A/N - PART FOUR - Up for your viewing/reading pleasure. Enjoy!


As I approached the back courtyard I knew that I was late.

The back courtyard was a large forested area extending to the genjutsu cloaked 'wall' that surrounded the village and acted as a training ground. Before, I usually didn't like training in the courtyard because Orochimaru would have the opportunity to see all of my techniques or jutsu; and I preferred that he wouldn't be too privy to them. Or quite simply, I just didn't like to entertain the fact that he might be watching. I soon realized that it didn't matter where I trained, or went, he would always be aware of everything. After all, it was his village and his people were loyal to him.

I saw that Sasuke had already began training on his own and I felt slightly embarrased that I hadn't arrived first. But I had a feeling that I wouldn't be the first to arrive, I wasn't quite known for my immaculate punctuality. Gee, who would have ever guessed?

"Sorry I'm late..." I apologized, my hand stroking the back of my head.

He looked at me briefly, before he returned to sparring with his clones. He didn't really seem to be concerned whether I would've arrived or not. He obviously had his own plans. Ugh, this was a terrible mistake. Why hasn't anyone realized this yet?

I sat up in a tree and watched his technique for a while and attempted to assess all of his weak areas, his flaws. It didn't come easy, his technique was almost flawless; I mean he was an Uchiha, technically it came with the territory. Eventually, with some time I saw that his weak point was around the left side of his torso. That could definitely come in handy some day. Heck, maybe even today. Hmm, why did that seem so unlikely?

In time, his clones disappeared and he seemed slightly out of breath. But he got it in control in a matter of seconds.

"Are you just going to sit there all day?" He asked from down below, never making eye-contact.

I glared, "In case you've forgotten, you've been fighting with your clones since I got here." I quickly jumped down and faced him. My diluted violet eyes veered to the mark on the left side of his neck - almost covered by his collar. My eyes widened briefly as I came to the realization that Orochimaru had marked him with the curse mark. It was the first time that I had acknowledged that it was there.

Curiously, I noticed that the mark had been sealed by someone in an effort to keep it at bay. Right then and there I recognized that when I fought him, that I would have to be more careful when I did. There was a great chance that seal that was placed upon it, had no use anymore, and that he could use it whenever he felt threatened, "He marked you," I looked into his eyes, "No wonder you came."

He gazed at me dubiously as he followed my eyes, he huffed dismissively.

I raised an eyebrow and decided to change the subject, "...How about a spar? I've never fought an Uchiha before."

A faint smirk graced his face.

Something caught my eye as his hand shifted.

I quickly disappeared and reappeared behind a tree to his right, and not long after I heard as a shuriken hit the bark of the tree that I stood behind.

My eyebrows narrowed, If that's the way he wants to play...

I began making hand seals, "Doton: Tora Wana no Jutsu!"

The ground began to tremble beneath Sasuke's feet. The ground trembled and the earth around him began to desipate, causing a large hole - an exaggerated tiger trap. Hugely exaggerated. Some of the trees around the hole had fallen in. I knew that it would be easy for him to get away from it and he did, it was simply just a way to kill time.

If he falls into that hole, it's over.

He leapt away and jumped into a tree away from the hole, as I created more hand seals and a substitution, where I placed in the tree where Sasuke resided while I stayed behind the tree. In a quick effortless movement he attacked the clone, which turned into dirt before it hit the ground. As I watched this, I recognized a disturbance in the air current that surrounded me. Before I knew it, I had dodged an attack from Sasuke; I assumed that he had created a clone as well. I quickly leapt away from him. Far away from the vast hole I had created, into a clear, untouched area.

He leapt over the hole, and stood several meters away from me, "Hagihara? I've heard of your clan."

I removed my prized hat and threw it onto a branch of a tree, never taking my eyes off of him, "Oh? And what did you hear?"

I moved my long scarlet bang from in front of my eye, behind my ear before I got into a fighting position - he followed suit.

He smirked, "Not much."

I could feel my anger rising, ok he's going to regret that.

He ran at me with an amazing speed and tried to attack me. I jumped away quickly, suspended in air as I took out kunai from my holster, three for each hand, inbetween my fingers and threw them at him. He was able to dodge them before I fell back onto the ground.

"Did you honestly think that you could accomplish anything with a direct attack?" I smirked as I landed on the ground, "No wonder you needed to come to Orochimaru for power."

He shot me an icy glare - boy, if looks could kill. He began creating hand signs, inhaled deeply and cupped his mouth, "Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" A huge ball of fire, expanding several meters emerged from his mouth. I leapt away quickly into a tree away from the blast. Several trees around the area were singed and the grass that was in his jutsus path was darkened. Suddenly I remembered something.

MY HAT! Damn it, Sasuke!

My hat was hanging on one of the trees that were singed. I knew I couldn't do anything about it now, so I anxiously left it for later. If it wasn't already burned to a crisp.

As I watched him stand there, far below me, I noted that he hadn't activated his sharingan. I wondered briefly if it was because he believed that I wasn't worth the use of his clan's Dojutsu. No, it had to be more than that, I thought.

I reached into my holster and pulled out a small smoke bomb. The purpose was to provide a small smoke screen, so I would have enough time to do whatever I needed to accomplish - a way to buy me time. I dropped it quickly and leapt to a different tree so he wouldn't discover my exact location. My bomb exploded and I could tell that he was concentrating as to where I would come from next. I jumped down slowly onto the ground and tried to feel where his chakra was coming from. I knew that within a matter of time, he would be able to pinpoint my current location.

There.

I pulled out my kunai and approached the figure in the fading smoke. I put the kunai to his throat, but something just wasn't right.

This was way too easy, something's wrong...

I was too late.

The figure that I held to the neck had turned into a wooden log. Stupid me. Before I had the chance to react, I felt the cool surface of a kunai upon my throat. But I wouldn't give up that easily. I don't respond well to defeat, at all. As a last resort to winning I began creating hand seals to the move I thought was much too inferior for me to use.

"Dipuri-shon, activate!"

I heard Sasuke growl from behind me.

My hands began to glow a lavender color as I grabbed onto the arm that held the kunai to my neck and initiated the chakra depletion process. His hand moved away from me as he stumbled away. Although, he wasn't able to break away from my hold on him. I could feel his chakra entering my body. It was like nothing I had ever felt, it was...dark, hardened. When you initiate the process, you become familiar with a variety of chakra natures, it's 'personality' so to speak. Sasuke's felt burdened and heavy - which considering what he's probably been through, wasn't a surprise.

"My c-chakra...is being exhausted..." He spoke in a strain.

I backed him into a tree, as he slowly slid to its base. He was obviously too weak that he could no longer keep himself up; and that's when I let go. Anymore and he would completely pass out.

A light coat of sweat covered both of our foreheads, and his breathing was coarse as he tried to get it back in check.

"Still think my clan isn't much?" I spoke as the glow around my hands disappeared.

He looked at me with a hard glare.

Dismissing his look, I decided that wrapping up would be a good idea, "Enough training for today." I looked around the massacred area, "Let's hope that Orochimaru doesn't see this. He'll pack on the missions then..." I spoke dryly. And of course he would. Did I mention that he knows everything? And a large gaping hole practically right outside his window is totally unavoidable.

Sasuke got up, "That move...that was the Hagihara kekkai genkai, wasn't it?" I could still hear the difficulty in his breathing as he spoke.

I glanced at him for a second and sighed, "Uh-uh, that's the one." I looked at him again, his eyes still on me, "tell me, why didn't you use your sharingan?"

He broke eye contact with me as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. He began walking ahead of me before he stopped abruptly, "You did see the curse mark, didn't you? You put it together."

I raised a questioning brow, and decided that I didn't want to think about it. Using that technique combined with the fact that Sasuke is actually stronger than he looks, tired me out.

Then I remembered my beloved hat. I ran over to the tree to where my hat laid, and went to fetch it.

Firstly, I was surprised to see that the hat hadn't disintegrated into absolutely nothing. The top of the hat was burnt and there was a still a small flame upon it. I quickly blew it out, and stuck my finger into the small hole it had produced.

Grimacing, I glared in the direction Sasuke was walking.

I leapt up into the trees and ran to catch up to him. I jumped down from the trees, and planted myself in front of him.

He stopped and raised an eyebrow.

I waved the pitifully burnt object in his face, "My hat...look at my hat! Did you really have to be so unecessarily reckless?! It was only training!"

"You should've kept it on your head."

My eye twitched as he slowly walked passed me.

Sleep with one eye open...I shoved the burned top hat back on my head and I followed him back angrily.


Here you go - It was Isaaru and Sasuke's first real interaction. So what if it was in a fight?