.3.

Sarada sat on a bench at the edge of the training fields with Kakashi. She licked her strawberry ice cream slowly, with no intentions of taking her eyes off of the masked man. Her mom told stories of the legendary copy-nin who never revealed his true face. Part of her thought her mother had made it up as absurd bedtime stories. She couldn't picture her fierce and powerful mother having to go to such comical lengths just to get an old man to pull down his mask. After several years of trying to see underneath the thin cloth, Sarada had to give credit where credit was due. The man might have even been born in the thing.

"Oji-san, your ice cream is melting." She smirked as she pretended to look at the field. Gooey pink cream dripped down his gloves and plopped to the ground.

"Well that won't do." His eyes crinkled in a smile. "Say, why don't you train with me a little bit when we're done?"

Sarada was off-put by the sudden change in direction, and a sullen look crossed her face. She didn't want to think about the exams, or what it would be like to be the first Uchiha to fail. She ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Ahh, well… I usually train with Mom, and with her in the hospital I don't really feel up to it." The guilt from earlier resurfaced and she let out a sigh. "Maybe another time."

When she looked back at him the ice cream was gone, and he was wiping his hands clean with a wet towel. He hummed happily as irritation replaced her melancholy. A vein popped out on her forehead, and she hid a scowl. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he had distracted her on purpose. She had the strong urge to kick him in the shin, old man or not.

"Fine, let's do it." She relented, a bit irked that she missed her chance. He probably had ugly buckteeth anyways. "But just for a little while and then I should get back."

They walked out into the open field and Kakashi pulled a copy of Icha Icha out of his back pocket. He rested the other hand in his side pocket and slouched a bit as he started reading. Sarada had sparred with him on occasion before, and she knew not to be fooled by his appearance. She kept her attention on him as she made a few hand signs and a shadow clone appeared beside her.

She ran at him while her shadow clone jumped around to his backside. In unison they flicked several shiruken towards his head. With luck she would ruin that stupid lewd book. Kakashi batted them away, then moved his head to dodge the blades coming from behind.

Sarada didn't slow when her attack missed. Instead she charged straight through and raised a fist with a mighty shout. "Shannaro!"

Kakashi looked up in surprise to see Sakura's pink hair and fierce emerald eyes. At the last minute he ducked down and sidestepped her. Cursing to himself, he bit the inside of his cheek and looked around sharply only to find an empty clearing. Icha Icha went back in his pocket as he gave the little Uchiha his full attention. Pride swelled in his chest as he realized that she must have cast the genjutsu while they were walking over. Neither of her parents had been able to do that when they were her age.

Sarada smiled to herself as Kakashi scanned the trees, alert and focused. At least she could do this much. With a few more hand seals she was able to launch a fireball from the tree branch behind him. She wasn't optimistic it would hit him but the idea of scorching his fluffy white hair pushed her to try harder.

Just as she thought, he whirled and dropped to the ground easily as the flames passed overhead. By the time he stood up she had relocated to a bush on his right. Sweat rolled down her brow and a wave of exhaustion passed through her. She brushed it aside and launched two kunai at her target, followed by one to his left and one to his right in the hopes that he would try and dodge the first few.

An hour passed. Sarada would attack, Kakashi would dodge, and then the young girl would withdraw again. She was drenched in sweat and shaky as she propped herself against a tree trunk. Frustration welled up again and she punched the tree where she had been resting. Boruto wouldn't be so pathetically weak right now.

Darkness came suddenly and took her, and she slumped to the ground. Kakashi was there in an instant, checking her breathing.

"I'm no Uchiha" she murmured, her head swimming. She thought she was coming around again, but things were never that easy. Darkness called again and she was out for good.

Kakashi picked her up with one arm and tucked her under his chin. One hand was under her knees and the other one instinctively ruffled her hair. He jumped over treetops and buildings, landing at his small house at the edge of town. He laid his princess on the sofa and propped a pillow under her head.

He was so proud of her, of how she tried so hard despite her circumstance. It ripped his heart out that she thought she wasn't good enough. If only he could tell her how amazing she was in comparison. He put a hand to his left eye, the smooth skin still taking him by surprise. The scar was gone, but the pain wasn't.

"One day I'll have to tell you about Obito Uchiha" With a sad smile, the words fell unheard.