Boruto somehow managed to get a fire started. The only thing he could think about as he gathered wood was three words. She hugged me. 

She hugged me. She hugged me. She hugged me. She hugged me. She hugged me. What does that mean? Does it mean she likes me? Was I really that warm? Why did she hug me? Her heart was beating so fast. SHE HUGGED ME. 

His brain wouldn't shut up. He sat, the flames dancing atop the logs, warming his bare chest as he zoned off, not even paying attention.

"Boruto?"

"..."

"Boruto..."

"..."

"Earth to Boruto?"

When he still didn't react to his name, Shikadai nonchalantly stuck his tongue in Boruto's ear.

He jumped off the log he was sitting on and rubbed the side of his head against his shoulder. "Ew! What the- Why'd you do that?"

With a growling noise, Shikadai pointed his tail in Sarada's direction. 

"Huh?"

"Jeez..." Her cheeks puffed up into a pout. "I've called you three times now. What's wrong?"

He looked off to the side, blush blooming onto his face. He suddenly wished he had the comfort of his wet t-shirt to cover his skin. "...Nothing."

Her pupils were only visible through unamused slits. But to Boruto's relief, they returned to the fire. "So, what are we going to do now? Should we go back to the tower?"

"I... don't think that's a good idea... All those weird guys are targeting Orochimaru."

"Then should we try going into town to gather information? Maybe if I hide my face, they won't recognize me."

"...That sounds like the next best option..." 

"That being said, how should I disguise myself?" Sarada asked. "It's not like we have any spare clothes."

We could switch... But I doubt I would fit into hers... 

"Boruto?"

"I'm thinking, sorry. I can't use transformation jutsu on you... But if you do get discovered, we can hide and I can send them chasing after one of my clones. That worked before." 

"...Alright. For now... we should get some rest," said Sarada, laying down on her side next to the fire.

"Wait, your clothes are still soaked..." He took his mostly dry jacket off of the rock and threw it at her feet. "Take off your vest and change into that... I'll look the other way."

He caught her blushing at him as slid his arms through his own damp t-shirt. 

Dang, he thought, his face heating up. I wonder if she really does like me back... 

"Thanks..."

"Yeah, sure."

"You better not look..."

He turned around and jumped into the trees. "I won't. I gotta use the bathroom anyways." 

By the time he returned, Sarada was already curled up by the fire in his jacket. The first thing that came through his mind was how big it was on her. The second was how soft her hair looked. The third was something completely different. And that was when he figured he should just lay down and try to sleep...

Or at least, that's what he should have done. But his legs didn't listen to him. Instead, he walked around behind her. His upper body tilted as he leaned and eased himself onto the ground at her side, eyes wandering the her short black hair that was only a small distance away from his face.

Dang it, he blushed. This is Sarada, ya know! She's going to kill you if she finds out you like her... Or, at least, I think she would... But then there was that hug... 

Slowly reaching out his hands, the tips of his fingers gently toyed with the ends of her hair. 

Sarada was probably exhausted... And when Sarada was exhausted, she slept like a rock. 

Suddenly, she grunted and rolled over, one arm flopping over his torso. Their faces were so close that their noses almost touched. "Boruto..."

His name fell off her lips as she slept, barely a whisper. It left him frozen, his face a mess of red. His brain began to recall the third thought that came through his mind when he saw her in his jacket. And with that, the sound of his own pulse swelled through his ears. 

Before he could move of his own accord again, he slipped away from her side, swallowing down the pulsing torrent of energy. He made his way around to the other side of the fire and tucked his knees into his chest. His face burned, his heart denying everything that had previously thought as it pounded against his ribs. 

It took him several more hours to fall asleep, his mind running in circles, resisting the urge to go over to the other side of the fire and reclaim the position she had put him in.

.  .  .

Sarada woke up to the rhythmic feeling of something dripping onto her face. Her eyes fluttered open only to take in the scenery of a horse's nose.

"Ah!"

Boruto shot up. "What's wrong?"

And then he saw the horse. 

"Kagebunshin no jutsu!"

"Boruto," said Sarada, bolting upright and guarding herself, "if he wanted to attack us, he would have done it already... Look, he didn't bring anyone with him." 

Shikadai crawled off of the log he had been sitting on and faced the horse. He glared, making a gurgling noise in his throat. The horse stared back, his eyes half lidded. 

Shikadai took a stick and began drawing in the dirt. When Sarada looked over his shoulder, she wasn't surprised to see a square grid with kanji characters written in it. To her complete and utter amazement, the horse sat in front of the board. 

The horse looked at the chameleon. Shikadai looked back at his father. Then he drew something else in the dirt. 

They aren't bad guys.

Shikamaru snorted. 

"...So... Is he going to chase us?" 

Shikadai turned away from the make-shift Shogi board and shook his head, the strange growl-like gurgle emitting from his throat. 

"...Well that was convenient." 

"It was probably too much of a pain to chase us from the start. They must have already caught the guys who have the crown," said Sarada, sitting back down in the grass. 

"Crown?"

"Hm? Oh, I guess I didn't tell you. On my way to find you, I ended up getting involved in crime." The sun caused a wave of heat to rush over her back. Without thinking, Sarada unzipped the jacket and was about to shrug it off. And then she realized, she wasn't wearing anything but a sports bra underneath. 

Face lighting up, she flung the jacket back around herself and glanced at Boruto. Judging by the averted eyes and tomato face, he had seen.

"...Pervert."

"Don't blame me! You just unzipped it while we were having a conversation!" 

"Well don't look!"

"It's kind of hard not to look when we're having a conver--"

"I'm sorry, ok? I got hot... I'm going to change back, so don't look. Jeez. Boys are so dumb."

"WHAT DID I DO--"

She cut him off by throwing his jacket at his head and turning around with a huff. After shrugging on her vest, she turned around to find him laying flat on the ground, belly down, arms lazily at his sides, palms up, the left side of his face in the dirt. "...What are you doing?"

"Don't worry about it..." 

As he talked, she noticed grass invading the side of his mouth. Weirdo. 

"You said you got involved in crime?"

"Well yeah," she said, raising an eyebrow. "That's why my wanted posters are all over the place." 

"Wait no, before that. The crown."

Sarada nodded. "That was what I was doing when I got here. Stealing a crown. And could you please get up? You're weirding me out."

"This is your fault, you know."

"How is you deciding to lay on the ground my fault?" 

"Ignore what I just said..."

"What? Why?" Sarada was beyond confused. 

"I bet the crown has something to do with us getting out of here. Do you remember where it was?"

"Hm? Of course I do." She wrinkled her eyebrows. "It's in the town we've been avoiding. More importantly, my question?"

Boruto slid his hand down his face. "I'm not answering that. But don't you think you should have told me about the crown before all this?"

"Not really... I mean, maybe? I don't know any of these stories. How does this one end?" She gave up on questioning him. At this point, he wasn't going to budge. And it wasn't like she was some hot 19 year old with a dress and makeup that could make him talk. 

Boruto sighed. "If I remember correctly, there are multiple versions of this story. I don't remember how each of them end... But I know how they all start. Some creepy old woman steals away the king and queen's daughter and locks her in a tower."

"You were locked in a tower when you first got into the story, weren't you?"

"Yeah... I figured I was the princess this time. But I don't have long hair. And I can't figure out why Orochimaru wanted a strand of it in exchange for giving me the ability to use jutsu..." 

Sarada looked over to Shikamaru the horse. "Well. At least we have transportation. Come on, let's go investigate."

Shikadai cheered, laughing at his four-legged father. But the horse only snorted. 

"Oh come on. You let Cho-Cho's papa ride you." 

Shikamaru turned his head away and sat down in the grass like a dog. 

"Come on, oji-san." Boruto was magically off of the ground, the grass and dirt gone from his shirt. "You could get us there so much faster... You know where the castle is, don't cha?"

Shaking his head as if he had just sneezed, Shikamaru refused either of them on. 

"Shikamaru," said Sarada, gently taking hold of the bridal that adorned his face, "we need to get out of this story as fast as possible. We aren't from here. Your son isn't from here. You're probably really worried about your son back in the world we come from..."

"And your wife isn't going to let you live it down if he's gone forever," smirked Boruto, watching as the horse contemplated his life decisions. 

Reluctantly, Shikamaru unfolded his back legs and stood compliantly still. 

Pumping his fist into the air, Boruto leapt onto the horse with ease. He held out his hand. "Milady?"

Sarada rolled her eyes. "I know how to get on a horse, Boruto." But when she put her foot in the stirrup and tried to climb up, her hand slipped off of the pommel as if it had been greased.

Boruto's arm was on her back in seconds, his other hand firmly holding hers. Before she could drag the saddle to the side, she swung her other leg over and was promptly seated in front of him. 

"What was that," he said against her ear. "You know how to get on a horse?"

Face burning, Sarada took ahold of the reigns. "S-Shut up."

"Whatever you say, princess." 

With that, Boruto grabbed the horn from behind Sarada and kicked Shikamaru into a smooth canter.