Ever since the fight began, the Dragon had wondered why Naruto and Sasuke could sometimes hurt him and sometimes seemed unable to. Only after Naruto slashed his belly with Muramasa did he finally understand.
The Dragon thought, When I attacked those two descendants of Takamagahara with my claws just now, they didn't dare meet the attack head-on. Instead, they circled beneath my belly to strike. They did the same thing several times earlier, too. They never attacked my claws. That means their sinister blade isn't invincible-it can't hurt my claws. Right, now I remember! Lord True Dragon once said that our claws possess the ultimate offensive power. Throughout all the universes, there's nothing dragon claws can't destroy. So that's why they didn't dare attack my claws. I actually forgot that. It seems all these years of comfort have made me lazy.
Naruto had been watching the Dragon's every movement. Seeing his expression change, he thought, This is bad. It looks like this Dragon has stopped underestimating us. Judging by his expression, he's also realized that his claws are his strongest weapon. We're in serious trouble.
Naruto warned Sasuke, "Be careful, Sasuke. This Dragon seems different from before. He must have figured something out."
Even without Naruto's warning, Sasuke had noticed the change in the Dragon. He replied calmly, "I know. It looks like things won't be easy from here on out. But that's good, too. This is how we draw out our potential, isn't it?"
Seeing Sasuke so confident, Naruto smiled as well. "Heh, you're right. Setting everything else aside, this Dragon really is the best opponent we could ask for. He can help us improve our combat skills quickly. It's just a shame that we have a mission and can't stay too long."
A faint look of regret crossed