Sadara Uchiha was running again. Admittedly not away from an enemy ninja, or away from Bolt Uzumaki, not even away from an enraged mother; she was just running. The cool air, not yet warmed by the rising sun, whipped her short hair black off her face as she took in the serene morning atmosphere. The Village Hidden in the Leaves had remained a peaceful place long since the end of the war, and a fresh generation of shinobi thrived under the command of Naruto Uzumaki: the Seventh Hokage.

Sadara's regular morning run came to an end as she reached her home: a flint cottage on the village outskirts. Of course the fine architecture of the small house meant little to the young kunoichi, but the homely atmosphere suited her mother perfectly and she knew that Sakura adored it. Sadara's rosette mother deserved the perfect home; after all with the long term absences of her husband, she wanted to give her daughter the best up-bringing possible- as any mother would.

It slightly saddened Sakura that her baby's childhood was fast drawing to a close as she embraced her shinobi lifestyle. With little input from her father, Sadara (now thirteen years old) was the youngest by a year on a team with just one other Genin, and soon faced the prospect of the Chunin exams.

Although few people spoke of him, everybody knew Sadara's father. Uchiha Sasuke, at the request of his best friend 'the Dobe', had returned to the village after an epic victory in the war and 'fighting out their differences'. After the development of their prosthetic arms, despite Naruto's stubborn arguments, the lonely shinobi found it difficult to settle into village life; hindered also by the lack of acceptance from Konoha's citizens. Eventually, thanks to the input of the Sixth Hokage it was decided that Sasuke was to be a representative of Konoha, travelling to the other nations to keep tabs on the peace.

Content with her morning workout, Sadara entered the rustic kitchen to find her mother humming absently as she flitted around the kitchen.

"Morning mum," Sadara greeted casually.

"Morning sweetie," Sakura responded with a smile, "I trust that your training was satisfactory?"

Sakura grinned cheekily at her daughter. Sadara rolled her eyes at her mother's teasing, a playfully regular occurrence due to Sadara's supposed inheritance of her father's perfectionism.

"How was your meeting with Uzumaki- Sama?" Sadara continued, referring to her mother's previous evening engagements.

"Ah, about that," Sakura began, pausing in her jobs for a moment, "Naruto has requested that I spend a couple of days in Sunagakure in order to assist the medical staff in herb remedies."

Sadara's face remained impassive as her mother continued.

"Including travelling I should be gone for a week at the most. Will you be okay without me?" Sakura appeared apprehensive at her daughter's impending response.

Of course Sadara had been home alone before (if only for a day or so), and she had completed overnight missions too.

"Of course mum, I'll be fine," she offered a small smile.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, "of course I'll get Aunt-Ino and Hinata to come and check on you every so often, so you won't be completely alone."

Sadara cringed slightly at the prospect of being under the watchful eye of Ino Yamanaka, whom had been dubbed as her aunt.

"Really mum, I'll be okay. Besides it will be good for you to catch up with the Suna medics," Sadara hugged her mother around her soft waist, Sakura laughed musically and ruffled her daughter's hair.

Breakfast passed in the usual fashion and Sadara was soon kitting out for the day's team training. Her shuriken pouch was fastened on the back of her left hip and a kunai holster was fastened also to her left thigh. The young ninja also donned a pair of burgundy Capri-pants, with black shinobi sandals and a blue shirt with one short and one long sleeve. A narrow collar buttoned around the right side of her neck and the right long sleeve was sporting the Uchiha crest and a smaller Haruno symbol underneath. Bandages protected her lower left arm exposed by the short sleeve from elbow to wrist, and her short inky black hair loosely framed her red glasses.

The sun had fully risen when Sadara left for training ground two.

In the patchy areas of forest on the far outskirts of the village a fourteen-year-old and his sensei also headed for training ground two, unaccompanied by the third raven haired member of the squad.

Bolt Uzumaki, son of the Seventh Hokage and Nephew to the Hyuga Heiress, also the spitting image of his father right from the dishevelled golden locks to the chibi whisker marks. Having graduated from the academy aged twelve he was placed as the odd one out with the youngest graduate: Sadara Uchiha. Sarutobi Konohamaru completed the team as a Jounin Sensei and together they made quite an unruly bunch.

The Seventh Hokage sat grumpily in his office enclosed by a mountain of paperwork. His advisor and right-hand-man: Shikamaru Nara sat to the side of the room leaning over a map whilst talking into a radio.

Naruto was gratefully interrupted when Imuzo burst through the door.

"Hokage-sama! There's an enemy ninja attempting to enter the village by force."

"Give me the details!" the blonde commanded standing up.

"He has deflected all attacks from an ANBU squad and his identity remains obscured by a travelling cloak. No identification of a fighting style as he has only deflected the attacks without fighting back."

A knowing smile played on Naruto's lips; there was only one ninja who could cause so much trouble upon arrival.

"Thanks Imuzo, I knew there was a reason I kept you and Kotetsu on the gate," Naruto smiled cheekily at the other ninja who sighed heavily.

Shikamaru smirked knowingly having already joined the dots.

"We'll be there right away."

At the gate a total of six ANBU and Jounin were slumped on the floor, masks askew.

"Ya know, people aren't going to stop treating you like an enemy if you don't stop acting like one," Naruto chuckled at the hooded figure.

"Tch."

"And I see that your time in Iwa has expanded your use of vocabulary immensely," the blond stated sarcastically, still smiling.

"The Tuschikage sends her regards," the hood spoke at last, "and congratulations Dobe, your ANBU are more efficient than last time I came home."

"Teme," Naruto nodded, "come on, you've got a mission to report on."

The two men vanished in a leap, leaving Imuzo and Kotetsu clueless at the gate.

"Okay team, the Chunin exams are a little under a month away and I want the two of you to spend the coming weeks developing your own fighting style," Konohamaru addressed the two Genin.

"Hai Sensei," they chorused.

"You may choose a particular weapon to specialise in or there could be a family technique that you want to alter into your own style," Konohamaru instructed his two pupils.

Predictably, her blonde team mate launched into a 'lecture' of his options, and Sadara saw little things she could to with family techniques. Her mother of course had educated her in first aid and basic chakra infusion but it wasn't really a style which came naturally to her; and she scarcely saw her father so the Uchiha techniques were void (not that she wasn't aware of them).

That left the young kunoichi to either specialise in a weapon or her affinity, or both. Sadara remembered in the academy being taught about weaponry being combined with a ninja's affinity; like wind users running chakra through a blade to enhance attack power.

"So what style are you gonna learn Salad-Chan?" Bolt questioned brightly.

Sadara scowled slightly at her nickname but answered the blonde anyway.

"I don't know yet."

"Don't worry about it Sarada," Konohamaru assured, placing a hand on her shoulder, " take a few days to think about it, a lot of ninja find it difficult to chose a style they find natural."

Sadara nodded mutely and her sensei turned his attention to both of them together.

"Anyway, so the exams are about a month away so let's get physical training down. Since we're only a three man cell I need to keep the two of you on similar levels in order to function to maximum potential. You two are kind of at a disadvantage."

"We're gonna be epic! You got it!" Bolt shouted.

Sadara shook her head but laughed softly.

"You've definitely got your father's stubbornness Bolt," Konohamaru said, " Anyway, Bolt you're working on stealth and Sadara, weapons practice,"

Stealth was Sadara's game. At the age of ten her stealth stats were at the same level as a low level Chunin and she was often commended on the skill.

Midday passed quickly and at about two o'clock Bolt's stomach started to complain.

"Well looks like we need to educate Bolt's stomach in stealth and endurance too," Konohamaru chuckled, "Okay guys, the two of you take a break for the rest of the day and tomorrow's training won't start 'till six PM, I need to test the two of you on independent survival skills."

"Do you guys wanna go and get BBQ?" Bolt asked.

"Sorry Bolt you can't," Konohamaru stated.

"Huh?" Bolt looked totally confused.

"You're taking your sister to see Hanabi."

"Sometimes I wonder who my father is supposed to be," Bolt grumbled, slouching away.

Konohamaru sighed and followed off in the direction of the blonde, "See you tomorrow Sadara."

A/N

So here's chapter 1. I thought up the idea for this fanfiction not long after Naruto chapter 700 came out but I wanted to get a few chapters ahead so that I'm less likely to get behind with regular updates. I have exams this summer so if I'm going to get behind, it will be about May- June time but I hope that won't happen.

I know the 'Boruto: the Movie' character designs were recently released and my decription doesn't match Sarada's design but that's just what I had in mind when I was imagining her. I might upload a picture of how I imagine her to look in my head.

Comments are appreciated as this is the first thing I've written which isn't a one-shot. (I'm open to suggestions but please no flames.)