"Damn it!"
The black-robed figure realized Naruto's plan to outlast her through sheer attrition. But what could she do to stop him?
Nothing!
Relying on her medicinal pills, she could recover quickly, but the supply was limited. How could such finite resources compete with the endless power of nature?
Should she just give up?
Impossible!
She continued wracking her brain for solutions while focusing on restoring her energy.
Time ticked by, second by second...
The Taiji lightning rained down deep into the night, yet the black-robed figure remained standing.
Naruto was stunned by this.
He was glad that he had become the Thunder God, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to outlast her.
In fact, he even began to suspect her recovery speed exceeded the rate of his attacks.
However, Naruto wasn't one to give up. He pressed on, determined to win this battle of endurance.
…
The days passed like this...
Even Otogakure's residents, now sheltering outside the village, grew accustomed to the constant storm of Taiji lightning. Yet, the war of attrition dragged on without resolution.
"When will this ever end?"
Orochimaru gazed at the unceasing lightning and couldn't help but grumble.
He had attempted to study the lightning but found no way to unravel its mysteries. Moreover, the wait was dull and tedious.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was unfazed. Deep down, he wished this stalemate could last forever… that way, no one would have to die.
But alas, reality was never so kind.
…
After a grueling month, the black-robed figure was finally struck down by a devastating bolt of Taiji lightning.
For an entire month, she had endured. She had considered countless strategies, but her hands were constantly maintaining the swirling vortex above her head.
With no opportunity to deploy other techniques, she could only watch as her energy was slowly drained.
Naruto prepared to bring his hands together once more, summoning yet another bolt of lightning. But when the black-robed figure let out a pained scream, he realized the war of attrition was over.
"It's finally over?"
Naruto let out a long breath of relief, finding it hard to believe the battle had concluded.
He had been clapping his hands for so long that it had become second nature. Were it not for her cry of anguish, he might have continued striking indefinitely.
Fortunately, his formidable spirit allowed him to endure without rest. Without it, prolonged sleeplessness might have driven him insane.
Whoosh!
In a flash, Naruto appeared beside the fallen black-robed figure, "Finally, it's over. Now, let's see who you really are!"
With that, he tore off the black cloak in one swift motion.
Sasuke and Orochimaru, who had been watching intently, held their breath in anticipation, waiting to see the true appearance of the black-robed figure.
"It's you?!"
The moment the black robe was lifted, Naruto froze, his entire body trembling in shock.
"How could it be you!?"
Sasuke was equally stunned, his face a mirror of disbelief.
Only Orochimaru seemed puzzled, "Who is she?"
His gaze fell upon the black-robed figure, now revealed as a girl with silky pink hair and a wide forehead. Her large, expressive eyes might have been adorable under different circumstances.
Yet now, her face was flushed with shame and anger, and she looked ready to fight Naruto to the death.
'Could this be an unresolved romantic entanglement from Naruto-kun's past?' Orochimaru couldn't help but speculate.
"How... how could it be you?"
Naruto swallowed hard, his emotions a whirlwind of complexity.
The Black-Robed Figure, the enigmatic foe he had struggled against for so long, was none other than Haruno Sakura… a person he had thought irrelevant to his story for a long time!
Naruto had long thought that there would be no role for Sakura, so how come at this point, the biggest boss turned out to be her?
Naruto stood frozen, the whirlwind of conflicting emotions swirling in his heart. Shock, doubt, and disbelief left him speechless.
He had never anticipated such an outcome.
"If you're going to kill me, then just do it! Stop wasting your breath!"
Sakura's cold snort cut through the tension as she glared at Naruto with unwavering defiance. If looks could kill, Naruto would already have been torn to pieces.
"Don't kill her!"
At that moment, Sasuke stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Sakura.
"Sasuke, you..."
Sakura's voice wavered, and her body trembled slightly.
Sasuke took a deep breath and sighed, "I didn't know the black-robed figure was you, but now that I do, everything makes sense. Naruto, I promised Sakura that once my revenge was complete, I would spend the rest of my life with her. Now that you've seen who she truly is, can you let us go?"
Naruto fell silent, lost in thought.
'Indeed, just as Sasuke said, it all added up.'
'Sakura likes Sasuke, so it is reasonable for her to help Sasuke unconditionally. After Sakura's social death, it is understandable that she changed the original plot and obtained the system, which in turn explained her hidden identity under the black robes.'
"Fine, you two can leave."
Naruto sighed and waved his hand: "Sakura, I used to hold prejudices against you. Maybe that's what pushed you toward destruction. Your resentment toward me is justified. But seeing your devotion to Sasuke, I can admit you have admirable qualities. Perhaps we were just incompatible. I've already let go of my grudges. You should let go of your hatred as well and live a good life with Sasuke."
Naruto knew he had been biased against Sakura, but hadn't she been equally biased against him?
This ordeal had taught him much. And he could see now that Sakura's devotion to Sasuke was genuine, not the scheming behavior he had once assumed.
In the end, Sakura loved Sasuke, and if they chose to retreat to a quiet life, so be it. Naruto could simply ensure their paths never crossed again.
"Sakura, Naruto has gone this far. What do you think?"
Sasuke's gaze silently urged Sakura to let go of her grudge. There was no need for further hatred. After all, they were former teammates, and Naruto had already expressed his regret. This didn't have to end in bloodshed.
"Fine…"
Sakura said with a pout.
For her, being with Sasuke was enough. Naruto's apology soothed a part of her wounded heart. While she couldn't completely forgive him for his past actions, she decided Sasuke was worth compromising for.
After all, she could always choose never to see Naruto again.
"From now on, you walk your path, and I'll walk mine. Stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours!"
Sakura snorted coldly, then stood up and turned to leave.
But as soon as she rose, her body gave out, and she slowly fell down.
Sasuke rushed to catch her and noticed Sakura trembling uncontrollably. Streams of green energy started leaking from her body.
[Friendly Reminder: The other party's system has detected instability and is worried about being swallowed. It is preparing to abandon its host. Host, act quickly to capture it!]
A system prompt rang in Naruto's mind.
Hearing this, Naruto stepped forward urgently, "Sasuke, put Sakura down and leave it to me. She's in critical condition from the lightning strikes. Only I can save her."
Though his real intent was to capture the rogue system, Naruto knew Sasuke wouldn't understand. He decided it was easier to frame his actions as treatment.
Sasuke, unaware of the deeper truth, nodded and gently laid Sakura down.
Naruto knelt beside her, placing his right hand on her forehead.
[Connection established. Initiating system capture!]
As the system prompt echoed in his mind, Naruto's palm began to glow with a radiant, multicolored light.
The soft glow emanated warmth, lifting Sasuke and Orochimaru's spirits and easing their fatigue.
Seeing this, Sasuke was even more convinced that Naruto had let go of his grudges, and couldn't help but say gratefully, "Naruto, thank you for saving Sakura!"
Naruto shook his head slightly, "Don't mention it. I owe her for what I did to her reputation. And besides, helping you, my brother, is only right."
As he spoke, the radiant glow in his hand grew even brighter.