Sasuke at the Bat

A/N: Dedicated to Sadista for winning a contest on our site and requesting something similar to the recent "How Shikamaru Became a Chuunin"! Enjoy!

"The turn-out will be brilliant!" the Hokage said that night. "The Hyuuga and the demon boy will be the firsts to fight. All those who attend tomorrow will be happy that they came, and surely the ninjas themselves will eventually feel the same."

And when the fight battled on that day, most people could not leave, especially when Naruto won, a thing none did conceive. And soon the excitement grew that the Uchiha would come soon. Most people decided that they could wait all afternoon.

But a battle between two unknowns preceded the big clash; but Kankuro promptly declared something that may have been quite rash… "I forfeit!" he said and Shino narrowed his eyes, and silence fell among the crowd and the schedule was revised. For if Sasuke were the next one to engage then he'd be forced to forfeit too, increasing Gaara's rage. Sasuke was not there so you know what then occurred? Shikamaru's match went from being forth to suddenly being third.

After his match was completed, there rose a lusty yell. It rumbled through the valley. It rattled in the dell. It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat. For Sasuke, mighty Sasuke, was advancing to the…um… bat.

The ease in Sasuke's manner put Gaara in his place, though no one would try to say there were smiles on either's face. The official nodded his head and said to start the show but the people were in for more than they'd ever know.

All the eyes were on them as Sasuke struck his fighter's pose, "He's had been training hard," one had said, and another said, "It shows." And as Sasuke grabbed a kunai with the firmest of his grip, defiance flashed in Sasuke's eye, a sneer curled Sasuke's lip.

And now the sharpened kunai came hurtling through the air, and suddenly without warning, a wall of sand was there. Close by the sturdy ninja the kunai lodged in sand, and quickly Sasuke knew what he must do for a single hit to land.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore: "Kill him! Kill the demon!" shouted someone from his chair, but he was promptly silence with Gaara's cold dead stare.

With a smile, Sasuke took a brand new stance seen once before. Lee knew it all too well, and Sasuke fought once more. Sasuke threw kicks and through the air his fist flew, but still, as before, the sand would block that too.

"Demon!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered, "Fraud!" But when Sasuke only smiled again, the audience was awed. They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain. And they knew Sasuke would not fail to hit him again.

The sneer is gone from Sasuke's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate. He gathers up his chakra and Gaara stands to wait. And now Sasuke starts to run towards his target without fear, and everyone is silent that because they know the end is near.

Oh, somewhere ein this favored land, the sun is shining bright. The band is playing somewhere and somewhere hearts are light. And somewhere men are laughing and somewhere children shout. But there's no joy in Konoha—mighty Sasuke had run out.