Still A Lady--- Chapter 2
TenTen POV
DAMN THAT UCHIHA! Sasuke really knew how to ruffle my feathers, but, I really did enjoy our exchanges of wit and sarcasm. Sasuke kept me on my toes. He kept me sharp and never let me lose my edge. Lee and Neji, I felt, always went easy on me. I guess they felt a need to be considerate and gentle-man like to the weaker sex on the battlefield. I despised that. It was an insult to my talent as a shinobi. Despite my complaints and telling them over and over that they didn't have to go easy on me, they always did. Sasuke didn't. He knew how to look past my femininity and acknowledge me as a leaf shinobi. Though he was too arrogant to consider me his equal, at least he did what other guys wouldn't do. He genuinely gave me his best on the battlefield. They say iron sharpens iron and his best brought out the best in me. I appreciated that, even if he always did kick my ass….
I was bent, doubled over on my knees gasping from the sharp roundhouse kick Sasuke had perfectly planted in my gut.
"You ok?" He asked in a questioning manner.
"Yeah," I breathed, heavy and labored. Clearly, I was not ok. I coughed suddenly. Blood spewed from my mouth. My ribs wracked with an excruciating pain. I gasped & clenched my teeth. Damn, it hurt.
"Oops," Sasuke said with a wince, "guess I did a little more damage than I intended." He tried to help me up, but as I attempted to stand, the pain shot through me like a bullet. It was getting more difficult to breathe. My face began to perspire & I swallowed hard.
"I think my ribs are broken," I managed to croak in a small, weak voice.
Sasuke's face was suddenly colored with concern as he scooped me up in his arms, taking care to be as gentle as possible.
"Better get you tended to," he said, as he leapt up into the trees, cradling me in his arms. Konoha Hospital wasn't too far away.