Mirai's Adventures

"Damnit, what's taking her so long?" complained Boruto. His elbows were raised above his head. He, Sarada and Mitsuki: the main three of Team 7, were loitering around the circular hallway just outside the Hokage's office. Each of them either: standing patiently by the wall, leaning serenely over the doorframe, or squatting down then standing up: moving around constantly, occasionally banging his fists.

It was the early afternoon when the team of Genin were called up by the Nanadaime; and when she had been notified, whilst out buying fish and vegetables for that night's dinner, Sarada had deduced the obvious: that it was about the fate of her blonde-headed friend. Quite unusually, Ms. Ever Punctual took her time as she walked there, in a heavy, mournful mood, all the while mentally bracing herself for the worst of news. But when she arrived, she was very surprised to see Boruto there—well-rested and in good spirits. Nor did she suspect his behaviour to be at all a ruse. She learnt that they had been called up for a mission, together, and then soon afterwards the burning question on her mind was answered.

Upon hearing that the Otsutsuki-fication of Boruto's had completely stopped, as a result of the drugs he had been taking from Amado—no longer was he becoming that monster—Sarada felt suddenly elated, and her heart lighten in weight. The room quickly boiled up to celebration and a great kindred warmth spread throughout her, as she watched them: Boruto and his father. All with the knowledge that her dear friend had, against all odds, defied his fate. She couldn't contain herself from joining in the cheering, and had punched both her fists in the air out of victory; although, of course, there were still the lingering clouds of doubt in her mind, about the blonde's long-term future.

Because of all this, kindly, the Uchiha girl with red-framed glasses was 'okay with Boruto being Boruto today', she had promised herself.

No matter what Boruto does, I won't scold him about it. He can do whatever he wants, and I'll just let it go. He's got free reign today.

As they waited for their fourth member, Sarada had intuited that in order to have a successful outcome with her promise, she needed a strategy. And such strategy would be to not engage at all with Boruto's bickering, if applicable. Unfortunately for her, such bickering was much like this behaviour of Boruto's, that he currently exhibited.

"Ah man, I'll be real quick," said Boruto, right on queue. He looked both excited and agitated. "I'll be back in less than two minutes."

"I understand how you feel, Boruto-kun,' eased Sarada, mustering all of her kindness, "but would you please just wait here a little while longer? She's gonna be here real soon, and we don't need to waste our time looking for you." The blond gave her a blank look.

"Argh!" he moaned as he fought with his instincts.

Baka! What a baka!

Sarada poked her glasses up as she breathed in. But when she breathed out, her face stretched into a funny smile.

Boruto is just being himself... it can't be helped. It's definitely better to have baka Boruto here than no Boruto here whatsoever…

"I've arrived, sorry!" came a bright woman's timbre from the end of the corridor. Jogging towards the trio was Sarutobi Mirai, dressed in her green Chūnin garb, with what looked to be a large summoning scroll pinned to her back. Once she stood before them, she leant over with her hands to her knees, panting.

"What took you so long—did you just get out of bed?" Boruto wondered aloud.

"What—no!" said Mirai, clearly angered, as seen by her squinted eyes and pointed neck at the blond. "I was at the training grounds with my cousin—your leader actually, learning new jutsu." She quickly ran a hand across and back, multiple times, her rough terrain of boyish hair. Such an action didn't escape the eyes of the Uchiha girl. The girl thought, maybe, the older kunoichi before her had indeed a case of bed-head.

Was she sleeping, whilst on call?

"Oh really, a new jutsu?" Boruto said with gleaming eyes: his tone and expression doing a one-eighty. "Cool! Is it the Rasengan, like the Vanishing Rasengan? What was Big Bro teaching you?"

"No. I think it'd take a fairly long while to learn your jutsu," said Mirai, dry chuckling with her face turned away from him.

"So, you're finally here," came the voice from the doorway of the Nanadaime's office. There, Shikamaru smiled wryly at Mirai with his arms crossed. "I see that you're setting a good example for your new team?"

"Sorry sensei," Mirai bowed herself politely. "I was busy training in special jutsu and didn't get your summon until much later."

"Really? Was it Bōjutsu with Konohamaru-kun?" asked Shikamaru, who inspected the scroll at her back. Mirai's innocuous expression suddenly morphed to mild surprise. "How is that going?"

"Uhh—yeah, it's going good... Eh, how'd you know?" Mirai asked, her forehead looking a tad sweatier.

"Well, I spoke to your tutor earlier, and he said that you were working hard—oh, also that you had completed training at around noon."

"Ah huh," sounded Mirai, whose expression now drooped into one both sour and deflated.

"What time's it now, I wonder?" he added.

"Yeah, yeah, maybe I was snoozing after training," admitted Mirai. At that, she shut her eyes and raised a pawed hand, before stepping through the space offered before her. "Oooh, busted!" hollered Boruto. Shikamaru snickered as she walked past him, saying, "Well, at least now she's being honest."

The advisor and the rest of Team 7 entered after her into the Hokage's office, none seeming upset or flustered, but the jet black-haired kunoichi lagged behind, having mixed feelings. A thought-laced brow furrowed her forehead.

Hmm…