Seeing everyone clear the area, Sasuke stood in the center of the valley, stretching his wrists confidently as he said to Karin, "My codename is 'E' only because I joined the organization later than you. If I win this challenge, I want your codename!"
Karin was momentarily stunned, not expecting Sasuke to make such a demand.
The others, hearing this, also showed a change in expression.
If Sasuke could swap codenames through a challenge, then clearly, they could do the same.
Noticing Karin's hesitation, Sasuke pressed, "What, you scared?"
"Fine!"
Karin nodded.
For the first time, she felt what it was like to be challenged. No longer would she have to linger in the shadows of the ninja academy, watching geniuses like Sasuke challenge each other from the sidelines.
"I've become the center of attention, no longer a mere bystander!"
In that moment, the thought echoed in her mind.
With Karin's agreement, Sasuke's fighting spirit blazed.
He knew "B" was formidable, but he had confidence in himself. If other Uchihas could do it, so could he!
More importantly, to one day defeat Itachi Uchiha, "B," the Mangekyō Uchiha of the organization, was the perfect sparring partner.
The atmosphere in the valley instantly grew tense.
Whoosh.
Sasuke struck first, lunging toward Karin.
Karin's taijutsu was never her strength, and without the Rinnegan's insight to aid her, she didn't dare engage Sasuke, a taijutsu expert, in close combat. Instead, she immediately activated her Wood Release.
Rustle.
In an instant, countless vines sprouted from the ground, surging toward Sasuke like a tidal wave.
"What!?"
Sasuke's expression faltered, and he halted his advance, leaping into the air while forming hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Flames roared, but they failed to halt the encroaching sea of trees.
Sasuke quickly found himself on the defensive, dodging left and right through the forest, looking increasingly disheveled.
Karin showed no signs of stopping, using her immense chakra reserves to manipulate the Wood Release in a relentless, all-encompassing assault on Sasuke.
Cornered with no way to escape, Sasuke activated his Chidori, slashing through the encroaching vines with a swing of his hand. Charging toward Karin, he shouted, "Damn it, why aren't you using your Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Karin ignored him, continuing to leverage her advantage with the sea of trees.
While the Chidori could cut through the vines, Sasuke's chakra reserves couldn't sustain a prolonged battle against Karin. Soon, her Wood Release ensnared him, wrapping him tightly into a "cocoon."
Trapped, Sasuke steeled himself to activate his Mangekyō Sharingan, only to realize in horror that in just a short time, the Wood Release had drained most of his already limited chakra, leaving him unable to even activate his dojutsu.
Thud.
Moments later, Karin released the Wood Release, tossing Sasuke to the ground.
"As expected of 'B'…"
"Sasuke was too reckless."
"Sasuke didn't even force 'B' to use her Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Seeing Karin defeat Sasuke so effortlessly—without even moving much—the onlookers marveled in their thoughts.
Everyone knew that what made "B" truly feared by the Five Great Shinobi Villages was her formidable Mangekyō Sharingan.
Yet, without even using it, she had defeated Sasuke. Though Sasuke hadn't used his Mangekyō either, the gap between them was clear.
Feeling everyone's gazes, Karin scanned the group and declared, "If any of you want my codename, feel free to challenge me!"
The others' thoughts stirred at her words.
If codenames were merely labels before Sasuke's challenge, they now carried a deeper significance.
At the very least, "B," second only to "A" in the hierarchy, had taken on a new meaning!
Of course, given that they were in a strange and eerie world, burdened with the mission to save the shinobi world, no one else stepped forward to challenge Karin like Sasuke had.
Moreover, Sasuke's challenge revealed something else: "B's" chakra reserves were astonishingly vast.
After the series of battles, even Yakumo, who had transplanted First Hokage cells, was struggling to keep up. The others were even more depleted, and despite resting, they hadn't recovered much.
"B" was clearly different. After a brief rest, her chakra seemed fully restored, showing no signs of strain during her fight with Sasuke.
Sasuke, on the other hand, ran out of chakra quickly and was defeated.
The valley returned to calm, but this time, the group's wariness and competitive spirit toward one another had intensified.
Some time later,
Whoosh.
Having plundered all of Ryūhei Ubuyashiki's key bases, Shinji returned to the valley.
"Boss!"
Seeing Shinji, everyone stood and saluted.
Noticing signs of a fight in the valley, Shinji's brow furrowed, and he asked warily, "What happened?"
Karin quickly recounted Sasuke's challenge.
Relieved to hear it was just Sasuke's challenge and not the "Yorichi Tsugikuni" conjured by the Hegemon of Fear, Shinji let out a quiet sigh.
Glancing at the unconscious Sasuke, he shook his head in exasperation.
After confirming that the group hadn't been tainted by the Hegemon of Fear, Shinji said, "The mission is complete. We're returning to the shinobi world now!"
"The mission's done?"
"The shinobi world is finally safe!"
"Great!"
Joy spread across everyone's faces.
The crisis looming over the shinobi world had weighed not only on Shinji but on all of them. Hearing that the mission was complete, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Only Haku remained solemn.
Unlike the others, having joined the Demon Slayer Corps, he knew how formidable Ryūhei Ubuyashiki was. He asked, "Boss, is the crisis resolved?"
Shinji glanced at Haku and fell silent.
His silence caused a stir in the group, sensing something ominous.
Shinji didn't hide the truth, stating plainly, "The crisis isn't resolved, only delayed. But rest assured, I'll find a way to deal with it."
Haku approached Shinji and whispered, "Boss, what about… what about this world? What will happen to it?"
Boom.
Before Haku could finish, a bolt of thunder roared, and a vivid red light flashed through the clouds!
Shinji looked up at the sky and shook his head. "This place is beyond saving."
As a "Lampbearer," Ryūhei Ubuyashiki had failed the Demon Slayer world.