Bolt stared intently at the spiral painted in the center of his hand, "Come on! I can do this!" Bolt intently focused chakra into the palm of his hand, trying to create a spiral, but no matter how hard he tried he simply could not manage it. The vaguely rotating chakra dissipated into the wind. Bolt fell to his knees panting. "Why? Why can't I do it?" Dad… Bolt grit his teeth.
"Hey, cheese-head!" A sharp voice called through the trees.
Bolt frowned and looked back down the return path to Konoha. Sarada…
Sure enough, her tender scowl, black hair, and red framed glasses were all there, standing just ten feet away. "Did you forget the BBQ Pork Special? Himawari was dying to try it, you're not going to let her down are you?"
"Ah!" Bolt firmly planted his fist into the palm of his free hand. "I totally forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me Sarada!" Without another word Bolt was on his feet and rushing back towards the village, boundless energy fuelling his sudden shift in mood. Not more than twenty feet past the young Uchiha he stopped and turned around.
"What?" Sarada tilted her head, "Forget something else?"
"You know, I actually feel kind of bad just leaving you here… Do you want to come?" Bolt turned to face her full-on and placed his hands behind his head with an inquisitive expression.
Sarada stared for a second. She sighed, "I am kind of hungry I guess… And at least your sister is kind of fun to be around, unlike you."
Bolt fumed, "Well, fine then! If you don't want to hang around me-"
"I'll come." Sarada stepped forward.
"Wait a second!" Bolt pointed at her with irritation.
"Can it." She shot him a glare.
Bolt took a step back and twitched. She's scary…
Sarada walked past him and continued on towards the village. "Are you coming or not?"
"Yeah… yeah…" Bolt turned towards back towards the village, "Just give me a second, four eyes..."
Sarada stopped cold. She balled up her hand into a fist.
Bolt took notice immediately. He bit his tongue. Perhaps he had gone too far?
Sarada turned to the left of the path and crashed through the bushes into the forest.
"Hey! Sarada!" Bolt cried. "Where are you going?" He ran up to the place where she had been standing and looked into the forest. By chance, he glanced down for a moment and noticed a wet spot in the dust of the road, and a second one on the route she'd taken into the forest. His eyes grew wide. Tears? Oh no… "Sarada, wait a second!"
Bolt took off into the forest after her, barreling through the bushes. He immediately tripped on a root and slammed his face into the ground. Blood dripped out from his nose. He grit his teeth and slammed his fist into the ground. Darn it! He stood up and moved forward ignoring the pain. "Sarada! Where did you go! Hey! Sarada!" Stepping into a clearing, Bolt quickly glanced around in every direction, trying to find a clue of which path she'd taken. "Sarada!" Stupid Bolt, always mouthing off like an idiot… "Sarada!" Finally, he caught a broken branch in an easterly direction, away from the village. At this rate I'll be late to the BBQ Special on top of it all… I am such an idiot! Bolt pushed through his frustration and ran in the direction of the broken branch. "Sarada! Where are you?" He wiped the blood off his face and kept moving. Why do you have to be so sensitive... Ugh! Girls! "Sa-ra-da!"
A shrill squeal split through the forest air to the north.
Bolt came to sliding stop, kicking up a cloud of dust. He listened carefully.
Again a loud squeal sounded to the north, followed by a brief scream.
Sarada! Bolt turned and pushed north with all the speed he could muster. He reached into his back and pulled out a volley of shuriken in both hands. The sounds grew louder and louder until finally Bolt knew it was just through the next set of bushes. Bolt poured chakra into his feet and leapt over the hedge.
A huge boar came into view about thirty meters away on the other side of a large clearing. It had corned Sarada in the branches of a tree.
Bolt threw his volley of shuriken which all arced gracefully through the air and landed square in the boar's chest.
The boar scream and thrashed about dazed. It shifted its weight and stared in bolt direction wildly.
Bolt pulled a kunai from his pouch and braced himself, "Bring it!"
"Bolt are you insane?! That thing's five times our size, we're just genin!"
"I'll take it down!" Bolt shouted.
"Kunai and shuriken won't do anything, its hide is too thick!"
"Then I'll just have to use my new jutsu!" Bolt smirked.
What's he thinking? Sarada pushed her glasses back and grit her teeth. I've got to do something! But I don't have any of my tools with me!
The boar slammed its front hooves in the dust and charged towards Bolt squealing like a demon.
Bolt built up a steady but passionate battle cry as the enormous animal got closer and closer.
"Bolt!" Sarada screamed.
At the last second Bolt dove to the side and rolled over onto his feet tossing the Kunai with precision. The blade pierced into the muscles behind the boar's front left leg.
Only now did Bolt actually realize how large the animal was.
It turned blood-thirsty eyes on him and for a moment, Bolt imagined himself gored on its tusks. He staggered.
Sarada's eye widened, "Bolt! No!"
A red flash intercepted between the Bolt and the boar just before it crushed him. The ground beneath the figure split into hundreds of pieces shocking the boar and prompting it to deflect away.
"Mom!" Sarada smiled brightly.
Vivid pink hair shimmered in the wind. Bolt's eyes centered on the white circle on the back of the figure's vest, the Uchiha clan crest on her right shoulder, and The Executioner's Blade beneath her arms.
Bolt's eyes grew wide. Sakura… Uchiha…
Sakura glanced back at Bolt, "You did well, your dad would be proud." She winked. "Now it's my turn! Springtime Cherry: Season of Blooming!"
Ever so faintly, Bolt could see an aura of chakra settle in Sakura's arms. The boar whipped around and charged at her head on. Sakura's arced the back of The Executioner's Blade into the boar's side and literally knocked it off its feet and slammed it straight through two full grown tree trunks.
The air pressure from the blow caused dust to spit up everywhere and whipped Bolt's hair into his eyes. He pulled his hands up to guard.
Sarada leapt down from the tree and began making her way across the clearing, "Mom!"
Bolt turned to look at her and through the dust spotted the boar again, already on its feet and charging her. Sarada noticed it too late, she drew in a sharp breath.
"Sarada!" Bolt reached towards her.
A huge chunk of stone fled directly over Bolt's head and slammed into the side of the boar knocking it onto its side.
Sarada leapt back and exhaled.
"I can see this is only going to end one way!" Sakura shouted. She leapt into the air and turned the massive blade to its sharp side, "Earth-Shaking Bloodied Petal!" The blade crashed down through the boar's neck and demolished the ground beneath it as chakra exploded downward.
Sakura slowly stood up, "Shannaroo!"
Sarada smirked.
Bolt fell back onto the ground half-stunned. "Wow…"
"Mom, what are you doing with Zabuza's sword?" Sarada asked.
Sakura turned to her and smiled, "It was a memento from Kakashi before he left the village. He said I'd be able to wield it using my new technique, and he was right."
Bolt saw the chakra leave her arms and the muscles begin to strain under the weight of the blade.
Sakura pulled it around to her back and strapped it on.
"You're continuously pouring chakra into your arms to enhance your strength aren't you?" Bolt asked.
"What?" Sakura turned her head, "How did you know that?"
"Because I can see it." He replied.
Sarada pushed her glasses back, "See what?"
"The chakra."
Sakura frowned, "Chakra is invisible; you know that right?"
"Well yeah!" Bolt shouted, "I know! But I could see it… It was super super faint though
Sarada noticed the blue in Bolt's eyes grow slightly darker. Huh?
"Well, in any case, we're finished here." Sakura looked back towards the village, "You should hurry if you want to get back before the BBQ Special ends…"
"Oh yeah! I forgot!" Bolt quickly dashed off towards the village but stopped just a few moments later, he turned around. "You coming Sarada?" He grinned.
Sarada smiled, "Sure."