The Research Institute.
At the testing ground.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Two figures, moving impossibly fast, darted back and forth across the testing ground, colliding and setting off one muffled boom after another.
One of them was Yamada Juichi, who had fought fiercely against Orochimaru earlier, only to be defeated and have his divine technique, Great Strength, absorbed by Orochimaru.
The other figure, his body flickering with faint purple lightning, was Sasuke Uchiha, who had just arrived at the Research Institute with Naruto.
After learning how things stood at the Research Institute, Sasuke was deeply displeased.
In his eyes, as an organization founded by Shinji himself, the Research Institute should have devoted itself entirely to serving Shinji and the Uchiha!
Instead, it had raised one arrogant, overbearing test subject after another. There was no way he could simply turn a blind eye.
So, after arriving at the Research Institute, the first thing he did was ask to spar with Yamada Juichi.
Owl, who had started the rebellion earlier, had already been dealt with by Shinji, while Orochimaru was one of the Research Institute's senior figures. That left only Yamada Juichi, the unlucky one, for Sasuke to target.
Badly injured by Orochimaru and only just recovered, Yamada Juichi was simmering with resentment. When Sasuke came to challenge him, he naturally wanted to take out his anger on Sasuke. And so, this match that shook the entire Research Institute began.
"Who do you think will win?"
"Sasuke Uchiha may be famous, but he shouldn't be a match for Yamada Juichi. After all, Yamada Juichi has undergone the ritual!"
"Yeah, I think so too. Still, Sasuke Uchiha has held his own against Yamada Juichi for this long. That's impressive!"
The researchers around the testing ground whispered among themselves as they watched the match.
After