The boy spun to face us, his hands shoved deep into his pockets and a scowl set across his face. His eyes glittered with animosity, and I returned it with the same look of disgust at the predicament.

I immediately turned on my heel in an attempt to vacate the clearing but Iruka clasped the collar of my shirt and yanked me back. His grip stayed tight against my struggles to escape as the boy made his way to join us. Iruka began,

"It's nice to see that you finally decided to show up Kyoko. But from now on, please show up on time." I turned my head to glower at Iruka before giving up on my escape.

"I doubt I will show up at all; you didn't happen to mention I would have a training partner." My icy words were directed somewhat at Iruka but also at the boy who was now deemed my training partner.

"You know now." Iruka insisted that it really didn't matter but trust me, it mattered.

"I don't work well with bastards," I stated, crossing my arms again.

"Bitch isn't exactly my type of punching bag; they complain too much." The boy scoffed off my name calling, returning with his own.

"Arrogant shitheads are just as bad. I'll remember your technical name next time, Uchiha," I hissed, fixating my glower on my raven haired training partner.

"It's not like you could win anyway, Tanaka." He challenged, his cold wit only fanned the flames making my blood boil as I glared at him.

"I will send you home crying." My green irises connected with his obsidian pupils, red flickering quickly through their strands and both sets of eyes glittering at the fact that they were only inches from an anathema. Iruka interrupted us by stepping in between Uchiha's and my close proximity. But before Iruka fit in a word, I turned my angry glare to him.

"Why am I even here? I don't see some need worthy of threatening to hold me back because Uchiha needs a partner won't drool over him when they fight! I'm sure you can get one of the other students to help Uchiha."

"It's not me. It's you who needs my help." Uchiha narrowed his eyes further, my attention switching between the two shinobi. Iruka stayed silent, my cross remarks not able to mitigate his hardened exterior.

"Why would I need your—"

"He's right, Kyoko," Iruka responded. His voice was stern, serious about the words that he stated so truthfully.

But it was a lie. It had to be. My face dropped as did my guard, my emotions clearly displayed for the two other shinobi to see.

"What?" I cried. I didn't give Iruka a chance to repeat. "Why would I ever be in need of his help?"

"It's a talent we believe you possess." Iruka was still talking in random babbles of information to try and make the information easier to take but none of it helped.

"Are you high?" I deadpanned, slightly out of it as I spoke. I bit my tongue back, not allowing any more of the snide remarks popping into my head to be spoken.

"Do you remember The Hidden Storm Village, Kyoko? Any of your training?"

*CLICK*

What the fuck?

The click was blunt, not reverberating as most sounds did against all the trees that surrounded us at the moment. I was caught off guard even more by this sound, this break in the silence of the woods. But neither Iruka nor Uchiha seemed phased by the sound; in fact Iruka hadn't stopped babbling.

"The last time I had conversed with Reina, she said you had started to show signs that the Ryoukegan was developing quickly…" Iruka's voice trailed off as his gaze returned to me. Another thought hit Iruka. "What about Reina?"

I rubbed my temples from the light thudding pain that was echoing about my skull from distant and strained recognition.

"Kyoko?" Worry lined Iruka's voice as he spoke to me, my ear oblivious to the sound. I spun on my heel, retreating from the clearing again but now with more urgency than my earlier attempts. "Where are you going Kyoko?" Iruka's hand clamped down on my shoulder and I easily gave in, plopping onto the ground.

"What's wrong now?" Sasuke sounded exasperated and I could almost see the bored scowl that usually accompanied the tone of ennui.

"Shut up," I ordered through gritted teeth. Finally grasping some sense of clarity, I returned to standing. Iruka sent me one nervous glance before starting our training.

As Iruka set us to spar, I faced the Uchiha; his eyes blazed a deep crimson red, like that of a black cherry ripe to be picked. He took an offensive stance, automatically putting me on the defense to start the match. His first attack was fast and precise, his fist connecting fully with my side. I reacted quickly to his advances before a kick hit my side painfully following many other attacks and I held the spot where it had hit, trying to refill my lungs again.

I quickened my speed, darting at Sasuke before he could raise a defense. My fist grazed his cheek lightly and went past his face before I open-handedly grabbed the back of his neck to throw his torso into my knee with force. Spinning, I attempted to land my other foot into his side to no avail.

"Not in this lifetime Tanaka…" Sasuke's voice smirked dangerously, his panting breaths matching mine. His crippling hand gripped my ankle tightly, the other hand still stiffened in the block he had used only seconds ago. I twisted in his grasp and ran my hands across the soft grass, which was crisp from the recent rains, in an attempt to retaliate. I managed to twist around but my foot was not released as I had hoped and his muscles tensed as he flung me into the ground. Pressing one foot down between my shoulders in triumph, I glared up at him.

"You lose," he stated blandly, a victorious smirk across his face.

Surging up, I sent my proud partner to the ground and jumped on top of him, pressing his shoulders deeper into the dirt.

"Who won again? Just to clear things up…" Uchiha averted his gaze in anger, his brows furrowed. Just to add to the annoyance, I pressed all my weight forward to make sure my presence was still registered in the Uchiha's mind.

"Get off of me," he growled. He glared at me as I thought over whether I wanted my victory to end just yet. I finally stepped off of him, purposefully sighing.

"Are we done?" I watched Iruka think over my question. Then suddenly, the image of Iruka disappeared and I spun around to block Sasuke as he attempted to make me drop my guard. "Not now, and not ever will your genjutsus work on me, Uchiha." I held my block strong as the Uchiha tried to force the protection down and out of his way. Both of our arms shook with the force that was against them until the real Iuka stepped between us. We snarled at each other, the hatred for the success of the other throughout the battle apparent.

"To answer your question Kyoko, yes. Be here, tomorrow night at the same time." I bit my tongue back, instead favoring to give Iruka a livid glower before rushing away as quickly as possible.