Hardened Heart |Sequel to The Strength of the Weak|

|5|

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Sasuke hadn't suspected anything when Kabuto had gone to get him. It was plainly routine for him to be summoned to fight someone, the raven haired boy not caring either way. When he had walked into the superficial arena, though, he was startled by what he saw.

In the middle of the room was a painfully familiar face standing next to the sensei he was using, but any pain he had experienced from a glance at Satomi's face was quickly wiped away. He needed no distractions, she was just another obstacle in his way. Sasuke required himself to climb to the top, because only then would he be strong enough to face Itachi.

Satomi was merely a stepping stone in his path to vengeance.

The chaotic grin on Satomi's face was different, he noticed, as well as the free curse mark roaming her body like a sheep grazing grass. She was also much skinnier and paler than he had remembered from when he encountered her and Ryouichi in the Land of Iron, so he assumed she had been here for a while.

"Sasuke, I would say it's lovely to see you, but it's not. Are you ready to get your ass kicked for hurting my sensei?" Satomi taunted, her bloodshot eyes wide and unblinking. Paired with her deranged sneer, Sasuke could tell that she was on the brink of insanity, if not already there.

It's what happened to those who fought the overwhelming power of the curse mark.

Sasuke ignores Satomi's comment, much to her annoyance, and faces Orochimaru with the natural grace of an Uchiha. Was he afraid to fight his sister? Absolutely not. Would he care if Orochimaru ordered him to kill her, should he emerge victorious? Not really.

"Are there any boundaries to this battle?" Sasuke demands, resting his hand lazily on his chokuto. Other than the fact that he was older and wore different clothes, he hadn't changed at all. His ideals and goals, if anything, had only strengthened in his time away from the village.

"No, this fight is restriction free. Go wild."

Orochimaru and Kabuto disappear from the floor, reappearing on a balcony that overlooked the arena. As soon as they are gone, Satomi doesn't hesitate to attack. She didn't have any weapons, since Kabuto took them all away, so all she could do was ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu.

Not that that would be any problem for her.

A giggle of ignorant glee erupts from Satomi's throat as she appears right in front of Sasuke before he could even comprehend. His eyes widen slightly in surprise before he regains his composure and whips out his chokuto, using the butt of the handle to counter her punch.

With the contact, a whip of wind rises around the Uchiha twins. Satomi cocks her head to the side, an impressed smirk adorning her lips mockingly. Sasuke refrains from scoffing at the arrogant girl, instead activating his sharingan and attempting to catch her in a genjutsu.

Satomi goes slack, her fist dropping to her side and a blank look camouflaged her eyes. Sasuke snorts at his counterpart, dropping his chokuto and glancing up at Orochimaru. That had been far easier than he expected, delight bubbling in his chest because if Satomi, one of the strongest shinobi he's ever met, was that easily defeatable, he was sure to be able to go toe to toe with Itachi.

"Should I kill her?" Sasuke calls up to his master, poising his sword over heart and waiting for signal to plunge it deep into her chest. Orochimaru stays silent, watching the scene with suspicion. He had been under Satomi's genjutsu before and it was far stronger than Sasuke's, that he was sure of. Was she really so susceptible to it? Perhaps it was because she was weakened while being here? But the curse mark should have significantly boosted her power, he thought.