Sadara rose early with the sun the following morning and finding the kitchen empty she figured that Sasuke was still asleep, tired from the long journey back to the village. After a swift breakfast the young kunoichi dressed in loose fitting Capri-pants and a t-shirt ready for a run.
The wind was cooler than it had been the previous morning and Sadara's hands were chilled to the bone when she returned home. Sasuke was cooking eggs in the kitchen and she politely greeted him good morning as she made her way to the sink.
"Do you want some breakfast?" Sasuke asked, not taking his eyes off the pan.
"No thanks, I ate before I left," Sadara sighed in content as she ran her chilled hands under warm water.
"I thought you'd left for training for the day," Sasuke struck up a conversation.
Sadara internally huffed at Sasuke's attempts to act like a normal dad.
"No, I go for a run in the morning before training, but I have the day off today and then survival training tonight so I won't be back 'till morning."
"Night time survival training sounds pretty advanced for a thirteen year old," Sasuke observed.
Of course that wasn't the case at all, Sasuke just seemed to be entering protective parent mode at long last.
"Age is irrelevant; I'm a Genin so I require the skills. Besides we're taking the Chunin exams in about a month and Konohamaru-Sensei wants to prepare us properly since we're only a two man team without Sensei." Sadara stated bluntly.
"We?" the raven questioned.
"Bolt and I. He's a year older than me and were the odd ones out in our classes. Konohamaru-Sensei was supposed to be trying for ANBU but agreed to train us together since there was a shortage of Jounin for the job."
Sasuke changed topic quickly but his mind continued to observe his daughter's expression.
"You said that you're taking the Chunin exams in a month, how long have you been Genin for?"
"Since I was twelve years old," Sasuke looked confused, "...I'm thirteen now."
Guilt flashed in Sasuke's eyes but it was quickly masked.
"That's still quite young, are you sure you're ready for the Chunin exams now?"
"Tch," Sadara muttered under her breath. 'So now he goes off all parental on me.'
"Yeah, Konohamaru-Sensei said that he's going to help us train in our own particular style to help give us an advantage."
Sasuke recalled the conversation they had almost started at dinner the previous night and was slightly concerned that his daughter's training was progressing so quickly.
"So what style are you specialising in?"
Sadara hesitated and doubt flashed in her eyes.
"I don't know yet," she admitted, "Mama taught me a few things about chakra infusion but there's only so much I can do with that, I'm behind in weaponry anyway so I won't have enough time to get that down as a specialized skill before the exams," Sadara deliberately left out the Uchiha techniques but that didn't go unnoticed by the older ninja.
"And the Uchiha techniques?"
Sadara tried not to stutter as she replied, "W-well uh, Konohamaru-Sensei got Kakashi Hatake to teach me a basic fireball, but otherwise I had nobody to teach me the techniques and... I uh haven't unlocked the Sharingan... so I can't read the clan tablets and scrolls."
Sasuke realized with a pang of guilt that she had a point. Of course he hadn't expected her to have unlocked the Sharingan and hoped that she wouldn't for a while yet.
Breakfast passed and Sadara seemed unsurprised by Sasuke's lack of reply to her confession.
"I need to write an update report for my mission so I won't be around for the morning," Sasuke told his daughter after the kitchen was cleared.
Sadara nodded mutely, "How long are you staying for?" she asked hesitantly.
Sasuke didn't even hesitate before he answered smoothly, "It least until Sakura comes back."
Sadara nodded again and Sasuke left for his study.
Sadara's morning passed searching for any techniques she could train in; Sasuke didn't emerge from his study until late morning. When he did so, his daughter was suited comfortably on a pile of large cushions up to her waist in scrolls. The young kunoichi made no acknowledgement to her father's presence but he approached her anyway.
"Do you want some help with that?" he questioned.
Sadara remained silent for a moment keeping her focus on a particular scroll as she rolled it up and set it aside considerably neater than the others.
"Uh, if you want to. I'm looking up techniques for the exams but I've had no luck so far and I've been through nearly all the scrolls we have."
Sasuke pondered for a moment and then took a chance, "I could help you further a particular skill."
Sadara was shocked but covered it up quickly and replied smoothly, "are you sure? Won't you have to leave soon? I mean certainly before the exam."
The Uchiha smirk played at the corners of Sasuke's mouth but the younger ninja did not return it.
"I'm sure I'll be able to teach you a thing for to pretty quickly."
Training ground two was conveniently available for the two Uchiha and Sadara found herself geared up facing a serious looking father- not that he didn't looks serious most of the time anyway.
"So which skills need improving before the exam?" Sasuke questioned straight away.
Without hesitation Sadara blurted out her worst feat, "Weapons."
Sasuke looked slightly confused, "shouldn't that have been up to standard in order for you to graduate?"
"Yeah, but I was slightly behind on the program before I got my eyesight sorted, but I was above average in other areas so I passed the Genin test," Sadara subconsciously pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
Sasuke nodded and gestured her over to the targets by the north fence. The watch tower was in sight there, and Rock Lee could be seen up there with his apprentice. The north fence revealed the grassland and forestry which stretched past the village boundaries and an eagle glided leisurely over the mass of green.
Sadara pulled out a shuriken and fluently took aim before flicking it at the target where it embedded into the target one ring away from dead centre. Sadara knew this wasn't awful but it only got worse when she tried multiple or moving targets.
Sasuke expressed his thoughts that her aim wasn't bad for a Genin.
A little disgruntled at the comment Sadara replied, "I know, but Bolt is advanced in weaponry and I need to catch up in order for us to function properly as a team."
Sasuke nodded thoughtfully for a moment.
"Well the only way I can see this improving is through practice; but perhaps it might happen quicker with my training than with Bolt and your Sensei," Sasuke stated a little cockily.
Sadara glared forcefully at him and huffed. Sasuke's arrogance irked her greatly and his smirk faded quickly at his daughter's expression.
Two hours later, Sarada was breathing deeply within a ring of targets at various different heights. Once more she spun on point, and quicker than the regular eye could see shot ten kunai in powerful blows. Nine satisfying thumps and a piercing clang followed. Steadying herself from the spin Sarada glanced around with a slightly triumphant smirk; five of the nine kunai had a kunai producing from dead centre, the other four were within the inner rings and the clang indicated that the kunoichi had successfully caused her father to need to deflect the tenth weapon.
Turning to face Sasuke her smirk widened slightly as his face reflected her own, in just two hours her accuracy had improved greatly. Of course the young girl's victory could only be short lived under the strict training of the oldest living Uchiha as his approving smirk faded back into a neutral expression.
"Worry less about force and more about accuracy. I lose shoulder, arm and wrist will give it enough force for these targets, and once you've got accuracy covered it will come naturally when you add more force."
Sarada huffed in annoyance but resisted the urge to answer back and just nodded, her expression also fading to neutral.
"Take a break. I'd like to spar with you, Taijutsu only." Sasuke Instructed.
Sarada covered her shock at his forwardness well. Spar? With her father? Supposedly one of the strongest ninja of the decade... and the decade before that?
Nodding despite her-self Sarada grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip, watching as her father removed his own bag in preparation for the fight.
Thanks for reading!
