A shove to his chest sent him to the ground, skidding across it on his back until finally he stopped, but he was determined to get up and make sure that didn't happen again. Glaring at the one who put him there, before he could even get up his opponent thought otherwise.

"That's enough for today." Kakashi said calmly brining an open hand up to stop Sasuke was already halfway up, kneeling on the ground. At the sound of that Sasuke retaliated, but not with an attack.

"It can't be!" Sasuke protested "I still haven't mastered the chido-"

"Even the greatest warriors need rest." Kakashi interrupted putting his hand back down. He might have been ready to, but Sasuke still wasn't ready to quit yet and he was ready to prove it. Jumping back to his feet, he ran up to Kakashi rearing his arm back with a punch and yet it was easily evaded "And even better ones know when to call it quits." Kakashi said as Sasuke now found Kakashi behind him, with a knife reached around pointing at his throat.

And with those words of wisdom, Kakashi left Sasuke to contemplate it.

The Chunin exams were only half a month away and one question daunted Sasuke. Had he even gotten stronger for it? Kakashi certainly thought so, but Sasuke himself sure didn't feel the same way. His fingers digging into the dirt violently he shot himself up to his feet.

'Nonsense.' he thought to himself and stormed off from the training grounds and back into the village.

He saw no sign of anyone else while he was here, no doubt their teachers had no problem with training them long and hard for the upcoming matches. Yet here he was walking idly through the streets as if he was bored with nothing to do. He kept his eyes low to the ground as he walked, not bothering to notice who was around him, though imagining no real threat. But of course, the deeper he went into town the more difficult that would become as the crowds got thicker and the people recognized him whether he wanted the attention or not.

The calls from Ino's flower shop didn't stop him as he trailed by it, but someone else would.

"Ino! Help me out watering the flowers!" her father barked.

"But dad," she whined as Sasuke sulked past "Sasuke's right there!" he could tell she was pointing this way even though he wasn't looking. He didn't need his Sharingan to tell him that. His hands digging into his pockets and his head bowed, he left that behind without so much of a thought. But someone nearby seemed to take notice of it.

"Flowers?" a new woman's soft voice said "That's perfect!" she let out, and Sasuke was intent on ignoring it, until he was suddenly struck in the back of the head by something long and hard.

"Now what- dah!" he let out and groaned as he put his hands up over his head.

"What?" the soft voice let out as cluelessly as before and as Sasuke turned around to face them, he was hit in the face from something purple swinging in his direction.

"Ah!" he let out as his head was knocked away again and he put a hand to his now red cheek.

"Oh, I'm sorry." the same unknown woman's soft voice apologized, and suddenly Sasuke felt two large soft mounds press against his face, cooling the burning sensation of the blows "Are you okay?" she asked. Turning red all over his face, he quickly and suddenly pushed himself away, though in the process of stepping away from her in such a frantic manner, his leg locked into hers so that when he moved, he instead was tripped and as he was falling down, she ended up following him.

His back his hard on the ground and whatever sound he made was quickly muffled as she fell on top of him and the last thing he saw before everything went black was a tightly buttoned shirt.

Now Sasuke found himself trapped between her and the ground and the soft mounds were now suffocating him as he was pinned between them and the ground with nowhere else to go.

"oowww." she groaned on top of him. He let out suffocating protests between her large chest as the rest of his body squirmed beneath hers.

"Sasuke!" he managed to hear Ino's voice shriek through his muffled hearing. His eyes rotated over to peek through the smallest of openings to see Ino looking down at him in a compromising position in the street. But she was not the only other one there.

He felt a great weight lift off of his face as the girl picked herself off of him, pushing off the ground with her arms with a girlish groan and then giggle. Sasuke released the last breath he took in a deep gasp of air.

He was now able to see his surroundings. The girl still hovered over him as she propped herself up on her hands and knees, lingering above him. Long brown hair fell from her round face to black out the rest of the world. Now all he could do was look up and her down and in that instant they did just that.

From on top of him, the girl's eyes followed her hair and trailed down to him as his went up to hers. They locked in an instant and held each other's stare; large auburn eyes that locked with his black ones. Hers were wide an innocent while his were cold and distant, looking like two black coals than eyes. Her long brown hair fell from her head tracing around Sasuke's head as it lumped onto the ground. It shrouded their stare off in shadows, but within it their eyes remained completely visible.

"s-s-sorry." she let out eventually breaking the silence of the stare off. Following her que Sasuke put his arms to the ground and picked himself up to face her as she leaned back, drawing away from him and her long hair followed suit.

Finally, Sasuke sat himself up as she pulled back from him, her hair following her until she stopped coming to a sitting position herself, across from him. Her hair, however, was so long that it remained around his head and on his shoulders. Sasuke let out a huff and she tugged the rest back to her and whatever strands remained he swiped away.

Kneeling she began to dust herself off and setting her hair behind her back. Opposite her, he sat resting his arm on his knees looking at her strangely out of the corner of his eye, feigning disinterest, though he was very much annoyed. She had long flowing brown hair that went well beyond her waist and encircled her as she sat on the ground now. She wore some king of uniform; her bare legs propped her up as they poked out of her skirt and a tight white button-down shirt barely containing a gigantic chest that he was already acquainted with. But the thing that caught his eye the most was what sitting beside her; a very long violet sheath and the hilt of a sword poking out of it.

The two said nothing to each other. Not her as she cleaned herself off nor him as he regarded her and her blade cautiously. But someone was full of questions, and she was going to ask them.

"Sasuke, who is this? Do you know her?" Ino asked overly concerned as she stood over Sasuke, but he didn't respond to her. His eyes were still set on the sword.

"Watch where you're pointing that thing." he eventually grumbled looking over to the girl more.

"Hm?" she let out confused stopping her hands from running mid-way down the long length of her hair, before realizing that during the fall she had dropped something "Dah!" she let out and quickly scrambled for the purple scabbard beside her. Sasuke regarded it curiously. It was a sword, no doubt of ridiculous length, as long as she was if not longer. Though he saw no blade one was clearly there, hidden away inside. The scabbard was purple, the hilt dark red, the same as blood.

"That's an awfully long sword." he said with disinterest, though he couldn't keep his eyes off of it, almost as if he was drawn to it. He wondered if she carried it around so carelessly if she could actually wield it.

"It's been the heirloom of my family for countless generations. The Reiki." the girl said in an airy light voice as she regarded it, holding it close to her preciously, dusting it off as she did herself.

She hopped to her feet as her breast bounced around and her skirt lifted up to reveal a little more beneath it. He averted his eyes as Ino glared at him as if it was his fault.

"I hope you know how to use it." he grumbled as he still felt a welt on the back of his head from the way she carelessly carried it and whacked him before.

"Hm?" she turned to it "What do you mean?" she asked cluelessly as Sasuke got back to his feet. Standing up against her, he found he was still shorter, almost eye level with her chest which he had gotten to know so well already.

"Tsh." he looked away. She really did seem stupid. And he was growing tired of this pointless back and forth.

"Huh?" she looked back to him "Are you alright?" she asked though she received no answer. She moved so the sword to her side as she stepped towards him "My name is Aya Natsume." she finally introduced herself as he remained silent seemingly contemplating how to respond to that or if he even should at all.

"Sasuke Uchiha." he said, and she accepted his introduction, perhaps too much to his liking, though, as she leaned in even closer to him.

"Hm?" she mused peering him over, turning her head from one side to the other before settling back in to look at his face head on, their eyes becoming locked again.

"What?" he asked uncomfortably as she got closer and closer. He tried to step away, but she took another step forward keeping the distance between their two faces minimal.

"There's something different about you." she said cocking her head to one side her hair falling down along with it "Something inside."

"Hm? What kind of nonsense is that?"

She nodded as if he had agreed "I can tell." she said before standing back up straight "You must be really strong."

He clenched his fist tightly, so much so he thought he might bleed. That might have been the last thing he wanted to hear right now "I want to be." he stated bitterly, so low and to himself that he didn't expect her to hear it.

But she did.

"I want to be too." she agreed and then laughed innocently. Sasuke's face shot up to look at her as she stood over him. A surprised but serious look all over his face and body "You know you remind me of my husband." she pointed to him. He was taken back by the comment; his hard demeanor was broken, and his face reddened a bit. No doubt Ino beside them was relieved to hear she had one but distressed as she continued to take interest in Sasuke more.

"Husband?" he let out not sure if it should be a compliment.

"Well, he's not yet," Aya admitted as Ino continued to fret "but he will be. That's why I wanted to get the flowers. For hi-" Sasuke quickly cut her off to get to the heart of the matter. For him that is.

"-Wait" he let out sharply getting her attention "are you here for the Chunin exams?" He had not seen her at any of the preliminaries, and he had never seen her before. But for her to make claims of getting stronger, it only stirred the impulse in him.

"Hm?" she titled her head and looked at him again with those wide eyes "What's that?" she asked, the guilelessness in her voice was clear.

"The tournament." he grumbled explaining it.

She shook her head, her long hair waving as she did trickle down from the head to the longest strand by her feet "No..." she admitted before a pause causing Sasuke's dissatisfaction to grow "but I'm here to train for my own too."

Sasuke looked her over, his eyes tracing the sword more and more. 'Are you strong?' he thought 'Of course not.' he answered himself, looking at her and then looking away. How could someone like her possibly be a challenge 'But...' he turned back specifically looking to the sword again. Why carry it around if you can't wield it or protect yourself? But she wasn't here for the same reason he was. Perhaps that's just what he needed. Something new to test his abilities. Sasuke's head dropped a little more, his eyes hiding behind his hair which cast a shadow down the rest of his face.

"Maybe we can help each other." he stated lowly. Now Aya was the one who was taken back.

"How's that?" she asked confused. And before Aya even knew what was happening Sasuke came back up swinging a fist at her and she backed up to dodge it "HEY!" she exclaimed "What was that for?!"

"You want to get stronger too?" he asked as he planted his feet into the ground "Then fight me. Let's see who's stronger." She still seemed unamused by the idea, unsure if she was going to accept his challenge. But when he saw her grip the hilt on the sword and unleashed it, he saw a change come over her. For something of such a ridiculous length, she seemed to release it with ease, dropping the scabbard to the ground behind her. Perhaps she really did know how to use it.

"A challenge it is then." she stated but didn't pause in giving her answer "Accepted." she said as she spread her feet, confidence was in her voice now. As for the sword, she pointed it at him. With its long reach and length, it nearly cleared the distance she had put between the two.

Ino, however, looked on worried as the two squared off to each other in the street "Sasuke do you think this is a-" she could even finish before, he sprinted off towards Aya. Ready to test his abilities.

He threw knifes at her, which she ducked under twirling her body and the long blade of the Reiki followed her. The blade shined against the light as it's pointed tip moved along with her countless strands of hair as if it was one of them.

Coming up, she returned to face him. He continued his sprint forward and charged her. Aya readied herself; the sword was raised by both hands so that it hung over her right shoulder trailing her back. Sasuke knew what would come next. She would swing it down over her shoulder once he was close enough. He sprinted at her putting his head forward and his arms to his back as he did. She stood there waiting for his assault standing completely still. But then in a sudden motion she did what he expected. Quickly she swung her arms forward and the sword followed. It would have landed on top of him had he not moved a step to the side effectively dodging it. He admitted to himself the swing was faster than what he expected. From there the sword raised up beside him and then closer with a slash. He ducked under that one and jumped over the swipe that followed back. The gap between them was closer now, and he would have to make his move.

But Aya slashed the sword at him again and Sasuke had to improvise. Instead of going for her, he saw another possibility. He got low and slid along the ground kicking up dirt as he did and slid past her. His feet went first and locked around the scabbard of the reiki. Pushing himself up the ground, he shot up and kicked the discarded frame at her. She turned to him and removing one hand from the sword she effortlessly caught it before it would hit her. Sasuke did not press his attack for he heard a small giggle from behind it. Then he watched as her face appeared from behind the hilt.

"I wasn't expecting that." she admitted rather amused. Sasuke failed to see what was so funny. This was a fight after all? Did she not want what he did? "You know, my husband tried the same sort of thing." she said as she moved the scabbard and sword to her sides as if no longer ready to fight "He used the lunch I made him once in a fight." she explained.

"What does that matter?" Sasuke asked. He truly didn't care at this point and was losing patience with her on this. Homemade lunches and sword sheaths aren't applicable as far as he saw it. "If you're not going to take this seriously then what's the point?" aggravation growing in his voice and it was acknowledged by her.

"This is a challenge I intend to take seriously." she said as she "If you don't think I am, then I'll show you right now."

Her hands were raised high to her side as the blade trailed down to the ground. Running forward now she charged him, dragging the blade across the ground before him. He jumped up to dodge it, yet she raised the sword to follow him. Trailing him in the air, he swerved around and planted his feet on the blade. He hoped off the sword and jumped forward attempting to knee her in the face, but she raised the sword effectively guarding her from his incoming blow.

Moving in the air, he swerved around her to try again. The sword being so damn long, it wasn't easy to dodge, or even when making headway get in close before losing ground. She swiped the sword at him, and he jumped out of the way before jumping towards her with a punch. She evaded him and moved out of the way only to find himself at sword point again. She swiped at him, and he moved his head. She came the other way, and he shifted his body to the left. He ducked under an oncoming blow.

He slid forward on the ground under the blade and saw it right above his face, his reflection looking right back at him. He got closer and closer, sliding beneath the length of the blade and he could already she her twisting her hands to maneuver the sword at him. He ducked out even more and thinned his body out getting closer to her. Then as he was only inches before her using his arms, he shot himself up extending his left leg up and it collided with her chin.

He launched up with a kick so hard it lifted her off the ground, blood splattering from her face and going higher than her. An attack he had used before to great success than continued here. But like against Yoroi he wasn't done yet. Sasuke then planted his legs on the ground and then jumped up to follow her into the air, intent to keep up his attack. He continued to rise in the air until he caught up to her. Time seemed to slow as he rose to meet her, his body upside down, opposite hers until they were face to face.

Then he heard it.

The sound of straining glass before it shattered. A small laugh mingled in with it. Then all of a sudden Aya's head darted forward towards his in an almost inhuman way, one that was too fast and different than before.

And that's when he saw it.

Her eyes had changed. Gone were the innocent auburn eyes, now they had transformed into something starkly different, something darker. They flashed a demonic shade of red and her pupils turned long and thin like a needle; like that of a lizard or animal. It shined brightly against his own the red eyes were reflected in even his black dimmed ones.

He remained stunned for a few moments at the development. In that time Aya made a motion towards him. Sasuke saw it coming and moved to do as he initially intended and strike her back to the ground. But his fist was too slow for he saw as he moved it, Aya snapped her free arm forward, striking him first with her fist and sending him back to the ground.

Sasuke landed back down onto the ground hard. A pain in his cheek that hurt more than he would like to admit.

"What was that?" he grumbled as he lay there on his back looking up, stunned by what had just occurred. His wincing eyes opened as he saw a figure coming down to land on top of him. Opening his eyes, Aya was coming back down to where he was. Quickly Sasuke rolled out of the way as her feet connected where his head was. He stood up ready to face Aya like before. But she was just as ready to face him, getting to that position before him. To show him she was serious just like she said she would. Those hellish eyes set themselves onto him.

Sasuke saw them but could not let himself be unnerved by them. He wanted this and he would win it. He took a step forward, ready to charge her and get in close. She gripped the sword even tighter and slammed it down to the ground at him. He hardly had time to get out of the way before it hit the ground, the blade slicing it in two.

Sprawled out on his legs and knees, he looked up as her eyes locked onto him. A strange sensation came over him, as if he'd seen this before. He was paralyzed for only a moment before he kicked back up to his feet. And before he knew it, she shot the sword forward at him. He again hardly managed to dodge it and this time did not do so completely. He felt it slice along his cheek and saw strands of his hair falling before his eyes. When she retracted the sword, he saw his blood on the blade. His blood.

She jabbed the sword forward at him again, so he moved his head and arched his shoulder though he was still cut across it, opening his coat and allowing blood to trickle out. He ducked down as she swiped the sword horizontally and he ducked under it. She swung it down again, and he rolled out of the way as she again split the ground.

He quickly rose to his feet and threw knives at her. Bringing the sword over his head and back towards her she knocked them away. And none of them may have hit it did give him just enough time to try something more effective.

Bringing his hands to his chest, he performed hand signs and before Aya's newly red eyes, she now saw four Sasuke's and each one of them were charging her.

"That sword won't do you any good so close up, especially against so many." he grinned to himself, confident of this new strategy even as a burning sensation came over his neck. But she did not seem fazed by any of them. She only giggled a little more. But he would be the one laughing soon.

Three clones came at her from all sides. Her eyes flashed at all of them at once as she held her ground. Gazing at them, she could see something clearly; something that only Sasuke knew at this point.

She let loose the long sword slicing two of the shadow clones in two, which then erupted into a cloud of smoke. Sliding under the other two as kicks and punches came at her she evaded all of them. She seemed only intent on dodging the blows which she did very effectively, but her eyes the entire time were only on one of the remaining Sasuke's. The one on the left kicked up at her and she arched her head dodging it while the other one swung up with a punch which she evaded just as easily, coming down to do so. Her body crouching beneath that Sasuke before she suddenly swung her elbow forward hitting that Sasuke, the real Sasuke in the gut hard. His feet left the ground for a moment as he spat out blood mixed with saliva. Aya then brought her leg up and kicked him away tumbling across the ground.

"How?" he said aloud as he spiraled across the ground finally coming to a stop down the street.

When he picked himself up, he saw Aya was standing where he had last seen her; the place where she had struck him. Only now she was surrounded by a thick layer of smoke as his clones disappeared as if they were never there.

He, in contrast lay across the ground, blood poured from his cheek and shoulder, and he spit some more from his mouth as he looked to her eyes.

"That power." he gripped the dirt beneath him angrily. How did this happen? This increase in speed and precision. It was like she knew his next move, or perhaps he was just moving to where she wanted him to be and now he was reacting to her. But how? It was the same frustration he felt when he faced Rock Lee. But this is what he wanted. Even when he fought him, Rock Lee outclassed Sasuke's signature power. He had not even used them yet here.. but what was she using? "It can't be?" He stood up straight and in complete disbelief looking to the young woman across from him, and the harsh glare in her red eyes. Eyes a shade of red that brought him to a simple conclusion "How did you get that?!" he pointed to her.

She brought a hand up to cover her mouth which let out an innocent yet annoying little laugh "I told you already." she giggled "It's the heirloom of my family."

"Not that!" he yelled, and her laughter stalled for a moment. His gaze steadied on her "Those eyes." he stated, and she perked up at that "How did you get those eyes?"

"Same answer." she smiled settling back into her guileless self.

"Huh?" Sasuke jolted as if shocked awake and he was very much shocked.

"The Dragons Eye." she stated " Allowing its user to use vast amounts of energy in exchange to see the past, future, present. To see through the clouds, shadows, earth and flesh." she told "When combined with the Reiki it uses an excessive amount of power to wield the two together." A drawback it seemed. But Sasuke was more focused on what she told him, disproving his initial thoughts. The pain of the wounds she inflicted still stung, but the weight on him seemed to lessen considerably.

Sasuke dropped his head "Tsh." he let out "Is that all it takes?" Aya had no answer as she heard a dark bit of laughter coming from him now "Let's see for sure." he said as he looked up and she saw now that his eyes had changed. His dark eyes had turned red like blood drops, his pupils black with three smaller dots perfectly aligned around them.

"Huh?" Aya let out confused "You have the Dragons eyes too?" she let out cluelessly.

"Funny." he said in a voice devoid of amusement "I was wondering if you had the Sharingan yourself the entire time." he mused aloud.

"Sharingan?" she repeated.

"My family heirloom." he said, almost mockingly, but it did answer her question. "The Dragon's eye." he then said repeating her. Sasuke allowed a chuckle before cutting it off "No." he stated coming to a conclusion and sounding sure of it "It's some kind of off shoot. A Byakugan knock off perhaps." he concluded judging by her description and how she used it. Though she certainly didn't approve.

"Heeeyyy!" she wined at him "Don't call it an off shoot!" she stamped her feet childishly.

"Prove me wrong then!" he shouted confidently. They took their stances again. A few bits of blood still dropped from his shoulder or slipped out of the corners of her mouth, and along the long blade, but they were ready for real this time. This fight had evolved to a new level for both of them.

"So, what can your eyes see?" Aya asked down the blade of the sword.

"I shall show you!" Sasuke boasted.

Then they charged each other moving in tandem.

Having the greater reach due to the sword Aya's attack came first. Sasuke found that now, with his Sharingan, he had an easier time anticipating and dodging it. He leapt up swerving around the blade as it swung at him.

He closed in quickly, and his fist then came at her. She brought a hand up from the sword to block it. She threw a punch of her own. He came back to the ground first, blocking her punch just as she did his. Then he threw one in retaliation matching her movements perfectly. Unlike hers though, his blow struck and hit her square in the face. Aya took the blow to her cheek and staggered back from it causing Sasuke to smirk at his clear sign of progress. Aya steadied herself and found her footing. With space between them she set her eyes back on Sasuke, the look in them showing that she knew what he had done and what he was capable of now. She paused only for a moment to wipe away the blood from her lips that matched his eyes. Staining her hand with it, she gripped the Reiki tightly and swung at him.

Sasuke evaded the first slash by jumping up closing the distance as he propelled himself forward. Then coming back to the ground as the sword swung at him causing him to duck under it to go low to the ground, glancing up however let him look up her skirt and she let out a shriek as she backed away.

Turning red Sasuke stalled as well.

Both took the time to readjust themselves. Already low and sliding beneath her he came up behind her. She swung around at him with the sword, and he quickly pulled out a knife to hold against it. The two blades clashed and the Reiki, the larger blade engulfing the other as sparks cracked from their meeting.

Aya pushed down against Sasuke, who abandoned the fight and swooped up with a leg that went over her head. When he landed, he did so his target. Nit her, but on the sword planting it in the ground.

She seemed shocked by the outcome as Sasuke stood over the sword and her lurching over it. He had her now.

He jabbed forward with a punch, and she dropped the sword briefly to bring up one of her own to misdirect his blow.

But now he had it securely out of her hands and under his feet. He was ready to end this and pressed his attack. Diving at her with a punch Aya backed away letting go of the sword completely and bringing an arm out to misdirect it the punch elsewhere. But as soon as she was clear of that another had come for her, but she slashed it away with her own hand. Sasuke followed up by jumping coming higher than she was in the air before her and kicked his feet out. Aya snapped her arms up to block the kick which hit her braced forearms the force from the kick was enough to send her skidding back across the ground, only stopping when she hit the side of a building.

The heavy hard wall stopped her, and she let out a small groan when they collided. But while she had nowhere to go behind, there was someone coming at her from the front as Sasuke charged her again. He leapt in the air and led with a punch that would have hit her in the face had she not ducked beneath it. Coming forward she grabbed ahold of him by his other dangling arm, and she stepped forward. Doing so she hurled him over her shoulder planted him onto the ground on his back.

Beneath her again Sasuke looked as released him to come down with a kick. Rotating on the ground he quickly got out of the way and when he got up, he had his attack already in mind. Reaching for her arm he grabbed a hold of it and just as she had done to him flung her over his own shoulder and threw her out of his way.

Aya was planted on the ground, but noticed that right beside her was the Reiki, very much within her reach. She flung her arm up as Sasuke went up with it. He let go of her as she got to her feet and reached for the sword only for him to come right back down on top of it planting it deeper into the ground.

The two stalled, dead eyeing each other with their specific family traits.

"So, your hand to hand is just as impressive." she dryly stated thought it very much sounded like a compliment "But it'll always come back to that sword."

"Thank you." she smiled sweetly despite the panting breathes from both of them and blood, dirt and grime covering them "But I'd like to have this back now."

But Sasuke wouldn't let that happen. Keeping his feet on the sword, he shot forward with a punch. She snapped her arm up knocking it away before snapping forward with one of her own.

He dodged and shot back with a kick that she brought an arm up to block. Then she kicked forward hitting the sword and brining him off balance as he stood on top of it. She followed up with another wider kick, her skirt coming up more in the process, but he jumped away onto the side of a nearby building and immediately performed hand signs.

'I'll have to try something different.' he thought to himself and started doing it. His neck began to churn and blacken as he did it. He almost stalled in doing so, but he didn't. This wasn't the Chunin exams; there would be no disqualifying here.

"Fireball!" he let out as he took in a big breath of air and released it as a ball of fire. It fell down from the sky down at Aya who let out a shriek as she jumped away and reached out for the reiki and brought the sword up to dodge it. As she rolled away, she managed to dodge most of the flames, but some outlying embers still caught hold of her. She rolled away from his attack and when she stood up her uniform shirt had turned to ash and melted off of her revealing more of her torso.

Ino, who had been watching everything from the start looked on in embarrassment. And in heated jealousy the more she saw of Aya's frame compared against her own.

Neither Sasuke nor Aya herself seemed to notice she was only in her skirt and bra now and the fight continued. Sasuke jumped up to the higher ground on a roof top and then jumped out towards her. Aya jumped up to meet him.

In the air Sasuke leapt at her with a kick and she responded with her own, their legs locking in the air before they jumped back from the other. Sasuke planted himself on a wall before hopping onto a roof. Aya who had landed on the ground jumped onto a cart and then onto a roof opposite him.

On even footing, they both jumped into the air and clashed again. Blood landed on the ground when his fist hit her face and her knee connected with his face. Landing back on the ground they took to the air again hopping from roof to roof. Aya slashed the long Reiki and him in mid-air. He spiraled around it, kicking her in the face before she swung back with her own fist. They landed on the rooftop again. She slashed at him, but he evaded it, but when she came back with another slice it cut him across his back. He then dove at her with a punch mimicking her and planting his fist in her face. She stumbled back to the edge of the roof. Jumping up away from him Sasuke missed his next attack but followed her in the air.

"Sasuke!" Ino shouted as they left her field of view, heading further into the marketplace and village. She took off to run after them, tracing them from below as they clashed on rooftop and rooftop. Blood splatted and even more clothes from each were torn off as they fought. Sasuke mimicked Aya's fighting patterns perfectly, allowing him to land a punch or kick she had attempted. But she still had the edge in reach and would slash at him cutting open his jacket more, revealing his torso and staining the rest with blood. Ino raced after them from below but lost track the second she bumped into someone, and they both landed on the ground.

"Hey- watch where you're going!" she yelled only to have the same thing regurgitated back to her "Heh?" they both let out, and she saw she had bumped into none other than Sakura. "That big forehead get in your way!"

"You're the one who bumped into me you know!" Sakura nagged right back.

"Like I have any time for blame." Ino said picking herself back up "I have to go help Sasuke!" she declared before running off.

"Sasuke's in trouble?!" Sakura let out before Ino ran off without her. The last she saw of Sasuke he was training with Kakashi. What had happened now? Ino never answered her, so it left Sakura with only one option "Hey, wait up!" she yelled as she ran after her.

Up ahead on the same rooftop the Sasuke and Aya landed across from each other, panting and short of breath. Blood trickled from both of them, and their clothes were torn or singed off completely. By this point his jack was cut off his torso and her skirt had fallen off though it was nothing he hadn't seen already from her. But as for the rest of their bodies, it revealed cuts and bruises on both of them.

Both had powers that allowed them to thrive in this fight. The question remained which was better. Sasuke's ears perked up a little when he heard that piercing sound again, like breaking glass cutting into his ears. Only this time he saw a distinctly violet glow coming from the Reiki as well. That was when it dawned on him.

"I was wondering what I heard all this time." he admitted in a low voice "That sword!" he exclaimed. Across from him Aya perked up as well. Up close she got a better look at his eyes.

"You can hear it too?" she asked, and he nodded. "Those eyes." she said as she almost became entranced by them "Pretty..." she said before pausing leaning in to admire a familiar sight "I knew there was something special about you." she admitted happily bringing her hands up. "But tell me Sasuke..." she said, her voice becoming softer and more inquisitive. As if there was something on her mind troubling her, something beyond this fight. "Why?" she asked and then clarified further "Why do you want to get stronger?"

Silence was her answer at first. Sasuke clenched his fist fighter. Though he was stiff and rigid, anger flared in him. He had to but his lip to suppress an angry scream.

"Because I have to." he growled, angry but determined.

Aya's eyes focused in on him. The haunting gaze unnerved him a bit, but hers were wider now. Though they were different than the ones before, something showed in the Dragons eye that brought a knowing calmness to her face.

"I see now.." Aya paused and the next thing she said was horrifying to hear "Itachi."

A cold shiver went down Sasuke's back and he felt paralyzed, frozen in a genjustsu or other terrible attack. How did she get that knowledge? He said nothing about it. Gave no hints or warnings. But she...

"How-" he gulped anger rising in his voice "How do you know that name?"

"I told you." Aya replied calmly "I can see everything. Or just about it. It's hard to pick through it all sometimes."

"You can see it maybe..." Sasuke relented his anger subsiding only a bit "but you can't know-can't understand." he said as his voice rose back to snap at her.

"I can a little." Aya said her soft voice trying to reach out to him "I wanted the same thing. I wanted with all my strength not to be a burden. To help my husband.. and I wanted to beat my sister too."

That was certainly not something Sasuke was expecting to hear. It almost caught him off guard to hear it. But if it was a parallel, she was making, he would hear more.

"Did you?"

Aya went quiet now. A solemn sad expression came over her face as her eye remained bright red and constant.

"She's gone now." she admitted, sounding like it was not her doing. But that is what Sasuke wanted to hear. The comparison had been made and completed.

"Then that's the result I want too." Sasuke said "If you're a stepping stone to that so be it!"

Springing forward he came at her hard with a punch that she moved out of the way of. He spun around in the air following with a kick that struck her in the side of the head knocking it away. Aya rebounded jutting forward hitting Sasuke who hung in mid-air from his kick, hitting his gut with the hilt of her sword. He spiraled back onto his feet to charge at her. He leapt up above her as she guarded herself with the sword. But Sasuke came down with as strong a kick as he could muster. She got out of the way as he slammed his foot down onto the roof and it smashed right through it. His foot was planted in it and when he looked up, she came at him.

She punched him in the throat before slamming the bottom on the sword onto his forehead. He jerked in place and pulled his foot out as he stumbled back away from another swipe. As he got his footing, she came at him with again the sword, but he reached out to grab it with his hand stopping its descent, his bare hand pressing against the blade. His hand startling to pour out blood, he let out a scream as he pushed back against her and now she stumbled. He swooped down with his arm and grabbed her ankle and swung up causing her to go face down onto the pavement sending her legs into the air. Bloodied smeared around her head. Then he reared his leg back and then forward kicking her across and off of the rooftop.

But a lone hand reached out and stopped her from falling. Using that Aya flung herself upwards over the rooftop. The Reiki was in her hands and over her head and she was ready to cut down at Sasuke. But as Aya was coming back up Sasuke was already diving towards her with his knee crashing into her face. Blood splattered onto and around his knee as he was propelled forward with her into the air. They were off the roof now and over another alleyway.

They collided with each other and crashed down into the ground in a thick cloud of dust and smoke. Sasuke coughed and couldn't see what was before him, but he did feel something soft against his face. Looking around he saw he was right back where he started; in between Aya's breast though with less clothing this time. He picked himself up as he was over her body and then rolled off to her side his sliced shirt sliding off of him as he did. He looked over to see she was unresponsive, save for the rising and falling of her chest; the sword still entangled in her fingers, but not sound or deadly aura was emitting from it. Her eyes closed.

But the battle had run its course.

Being the only one conscious it was him to decide the winner. He sat himself up and looked the situation over. It was an easy choice.

Sasuke looked down to his hands, dirty and bloody. But this test had proven something to him. He had taken on an unknown power and prevailed by his own merit "I... I really have gotten stronger." he admitted almost in shock before he clenched it "But not enough." he stated darkly. He may not have used the Chidori, the technique he had yet to master, but he still managed to etch out a win, but not without using his chakra.

Disgruntled he turned his head towards his opponent. Looking over he saw Aya laying there, looking completely at peace despite losing the fight. Sleeping peacefully like a baby as if nothing had happened. Seeing it, a piece of advice came back to Sasuke "I guess everyone does need their rest." he lowered his head and smirked.

"Sasuke?!" two voices suddenly let out. Perking up he looked over to see Sakura and Ino had followed him all the way here. They were wide eyed with gaping mouths.

"What?" he let out cluelessly. And then looked at the situation he found himself in. Aya with hardly and clothes on lying beside him and him kneeling up in a similar dress "Oh." he let out glumly.

"Sasuke What going on?! Who is this?!" Sakura shouted before turning on Ino "What did you get me into!" But Ino was just as lost as she was.