Suddenly, Sasuke noticed the air around her felt thick and heavy, like sticky glue.
Birds and beasts in the forest scattered in panic, gathering into flocks and flying far away, as if a terrifying creature was lurking somewhere inside the woods.
Even the dust and tiny particles in the air seemed to tremble, spreading an overwhelming pressure that made hearts race with fear.
Naruto, who had been thrown back, suddenly seemed like a different person. He wobbled as he stood up, exhaling white breath like boiling steam—scorching and intense.
Then, under Sasuke's watchful eyes, Naruto slowly raised his head.
His golden pupils flowed like molten lava, radiating a terrifying pressure. A violent aura spread out around him.
In a daze, Sasuke felt a strange illusion, as if Naruto had turned into a giant dragon.
"Naruto, is that really you?" She didn't understand what had happened to him, but this state was clearly wrong. "What's going on with you?"
"Me?"
Naruto lowered his head, looking at his own hands. "I'm fine. I feel great!"
Just the simple act of clenching his fists caused the air to rush out from between his fingers, making a sharp, piercing sound.
The power surging inside him was unlike anything he had ever felt before—it intoxicated him deeply.
But to Sasuke, this whole display only deepened her misunderstanding.
"I see. So this is the power Orochimaru gave you?"
Sasuke's eyes turned cold. Her pitch-black pupils shifted into the three-tomoe Sharingan.
She slowly lowered her body like a hunting leopard, her back muscles flexing beautifully, radiating power.
"I'll break your legs first, then bring you back!"
"Sorry, Sasuke."
Naruto clenched his fists tightly without giving an inch and took a fighting stance.
"This time... I won't lose!"
Shunshin no Jutsu - Word Soul Moment, sixty-four times speed!
Boom!
Almost at the same moment, the two charged at each other like raging dinosaurs, shattering layers of air with a clash!
A powerful sonic wave blasted through the forest, whipping up fierce winds.
When their afterimages collided, an incredible explosion erupted.
The shockwave flattened the surrounding trees, sending dust and dirt flying.
But this time, the one pushed back was Sasuke.
Heavy...
Naruto's power was far beyond her expectations.
It was like a different person entirely—his fist felt as heavy as steel, carrying an explosive sonic boom that sent Sasuke flying backward.
If not for the special training, this punch alone might have defeated her.
Sasuke lowered her center of gravity, digging her feet deep into the ground until she furrowed two trenches, forcing herself to stop retreating.
Watching Naruto move so fast that even her three-tomoe Sharingan could barely catch his afterimages, Sasuke decisively formed hand signs and inhaled deeply:
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A blazing fireball, predicting Naruto's movement in advance, charged straight at his landing spot.
"Word Soul: King's Blaze!"
In Naruto's mind, memories of how to control 'fire' naturally flowed.
The massive fireball, several meters in diameter, disintegrated midair, then triggered a fierce explosion. Instead of rushing toward Naruto, the flames surged toward Sasuke.
"What is this thing?"
Sasuke suddenly pushed off the ground and retreated, narrowly avoiding the burning flames.
But her mind was filled with confusion—why did her Fire Release jutsu explode midair?
Before Sasuke could ponder more, Naruto suddenly vanished.
The next moment, he appeared right before her, a hint of apology on his face. "Sorry, Sasuke!"
Boom!
A heavy fist slammed into Sasuke's abdomen.
The terrifying force crashed like a tidal wave, directly crushing her internal organs. Her ribs emitted agonized cracks and cries.
Sasuke couldn't help but spit out blood, her body flying backward like a cannonball, dragging a fierce wind behind her that shattered all the trees in her path.
"Sorry, Sasuke."
Watching Sasuke swallowed by dust and smoke, Naruto felt conflicted but quickly regained determination.
"I can't tell you the truth yet, but I promise I'll come back." He knew clearly he couldn't stay in Konoha—only Orochimaru could give him the future he sought.
Taking a deep breath to suppress his restless thoughts, he murmured, "When I return, I will explain everything clearly."
Just as he prepared to leave, a terrifying pressure rose behind him.
"What?"
Naruto's pupils contracted sharply as he turned to look toward Sasuke's position.
Sasuke clutched her abdomen, wiping the fresh blood from the corner of her lips. With a determined gaze, she stood up again.
"I told you, even if I have to break your legs, I will bring you back, Naruto!"
"Why do you insist on stopping me?!"
At that moment, Naruto's complex emotions exploded. He growled angrily, "You don't understand anything! Why do you think you can stop me?"
"Because… we are friends."
Sasuke took a deep breath and looked at him sincerely.
"Friends."
Naruto tasted the bitterness and his expression gradually grew cold.
"No, you're wrong. I don't need friends!"
He had to sever all bonds!
"Naruto, this technique… was originally prepared for you."
At last, she no longer hid it. The blood-red tomoe reflected Naruto's figure as she said in a low voice, "Open your eyes and look closely. This is my ninjutsu!"
Suddenly, explosive lightning surged forth, tearing the clothes on Sasuke's shoulders and back to shreds.
The bursting bolts of electricity seemed to cloak her in dazzling armor, radiating a suffocating pressure.
Even the air stirred violently, carrying terrifying heat.
The rushing scorching waves almost set the surrounding forest ablaze.
Sasuke, engulfed in raging flames, looked like the goddess of thunder descending to earth.
"Lightning Release: Shunko!"
Basking in the lightning, Sasuke stared at the shocked Naruto and said slowly, word by word, "Three minutes. That's my current limit. If I exceed this, my body and organs will suffer serious damage. So… I will finish you within these three minutes!"
"Since you insist on clinging to me."
The dust floating in the air seemed to suddenly freeze. Naruto's muscles bulged, every bone in his body groaning under immense pressure.
"This time, I won't hold back. I'm determined to kill you!"
Moment · Seventh Stage · 128x Speed!
The moment his foot struck the ground, it was like setting off an explosion, sending the nearby dirt flying.
Amid the terrifying shockwave, Naruto left afterimages in the air. Moving at a speed even the Three Tomoe Sharingan couldn't track, he shattered the layers of air barriers.
At this moment, his speed surpassed the speed of sound!
Before any sound could reach, Naruto charged straight at Sasuke. Sasuke, caught off guard, barely reacted as Naruto's fist shot forward.
But in her 'Shunko' Mode, Sasuke's reflexes kicked in just in time to narrowly avoid the punch.
The fist grazed Sasuke's cheek, tearing a bloody cut.
As Sasuke twisted her body aside, her right hand clenched in the air, summoning a dazzling spark of lightning that condensed into a blazing ball aimed directly at Naruto's abdomen.
"Chidori!"
Naruto's expression remained cold as he uttered an ancient, powerful incantation:
"Word Soul · King's Blaze!"
A towering blaze instantly engulfed Sasuke!
Boom!!!
The scorching explosion was too much, even for Sasuke's Shunko Mode to withstand.
Sasuke had miscalculated. She hadn't expected Naruto to use such a move at such close range.
The fierce blast threw Sasuke back, blood splattering as if it were flowing freely.
In her final moment before losing consciousness, her mind still echoed with Naruto's once radiant smile.
*******
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