Sasuke's voice dropped.
A massive fire dragon surged skyward, fueled by high-pressure Fire Release chakra, tearing through the air with a roar.
"Uh… Sasuke… what's going on? Why is your jutsu flying in the wrong direction?" Naruto asked, blinking in confusion. "Did you live so poorly the past three years that you forgot how to aim?"
"Idiot! This is my ultimate technique—Kirin! Just sit back and die already!"
To be fair, Sasuke's ninjutsu talent was undeniable.
He first used a Fire Release to sharply heat the air, generating upward currents that created cumulonimbus clouds. These clouds brewed natural lightning, and with his Chidori, Sasuke could guide that lightning into a precise strike.
This was true nature-based lightning—immensely powerful, fast, and wide-ranged, yet consuming very little chakra.
No wonder Sasuke felt unbeatable again.
RUMBLE—
A furious thunder beast formed in the clouds, coiling and crackling above like a god of judgment.
Naruto and Sakura stared wide-eyed, completely stunned.
This was the first time they'd ever seen something so terrifying and grand.
"Yoruha… what do we do? Get us out of here!" Naruto gasped, his throat dry. He suddenly remembered—Yoruha could teleport with Flying Thunder God, couldn't he? Couldn't they just poof away?
But Yoruha didn't move.
Arms folded, expression calm, he simply watched the Kirin crackle above.
"Why run?" Yoruha said with a soft chuckle. "This is the first time I've seen lightning this flashy. Might as well enjoy the show."
Sasuke's smirk faltered.
He'd expected panic, not indifference.
He wanted to terrify them before making his move—and instead, Yoruha looked like he was watching a firework display.
Why wasn't he reacting?
This was his ultimate technique!
"Yoruha! You'll pay for your arrogance!"
"Now—DIE!"
BOOOOM!
The Kirin shrieked as it dove from the heavens, a divine beast roaring with thunderous fury.
A nearby hill exploded into dust, vaporized on impact.
But…
That hill wasn't where Yoruha and the others stood.
"Tch tch tch… impressive. Good thing I had my clone install a lightning rod earlier," Yoruha said with a casual shrug.
Sasuke stared, eyes wide in disbelief.
"What… how… that's impossible… I aimed it with Chidori, there shouldn't be any deviation!"
Kirin was powerful, yes, but hard to control. Only someone with the Sharingan could track its path clearly.
And yet, at the moment of impact—it had veered.
Struck a hill.
Missed the target entirely.
"See?" Yoruha grinned, hands cupped like a megaphone. "Told you it'd be a fun show. Do another!"
Sasuke's jaw clenched.
He was furious.
"Another—!? Are you insane? Do you think creating a thunderstorm from scratch is easy?!"
"Yoruha…" Sakura murmured, "what did you just do?"
"Nothing much," Yoruha said, brushing dust off his shoulder. "Just a bit of lightning rod theory."
In truth, while Sasuke was distracted inside Naruto's sealed space, Yoruha had sent a shadow clone ahead to install a massive lightning conductor atop the nearby mountain.
With his level of Lightning Release and a pinch of scientific planning, redirecting a natural strike like Kirin wasn't even difficult.
"Sasuke, that's all you've got? A flashy lightning trick? After three years, I expected something more."
"You bastard!!!" Sasuke roared, eyes blazing with hatred. He couldn't even speak through his anger.
Yoruha turned to Naruto with a relaxed smile. "Naruto, looks like he's out of steam. Wanna go beat him up and drag him home now?"
He was honestly starting to wonder when Sasuke would awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. After all the buildup, he hadn't triggered it yet.
Maybe the second son would always be just that—a second son.
No power-ups unless they were handed to him.
"You're too arrogant, Yoruha! So what if you blocked my Kirin? I'm not done yet!"
Finally, Sasuke let loose his last card.
His body was engulfed in dark, cursed energy—purple-black lightning crackled around him like a storm demon reborn.
Then he charged.
But just as he took flight, Orochimaru appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Sasuke by the wings, and yanked him back.
"Sasuke, enough. One more minute here and you're getting your ass handed to you again," Orochimaru said with a cold snort.
Before anyone could react, their figures blurred—and vanished.
But Orochimaru did glance over his shoulder at Yoruha before leaving, his golden eyes gleaming.
"Yoruha-kun, I look forward to our next meeting. I'll be bringing a surprise next time—kukuku!"
He disappeared laughing.
Naruto's mouth dropped open.
"Yoruha! Sasuke—where did Orochimaru take him!?"
"Let it go, Naruto," Sakura said quietly. "You saw him. He's not coming back."
Her heart sank.
She'd hoped, foolishly, that Sasuke's goal was strength for the village—for them.
But now it was clear.
He'd chosen a different path.
He wanted to kill Naruto.
That… was unforgivable.
"He's changed," she said. "Maybe he's always been like this."
But deep down, she knew the truth: it wasn't just power that Sasuke wanted—it was revenge.
He knew Orochimaru wanted to use him as a vessel.
And still, he didn't run.
Because in Sasuke's mind, Orochimaru might be his only chance at avenging the Uchiha clan.
If Orochimaru, using Sasuke's body, could defeat Uchiha Itachi—then that vengeance was his.
The Uchiha mind really was a terrifying thing.
Twisted in logic.
Cold in emotion.
And hard as hell to bring back.