Chapter Text
Sakura has always known that Sasuke’s speed is unmatched, a prowess that many, both enemies and allies, acknowledge. So it didn’t surprise her when he easily flashes from behind and attempts to restrain her movements, his blade resting against her throat, and his free arm coiled around her waist. She would have panicked, however she’s changed and the only feeling running in her veins is the thrill and excitement of having her old teammate intimately close to her, despite her predicament - especially when he breathes on her ear.
“You can’t win this, Sakura.” He warns, his sword glinting dangerously. “Give up already.”
Her heart thrums.
“Oh Sasuke-kun,” she sighs with a lick of her lips, “and throw away the chance of getting this close to you?”
She feels him bristle at her words, his hold on her faltering for a second. “I kinda like it.” She adds, letting herself rest against him.
Noticing the slight twitch in his muscles, startled by her reaction, she strikes her heel on the ground and instantly, the earth shatters below them that he is forced to retreat and watch the field change shape with little movement. The look of incredulity on his face delights her, and she smiles at him.
His calculated stare meets her taunting gaze.
From her sleeves slides a pair of senbons. “Try not to underestimate me.”
--
The fight has stretched longer than he imagines, his exhaustion creeping in at an alarming pace. The temple ruins are completely destroyed by the exchange of blows, an outcome he doesn’t expect.
Yet it isn’t the duration that’s starting to bother him but the fact that she , of all people, can dodge all his attacks with graceful ease, as if reading his next move. The level of her speed seems to rival his even with his Sharingan activated when he’s supposed to be the one with advantage.
Something’s wrong.
The only time she dares fight him in a close hand to hand combat, aggression present in her movement is after she taps the ground. However, she only manages to scrape his cheek. The rest of the fight, she takes on the defensive stance but with watchful eyes observing him intently.
Studying her unscathed form, his crimson eyes look for traces of an illusion yet nothing seems out of the ordinary.
“You’re starting to notice it, don’t you?”
He snaps at her. “What do you mean?”
She only lets out a laugh as he glares, unfazed. “I will never be as fast as you, Sasuke-kun.”
Her hand begins reaching for her weapon pouch. And his grip tightens on his sword preparing for a surprise attack but is left confused when she reveals a small vial with thick purple liquid.
Poison?
“So I quickly came up with a little solution,” She shakes the tube, “and it pleases me that it's extremely effective.”
Sasuke freezes in place, while Sakura plasters a victorious grin. “It’s game over, Sasuke-kun.”
The wound in his cheek, the increasing tiredness, her sudden ability to match his speed - everything slowly pieces together. The entire time, he growls internally as a wave of fury seethes inside him, she has been toying with him. She is never fast, rather her poison works like a sedative, slowly infecting his muscles at a decreased rate that not even him can detect until it’s too late. And all because of a small cut from her.
His sword immediately flares with a blue glow, the depth of his anger mirrored by the loud cackle of electric current. His eyes narrowed into slits and the cursed seal throbs, spreading black marks across his body and amplifies his power.
“Sasuke don’t!” Karin shouts from behind. “You’re overusing it!”
But he pays her no mind and instead focuses on the girl before him, the unwavering smile on her face becoming a nuisance to him. Without warning, he charges at her, his Chidori in full swing and his chakra steadily pumping in his feet.
The cries of his team goes unheard but he did not miss the way Sakura’s emerald orbs turn grim when his Kusanagi is about to slice her in half.
She easily sidesteps him, his movements now dull thanks to her poison. She doesn’t waste another second and immediately throws a hard kick at his spine. A resounding crack sends his team to shout in worry. And he gets hurled at one of the pillars, a mouthful of blood spewing from his lips and falls on his knees, unable to withstand the pain that rakes his body.
“Oh my,” Sakura taps her lips and cocks her head to the side, “this isn’t how I expected things to run.”
He spits blood at her feet. “I’m not done yet . ”
Mustering whatever strength he has left, despite going against his body’s protest, he pushes himself up but his joints quiver. His cursed seal recedes, slowly crawling back to the mark at the side of his neck. Their battle can’t end here. He still has to face his brother. She’s supposed to be only a small hindrance to his sworn goal yet - his arm gives in and he meets the ground - he can barely pull himself up.
Her earlier words fill his head - he deems you unworthy of his time - and he grits his teeth. Is he still weak? Is Sakura really stronger than him now? His training with Orochimaru, his desertion from Konoha, is it all for naught?
Sakura stares at her old teammate, panting at her feet, battered and unable to move.
Memories they shared during their Genin days where she’s always the first to aid him pour in her mind. The night he left and their grandest reunion three years later all come flashing back. Yet her heart feels empty, even for the boy she swore to love with her entirety, to follow him in his path of darkness - every string tied to him, to her friends, to her village, gone and unredeemable.
Such is the price for joining the Akatsuki. Stripped away from her emotions, her morals and loyalties now tied to her village’s sworn enemy, her old self is no more.
With a sigh, she remarks. “I never thought I’d see my dear Sasuke-kun in this sorry state.”
“ Shut up. ” He snarls.
“Helpless…” she inches closer, “ weak … it’s no wonder why Itachi-san decided to send me.”
Her jade eyes regard him with mocked pity.
“ You know nothing. ” He growls lowly, his Sharingan eyes flashing with murderous intent. He wills himself to move however, her poison has spread its full effects that his body numbs forcing him to abandon all attempts of continuing the fight.
The pink-haired nin only chuckles and crouches in front of him, ignoring the heat of his gaze. “Perhaps.”
Slowly, she reaches out to him, her hand cupping his chin. Her jade eyes twinkle in fascination as she studies him. Handsome as ever, she thinks cheekily. He flinches at her gentle touch, his Sharingan ablaze with warning.
A smile only breaks from her lips.
“Don’t make that face, Sasuke-kun.” A manicured finger traces his jawline. “I might fall in love with you again.”
His crimson eyes regard her with wariness and replies to her harshly. “I don’t need your love.”
She couldn’t stop the giggle that erupts from her throat as she hears his words. Even in defeat, he still has the audacity to spite her. With a sigh, she leans towards his face, their noses close to touching. Her gaze matches his intensity. In a cold voice, she whispers.
“ So do I. ”