Title: Sasuke vs The Regent of the Mask

Premise: Naruto, The Regent of the Mask. Sasuke battles The Regent of the Mask in a sword fight. Plus, he's about to pay for all of his crimes.

Sasuke kicked the door down and entered the wide, dimly-lit office. He saw a tall man in a red cloak at the desk. He was holding a man in a suit by the throat in one hand, and held a long, gleaming basket sword in the other.

"No! Please!" The suited man pleaded. "Just-ARRRGHHHH!"

The hooded man payed him to attention, and mercilessly plunged his sword through his stomach. He twisted the handle, killing the man. Withdrawing his blade, he threw the corpse to the side, and finally spoke.

"I've been waiting for you, Avenger." He spoke in a high-pitched voice.

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded, drawing his Sword of Kusanagi and holding it at the ready.

The hooded man turned around, showing his face... or rather not. He was wearing a white mask that reminded Sasuke of European Opera.

"Let's dispense with the introductions, and get strait to the killing, shall we?" The man asked musingly. He held his sword at the ready in a fencing pose.

And suddenly, his voice became stern and commanding.

"Come, Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke's sharingan eyes glowed. He blinked, activating them. As soon as he opened them, the man was directly in front of him, his sword raised about to strike.

Sasuke managed do slide away to the right, dodging the swing.

Feeding some lightening chakra to his own sword, Sasuke lashed at the man.

But in a red blur, the man dodged to the side, and just as quickly sped back to Sasuke, slashing his sword again.

Sasuke ducked another strike, and slid past the man. He swung his sword as he dashed past the man. The blow landed, cutting the man slightly on the ribs, cutting though his cloak and armor he must have been wearing under.

This guy is fast, Sasuke thought.

Jumping off the wall, he bounced back toward the man, his sword poised to slice his head off.

The man was turning around. Sasuke threw his blow.

Clang!

To Sasuke's shock, the man had raised his sword, and parried Sasuke's!

Impossible! Sasuke thought in horror. No normal blade can parry mine!

"Ah, what fun, eh? Sasuke Uchiha!" The Regent hissed mockingly as he pressed down on Sasuke's blade. Sparks were flying from the friction.

Sasuke shook his head and pushed his confusion to the back of his mind. He needed to focus on this fight.

"RRRRAAAGGH!" Sasuke pushed against the man's strength, and shoved him back. His guard broken, Sasuke delivered a knee-kick to the man's chest, sending him back.

"Chidori Current!" Sasuke slammed his hand to the ground, sending a wave of lightening toward the man. The sparks hit him head on, making his body convulse and vibrate.

Having stunned his opponent, Sasuke launched at him, and swung his sword again, cutting the man all over his body, until finally-

The man caught Sasuke, grabbing his shirt, and then stabbing him through his lower body.

Sasuke screamed as the burning pain shot through him. It hurt just as much as the man withdrew his blade, and roundhouse-kicked him, sending him tumbling back.

Trying to ignore the pain, Sasuke got to his feet, teeth clenched.

The man came at him again, swinging his sword gracefully, but with the strength of a machine.

Sasuke managed to dodge and parry most blows, but a few cut through his arms and body.

The fierce fight continued until finally Sasuke and the man locked blades once again. They pushed against each other, trying to get the upper hand over the other.

Finally, Sasuke pushed through, broke the man's guard, and then kicked him hard in the chest again, this time sending him flying and crashing out the window.

Wanting to finish this bastard, Sasuke jumped out after him, landing in the courtyard, in the rain.

He was surprised to find the man had gotten to his feet so quickly.

"Come now!" The man cried in an cheerful tone. "The curtain is about to rise on the second act!"

Sasuke dashed at him again.

The battle continued for another ten minutes. Dashing, cutting, grabbing, slicing, dodging, parrying, sparks flying, casting jutsu. The man soon started throwing orbs of glowing blood at Sasuke. They were so evenly matched.

Finally, Sasuke grew tired of the man, and decided to go in for the kill. He was tired and wounded, and he could tell the man was not much better.

Sasuke leapt at the man, his sword aiming for this heart, but the man tried to block, and deflected it so that it merely hit him below the lungs.

The man grunted in pain, before he grasped Sasuke's wrist, and whispered something strange.

Nano-Secto-Maktou-Mano-Tuao!

Before the man could do anything else, Sasuke pulled out his blade, and kicked the man to the ground. He then took a second to breathe, thinking he won.

He suddenly felt his arm start to shake. He looked down, and saw that the blood on his sword was starting to dissolve it. It was as though the blood were eating away at the blade.

"Open your eyes, Sasuke Uchiha!" The masked man hissed.

Sasuke tried to drop the sword, but he could not. It was as though his fingers were glued around it.

Finally, the blade was eaten away fully, and then the handle, and finally the blood seemed to come to Sasuke's hand. A burning sensation filled his fingers, and the moved up to his hand, then his wrist, until it finally stopped at his elbow.

It felt as though his arm was on fire. Sasuke grunted in pain, trying to hold it in. But the searing became worse and worse, until he finally screamed. He held gripped his wrist with his free hand, trying to keep it together, but it still burned.

He collapsed to his knees. After another minute, the pain died down. His arm was still pulsating in a blood-red aura. He swore he heard voices in his head too; screaming and pleading. He felt like he heard these voices before.

His vision became blurry, but he could see the masked man coming toward him.

"So," Sasuke heard him say, "How does it feel to suffer as all of your victims?"

Sasuke did not answer. He still did not understand. He could still barely focus on the image of the masked man.

Just then, looked at the man's feet, and noticed his sword lying there, unguarded.

Sasuke lunged for it, grabbing the handle, and swung at the man with the last of his strength.

Apparently though, his reflexes were slowed, for the masked man was able to dodge the attack, and before Sasuke knew it, he was laying down, the man's boot holding the sword down by the tip of the blade.

"You know something?" The man continued. "We are both steeped in the blood of our countless victims, my boy. Farewell, until we meet again."

And without another word, the man suddenly vanished into thin air, as though he were a mirage.

"Damn you!" Sasuke muttered under his breath.