Much Needed Encouragement

She couldn't help but be mesmerized by his boldness.  He never paid attention.  He was always talking.  And yet, somehow this annoying brat still seemed to be near the top of his class at the Academy.  

"Nara...," she heard him whisper.   When there was no response, he whispered a little louder.  "Nara..."  She looked at the boy with the ponytail that sat in front of him.  No reaction.  "Nara!"

"Do you mind, Boruto Uzumaki?" Aburame-sensei turned away from the board to look squarely at the blonde source of his irritation.  

"Wha - huh?" Boruto exclaimed.  Giggles could be heard.  He seemed absolutely clueless that his antics were actually causing a disruption to the class.

Aburame-sensei sighed.  "I was just about at the end of the lecture anyway."  He stepped away from the board and returned to his desk at the front of the class.  He started to rifle through a few papers.  

She continued to watch Boruto, who by now had begun talking with Shikadai Nara.  

"What do you want?" Shikidai asked.  His tone was less than happy.  

"Come with me to the sweets shop after school today," Boruto insisted.  

"Seriously?" Shikidai exclaimed.  "That couldn't wait until class was done?  You made me miss the last few minutes of the lecture, you know."

It was right then that Aburame-sensei announced to the class that he had misplaced an announcement he needed to make and that the class should stay in the room until he had returned.  He opened the sliding door and left.

"What do you mean?  You were sitting right there," said Boruto, continuing the conversation without missing a beat.

"Yeah, but I was too busy thinking about ignoring you," Shikadai explained.

"So what about after school?" Boruto asked his original question again.

"I can't.  I have to meet Dad at Hokage Tower," Shikadai answered.

Boruto let out an audible grunt.  It looked like he was pouting.  

Finally, she decided she needed to know what this was all about.  She didn't like talking with him much.  He was just too....strange....for her usual tastes in friends.  But there was just something about him that she couldn't dismiss.  

"So....," she started.

He looked at her when she started to speak.  

"Um....," she continued.

"What is your problem?" he asked her.

"My problem?  What's your problem?" she retorted childishly.  "I was only....."

"What?  Talking?  It must be difficult for you.  You can't seem to put a whole sentence together," he insulted her.

"Nevermind, you jerk!" she shouted.  She grabbed her books off of the desk, put them in her backpack, and turned to leave.

"Uchiha, keep it down back there!" Aburame-sensei shouted at the girl.  "I expected more from you."

She turned bright pink with embarrassment.  She put the backpack on the desk and took her seat once again.  Why do I always get in trouble when he is the one being a pain? she thought to herself.

She looked over at Boruto again who was now giggling and pointing at her.  He was obviously enjoying her getting in trouble and not him.

"Now, let me make this announcement, then we will be done for today," Aburame-sensei said loudly so everyone could hear.  The room quieted down.  

"This is directly from Iruka-sensei himself," Aburame-sensei started.  "Students - you are now very close to graduation from the Academy.  Only a few more months and you will be genin.  Before that happens, you must pass the final exam.  As you are already aware, the final exam consists of two parts - a written test and a demonstration of ninjutsu.  In the past, creating a clone was the standard ninjustu used to determine if you were ready for graduation.  This year, I am introducing a change.  You may still produce a clone to pass the final exam.  However, we are also allowing other advanced-level jutsu to be performed.  Many of you come from different clans within the Leaf village and have been training for some time on clan-specific justu which is just as hard, if not harder, to perform than a clone jutsu."

Aburame-sensei looked up to indicate he was done reading.  "Are there any questions?"

Upon seeing no hands, he promptly dismissed the class.

Right away, Boruto stood up and shouted.  "Cool!"  He leaped over the desk to catch up with a few of his friends.

Sarada just watched him as she always did.  It didn't surprise her that Boruto would like that announcement.  After all, as the son of one of the greatest shinobi of all time, he already had quite a few jutsu under his belt to use.  He didn't even need to study.  Although she was an excellent student in the classroom, Sarada was a little behind in terms of jutsu.  As busy as the Hokage was (and she heard Boruto complain about it all the time), he still spent quite a bit of time with his family.  Sarada had gotten used to it being mostly just her and her mother.  Her father, Sasuke Uchiha, was out of the village on missions most of the time.  She had to admit she was a little disappointed that there was no one to take her under their wing and teach her.  

Sarada picked up her bag and started walking out of the classroom.  She exited the building near the large courtyard and immediately saw Boruto there standing in the grass surrounded by friends.

"...I know Aburame-sensei said we could do other things besides clones, but that's what we Uzumakis are known for, right?  Maybe I'll just stay with the clone.  But then again, Dad just started teaching me the Rasengan, so I don't have it down yet...but we have a few months until graduation, right?  I bet you I can nail it down before then...."

As soon as she heard him, her melancholy only deepened.  She decided just to go home and call it a day.  

Sarada Uchiha was the only child to Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha.  They lived in an attached house near the center of Konoha not far from the Academy.  She loved both of her parents dearly.  However, there was one thing that she thought made her life less-than-ideal.  The fact that her mother was one of the top medical shinobi in the world and was often called away to assist at the hospital was something she was quite proud of.  That, along with her father's frequent missions, meant that she was often left alone and not really trained in anything other than what she learned at the Academy.  

She opened the front door expecting to still be alone.  She took off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen.  The usual note was tacked onto the message board.  "At hospital, dinner in refrigerator, be home late."

Yes, she was still alone.  

Sarada ate her dinner, then went to sit for a while in the living room.  She couldn't get her mind off of her situation - a little jealous of Boruto, super-busy parents that frequently left her alone, and the final exam at the Academy.  She wanted to show everyone that she was capable beyond what was written in a book.  She wanted to show them a cool ninjustu that only an Uchiha could perform.

She sat back for a moment.  Can I even perform Uchiha jutsu?  I'm only half Uchiha...

Another question that only her mother or father could answer...and they were nowhere to be found.  

Sarada decided she wanted to get all this negativity out of her mind.  It was really beginning to weigh down on her.  One of her favorite things to do was go to the park down the street.  It wasn't very big, but it had some equipment like swings, a seesaw and a slide.  It also had a nice grassy area where games could be played if there were enough kids to play  There were always lots of kids around.  Maybe she would go there for an hour or two.  She hoped she would feel better about things when she returned home a little later.

Sarada's day of disappointment continued when she arrived at the park.  Only very small children happened to be there.  There was no one around her age at all - no one to talk to or play around with.  She walked over to the swings and sat down.  She didn't swing - only jostled herself back and forth.  

She didn't look up when someone else took the swing next to her.  She was too busy brooding.  The new person started to swing back and forth.  They had already gotten pretty high when Sarada noted the entire frame of the swing set was pulling quite a bit from their motion.  This was not a small kid....

Sarada was finally curious enough to turn her face from the ground to the person who was next to her.  It was a man, and not a young one at that.  Well, not a kid at least.  He looked to be someone about the same age as her father.  What on earth was this guy doing?  

The man looked down at the girl next to him who was finally staring at him.  He kept swinging for a minute or two, then dragged his feet along the ground to get himself to stop.  

"Do you often stare and not say anything?" the man asked.

"Um....actually, I....do," Sarada answered.  

"You should really do something about that," he added.  "It's not the most polite thing to do.  People might think you're a little strange."

Sarada got immediately defensive.  "And what should I do instead?  Talk to you?  You're a stranger.  I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"You're a little bundle of fire, aren't you?  Well, let me introduce myself.  The name is Seishin, but please just call me Shin," Shin said.

"Shin," Sarada repeated.

After a bit of silence, Shin spoke up again.  "And your name is..."

Sarada had never seen this man before, but there was something very calming about him.  He was dressed very casually in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.  He had the same sandals on that most shinobi wear, but he was obviously not working as a shinobi at the moment.  His hair was long and pulled back.  His eyes were also black....very much like her father's eyes.  Maybe that was why this man made her feel at ease.

"Before I tell you my name, can I ask you a few questions?" Sarada asked.

"Sure thing," he answered with a rather large smile.  

"Are you from the Leaf Village?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Are you a shinobi?" she asked.

"Yes.  Well, I was trained as a shinobi though I haven't been on a mission in a very long time," Shin answered.  

"You haven't?" she was surprised by that answer.  He definitely couldn't be retired at his age.   "Why not?"

"Let's just say that I was very sick and couldn't perform my duties any longer," he answered.  

"Sick?   Or injured?"  she asked.

"Oh, I've had my share of injuries, but no, it was an illness that caused it all to end," he clarified.  

"So what do you do now?" Sarada asked.

"It's funny you ask," Shin replied.  "Until today, I really hadn't been doing much of anything.  Mostly resting.  But today I was given permission to do a little volunteer work."

"Volunteer work?  Like what?" Sarada asked.

"Well, it was left up to me what exactly I was going to do.  I was thinking of exactly that when I saw you over here sitting on the swings looking so depressed," Shin explained.  "So I came over to say hi."

Sarada looked away from the man.  It very much seemed to her that he was just a nice guy concerned about a girl he saw alone on the swings.  It felt kind of nice to be asked about, actually.  Someone actually cared, even if it was a stranger.  

"My name is Sarada...Sarada Uchiha," she finally said aloud, turning to look at him again.

"Uchiha?  That's a pretty strong name you've got," he commented.  "Do you have a Sharingan?  Can you blow fireballs and all that?"

Sarada gave Shin a surprised look.  "Do you know about the Uchiha?"

"Don't most people know about the Uchiha?  I mean, they did help found this village," Shin replied.

"But they've been gone for over 10 years now.  As in, totally wiped out," Sarada added.

"They can't be completely wiped out.  You are here, aren't you?" Shin asked.

"I'm here, but I'm only half-Uchiha.  I don't even know if I'll ever get a Sharingan or be able to do any Uchiha jutsu," she complained.  "Not only that, but if I had any advanced jutsu, I could do it for my final exam at the Academy...but I don't!  I'm smart, but I can't do a lot of jutsu.  My Mom and Dad are never around to help me....."  She started to tear up after that little outburst.  She hadn't intended to vent about her situation, especially to this stranger.  Now that she had, she felt she had shared a little too much.  

Shin stayed silent for a few seconds.  "Is this why you are so depressed?"

"Yes," Sarada answered quietly.  She didn't want to embarrass herself any more.  

"Well then....let's get going," he got up, grabbed Sarada's arm and started to pull her off the swing.  

"Going?  Where exactly are we going?" Sarada asked.  Now Shin seemed a little scary.  Perhaps he was a pervert after all?

"Just over here," he replied with a nod of his head.  "You can' very well work on jutsu in the middle of the playground with all these kids running around."

"Huh?" she still questioned.

"I've decided that I'm going to try to help you.  This is my volunteer work for today," Shin replied.  "I was a shinobi after all.  I bet I can at least get you going on the right track in terms of a jutsu you can use for the final exam."

"Really?" she looked at him hopefully.

"We'll see," he replied.  "I've never met you before, so I don't know you that well.  But I bet I can help."  As he walked, he continued talking, "I can't help you with the Sharingan if you don't have one yet, but how about we work on the fireball jutsu?"

"Sure," Sarada replied.

Shin stopped.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a single piece of paper.  "Here.  Infuse your chakra into this."

"Um...ok," Sarada replied.  She concentrated her chakra into the fingers holding the paper and within three seconds, it burst into flames.  Sarada yelled out and dropped it.  Most of the paper had already burnt away by the time it reached the ground.  Shin stepped on the last remnants of the flames and it was out.  

"You are a fire-style user, just like an Uchiha should be.  There isn't any reason you couldn't do the fireball jutsu," Shin explained.  

"How did you - ?" Sarada started to ask.  

"Now, here are the hand signs for this justu," Shin showed Sarada the signals slowly one-by-one.  Snake.  Sheep.  Monkey.  Boar.  Horse.  And finally...Tiger."

Sarada repeated the signs with Shin all the while wondering why he just happened to know the signs.

"Did you work with an Uchiha when you were a shinobi?" Sarada asked.  

"Yes, I knew a few shinobi in the Uchiha clan," Shin smiled while answering.  He watched as Sarada signed the jutsu again.  

"In additional to weaving signs, you also have to infuse chakra.  You should feel it pooling in your chest.  When enough has amassed, you may begin to weave signs.  Bring the chakra up into your throat and out of your mouth.  Sometimes saying the jutsu aloud can help the process along.  I want you to say 'Fire-style:  Fireball Jutsu' as you start to send the chakra from your chest to your mouth," explained Shin.

Shin watched as Sarada went through the procedure several times.  

"Are you ready to give it a try for real?" Shin finally asked.

"Yes, but.....how exactly do you know all this?" Sarada asked.

Shin just smiled softly.  "Like I told you, I knew a few members of the Uchiha clan back in the day."

Sarada faced forward and exhaled a large breath.  She weaved the signs, built-up chakra, said the name of the jutsu aloud, put her hands to her mouth and....a small ball of flame did come out of her mouth.

"Did you see that?  I did it!"  Sarada exclaimed.  

"I did see it," Shin happily confirmed.  

"Let me try it again," she immediately wanted to get back to work.  

"Hold on," Shin interrupted.  He looked towards the street as if sensing something.

"What?" Sarada asked.

"I need to go pretty soon," he commented.  "But I wanted to give you a few final words before I left.  Keep practicing.  I have seen the fireballs from this jutsu get pretty big.  You might want to consider moving practice locations to a lake or a river somewhere so you don't catch anything on fire.  Just keep practicing, ok?  You will have it down by the time graduation rolls around."

"Yes, I will!" she exclaimed.

"Now, show me one more time," Shin asked.

Sarada weaved the signs and again, a small fireball erupted from her mouth.  

Shin looked over at the street again.  

"Now watch this," he said to her and winked.  He now weaved the signs, but when he held his hand up to his mouth, a gigantic fireball erupted from his mouth.  He was careful to blow up into the sky when he did it.  

Sarada was stunned.  "Hey, how did you - ?"

Just then, Sarada heard her name being called out.  

"Sarada!"

She turned and both her Mom and Dad were now running towards her from the sidewalk next to the street.

"Mom!  Dad!  Did you see what I did?" she asked excitedly.

Sasuke got down on one knee so he was looking Sarada in the eye.  "Who was that just now?" he asked.

"And where did he go?" Sakura threw in for good measure.

" I'm not sure," Sarada answered.  "But he helped me learn the Uchiha fireball jutsu!  I don't know how, but he could do it, too!"

"Did you get his name, Sarada?"

"He said his name was Seishin, but that I should call him Shin," Sarada explained.

"Seishin?" Sakura muttered aloud while Sasuke stood back up.  "Doesn't that mean....spirit?"

"And he could perform this jutsu?" Sasuke wondered aloud.  

"Sasuke, from afar, he looked just like - ," Sakura said, but didn't finish her thought.

"I know," he agreed.  He looked down at Sarada who was still beaming from ear to ear.

Thank you, Itachi...I don't know how, but thank you.

"Let's go make your father something to eat," Sakura said to Sarada.  "He just got home from an important mission."

"Sure thing!" Sarada agreed.

Sakura looked at Sasuke.  They could both tell that whatever happened this afternoon really did have a profound effect on Sarada.  

I'm just glad they had an opportunity to meet each other, even if only this one time...