A Long-Awaited Duel

Traditionally in Konoha, the group members are usually a combination of two men and one woman.

When Team 7 was first formed, the outside world described it as a classic combination of a genius, a loser, and a female ninja.

This is the tag for the female ninja, Sakura Haruno.

It doesn't matter whether she has talent or not; the only important thing is that she is a woman.

Because most of the time, female ninjas play a support role in the team, responsible for logistics, medical care, harassment, and even acting as a mediator of team atmosphere and a lubricant for interpersonal relationships.

Even a female ninja as strong as Tsunade was mostly positioned as medical-nin in the Sannin group.

The only exception was Team 7.

Sasuke understood this very well. All along, the strongest member of Team 7 was neither him with the Sharingan nor Naruto with the Nine-Tails' power.

It was Sakura Haruno, the one marked as a female ninja.

This is somewhat unimaginable to outsiders, especially those who know their identities. Why would a commoner ninja stand out in such a group, leaving the Uchiha and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki behind?

In fact, Sasuke had always been puzzled by this question.

How did this pretty pink-haired girl grow up to be like this? Even though he considered himself one of the people who knew her best, Sasuke often found it unbelievable.

After awakening the Mitsudomoe of his Sharingan, there was a time when he could almost touch her back; however, shortly after becoming Tsunade's apprentice, her combat power skyrocketed like a rocket.

In the past two years, her achievements have become increasingly formidable, leaving Sasuke somewhat astonished.

Despite lacking both Kekkei Genkai and exceptional physical gifts, he has managed to grow rapidly solely through cheat-level Chakra manipulation and unorthodox knowledge acquired from who-knows-where!

Fortunately, he was no longer the naive and immature teenager he once was, and he wouldn't feel dissatisfied with himself because of his teammates' progress. In fact, Sasuke was quite satisfied with his own rate of improvement. After embarking on the path of Lightning Release, he would look back at his past self every now and then, and he could feel his transformative growth. The reward for his solid training was solid growth; his speed, strength, Ninjutsu, Chakra reserves, and swordsmanship were all progressing at a visible pace!

Moreover, this progress is far from reaching its bottleneck.

This sense of transcendence that comes from constantly overcoming oneself is also an important reason why Sasuke was not consumed by hatred.

The reason he can't catch up with Sakura Haruno is probably because his teammate is too amazing.

Sasuke sighed inwardly as he watched the girl in front of him meticulously Hand Seals, calmly preparing for battle.

He knew what technique she was using.

The Yin Seal that provides Chakra, the Cherry Blossom Impact that enhances reaction speed, the Ice Armor that wraps around vital areas of her body, and the butterfly blades that materialize in her hands; these powerful Secret Technique that she has modified or developed are her usual preparations for battle.

In addition, there's his Monstrous Strength that he can effortlessly display during battle, and the incredibly fast Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.

Her offense and defense are both impeccable!

Once Sakura Haruno was ready, the two formed Seal of Confrontation.

"Although I'm not as skilled at developing Ninjutsu as you are," Sasuke said before the battle began, "I have complete confidence in the Chidori Demon Body Form Ninjutsu!"

As he spoke, he conjured the Chidori Short Sword and charged out before his words even finished!

The phrase "swift as lightning" perfectly describes the black-haired boy's speed and agility; to onlookers, Sasuke appeared to have transformed into a streak of dark blue lightning, hurtling towards the girl!

In just a moment.

Sasuke appeared in front of Sakura Haruno, so close that he could see her pupils contract, and swung his blue short sword down fiercely!

A flash of light appeared, a streak of blue sword light cutting through the air, the blade slashing fiercely towards Sakura Haruno.

The essence of White Fang Swordsmanship lies in speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness; and Sasuke's swordsmanship, at least in terms of speed, has reached the level of White Fang back then!

Clang!

The ice blade and the thunder sword clashed suddenly, and a crisp, metallic clang rang out!

"She can still block it... She's gotten faster again!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. His attack failed, and he instantly withdrew, avoiding Sakura's Nintaijutsu attack.

The girl used her Monstrous Strength Technique with her right hand, wielding an ice blade with unparalleled power that sliced through the air, creating a strange whistling sound as it struck the afterimage left by Sasuke. The latter then used his feet to propel himself forward, his steps shifting several times, and he had already circled behind Sakura Haruno.

The second strike was delivered.

Clang!

With the other of the butterfly swords raised in her left hand, the girl flicked her wrist with a light and swift movement, the thin blade as light as a fluttering butterfly, meeting Sasuke's lightning sword.

The two collided, producing another crisp sound of impact. Sakura Haruno's Eight Slashing Blades appeared to be gentle and unaffected by force, but under the exertion of her Nintaijutsu, it actually possessed a tremendous force that met Sasuke's lightning sword head-on!

Sasuke frowned slightly, his lightning sword technique shifting from solid to ethereal, allowing the ice blade to pass through the light and shadow of the lightning sword, avoiding the power transmitted by the Monstrous Strength Technique. He spun around rapidly, his body instantly leaping and circling the girl once, his lightning sword continuously slashing out, the sharp blade momentum attacking Sakura Haruno like Hayate!

Ding ding ding!

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged dozens of blows, the continuous clanging of swords echoing from the battlefield, forming an inseparable chorus.

This is the second time Sasuke and Sakura have engaged in close-quarters combat using Ice Release and Lightning Release, following their previous battle as examinee and examiner respectively during the Anbu assessment. [Chapter 18]

A year has passed, and neither Sasuke nor Sakura have stood still. Instead, they have grown rapidly, and their strength is now incomparable to what it was before!

Moreover, Sakura Haruno didn't use her full strength back then, but this time, she used all the power of her Nintaijutsu without holding back. You can imagine how intense this battle will be!

The blue Chidori Short Sword and the silver-white Butterfly Ice Blade flashed through the air, constantly clashing. Sasuke's agile figure and Sakura Haruno's graceful movements intertwined, their actions as swift as the wind, so fast that it was impossible to keep up!

How swift was Sasuke when he activated the combined Cat Demon Transformation and Lightning Release Cloak mode?

Sasuke is inherently a speed-type character. He possesses the Sharingan's dynamic vision and the Lightning Release: Chidori Mode's ability to activate his body. After Combination Transformation with the Ninja Cat, he gains the agility of a feline. With these three combined, his speed surpasses Jonin of most Jonin.

However, when Sakura Haruno activated the third stage of Cherry Blossom Impact and started the Brain Overclocking Mode, her thinking and reaction abilities accelerated even further, becoming incredibly fast!

In a few swift exchanges, the two fought with incredible speed, exchanging dozens, even hundreds, of blows in the blink of an eye! Relying on their respective Three-Tomoe Sharingan and Cherry Blossom Impact Stage Three, as well as their respective Lightning Release: Chidori Demon Body Mode and Secret Technique: Nintaijutsu Eight Slashing Blade Technique, the two were locked in a fierce battle that left onlookers breathless!

However, Sasuke, having activated his Chidori Demon Body, used his speed advantage to suppress Sakura Haruno; the latter reacted quickly and possessed great strength, but her attack and movement speed were not fast enough. In such a high-speed battle, this subtle difference became the key to Sasuke to suppress the girl!

Bang!

The continuous fighting finally created an opening for Sakura Haruno, Sasuke seized, kicking her away and sending her flying into the river.

Huff, huff...

Sakura Haruno climbed out of the river and stood on the surface. Both of them were breathing heavily.

"Your new technique... is truly extraordinary!" Sakura Haruno wiped the sweat from her forehead, while simultaneously erasing the wounds she sustained in the battle, and said, "To be able to wear the Lightning Release: Chidori Cloak under the Combination Transformation's Demon Body Mode, that's a really creative technique!"

"Hmph..." Sasuke's lips curled into a smug smile, but he said, "It's just a combination of techniques I've already mastered. Compared to your Secret Technique, it's hardly innovative!"

"The Combination Transformation with the Ninja Cat and Lightning Release: Chidori Mode can greatly enhance your speed and agility. Your new technique can combine these two amplifications. Once you master this technique, you'll be the next Yellow Flash!" Sakura laughed, noticing the slightly smug expression on his face, and added, "Also, the cat ears are pretty cute."

"Idiot, that's not the point...! Appearance doesn't matter, as long as it increases strength." Sasuke's smile faltered, his face twitching as he exclaimed, "Anyway, this mode consumes too much Chakra, I can't last more than a few minutes!"

He continued with a stern face, "So stop talking nonsense and keep fighting! You already gave it your all just now, didn't you?"

"Of course." Sakura nodded and said, "Your strength has improved very quickly! This time last year, I could fight you to a draw without using my Monstrous Strength Technique..."

"Tch... Of course, otherwise Naruto would catch up if we sped up!" Sasuke said.

"Yeah, once Naruto masters the Nine-Tails' power, you might become the worst student in Team 7!" Sakura Haruno nodded and said seriously.

"Who knows, you might be the weakest one then?"

"You two can surpass me?" The girl raised an eyebrow, curled her lip, and spat, "Tch, I don't believe it."

Sasuke pursed his lips and remained silent.

Indeed, although Sasuke had suppressed her in the previous battle, Taijutsu wasn't Sakura Haruno's forte, and she hadn't even used Ninjutsu yet! Sasuke wouldn't believe that what he saw just now was Sakura's full strength.

He had already given it his all, yet he could only gain a slight advantage. Even his most confident speed couldn't defeat her... Sakura's reaction speed is even faster than before! Her Cherry Blossom Impact Secret Technique must have improved to another level, right?

Standing opposite the girl, Sasuke finally realized how formidable she was. He wondered what her opponents felt when facing her.

"So, are you going to use Ninjutsu next?" Sasuke said in a deep voice, "Then bring it on!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly exerted force with his feet and charged towards Sakura Haruno again!

Sakura Haruno's eyes narrowed, and she quickly Hand Seals, instantly erecting a wall of water in front of her. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Wow!

The hastily executed Ninjutsu failed to stop Sasuke's advance. In his Chidori Demon Body Form, his charge was unstoppable, shattering the water wall and unleashing a horizontal slash at the girl from mid-air!

Crack--

Ice Clone?

The unusual feel made Sasuke realize what was happening instantly.

As the wound faded and returned to its icy state, a strange smile suddenly appeared on Sakura's face!

"Not good!" The black-haired youth's expression changed; the next moment, the Ice Clone exploded!

"It's that same clone explosion tactic again, just like her students..." Sasuke, who narrowly escaped the Sasuke, landed on the river, still shaken, and thought to himself.

However, Sasuke relaxed too soon.

Before he could even stand firmly on his feet, the water beneath his feet surged, and hundreds of clones leaped out of the water, densely covering half the sky and surrounding him!

The black-haired boy's pupils suddenly contracted.

It's over...

He instinctively exerted force with his feet, his body suddenly leaped up, darting left and right, trying to force his way out of the encirclement!

"Mutually Multiplying Ice Clone Explosive Jutsu!"

(Second update! Guaranteed minimum update! I need to go to the hospital again tomorrow, so I estimate there will only be two updates, if the situation isn't serious.)

(It's almost the end of the month, and your monthly tickets will expire if you don't vote now! Please vote! One extra chapter for every 00 monthly tickets! Three chapters today!)