Chapter 32 - Sakura vs. Sasuke

The participants so far had been discussed by the jonin, and Iruka, since he had trained with all of them at one point or another. Ekyt’s name came up.
“He forfeited a match he could clearly have won (The Sand Kazakage gave a dismissive snort, but a small glare from Lord Hokage put an end to that) to protect those two (Sakura and Ino). He fought through injury (broken leg), showed chunin-level skills (Using those jutsus and opening the Gate of Opening), and proved he could lead (Ino was distracted, and Choji was a follower). Although he didn’t win his match, he made the choice that saved lives. Does anyone disagree?” Lord Hokage questioned the council. When no one spoke up, he continued.
“Then we will all cast our votes. However, under the circumstances, he should be present. Hayate, please have him join us.”

Once he got home, Ekyt again felt depression consume him. Dammit! I could have won! I was close…of course, it’s up to the judges, I might still be made a chunin…but the broken leg…Damn it, Gaara got away, and Lee get’s to fight Chakaro! (shakes head) Was I born to be the ultimate loser? Ah, forget it! It’s time to study. Tonight is no different… Then Ekyt heard a knock on the door.
He hobbled over to open it, finding the ashen-faced Hayate wanting his attention.
“Lord Hokage (koff) needs to see you.”

“Ekyt, the council is considering you for the rank of chunin. However, it needs to be unanimous. Hayate, your vote. (Yes). Kakashi, yours. (Yes) Asuma, have you decided? (Yes). Kurenai (Yes). Iruka (Yes). Ebisu (No.)

Ekyt stifled a curse. He bowed to the council, and hobbled out of the room. It was time to meet Sakura anyway. Ebisu, you’re an @$$… he though viciously. Tokubetsu Jonin or not, Ebisu was REALLY getting on his nerves. Ebisu, however, wasn’t through.
“Lord Hokage, should a genin like him REALLY be helping Iruka teach?” Ebisu questioned with the slightest of smirks.
“Iruka, have you had any complaints?” Lord Hokage asked, his tone even.
“Of course not Lord Hokage. WHY Ebisu-sama decided to even bring this up is beyond me,” Iruka replied, shooting a nasty glance at Ebisu.
“It is beyond my scope of understanding as well. We will put this issue aside, for now, it will be reviewed later. As per the standard procedure Ebisu, please defend your reasoning for vetoing him for the rank of chunin,” Lord Hokage ordered firmly.
“Well Lord Hokage, it seems to me he is too young, too angry, and too disrespectful,” Ebisu answered smugly.
“Oh please Ebisu. I was a jonin at his age,” Kakashi said roughly.
“Well there’s still the matter of his anger,” Ebisu replied, pushing his glasses up farther on his nose.
“Anger is a tool. Besides that, can you honestly blame him Ebisu? One ruined eye, no team, and now, not attaining the rank of chunin? I’d be pretty upset myself,” Asuma added.
Ebisu adjusted his glasses again, more angrily this time. “Well, there is still the matter of his disrespect.”

Ekyt, who was still in the room, snapped back toward the council.
“Respect?” he spat, while the council stared on is shocked silence. Ekyt hobbled over as fast as his crutch would permit him to.
“Respect, Ebisu-sama, is something earned. NOT bestowed. I can respect a rank, such as jonin, or Hokage, or chunin. But the person IN that position…”
Ekyt seemed to tower over Ebisu suddenly. Kakashi stifled a chuckle under his mask, while Asuma laughed outright. We can add “guts” to the checklist, thought Asuma.
“The person in the position is a different matter entirely. And, while I’m on the subject- what does it take to impress you? I can only assume you don’t hold my friendship with Naruto against me. I’m certain you’re too much of a professional for that. So, please tell me just WHAT it is you have against me. I’ll listen. BUT- I would respectfully ask that you talk to me like I’m a human being.”
“Now you see hear, you fresh-mouthed little” Ebisu began, his finger in Ekyt’s face.
“Ebisu…I see no problem with his request,” Lord Hokage said, an unspoken message conveyed through his eyes.
“Lord Hokage! To tell him would be unfair!” Ebisu indignantly exclaimed.
“Most likely,” Ekyt said carefully, “Because I already outlined the WHY for him. I’m sorry you dislike me Ebisu-sama. And don’t think I haven’t figured out that you don’t want me around. I’m a fact of life, I’m not going anywhere.”
Ekyt looked out the window.
“With the council’s blessing, I really should go attend to…some private matters,” Ekyt quickly said.
“I need to stop out as well Lord Hokage. I’ll have someone take the notes for me.” Kakashi said, already piercing his thumb with a kunai. He used a summoning jutsu to bring…Pakkun?
“Again Kakashi?” Pakkun drawled.
“I’m afraid so Pakkun.”
The basset hound-pug-something-else mix sighed, but answered, “Alright, I read you.”


Ekyt was outside, muttering to himself.
“Damn that Ebisu…pompous @$$…”
“I’d be inclined to agree…if for the fact I never speak ill of my colleagues,” Kakashi added quickly. “So, where are you off to?”
“I promised Sakura I’d help her get ready for her match with Sasuke,” Ekyt replied.
“Really? She doesn’t plan on giving up?” Kakashi asked, masking his true feelings. Good girl Sakura! Never give up!
“I told her that she would get Sasuke’s attention this way. I should have asked you first,” Ekyt admitted.
“I’m glad someone talked to her. She could be so talented. It’s good to know she’s got a concerned friend. That, or reading Makeout Paradise has done wonders for your social life,” Kakashi joked with a wide smile.
Ekyt shook his head tolerantly. “Like you said Kakashi-sensei, she’s got potential. And…well, I’d hate to see her depressed after she just gave up. If I was in her place, I’d be fighting a moral battle. Did I do the right thing? In her case, ‘Did I impress Sasuke’.”
Kakashi cocked his head to the side while he dug out his book.
“You know, You’ve really impressed most of us. Lord Hokage is an easy man to get along with, but NOT easy to impress.”
“Thanks Kakashi-Sensei.”
“So, what are you planning on teaching Sakura?” Kakashi asked.
“The last thing Sasuke would expect…” Ekyt said with a grin under his mask. “Do you think Sasuke will be upset with me?” Ekyt suddenly asked.
“No, I think he’ll be grateful, if anything. He cares more for Sakura than he lets on, I’m sure. As for you…how do YOU feel? After what happened with Kankuro and Gaara?”
“Well, I didn’t get to beat Gaara, and Kankuro cost me my match…but it was worth it. Like you say Kakashi-sensei, letting your comrades die makes you scum.”
Kakashi grinned under his mask. “You’ll make a fine chunin some day. Even a jonin.”
Ekyt thanked Kakashi for the compliment. Then it was time to train Sakura.


“Sakura, what do you think your strong point is?”
Ekyt’s question caused Sakura to think. She blushed as she remembered what it was.
“I have really good control over my chakra,” she said, not sure why she was blushing.
Ekyt nodded, adjusting his arm on his crutch. “Okay, how to test this…shake my hand.”
Sakura took Ekyt’s hand and shook it.
“Okay, now slowly start to focus your chakra into that hand,” Ekyt told her.
Sakura did, and she could feel Ekyt’s hand starting to feel weaker and weaker. She let go before she broke it.
“You can apply that to any strike. And since Sasuke can’t “see” through taijutsu…”
“I can use that as an advantage!”
“There’s one other technique…but I don’t know if you’ll want it,” Ekyt said, realizing she might very well not.
“What is it?” Sakura asked excitedly.
“One way to break Sasuke’s Sharingan…but it’s…well, it might be kind of painful for him. That’s normally the point, but”
“I’ll do what I have to do! I’m going to show everyone I’m not weak! I don’t care if it IS Sasuke! I’ll MAKE him pay attention to me when I beat him!” Sakura was cooking now!
Ekyt nodded. “Alright. You’ll get this quick, I’m sure of it.”


One week later, it was time for the match. Sakura approached Ekyt before the match.
“I can’t do this!” she cried out.
Ekyt gave her a comforting look. “Yes you can. You’ve got to trust yourself Sakura. You want Sasuke’s attention, right? You’ve got to go for it.”
At Sasuke’s name, Sakura’s eye got their life back. She nodded once, firmly, then leapt down to the floor.


Sasuke slouched down to the floor. This will be the easiest match ever, Sakura won’t attack me.
“Begin!”

Sakura used her body-flicker jutsu, landing behind Sasuke, kicking him in the head, then landing back in the starting position, letting two kunai go. Both tore through the fabric on Sasuke’s arm protectors.
Sasuke was in complete shock.
“You didn’t quit?”
Sakura smiled widely. “No way! And don’t you DARE take it easy on me!”

Sasuke looked completely befuddled. Even more so when Sakura rushed him again, using a shadow clone jutsu on the way. All three tagged Sasuke in the ribs (both sides) and stomach, respectively. Sasuke slid backward, wondering where the heck this was coming from.
“I shouldn’t have underestimated you Sakura…No holding back? If you’re sure…Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!”
Sakura dodged the attack, using a body replacement technique. She dropped right in front of Sasuke. Right hand, left hand, right foot. On the last strike, instead of following the pattern, she swung her right foot back across, hitting Sasuke with a good shot using her heel. Sasuke hit the wall ten feet away, not believing this was the shy little fan girl that worshipped the ground he walked on.


In the stands, Kakashi, Lee, Naruto, and Ekyt were standing together, watching the fight unfold. Linda walked over and stood near Lee. But Lee was so entranced by the fight he hardly noticed.
“I- I did not know Sakura could do that!” Lee exclaimed.
“Yeah, who taught her that?” Linda asked.
Kakashi pointed to Ekyt. “He’s responsible for this one.”
Linda walked over to Ekyt. SLAP!
“Bastard! You never helped ME like that!” she shouted at him.
Ekyt shot her a death glare. “That’s because you were always ahead of me. As I recall, YOU were the master at the dojo, while I wasn’t even a true instructor. And, for the record, if helped her, I’m proud of it.”
Kakashi watched the match, making sure to stay indifferent. So she’s learned to use her chakra in the form of taijutsu…it’s a shame I haven’t had the chance to teach her more of that…it looks like she could give Sasuke a run for his money…
Naruto couldn’t believe it, but didn’t care. “GO SAKURA! YEAH! NAIL HIM! YOU CAN DO IT, BELIEVE IT!”


“You’ve improved…time to end this. Sharingan!”
Sasuke picked out the real Sakura and threw a series of kunai at her. Sakura back-flipped away, then leapt up high over a Fireball jutsu. She suddenly found strings tied around her.
“Time to give up,” Sasuke told the tied-up Sakura.
Sakura shook her head, then concentrated.

“Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique!” She called aloud.
Sasuke grinned smugly. “Did you really think that would fool me? Kai!” Sasuke used the dispel jutsu to end Sakura’s genjutsu. But before he could move in for the kill, he saw a flurry of leaves. They disappeared, and the world looked normal.

Sasuke was wrong.

“Big Brother! Stop!”
Sasuke was a little boy again. Above his parents dead bodies stood his brother, a bloodied sword in his hand.
“Don’t come any closer Little Brother. Go, run, hate me. Live in shame, knowing you’re a coward!”
Sasuke tried to attack Itachi, but Itachi used a sidekick to propel Sasuke into the wall. Before Sasuke even hit the ground, Itachi used Tsukoyumi.
“For the next twenty-four hours, relive that day…” Itachi held Sasuke eye-level.
Over and over, Sasuke saw his entire family wiped out by his brother.


“What did she do to him?” Lee asked.
“Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique,” Ekyt answered.
“She…actually used it on Sasuke? I didn’t think she could bring herself to cause him pain.” Kakashi lifted his headband, activating his Sharingan. Seems she learned more than she bargained for…and to learn to hide a jutsu within a jutsu in less than a week…I knew she was powerful…but that’s beyond chunin level! And how did Ekyt teach it to her in such a short time, or at all for that matter?


Sakura burst free from the strings. She was forced to end the genjutsu. Hiding a jutsu within a jutsu took a lot of chakra, and she didn’t want to be totally wiped out. Sasuke would probably be angry…


Sasuke was on his knees, trying to steady himself. He got up on his feet again, just in time to dodge Sakura’s Dynamic Entry kick. He gave her a hard shove backward. She hit the stone wall legs-first, and sprang off, landing a solid right punch on Sasuke…or, it would have been Sasuke, it he hadn’t replaced himself with a log.

Sasuke landed behind Sakura, striking her hard between the shoulder blades. Sakura hit the ground, but rolled over and aimed a kick at Sasuke’s groin (lol, I’m sorry, this part cracked me up!). Sasuke dodged backward as Sakura sprung to her feet. She was exhausted, and had proven her point. But she wanted to drive it home by winning. Her chakra was almost gone.

Sasuke leapt away, making hand signs rapidly in the air. “Temple of Nirvana!” he called out. He had copied this jutsu from Kabuto, and put it to use now.

Sakura fought the genjutsu as long as she could. For two full minutes, she tried to snap herself out of it. Her chakra was to low. In desperation, she reached for her kunai, ready to stab herself to end it. (The genjutsu, not her life. Genjutsu can end when the target endures a high amount of physical pain). Just as the kunai began it’s descent into her leg, it clattered from her hand. Sakura slumped forward, finally asleep.


Hayate looked at Sakura, then pointed his arm toward Sasuke. “Winner: Sasuke Uchiha.”


Naruto, Ekyt, Lee, and Kakashi all leapt down. Ekyt landed hard on his hurt leg and uttered a word that he normally wouldn’t.
Naruto laughed. “Why the hell did you jump on that?!” (meaning Ekyt’s broken leg)
Ekyt shook his head. “Today I’m partly stupid, with a chance of moronic, I guess.” (If you don’t get the joke, I’m using a line like a weatherman might use. “Partly cloudy with a chance of rain.)
“She fought very well,” Lee said quietly.
Kakashi put his hands together. “Kai!”
That ended the genjutsu. Sleepily, Sakura rubbed her eyes. “Damn, I lost,” she murmered.
“It was a good match.”
Sakura froze. Had SASUKE just said that to her?!

Ekyt gave a smile. Congratulating her could wait. Let her have her moment with Sasuke.

Ekyt wasn’t the jealous type, but he couldn’t help but feel a little twinge. He thought he knew why, but dismissed it as his normal depression and loneliness.


MORE TO COME!

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment