Chapter 3: the test

''Two of them are fans of yours.''

''Two of many.''

''Cocky much?''

''Maybe, must be from hanging out with you so much.''

''Probably.''

Sarada and Boruto were having dinner at the local burger joint, Boruto's favorite place to eat when he asked about Sarada's new team.

''Tell me more about my new fans.'' He said cockily.

''Well they are just like you, hyperactive dumbasses.''

''OI! That's mean Dattebaseh!''

''That's what you get for being cocky.'' She said, moving her eyes from her burger to his face, that formed his version of the puppy dog face.

''But they're smart and talented like you too.''

''That's more like it.'' He said as he put his salad on her plate, a gesture she appreciated.

''But in all seriousness, I think they could have a bright future ahead of them, they are all very talented, and they all have big aspirations for the future.''

''Bigger than hokage?''

''Not that big, but Hotaru wants to police force captain, Hana wants to be the best medic and Aki wants to be an anbu captain.''

''Ahh well then train him well in that case, I'm going to be in charge of admissions by the time he's eligible.''

''Well, he's the calmest and most focused of the three, but I'm worried about him.''

A somber note took over their talk as Boruto extended his hand towards her shoulder, lightly squeezing it.

''How's he taking Captain's death?''

''It doesn't seem he's taking it well, he was much more carefree before his father died.''

''So is he an orphan now?''

''No he isn't, Shu-san left a will saying that his step mom, Takira, is his care-taker, but he never liked her, which is weird since she's been doing everything to make him accept her in the family before his dad died.''

''I see,'' he thought for a moment before speaking again, '' You are able to relate to him aren't you?''

''I am.''

She would never forget the seventh's words, words he said to her when she was eleven, words she still carried in her heart.

''He doesn't seem to recognize that what Takira feels for him is the real thing, a thing that can't be broken with something as trivial as biological ties.''

''You'll get to him soon enough, as for the girl, she wants to be a medic, and you're trained in medical ninjutsu so that makes you suitable to train her.''

''It does, and if she's talented enough, mama has been looking for a new apprentice.''

''And then there's the boy with the bad attitude…''

Sarada giggled at Boruto's obvious annoyance of the boy.

During the time jonin instructors had to come observe the future genin in the academy, Boruto filed in instead of her, there Hotaru was seen by Boruto picking on a younger student, and of course, Boruto intervened, which resulted in him being called pineapple head.

''His attitude is a lot better now if that helps.''

''It better be.'' He growled as he took a bite from his burger.

''So what are you doing tomorrow after the test?''

''If they pass, I'm treating them to ramen.''

Boruto made a disgusted face.

''Which is better than burgers by the way, if they don't I'm heading to the hokage's office to inform him of their situation.''

''I see, what's the test? Is it the bell test?''

''No.''

''What is it then?'' he said, getting up and grabbing Sarada's hand to pull her up, then they got out of the restaurant and headed towards her apartment.

''You'll know tomorrow.''

''Don't be a tease Sarada-chan.'' He said in the cute sing song voice he used whenever he wanted something from Sarada.

''Ohh stop it you big baby.'' She said, lightly punching his arm, before interlocking her hand with his, pulling him towards her apartment.

''Wait, hold up!''

''Come on, don't you want to see what a tease I can be when I'm trying.'' She said, looking backward to see his face turn red, much like she suspected hers is.

.

.

.

''You're late!'' the twins screamed at their sensei, who arrived half an hour late.

''Yeah yeah, I was busy last night so I didn't get enough sleep.''

''We were busy too, that's no excuse,'' Hotaru said, obviously annoyed at being woken up at 5 in the morning and his sensei being late.

''Well I was busy doing…'' Boruto, a dirty voice in her head said,'' something that doesn't concern you, now the test.''

The three genin gave her a deadpan expression.

''It's quite simple, you just have to defeat me and get this kunai.'' She said, removing her jacket and throwing it aside on a tree branch., while attaching the old kunai to her hip.

''What's so special about the Kunai?''

''It belongs to Boruto Uzumaki, a kunai he used to beat one of his worst opponents ever.

''Wow.'' The twins exclaimed, but Aki seemed a lot less impressed.

Little did they know that it was the kunai he used yesterday to rip off her bindings.

''You mean one on one matches?'' Hotaru asked.

''No, all three of you against me, no rules, and I'd advise you to go all out.''

''But that's not fair, we might hurt you.'' Hana said.

''You're right it isn't fair, but I'm not the one you should be worried about.''

The three genin gulped, but they quickly regained their composure as they pulled kunai from their holsters.

''Alright then begin.'' She said, not moving an inch from her place.

The twins quickly disappeared, leaving Akihiko alone against Sarada.

''What is that idiot doing?!'' Hotaru hissed to his sister in their hiding place, Hana stared at him, a sad expression on her face, she's been meaning to talk to her brother about Aki, about what she heard happened to his dad to her brother so he can take it easy on him.

''Did Takira set you up to this?'' Akihiko asked, glaring at his possible future sensei.

''Do you think your mother would do this?''

''She isn't my mother.''

''And why is that?''

''Cause she's just a women who fell in love with dad when my real mother died.''

''It's been three years since they've been married Aki, you should grow up already, don't you think?''

Her words were harsh, and she didn't realize how harsh they were until they escaped from her mouth, but she didn't regret them, and she wasn't going to sugar coat her words just because he's the son of a dear friend.

At her words, Aki withdrew his kunai and charged at her, she didn't withdraw a kunai as he expected, she instead caught the hand that held the Kunai and tore it from his hand, he raised his leg to kick her but she dodged, and then they engaged in a taijutsu battle with Aki attacking and Sarada dodging every one of his moves.

''Earth style: Earth pillar.'' He said as he summoned a rock pillar from underneath them, but it didn't even rise up until Sarada crushed it with her foot.

Hotaru and Hana gaped.

''Did she just reak a rock with her foot.'' Hotaru murmured.

''I guess that's the legendary powers passed on from the fifth hokage.'' His sister replied, amazed at seeing the technique she dreamt of learning.

''Nice move Aki, but maybe concentrate more of your chakra on the rock, it was kinda loose.''

The boy stood still, taking a breath and looking at the women up and down, as much as he hated to admit it Takira was right about her.

''Sarada's your sensei? And she's giving you guys a test tomorrow? You better watch out, she wasn't the top anbu troop captain for nothing.''

He knew she was Anbu, but he didn't know that she held that high of a position in the Anbu corps, the position right behind his Father, who was the leader of the troop captains, the second in command of Anbu, while Takira was his subordinate in the position after Sarada was promoted to take her position.

''Here's an advice kid, go find your friends, cause there is no way you're going to get the kunai alone, I even doubt you're going to get it all together.

''Then why did you do this test? Do you want us to fail?''

''Well, while it's true I'm not very happy at being a team sensei, but rest assured I would never commit that type of injustice towards you guys, and besides, if you fail this test you'll just have another sensei assigned.''

She marched closer to the boy until she was right in front of him.

''Your father was one of the strongest and wisest men I ever knew and Takira-san is a women that helped me through a very difficult stage in my life, and maybe that's why I feel like I won't like it if you guys failed.''

Akihiko took a step back from her.

''That's why, I'm going to let you go now without a fight, but next time you won't be so lucky, now go find your teammates.''

Aki ran as fast as he could from the women who he knew would never truly hurt him but who has terrified him more than all of the people who have targeted him before.

''Psst Akihiko.'' He heard Hana call out from the bush next to him, he jumped into it.

''Good you're here, we have to launch a surprise attack from the bushes-''

''It won't work, that women was third in command in Anbu a year ago, something like that won't work.''

''How do you even know that?'' Hotaru asked.

''I just know okay, we have to come up with a more creative strategy.''

''No, we have to find out what the point of this test is first, it can't be just to test us.''

''It's probably to test our teamwork.'' Aki said, '' since she repeatedly told me to go join you guys.''

''That's true.''

Then the two boys looked at Hana who nodded despite not being entirely convinced.

''Okay then here's a plan, how about Hana and I distract her, and Aki, you would sneak up on her and retrieve the Kunai.'' Hatoru suggested.

Hana and Akihiko both agreed.

Five minutes later they launched their attack.

Hotaru's and Hana's movements were in sync, which was hard to accomplish even if they were twins.

''Wind style: wind blast.'' Hana said, before she blew a burst of air towards Sarada at the same time Hotaru blew a fireball towards her.

Sarada smirked as she jumped, noticing that Aki was waiting for her to jump, so she caught him and threw him down but not towards the fire.

Takira would kill me if I give him burn injuries, she thought as she landed close to Hana and engaged her in a taijustu battle, this time she was attacking, trying to gauge her defense and dodging abilities.

''You should improve your dodging if you want to become a medic nin.'' She remarked, not giving Hana a chance to react as she kicked her into a tree.

''Hana!'' her brother screamed before he launched himself towards her, Aki reluctantly followed.

''That's round one, there's one round left and this time I'm on the attack too.''

It seemed to her that it was time to put the real test into motion.

''You have ten minutes to recuperate.'' Sarada said before she disappeared.

Hana tried to stand up, but Aki pushed her down.

''Sit and rest, we have ten minutes until the second round begins.''

''But-''

''Hana your arms…'' Hotaru said, noticing the blue and red bruises forming on her arms.

''Yeah that was because of the hits I blocked.''

''wow, she can really pack a punch.'' Hotaru remarked, pulling a water bottle from his holster and handing it to his sister.

''My…'' Aki hesitated for a second before continuing, '' step mother told me that she could break an entire training field with her finger''

''You have a step mother?'' Hotaru asked, completely missing the point.

Hana sensing that the black haired boy wasn't comfortable changed the subject.

''I heard she also has a special type of sharingan, that possesses abilities even Sasuke Uchiha's rinnegan doesn't have.''

''Well, then we're in deep shit.'' Hotaru remarked.

''Tell me about it.'' Aki said, Hotaru turned to him, surprised he agreed with him on something.

''You know, you're a pretty cool guy for jerk standards.'' He said, extending his hand towards Akihiko in a fist bump, an obvious sign of peace.

Aki's hand met hotaru's.

Aki pulled away to notice Hana smiling at him, which made him blush and turn away.

''Now, we have to think of another plan, she's going on the offense this time, so there isn't much we could do.''

''Then we just have to have each other's backs in this one.'' Hana said standing up.

''I agree.''

''Well then, whatever it takes we have to beat her, do you know how cool it would be to have a future hokage as our sensei?!'' Hotaru said, his two teammates looked at each other for a second before nodding their heads.

It was decided then they were going to win this.