Naruto, What's the point of being Hokage without you!

"In that case, I have no choice but to use that move to decide the outcome!"

Naruto steeled his resolve, dodging Sasuke's relentless attacks while searching for an opening to unleash his trump card.

But Sasuke seemed to have seen right through his intentions.

He didn't give him a single chance.

"Thinking of using that taijutsu move?"

"You won't get the chance, Naruto!"

Naruto was shocked!

How could this Sasuke know his trump card so clearly?!

Sasuke curled his lips into a cold sneer.

"If you want to defeat me, try again in your next life!"

Bang, bang, bang—

Several shuriken suddenly shot out, whistling in from all directions!

It was Sasuke's masterful Shurikenjutsu.

Naruto hurriedly retreated, barely dodging them with a series of backflips.

But the distance between them had already widened.

It was now impossible to execute his move.

"Fire Style! Great Fireball Technique!"

Sasuke suddenly formed hand seals at high speed, unleashing the signature fire ninjutsu of the Uchiha Clan!

In an instant, Iruka and everyone else turned pale!

"Th-that move is..."

"Sasuke! Stop!"

But it was too late. Sasuke took a deep breath, his condensed, powerful chakra transforming into a raging inferno that he spat out from his mouth!

The massive fireball roared forward, instantly engulfing Naruto's figure...

[You died!]

"Ah—"

Naruto jolted awake from the simulation, gasping for air as if he had truly experienced death!

"Wh-what was that just now?!"

"That bastard Sasuke, did he really mean to kill me?!"

[Although the scenario simulated by the system perfectly replicates reality, it is ultimately just a dream. Precisely because of this, you can let go and fight to the death without restraint!]

Naruto wasn't stupid; he understood what the system meant.

Since it was just a dream, it didn't matter if they fought with lethal intent!

"Damn it! System, you could've told me that sooner!"

"You let that bastard Sasuke mess me up!"

[To be precise, your defeat just now had nothing to do with that; it was simply because you are too weak.]

Naruto: "...Could you be a bit more tactful?"

[Sorry, that is not within the scope of the system's services.]

Naruto didn't belittle himself.

He immediately began to reflect on the reasons for his defeat.

First, he had been too careless.

He assumed that having a trump card meant he could definitely defeat Sasuke.

But in reality, any trump card must be combined with other abilities to be effective. Just like before, his techniques were completely suppressed by Sasuke, leaving him no opportunity to use that move at all!

Second, as the system said, not only were his moves and techniques inferior to Sasuke's, but his experience, lessons, and understanding of combat itself were also completely lacking compared to Sasuke!

Sasuke's combat style was clearly aimed entirely at real-life application.

Although he didn't know who Sasuke's imaginary enemy was, but...

He really had the guts to kill!

Third, he hadn't understood the true meaning of dream training.

Since it was a dream, he should have been going all out from the start!

"Killing intent, huh?"

"I understand now..."

"System, I request a rematch!"

[Confirmed.]

In an instant, the scene regenerated, as realistic and detailed as the waking world.

Summer, sunlight, a gentle breeze, dancing tree shadows.

The clamor and noise in the distance.

The voice of Iruka.

The shrieks of young girls.

And even...

The soft, whispered cheers of Hinata...

Naruto had returned once more to the dreamscape of the ninja sparring match.

"Sparring, begin!"

The moment he finished the Seal of Confrontation and Iruka gave the order, Naruto's eyes blazed with fury as he charged toward Sasuke Uchiha!

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke was not one to be outdone.

"Naruto!"

Knowing it was a dream and that he wouldn't truly die, Naruto cast aside all restraint, unleashing every ounce of anger, resentment, frustration, and grievance he had bottled up for half a lifetime in one explosive surge!

In his eyes, flames seemed to ignite in an instant!

His pupils even warped slightly, taking on the eerie, slit-like appearance of the Nine-Tailed Fox!

Sinister, twisted, ferocious, and violent!

Sasuke Uchiha sensed Naruto's abnormality, especially the fighting spirit—or rather, the Killing Intent—permeating those eyes!

Yet, he did not retreat in the slightest.

"Come on, dead-last!"

Naruto's pupils narrowed into slits, and the whisker-like markings on his cheeks seemed to tear open, his entire face twisted with manic, malevolent energy!

"Damn you, Sasuke..."

"I! Am! Not! A! Dead-last!"

The strongest form...

Killing Intent Naruto has arrived!

This time, Naruto did not hesitate for a second, opening with his ultimate move, a taijutsu secret technique inherited from the Blue Beast Might Guy, exploding forth in an instant!

"Take this..."

"Leaf Whirlwind!!!"

Chapter 25: Have you ever seen Konoha at four in the morning?

This time, Naruto held nothing back.

As soon as the sparring began, he unleashed his trump card.

The form of Killing Intent Naruto!

A strike with everything he had!

Rumble—

BOOM!!!

Even Sasuke Uchiha failed to react to this blow; it wasn't until the violent kick was right in his face that he instinctively raised his hands to block.

However...

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

Naruto's legs spun rapidly in the air, dazzling Sasuke and making it impossible for him to discern the true moment of the strike.

Bang!

With a brutal kick finally unleashed, Sasuke was sent flying by the sheer force of Naruto's full-power blow.

Boom—

He was sent hurtling back seven or eight meters, slamming into the trunk of a large tree with a terrifying impact that made one's bones ache!

"Argh—"

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut, his face turning deathly pale as a trickle of blood escaped his lips, a pained cry escaping him involuntarily.

The tree trunk shook, and leaves rained down!

For a moment, everyone was left completely stunned by the scene.

Even Iruka was struck dumb, his mouth agape.

"Is, is that Naruto?"

Sakura Haruno and the others shrieked in shock.

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

Even Hinata was startled.

"Naruto, did you really have such power hidden away?"

"The way he was just now... it was a little scary."

After that single strike, Naruto gasped for air, staring at his own hands and legs before looking toward the distance, where Sasuke Uchiha was leaning against a tree trunk, struggling with all his might to stand back up. Only then did it finally sink in.

"I, I won..."

"I finally won!"

"Sasuke... the genius Sasuke has finally been defeated by me!"

He grinned, wanting to laugh, yet he could hardly believe it was real.

Sasuke Uchiha gritted his teeth, spat out a mouthful of blood, and clenched his fists as he forced himself back to his feet.

"Naruto!"

He was determined to keep fighting, even if it killed him.

However, Iruka stopped him.

"Sasuke, you have already lost!"

"You cannot continue this fight!"

"Both of you, perform the Seal of Reconciliation immediately!"

Yet, neither Sasuke nor Naruto accepted Iruka's command.