"Sarada!"
The sharp voice of his mother cut through the clearing. The trees were bare and the ground hard and cold.
"Yes!"
Isui watched as Sarada attacked their mother head-on. She was covered in mutt and had a fierce look on her face. Her arm drew back ready to punch.
Isui sat on his burning ass, shoulders rising and falling as he was breathing in and out forcefully, and observed how mother blocked all of her attacks with grace. Hell, their mother stood, high heels still firmly rooted on the ground at the same spot in the clearing where she had walked to at the start of the training session. Her clothing was spotless and not a single of her shining rose locks had even dared to move out of place.
"Ah!"
Sarada moaned out in discomfort as her body landed on the ground, slithering next to him. He could emphasize with her.
"Isui!"
Isui's attention snapped back to his mother as he stood up, automatically falling into a fighting stance.
"Yes!"
His black eyes meet his mother's green ones. Her graze was hard like jade.
"Use them!" she shouted.
Excitement washed over him and Isui reached for his chakra, sending it to his eyes.
Black coals lit up with crimson flames.
He charged, his one tomoe sharingan eyes searching for an opportunity to attack.
The fight lasted longer than it should have with his mother deliberately giving him openings to uncover.
Soon he covered his face with his arms as he was planted face-first next to Sarada.
Mother is extra motivated to beat us today, he thought as he sat up on his knees. His head spun as he felt the price from using his bloodline limit kicking in.
His body slumped forward.
Isui turned on his stomach. He blinked at his mothers above him. A worried expression on her face.
"You alright?"
Isui nodded.
"Your eyes alright?"
"My eyes fare better than my butt, Kaa-san."
Sarada gave him an amused look through her red-rimmed glasses.
"Sarada when you have still enough energy to tease your brother, how about an extra round."
"Please no. I am all out of energy."
Came the quick reply.
"Alright, that concludes the training session for today...
Isui can you stand?"
"Yes."
"Well then, let's go home for dinner."
Not much time had passed since the incident. In three months, Isui and his sister would enter the Konoha academy.
Enrolling in the Ninjutsu courses was the first step to becoming a Shinobi. If he passed them he would become a Genin.
Nowadays, there were also other classes for civilian kids these days but that did not interest Isui greatly.
He wanted to learn how to mold into the various jutsus he caught glimpses of now and then.
Isui had many questions and was determined to get answers.
Speaking of answers..., he thought.
"Sarada would you mind finishing cleaning the dishes alone?"
He pleaded with his sister.
After cleaning themselves from all the grass, mutt, and other grime, they had dinner.
Their mother then excused herself from her study because she had to prepare for her soon-starting night shift.
The twins were cleaning the dishes.
Sarada stopped scrubbing a plate at his question. Eyebrows narrowing slightly, she looked up.
Cleaning the dishes always was a joint effort. They altered the takes every day. Today Sarada washed the tableware while Isui dried them.
Sarada and Isui both enjoyed cooking. It was something both had to learn at a young age since their mothers often had to work long hours in the Konoha hospital or her mental health care clinic. No matter how much they quarreled, the kitchen had always been a war-free zone for them. They cooked together and they cleaned together.
Reading the look on her face, Isui immediately followed with an explanation.
"I just remembered that I wanted to discuss something with Kaa-san before she leaves. I make the dishes tomorrow alone if you want to."
"No need for that."
Sarada cut in sharply and resumed working, making Isui smile.
"Thank you, Nee-san."
Isui put the towel down and dried his hand on his shorts.
At the door to his mother's study, he stopped and knocked.
"Come in Isui," rang the feminine voice from inside. She must have identified his presents with her chakra.
He opened the door and stepped inside.
"Kaa-san I want to talk with you before you leave."
Isui closed the door, while he said that.
His mother now wore her usual red dress and was standing next to the desk. An open bag stuffed with clothing set on it.
"Wait for a second."
She scrutinized the bag as if she went over a list in her head, then she pulled the zipper shut and turned her attention to him.
"I wanted to ask if there is an advanced method of how I can increase my chakra level. I feel like I am making no progress."
His mother leaned against the table and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"There is none," she said earnestly.
"Chakra is forged by combining one's physical energy with one's spiritual energy. Increasing both will take time and training."
His mother smiled warmly.
"Is it because of your Sharingan?" she asked.
Isui noded.
"Every time I use my eyes it feels like my chakra reserves burn out thrice as quickly. It makes me feel dizzy.", he explained.
"The fact that you can determine the exact cost of the use of the Sharingan. Is a feat in its own right."
Isui knew his mother was withholding information. She always did such a thing. His body tightened.
"It is not good enough," he yelled frustrated.
"You will lean more in the Academy, Isui. Do not try to break things over your knee. It is not healthy for your body." came the sharp reply from his mother who came up to him and laid a hand on top of his head.
Isui felt the warmth of her hand dispel any anger that treated to breach free from him. He let out a long breath.
"Your Chakra control is greater for your age and your chakra reserves are higher than mine when I was your age."
Isui knew it was meant to make him feel better, but he could not shake the lingering feeling of disappointment.
A vacant spot formed over his heart.
He had questions so many that he could not count them and his mother as much as he loved her was not the right person to ask them, he realized.
She would always see him as her son, a little boy to nurture and protect.
He needed to find the answers elsewhere.
His mother bend down to plant a kiss on his hairline and let go of him as he relaxed again, giving him another warm smile. Then she turned and snatched the bag from the table.
"I have to go now."
With that, she ushered him out of her study. He followed her to the entrance where Sarada waited to get her goodbye kiss.
"Do not forget to meditate before going too bed."
"Yes, Kaa-san" Sarada replied.
His mother gave a side glance to Isui and then slipped her heels on.
"Good Night you two.", she said cheerfully.
"Good Night, Kaa-san" Isui and Sarada responded in unison.
After his mother departed for work, Isui went straight into his room.
The most interesting part of his room was the wall over his desk, because of the countless pictures decorating it. The pictures ranged from animals, flying kunai, and shuriken to faces of his family and friends.
Isui picked up drawing shortly after his Sharingan had manifested. He drew everything that left an impact on him. He preferred doing elaborate pencil sketches because something about the black, gray, and white ecstatic called to him. His friend Inojin on the other hand liked using color. It was he and his dad who taught him how to draw. On his last birthday, Inojin gifted him an expensive pencil set. It lay open on his desk three of the pencils scattered over his newest picture. It was a half-finished sunflower.
He sat down in front of it, taking his time to examine it carefully, mulling over the next step when he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in," he called.
Sarada stepped into his room, looking expecting at him.
"What can I do for you, Nee-san?"
Sarada immediately occupied his bed. Her feet rose from the ground as she drew her legs upwards to hug her knees.
When she did that, Isui knew from experience that he was in for a longer discussion.
"What did you and Kaa-san talk about?
"I asked her for a more advanced training technic to increase my chakra level so I can use my sharingan longer."
Isui lifted himself from the chair and dropped onto the bed next to his sister.
"And?" Sarada asked, not even trying to hide her curiosity.
Isui sighed, giving his sister all the answers she needed.
"Nothing, but I know she is holding back information. It is like she does not understand me at all. What use has having the sharingan when I can't use it when I can't think it to the next level because my body collapses after a few minutes after activation of it?"
Isui spat out as the level of frustration rose, clouding his mind.
"Stop it!"
Sarada let go of her knees her legs gliding down to the ground again. She took off her glasses and looked at them for a while. Her graze became was sorrowful. The light diminished slightly.
Isui eyed Sarada anxiously but waited patiently for her to continue.
"You know... you should be glad that you have the sharingan in the first place."
Tears formed in Sarada's eyes as she played with her glasses.
Isui pressed his lips together tightly, trying to find the right words.
This was not the first time he caught her doubting herself but it was a rarity for her to voice it out loud.
The silence between them made him replay what she had said. He had been trapped in his own emotions when it happened.
Isui suddenly felt like he had been splashed with cold water as realization washed over him. He never considered how having the sharingan in the first place affected Sarada. Here he sat moaning about something that could be viewed as a gift to others. He never considered how she felt when he used it in training. How he learned new things easier, and faster than Sarada when using it.
Isui bent over taking her face in his hands. He used his jumps to wipe away the tears.
"I am sorry." he started.
"Sarada you know just because you have glasses does not mean you can't awaken the sharingan. Mother said so."
"I know it is just... the sickness I had..."
Isui felt bad. He hugged his twin sister tightly.
She continued to cry on his shoulder, wetting his shirt.
Of course, he knew of the sickness that caused her sister's eyes to go bad.
He would have known.
"I am sorry," he repeated.
After a while, Sarada pushed him away. She sat up and put her glasses back on. She jumped up on her feet and lifted her arms to stretch herself.
"Crap. That was more emotion than I can tolerate."
"I am so..."
"Don't say that again." she snapped at him.
"Just don't complain to me about that ever again, Okay?"
Isui could only nod.
"Good night," Sarada said with a last look at him, and then she was gone before he could react.
Isui almost forgot about the meditation exercises this evening.