Identity

OVA: Growing Up

As my children grew older, they grew closer. Soon they were going on missions together. Then hanging out. Then training. They talked often, even though Sarada did most of the talking.

Now Sarada is sixteen, and Takashi is thirteen. Takashi has his own squad with Himawari and another student from their year.

Sarada grew into a beautiful young lady. Her hair reached her shoulder blades and she gained curves in all the right places. Sometimes Sasuke seems worried she's too beautiful.

Takashi's hair seemed to grow faster than Sarada's. By age thirteen it reached his mid back. I've had to trim it on more than one occasion.

He developed natural muscle, as all boys do, but he doesn't look ridiculous. His blank look had turned into a stern one that most often mistook for anger. Though that didn't stop his fangirls.

Sarada had certainly become a formidable kunoichi and Sasuke couldn't have been prouder. I felt the same about Takashi. He had finally grown up.

I was in my study, trying to decode an encrypted message from Amegakure. Naruto had suspicions of an uprising starting against Konoha since he killed their leader twenty years ago.

In my opinion if they were planning something they would've done something by then. Either that, or they were planning something very big.

Nonetheless, he had requested I take on the challenge. I didn't really mind, I got to be home. My schedule is almost always full with being an ANBU and the head of a hospital.

When it began to get late, there was a knock at my door. I stood and went to answer it, revealing my son. He looked concerned, shaken even. "Hey, honey. You alright?"

"May I come in, Kaa-san?" I nodded and stepped aside. Takashi enters my study and seats himself on the floor. After closing the door I join him.

"What's the matter?" I asked. He seemed hesitant, almost scared. "Kaa-san...my eyes....." I couldn't believe it. Could it really have been happening?

"...What about them?" I pried, trying to get him to talk to me. "They burn... Kaa-san, what's happening?" I looked closer at his eyes. I gasped.

"Takashi...." He looked at me worriedly. I enveloped him in a hug and squeezed him tight. "Takashi this is wonderful!" My son didn't seem to understand.

I pulled away and gave him a bright smile. He was finally ready. "Kaa-san what do you mean?" He gave me a questioning look.

"I mean you're finally ready!" I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it before. The sudden change in expression was a sign of maturity. His eyes held a dark pink glow.

"Ready for what, Kaa-san?" I was finally able to show him. "For this." I concentrated, then opened my eyes to reveal to him what he had been waiting for. His mouth was agape.

I didn't need to utter a word. He already knew what my distinctive pattern meant. "Mankai." He whispered in awe. I took his hands in mine like any giddy mother would.

"You're finally ready Takashi; it's time for you to learn Mankai." His eyes widened by the smallest fraction. "I can?"

"You can!" I squeeled like a teenager. But I remembered critical information and my attitude changed by a full 180°. My voice became hushed.

"Listen to me very closely," he leaned in and nodded. "You can tell your father about your growth, even show him if you'd like, your sister too, but no one outside of the family,"

His eyebrows knitted, but he didn't question me. "This is a Haruno clan secret. Your father and Sarada are technically a part of the clan due to marriage; as we are Uchiha,"