Veterans of battle knew Sasuke's style well—he waited for the instant his opponent struck, the single moment of opening when even the strongest shinobi was most vulnerable. That was when he delivered his killing blows.
Naruto's evasive ability, however, was already on par with a Kage. With the synergy between him and the Nine-Tails growing deeper, every dodge, every sidestep, carried the precision of instinct honed by both human and beast. To strike him was nearly impossible.
Yet, the "Naruto" that had been standing charred and smiling eerily in the arena… began to change.
Its mouth sharpened, its eyes stretched into slits, crimson fur spread across its twisted features. Before the stunned audience, the figure morphed not into Naruto—but into a fox.
A chakra clone.
Formed entirely of the Nine-Tails' will and chakra, independent, conscious. Something no other jinchūriki had ever achieved. This was the result of Naruto's Uzumaki bloodline, his massive reserves of chakra, and the God Tree's blessing.
The Nine-Tails clone's eyes flickered toward Orochimaru. The beast's voice rumbled low, "This stench… the same as yours."
Orochimaru's lips curved faintly, eyes gleaming. He had known it from the start. From the moment Sasuke began drawing on the power of Ryuchi Cave's White Snake Sage, Orochimaru recognized the taint of its chakra.
Now, under that influence, Sasuke's body warped further. White scales crept across his skin. Four horn-like protrusions pushed from his head. His eyes gleamed with madness—his body no longer fully human.
And in his hands, the Kusanagi sword shone with fused chakra: fire's destructive fury entwined with lightning's sharp paralysis. A single graze could cripple.
Then, the air trembled.
Behind Sasuke, chakra erupted into colossal form. Blue energy twisted upward, skeletal, then armored. With each surge, the structure solidified.
Susanoo.
From a half-formed shell, it grew into a towering, complete warrior of blazing chakra. Sasuke stood proudly at its chest, eyes burning, Kusanagi raised high.
In Susanoo's giant hand, the sword was mirrored, now wreathed in both flame and lightning, a weapon capable of tearing through anything in its path.
The battlefield fell silent, all eyes fixed on the new, terrifying power Sasuke had unveiled.
(End of Chapter)
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