Chapter 8

Another chapter! I'm so proud of myself! First thank you to all the supporters out there, who reviewed!

It's slow going, but Sarada's life begins to find its pace back after losing two teammates (and an absentee Sensei).

The burn to her muscles settles over the weeks, and she grows accustomed to her two morning practices and the Taijutsu training during evenings. Over time she knows she'll grow more accustomed to them, and would be able to take on even more.

As far as schedules go, Sarada's restores some form of order to her life. Most of the day is for going down the list of things to try out the Seventh gave her.

It's slow going.

First she asks Sumire about Techno-Nin. After one of their morning training sessions, the two sit at a coffee shop, joined by Denki and it seems a perfect opportunity to ask.

"You're interested?" Sumire asks, blinking in surprise. "Well, it's a lot of mechanics; obviously you need to study engineering a lot."

"And computers." Denki adds sounding like that's an absolute imperative.

"Right." Sumire agrees. "Also, mathematics, electricity, etc… honestly, it's got little actual Nin, in Techno-Nin." She shrugs. "Not to brag, but I'm a fast learner yet it's still slow running even for me. It's very interesting, however." Sumire grins encouragingly.

"Right, thanks. I'll think it over." Sarada tells them, swearing to herself to never go near it again.

Sarada doesn't see how all this knowledge can fit into her dream of becoming Hokage. She can't afford to study so much for something that is only barely shinobi related. Yes, its impact and importance in today's technological world isn't lost on Sarada, but she'll leave it to those whose passions align with it.

Next she ventures onto Barrier Jutsu. For that she goes to the ever-ready-to-annoy-her-while-still-being-helpful Inojin.

"Bunch of standing around, nothing much." Inojin says casually, blowing a bubblegum. "Oh, and monitoring a screen. I can show you, but it's boring, so just ask my mom."

Sarada comes into the Barrier Unit building, right after flipping Inojin off.

She finds various Shinobi (mostly members of the Yamanaka clan) going about.

It seems that Aunt Ino in particular works a lot with complicated telepathy and barrier jutsus, but if you're a rookie, Inojin is right – mostly screen duty and standing around letting the barrier drain you of your chakra.

"Okay but what about small circles of barriers?" Sarada asks, trying to bring the subject back to anything that can be useful to her during missions."To cloak yourself and your team from enemy forces, or how to dismantle and break barriers you come across during missions?"

Ino shrugs, grinning. "That's not exactly what apprentices learn in Konoha, Sarada-chan. You start on Village Barrier duty, and slowly learn the craft. The basics you learn at the academy, and well, maybe the Allied Forces' Barrier Division has more access to these sorts of individual uses, but those would only be available to those advanced enough to belong to that division."

Sounds useless unless my mission encompasses setting up and maintaining a barrier around a certain place indefinitely.

Sarada winces, wondering if Aunt Ino would be insulted if she rejects an apprenticeship here.

"Listen Sarada, the Konoha Barrier Team is in charge of maintaining the barrier and detecting intruders. It's very important – and a very specific type of barrier. If you're looking for the basics, you've learned them already at school. If you're looking for flashy barriers to use during battle –" Ino gives her a knowing look. "I have to say that fusing barrier jutsu into ninjutsu and attacks takes a lot of skill and knowledge, and is mostly something for… more experienced shinobi. Not a genin. My area of expertise is the barriers used to detect and monitor individuals, protecting this village to the best of my abilities. Well, as well as communication jutsus, but that's a separate field."

Sarada raises her eyebrow. "Communications sounds interesting."

"Sorry kid, Clan secrets." Ino brushed her long blond ponytail behind her shoulder. "If you're looking for communications jutsu to master, you'll need another teacher."

Ino crosses her arms as Sarada frowns. "So I take it you won't be joining us here?"

According to Inojin, he was signed up as an apprentice here the day he was born.

Sarada grimaces.

Ino looks like she's stopping herself from complaining about Sarada wasting her time, nods, and bids her farewell and a promise to yell at her mom to drop by the flower shop soon.

After crossing that off her list as well, Sarada eats lunch one afternoon in the Hamburger restaurant, going over the past week with Inojin.

"Told you it's a bore. If I had any choice I wouldn't be there either." Inojin says easily, ordering his meal.

Sarada sighs. "This is like a treasure chase I didn't sign up for."

This isn't what being a genin is supposed to be like.

"Hey what about you mom? You could study under her, right?"

Frankly, Sarada didn't even bother with Medical ninjutsu, having decided a while ago already that's not her path.

"Not my scene." She tells him honestly.

Inojin nods thoughtfully. "Well my mom did mention communications and what not. I mean, you can't learn my clan's telepathy jutsus, but there's still the Intelligence Gathering Unit at Konoha, I'm sure they're looking for creepy ninja who want to dig inside their enemies' brains." He grins.

"You suck."

His grin widens.

"I'm not creepy. Just practical." Sarada frowns.

"Don't take it the wrong way." Inojin says.

Sarada lets herself feel appeased.

"Being creepy is perfect for a career as a ninja." Inojin finishes.

"You seriously suck."

Inojin laughs merrily, and their order comes in.

The two dig in, as Inojin tells her about his team's latest missions, and Sarada shows him all of her scratches from various cats.

After lunch Sarada is heads home, to go over her studies before her evening training with the Lees, and Inoin heads to Shikadai's house to train with his team and Cho-Cho's dad.

"Hey did I tell you that Iwabee's team landed themselves a C-Rank mission? So annoying." Inojin sighs, looking like the three boys of Udon's team are living the dream.

"…Good for them." Sarada says, aware that her jealousy is probably apparent. Metal has been absent for a few days from evening practices now, which now made sense.

For a while they walk in silence, accompanying each other.

Sarada's eyes find themselves drawn contemplatively to the sword Inojin carries on his back.

"Hey, I don't think I've actually seen you use the sword too much during battles." She tells him honestly. "Do you practice?"

Sword techniques was on the list Seventh gave me.

Inojin shrugs. "Not as much as I should. The focus is really on the team, and my clan ninjutsu, you know?"

Sarada blinks at that honest answer. "I mean, I practice shuriken a lot, but it's not the same without a teacher."

The two genin stare at each other.

"Well, Ten-Ten-san is easy enough to annoy into helping us out, and we both know her." Inojin says offhandedly, like it doesn't matter.

"Right. Lord sixth is retired. If we can convince him, that'll be cool." Sarada says, trying to sound like she couldn't care less.

Neither one fools the other.

Next week meets Sarada in the form of a much shorter list.

Sealing jutsu

Sword techniques (speak with Ten-Ten-san)

Weaponry techniques

Body techniques

Intelligence Gathering Unit

Sarada crosses off Body techniques without blinking.

She's only taking evening training for intense Taijutsu, but it's honestly already hard.

Rock Lee-san is ruthless, and Sarada's muscles are still grumbling at her about it (although she's getting used to it slowly, and it's made her physical reaction time shorter and more in synch with the speed with which her Sharingan can see during battle… well during practice against Sumire, so far).

If I ask to learn under him… his overexcitement alone will kill me.

There's also Genjutsu, which she attempts to work on her own sometimes. It depletes her chakra very quickly, which leaves her unsure of what to do – it doesn't seem to be getting any less straining to use. Her mother advised to focus on growing Sarada's chakra as she grows as a ninja so it'll be easier to use Genjutsu and her Sharingan.

The building of the Intelligence unit is… intimidating. She'll wait to go there for now.

Ten-Ten-san might actually crack soon, as much as Inojin and Sarada have been pestering her for the past week, but that'll still be a few days. (Neither genin was brave enough to approach the retired Hokage)

"Alright, Sealing Jutsu." Sarada promises to herself, taking off her glasses and folding them on her bed stand.

Sarada thinks of the last time she's seen either of her teammates. It's already been a month.

"I'll check out the Sealing Unit tomorrow." She mutters, and gets into bed.

Sarada does not, in fact, get the chance to do that the next day, as something very unexpected happens.

Actually, it's a long time before Sarada has a chance to go to the Sealing Unit at all.

Ahhhhh! I'M STARVING! For validation! Please leave comments and kudos so I can FEEDD
And I'd love if you supported me at my tumblr :) SheRipper-Fanficer