The Missing Prince

Chapter 44☑️

Sasuke Pov:

Two hours have passed since Shikidai and Point have returned from their little 'adventure' that they seem to want to keep tight-lipped.

Mitsuki has been returned to his correct age and Cho Cho certainly seemed relieved.

After hearing about all these side adventures the children seem to be taking I'm assigning them a personal guard each.

I hate to admit it, but I was scared for them when they left.

Finding out Point nearly died not two days ago wasn't exactly a step in the right direction either.

"Hey, Uncle Sasuke, little me made a deal with you. Are you a man of your word?" Point approaches me in the training grounds with a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes.

I bring up my knife and hold it to his throat. He raises an eyebrow and counters with a small dagger, twisting it so my blade falls away from his neck. I twist and bring my fist up that he neatly dodges and aims a kick at my shin. It's backed up by wind magic, designed to knock me over.

I launch myself into the air and launch fire style at him, before watching from the wall.

The fire and smoke abates to reveal nothing but a dagger drawn into the ground. A whisper of wind is behind me and I turn around, arm raised ready to deliver a blow to the side of his face.

He reacts with the intended arm block. In this position I kick his legs out and catch his body, only to pin it against the hard, stone wall of the castle.

"Lesson One: never question a man on his honour." I press harder.

A surge of wind and lightning magic is pressed into my abdomen and I get forced away. I backflip midair and land in the middle of the sparring ring.

He jumps down twisting and landing on the opposite side to me.

Determination is evident in his eyes, along with something a little more, feral, is all I can think to describe it.

"And if they have none?" He asks sharply. For that I send a kick to his face. He evades and counters with his left elbow to my ribs. I capture it and twist it, shove it and trip him, sending him bodily to the ground. He rolls to the side and springs up.

"They aren't worth your time." We pass a few blows between one another and I have to say, he's got moves.

There half done, barely practiced but come from a deep fury and innovative thinking that leads me to have to find tricks around it.

This boy is smart and ruthless. I won't ever underestimate him again. I need to know more about his past but he throws diversions and lies at every question making an interrogation pointless and all a big game to him.

After a particular combination of punches that leaves me questioning who the hell taught him to fight this good, I see the opportunity to place a few jabs on his ribs. This is in retaliation for the comments about my daughter.

He almost senses what I'm about to do and leans into it. I almost miss the diversion but at the last second I realise he was using it to get close to me and grab my sword.