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The battle between Yuikei, Jin, and Izumi raged intensely.
Sasuke glanced at them briefly before turning his attention back to Naruto and the others.
"Sasuke, this time, I will definitely bring you back!" Naruto said firmly, his gaze locked on Sasuke, the sounds of battle surrounding them.
Sasuke looked at Naruto, his tone flat and devoid of emotion, "Naruto, wasn't your dream to become Hokage? Instead of chasing me down, you should spend more time training."
Naruto clenched his fists and responded, word by word, "How can someone who can't even save a comrade become Hokage?"
Sasuke's eyes lowered slightly as he shook his head. "Naruto, you still don't understand. I never needed to be saved. You're still stuck in the past. When will you open your eyes and truly see the world for what it is?"
"If opening my eyes means losing a friend forever, I'd rather remain a fool."
Naruto bumped his fists together, his fighting spirit reignited. "No matter what, even if I have to break your arms and legs, I'll bring you back, Sasuke! And after that, I'll keep working hard. I'll do it, and that's my nindō!"
"Naruto…"
Hearing Naruto's resolve, Sakura's expression became serious. Finally, she spoke up, "Just like Naruto said, no matter the cost, Sasuke, I will bring you back."
Sasuke finally glanced at Sakura but said nothing in response.
"So, can we fight now?" Sai, who had been standing in position for a while, asked cautiously.
Naruto responded with action.
"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Poof poof poof poof!
In a cloud of smoke, dozens of Naruto's shadow clones appeared, all cracking their knuckles as they charged toward Sasuke.
However, Sai's attack reached Sasuke first.
"Ninpō: Chōjū Giga!"
Sai unrolled his prepared scroll, and two ink lions leapt from its surface, roaring as they charged at Sasuke.
"Ink?" Sasuke observed calmly, raising his blade. With lightning chakra coursing through it, the blade extended, and with two swift strikes, he cut the lions in half.
Splash.
The ink splattered onto the ground.
In that instant, Sasuke moved. His speed was incredible as he charged into the midst of Naruto's shadow clone army.
The sound of clones dispersing filled the air.
Compared to over two years ago, Naruto's army of shadow clones fought with more coordination and skill, and his taijutsu had improved significantly. Against most opponents, such an onslaught would be overwhelming.
However, while Naruto had grown stronger, Sasuke's progress was even more significant.
Compared to the battle at Mount Katsuragi, Sasuke's speed, strength, and chakra reserves had all increased considerably.
With his three-tomoe Sharingan, no matter how hard Naruto tried, he couldn't land a hit on Sasuke. One by one, his clones were dispersed.
But soon, as Sasuke dispatched yet another clone, he noticed something different—Sakura, who had donned gloves, leapt high into the air, her right fist clenched as she aimed a punch straight at him.
Sasuke's Sharingan spun.
"Her chakra is focused in her right hand. I can't take this head-on."
For the first time, Sasuke moved to retreat.
Boom!
In the next moment, the ground where Sasuke had been standing exploded into a crater over ten meters wide under the force of Sakura's punch.
"So, she's learned the monster strength technique, huh."
Gensou had never been stingy with his knowledge of ninjutsu. Anyone in Jōmae Village who wanted to learn could borrow the relevant scrolls. Sasuke had once tried to learn the monster strength technique but gave up when he realized he lacked the precise chakra control required.
This situation was common in Jōmae Village.
Just because Gensou was willing to teach didn't mean others could master what he knew.
What he could do was often too advanced.
Even with his bloodline, the development of kekkei genkai was a monumental challenge. Although the Hagoromo Clan had a deep understanding of chakra nature, even Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the "Professor" of ninjutsu, had never developed a kekkei genkai despite mastering thousands of jutsu.
The fusion of two chakra natures was far more difficult than mastering the individual nature transformations or shape transformations. It even required a bit of luck.
Sasuke had always been confident in his abilities.
But after meeting Gensou and being exposed to secret techniques he couldn't master, he understood the vast difference between them.
That's why Sasuke had stopped aiming too high in the last two years and instead focused on perfecting his Chidori-based fighting style. As a result, his strength had increased significantly.
By now, Sasuke was far stronger than when he had killed Orochimaru in the original timeline.
However, seeing Sakura now wielding the monster strength technique, which he had been unable to learn, left Sasuke somewhat surprised and curious.
Recalling the information he had gathered from Jōmae Village, where the Fifth Hokage Tsunade had formally taken Sakura as her apprentice, Sasuke's eyes briefly flickered with admiration.
The girl who once only knew how to cry had grown up.
"Sasuke!!"
Sakura, pulling her fist from the crater, immediately charged at Sasuke again.
Just as Sasuke was about to move, he suddenly froze. Looking down, he saw two ink snakes wrapped tightly around his legs.
At the same time, Naruto, with a Rasengan in hand, rushed toward Sasuke from behind.
Sasuke remained calm, clapping his hands together as a dense electric net expanded from his body.
The ink snakes were instantly dispersed, and Sakura had to retreat. Finally, the Naruto charging at him with the Rasengan also disappeared in a puff of white smoke.
But it wasn't over yet.
"Rasenrengan!" Naruto's voice rang out once more.
The air was filled with powerful spiraling winds as Sasuke turned to see a wave of Naruto's shadow clones, each carrying a Rasengan, charging toward him again.
There were too many Rasengan, and the sheer chakra pressure disrupted everything in front of Sasuke.
Realizing that his Chidori-style techniques wouldn't be enough to cover all of them, and feeling the overwhelming amount of chakra Naruto possessed, Sasuke quickly formed hand seals:
"Suiton: Mizurappa!"
A large wave of water surged from Sasuke, flooding the area and sweeping away the ink creatures that Sai had hidden nearby.
While Sasuke was more proficient in Katon and Raiton, as Gensou's student, he had mastered the basics of all chakra natures. Although his mastery of Suiton wasn't as deep, it was still effective.
"Raiton: Jibashi!"
As the water reached the feet of Naruto's clones, Sasuke thrust his lightning-infused hand into the water.
Crackle!
Electricity surged through the water, electrocuting the Naruto clones and causing them to vanish one by one in puffs of white smoke.
(End of Chapter)