Omake / Non Canon Post
Shironi said:So I wrote an omake thing. It runs mostly on Rule of Cool. Enjoy. Replacing almost all of Sakura's pronouns with THAT GIRL was a pain in the ass and I feel it detracts from the omake somewhat, but what can you do, it's written from Sasuke's PoV after all. Hope you get better soon Biigoh!
Sasuke was on the ropes. He had already known that THAT GIRL was a Taijutsu monster from that "friendly spar" when he was back in the academy. Thus he had tried the Ninjutsu route instead. THAT GIRL had somehow blocked most of his ninjutsu and weapon strikes with nothing but her body. THAT GIRL had still yet to demonstrate anything but a passing familiarity with Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, and THAT GIRL still had him on the ropes thanks to THAT GIRL's monstrous Taijustu skill.
Oh he'd done some damage, if the the wounds and burns covering THAT GIRL's body were any indication, but nothing that wouldn't heal with time. THAT GIRL had even blocked the Chidori! A-Rank instant kill justu his ass Kakashi! Still, THAT GIRL yelped in pain when THAT GIRL blocked it and THAT GIRL's aura had gone down noticably and it had been music to his ears.
Still, he was throwing his best and even with the Sharingan it wasn't enough. THAT GIRL was doing something weird with THAT GIRL's Chakra. Where as he was burning prodigious amounts of chakra dodging and parrying THAT GIRL's blows, he'd learned by this point not to out right block them, not to mention the chakra needed to fuel his ninjutsu, THAT GIRL didn't seem to be tiring at all. THAT GIRL's Chakra had maintained a steady level through out the entire fight. Oh, he'd noticed this before but he'd never lasted long enough to really give it any thought. It wasn't, well, human to maintain that level of chakra while expending as much as THAT GIRL did. THAT GIRL just laughed as usual as she swept aside his brutal onslaught.
Right then, taijutsu's a lost cause, ninjutsu and ninja tools not working, Sharingan not enough, THAT GIRL plowed through his traps like they weren't there, stamina running low. Time to break out his hidden Trump Card. He didn't want to use his Trump Card this early but-oh who was he kidding. He was going to enjoy this. Sasuke grinned.
Sasuke dropped a smoke bomb and heard movement as THAT GIRL retreated. He focused his chakra on his eyes and felt them change. Oh yes. He was going to enjoy this, probably far, far more than he should. And he could do it again and again so long as he didn't kill THAT GIRL right away, he could prolong THAT GIRL's suffering much like THAT GIRL did to him so very long ago. Licking his lips he could almost hear THAT GIRL's screams for mercy now. No mercy. Not now, not ever.
The smoke dissapated and revealed his hidden trump card, gained when he thought Naruto had died during the mission to wave. Something he'd hidden even from his Clan. Something he'd researched by himself, under the cover of darkness. Something he'd trained solely for use against THAT GIRL that was standing now before him in shock, staring at his eyes, just like he wanted. The Mangekyou Sharingan with its most fearsome skill, "Tsukuyomi!" he shouted in triumph as the world suddenly inverted in color.
THAT GIRL looked around in fear and not a little bit of wonder as Sasuke gloated, savouring his victory. "In here, I control everything, the sky, the land, the very world itself. Here three days will pass while only a second or so will pass in the real world and I. Control. Everything." THAT GIRL was suddenly chained to a cross, nails driven through THAT GIRL's wrists and ankles, chains wrapping THAT GIRL's body and he, he had a sword in his hands while THAT GIRL still looked shocked.
"Hurts doesn't it? Those nails through your flesh. Well, we're just getting started. I thought about killing you here you know. Three days of torture then a merciful death. But then I remembered that you didn't grant me any mercy. Oh no, I'm going to trap you here, again and again, over and over everytime I can get the chance until you beg me to kill you. And I, I will look down upon you and I shall whisper 'no.' Only once I have taken everything from you like you did to me will I let you finally die. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. Ah, but I'm getting ahead my myself a little. Let's just enjoy the time we have shall we?" Sasuke raised his sword, ready to plunge it into THAT GIRL's stomach. Yes, a nice gut wound to start. Then maybe he should go for the other organs, but not to the point of death, oh no. Hmm perhaps the limbs next? Maybe-
"Oh cool! I didn't know you knew the Heart of Maya as well Sasuke-Kun," Sasuke's mind ground to a halt. What. Why wasn't THAT GIRL scared? No, why wasn't THAT GIRL in pain? No, what the hell was Heart of Maya? No, how by the grace of the Sage of the Six Paths is THAT GIRL not on the cross anymore and is now examining a sword in her hands?! THAT GIRL was still talking, "...only ever saw Big Sis Yuyu use this skill aside from me you know? Does this have something to do with your even freakier eyes? I wonder how Spider managed that? Oh! Can we go somewhere nicer than this to fight in? I know just the place! Hold on a second Sasuke-Kun!"
Dumbfounded, Sasuke could only watch as THAT GIRL chanted some poem about fists and paths and unlimited something or other as the entire world shifted into an endless field of sunflowers beneath a blue sunny sky dotted with fluffly clouds. How. How could THAT GIRL do this? This was the strongest Genjustu to exist and it was linked to the Sharingan, the strongest bloodline! It didn't make sense! What was THAT GIRL? A reincarnation of a Demon or a Kami from The Old World or something? Saskue's mind rebelled at the very possibility of that being true.
Still looking at the vast field of flowers, that was when he felt it. Killing Intent. Lots of it. Oh sure he'd felt some strong Killing Intent before. There was Zabuza, THAT GIRL, Kakashi, some of his elder clan mates and whatever Naruto did at the bridge but this, this eclipsed all he'd felt before by at least an order of magnitude. Death. Unspeakable Death and Pain and Suffering and Misery on and on andonandonandonandon for Eternity Foreverandeverandeverand- His eyes snapped to THAT GIRL. She wasn't laughing anymore.
"You know, Sasuke-Kun, I once swore to myself never to use this particular illusion unless it was for a fight to the death. I had hoped that it's first use would be something to remember, a true fight to the death where two fighters expend their everything just to survive, each pushing the other to greater and greater heights until one can climb no more and is slain. But I see the depths of your hatred and now realize that I cannot just ignore it any longer," THAT GIRL began to go through a series of warm ups. It was then that Saskue realized that THAT GIRL was fully healed, even her clothes were repaired. It was also then that Saskue realized that he himself felt fine as well. THAT GIRL continued to talk while doing her warm ups.
"Men who kill with hatred in their hearts become like dragons, undefeatable on the battlefield. But soon they forget to speak the the language of men and become like demons killing all they come across and ruling like a tyrant. It is man's solem duty to slay dragons where ever they appear," THAT GIRL cracked her knuckles "Time to slay a dragon."
THAT GIRL was finally serious. Sasuke gave himself one final checkover. Somehow THAT GIRL had even restocked his Ninja Tools. Sasuke sighed and looked, really looked at Sakura's face for the first time, "Sorry Big Bro, looks like I might not be seeing you again after all." With that Sasuke charged into the battle for his life.
- - -
Shironi said:Behold! I have written another thing! From the same people who brought you that last stuff I present to you....more of the same! Took some liberties in the maturity of Sakura here, as well as having a greater emphasis on Kasugano being an actual voice in her head. I blame Yog's essays for this, he wrote a very smart and mature Sakura where as the one depicted in the quest seems to run on Moe. Still, Sakura is very, very smart and can be mature if she needs to be. That 4.0 int isn't there just for show.
[You know, Sasuke's gotten a lot better since you last fought him,] remarked Kasugano [Smarter too, he's not trying to overpower you anymore, he's even learned not to block your attacks head on. That makes him smarter than some of the people I've fought at least. And then there's the fact that he's relying on this 'Ninjutsu' thing...]
Kasugano kept a running account of the fight in her head as Sakura...played...with Sasuke. Kasugano was right, he'd gotten smater and stronger, just not strong enough to beat her. Still, at least he was always fun to 'play' with. He always had something new to show her after all. Ah, nothing could really compare to being in a good solid no holds barred fight, even against such a weak opponent as Sasuke. Fighting was always fun. Holding back and keeping a tight reign on her killing intent was a pain over long periods of time though. Still, it was good training on control if nothing else. Perhaps she should see about getting Lily to train Sasuke? Or maybe take him on a trip to the Forest of Death for a nice relaxing camping trip? Or-Oh, a smoke bomb better retreat for now.
[...And how about that Lightning Thrust he did, 'Chidori' was it? That seems like overkill for just a friendly spar. I won't even talk about all those traps you evaded. Sakura, I think he's actually trying to kill you, and by extention, me.]
'Oh that's ridiculous Kasugano, you don't get stronger by training with people weaker than you. He's made real progress against me, why in a few years I might be able to go full throttle against him! Have a real fight with him! Finally have someone my age that can really connect with me you know? Besides, why would he want to kill me, what have I done to him that deserves that and wait, what's with his eyes?'
"Tsukuyomi!"
[Tsuku-wha?]
All the colors of the world inverted upon Sasuke's triumphant decleration. Sakura's mind spun. Genjutsu? She pulsed her chakra to no effect. Ok, this had officially gone too far to be a spar anymore. She listened to Sasuke explain his technique, control everything? time dilation? That sounded like what Big Sis Yuyu did. The Heart of Maya. How did Sasuke know that technique? Did it have something to do with how his eyes changed from the regular Sharingan to-Pain. Lots of Pain. She was...on a cross with nails through her wrists and ankles. It hurt, a lot more than she thought it would. Sasuke was holding a sword in his hands and looked slightly crazy, in fact he looked a lot like Lily that one time...
[Sakura! It's time to take off the kid gloves! He's seriously going to kill us if you don't! Whatever this is it's gone way to far to be considered a spar or even a no holds barred fight. It's now a fight to the death!]
Yes. Yes it was. Sasuke was going to kill her if she didn't do something and fast. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but he would, and he wouldn't care about any collateral damage he'd cause either. His ranting had slowly risen to a fevered pitch and his sword had been slowly drawn back. She needed to unravel this genjutsu before things got ugly for her. She needed time to concentrate and she couldn't do that impaled by an illusionary sword. The nails in her ankles and wrists were just at the edge of what she could endure. She needed a distraction.
"Oh cool! I didn't know you knew the Heart of Maya as well Sasuke-Kun," Sakura chirped with false enthusiasm bright enough to eclpise the sun. It seemed to surprise Sasuke. Good. More. "At first I thought this was just a regular enhanced genjutsu or something you know? Inverting the colors of the world is kind of obvious but then I heard you explain your technique and I was like 'wow, this seems a lot like the Heart of Maya' so I decided to congratulate you on getting it to this level! I mean I've been working at it for years and I'm only so far you know? Where'd you learn this technique anyway?"
[Keep steady girl. Ignore the feeling of the nails through your ankles and wrists, ignore the creeping feelings of blood loss. It's. Not. Real.]
'I know, I'm almost done. Whatever this is it's not a regular genjutsu, it's too strong. The chakra matrix also isn't the Heart of Maya. It's similar but not the same...Got it, I have assumed direct control!'
Sakura kept talking with enough false cheer to melt a small planetoid made entirely of ice, "This is the first, well technically second, time I've seen anything like this. I only ever saw Big Sis Yuyu use this skill aside from me you know?" Sakura willed herself free of the cross and undid the damage and blood loss from the impaling, "Does this have something to do with your even freakier eyes? I wonder how Spider managed that?" She examined a replica of the sword held in the hand of the still frozen Sasuke. Fine steel, if a bit plain, "Oh! Can we go somewhere nicer than this to fight in? I know just the place! Hold on a second Sasuke-Kun!" With that Sakura started her chant.
[It's time to end this Sakura. What a shame, with his drive he could have been great. Maybe even greater than you given enough time.]
'I know, it's an almost criminal waste of talent. I'd really hoped for a much stronger opponent to see this first. Is this how you felt Kasugano, killing those weaker than you to prevent greater tragedy down the line? Sacrificing one or ten to save a hundred? Walking the Path of the Shura?'
[...You're far too young to be asking these kinds of questions Sakura.]
'Hey, I've got your memories don't I? That makes me older than you are!'
[Heh, you've got a point,] Kasugano chuckled as the scenery suddenly shifts into an endless field of sunflowers underneath a blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds and both her and Sasuke's injuries were healed and stamina replenished. [This really is quite beautful. I know what it means to you, and why you don't use it, but I just don't see beauty captured like this often enough. Well. Time to get your game face on Sakura. Be Brave.]
Sakura released her full Killing Intent, it flooded out of her like water from a broken dam. 'I will. I take no pleasure in this but Sasuke has left me no choice. He has made his intentions quite clear. I'll try and make it quick for him, and pray that everyone is understanding about this.'
"You know, Sasuke-Kun, I once swore to myself never to use this particular illusion unless it was for a fight to the death," Sakura began as she started her warm up routine anew. "I had hoped that it's first use would be something to remember, a true fight to the death where two fighters expend their everything just to survive, each pushing the other to greater and greater heights until one can climb no more and is slain. But I see the depths of your hatred and now realize that I cannot just ignore it any longer."
Finished with her warm ups she looked him straight in his eyes, willing him to listen to her words, "Men who kill with hatred in their hearts become like dragons, undefeatable on the battlefield. But soon they forget to speak the the language of men and become like demons killing all they come across and ruling like a tyrant. It is man's solem duty to slay dragons where ever they appear," she cracked her knuckles "Time to slay a dragon."
Sakura watched as Sasuke gave himself a once over, let out a sigh, and then mumble something beneath his breath too softly for her to hear. Then he charged her. She smirked, good, at least he wasn't going to take the coward's way out.
