In the Heavenly Screen, cumulus clouds surged, and thunder rumbled dully among the thick clouds, as if the world itself was trembling in the face of this battle.
The Valley of the End is now unrecognizable—the heads of the statues of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju have been removed, and huge rubble is scattered on the dried-up riverbed, resembling the remains of gods.
" Ahem...!"
Sasuke lay prostrate beneath Madara's statue, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. His Rinnegan trembled slightly from the intense depletion of Chakra. He stared intently at Naruto opposite him, his eyes still burning with resentment and fighting spirit.
"Damn it... he's still not dead?"
On the other side, Naruto also knelt before the stone statue of Hashirama, his golden Chakra Cloak gone, the Nine-Tails Mode's markings faintly visible. Just as he was about to form hand seals, the Yang Nine-Tails within him suddenly spoke in a deep voice—
"Naruto, if I hadn't mobilized my Natural Energy in time, that attack would have killed you." Nine-Tails's voice was unusually solemn. "Besides, your Chakra is already..."
"I know..." Naruto gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the excruciating pain in his body, "But I can still fight!"
Sasuke gave him no chance to catch his breath, his right eye suddenly widening—
" Amaterasu!"
The pitch-black flames instantly ignited on Naruto's right arm, but the next second, the crimson Tailed Beast Chakra coiled around it like a living thing, forcefully blocking the black flames. Then, Naruto slammed it hard to the ground, burning a patch of scorched earth.
"Tsk..." Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his mind racing—"Sure enough, Amaterasu alone isn't enough; it must be combined with the Chakra of the Tailed Beasts..."
Just as he was about to form a hand seal, a tearing pain suddenly shot through his left eye, and the pattern on his Rinnegan even briefly blurred.
"Has my Chakra run out...? I can't even use 'that ability' anymore..."
In that brief moment of distraction, Naruto had already rushed in front of him, leaped up, and unleashed a powerful right punch—
"It's over, Sasuke!"
Sasuke coldly raised his eyes, but instantly realized—"A feint!"
Sure enough, the Shadow Clone beneath his feet had been lying in wait for a long time, and a fierce upper kick sent him flying into the air! The other two clones followed closely behind, their fists and feet raining down like a storm!
Ah...
While in mid-air, Sasuke suddenly twisted his body, launching a counterattack from his unbalanced state.
Sasuke's left fist slammed into Naruto's face!
"Bang!"
"Ugh!"
Both were sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the ruins. Dust rose again, and rubble tumbled down, with only heavy breathing echoing through the canyon.
"Whoosh--!"
Naruto's three Shadow Clones rushed towards Sasuke from different directions, their movements as swift as the wind. However, a cold smile curled at the corner of Sasuke's mouth.
"Innocent!"
He abruptly ripped off his right wrist guard, revealing Sealing Jutsu on his skin—"Lightning Release: Lightning Shuriken!"
"Sizzle--!"
Several Shuriken crackling with blinding lightning were instantly drawn from the seal, slicing through the air and striking the three shadow clones precisely at their vital points. The high-voltage current instantly paralyzed the Shadow Clones ' movements.
"Chidori!"
Sasuke's right hand surged with lightning, and a piercing bird cry tore through the air. He charged towards the last clone like a purple lightning bolt, Chidori pierced through its chest, causing the clone to explode!
However--
"Gotcha!"
Naruto's true form had anticipated his movements and launched a surprise attack from the side, delivering a heavy straight punch that slammed into Sasuke's face!
"Bang--!"
Sasuke's body flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing into a boulder before barely coming to a stop. He coughed up blood, and the Rinnegan trembled slightly due to the severe depletion of Chakra.
"It's not over yet...!"
Naruto roared, his right palm spinning rapidly with Chakra— "Rasengan!"
The blue Chakra sphere emitted a piercing buzz as it charged towards Sasuke without hesitation, its eyes burning with the final fighting spirit.
Sasuke gritted his teeth as he watched the Chidori in his left hand gradually dissipate; the depletion of Chakra made his movements sluggish.
(Oh no... I can't dodge it!)
However, just as the Rasengan was about to hit him—
"Thump!"
Naruto's legs suddenly gave way, and he fell heavily in front of Sasuke, the Rasengan in his hand dissipating due to the loss of Chakra.
"Ha ha..."
Sasuke paused for a moment, then a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
"You're at the bottom of the class... Is this your limit?!"
He lunged forward, grabbed Naruto by the collar, and with his last bit of strength, slammed his right fist into Naruto's face!
"Bang!"
Naruto's head snapped to the side from the blow, but the next second, he swiftly raised his leg and delivered a knee strike to Sasuke's abdomen, forcing the latter to stagger backward.
"Don't... don't look down on me!"
The two grappled again, without any fancy Ninjutsu or sophisticated tactics, only the most primitive and savage hand-to-hand combat.
"Naruto--!"
"Sasuke--!"
Fists collided, blood and sweat splattered.
Sasuke an elbow strike to Naruto's shoulder, while Naruto countered with a punch to his abdomen; Sasuke's knee slammed into Naruto's chest, and Naruto headbutted Sasuke in the chin.
Both of their faces were already bruised and swollen, with blood dripping from their mouths and brow bones, but neither of them stopped.
"Give up... you loser!" Sasuke gasped, then punched Naruto in the face again.
"You're the one who should admit defeat... you bastard Sasuke!" Naruto roared, delivering a headbutt that made Sasuke's vision go black.
They were like two dying wild beasts, tearing at each other with their last ounce of strength, neither willing to give an inch.
This is no longer a contest of Ninjutsu, but a battle of wills!
Whoever falls first loses!
—And none of them wanted to lose!
The real Shinobi World...
The contents of the Heavenly Screen spilled across every corner of Konoha, reflecting on each frozen face.
Sakura stood at the very front of the crowd, her hands clenched tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, yet she felt no pain. Her vision blurred, tears welled in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Why...
Why will you all become like this in the future?
In the Heavenly Screen, Naruto and Sasuke were covered in blood, and the sound of their fists colliding seemed to pierce through time and space, striking heavily into everyone's hearts.
"Naruto... Sasuke..."
Kiba held Akamaru in his arms, unusually silent. Akamaru let out a low whimper, seemingly sensing its master's emotions.
"Aren't they... comrades?" Hinata's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, her fingers unconsciously twisting together.
Shikamaru looked up at the Heavenly Screen, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "This is really troublesome..." he murmured to himself, but it was unclear whether he was referring to the battle in the Heavenly Screen or to his own chaotic thoughts.
Choji stopped eating potato chips, his chubby face losing its usual goofy grin. "Their... how could their future turn out like this..."
Everyone remembers that loser who always chased after Sasuke, yelling and shouting, and that genius who, despite his disdain, never truly abandoned Naruto.
But now, those in the Heavenly Screen are fighting for their lives.
"What... what happened?" Ino's voice trembled slightly as she looked at Sakura, only to find her friend's face as pale as paper.
Sakura did not answer.
Countless images flashed through her mind— Sasuke's defection, her request to Naruto's promise...
I stood there helplessly, unable to do anything...
And now, the cruel future is unfolding before them—they are still fighting, locked in a life-or-death struggle.
"Is there really nothing we can change?"
Kai patted Rock Lee on the shoulder, unusually refraining from shouting "Youth!" with fervor. Even the usually boisterous Naruto fan club— Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon —stood quietly, their eyes filled with confusion.
Kakashi stood on the Hokage Rock, his one eye fixed on the Heavenly Screen, the book "Icha Icha Paradise" already closed in his hand.
"Obito... Rin..." He seemed to see his former self again.
History always repeats itself.
And suffering is always a cycle.
In the Heavenly Screen, Naruto and Sasuke's fists collided once more, and blood splattered.
The people of Konoha remained silent, no one uttering a word.
Only the wind, swirling fallen leaves, gently brushed against everyone's face.
--As if wiping away their unshed tears.