As the Cursed Seals activated, ink-black patterns rapidly spread across Sakon and Ukon's and Kidōmaru's bodies. At the same time, a torrent of savage, violent chakra erupted from within them.
But they weren't satisfied with that.
The black markings continued to spread and fuse together. In the blink of an eye, they entered the far more powerful—but also far more draining—Second State of the Cursed Seal. Their faces turned crimson, fangs protruding as they took on a demonic appearance.
"You are…?"
Sasuke couldn't help but frown.
Whether it was their grotesque forms or the chakra surging from them, he could sense an ominous, violent aura.
Now fully stabilized in the Second State, Sakon and Ukon laughed coldly.
"To force the two of us this far, Sasuke—that alone is something you can be proud of!"
Kidōmaru flexed his six arms and said confidently,
"In this form, our strength is already close to that of a jōnin. You're dead!"
"Tch."
Sasuke clicked his tongue lightly.
"It seems you don't understand what the name Uchiha really means. Fine—let me teach you small-village ninja what kind of fear you should feel when you face an Uchiha!"
With that, aided by his three-tomoe Sharingan, Sasuke suddenly flung several shuriken.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Carried by piercing whistling sounds, the shuriken shot out with deadly precision, aimed straight at the vital points of Sakon and Ukon and Kidōmaru!
Kidōmaru leapt upward, disappearing once more into the dense, sky-obscuring canopy. A golden longbow—formed from a special substance secreted by his body—appeared in his hands.
On the ground, Sakon and Ukon split apart, their body dividing unnaturally as they evaded the shuriken, turning into two independent individuals.
"Now it's three against one!"
Sakon laughed.
At that moment, the corner of Sasuke's mouth lifted slightly.
Suddenly, he yanked both hands back.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Several sharp sounds rang out as steel wires snapped taut throughout the forest. In the next instant, countless steel wires surged in along the paths of the earlier shuriken, binding the unsuspecting Sakon and Ukon tightly to a massive tree behind them!
"W-What?!"
Sakon and Ukon were thrown into instant confusion.
Up in the canopy, Kidōmaru narrowed his eyes.
"So the shuriken were just a feint… the wires were the real killing move."
The Forest of Death was already dimly lit, and Sasuke had deliberately used Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique earlier, filling the area with thick smoke. Because of that, neither Kidōmaru nor Sakon and Ukon had noticed the specially treated steel wires attached to the shuriken.
"This is bad—I have to save them first!"
Kidōmaru excelled at long-range ambushes. He needed someone on the ground to draw Sasuke's attention for him to fight effectively.
With that thought, he shifted his aim to the tree binding Sakon and Ukon, intending to shatter it with a single arrow.
Whoosh—
Just as the golden arrow was about to be released, a figure suddenly flashed in behind him!
Kidōmaru's heart lurched.
"Damn it—his real target is me!"
The moment he realized Sasuke's true intent, Kidōmaru instinctively activated his secret technique—
Sticky Gold Armor!
This technique formed armor from a special substance secreted by Kidōmaru's sweat glands. Upon contact with air, it instantly hardened into metal, coating his skin like armor.
Chirp—chirp—chirp!
But just as Kidōmaru felt a flicker of relief, a piercing, thunderous sound—like a thousand birds screaming at once—erupted behind him!
In the next instant, searing pain tore through his abdomen.
He looked down in disbelief and saw a lightning-wreathed forearm piercing clean through his torso from behind—barely missing his heart!
"Th-This… how is this possible?!"
Kidōmaru violently spat out a mouthful of blood as the markings of his Cursed Seal rapidly faded.
---
On the ground
Twang!
Driven by rage and humiliation, Sakon and Ukon exerted their full strength. Empowered by the Second State of the Cursed Seal, they violently snapped the steel wires binding them!
Breaking free, Sakon roared furiously,
"Damn you, Uchiha Sasuke! Show yourself!"
At that moment, two dark figures dropped from the canopy.
One landed steadily, one hand resting on his hip—Uchiha Sasuke.
The other crashed to the ground in a miserable heap—it was Kidōmaru, grievously wounded by Sasuke's Chidori. Blood poured endlessly from the gaping wound in his abdomen, his body already limp and unconscious.
Glancing at Kidōmaru, Sasuke said calmly,
"I did my best to avoid vital points. But if he doesn't get medical treatment soon, he won't last long. Hand over the scroll, take your companion, and get lost."
Sakon and Ukon stared in shock. They clearly hadn't expected Kidōmaru—whose strength rivaled theirs—to be defeated so easily.
"In Second State, the two of us together can rival a jōnin!"
Sakon snarled. "How could we lose to a mere genin like Uchiha Sasuke?!"
Sasuke urged coldly,
"So? Do you want to stand there and watch him die?"
After a brief struggle, Sakon pulled an Earth Scroll from his pouch and slowly approached Sasuke.
Seeing the scroll, Sasuke's eyes lit up.
By coincidence, his team possessed a Heaven Scroll. With this Earth Scroll, they would no longer need to worry about gathering scrolls and could head straight to the Central Tower at any time.
But just as the exchange was about to happen—
Sakon suddenly seized Sasuke's arm, his face contorting into a savage snarl.
"I don't care whether he lives or dies! I only care about killing you!"
The instant their bodies made contact, Sakon activated his secret technique—
Parasitic Ghost Destruction Technique.
This forbidden technique allowed him to invade the enemy's body at the cellular level, parasitizing them and killing them from the inside out!
Feeling Sakon's cells invading his body, Sasuke's expression finally changed.
Sakon laughed wildly.
"Uchiha Sasuke—savor this despair!"
Knowing that a moment's hesitation could mean death, Sasuke's gaze sharpened as he locked eyes with Sakon. The three tomoe in his crimson Sharingan slowly began to spin.
Meeting Sasuke's stare, Sakon continued laughing.
"No matter how you struggle, you can't change your fate. You're going to die—"
Mid-sentence, the grin on Sakon's face froze.
Because in that instant, he realized—
He could no longer control his own body.