pairing kawaki x sarada uchiha
when it happens they're 14 here
Kawaki didn't need to turn his head to know she had entered the training room. He didn't need to glance over his shoulder to know she was going straight to the punching bag. It was always the same. At least five of his solo training she would float in the corner and throw punch almost to the point to rip the bag apart. The owner always screamed at her for punching way too strong, but she didn't care.
Some weeks ago, he found out she was Boruto's teammate and curiosity got the best of him. The girl was the most centered and focused person he'd ever met in his entire life. It was obvious for him the way she pushed herself harder, working to be stronger, better and he always felt the need to do the same, proving silently to her that he wouldn't give up, even though if he wasn't sure about what.
She had invited him to do some training with her, but he didn't find the words to tell her that he accepted it, so she took it as a no. Little did she know how much he had regretted since. Kawaki never froze before, not in front of a threat, neither in front of someone clearly stronger than him, so not being able to formulate a simple yes because of a girl was a whole new conception for him.
"Oi." Kawaki startled, missing the target he was aiming right in front of him. Instead, the kunai found its way to a shinobi's bag in the room and the boy knew it wasn't a good thing. He jolted over the voice and felt his heart beating a little faster once his eyes laid on a pair of dark ones. "Maybe you can replace that target with me."
"Why would I throw kunais at you?" Kawaki didn't even stop to weight his words. He remembered what Boruto told him about her: strong, brilliant and exceptional at everything she put her mind on.
She laughed, a cute sound that made him blush. Kawaki wasn't sure if he ever had made someone laugh before, but he was sure that if he had done, the person didn't look that cute.
Actually, he thought no one could ever look that cute, no matter what.
"No, silly. I am talking about we training together. I am no masochist, don't worry." She smiled back and Kawaki was sure that they could swipe the whole energy in the Village with that particular smile and the effect would be quite similar.
"Training together?" Kawaki repeated her, just to be sure he wasn't dreaming, or even replaying the day he accidentally refused to do it. He had done it so many times by now, he would be no surprised it was the last option.
"Yes. The other day you didn't reply, so I thought why not take another shot? You are good." The girl came closer and grabbed a kunai herself. Kawaki could pretend he was impressed when she set the weapon right on the red target on the wall, but he wasn't. Not even a bit. Somehow, it was what he expected from her.
"Am I?" Kawaki shot back, his eyes not leaving her face for a second as it brightened by her last move.
"Yes, you are." She put both her hands on her hips. "So, yes?"
"Yes." It was automatically now. More than any kind of training he could have been doing in that place, it was nothing compared for how many times he practiced saying yes in case she asked him one more time.
"Great. I am Sarada, by the way." She completed, offering him a hand to hold.
He knew her name, of course. Boruto always told him stories about her in missions, and Kawaki always did his best to show little interest in them, knowing that if his annoying roommate knew about his crush – actually, he wasn't even sure if he could call it that -, he would be forever doomed. "Kawaki."
"Nice, Kawaki. So, you up for some taijutsu?" She cracked her fingers, which Kawaki only found hotter.
He just nodded, following her to reach a proper room to do it. As he walked behind her, he couldn't stop to admire everything, from the way she walked to her short hair swinging.
"Let's start easy, right?" Sarada informed him, positioning herself in a strike position as Kawaki nodded again, mirroring her actions.
He was shy about making the first move, which he waited until she took the initiative. Sarada, on the other hand, didn't want to waist any time and she quickly managed to tackle him to the ground, straddling his waist and giving him a smug look.
"That was easy. I've seen you training, Kawaki. Come on." She said, between giggles and he peered up at her. Trying to do his very best not to focus about their proximity, which he had only realized by now it was something indispensable on a taijutsu fight, he rubbed his head from where it had made impact with the floor, but not being able to hide his wide smile.
"That was a pretty good one, Sarada, but you have to work harder than that." He reversed their positions, sitting on top of her now, but still making sure to let his arm, right next to her head, support most of his weight. He was pinning her arms over her head.
Sarada grinned at him, and made him lose all the strength he had. All he could do was curse himself for finding his weak spot. Ironically enough, his weak spot was one of the strongest kuinoich he had seen.
"You are not taking our training seriously, Kawaki." The girl below him frowned and Kawaki couldn't stop and wonder for a moment how Boruto was not affected by her face in missions. If he couldn't focus on a training, imagine a mission. His mind was working fast, as the thought of a Sarada looking at the mirror while she practiced looking menacing and beautiful at the same time filled his mind. There was just no way the whole combination fit her perfectly without so naturally.
"I am." He stated, leaning down with more weight than originally. Sarada only took a deep breath before kicking his legs, trying to knee Kawaki in the gut or push him off. Kawaki kept moving, though, holding onto Sarada with a tight grip and evading her kicks. At some point, the boy had managed to pin her thighs down with his knee.
He tried to ignore his skin blazing where he was touching her.
"Shit." Sarada hissed, because it fucking hurt. Kawaki wasn't near as weightless as his slim figure showed. The girl gritted her teeth and tried to just throw him off by using her monstrous strength, but Kawaki kept her down like a pro.
"I've seen you training, Sarada. Come on." Kawaki used her own words against her, but Sarada wasn't even near to give up just yet. Taking advantage of him slightly leaning in, she snapped her head forward, getting close enough for a decent headbutt. Kawaki cursed and pulled back.
Sarada quickly lunged towards him, keeping on her toes in order to speed up her footwork. Kawaki made a grave mistake as he locked eyes with hers. The girl was smiling as if the whole situation was her first fight, her eyes showing nothing but confidence and pure enjoyment. Kawaki's heart caught in his chest and he hesitated for just a second, giving Sarada the opportunity to force him back. Kawaki swung his body in attempt to block the attack but was struck down by Sarada's strong kick. His feet slid against the mat floor and he fell backwards, landing hard on his back and knocking the air out of him.
Kawaki tried to rise but he found himself trapped between the floor and the tip of Sarada's kunai. The girl was still grinning, the sense of victory clear on her face.
"Not bad, Sarada." He said from his place on the floor. Sarada offered him a hand, which he took, and helped him up. They ended up being a little closer than was actually necessary.
Feeling his whole skin burning by every time they touched, Kawaki thought that by that point, he would be used to the heat, and yet just when the redness reached his cheek, he felt like hiding in the closest locker.
Sarada just smiled at him, not jerking back. He could feel her hot breath on his neck and it just help his whole body shudder. "I knew training with you wouldn't be a waste of my time. We should do it again tomorrow."
"Yes, we definitely should." Kawaki almost patted himself for not stumbling on his words and for actually answering her this time. He promised himself he would never let another opportunity like this one go.
"Same time, same place?" She took a step back and the space felt colder without her hot body around.
Kawaki nodded once again, watching as a drop of sweat ran down her neck, dying on her collarbones. He was hoping that, at least tomorrow, she wouldn't be as distractive as she was today.
But something inside warned him it wasn't even remotely possible.
"Tomorrow, I want you to fight even harder." She smiled once again, and Kawaki noticed that it didn't matter how many times it happened, he didn't think he could ever be tired of that.
"Sure." It was all he said before she left the room, her smell still filling his nostrils.
How he would face his weak spot harshly? He didn't know the answer for that question, but he sure was eager to try finding it out as many times as he could.