"..." Naruto and Sasuke stood in silent confrontation, as if some things were destined to happen!
Orochimaru's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "The clash of these two winds is happening sooner than I expected..."
Sasuke also noticed Orochimaru, who shouldn't have been there, and thought expressionlessly: Orochimaru is back too, it seems Naruto's doing. Was attacking Jūgo also part of this plan?
And having Akatsuki's woman block my path to buy time to deal with Danzō... Naruto, doing what I wanted to do, is it a coincidence? It's baffling. That idiot who only knew how to charge forward, I can't see through him anymore. Damn it...!
Sasuke clenched his fists in frustration.
Whoosh!
A mysterious vortex swirled, and masked Tobi appeared!
Everyone turned to look, their expressions varied.
Konan's eyes were cold and vigilant.
Orochimaru's thoughts were unreadable, but he was clearly on guard.
Naruto put his mask back on, his thoughts churning: Tobi, meeting him sooner than I expected. He's one of the few I consider an SSR-level threat. Better be cautious...
(Note: In Boruto's era, a ninja card game became popular. Seventh Hokage Naruto was an SSR-level card. Since then, he liked to use SSR to describe those on par with him.)
Tobi, who had been searching for Naruto, was surprisingly calm upon seeing him.
"Go ahead and talk, don't mind me..."
He adjusted his clothes and sat down leisurely, exuding an air of calm amidst the storm.
The more he acted this way, the more attention he drew!
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
The White Zetsu accompanying Sasuke emerged from the ground beside Tobi, whispering so only they could hear, "Is it okay? Nagato's Rinnegan is within reach."
Tobi replied, "At this point, there's no rush. With Orochimaru and Konan here, it's not easy to get it."
White Zetsu asked, "How did the Five Kage Summit go?"
Tobi pondered, "Naruto got there first. After thinking it over, I realized now isn't the best time to declare war. Kisame is already hunting the Eight-Tails, and with Naruto, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, defecting from Konoha, he's become a target. The goal of the war is to capture the tailed beasts within these two. If there's an easier way, why go through a full-scale war?"
By a twist of fate, the Fourth Great Ninja War, which should have started immediately, was thus delayed.
White Zetsu sighed, "It feels like sending Nagato to attack Konoha was a mistake. Our original plan has deviated completely."
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"Regret is useless now. I underestimated Naruto. Who would have thought he'd take Nagato's Rinnegan, revive Orochimaru, and even turn Konan, who worked for me, to his side..."
Tobi's eyes deepened. "Now, let's see how strong his wings have grown..."
"It seems... he doesn't intend to act here."
Naruto felt slightly relieved, but still used Sage Mode to keep an eye on Tobi's movements.
Sasuke didn't care about any of this. His eyes were fixed on Naruto, eager to test his current strength!
He ordered, "Jūgo, Suigetsu, keep an eye on Akatsuki's woman and Orochimaru!"
"Understood!"
Whoosh! Jūgo flashed in front of Konan, his curse mark on the verge of going berserk.
Konan remained calm, vigilant against Tobi, with no intention of holding back.
As for Suigetsu, holding his sword, he said nervously, "Orochimaru-sama, I'm so happy to see you revived..."
Orochimaru teased, "Heh heh, Suigetsu, my cute subordinate, you look quite spirited. I wonder if your skills have improved..."
Suigetsu smiled wryly, "You're joking. I'm just an assistant. Please don't make things difficult for me..."
Orochimaru laughed, "Heh heh, that sounds interesting. Should I ask Naruto-kun to spar with you?"
Suigetsu quickly said, "No need to ask! This is fine! Let's just stay on the brink of action and have a pleasant chat!"
Karin adjusted her glasses. "Sasuke... what about me?"
Sasuke said quietly, "Just stay on the sidelines..."
Is he worried about me? Hee hee hee...
Karin's inner thoughts were dramatic, but she still showed concern. "If you get hurt, I can heal you."
"Hmph." Sasuke snorted, closing his eyes. When he reopened them, his Mangekyō Sharingan shone fiercely. "Get hurt? That's not possible!"
Whoosh!
He quickly formed hand seals, his chest swelling.
—Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
He spat out fireballs, their trajectories like the seeds of a phoenix flower, covering Naruto and blocking all escape routes. Dodging was impossible; only defense was an option!
Though not a famous Fire Release, its effectiveness in battle was exceptional, favored by experts like Itachi!
"Here it comes!"
Naruto's eyes brightened. He drew the samurai sword he carried from the Five Kage Summit, moving and swinging to block the Phoenix Sage Fire.
Screech!!
The sound of Chidori echoed. Using the Phoenix Sage Fire as cover, Sasuke approached swiftly, his eyes locked on Naruto, lightning in hand, thrusting forward!
Clang!!
Naruto deflected the remaining fireballs with his left hand, instantly forming a Rasengan in his right, meeting the attack head-on.
Boom!!!
Rasengan clashed with Chidori, creating a roaring shockwave!
After the clash, both figures retreated!
"Hmph!" Sasuke smirked, drawing his Kusanagi sword and charging forward.
"Heh~" Naruto didn't back down, swinging his sword to meet the attack.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!!
Their swords clashed fiercely, sparks flying, creating a dazzling display. Even the falling snow couldn't approach their battle...
The more Sasuke fought, the more shocked he became: When did that rough, chakra-reliant Naruto learn such refined swordsmanship?
Naruto also felt a sense of admiration: Sasuke's swordsmanship, honed from childhood and paired with the Sharingan, was truly exceptional. After sealing Kaguya, I worked hard to improve my basic ninja skills!
"How about this!" Seeing no progress, Sasuke infused his Kusanagi sword with Lightning Release chakra.
"I can do that too..." Naruto followed suit, infusing his samurai sword with Wind Release chakra!
Clang!!
Their swords clashed, their eyes meeting!
Sasuke coldly said, "Is your left eye just for show?"
Naruto replied, "I don't want to use this eye's power against my friend!"
"Friend?" Sasuke's eyes wavered, then turned cold. "Still so naive. You'll regret it!"
Buzz!
Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan glowed.
—Genjutsu: Sharingan!
Naruto was puzzled. "Why are you glaring at me?"
Sasuke was stunned: My genjutsu doesn't work on him!?
Naruto's Rinnegan completely nullified Sasuke's Sharingan genjutsu, so he didn't even realize Sasuke had used it!
Slash!
"Enough..." Sasuke sheathed his sword and stepped back, his eyes filled with genuine coldness.
Drip, a line of blood trickled from his left eye, falling onto the snow, spiderweb-like veins spreading across his eyeball.
"Naruto, if you don't get serious, you'll die!!!"
—Amaterasu!