Night 57: The Coliseum

[el_aguila]

Touching the sandy grounds of the coliseum was a catalyst, and the progression of day did not mean the end of the process. By fortune or otherwise, this group's efforts were not allowed to halt simply due to the rising sun. Therefore, when nighttime was pronounced, those who had undergone the beginnings of an incomplete trial were pulled from their

Comments

[tsunagari]

Sai blinked his eyes open, the realization that he'd blacked out again a troubling one. Getting to his feet quickly, he realized further that he was still in the area. As he was still on his side facing Sasuke, still with the equipment he'd had before, he wondered what the point of the black-out had been, as well as the reasoning for the general's comment. They were late? They'd been there already

[sasuke_of_sound]

Inexplicably, there was again the sense of time lost after arriving in -- wherever it was they had arrived after opening those doors. Sasuke blinked awake as abruptly as he had the last time, the faint taste of dust in his mouth and the weight of his own clothes enough to confirm that he hadn't somehow ended up in his own room in the morning yet again. Aguilar's voice provided the last piece of necessary evidence, Sasuke jerking to a fight-ready stance and hands automatically falling into position to defend.

As there had been last night, he could sense the chakra flowing through his body, strong and reassuringly familiar right down to the knot of Orochimaru's curse bite staining his left shoulder. The sheath of the Kusanagi -- and he knew it without needing to draw it, from the balance and fit of it against his body as familiar as that of his limbs -- imprinted briefly between his belt and his back, and for the first time since coming to the Institute Sasuke could feel a full flood of strengthSharingan settled into his vision,

[tsunagari]

As Sai listened to Aguilar's answer, the frown on his face became more and more pronounced. So it was as he thought. The two of them were to fight each other. And of course it wouldn't just be a friendly sparring session, but instead a fight to the death

[sasuke_of_sound]

So Sasuke's suspicions had been correct: the structure of the room was undoubtedly an arena and those in the stands were undoubtedly meant to be observers. As if Aguilar were recreating his own personal Chuunin Exams for his entertainment and the dubious amusement of the others that had been needed to get this far into the basement. Was that their entire purpose, after all the trials that required more than two people to pass -- to spectate and to serve as a threat?

It was the most blatant example of what Sasuke had long thought the purpose of the Institute; selection of the strongest and the most powerful. But Aguilar had made a critical mistake in not only giving their powers back but showing himself. There was something between the viewing stands and the arena, that much had been obvious by Aidou's attempt to cross it last night, but there were few barriers that couldn't be broken by a shinobi at full strength

[tsunagari]

The scroll was tucked away in one quick movement and his own blade was brought up to counter Sasuke's. If the other ninja was serious, this would put Sai at quite the disadvantage with Sasuke lightning jutsu and Sai's lack of a means to counter it.

"Don't be a fool." His reproach lacked venom but still carried something of an edge. "Landel. Aquilar. They don't show themselves unless they're completely immune to any damage the patients could cause them." He hadn't been there for the incident in the chapel, but he'd heard about it, and this fit with that scenario. "If they thought our abilities would do us any good, they wouldn't have been returned to us."

Sasuke could attack that barrier all he wanted. All it would do was waste time and put their friends in danger. He glanced significantly toward the ones in the stands, a reminder to the other ninja. They were open and vulnerable, and plenty of damage could be done to them while they attempted to get through the barrier. They wouldn't be able to stop it from this side.

[sasuke_of_sound]

Had Sai really built up such confidence in their captors by this point, or was he just naturally this obedient to authority? Actually -- if Sasuke had to think about it -- maybe it was the latter, given how easily Sai obeyed commands given in general even when they came from a missing-nin. Which was a quality that was useful except when it meant that Sai was insisting on fighting to the death, of all the useless things, instead of attacking and capturing someone who might be able to provide some damn answers.

"They don't know the entirety of our abilities," he snapped, voice snarled with frustration. As perfectly as Landel had been protected in the daytime, the Institute had shown only a cursory awareness of what powers afforded to shinobi who had full control of their chakra and jutsu. "They told me as much when they took my sight, damn it

[tsunagari]

They knew enough. Sai was well aware of this. He knew he was playing into their hands. He knew how negatively this would reflect on him. He knew how much the others would want to use this opportunity to try and attack their captor. He knew that Sasuke wouldn't really want to kill him now. And he knew - he knew - that trying to fight Aguilar at this point in time would be futile.

He knew.

He did have confidence in their captors at this point. The ninja had spent most of his life seeing everything from an unemotional, logical standpoint. Even if Naruto had rubbed off on him during the brief time they'd known each other, he didn't have the other's boundless optimism. As far as he was concerned, this was the only route available to them. Maybe, maybe, if Sasuke defeated him there would be a moment where Aguilar's guard would be down, but not now. Sakura was already suffering from Sasuke's delay

[sasuke_of_sound]

Sai didn't even bother to respond, instead surging forward with both the frontal attack and the chakra dogs he'd drawn earlier that Sasuke couldn't avoid countering, scraping a heel back for leverage to shove forward against Sai's blade. He shoved hard enough to potentially unbalance or at least force the Konoha-nin to take a step back, frustrated fury colouring his expression even as he noted the bright flaring intent of Sai and his chakra around him --

But before he could find words that would make the damned fool see sense (and just why did that have to be as hard as it was with Konoha-nin?) Sakura's voice was ringing across the arena, clear and sensible right until lit cut off sharply. Too sharply: Sasuke chanced a moment's glance up at the flickering images of the three in the stands to see Sakura's pre-image bleedAguilar had said that they would, but -- something so blatant, and no visible cause of injury at all, not even the intent of movement from a hidden attacker or the sound of any mechanism directed at the viewing box --

[tsunagari]

The movement caught Sai off guard only momentarily. Rather than follow it up, he hopped back to pull out his scroll again. While his opponent was fighting off the remainder of the dogs he had the perfect opportunity to draw up some ink snakes. They hadn't done so well when it came to restraining him before, but it might at least delay him a little. He needed the other ninja to fight him.

"You'll just waste our time." The words were hissed from between clenched teeth. Sasuke had been in the Institute longer than he had, but perhaps he was too stubborn to come to the same conclusions (or at least act on them). Maybe he hadn't had his actions governed by another to the extent that Sai had. Twice he'd been made against his will to fight those he didn't consider enemies. Someone who could do that - someone who could bring them here and back and knock them out at will for as long as they liked wouldn't fear them even with their powers returned

[sasuke_of_sound]

It would have been less a waste of time if Sai were willing to cooperate, but even as the ink from the remaining two dogs splattered wetly onto the dusty floor and across Sasuke's skin it was clear that Sai didn't intend to stand down. And while Sasuke had no particular interest in killing Sai -- not for any love lost and more out of a personal distaste for the notion of killing someone who had been useful all this time, occasional fallacy or not -- he had no problems with fighting him

[tsunagari]

The other ninja still wasn't using deadly tactics, snakes or no. Sai supposed this was to be expected. Perhaps he should even be grateful that Sasuke wasn't so ready to kill him now, even if it was only to stick it to their captor. He hadn't shown nearly as much hesitation before they'd become locked up in this place together.

He wasn't going to allow himself to just be knocked out, though. No. The wound had to be fatal.

Sai stared at the missing-nin, determined, as the snake lashed out toward him. He didn't dodge the strike, though he could have. He raised an arm as if to block it, knowing this would do no good, and let it sink its fangs into his arm. His eyes remained trained on the other ninja all the while. He was going to put up a fight, but he wasn't aiming to win here.

He would make Sasuke kill him somehow. This wasn't a task he'd ever imagined would be difficult.

[sasuke_of_sound]

Sasuke had expected Sai to dodge -- had known he would, had quite simply planned his next three actions knowing that he would, and when the Sharingan read no intent to move whatsoever he thought for a split second that Landel's tampering had damaged his genetic inheritance. But Sai truly did not move, with a determination in his expression that Sasuke associated with a desire to live, and the viper's fangs sank and doubtless delivered.

There was a stunned second while Sasuke stood ready for a counterattack that was not happening, a distant part of his mind calculating the venom load of this breed and size of snake, and then he snapped forward into furious reaction to non-action. The snake vanished in a puff of summons-smoke at the same time Sasuke surged forward, Sharingan-wheel spinning a rapid sakki genjutsu

[tsunagari]

The genjutsu hit hard, that familiar feeling causing Sai's blood to freeze. He was no stranger to fear now, but this was still more potent than most. He dropped to his knees, unable to help himself, sweat dripping from his brow. Such a focused attack on his emotions was hard to overcome, especially for one like Sai who was unused to dealing with many emotions from the get-go. Fear kept him rooted in place, his limbs temporarily disobeying him

[sasuke_of_sound]

In another fight, Sasuke might have spared the second's time to be pleasantly surprised by Sai's determination to fight through the poison -- an indication of an opponent that might have been a worthwhile distraction, someone whose defeat could contribute to his strength. The problem was that Sai was taking up time with this stupid insistence on dying, time in which they might have struck at Aguilar or something in the arena, time in which they might avoid having to listen to those in the stands bleed out

[tsunagari]

It was so hard to focus, to think, but Sai was trying desperately. It was perhaps because of this that time seemed to pass in slow motion. Sasuke was watching him as decided how best to take him out of the fight. That was easy enough to tell. Once again, it wouldn't be to kill him. He'd simply incapacitate him, and Sai couldn't allow that.

He was moving as Sasuke was moving. No words, just quick hand symbols and a slap upon the ground. The bird rose from the shape in the dirt, growing in size quickly. The ninja all but fell forward onto it as it did so, as Sasuke reappeared behind him. With a shriek from lungs the bird didn't actually own, it carried Sai off the ground and into the air.

Perhaps Sasuke would keep his focus on him, or perhaps he'd use this moment to go after Aguilar. It didn't matter either way. All he needed was a breather - a few moments just below the barrier of the arena to piece his thoughts back together. It wasn't easy forcing someone to kill you.

[sasuke_of_sound]

Even through the venom and the remnants of sakki, Sai moved before Sasuke could land a blow. Did Sai actually mean to fight, now? Sasuke could easily have preferred an all-out fight with Sai trying as hard to kill Sasuke as he currently was trying to get himself killed. The chakra-bird swept open its huge wingspan and rose out of immediate range, Sai's similar chakra-smear pulsing on its back