The Prince and the Serpent

Sarada the Fire Mage

It is amazing how a bath can make a person feel like new. Clean and refreshed with the events of that morning feeling very far away, Boruto prepared to go to the training grounds. He was amazed at his luck that Lord Sasuke had agreed to train him personally. He was practically skipping when he pulled open his door and was met with the stern figure of Sarada. Fuck, his luck had run out.

She stood in the exact center of his doorway blocking his path. She was dressed in her usual floor-length crimson robes with handsome gold flame embroidery on the hems. Her arms were folded across her chest. Matching and perfectly manicured crimson fingernails flashed as dangerously as her eyes which were the same color onyx as her glossy hair, mostly hidden underneath her enormous hat. Tall, pointy, and with the stereotypical wide, floppy brim, it made quite a statement perched atop Sarada's otherwise immaculate form.

'Legend' had it that it was a gift from her father which he had brought back from a far off land. Once, it had been as black as her hair and eyes but the years had worn at the color until it faded to more of a black-gray that grew lighter at the creases and edges. The pointed top, which was once proud and true, now flopped slightly to one side. An old patch sat covering an imperfection close to the base by the brim and was clearly sewn on by a novice. Boruto remembered how the hat had come by said imperfection. It may or may not have been the result of an out of control lightning spell that Boruto may or may not have been playing around with. Sarada had been furious.

Many a servant offered to repair it for her but she had refused. She never allowed anyone to touch her hat and she wasn't about to start then. She had repaired it herself, and it showed. Brilliant fire mage she may be but a seamstress she was not.

"Hello, Sarada. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Boruto asked, deliberately over formal and dripping with sarcasm. Her black eyes narrowed further and flashed dangerously from behind her red framed glasses and within the shadow of her beloved hat.

"What's this I hear about you getting yourself cursed?" She demanded, straight to the point as usual.

"I dunno. Shit happens?" Boruto quipped. He had just spent the last half hour pushing those thoughts out of his head and he did not want to start thinking about it again. Sarada gave him a long-suffering sigh. Boruto wanted to roll his eyes.

"How many times do I have to tell you! Your actions are very unbecoming of a future King-"

"If you want the job, you can have it!" Boruto snapped, accidentally revealing more truth than he had intended. He shouldered her out of the way and stormed in the direction of the training grounds. She stared after his retreating back, momentarily frozen by shock. Unfortunately, she recovered quickly and jogged to catch up with him.

"You don't really mean that." She said as she fell into step beside him. Thankfully, she had dropped her 'lecture' voice but Boruto knew it was only temporary.

"Don't I?" He asked testily. He knew she would make a better ruler than him and he was sure he wasn't the only one who thought so. It was probably the reason so many were keen on them marrying. If he were honest, he would much rather be like Sasuke. Being the King's shadow would be infinitely better than being King. It was fun to fantasize but he knew he couldn't entertain it as an actual possibility. Sarada was quiet for a moment but it wasn't long before she swapped tactics.

"It isn't fair. Why do you get to spend time with papa?" She griped.

"Don't complain! He's your dad. This is the first time he's agreed to train me so don't ruin this for me." He knew it was snide but he didn't care. Predictably, that set her off and they bickered the rest of the way to the training grounds. Only Sasuke's hard stare finally drove them into silence. To Boruto's immense irritation, she didn't leave. Instead, she sat in a huff on the sidelines and watched his entire training session without saying a word. At some point, Shikadai, clean and changed, found his way to the training grounds as well. He must have spoken to his mother, judging by the angry red hand print on his face that was even visible at a distance. Boruto assumed Sarada saw it too since she refrained from giving him her usual tongue lashing.