Walking with a friend through the night is supposed to be calming, I suppose.

Of course it is!

Although I'm as sleepy as ever, I can't help but enjoy the scenery kirigakure has to offer, after all, who knows when the next time I'll be coming to this place is?

The sun's already set, but the city is still well lit with neon lights the reflect vibrant colors off of the puddles of water lining the concrete floor.

There's humidity in the air, but it's not annoying enough to make my clothes stick to my skin. The ocean's deep blue waters crash in to the shore nearby, the sounds being enough to soothe my tired out mind.

"It got dark pretty quick" I murmured out in surprise, chin tilting upwards towards the sky as my eyes met the twinkling stars above. The sea breeze soothed its way in to the barren streets, flowing through my long locks and Boruto's blonde ones.

For as long as I could remember, being with Boruto has never been a quiet endeavor. In fact, it's always been the exact opposite!

We snap at each other, argue over the pettiest of things, and screech in hysteria whenever the argument doesn't go our way- That's what's always been normal!

In all honesty, it's what I'm comfortable with.

Do I particularly enjoy going red in the face and feeling my blood pressure rise at the mere sound of Boruto's voice?

No.

However, I much prefer it to whatever the hell I've been feeling recently!

Being near Boruto ever since that boat incident has never been more awkward! It's almost as if I'm afraid to speak in fear of bringing it up, tiptoeing around the blonde I've known my entire life for the sake of my heart's health.

It's cruelly obvious, the way we walk with a carefully calculated distance between our bodies, the aversion of eye contact from both sides, and the painfully- painfully real pink cheeks.

Since Inojin pointed out that Boruto and I should go walk together to the hotel, I naively went along with his request. That was mistake number one!

Inojin with that impish fucking smile- I should've known he knew something was up between us!

Or at least, he knew something was up with me in regards to Boruto. Sure the Uzumaki boy's been acting a bit different himself, but I highly doubt that we have the same reasoning for our behavior. I can't get that damn sunset scene out of my head, and Boruto's probably just winded from his altercation with Iwabe earlier!

Right! There's no way he's thinking the way I am! Ugh, Somehow that makes me feel even worse!

Curse Masahiko for leaving me alone with Boruto! And curse Inojin for suggesting that we walk alone together! And curse Shikadai for not stopping me when I got up!

And curse Boruto for being so stupidly kind sometimes and having a sort of nice smile and-

Oh my god...

What am I thinking?!

Lord, now that I really think about it, how far has my relationship with Boruto strayed? Talking about the weather? Really Runa?!

"Yeah you look ready to knock out" the Blonde snorts, his hands shoved into the pockets of his dark jacket as he sneakily glances my way.

"That's because I am!! My legs are killing me! Masahiko's insane, he pushes me to limits I didn't even know I had!!" I exclaim with a gasp, gesturing my hands around in an exaggerated manner as I speak.

Fine, this is great! A normal, casual conversation between the two of us! Not the awkward silence we were enduring earlier. Maybe talking about the weather was actually a blessing in disguise.

He watches me, amused by my complaining. And yet, he falls short when it comes to a response. For once he's at a loss of words, unknowingly harboring the same conflicting feelings as mine. Again, all rooted from that damn moment on the boat.

I sigh to myself, exhausted from today, frustrated with myself over Boruto, and horribly sleepy with the moon shining down on me. Boruto's blue eyes catch the way I close my eyes for extended periods of time, my arms wrapped around myself as I try my hardest not to fall asleep right then and there as I walk.

It's...dare he say...cute.

It seems like the two of us do things in the heat of the moment that we don't really think about, because before he knows it Boruto is reaching out to grasp my wrist in his hand. My shoulders jump in surprise, my eyes snapping open and whirling around to face him.

"I'm serious, you look ready to knock out" He says, this time without the teasing laugh "I'll just carry you" He offers, leaving my brain to short-circuit.

I pause, my legs no longer working in unison with my screaming mind. Blinking at him as if he had grown another head, I squint. "You...You'll what?"

He gulps down the wave of nerves threatening to crash into him at that very moment, but shakes his head, emitting that cool calm and sociable exterior he manages to keep up around everyone all the time. He refuses to let me see him break.

"What, do you want to sleep-walk your way there? I'll just carry you to get us there faster"

Maybe it's the same excuse I used back on the boat, the one where I was just too sleepy and didn't know what I was doing, or maybe I just liked the idea of Boruto carrying me back to the hotel, but before I know it my legs are leading me to climb on his back and hook my arms around his shoulder blades.

He carries me like I'm lighter than a feather, which I guess would be expected since he's the number one in our class; right next to me of course.

"Don't drop me, idiot" I murmur, nearly gasping in surprise when his face turns to meet mine. My heart beats twice as fast in my chest at a sudden memory

I push a strand of black hair behind my ear, scanning the horizon curiously.

It was then that I felt his gaze on me. It wasn't a particularly burning gaze, but heated enough to cause an electrifying sensation on the surface of my skin. Boruto's staring at me?

I find myself not getting bothered or annoyed by his staring, instead just a bit confused. I don't make a move in confronting him about it though, lacking the energy to do much else besides let out a soft sigh.

"You're being weird," I murmured tiredly only after another while, looking up from the console in my hands and blinking at the blonde. "Weird?" He repeats, his bright blue eyes narrowing at my own dark ones.

"Mhm, you've been staring at me." He chokes, not knowing how to respond. He's been caught red handed, his mind practically going haywire as he tries to figure out a way to deflect my claims.

I know Boruto, He's bratty, arrogant to an extent, mouthy, and always fired up with a comeback of some sort. But now in the presence of my face being almost criminally close to his, he's been rendered speechless.

Not that I could tell that that's the reason, of course.

"Is there something on my face?" I go on to question from his silence. The way I knit my brows together elicits a reaction from Boruto in not quite sure what to make of. His face warms up and he feverishly looks away from me, it's only then that I realize the close proximity we've found ourselves in.

My cheeks turn as red as the hue coating my elder brother's eyes, shivers racing up my spine as I fight the urge to shy away from him, to shift up and off of his abdomen that I've practically melted onto at this point. I choke and inch backward anyway, giving into the energy crackling beneath my skin.

The tips of our noses nearly brush against each other, If either one of us flinched the slightest bit forward, we'd be bumping foreheads and accusing each other of being at fault.

Maybe then, he'd go back to acting like his usual self.

I clear my throat, cheeks ablaze from the closeness of our faces again!! The tips of our noses just barely brush against each others, and wisps of his blonde hair almost graze against the dark strands on my head.

"So...what actually happened today? How'd you manage to cause trouble within the first day of being here?" I ask with my face tilted away from his, cheeks all shades of red as I harshly stare out into the night sky.

"I didn't do anything! It was this guy who bumped into Iwabe and messed with him. I only helped! But If it weren't for me Iwabe definitely would've gotten in trouble" Boruto insists, reciting the story of his day as honestly as he could.

"You could've called my brother" I remind him, snickering when he groans and complains under his breath, citing something along the lines of 'If Hiko were there I would've gotten in even more trouble!'

"No but seriously, who was the guy? Did he look strong?" I ask, my curiosity now piqued from the altercation.

It'd be best to stay out of trouble while we're all so far away from home. Especially in Kirigakure, a place with such a dark history brews all sorts of people! And Masahiko warned me to be extra vigilant. Although Kirigakure is bright and beautiful today, a perfect vacation spot! Not everything could be could be buried with glitz in glamor, his words not mine!

Huh, now that I think about it, I wonder if Masahiko's ever been into poetry...

"Well the first guy Iwabe bumped into definitely looked ready for a fight but I came in and stopped it before anything happened. And the guy who came after him was just weird looking" He tells me, to which I raise my brows.

"Huh, maybe they just aren't fans of outsiders?"

"Who knows? Iwabe better not run into any of those guys again though" he groans, and I knew that if his hands weren't busy holding me me he'd probably be pinching the bridge of his nose right now.

"Iwabe's been pretty tense huh? He picked a fight back in Konoha with me and Haruki!" I scoff, my sleepy state almost washing away at the annoyance running and burning through my veins. Boruto catches a glimpse of my glare from the corner of his eye and sighs.

"Yeah, Hiko walked in at the perfect moment though! He's so cool!" The blonde smiled, and if I didn't know any better I'd say he had stars in his eyes at the thought of my older brother. Boruto's always idolized the two eldest Uchiha boys ever since we were little, and sometimes I'd even catch them all training together when they were all younger!

Like everything else in life though, time's change. Masahiko and Katsuro grew out of sticking around at home and Boruto drifted off to doing other things himself. Still, it never took away how he looked up to them, and I knew that they probably saw him as a little brother as well.

A part of me feels a bit bitter...How come Katsuro talked to Boruto more than me when we were little?! Favoritism to a boy who isn't even apart of the family! Sigh, one point for Boruto, zero for me.

"Finally! We're here!" Boruto smiles, to which I snap my head up and smile in relief myself at the sight of the hotel. Yes!! My precious sleep!

I wonder if Haruki's already here. Knowing her she's probably tucked into her bed with our dad's plushie in her arms. Or maybe she ended up camping out in Inojin's room because of our argument from this morning?

Time flies quicker than I expected it to, and before I knew it Boruto was standing right in front of my door, slowly letting go of his grip on me so I'd get down. I complied quickly, too tired and sleepy to think much of how carefully he let me go.

"Well I'm gonna get going to my room. We gotta get up early tomorrow and I have to follow around Iwabe all day" He groans, the palms of his hand rubbing against his blue eyes to try and fight against the sleepiness that's starting to eat away at him.

I snicker at that, knowing that now Boruto has to play baby-sitter whilst on this entire trip. Thank god I'm not Iwabe's friend and I'm not involved with any of this!

"Yeah good luck with, I'll see you tomorrow." I say, ignoring that fluttering feeling in my chest once more as I lean on the wooden door. He nods, shoving his hands in the pockets of his dark jacket and averting his blue gaze from mine.

He stands there for a moment, and If I didn't know any better, I'd say there was a red tint dusting the highest points of his cheeks when he turned his face to the side. But tactically on his part, his golden hair managed to hide the part of his face he was mortified of me catching.

Boruto, so weirdly smart and thoughtful sometimes-

A part of me wonders if he's going to say anything new to me, as he looks like he's getting ready to tell me something. But instead, he keeps his head tilted to the side and away from me.

"Yeah, see you" He spoke, walking off and away before shaking his head at himself. I watch curiously, a dark brow raised in questioning, but let it go nonetheless.

I'm wayy too exhausted to be thinking about all of that right now!

There's a far away noise. A low charm jingling about, repeating itself over and over again, slowly becoming louder the longer it draws out. A groan of annoyance rips its way out of my mouth, and I blindly pat around my bed to stop the source of the sound.

Oh wait-

It's my phone!

I force my eyes open, thanking the heavens above that the curtains were still closed, blocking off the sun and leaving a dim tint in my room. Still, there's an orange hue blaring through the rich fabrics, telling me that the sun has already risen.

I sigh, bringing my palms to my hands and rubbing at my eyes, the buzzing sound of my ringtone still buried somewhere underneath my covers.

Finally, after a few moments of patting around I find the rectangular device; lavender in shade with a sparkly moon shaped charm attached to the side, dangling around as I come to my senses.

The screen is a bit too bright for my liking, my eyes still sensitive from sleep, but I tap on the green button regardless when I recognize my mother's picture and contact name. Mom's calling me so early? Maybe it's about Haruki!

I clear my throat, tapping the small mic button and dropping my phone on the lap, letting my mom's voice filter into the air through the speaker. "Mom?" I ask, letting my back fall onto the plush mattress once more.

"Runa honey? Did I just wake you up? Damn time zones" She mutters the last part, bringing a small smile to my face

"Mhm you did, but I needed to get up soon anyways." I tell her, glancing over at the alarm clock and sighing. In five minutes, the alarm was due to ring to get me up and ready for the day. I lean up from the bed once more and quickly tap on the clock's digital screen, removing the alarm since it'd no longer be needed.

If only I had gotten those extra minutes...

"Alright well I wanted to let you know that Haruki came back home last night. She won't be coming back on the field trip so I guess you and Hiko are gonna be alone" She sighs on the other end of the line, and I could imagine her rubbing at her temples as she tells me the shocking news.

I bolt straight up, sitting as if I had gotten whiplash. Haruki's gone home?!

Now entirely awake, I grab at my phone and throw the comforter off of my legs, ignoring the chills that run up my skin. I'm far too invested in the news, insanely curious and mildly concerned for my sister's sake.

What happened?! How'd she get home so quickly?! Did something happen between her and Kagura?! Her and Inojin?! Her and Mitsuki?! Or-

Was it our fight?!

Guilt washes over me as if it were an ocean and I was standing at the shore.

Oh my god, she couldn't have possibly left because of our argument! Was I that mean?! I didn't think so, but I should've known better! Haruki is so sensitive I didn't think she'd take my words so seriously-!

"Haruki's...She's gonna be okay but she needed to come home so your father and I picked her up. We aren't at the tundra anymore, we decided that being home would be best for her so we're back in Konoha" My mom's voice breaks me out of my mental rambling, but somehow manages to make me feel worse.

"Wait What?! What do you mean she left?! Put her on the phone I wanna talk to her!" I exclaim, now pacing around my room with the phone stuck to my ear.

I don't even process the fact that she was here with my father or that they're all now back home in Konoha which means that Daisuke must've ended his temporary training, still stuck on the fact that Haruki actually left.

My mom's silent on the other end for a moment, and I could swear I heard her breath hitch in hesitation.

"What? What happened mom? Is she sick or something?" I ask, unable to stand the silence on the other end of the call.

What could I have said to make her so upset?

"Honey, Haruki is...Well when you come home you'll see but...She's going through a lot right now." My jaw subtly drops, my dark brows furrowing together in pure confusion.

Sure we argued, but she didn't look that upset afterwards! If anything, she just ran off when she found out about Daisuke. She seemed more upset about that than anything else, what could've possibly happened?!

I run a hand through my hair, pushing my bangs away from my face as I pace around. "Mom, I don't understand! What happened?" I ask once more, frowning when she sighs again.

"Do you remember how your sister was sick when she was little? Had all those big dreams and had a hard time sleeping? Always was off to the doctors?"

"Of course I do" I mumble, nodding unconsciously. Those same dreams are how we all know about her soulmate!

Dreamy guy with a good jawline, silver eyes, and pierced brow? Yep, her soulmate!!

"Well, it looks like recently she's been a bit more sick than usual. Just like she was when she was little. She had a bad dream and Sasuke and I picked her up. Don't worry too much, okay? I'll tell you more about it when you come home"

I take in the news, my concern still high but not as intense as it once was.

Oh, just a bad dream! Okay, then it wasn't so bad.

"So I can't talk to her right now?" I ask, sheepishly rubbing at the back of my neck although no one is with me to witness it. It's terribly ironic, I snapped at her clinginess but now that she's gone she's the only person I want to see or talk to! Especially now that I know she was struggling last night.

"Let her rest for a bit, she'll be okay eventually." My brow raises. It sounds like my mom is assuring herself more than she's trying to assure me!

"By the way, where the hell were you off to little lady?! I wanted to see you but you were out! At night!! In Kirigakure of all places!!" My mom's voice suddenly went high pitched as if she were preparing herself to scold me. I wince, detaching my phone from my ear and holding it at a distance.

"Mom! Calm down I was probably walking back to the hotel with Boruto when you got there! Well he carried me back but-" I defended myself, only to feel my heart plunge to the pit of my stomach when I realized just what I was admitting to.