activate at a moment's notice. Everything the Hokages did set him off. If Sarada was somehow hurt throughout this situation, Itachi would never forgive himself.

"The simple task? Take the kunai from Minato."

The blonde raised his head when he heard his name, lifting the kunai he was holding. "This kunai?" He asked, amused expression on his face.

Hashirama nodded.

"The thing is, this kunai is a part of my special jutsu." Minato said, then threw the kunai at the wall. In an instant, he was gone and pulling the kunai away from the wall. "It's impossible to catch me."

Sarada scoffed. "We'll see about that." Itachi stared at her in wonder. Sarada had undoubtedly learned about the Yondaime Hokage in school, and knew his jutsu was practically unbeatable for a girl like her.

But she was still willing to try.

Hmph. The Uzumaki's are rubbing off on her.

Good luck, Sarada...

"BEGIN!" Hashirama shouted and Minato immediately zapped over to the girl.

Sarada turned on her Sharingan. "Oh, this will be really fun."