Sharp, needle like teeth loosen their hold on the skin.
With the wind slowing to barely a breeze, the cold lost its previous bite.
But in the place of the beast's maw was another's threatening and chilled hold on the necks of the spectators.
As if nature itself wanted to stand by and watch the brawl about to happen.
Powerful, glowing red eyes glared at joyful and excited black ones.
When the first move was made, the onlookers nearly missed it.
In an instant, Lee was behind Sasuke throwing a punch at the back of his head. The punch was intercepted by the arm of the target, his forearm catching the blow. The two hold like that.
Lee had a slightly baffled look on his face as he looked at the back of Sasuke's head.
Sasuke turned his head and looked back at Lee with one eye.
Lee could feel the eye, it was looking into his very soul.
He shook his head mentally before he spun around sent a kick at incredible speed to Sasuke's blind spot only for it to hit nothing but air.
The Uchiha had leaned forward, ducking under the blow as he pivoted so he was facing Lee again. His posture set up for defense, a sloppy one at that.
Lee used his momentum from the kick and pushed off with his other foot, using all of his body's weight as he hurled a punch at Sasuke's stomach.
The punch however was fake.
Lee feinted the punch and disappeared from Sasuke's front.
Tenten watched in confusion for a few moments, wondering where Lee went if he wasn't attacking right away.
Just as she was going to ask the others what was happening Sasuke spun around and grabbed the leg of Lee, who had sent a spinning kick at Sasuke's right side. He gripped the leg and spun Lee before tossing him at a tree.
Lee flipped mid air and pushed off of the tree, leaving dents in wood where he hit. He flew past Sasuke, narrowly missing the punch he was swinging. Lee rolled on the ground once before pushing up and jumping back at his opponent from the other direction.
Sasuke put up both his arms and blocked the kick that was about to hit him. A powerful thunk is heard from the foot meeting his arms. Lee spins from the block, still in the air, and swings his other leg around at Sasuke.
Sasuke pushes on Lee's foot he blocked and sent him backwards.
Lee spins and lands in a low stance on the ground, his hands on the ground and the leg he tried to hit Sasuke with was stretched out to his side.
Lee grinned as he stared at Sasuke, "You definitely are keeping up much better than last time, but it seems you are still a bit slow."
Sasuke stared Lee down, a small scuff on his cheek from where Lee's foot grazed him. No words left his mouth as he watched Lee with his unsettling eyes.
"Nothing to say in your defense? No 'you just got lucky' or 'it was just a fluke'?" Lee asked as he straightens up, rolling his shoulders.
No response.
"What am I doing, this is a youthful fight to heat up this village! There is no time to talk!" He proclaimed as he rushed at Sasuke.
Sasuke put up a hand and caught Lee's fist, he shoved it to the direction of the other one that was swung immediately after the other. Lee's blocked arm hit his swinging arm and made it miss Sasuke completely.
Lee spun with his arms and sent a heel kick at Sasuke's legs.
A foot met his leg and stopped it dead in its tracks, Sasuke's foot caught Lee's powerful kick. He simply pushed the leg away and leaned back, Lee's fist soaring right past his face.
Sasuke grabbed the arm and flipped Lee, making him land on his back.
Lee let out a gasp as his back collided with the ground.
Sasuke let go of his arm and started down at Lee.
"You're much more youthful than I expected. That just means," Lee disappeared from the ground.
Tenten let out a gasp as she saw a spinning blur of green and orange coming down on Sasuke's head from behind. She couldn't say anything fast enough, she was too slow to be able to react.
But she didn't need to.
Sasuke spun at incredible speed and punched Lee's leg as it came down.
A boom echoed through the clearing, astonishing everyone that looked on. There were very few people who could even keep up with Lee, let alone completely block and negate his hits.
However, as the hit was blocked, there was no stopping. Lee disappeared and reappeared at his side, his fist flying at him. Sasuke deflected it with the back of his hand.
Lee swept a leg at Sasuke's feet, "I'll just have to give this my all!"
Sasuke did a small jump over Lee's leg and blocked the punch Lee had just appeared behind him with.
The fight continued like this for a while, Lee using the same tactic he had with Gaara. Send a hit, disappear and hit from another direction. His speed was faster than before however.
Tenten watched in shock, amazement, and some confusion. She couldn't even see Lee moving. All she saw was Sasuke blocking air usually. Occasionally she would see the blur of a fist or foot as it was slowed by Sasuke, but she was mostly in the dark for how the fight was going.
The only thing she knew, was that Sasuke was in trouble. He has only been on defense this whole time. Granted it was an amazing defense.
"Guys, can you actually keep up with this?" She asked the others next to her. Her eyes never leaving Sasuke.
"I am, but not very well. Lee is mostly a fast moving blur right now." Neji replies, his veiny eyes locked on the fight, moving rapidly as he follows Lee's actions as best he can.
"I see the whole thing Tenten, why do you ask?" Guy questions.
"I can't see a damned thing. All I see is Sasuke suddenly turned and blocking in random directions and the occasional blur of Lee's attack when it is blocked. Can you guys tell me what is happening over there?"
Neji nods, "Sure, by the looks of it Lee has Sasuke completely on the defensive. As you probably saw at the beginning and and partially see now, he is blocking Lee's attacks without hesitation. He hasn't been tricked by any of the feints and hasn't been hit."
"Well that's good to hear at least." She sighs.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Lee is unrelenting. He hasn't slowed down at all, if anything he is getting faster. His muscles are getting used to not having weights now. I'd have to say this fight is closer to its end than it looks." Neji explains.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that Neji." Guy jumps in.
"And why shouldn't I? All the facts point to Lee winning." Neji replies.
"You mean to tell me you haven't noticed it yet?"
"Notice what?"
Guy stays silent for a moment, watching Sasuke lean back dodging one of Lee's spin kicks by a hair, "You need to work on your observation skills a bit Neji, and you Tenten need to work on your reflexes and speed so you can keep up."
"We didn't ask for a lecture, I wanted to know what I seemed to have missed." Neji asks irritated. His eyes searching the fight for any details he missed.
"This is a learning experience, for all of us. Just focus on the fight for now, I'm sure if you don't notice it, it will be announced." His voice is absent minded.
Something the two students of his were not very used to.
Tenten looked at the fight again, deciding she wasn't going to get much more from them. She squints her eyes and strains them to try can see any more details.
Sasuke looks up, putting a hand up and making a quick motion. The ground next to him exploded instantly after the motion. Tenten saw Lee's leg for a moment, his heel dug into the dirt.
Sasuke just deflected a deadly heel kick aimed for his head. Lee disappeared and swung a fast punch to his side just below the ribs.
Sasuke turned and brought both arms together catching the punch, and stopping it, between his forearms. Lee swept a leg to Sasuke's knees.
The red eyes saw the motion.
Sasuke gripped Lee's arm with one hand before moving the other, catching the kick at the ankle.
Lee sat there panting for a few moments in Sasuke's grasp, "You weren't kidding when you said your eyes are better than before."
Sasuke's eyes flicked to look at Lee's, "I don't make empty statements. This is actually far easier than I expected. Even with the first two gates open you still can't beat me."
Bushy brows raised and eyes widened in shock, "W-what? How'd you notice? I didn't stop moving the whole time?"
"My eyes see chakra, I saw your's flare up twice while you sent your flurry of attacks. The first time I though it was just a fluke, but when it happened again I knew what you were doing."
Lee looked stunned, but it was true. He wanted to show Sasuke what he was made of and tired to end it quickly. He wanted to use his youth to beat the genius that was holding him still.
"Don't give me that look. I warned you that I wasn't anywhere near the level of the last time we fought. You said I had an ego, yet you've underestimate me at every turn in this spar. You started out with just the weights off, even though you said you would go all out and you only went up one gate at a time. I have been at full effort since the begin, out of respect of your request."
Sasuke shoved Lee's arm and leg away, making him back up a good distance.
"Full effort? You've only been on defense, is that really the best you have? How can you say this fight is easy if you can't even counter attack? Sure I've been a little easy on you, but that doesn't change anything."
Sasuke scoffs, "That's because it has been easy, I would have figured you noticed it."
"Noticed what?"
"Take a look at the ground, Lee." He tells Lee coolly.
Lee stares at Sasuke for a few moments, apprehension covering him as he looks at the red eyes that mocked him.
Slowly, Lee looks around at the ground that they have been fighting on.
The dirt was heavily disturbed from the spar so far. Sandal prints, scuffs where feet would drag, and dents where heavy impacts landed. The ground was covered with these marks of battle.
Well, most of the ground.
In a circle around Sasuke was a practically untouched spot of dirt. The only markings on it were from him pivoting.
Sasuke Uchiha hadn't moved from his spot since the begging of the fight.
Lee, Tenten, and Neji's eyes grew in shock. The thought that someone managed to do this in a fight with Lee at that level was beyond comprehension. Even if it wasn't his maximum, it was beyond what most could even follow.
"H-how? That's not possible!" Lee yelled in panic.
Sasuke tilted his head up slightly, "What? Can't handle someone being better than you? You're the one who has gotten to big for his shoes. It's about time someone puts you in your place, Lee."
"Even if you didn't move, that doesn't change you have been on defense this whole time! Now I'll be going all out and you won't know what hit you!"
Sasuke simply shakes his head, "I did that to make a point. I had all my effort in my defense." Sasuke widens his stance and glares at Lee. "You are about to feel maximum effort to beat put you in an early grave."
Lee's face flashes with fear before growing to a grin, "You talk a big talk, but I'm calling your bluff. You won't be able to do anything about my next move. I'm going all out now."
Lee disappears from his place, he uses all the speed he can muster and gets below Sasuke. He aim as kick at his chin with a confident smile.
Sasuke's hand grabs Lee's leg and squeezes hard. Sasuke looks down at his opponent with glowing eyes, "You had your chance to go all out."
Sasuke pulls hard and lifts Lee off the ground, throwing him into the air. Sasuke vanishes from his spot on the ground.
Lee gasps when a realizes the presence behind him in the air.
"Once my eyes have seen a move once, it will always remember it."
Lee feels as a foot rams into his spine, pushing him higher in the air.
Then another.
Then another.
Lee's form was above the top of the seemingly dead trees.
"A cheap imitation won't beat me!" He spins around to kick the presence behind him. He spins only to see nothing but the distant ground.
"A predictable move like that won't even come near me."
A powerful blow slams into Lee's back, sending him rocketing to the ground at incredible speed.
A thunderous boom echos as debris flies everywhere.
The watchers cover their eyes, blocking them from the dirt and dust that filled the air suddenly. The dust lingers in the air, blocking their vision of the lading zone of their teammate.
"What the hell just happened!?" Tenten yells in pure fear.
"Lee lost." Guy's voice floats to her ears.
They lapse into silence, trying to listen.
They heard what sounded like hundreds, no, thousands of birds chirping.
A massive gust of wind blows through the clearing, carrying all of the dust and many leafs with it as it runs by. When the gust leaves, the air is still once again, revealing a stomach twisting sight.
Sasuke was kneeling above Lee. His eyes filled with anger as he stared into Lee's fear filled ones. Sasuke had his right hand on Lee's neck, holding him down, and his left hand was covered in lighting. Some of the sparks getting dangerously close to Lee's face.
Sasuke pulled his hand back.
"Stop! Don't do it!" Tenten cries out and runs to the two, Neji right beside her.
Both of them feel as hands grab the collar of their jackets. The come to a sudden halt and choke for a moment.
They watch in slow motion as Sasuke thrusts his arm down with all his strength at Lee's face.
Another explosion rung though the air.
Rocks, dirt, and electricity fly in every direction.
Neji and Tenten stare at the plume of dust blankly. Their minds unable to fathom what just happened. The hands let go of their jackets, slow foot steps moving so they were beside them.
Guy looked at the already settling dust harshly.
"You stopped us."
"Why?"
Guy continued to look ahead, "Just watch."
The hunched over figure of Sasuke became more and more clear.
Once their vision cleared again, Neji and Tenten sharply sucked in air.
Sasuke's fist was in a crater inches away from Lee's face. Lee's face was still covered in terror as he looked up at the person he was just fighting.
Sasuke's eyes that were glowing with anger slowly turned to their normal black. His glare still just as cold however.
"Do you understand now Lee? Do you understand just how much of a gap there is between us? I didn't use a single jutsu. I didn't use a single weapon. I only fought you in the way you are supposed specialize and I beat you in a single move."
Lee stared up at Sasuke, his mind somehow blank and a whirlwind of thoughts at the same time.
"That wasn't the only point I was making either. You made a mistake of comparing me to my old self, remember?" His tone was threatening.
Lee nodded his head slowly.
Sasuke turned his head to look at the crater his fist was in.
"The old me would have shove that right through you without a second thought. The old me would have cursed your name and had no mercy. The old me would have used everything the sharingan has to offer to kill you for annoying me and getting in my way."
Sasuke's voice was colder than the air itself.
He reaches up and pulls his jacket aside, showing Lee the curse mark, "The old me would have used this to erase your existence." He rights his jacket, "If you ever compare me to who I used to be again, I'll show you the monster I was.... and it will be the last thing you ever see."
Sasuke pulls his fist back and sends it straight into Lee's temple, knocking him out cold.
He gets up from the boy's unconscious from, taking a few steps out of the crater that he made when he sent Lee down from the sky. He turned his stare to the team that watched that all happen.
"The only reason he got like this is because you all let him. One spar with you guys would have prevented this from happening. You are just as guilty as he is for this fight. If he ever gets like this again or I'm compared to the old me again, my threat doesn't just apply to him." He flared up his bloodline, the red spotlights making the threat a promise.
The bushes next to them shuffled and revealed a female Hyuga clan member as they walked to the only people in the clearing.
The woman walked past Neji and stood in front of, the now indifferent and calm, Sasuke, "Lord Hiashi has sent me to inform you that you can come to the compound now. Lady Hinata's training will begin soon."
Sasuke looks up at the sky and sighs, the sun had begun to hide behind the horizon, "Its already that time? Alright, lead the way." He nods to her.
Neji steps up, "Training? Training for what?"
"The training the leader of the house partakes with the member after the meals with the main and branch houses. Lady Hinata will be leaving for a mission soon." The woman replies.
"What does that have to do with him?" Neji gestures to Sasuke.
Sasuke turns, "Hinata and I are going on a mission tomorrow. So I asked Hiashi if I could join in on the training since Hinata and I haven't been on a mission before. Sorry, it must have slipped my mind to let you know." Sasuke's neutral tone held a hint of something in it.
Neji stares at Sasuke, "I see, then I will return as soon as possible. Tell Lord Hiashi I have returned from my mission."
The branch member nods, "I will. Come Sasuke, we don't want to keep them waiting." She turns and walks away, the Uchiha right behind her.
Neji watches their retreating forms, his eyes lingering on them. His turns his attention to his teammates, who were now huddled around the unconscious Lee. Neji crouches, looking over his rival.
"Is he okay?" Tenten asks, shattering the silence.
"Lee will be fine, the only thing that might be damaged is his pride. It is his goal to prove hard work beats natural talent after all." Neji reminds her.
The group falls into the quiet once again, thinking of all the things that transpired.
You are as guilty as he is for this fight.
Neji couldn't help but blame himself for this. Sasuke was very right, one spar could have prevented this. Who knows how much more work they will have to do to make it up to him now.
"How did it go so wrongly?" Tenten mumbles, more to herself.
"It was because of his pride. He was going more than fast enough to beat Sasuke by a landslide." Guy speaks up.
Tenten turns to him, "What? Then how did he lose?"
Guy grimaces, "A special trait of the sharingan is that it can predict the movements of your opponent. This ability is only made better when it sees the move repeatedly. Once Lee started using the inner gates, it was already too late. Sasuke had already seen most of Lee's moves."
"And thus Lee could do nothing to beat Sasuke." Neji concludes.
Guy shakes his head, "Not necessarily, Lee lost because he underestimated his opponent. He never went all out and used all of his skill. Even when Sasuke got through to him and Lee said he would go all out, he attacked with a move Sasuke had already seen. Lee was fighting too predictable, especially against the fast reactions of an Uchiha with matured eyes. It would take up to four or five inner gates to open for a move he had seen before land on him."
The older of the green ninja slid his hands under his favorite student and picked him up gently, "I'll take him to the hospital and do he report, you two are free to go."
Neji and Tenten watch as their sensei vanishes. The two stand up and look at each other.
"I have to get to my clan, they will be expecting me now that I'm back."
Tenten nods, "Alright, take care."
Neji gives her a small smile, "You too."
The Hyuga disappears into the cool air.
Tenten pulls her jacket up to cover her face slightly as he breaths into it. She hadn't noticed until now, but the air was definitely getting colder with the sun now leaving the sky.
Unlike the others, she liked to walk around rather than run and all that junk. She enjoyed the small breeze from her stroll as she looked around and thought.
The weapon expert followed the small trail back to the village, her cheeks rosy as well as her nose.
She let out a small sigh as she walked, "Why can't my team just act normal for once? If they did, they wouldn't get into messes like that." She complained to herself.
When she sighed, a plume of mist left her lips. Her gentle eyes watched was it disappeared. A smile graced her face as she let out another deep breath and watched the mist dissipate again. A childish giggle left her as she walked.
It's hard to say it was childish.
They are only children after all.