Ch 4: Sasuke vs. Isamu

Sasuke waited at the meeting spot of the old Team 7. He was listening to the sounds of nature since he had arrived. It was peaceful… a wonderful time to clear your head without interruption. As much as he was trying to deny it, yesterday was bugging him to no end. ‘It’s none of my business.’ He concluded and turned his gaze to the direction where he had heard soft footsteps. Of course he had expected Sakura, but not Isamu who was accompanying her. Sasuke was observing the two; he wanted to see how they interacted with each other since he was told they were friends. Sakura avoided Sasuke’s scrutinizing eyes, her own to the ground. Isamu looked like he was disappointed that she wouldn’t spare a glance at him or that she didn’t tell her own comrades that they were engaged and told them nothing about him.

The Uchiha heard the other male sigh in defeat, before he gave the boy a friendly smile. “Good morning Sasuke.”

“Hn. Morning.” Sasuke answered monotonously, he figured he should be somewhat polite to the visitor, even if manners weren’t really his thing. He was surprised with himself when he acknowledged the other, “Sakura.”

The woman nearly jumped at the greeting, there were a few times he had done so, and they were very, very rare occasions, “Oh, good morning Sasuke.” She replied as she took her own place on the other side of the red bridge and Isamu staying where he was.

“I should probably go; I have a couple things to do.”

“Oh, ok Isamu. See you later.” Sakura was hesitant to say those words.

“Sasuke! Sakura! Isamu!” the ever hyperactive blonde screamed from a distance.

“Good morning Naruto,” the new comer greeted with a friendly wave as Naruto stopped after running past him.

“Hey where’re you going?”

“I have a couple things to do and I remember you have training so train hard.”

“Why don’t you stay with us?” Naruto asked. “So we can see what you can do.”

“But this is your time to practice, I would be intruding.”

“It may not be such a bad thing,” this time Sasuke spoke, still not even looking at him. “We know what each other can do already. It would be better if we had someone else with a couple new jutsu. And personally, Naruto’s Shadow Clone Jutsu gets really annoying.” He smirked while he was waiting the blonde’s reaction; he had even heard Sakura try to control a small giggle.

“What! How could you say that? Well if there’s anything of yours that annoys me it’s your Chidori. Besides, you know I’m way cooler than you anyway.”

“Whatever,” the Uchiha answered.

“Sasuke! I’ll get y-“

“Yo.” The familiar voice of the copy-nin popped up.

“Did you get lost on the path of life again Kakashi?” Sakura inquired with her eyebrow raised and arms crossed.

“Nope. Sai won’t be here today, he has to do a report and I see we have a guest. Isamu, will you be joining us since we are missing a member?”

“I had a few errands to run-“

“Ah, c’mon Isamu.” Naruto started whining. “It’s not everyday I get to see a new technique and you may have some cool ones. C’mon say you’ll stay, and besides, we can hang out and get to know the one who’s marrying our Sakura. Kind of like a get together so we can get to know each other. Become friends. What do you say?” the blonde now had his hands clamped in front of his face.

Isamu looked at him with a look of uncertainty, “I guess I could, but I wouldn’t like to-“

“Cool! He’s staying Kakashi!” the man grinned brightly. The four sweat dropped.

“Ok, we could spar. I’ll let you chose partners this time.”

“Ooh, ooh, I’m going to fight Isa-“ Naruto was interrupted.

“I would like to see his moves first.” Sasuke insisted.

“Hey, no fair, I called first.”

“Idiot, you can watch and observe.”

“Any why would I do that?” Naruto crossed his arms annoyed.

“You don’t always get everything you want in life, Naruto. Deal with it.” Sasuke stated dryly.

“So why didn’t you apply that to your life years ago?” the blonde knew he crossed a line, Sakura and Kakashi were now looking between them.

Sasuke turned his head to glare at the man who had always wanted to be Hokage. “Because that was something that had to happen.”

Isamu had heard about Sasuke’s past from Sakura. How his clan was murdered by his own brother and how Sasuke was driven to kill him because of vengeance. ‘All of us have our own paths to follow. Whether they hurt another,’ his first thought was of what Sakura said she went through, he remembered seeing her afterward. ‘Or cause another change.’ Isamu was still watching the two with their glaring match. “I accept your proposal to a friendly spar, Sasuke.”

The said man smirked as he heard this and Naruto’s cries. “What? Isamu are you sure you want to go up against him? I mean, right now?”

“I can spar with you afterwards, if you wish.”

“Ah, you’ll be too tired after going against Sasuke.”

“How about tomorrow then? So that way you have time to prepare.” Isamu suggested.

“That sounds reasonable.” The blonde beamed and he turned to his best friend. “Hey Sasuke, you better not kill him, because I want to see what he’s got.”

“Hn. Loser.” Naruto watched Sasuke walk off with his hands in his pockets as steam was coming from his ears.

“Why I’m gonna-“ he cracked his knuckles and was starting to walk toward him when Sakura grabbed him.

“Naruto, he was just joking.”

“Joking? Please Sakura, the day Sasuke jokes is the day when he finds himself a girlfriend. I mean, isn’t it time he starts working on his second goal?”

Sasuke stopped, and tilted his head back threateningly. “What was that, Naruto?”

“Hehe.” Naruto was enjoying this all too well.

Sakura smacked her forehead. ‘Naruto you idiot. But you do have a point.’

“I think what he says is true Sasuke.” Everyone looked at the copy-nin, three sweat drops formed on his former pupils’ heads – as he had that every perverted book in his hands. “You should be on the prowl for a woman Sasuke. To help with that last goal of yours.”

“Not you too,” Isamu said, “you also have those ridiculous books?”

“You know of them?” Naruto asked, all three young adults attention to him.

“Sadly, yes.” The visitor shook his head. “My father happens to like them.”

“So, did you read them?” Kakashi asked, glancing over his book.

“As if I’d rot my brain reading those books, as many times my father had tried forcing me to. I have always preferred training over insignificant literature. No offence to you, Kakashi.” Isamu added, he figured Kakashi wasn’t even listening, because he didn’t answer.

‘Insignificant literature,’ the copy-nin thought. ‘The nerve. I wonder what his father would do if he burnt them.’

“My father was rather devastated when he discovered his books missing…” Isamu continued explaining to the others, who looked actually interested in the subject. But that was when Kakashi interrupted.

“What! His entire collection missing! Who would do such a thing?” the four looked at him. “You did it. Didn’t you?” he accused Isamu – who shook his head again.

“As much as I despise those books, I respect my father and know not to mess with things that belong to him.”

“Then who did it?!” Kakashi was going crazy. He was twitching.

“My mother despised those books even more than I did.” Smirks, smiles and giggles were going around as they watched Kakashi doing some sort of jig. “She said that it was degrading to women, and makes men look like scumbags, pigs and other offending terms. Shall we go Sasuke?”

“Hn.” Sasuke readied himself, his katana behind him. “Anything goes?”

“Anything, this will be as if we are on a mission.” Isamu agreed as Sasuke disappeared from sight. The other looked around quickly, searching for any signs of the Uchiha. With haste, Isamu spun on his heel and blocked a fist in front of his face.

“Hn. Not many have been able to counter that.” Sasuke smirked. “This should be fun.”

“I hope to put on a good show.” Isamu replied as he dodged a kick from his opponent, grabbing his ankle. Sasuke twisted his body to where his hands were on the ground as he swung his other foot to Isamu’s face. His other foot slipping out of the Prince’s grip.

Splash!

‘A water clone.’ Sasuke thought.

“Actually, not a water clone.” Isamu kicked Sasuke in chest, sending him to the trunk of a tree. The dark haired man looked up at him, curiously. “It’s actually a jutsu that makes the enemy believe it was a clone when it actually was the real opponent.” Sasuke stood up, unsheathing his sword.

Two kunai were in Isamu’s hands and he twisted them around his fingers as Sasuke swung his blade forward. Metal clashed as the two kunai were in the shape of an ‘X’ holding the katana. He took this as his time to kick, one that landed in Sasuke’s ribs even when he tried to evade it. The dark haired man staggered back, nearly dropping his weapon because of the pain. He realized that if Isamu had kicked harder he would have broken a few, right now they were fractured. The Uchiha disappeared from sight and hid in the shelter of a tree – he moved his hand to his side. ‘His kicks are almost like Sakura’s.’ he winced as he lightly removed his hand. ‘He’s better than I thought; of course he would have to go through rigorous training if he’s to be the next heir.’ He sensed Isamu was unable to discover his location, so he used this as his chance.

The visitor met a tree after receiving a solid punch in the jaw. He looked up and smiled kindly at the Uchiha as he wiped the blood from his lip as he regained his footing as he leaped for the other dark haired man, and reappearing behind him, kicking him in the back.

A log stood in his place. ‘Replacement Jutsu.’ The black haired boy with white highlights jumped backwards as he avoided a barrage of small bladed weapons, which embedded themselves where he stood only moments ago. Reaching in his pouch, Isamu quickly released his own kunai, pinning the place where Sasuke also had been before reappearing behind the older man, yards away.

Sasuke made a few hand seals, ‘Fireball Jutsu!’ a large flame was released.

Isamu had seen a large ball of fire coming at him. Quickly he formed his own hand seals and pressed them on the earth. ‘Found some.’ In front of him a small puddle of mud began forming at a quick pace and increased in size so it was about three yards in between the two opponents. The water began to spin as if it were a drain – pulling the oncoming fire toward it.

‘What in the-‘ Sasuke had never seen a jutsu that would attract his great fireball toward it. This was the first. His fireball was pulled under with the swirling water and he could see the heat was slowly drying the ground, but not before his jutsu had disappeared – allowing the ground to return to its normal state. “Hn.” Sasuke smirked, “Impressive, to some extent, though you’ll have to know better jutsu than that.”

“Don’t forget, you asked for it, Sasuke.” Isamu answered with his own glint of interest.

The other three had watched, they were both on even terms, but every once in a while, one would land a blow or jutsu on the other. Sasuke and Isamu sparred until they were nearly out of breath. Both on another side, panting heavily. “So it’s true.” Isamu said between breaths. Currently he and Sasuke had a moment to themselves before the others came up to them. Sasuke waited for him to go on. “The Uchiha truly are amazing fighters and I had the honor of going against one on friendly terms. I would hate to go against one on the battlefield as an enemy.” The Prince of Waterfall smiled through his physical pain. “I expect no less from future generations, Sasuke. The Uchiha must live on.” Before Sasuke could comment back, the others reached them, unknown of the conversation between the two.

“Whoa!” Naruto shouted, “You two were at it for, I don’t know, like forever!”

“Yeah, you two seemed to be pretty even, and this spar of yours lasted for about three hours.” Sakura said, as she knelt down beside her fiancé to heal his injuries. “You both did well, and bet each other pretty badly, but not enough to kill. Which I am thankful for.” The medic now had her attention completely on Isamu as she was healing his jaw and a few other scrapes and bruises, even some fractured bones.

While this was going on, Naruto and Kakashi snuck over to Sasuke. The blonde pat his friends back, “So what do you think? He’s got some pretty amazing jutsu, huh Sasuke?”

“Hn. I went easy on him…” Sasuke stole a quick glance at the engaged couple.

Naruto, who was looking at them, turned his head back toward Sasuke, “Right… sure you were…”

“I have to say, even some of those jutsu I haven’t seen.” Kakashi said as he again pulled out his book.

“Pft, c’mon Kakashi, you’re old! What do you mean you haven’t seen some of those jutsu?” Naruto was being his twelve year old self when Sakura made her way passed him and over to Sasuke, who was hiding the surprise as she placed a green hand on his shoulder.

The torn muscle was beginning to mend under her gentle touch. He was watching her; she noticed his gaze and gave one of her sincerest smiles. The ones that made him cringe inwardly. There was always something about those smiles that made him feel happy, even if it was for a few moments. But it was there.

Next, she moved to his ribs. “Sasuke, need you to take off your shirt.” He raised an eyebrow as did Naruto and Kakashi. Isamu didn’t seem to mind, he trusted her and besides, she was a medic. “I need to see if the wounds are visible.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes but complied. He was well built and Sakura would have blushed if she hadn’t seen him so many times, you’d think that Sasuke would know that on other previous times she told him to remove his shirt she hadn’t blushed, but inwardly she was about to explode. But not now, she had done this many times, though she still enjoyed every moment of it, unknown to anyone else. She touched a sensitive spot and the Uchiha winced. “You’re ribs have fractured a little bit more since you were fighting. There are some wounds barely visible. But nothing I can’t handle.” Her soft hand was now on his side, just a couple inches under his left arm. Again her chakra was soothing, a welcoming feeling. While she was mending his ribs, she used her other hand to heal other injuries less serious.

Once she was done, she smiled, “Finished.”

“Hn. Thanks.” He said, with one of his own very, very rare smiles.

“Sakura,” she and the others looked at Isamu. “Don’t you have to be at the hospital in a few minutes?”

“Oh, I completely forgot,” she smacked her forehead. “I have to train a few interns today.”

“I’ll take you,” her fiancé said extending his arm.

‘Well, I can’t ignore the fact that he’s my husband to be.’ Sakura reasoned. ‘And it’s not fair to try and shut him out now that my teammates know.’ She stood up. “Alright,” she looked back at the other three, “I’ll see you guys around!” she looped her arm through his and walked off with him, leaving the others.

“It’s still going to take some getting used to that Sakura has a fiancé.” Naruto said, even if he was trying to accept it.

“Sometimes things just take time to accept, Naruto.” The copy-nin replied. “No matter what’s going on.” He then looked at Sasuke, who was still watching the couple. “So Sasuke, are you going to start prowling?”

The Uchiha growled, “Perverts…”

How was it? I hoped you liked it and I put some more humor into it. Please review and tell me what you thought. I also have two other stories that I’m trying to update… now that the writers block is slowly passing. Remember, criticism is welcome and appreciated. So please click the ‘GO’ button and tell me.

Ja Ne!