Had Ōtsutsuki Isshiki been burned to ash?
Of course not!
Even if he had burned to death, he couldn't have simply vanished into thin air, could he?
They were more inclined to believe that Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had escaped using an ability they knew nothing about.
Having shrunk himself with Sukunahikona and hidden in a crack between the rocks, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki endured the pain and dispelled the flames of Amaterasu from his body.
By the time he finished, not a single patch of his skin remained intact.
His chest was the worst. The skin and muscle there were completely gone, and he could just make out his pulsing organs behind his ribs.
This was the worst injury he had suffered in a thousand years. The last time had been at Otsutsuki Kaguya's hands.
"Was I careless? No! I was too impatient!"
Too worried about Hyuga Hinata, who might return at any moment, he had focused entirely on reclaiming chakra and overlooked Sasuke.
But after this lesson, he wouldn't overlook anyone in the battle to come!
Once Ōtsutsuki Isshiki vanished, Sasuke dispelled Amaterasu, then struggled to his feet and headed toward Naruto.
Naruto also headed toward Sasuke.
After absorbing the Chakra Gems, their injuries had largely stabilized.
Now they stood back to back, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings.
"Naruto, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. What about you, Sasuke?"
"I'm fine too."
After that brief exchange, they watched each other's backs.
With no idea where their enemy might emerge, they had to stay alert.
Just then, a figure appeared in front of them and drove one of the Black Rods into Sasuke's body.
Disbelief filled Sasuke's face as he collapsed helplessly to the ground.
"Sasuke!!!"
The pressure against Naruto's back vanished, leaving nothing supporting him. He turned and saw Sasuke lying