(Discontinued until further notice) Naruto: The Truth Beneath the Surface

Chapter 15: Speed and Strength

"Let's go, faster," Yuki ordered as he blocked kicks and punches from Sasuke. "You're moving too slow. Pick up the pace."

The two have been sparing for a while and Yuki would only tell him to go faster, no other comments added. Yuki (here he had to completely stop thinking as he dodged and defended against a sudden flurry of punches and kicks as if the raven-blonde knew he wasn't completely concentrating) was somehow testing every single aspect of his training, forcing him to block properly and strike at just the right places or his attacks would be met with an iron wall of defence instead of just a simple block.

And slowly, as Sasuke got used to the speed (because this ninja was teaching him to settle into a faster-paced fight instead of slowing down for him, pushing him to stop thinking and simply go with his instincts), he realized that Yuki wasn't just sparring with him, he was fixing the spots Sasuke knew he was still prone to leaving open. Striking anywhere other than the center of the sternum and then the abdomen when executing a side kick got him tossed back by a swift uppercut. And the simple rear spinning low kick only got himself knocked off-balance by the raven-blonde if his leg was so much as an inch off from the best position.

This form of teaching forced Sasuke to learn on the spot, to fix his mistakes after the first time around or risk getting dumped to the ground again. It was hard and it forced him to concentrate solely on perfecting his entire fighting style, stance, alignment, offense and defence strength, and timing, instead of just parts of it as he usually did when he sparred against Kakashi.

It was hard and Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun sparring against someone else. Yuki wasn't trying to defeat him; he was trying to teach him.

Finally, as Sasuke lashed out with a roundabout high-kick, Yuki simply ducked around him, one hand catching his wrist (Sasuke ruefully noted that his arm should've been tucked more closely to his side) and the other clapped onto his left shoulder, bringing him to the ground and expertly pinning his left arm behind him.

For a long moment, all Sasuke could hear was his thundering heartbeat as he gasped for breath. The spar had finally come to a stop and only now did he realize how fast he had been moving as his muscles felt like liquid fire as struggled to stay upright.

A light chuckle came from behind him and Sasuke found himself released and gently pushed into a sitting position. A bottle of water was suddenly produced and Sasuke took it with a grateful smile. He was too tired to say anything out loud.

Clapping reached his ears next and Sasuke turned to see Kakashi approaching them, Sakura behind him. Sasuke blinked in surprise. He hadn't even sensed them in the clearing!

"Great job, Sasuke." Kakashi dropped into a crouch in front of him clapped him firmly on the shoulder. "I have never seen you move so fast or attack so accurately."

Sasuke managed a grin as he rubbed an arm across his forehead. He looked up to see Yuki standing a few feet away, quiet as his gaze met Sasuke's. The ninja hadn't even broken a sweat!

Sasuke forced himself back to his feet, wobbling a little but finding his balance before Kakashi could offer him a hand. He stood in front of Yuki and bowed. He knew that Yuki didn't have to train him; he was a powerful ninja and didn't have to help a mere genin.

When he straightened again, he made sure to stand tall despite his nearly-shaking legs. Yuki observed him for a moment before nodding once and asking, "Sasuke, was this spar helpful?"

Sasuke turned back to his Yuki, an excited glint in his eyes. "Hai, yiu helped me improve my accuracy and speed and timing and..."

He trailed off as he realized the list was a bit long but Yuki just nodded calmly, not bothered. "Good. Starting tomorrow, you will go over what I taught you today. For now, cool down and do your katas after you get your breath back."

Yuki turned to Sakura, who shuffled nervously in her spot, "Your turn."

"I-I don't think I'll be any good," The pinkette said softly, her cheeks turning red.

Yuki sighed softly, giving the girl a reassuring smile, "Sakura, I'm not expecting you to suddenly be amazing at fighting." He continued when she looked up in surprise, "This is why I'm having you spar with me. I'm going to make you good at fighting. I'm teaching you today. We have three days to get you a basic fighting style."

Sakura nodded with a smile, getting into the taijutsu stance she learned in the academy, "Hai."

The two fought, Yuki going considerably slower for the girl since she didn't have the same stamina as Sasuke, and he would quietly move a leg or an arm so she would know the best place to strike.

Yuki stepped back slightly and held up a hand, stopping the girl in place, "I want to try something with you." He circled around Sakura, studying her with narrowed eyes, and the pinkette shuffled nervously in place, "Try enhancing your strikes with chakra. Just focus the energy to your limbs, a bit like tree climbing, and strike the ground. Here, I'll demonstrate," Yuki held up his fingers, looking at her with a raised eyebrow, before flicking the ground. Immediately, there was a fairly large crater and the Sasuke and Sakura's eyes were wide in shock.

"Of course," Yuki brushed a black lock of hair from his face, giving a wry smile. "We'll be only focusing on directing the chakra to your fist. This style of fighting is only meant for people with perfect chakra control, like you. Tsunade of the Sannin uses this style."

"Wow," Sakura looked at the crater again in amazement before looking up at Yuki with determination. "Teach me, please!"