Chapter 3
A week passed after Sarada's venture to Kirigakure. One day when she was allowed to take a break from her ruthless training with her squad, Sarada planned to ask her mother some questions about her father whom she saw so little of. He was gone again and he did stop by this time to bid Sarada farewell, but she was busy In Kirigakure at the time so she missed it. However, her mother was in a very good mood for once. Which was the reason Sarada thought maybe this was as good a time as any to ask Sakura about her father's whereabouts and many adventures away from home. But she had to tread lightly because the last time she asked about her father her mother, a pupil of the legendary Sannin Tsunade, had wrecked the entire house with her fearsome strength. Sarada didn't want that to happen again. But she felt that she had to at least know why she saw so little of her father who took the time to train the Hokage's son.
Sarada spied her mother washing dishes before she approached. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before asking her mother. "Hey mom….why is dad always gone?" Sarada thought it a simply fair way to start things off.
Sakura stopped for a moment and cut off the running water to submerge the dirty dishes in soapy water in her sink. "Sarada, your father's away doing important work for the Hokage. I thought you knew that." She replied to her daughter.
But Sarada wasn't finished. Not even close. "What kind of important work? Why are you and everyone else so vague about it?"Sarada questioned.
But Sakura wouldnt turn to face her and kept her main attention on the dishes in front of her even as she answered. "It's top secret stuff. Stuff that… me and you can't be told about."
"Well aren't you his wife? He hasn't told you anything?" Sarada wondered.
"NO. Sarada he hasn't; thanks for pointing that out" Sakura replied letting her irritation show.
But Sarada remained brave. She was on a mission. "Ok. You wouldn't know where he is now or when he'll be back?"
"...No. I don't." Sakura admitted regrettably.
(How on EARTH does she put up with this?) Sarada knew better than to ask her mother such a question. But she didn't get it. No matter how much she liked Boruto or any other boy for that matter she couldn't put up with these long silent absences.
"Mom" Sarada began in an urgent tone. "I went the first eleven years of my life without ever even meeting him until I went out on my own to find him…"
"Right! Don't remind me that was when you thought KARIN might be your mother right? Honestly Sarada of all the idiotic things…." Sakura retorted.
"How old were you when you met your father?" Sarada asked cutting her mother off.
The silence was evidence of the thick tension currently in the household. Sarada could sense her mother becoming angry but she hadn't come this far to back down now. Girl needed some answers.
"Ya know what Sarada? If you have a problem with your father being absent so much you should really take that up with him the next time you see him." Sakura began to snap on her daughter.
"Well…..WHEN'S THAT GONNA BE MOM!? It's a simple question but you just don't know do you? If anyone knows it should be you… what's that say about you as a WIFE?" Sarada felt her own anger rushing in as the words spilled from her mouth. Causing her mother to whirl around to face her furiously. The diamond on Sakura's forehead gleamed in the sunlight and her eyes were lit with flames.
"Sarada Uchiha! Who do you think you're talking to? HUH?" Sakura karate chopped their dinner table in half sending pieces of it flying. Sarada flinched at the spectacle as she fought back tears.
"Like… dude I just wanna see my dad, I don't know where he is and I wanna train with him. Is that so bad? Why does Boruto get to see my dad more than I do?" Sarada trembled as her truth continued to spill from her as she hoped her mother didn't destroy the house again.
"Well STOP asking ME Sarada! I DON'T KNOW OKAY!?" Her mother then quickly retired to the master bedroom and slammed her door so hard that she broke it.
(Well that didn't really go as planned…) But what did she expect? She should've seen this coming. But perhaps she could do one thing her mother told her. To ask him herself. Maybe he'd have the gall to answer her. WHich would be refreshing considering she had a lot to ask him.
(Did you EVER love my mom? Did you ever care about me? Why did I have to chase you down just to meet you and have you greet me with a blade? Why haven't you shown me a thing about becoming a shinobi? Who are you? WHy are you gone ALL THE TIME?)
Sarada was all too happy to leave her house after the fallout with a mother who'd rather destroy her own home than answer questions about her own damn husband. (Fakeass wife!) Sarada screamed inside her head. What kind of wife went for years without seeing her husband? Forget her. Sarada wouldn't ask her anything else. She valued having a home to get back to. But what would she do now? Perhaps she could find Chocho somewhere or even Hako. But before she did she'd run into someone she really didn't want to see.
"Well well well. Look what we've got here! Little Uchiha far from home huh?" Wasabi suddenly pulled up on her with this air of hostility. Her arms were folded in front of her chest as she looked down on Sarada.
"Wasabi…leave me alone. Not right now…Please." Sarada pleaded not wanting to deal with Wasabi.
"Fuck that! What's up!? What're you gonna do Miss Hot stuff!?" Wasabi stepped forward to pat Sarada on the side of her face with her palm. SO Sarada got serious.
"Ya know what Wasabi I've been sparring you for the longest. You want your ass beaten so bad? I'm ready to oblige!" Sarada got into her fighting stance. She was SICK of Wasabi's crap and was gonna embarrass her right here in front of the good citizens of the leaf village. Onlookers whispered amongst themselves as the girls took fighting stances. Bets were made on the Uchiha kid and the cat girl.
"Cat Covering technique!" Thick brown colored chakra covered Wasabi's hands and feet. Furthermore she grew a tail and cat ears made of chakra over her lowered hood. Wasabi adopted a sinister feral smile.
"I'll finish you here and then establish myself as a top ranking genin your mother cannot even deny! Ha!" Wasabi planned aloud.
"And then….you wake up." Sarada added slyly as she prepared herself.
Wasabi came at her but before Sarada could respond something flew right into her sight between the two kunoichi. A pink doll hit Wasabi hard in the face unexpectedly. Wasabi cried out from having her nose broken in a single shot before she back flipped away.
"What! My nose! I'm bleeding! Where's that stupid doll! HAKOOOOOOO!?" Wasabi was beyond anger now.
Sarada and the crowd of onlookers turned to see Hako Hatake on top of Ichiraku Ramen. The wind blew her hair slightly so that her bangs moved a bit to reveal her condescending stare. Her smirk was plain for all to see.
"Sarada! I'm surprised to see you playing with riffraff. Not very becoming of an Uchiha." Hakos voice was filled with amusement. Sarada couldn't help but laugh.
Wasabi leapt right toward the roof of Ichiraku. The only thing on her mind was vengeance for her bloody nose. She swiftly flew at the young puppeteer and attempted to slash her. But it was only a simple clone. Academy genjutsu. Hako was never even there.
"Go on Sarada. Ill take care of Wasabi for you. Chochos at home your looking for her yes?" Hako came up right behind Sarada from out of the crowd. Her faithful doll floating beside her.
"Hako…I can fight my own battles…" Sarada said but thankful nonetheless
"CAN ...but don't have to. Sometimes allowing friends to step in place for oneself is the noble thing to do. If Wasabi cant even touch me she'll never defeat you. This charade is a waste of your time right?" Hako said back.
"You little freak! Prepare for punishment!" Wasabi leapt off of the building and made like a mad murderer for little Hako who in response deftly weaved the appropriate signs.
"Lightning Puppet!" Hako infused her doll with electric chakra from afar and made it move to levitate directly into the oncoming Cat ninja who tried to knock it away with overwhelming strength but was shocked with high voltage upon contact. Wasabi convulsed violently in midair before she collapsed to the ground.
(Hold up hold up hold up! I can't just leave! I'm watching this!) Sarada told herself excited to see what Hako can do. The quiet secretive girl had always been so secluded during their time at the academy. They had only become fast friends after graduation.
But Wasabi wasn't quite out yet. She only played dead for a moment before she leapt on all fours and came at Hako again with lightning speed catching the puppeteer off guard to deliver a devastating back hand right in her face.
"Ahhh!" Hako cried out in pain as she rolled onto the ground. But Wasabi was relentless and she fell upon her prey with a malicious pouncing maneuver attempting to crush Hako underneath herself but only fell into a log after Hako's well timed substitution jutsu.
"Urgh! COme and fight Hako! Quit hiding!" Wasabi shouted whirling around to sniff the air.
"Headhunter puppetry jutsu!" Hako called from underground as her puppet exploded though the earth, its arms capturing Wasabi by her knee cap.
"What! No!" Wasabi exclaimed in surprise.
"Bring 'er down!" Hako said as Wasabi was suddenly forced underground up to her neck. At that time Hako came out from the earth like some phantom girl and her doll levitating in the air behind her. Now she looked down on Wasabi again.
"How did you become a genin again?" Hako asked mockingly.
"RAWR!" Wasabi broke the earth that trapped her limbs with a forceful upward thrust of defiance and anger. Hako merely jumped away backward leaving her doll floating close to Wasabi.
"YOUR DONE!" Wasabi was finally thoroughly enraged.
"Oh dear. All NINE tails whatever shall I do?" Hako mused. Sarada barely caught a glimpse of what most didn't see at the last moment. An eroding explosive tag on the back of Hakos doll.
(Oh…..well damn) Sarada realized that Wasabi was in potentially fatal danger. As Wasabi began to dash forth the tag exploded and the resulting blast hit Wasabi hard in her back sending her flying toward Hako and Sarada while her back was still on fire.
Hako suddenly leapt forward and smashed right into Wasabi's face with a beautiful dropkick with both of her feet planted firmly. Defeated, Wasabi collapsed to the earth again as Hako hit a perfect landing and posed for the audience.
(Wow Hako….she's actually really good!) Sarada reflected as the rest of the villagers applauded. Hakos doll who was seemingly undamaged from the explosion floated right into her welcoming arms. "Shall we head to the Akimichi residence?" Hako asked Sarada as she walked toward her calmly.
"...Maybe we should call Shizune Sensei or get some other medical nin?" Sarada suggested.
"Please. If Wasabi cannot get up and walk away from THAT perhaps a change in occupation would do her some good. Come let us not insult the poor girl any longer. Chocho will be glad to see us!" With that Hako began to walk away. After looking back at Wasabi to witness her stir a bit and attempt to stand Sarada left her to hang out with her friends.
***Flashback***
-Enter Big Shin-
The orphanage in Konohagakure was filled with young clones of one, Shin Uchiha. There were a ridiculous multitude of them, but not all of them resembled one another even though they all possessed a sharingan; each of the Shins were different. Kabuto Yakushi had even begun to give them all their very own names, but there was one Shin at the orphanage who was even more prone to unprovoked aggression than all the rest of his brothers. Kabuto saw this and took note observing the bigger, taller Shin dominate over and intimidate his brothers.
Unlike the others he'd rejected the name that Kabuto had tried to give him. "Just call me Big Shin." The youth had replied. Kabuto pulled the boy aside and saw that unsurprisingly he had a talent for ninjutsu. After that Kabuto went to the Hokage to request that Big Shin be enrolled into the ninja academy. Stating that the boy could be put in the same class as the kids who were a year from graduating due to his advanced skills. But the main reason Kabuto wanted this was due to Big Shin's naturally aggressive nature and taste for violence. Perhaps he would make a fine shinobi if he could be taught the will of fire and teamwork. Other Jonin had their doubts on the matter as they were concerned for the children that Big Shin would be in class with, but even Naruto knew that this recent class was quite advanced for their age and thought it may be a good experience for the growing Shin. So after the proper paperwork was signed and dated, Big Shin was placed into Anko Hatake's class. When he was asked by her to introduce himself to the class and say a few words about himself, he looked at the class and said.
"Im Big Shin. I'm not friendly. And I'm liable to slap a ninja. I dont like to argue with ninjas." Big Shin said this boldly without fear of consequences.
"Slap an Akimichi or a Nara and its more liable to get dropped by a ninja." Said loud mouth Inojin.
"A whole group of these ninjas" Boruto threw in.
The stocky, tall, pale youth turned to look at Inojin and Boruto. "What was that? You wanna get looked at?" Big Shin said to them, inviting them to a fight.
Anko Sensei smiled. She had the class full of knuckleheads that she was so proud of.
"Looks like you'll fit right in Shin. But I'll warn ya. You'll have to back up the tough stuff to remain in this classroom." The Sensei warned him.
"That's BIG Shin." Big Shin corrected her as he walked to his designated seat next to Iwabe Yuino.
"What're YOU looking at?" Big Shin snapped within seconds of sitting down.
"Whoa whoa! Hey I'll beat you up, you'd better calm down cause I'm not going for it AT ALL." Iwabe snapped right back.
To Anko Hatake this was as good a time as any to test Big Shin's abilities. "Ok class who's down for some free sparring sessions!" The entire class already knew what this meant. They excitedly began to chatter.
Big Shin's first sparring session with Iwabe Yuino was rather quick and embarrassing. Big Shin made quick work of Iwabe who could not touch him at all with his oversized ninja tool. Despite making quite an impression on just his first day in class Big Shin was not really liked by his classmates. After Chocho put him on blast for being ugly in front of the entire class Big Shin sought out to test Yamanaka's words by fulfilling his own and by catching Chocho off guard in the hallway smacked the mess out of her so hard spittle flew from the Akimichis mouth. But this assault had its own consequences. Upon walking home that day Big Shin found himself unable to move. He was simply and unexplainably frozen in place.
As it turns out Shikadai had caught him with his shadow possession right before the true assault began. Boruto, Inojin and Chocho fell upon him all at once to unleash a devastating beat down as Shikadai released his jutsu to join in. They wanted to teach this Big Shin a lesson and not kill him which was why Sarada was not told about this. (Sarada may have accidentally committed a murder at the news of her bestie being slapped. Sarada would get too HOT.) After this Big Shin did learn from then on picking fights with this group was not like bullying his brothers back home. None of them were afraid to take it there so he learned to be more careful but still held a deep seated contempt for his classmates since that day. On top of that ironically he had a bad crush on Sarada upon first sight but slapping her best friend wasn't gonna help with that at all.
Upon graduating the academy he was placed in Squad 25. Along with Hako and Hoki Hatake under Squad Leader Kiba Inuzuka. Big Shin had immediately imposed himself as the leader of their squad. Hoki wasn't going for this at first but was forced to relent after being defeated by Big Shin in a fight instigated by Izuka sensei. But Hako had words for him.
"I will NOT suffer incompetence from our so-called leader. Is that understood?" Hako merely told him.
So Big Shin already proved his strength in battle but now his mind was under question. Was he or could he become a capable leader that could earn his squads respect? Only time could tell.
***End Flashback***
Like some of the other genin Big Shin had taken on his squad leader's spirit of rivalry with the other squads. He wanted to prove Kiba Sensei right and show everyone that squad 25 was the ultimate new cell in Konoha. For this Big Shin wanted to test out the abilities of the other powerful ninjas in other squads. He actually had a hit list. Since his sharingan was constantly active Big Shin saw things most couldn't. One of them was that some of his academy alumni were holding back reserves of power. One he knew of for sure was Mitsuki of squad 7. Sure some of the others were strong but Big Shin was convinced that Mitsuki held back even more power than some of the adults. But that was fine. Big Shin was holding plenty back as well. So far as he knew no one he was in school with had ever even heard of a Mangekyo Sharingan. Which Big Shin had access to. He'd also begun taking advice from his squadmates on certain ideas.
(You want to fight? Fine. Do what you can to gather intel on our strongest rivals. That way by the time the Chunin exams roll around we'll be updated on all of the things they can do. Also don't forget to keep your secret techniques hidden. Never show your hand unless absolutely necessary.) He remembered Hako telling him something to that degree. So he would be cautious in that regard. Currently Big Shin was on his way to find Mitsuki but he couldn't ignore this nagging feeling inside of him any longer.
"Just come out already. You're making me nervous." Big Shin called out.
Hoki stepped out of some bushes that Big Shin had just passed.
"Heh. For a second I thought you hadn't spotted me." Hoki confessed.
"Can't hide from these eyes, moron." Big Shin replied bluntly.
"So what's new?" Hoki asked. He'd pretty much given in and let Big Shin assume a leadership role he wanted so badly and contented himself with sideline manipulation from time to time taking a page from his sister's book. Unlike Hako though Hoki was taking the rivalry with other squads seriously and was even accompanying Big Shin now just to look after him and gather intel for himself.
"Going after Mitsuki. I know where he goes to train, likes to do so alone. I'd figure I'd show up and force him to show his hand. Give 'em a good beating all the while. Squad 25 style." Big Shin grunted.
They took a shortcut through a thickly wooded area and came into a very small clearing stopping short as they spotted Mitsuki. The blue haired shinobi appeared to be meditating as he sat on the ground with his legs crossed and his head appointed to the sky.
"Wait here," Big Shin instructed in a low voice. Hoki nodded and Big Shin boldly entered the clearing. He made his presence known, not bothering to step quietly as he approached his quarry. With his sharingan he could tell that Mitsukis chakra was still focused and undisturbed.
(Gonna sit there and act like you can't sense me eh?) Big Shin weaved hand signs.
(Wind release:Vacuum wave!) He unleashed a high speed blade of air straight at Mitsuki who still had his eyes closed. The blade of air connected but only succeeded in cutting up a log that the ninja had substituted in place of himself. But it was no surprise to Big Shin, he had seen Mitsuki do it.
"Don't take kindly to being ignored." Big Shin said.
Some bushes rustled nearby and Mitsuki showed himself. His golden eyes gleamed as he fell upon Big Shin.
"Feeling suicidal today? Or are you just bored with nothing to do?" Mitsuki asked coldly.
"Come off it. You can intimidate our other classmates with that garbage but with me you're just gonna get slapped." Big Shin warned cracking his knuckles.
But Mitsuki gave a soft chuckle in response. "You mean like you slapped Chocho? Because I have yet to see you actually slap anyone else. I'll tell you this. You arent ready. You couldn't even defeat Sarada or Boruto on your best day. Best go after someone like Yamanaka. Or you could always slap around a weaker girl." Mitsuki teased.
Big Shin did not come to converse or engage in any kind of extracurricular activity. "Mud clone jutsu!" Big Shin created 6 clones made of mud that simply rose from the earth to surround Mitsuki.
The clones came for Mitsuki who evaded their attacks expertly. As they attempted to land punches and kicks on him. Mitsuki activated his "Binding snake glare spell" and summoned 4 serpents that slithered out of his sleeves to quickly wrap up 4 of the clones as he threw a kunai with an explosive tag at another clone. The explosion upon impact destroyed 2 mud clones while the others were bound so tightly by the serpents that they melted back into mud.
But then Mitsuki had to defend himself quickly to block a flurry of punches coming from the aggressive oversized Shin. Mitsuki quickly stretched his foot upward and caught Big Shin in his chin with a hard kick.
"Ugh!" Biting his tongue Big Shin back flipped away and narrowly dodged a serpent made of electricity to avoid being shocked. But it circled back around to get him only to be struck by a kunai with an explosive tag that blew the snake up, sending soil and grass raining down around the genin.
"Tell that rat you've been hiding to come out already." Mitsuki told his opponent.
"I didn't need your help, dufus." Big Shin uttered as Hoki showed himself.
"Aww come on Big Shin. Let me have some fun too." Hoki begged.
"Whatever. Just don't get in my way." Big Shin allowed.
"Come at me, both of you." Mitsuki dared them.
Big Shin growled as he hurled himself at Mitsuki with surprising speed and sudden acceleration. He feigned a punch to Mitsuki's face which would've been met with a block but Big Shin's sharingan saw through all that and he quickly unloaded a flurry of hard punches to Mitsukis midsection. "Goh!" Caught by surprise Mitsuki desperately stretched his finger to poke the false Uchiha in one of his sharingan eye balls. Taking the poke to the eye allowed Big Shin to land a massive left hook to Mitsukis jaw. When the pale youth fell to the ground he opened his mouth and expelled a wave of snakes right at Big Shin who couldn't jump back in time to avoid being overwhelmed by the wave of biting serpents that also attempted to bind his limbs and torso.
"Earth style: Fang Pursuit Jutsu," Hoki summoned a pack of dogs that appeared from the ground and leapt upon his fallen comrade to tear the serpents off of him most viciously.
"Damn! Been bit!" Big Shin cursed as he spat.
Mitsuki smiled at him. "Better get that checked out. Hehehe." He advised.
However, Hoki came prepared and tossed his teammate a vial of antivenom. "Take it!" He instructed, which Big Shin did quickly.
"It's nice to have help for once right?" Hoki called out.
Big Shin couldn't hide his smile. Indeed, It did.
"As I thought. I knew you couldn't take me yourself." Mistuki teased again.
"You're the one summoning animals!" the sharingan user screamed out before going through a few hand signs "Fire style: Fireball jutsu!" Big Shen unleashed a hellacious fast moving blast of fire.
Mitsuki simply erected a wall of mud in kind to block the attack. "Imbecile. Trying to set this entire wood on fire?" Mitsuki showed a small amount of irritation.
Big Shin answered by coming around the wall as fast as he could hoping to engage Mitsuki in more taijutsu but was suddenly hit by a blast of Mitsuki's purple lightning. Mitsuki then narrowly dodged the dogs that Hoki had summoned when they began to come at him.
To avoid them Mitsuki burrowed underground headfirst.
"Hoki! Get out the-" Big Shin yelled out to warn his teammate but it was too late. 2 hands reached up out of the ground, capturing young Hoki by his neck and squeezed as hard as they could, taking him into the air. Strangling him on the way up before slamming him down hard back into the earth.
"Ack! Ughhhh." Hoki fell into unconsciousness after the double handed chokeslam knocked the wind out of him.
Mitsuki then reappeared from under the earth. His golden eyes fell on Big Shin menacingly.
"Just us now." Big Shin smirked back.
Mitsuki took this time to remove the heavy weights around his ankles.
"Allow me to show you just how far the chasm stretches." Mitsuki said before he shocked Big Shin by disappearing from sight. There were no ninjutsu or genjutsu to be seen. Mitsuki's speed was suddenly insane. Big Shin could barely even tell that he had moved at all.
"Dammit… Ogh!" Big Shin was caught hard in the face by an elongated punch that seemed to come from nowhere. He stepped back to find the wind whipping around him. Only to find that it wasn't just wind….
(How can anyone be this fast! This is top-jonin level speed! What kind of training….) Big Shin was hit with a sudden flurry of blows to his front. All in his face, neck and torso areas were being punched with high speed mean blows that were too fast to block and unusually hard. Big Shin tried his best to grab at a single hand but every time he attempted such he would miss that hand just in time for it to come back and hit him elsewhere. Big Shin desperately expelled another vacuum blade only for it to slice up a distant tree in half before Mitsuki punished him from behind with a second flurry of blows to Big Shin's backside.
"Aughhhhhhh!" Big Shin let out a scream as he was sent flying across the clearing. He rolled over the ground with stabbing pains of rapid fire punches, felt all over his body from the waist up. His face was a bloody mess and his big body was full of fresh bruises.
"And THAT was the Gate of Opening." Mitsuki let out a ragged breath as he returned his arms to himself.
Big Shin didnt know a thing about any gates. But when he shifted his injured body so that he could stare back at his opponent from the ground and he could tell that Mitsuki may be past his limit for now.
(Well now! There it is….) Big Shin hastily activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and used it to transport a huge amount of assorted weapons into the area instantly. Suddenly the clearing was full of floating kunai, shuriken, swords, knives and daggers. Mitsuki couldn't help but be shocked by it all.
"What's this…" Was all Mitsuki had time to say before he was relentlessly assaulted with multiple sharp weapons nearly all at once. Big Shin's goal wasn't to kill the fellow leaf shinobi so he avoided vital areas. But Mitsuki was punctured and bleeding all over the place.
"Heh. Big Boy Shin wins!" Big Shin boasted from the ground. He took his time pushing himself up to a kneeling position. He was still in more pain than he'd ever been in his entire life.
"You…." Mitsuki's eyes went wide and a glow surrounded him as he suddenly went into Sage mode. Big Shin couldn't believe his sharingan eyes! His chakra levels just went through the roof!
(What!? Where's this power coming from!? What's going on!? I beat him! No way!) Big Shin began to complain internally as Mitsuki expelled power from his body to push out the weapons that had stabbed into him all at once. Mitsuki stood there surrounded by his sage mode aura as blood poured out of his wounds.
"This is what you wanted to see right?" Mitsuki asked lazily as he eyed the opponent who no longer had the strength to move.
"Ugh…..what is this…." Big Shin gritted his teeth as he bore the pain of his beaten body.
"You THINK you're in pain now… one punch from me would break your body into pieces" Mitsuki warned, solemnly.
Big Shin reluctantly lowered his head in defeat. Now he KNEW. (So…THIS is Mitsuki!?) He could only marvel at the insane power. The last of Big Shin's chakra gave out and his Mangekyo Sharingan returned to its original sharingan state as he breathed heavily.
"You'll keep this quiet? Or do I have to rip your useless tongue out of your head!?" Mitsuki was not playing around; he meant business.
After Big Shin gave him a slow nod. Mitsuki left the area at a high speed to tend to his own injuries. Meanwhile Big Shen allowed himself to collapse to the earth face first. Part of the reason he challenged Mitsuki was also to prove to Sarada he was stronger than both of her squadmates. He knew Boruto would probably be easier but he HAD to see Mitsuki first. He just had to. Big Shin would keep this quiet, but only because he couldn't bear to have his secret crush find out about his defeat at the hands of Mitsuki.