"Is this what you want?"
There was silence, everything was still.
"Cause, it's what I want." She grinned dangerously.
"Somehow, it seems far less satisfying than I thought it would be." Her arm made a small movement.
"Am I a disappointment to you? Do I not live up to your standards? Do I get in the way, still?" Another slight movement.
"Hn." Finally, he broke his silence.
"I'm a lot stronger now. I won't hesitate to kill you if given the opening." A dangerous glint in the once innocent eyes.
"Hn." Sasuke made a mental note to not give Sakura a chance. He knew she would kill him undoubtedly.
"You are about to take back every word you ever said about me." Sakura ground out, ready to fight. She was in position and controlling her chakra.
"Tch, don't get in my way." His Sharingan spun. He was so close now.
"I am going kill you." She said, punching in a speed so fast his eyes didn't see her. 'More effort.' He thought.
His head snapped to the side and he grabbed her arm and swung her around. He let go of her arm and she stumbled back a few meters.
Sakura sent a powerful kick at him which he dodged narrowly. Sasuke was intent on not wasting chakra and didn't reciprocate her attacks, hoping he wouldn't have to hurt her. He also hoped this spar wouldn't ruin his current mission.
Sakura had turned into a powerhouse. Sasuke could only imagine what had become of Naruto, his closest childhood friend... His best friend...
They'd been close to capturing him before, and he wasn't about to risk getting captured. He wasn't going to fail his mission this close to completion.
Sakura and Sasuke sparred for awhile, Sasuke strictly defensive and Sakura offensive. She was hitting him, but not hard enough. She increased the speed of her attacks, landing more hits.
Sasuke was regretting his decision, but he couldn't fight Sakura.
"Mangekyō Sharingan!" He yelled, forming his hand signs.
Sakura raised her hands.
"Dispel." She said firmly.
'How the hell is that even possible?' Sasuke thought in amazement.
"Wondering how, Sasuke? I've been preparing to fight you for a long time."
She formed her own hand signs, and he jumped backwards as a precaution.
"Now it's time for my own jutsu. Nobody has ever seen it before. Dance of ten million petal blades!"
It was exactly what the name called it. Ten million petal blades swirled around, each steely. They cut at his skin deeply. He couldn't see Sakura, and these petals were hurting him immensely.
"Dispel." He said. It was impossible for those to hurt so much.
They dispersed and he found Sakura in a position to attack.
"Are you ready to fight me now?"
"You are a waste of my time." He gritted his teeth.
"Maybe not. Look at yourself." Sasuke looked down and noticed his body was covered in scratches. Damn her.
Sakura threw multiple kunai at him, he deflected them with his katana.
She fought with him hand to hand. Sasuke was more of a long range, but his tai-jutsu was still nothing to scoff at.
They battled for another hour or so, clashing with equal talent and ability.
Sasuke was perched on a tree branch, breathing hard. He was covered in cuts and bruises and had a kunai lodged in his back.
Sakura was not much better. She had several deep injuries and she was heeling them under an Earth wall. Sasuke had broken one of her ribs when he threw her into a tree after she threw a kunai at him and punched his face.
She was doing okay on chakra, and was ready to attack again.
Sasuke could have easily killed her, almost as easily as she could have killed him. She wanted a fight though, and a fight she would get.
He had to keep his cover intact. He could never kill her, but Orochimaru had to believe he could. He was getting so close.
He had a compilation of perfect times that he could easily slip in and...
And that Kabuto freak was always with the Akatsuki, trying to earn his and Orochimaru's way back in. He would send him a letter telling him they needed him back...
Then he could return.
He was snapped out of his thoughts by a deep rumbling and the shattering of the ground.
Sakura immediately sensed his chakra. It was weaker than it should have been, as if he wasn't using the curse seal.
"Sakura, you have to retreat. Give Tsunade the seal I put in your pack. You can read it, but if you trust me, don't." He had his Katana on her throat.
"Why should I?" She challenged with a kunai purged over his throat.
"Go." He said, staring into her eyes.
She looked into his dark, smoldering eyes, and for a second she knew why he was doing this.
"Okay." She moved away at a high speed, leaving exploding tags.
Once the rubble cleared, he found a kunai with a note attached next to his head.
'This is a victory for me around the village.' He incinerated it with a small fireball, and pocketed the kunai, his stance visibly relaxed.