Game of Predators
A cold, moist wind started to blow, the kind that usually follows brief showers of rain. The forest seemed to come to life with its nocturnal music, leaves rustling, crickets chirping, and creatures of night quickening as the moon danced with the clouds in the deep hours of the dark. Predators moved in the shadows, some hoping for a last meal, most looking for their first. Everything moved adhering to the routine of the night forest, everything in place as per the rules, save for two men in a clearing and a dying fire. Disturbing the serenity, out of place and unwanted.
Sasuke looked at the man, feeling the thrill of combat stir within him, the sensation that had been dormant since the end of the war. Here was an opponent that had tweaked his interest. To have not only discern his Genjutsu but also break out of it without outside help or by using hand seals. He had done something with his eyes, that momentary burst of something had caused the illusion to break.
"Since when did you know?" he asked the man.
"Since long enough…" he paused, looking down the length of his sword, which seemed to be shimmering purple in the light of the fire, "Some sort of illusionary trick? Plays with a person's mind? Bet it has to do something with those eyes….what fruit of the devil have you eaten stranger?" he asked, still not looking at Sasuke and staring down at his sword.
Sasuke had thought at first that the man was fooling around when he refused to recognize the sharingan, but now it seemed that he truly dint know about the doujutsu, Strange…doesn't seem the kind of person who would be ignorant of combat techniques, doesn't even seem to recognize a Genjutsu .Dint stop him from breaking out of it though.
Before Sasuke could think further he heard a rushing sound and the next thing he noticed was that there was a sword plunged right where his heart should be and sticking out his back. That was fast. The green haired man had not moved and was staring at him with the same expressionless face he had earlier, though this time his eyes held curiosity and a little hint of amusement.
"It's not you is it?" He asked with a slight smirk. He was enjoying this.
Sasuke looked at the sword sticking through his chest, the blade shimmering purple "beautiful sword", he said before bursting into a thousand cawing crows that swarmed around the man before dispersing onto the night. The sword fell blade first into the moist forest floor, embedding itself in the wet soil.
Sasuke allowed himself a slight satisfied smile before stepping out of the shadows for the second time that night. Mastering the crow cloning jutsu had given him immense self satisfaction; it was Itachi's signature clone move and the fact that he had learnt to do it after him gave him a sense the Uchiha flame being passed on, not just in blood but in ninjitsu as well.
"You are full of tricks stranger. Reminds me of a clown I used to know, wonder what became of him…." he trailed of, seemingly unperturbed by the chain of events. Sasuke noticed that his bad eye was shut again. He tried to remember what it looked like but perhaps the instance when the Genjutsu broke was too exuberant or maybe he simply wasn't paying attention but for the life of him he couldn't recall.
"Well, enough games. I need to get moving, got some idiots to find" the man said as he donned his dark green coat and began tying the swords and the haramaki. Sasuke looked at him incredulously; he entertained the idea of going into full Susano for a second just to spook him once and for good, but he let that thought slide. He looked at the sword embedded in the dirt, the blade shimmering an eerie purple. He wrapped his hand around the hilt and felt a chill run down the length of his arm.
"It's the troublesome child" The man said, he had packed his belongings and looked ready to leave. Sasuke looked at him and back at back at the blade.
"If you'd be so kind…" the man said, holding out his hand. Sasuke was getting tired of the man dictating the on goings and decided to take control of the situation. He threw the sword over to the man. The stranger caught the weapon, nonplussed at Sasuke's compliance but he decided not to comment on it and started to leave.
"Did I say you could go? State your name and purpose. Where you are from and where is it that you are off to. If I am satisfied with the answers then you can go look for whoever the hell you want to" Sasuke commanded in a firm and slightly threatening voice. To make a point he started to walk slowly towards the man. The guy stopped and looked at him approaching; he hadn't sheathed the sword he had thrown earlier. Suddenly he disappeared and the sword appeared behind Sasuke, a few inches from his neck, but Sasuke had not been idle. As soon as he had sensed the man move he had turned around, leapt back and now stood facing the man. But what caught his attention once again was the speed with which the man moved
It isn't teleportation, there isn't any residual chakra associated with all knows techniques, he thought, it seems highly unlikely but he moved purely on speed…but this much speed without use of powerful chakra isn't natural.
Sasuke recalled a passage from a book he had read on physical combat during his training with Orochimaru - 'In confrontations where there is no use of chakra or other sources of energy the result of a duel between nins is determined purely on the basis of mental capacity and physical ability. Of physical abilities, none is more advantageous than speed, for a faster nin can operate at both long and short distances and can execute multiple combat moves in small interval of time. Enhancing speed is one of the most gruelling aspects of shinobi training and requires years of physical development and complete command over fine motor skills. However a nin can only go as fast as his muscle and body allow and the natural limit set by the human skeletal and muscular structure eventually bar the enhancement of speed. At this point a shinobi must resort to the use of chakra to further enhance his movement.'
And yet there is no chakra, Sasuke thought. This is no ordinary fighter. I have to put him out in one go; this guy's been dictating things for too long now.
"Amaterasu" Sasuke whispered and let out a small bolt of the black fire towards the man's sword hand, with intention to incapacitate.
Several things happened at once, as the bolt approached him, the man slashed at it with his sword and a fraction of a second later leapt aside. The bolt proceeded to hit a trunk behind him and started to burn. Sasuke let the flames out. Again with that flash speed. Amaterasu produces black flames at the focal point of the user's vision. In most situations, this makes Amaterasu impossible to avoid. However, if the target can move fast enough to prevent being focused on, Amaterasu will miss them when it's cast. I shouldn't have been so hasty. And was the fool trying to cut the fire?!
"Fire….throughout my journey I have faced many adversaries who commanded the flame in different forms, with different abilities and through different weapons and I learned to best them all. But that"-he pointed at the blackened bark of the tree-"is something I haven't seen. A flame i could not beat. Would you mind…" the man stopped and grabbed Sasuke's sword blade first. A desperate and absurd move, but Sasuke's thrust was true and the blade had found its mark, but it did not penetrate. Sasuke noticed that the man's hands weren't bleeding and that both, the hand grasping the blade and his shoulder (where Sasuke had intended to stab) had turned to a shade of grey. He immediately pulled the sword and leapt back.
"One for each then" The man said with a smirk. "As I was saying, would you mind doing that flame bit again? I want to have another go at it"
"The Amaterasu is not a 'flame bit' that you can play around with, you fool. What were you trying to do, cut it?"
"Yes" he replied nonchalantly, scratching the back of his head and looking once again at the burnt tree "But that dint work did it?
Sasuke decided to have another go with his sword while the man was distracted. He leapt forward and slashed at his leg. The man leapt aside, but Sasuke was already on him and unleashed a fury of powerful slashes. The man dodged them all, all the while holding his sword out and not raising it.
"A swordsman eh? Well isn't that funny" the man said when Sasuke had stopped. He could have gone all out on this punk but the fact that he had broken out of a powerful Genjutsu coupled with his experience in facing opponents with unknown prowess over the years, he decided it was best to analyze him from ground up i.e. start with basic attacks and raise the power level until his opponent's limit is revealed.
Now Sasuke prided in his swordsmanship. His natural physical and mental gifts coupled with his sharingan made him unbeatable in a swordfight. There wasn't a shinobi in all of Konoha, no, in the entire shinobi world that could cross blades with him and give him an actual challenge, save for B and a few other exceptions. The usuratonkachi had become Hokage but couldn't swing a sword without poking himself in the eye.
And being such an exceptional swordsman, it didn't take him long to gauge the skill level of an opponent. Didn't raise his sword even once! Either he is unnaturally fast or he can sense where I am about to strike next. Or both .But if he is predicting attacks, then how is he doing it?...Could it be?...Naaah…..No way. I'd rather hang myself rather than go through the drama of having another Uchiha running around. Besides, he doesn't look the type.
"Looks like we'll be having company" the man said.
The ANBU border patrol squad, thought Sasuke. They were part of the border security division of ANBU and were one of the units that routinely patrolled Konoha's borders. Most of the units comprised of trainees and recruits led by senior officers, but nonetheless they were formidable shinobi, the best and the brightest of Konoha's nins.
Sasuke sheathed his Sword. "As much as I'd like to continue this meeting I'm afraid the time for trivialities is over. You are here under suspicious circumstances and have refused to state your name and purpose. Furthermore, you have attempted to assault an officer of a sovereign state." he announced just as the trees rustled and four masked shinobi leapt quietly into the clearing surrounding them both.
Its Goro's team Sasuke thought, recognizing the masks. I almost feel sorry for this guy.
Sasuke waited as one of the masked figures, a tall, heavy set man with cropped hair and a dog mask approached him.
"Good evening Lord Sasuke"the man said in a deep voice. "Pleasant night?"
"Good evening Goro. Not too bad." Sasuke replied, "And as I have said earlier, please refrain from the titles. I am no man's lord"
"Even so, a man of your stature, reputation and lineage cannot simply be addressed by name" Goro said and turned to look upon the stranger. "What have we here?"
"A rogue with no regard for authority, anything else remains to be determined." Sasuke said and sheathed his sword. To the stranger he said "On the aforementioned charges I am here by placing you under arrest. You will be taken into custody and questioned regarding your intentions. Once all doubts regarding your motives are clear, further course of action will be determined." Sasuke hated these formalities. His way was to simply force out whatever you wished to inquire on the spot with the necessary means. But this whole protocol charade was a part of 'Getting with the system', as Shikamaru had put it.
"Ehh?" The man simply looked amused. "Custody? I don't have time for that"
"Not just a rogue but a cocky lunatic as well" Goro said. "Do not trouble yourself Uchiha-sama; we will mop this guy up".
"Very well" Sasuke said and turned to leave and in a low voice said to Goro "Use a S+ class Fuinjutsu, The 4-layered Cocoon. I'll send in back up to help with transportation. Once you have him secured in the holding cells, report to me immediately."
A tad excessive, Goro thought. The 4-layered Cocoon was considered to be one the strongest and most complex containment techniques used primarily to imprison beasts and shinobi of immense physical strength, and only the most skilled Earth types could do it right. Out loud he said "Very well Uchiha-sama".
Sasuke nodded and looked at the swordsman one last time before leaving. He was staring at him intently and just as Sasuke turned to leave, the man flashed him a sinister grin.