The sudden turn of events on the battlefield caused Tsunade and Kakashi, observing from a distance, to frown in unison.
With their target gone, the two teams choosing to continue fighting was clearly against their own interests.
Kakashi speculated, "A clash of egos?"
Tsunade, her brow furrowed, said, "The assessment is only halfway through, and there are other highly competitive teams out there. Continuing this fight is a bit reckless!"
This assessment wasn't just testing the seeds' combat abilities but also their decision-making and leadership skills.
A good commander should know how to avoid letting emotions dictate their actions during a mission.
If it were anyone else, Tsunade wouldn't mind—after all, they were just eleven- or twelve-year-old kids, and who hadn't been hot-headed at that age?
But Yakumo was different!
Tsunade had high hopes for her, grooming her as a potential future Hokage, so she held Yakumo to a higher standard.
Fortunately, Yakumo wasn't swept up by her teammates' actions and didn't rashly join the fight. Instead, she stayed back to provide support, maintaining flexibility as a commander to advance or retreat as needed.
On the battlefield, perhaps because they knew each other well, Sasuke and Kimimaro skipped the probing phase, diving straight into a heated battle.
"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"
Kimimaro, unusually, unleashed his Shikotsumyaku ability.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
A series of whistling sounds shot toward Sasuke.
With his Mangekyo Sharingan activated, Sasuke's crimson eyes darted left and right, barely locking onto the bone bullets speeding through the air!
"So fast!"
Muttering to himself, Sasuke twisted his body at an impossible angle, narrowly dodging the bone bullets.
But before he could catch his breath, the light in front of him dimmed!
"Trouble!"
Sasuke's instincts screamed a warning. His experience told him that even with the Mangekyo Sharingan, there was no time to observe. Relying solely on the shifting light and shadow, he made a split-second judgment, leaping backward to the right.
Swish.
Almost simultaneously, a sharp bone blade grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow cut.
Retreating, Sasuke panted heavily, touching the blood on his cheek. His previously cocky demeanor turned grave.
The Kimimaro before him was completely different from the one at the academy. Bone blades now protruded from Kimimaro's palms, elbows, knees, and even his back. The one that had grazed Sasuke's cheek was one such blade!
On the other side, facing Naruto's tailed beast form, Shion showed no fear, displaying unexpectedly superb taijutsu and engaging Naruto in a fierce brawl.
After a heated exchange, Naruto surprisingly couldn't gain the upper hand!
In the distance, Tsunade remarked, "Looks like we underestimated this priestess from the Land of Demons!"
Kakashi nodded slightly.
Shion's taijutsu alone could overpower ninety percent of the academy students. And that wasn't even her true strength—the priestesses of the Land of Demons were known for their sealing techniques!
Shifting his gaze, Kakashi's eyes landed on Sasuke, his expression growing more serious.
Clearly, the intensity of Sasuke and Kimimaro's battle exceeded his expectations. If Tsunade, the world's top medical ninja, weren't by his side, he'd be considering whether to break the rules and stop the fight!
But in that moment of hesitation, the situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn.
With a clang, the kunai in Sasuke's hand was sliced apart by a bone blade protruding from Kimimaro's palm. The blade continued its arc, slashing into Sasuke's shoulder.
At the same time, Sasuke's right hand, crackling with the blue lightning of Chidori, pierced Kimimaro's shoulder!
Splatter.
Blood sprayed from both of them!
The suddenness caught even Sasuke off guard. He froze, almost unable to believe that the kunai he used to block had been so easily cut by Kimimaro's bone blade.
"Sasuke!"
"Kimimaro!"
Their teammates rushed over, shouting.
Enduring the intense pain, both leaped back, clutching their wounds and crouching on the ground, panting heavily.
Sakura hurried to Sasuke, inspecting his wound. Her face paled—the gash on his shoulder was bone-deep, clearly damaging vital organs, making even her, a medical ninja, tremble with fear.
Yakumo landed beside Kimimaro, checking his wound.
Naruto and Shion, locked in their own fight, mutually ceased and retreated to their respective teammates.
Kakashi, hidden in the distance, could no longer hold back and prepared to intervene.
Tsunade stopped him, saying, "Wait and see!"
"But—"
Kakashi looked puzzled.
Tsunade explained, "This complex situation is a perfect chance to test their adaptability! Hold off for now. With me here, Sasuke and Kimimaro won't die!"
Kakashi stepped back, though his face still showed anxiety.
Logically, Kimimaro, pierced through the shoulder by Chidori, should have a less severe injury than Sasuke, who was only slashed by a bone blade.
But the reality was the opposite.
With his Shikotsumyaku, Kimimaro could generate a bone membrane anywhere in his body at will. So, while Sasuke's Chidori pierced his shoulder, it didn't damage the organs protected by the bone membrane.
In contrast, Kimimaro's bone blade had struck Sasuke solidly.
If Kimimaro hadn't held back at the last moment, that strike could have severed half of Sasuke's body!
At that point, Sasuke might have had to use Izanami no Mikoto to survive.
"Pfft."
Unable to hold it in, Sasuke coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Sasuke, hang in there!"
Sakura scrambled in a panic.
Seeing this, Kimimaro said to Yakumo, who was treating him, "Don't worry about me. Go check on him."
"Alright!"
Yakumo nodded.
After examining Kimimaro, she realized his injury only looked severe but wasn't life-threatening.
Soon, Yakumo reached Sasuke, taking over from Sakura to treat him.
Though reluctant, Sasuke accepted Yakumo's help.
Unlike Sakura, Yakumo possessed the Koryugan!
The Koryugan allowed her to see through Sasuke's body, assess his injuries, and control his blood with her dojutsu to forcibly stop the bleeding. With Yakumo taking over, Sasuke's condition stabilized quickly.
After bandaging his wound, Yakumo instructed, "The wound hasn't fully healed. You need to rest for a few days!"
"Kojuro is yours!"
Sasuke didn't respond to her advice, instead coldly tossing out a single sentence before leaving with Naruto and Sakura.