Suigetsu's smirk faltered as he watched the massive, ominous shape of Sasuke's Susanoo take form. Though it wasn't a complete body, the upper half of the spectral warrior—molded into the fierce visage of a crow tengu—radiated killing intent and raw power.
"Tch… damn, that's insane," Suigetsu muttered, gripping his sword more tightly. "If he can do this much with only half of it… Imagine if he called out the full body. Who the hell could stand up to him then?"
His excitement quickly soured as he noticed Sasuke's staggering movements. The Uchiha's chakra fluctuated wildly, unstable, almost as if his body was tearing itself apart from the inside.
She narrowed her crimson eyes, her sensory ability locking onto Sasuke's erratic chakra. "No… this isn't right. His chakra flow is breaking down. He forced the Mangekyō too far—his body can't handle it!"
Naruto, standing firm on the ruined battlefield, studied Sasuke with narrowed eyes. He could see it clearly—the desperation etched into his rival's face, the trembling of his hands as he molded more power into Susanoo.
Sasuke's left Mangekyō flared open, blood trickling down his cheek as he extended his hand. From the ghostly palm of his tengu-shaped Susanoo, magatama began to form—round orbs of pure chakra, each one swirling ominously.
But this time, the orbs darkened, smothered in writhing black fire.
Naruto's breath caught. Yasaka Magatama… and he's coating it with Amaterasu.
The sight was terrifying. He knew even brushing against that technique meant instant incineration. If he had mastered the more advanced stages of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he could've tried diverting them mid-flight. But as he was now, even he felt a chill at the sight.
"Die, Naruto!" Sasuke roared, his voice breaking under strain.
The burning orbs launched forward, streaking across the battlefield in a deadly arc. They didn't just come straight on—they curved, weaving through the air, cutting off every possible angle of retreat.
A wall of black death closed in.
Naruto's pupils sharpened, and in an instant, his hand flicked. Shuriken gleamed as he slammed them into the ground, each marked with the Flying Thunder God seal.
The next moment—
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Explosions of black fire swallowed the earth. The ground cratered, torn open by Sasuke's onslaught, flames of Amaterasu licking across the debris. Smoke and ash filled the sky, and the heat of unnatural fire warped the air itself.
From a distance, Hegasped. "Sasuke-kun—wait! I can't sense Naruto's chakra anymore… Did he—did he actually—?"
But then, her eyes widened. She felt it—Naruto's presence, faint, but alive, reappearing on the battlefield.
"He's not dead!" she shouted. "He slipped away somehow!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his chest heaving. "What…? My attack didn't hit?"
Naruto emerged from the dust cloud, breathing hard but unscathed. He had warped out just before the impact and reappeared on the outskirts, beyond the reach of the black flames.
"Phew… that was too damn close," Naruto muttered. If I had been even a second slower…
His gaze slid toward Hebriefly. Her sensory ability was sharper than most shinobi he'd ever seen. Tch, she's dangerous. No wonder Orochimaru kept her close.
Sasuke tried to refocus, but suddenly—his vision blurred. For the first time since awakening his Mangekyō, his world doubled. Shapes wavered, two Narutos appearing in his sight, and pain seared through his eyes like molten steel.
"Ahhh!" he screamed, clutching at his face. "Why… why do my eyes hurt so much?!"
Naruto's frown deepened. So it's hitting him now. The Mangekyō's curse…
The blazing tengu Susanoo flickered, its third form collapsing under the strain. The mighty armor peeled away, leaving only the skeletal frame of its earlier stage. Sasuke dropped to his knees, panting, his pride and power unraveling at once.
"So… this is the cost," Sasuke whispered hoarsely, blood dripping from his eyes. "Am I really… going to fall before I can defeat Naruto?"
He looked up, only to freeze.
The field was suddenly filled with Narutos—hundreds of them. Two hundred shadow clones surged forth, each one armed with a spiraling mass of chakra.
"The Shadow Clone Technique…" Sasuke muttered in disbelief.
Every clone raised a glowing Rasengan; their forms synchronized as the battlefield lit up like a sky full of planets.
Naruto's voice cut through the chaos, steady and commanding.
"Senjutsu: Super Big Ball Rasengan Barrage!"
The swarm descended.
From the sidelines, even seasoned Konoha shinobi stood dumbstruck. "Unbelievable… that much chakra—it's like watching a force of nature," one whispered.
Uzuki Yugao could only nod in agreement, her eyes wide. Few shinobi in history could summon such overwhelming power in an instant.
"Damn it…!" Sasuke tried to rise, tried to force Susanoo's defenses back up, but it was too late.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Wave after wave of colossal Rasengan slammed into Susanoo's frame. Cracks splintered across the ethereal armor. No matter how much eye power Sasuke poured into repairing it, the storm of chakra was unrelenting.
The final Rasengan detonated with a sound that shook the heavens.
When the dust settled, Susanoo's proud form had crumbled into fragments, leaving only scattered skeletal remnants. Sasuke knelt amidst the ruin, his eyes bleeding freely, his breath ragged and shallow.
Naruto stood tall, equally drained, his Sage Mode already faded. But he had won.
Step by step, he walked toward Sasuke.
From the sidelines, Suigetsu, Jūgo, and Hetensed. Fear gripped them. Would Naruto finish him here? Would this be the end of Uchiha Sasuke?
But as Naruto stopped ten meters away, he only smiled faintly.
"Hah… Sasuke," he said, his tone firm but not cruel. "Keep training. If you think Mangekyō makes you untouchable, you're wrong. Power without control will only tear you apart."
The words stung more than any wound. Sasuke lowered his head, unable to meet his rival's gaze.
With that, Naruto turned, waving for Yugao and the others to follow. Without another glance back, he sprinted toward the ongoing battle with Pain. His comrades fell in line behind him, their footsteps fading into the distance.
Left behind on the shattered battlefield, Sasuke remained on his knees, blood staining his face. Hatred burned inside him—but so did a flicker of despair.
"Why… even with Mangekyō… why can't I kill him?" Sasuke whispered, his voice breaking.
She rushed to his side, offering her arm. "Sasuke-kun, bite me. Take my chakra, recover quickly."
But Sasuke's eyes were distant, hollow with defeat.
Suigetsu stepped forward, uneasy. "We're leaving. The Land of Rain isn't safe anymore. If we stick around, we'll all die."
Jūgo nodded grimly, lifting Sasuke's arm over his shoulder. Together, they began retreating toward the border, Heanxiously checking Sasuke's condition with every step.
As they fled, she glanced once over her shoulder, back toward where Naruto had disappeared. Her heart wavered. That chakra… that presence… Could it really be that we're of the same clan?
But she shook her head. Now wasn't the time. Survival came first.
Meanwhile, Naruto sped across the rain-slick terrain. Yugao broke the silence, her voice tight with concern.
"Naruto… do you think Jiraiya-sama is still holding out?"
Naruto's expression hardened. "It's already a war. Don't underestimate what's happening right now."
Her eyes softened with hope. "But Kakashi-san and Gai are with him. With Jiraiya-sama, one of the Legendary Sannin… together, they can win. I believe in them."
Naruto nearly scoffed. For someone who had lived as an ANBU, Yugao's optimism was strangely naïve. Still, he didn't answer further. Talking wouldn't change anything.
Instead, his focus sharpened as he closed the distance toward the storm where Pain awaited.
The true battle was only just beginning.
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