The next morning dawned sunny and clear. Birds chirped as they flew through the cloudless blue sky; the streets of Konoha were alive with the buzz of people talking, laughing, and shouting the prices of their wares to anyone who would listen. Opening her eyes, Sango stretched and slipped out of the hospital bed she had been sleeping in, flinching as her bare feet touched the cold tile floor.

"So you're finally awake," said Disura, sitting up in the bed beside Sango's.

"How long was I out?" Sango asked with a yawn.

"All five of us passed out yesterday, and I didn't wake up until a few minutes ago. I guess our sensei took all of us to the hospital after the match."

"That was some fight."

"Yeah," said Disura, rubbing her jaw. "And you've got a heck of a right hook."

"Well you've got some insanely powerful genjutsu," said Sango, examining the spot where the kunai had pierced her leg and noticing that there was no longer any trace of a wound. She would have to be sure to thank Tsunade later.

"Thanks. Anyway, the others already left to train. We should, too." Sango nodded in agreement, and they quickly departed.

"Hmm..." Tatsumi muttered as she walked toward the Chunin training grounds. "That fight yesterday definitely proves that my jutsu need more work; especially that jutsu." She paused, sensing the presence of bloodlust in the air. "No way..." she gasped." It can't be - not him!" She leaped onto a nearby rooftop and peered out over the streets of Konoha. "Please don't let me be right..." Her eyes found exactly what she had hoped they wouldn't. With a sigh, she dropped down from the roof and landed in front of the tall man dressed in black and white, not daring to look into his face.

"Well, who do we have here?" sneered a chillingly familiar voice. "You're in my way, you know." Tatsumi's head snapped up at the sound of the man's voice, and she found herself staring straight into the cold, cruel black eyes of Sasuke Uchiha.

"Sasuke," she growled. "Why have you come back?"

"No particular reason," he said indifferently. "I'm just looking for answers to a few of my questions."

"How did you even enter Konoha? Everyone here knows you for what you are."

"I didn't kill anyone, if that's what you're getting at. The Anbu didn't even try to stop me."

"They may not have, but I will!" Tatsumi was beginning to let her emotions cloud her better judgment. "I'll make you regret what you put the people of Konoha through; especially Squad Seven. How could you do that to your own teammates, you bastard?!"

"They were weak. It was holding back my potential. Sakura and Disura, especially; they'll never amount to anything," he said in his usual monotone. By this point, people had begun to gather in the street to see if Sasuke had indeed returned.

"You wanna bet?!" Tatsumi practically screamed. "Sakura's a medic now and nearly as strong as Lady Tsunade; Disura knows the Chidori and genjutsu that easily overpowers the Mangekyo Sharingan! You have no idea how strong they are!" Tatsumi knew she was bluffing a bit about the genjutsu's strength, but she was so angry she no longer cared.

"Hmph. None of that matters now. No one in this village is a match for me!" Sasuke reached behind his back and unsheathed a shining steel katana. His stance sent shivers down Tatsumi's spine; she had spent enough years sparring with Sango to know what was about to happen.

"Everyone get back! Hide and get back!" Tatsumi yelled. The people scattered and ducked into their homes just as Sasuke began running chakra through his blade; the blue energy crackled like lightning with the sound of a thousand birds' chirping.

"Too bad," said Sasuke. "It looks like I'll have to kill you here and now." He lunged at Tatsumi and she ducked, the sword missing the top of her head by half an inch.

"I'd hoped I wouldn't have to use that jutsu," Tatsumi thought as she dodged once again. "It takes so much chakra. But I don't really have a choice." She took off after Sasuke as he tore out of the village, matching his speed by focusing her chakra to her feet. He reached the edge of the forest and stopped, glaring at her over his glowing blade; the Sharingan burned blood-red in his eyes.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" yelled Tatsumi, making hand signs as fast as she could. Flames began to stream from her mouth in the form of a flower, her anger and fear causing the normally red fire to burn blue-white. Sasuke gasped; the fire scorched his hair and clothes as he dodged it by millimeters. She blasted fire at him again and again, missing by mere millimeters each time.

"She's good," Sasuke thought. "Without my Sharingan, she'd have had me." He looked into Tatsumi's eyes, and his confidence returned as he saw fear and exhaustion beginning to show in her features. He could tell she was beginning to get desperate, so he decided to toy with her a little bit, and formed the hand sign of the Clone Jutsu.

"A doppelganger is useless," Tatsumi snapped. A loud crack rang through the air and the clone that had appeared behind her immediately vanished. Her hands formed the sign of the Transformation Jutsu; a large, spiked reptilian tail thrashed around behind her.

"I should have known you were a Beast Mimicry user," Sasuke said icily. "You're certainly as crazy as an animal to take me on."

"Who's calling who crazy?" Tatsumi spat, sending another stream of fire his way. He dodged effortlessly; her attacks were beginning to lose accuracy as she tired. "I've gotta finish this fast," she thought. "I used way too much chakra on that white fire. Why didn't I listen to Disura about not getting worked up so easily? Gah, where are those stupid Anbu when you need them?!"

"Hah!" Sasuke grunted, throwing a kunai at Tatsumi. She easily dodged, countering with a lower-level Fireball Jutsu. Soon, Sasuke returned the Chidori to his blade.

"I have to get out of here. I haven't fully recovered from yesterday, and I'm almost out of chakra," Tatsumi thought. "Art of Beast Mimicry!" As she sped away from Sasuke, her canines lengthened and sharpened into knife-like points; her nails grew, thickening as they rounded into claws. Noticing her slowing retreat, Sasuke confidently released his Sharingan and pursued her, easily catching up. Whirling around, Tatsumi lunged at him, managing to rake her claws across his chest.

"Ungh!" Sasuke gasped, clutching the bleeding wounds. As Tatsumi prepared to attack again, two Anbu leaped toward Sasuke, throwing a storm of kunai. He dodged every one and quickly took them down with his own chakra-infused kunai.

"You will die here!" Tatsumi yelled. She bared her teeth and lunged again, growling savagely as her claws ripped into his right arm.

"Too late." Sasuke smiled as he slashed her right side with his katana; the Chidori deepened the cut and made jagged gashes along the edges of it.

"AAAAAGH!" Tatsumi screamed as the pain ripped through her body. She fell to the ground and clutched her side, a pool of red staining the ground around her. Her claws and teeth lost their strength, reverting back to their original form in an instant.

"Well, well," said Sasuke, chuckling quietly, "looks like you couldn't kill me after all. Too bad..." He smiled at her pain, shaking her blood from his sword as boredly as if it were only a few droplets of water. "I guess I should give you an honorable death," he whispered, quite enjoying this. Tatsumi watched him lift the blade through tear-filled eyes, awaiting the final strike. Suddenly, two kunai flew through the air, stabbing Sasuke in the shoulder and thigh. He grunted and jerked them out, and then retreated into the forest.

"Unnh..." Tatsumi groaned softly. She felt a pair of strong arms gently lift her up, just making out the faces of the two Anbu through the darkness that had somehow crept into her vision. Her body tensed in another wave of pain, and she let herself slip into the darkness without a fight.