Koraru's bright eyes trailed Sasori's form analytically. He had taken the form of his large scorpion like puppet, just as she had anticipated he would. She had read his file, over and over again. He wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly, especially with that poison of his. Her pink orbs trailed the purple liquid as a single drop fell from his stagnant but ready mechanical tail, she had to avoid that thing at all costs. Her coral lips pursed together tightly and her eyes narrowed as she took a deep breath, her bangs pulled back from her face her fuschia locks were affixed into a low plait, she adored her gifted battle attire, now repaired completely it wasn't as pretty as it was originally, but it would suffice. Her chest puffed as she took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and shifting her feet through the dusty earth below her, she could do this, all she had to do was concentrate. She needed to prove she could look after herself, that she wasn't a liability, that she could belong in the Akatsuki...because if she didn't, she would lose her lab, Itachi would likely be dead in a week, and if Pein stayed true to his threat...then so would she. She couldn't afford to be weak, not now. It didn't matter that she felt fragile, it didn't that her heart was broken, that her mind was scattered, she had to be here, now, present and alert, or none of those other things would matter. Sasori remained still, fierce stoic eyes staring to Koraru intensely as his deep voice boomed loudly.

"Begin!"

He wasted no time, his tail striking forward quickly, plunging forcefully towards her, Koraru twisted, bending back to avoid the tip before flipping to the side to avoid it's side slash. Her movements had to be precise, they had to be perfect. As soon as her foot touched back onto the terrain she leapt up, catching the side of the long appendage with her hand and swinging around it, landing atop the metallic surface gracefully. Sasori's head tilted as as he locked his attention onto Koraru. Seemed she was a little more nimble than he had anticipated, but that wouldnt be enough to do him any harm. She slid forward quickly towards the base of his tail, Sasori sighing in boredom as he flicked it viciously, throwing her into the air. A foolish move on her part, his tail coiled around her quickly, squeezing tightly, the sound of cracking echoing and Koraru crying out loudly as it constricted around her, her eyes scrunching closed tightly as she gritted her teeth, just a little tighter and... Sasori's eyes widened in surprise as the woman slipped free of his grasp, pulling herself up and out of the boa like coil and slamming her foot against the side of it, her face contorted tightly in determination. It wouldn't be enough of a kick to damaged the metallic tail, not by a long shot, but it was enough to propel her froward quickly, hurtling the woman at force towards Sasori's body, she concentrated her chakra into her fist, her scales thickening to form a hard casing around it, the pink and lilac armour glistening in the glinting sunlight as they formed into a short piercing spike, it wasn't long, only around 10cm in length, but it wasn't designed to be long, this was a one kill strike, used for close combat. Their charm got them in close enough, and the spike, well it took care of the messy part. She made contact with Sasori's back, driving the spike into his upper back. It impacted sharply, snapping at the base and breaking free from her fist, Sasori swiping at her with his tail just too late to stop the impact, knocking her back from him. She huffed as she skidded back, standing to her full height and locking the puppeteers gaze one more. His tail now swished around behind him in aggravation, Koraru taking another deep breath before adjusting her stance once more. Sasori grunted in annoyance.

"Using the same technique again won't work, besides, too much effort went into that single ineffective strike. You haven't hurt nor even hindered me, while I broke some of your bones." Koraru smirked, her eyes shining before relaxing her stance. Sasori's eyes catching the faint pink glitter which scattered from her as he did.

"You underestimate me Sasori-kun."

She ran towards him once more, Sasori's brow narrowing. He was not going to stand and subject himself to this over and over again, it was a waste of time. He was ending this, now.

He pulled his tail forwards quickly, lunging and slashing at her rapidly as she dodged each swing. He was large, he was armourmed, and he was poisonous, but he was slow, and she wasn't. Sasori growled under his breath, he was not amused. He knew she would tire herself eventually, but he wasn't willing to wait. He spotted his chance as she lept once more, her hand becoming ablaze with chakra. She was predictable. He wouldn't allow her to strike him again through, anticipating her movements he struck his tail down after her, the appendage catching up to her quickly. He jolted as she appeared behind it though, punching it with her blazen fist and forcing his own tail spike downward into his shell in the same spot she had already struck. The detached spike she left shattered as his tail pierced through his armour, Sasori aware of a strange sensation quickly flooding through him, one which caused his eyes to bulge and his concentration to waver, Koraru's focus sharpened and she quickly landed on his back, she had to do this fast, he wouldn't be disorientated for long. She punched hard at the small hole, widening it enough that her fist fit through, before sharply pulling her hand back, this was it. Her hand became engulfed with chakra, her thumb folding in as she prepared to strike down, once her hand was inside, this was over. Suddenly pain gripped at her tightly, shooting viciously through her left side. She froze, her head falling, eyes shaking in place. A kunai was embedded in her side, almost all the way up to the handle, another forcing her head back, the cold metal pressing tightly against her soft skin, enough to lightly break it, a small trickle of blood cascading free. A cool calm voice spoke into her ear, one she recognised as the original voice of Sasori, the way he sounded when she first encountered him.

"We're done here."

The kunai left her neck, Sasori taking a step back from her as he pulled the other free from her side. She coughed loudly as he did, blood splattering forth as she quickly rose her hand to put pressure on the agonizing wound. Great, just great. Sasori ignored her small whimpers as he climbed back into his damaged puppet, before turning around and heading towards the base, Koraru limping but keeping pace with him as they walked through the swamp like environment. She held her hand over her wounded side, quickly closing the wound just enough to stop the bleeding. Although it was deep, it didn't hit anything vital, whether Sasori had intended to miss her organs she was unsure, but still, she was grateful. She straightened up slightly and took a deep breath, her limbs feeling stretched and nimble as a small smile etched across her face. It felt good to train again, to put her hard earned skills to use once more, to limber up, to feel the exhilaration...even though she hadnt won... it was nice. Sasori side glanced to the woman as she rested her hands in front of her, entwining her fingers together softly. He had to know.

"My constriction was more than tight enough to break your ribs. What did you do?"

She turned her head to him, blinking once before her smile widened, and she held her hand forwards, allowing him to closer inspect the glimmering scales covering that back.

"I hardened my scales to the fullest. They can act as an inbuilt armour, while at the same time secreting a mucus which acts as a slicking agent, which allowed me to slip free from your grasp. The cracking you likely heard was my armour shattering."

He turned his head forwards once more, facing towards the now in view entrance to the Akatsuki base.

"And my shell? What did you do when you pierced it? What was in that spike?"

Koraru smirked, her eyes flashing. She should have known a master of foreign substances like Sasoriw be aware of something changing in his chakra.

"As I knew you had no actual physical body to disrupt, my spike was imbued with my chakra, and as such, had a calming, relaxing effect on you. Using your puppet i knew you would have chakra strings attached on the inside, and so cracking through at the base of the neck and shattering the chakra spike, the particles fell inside, being enveloped by your own chakra."

She chuckled softly as they entered inside the old wooden door, Sasori placing it back across the entrance with his tail as they headed towards the kitchen area.

"And had I gotten my hand inside, I planned to soothe your only human component, and lull you to sleep."

The entrance to the stone hallway was now closed behind them, their footsteps echoing as they walked along the dark dank area.

"I see. Had i not exited my puppet's shell, you may actually have been able to subdue me."

Koraru sighed, pouting her lips as they entered through the last blockade, now completely back within the base. She stopped as Sasori did.

"I'm not surprised you were able to stop me though. Thank you for your time today, Sasori-kun."

Sasori locked her eyes as she straightened up, his strong steely gaze meeting her own warm stare. He lingered for a moment before he turned around, walking down the hallway behind him and turning the corner at the end of the hall and disappearing from her view. Koraru's smile remained as she turned away, heading down towards the medical bay. Although she hadnt quite won this time... at least she hadnt woken in her own medical bay.

Kisame passed by Itachi's bedroom just as the door cracked open, his head tilting down as he locked eyes with the young Uchiha's dark onyx eyes.

"Hey Itachi."

Itachi nodded to him, stepping out into the hallway before closing the door over behind him. It was now approaching late evening in the base, the halls quiet as most of the members had settled into their tasks for the night, Kisame was headed towards the medical bay. As he hadnt been called to Koraru's unconscious side this time, he had surmised that her training with Sasori had gone much better than her spar with Kakuzu, however, he just wanted to be sure.

"Koraru is likely to be in the medical bay, correct?"

Kisame blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts before nodding once to the Itachi, it seemed he wasn't the only one currently in search of the woman.

"That's where I'm headed now to see her, I want to ask about her spar with Sasori."

He took a few long strides towards his destination, Itachi beginning to follow after him as they walked quietly through the halls of the base. The swordsman took note of the drastic improvement of the Uchiha prior to his consumption of the elixir Koraru had crafted for him. He stood straighter, his breathing seemed much more even, and the arm which so often rested upon the edge of his cloak was freely swinging by his side as he walked, giving him the confident yet calm exterior that he had first carried when the pair had met, before Itachi fell ill. Whatever was in Koraru's elixir, was working magic on Itachi's failing form.

"How are you finding your physical strength since taking your new medication?"

Itachi lifted his hand from his side, staring to his fingers as he made a tight fist, before slowing releasing it.

"It's as though I'm not dying at all. Koraru is indeed a gifted medic."

Kisame smirked, his eyes flashing as he waved his hand.

"It's not that she's a gifted medic that's keeping you alive Itachi, it's that she's a crazed alchemist, bordering on a sea witch."

Itachi raised his eyebrow as Kisame chuckled, his sharp teeth bared in a knowing grin.

"When I was still in training with Oruka and Yuri, I saw Yuri pull off some amazing stuff. She's a talented healer, capable of things normal medics couldnt dream of, but Koraru? She's on another level. Her alchemy? Her elixirs and such? They're where science borders on magic. Even Yuri can't explain some of them. She can manipulate your genetic make up, give you gills, change your skin, make you grow, make you glow...it's something else for sure."

He glanced down to the Uchiha as they neared the med bay, his grin slipping back into a smirk.

"And as nice as she seems? All that genius? That brilliance? The forward thinking? It's not without it's effect on her rational thoughts."

He chuckled darkly, licking his lips as they arrived outside the medical bay.

"She's completely unhinged."