Sasuke Uchiha's Discovery and Fighting Spirit

"Gulp..."

Looking at Kin embedded in the tree trunk, her fate unknown, Dosu and Zaku could not help swallowing.

A closer look would reveal cold sweat already beading around their temples and across their faces.

They were not frightened by Kin's miserable state, but by the ninjutsu Ryusuke had just used.

S-Signless Ninjutsu!

And Signless Ninjutsu with such immense power at that.

Coming to his senses, Dosu immediately took out the scroll marked with the character for Earth and said to Ryusuke, "We surrender. We'll give you this scroll. Can you let us leave?"

"No. You'll be leaving your lives here."

A rapidly spinning ball of energy appeared in Ryusuke's hand once more.

"Air Cutting Extreme... Aaaah!"

Seeing that Ryusuke refused the deal, Zaku immediately clapped his hands together, preparing to unleash his strongest sound-wave attack.

Yet before he could channel his chakra and convert it into sound waves, a bloodcurdling scream burst from his mouth. His expression twisted savagely.

Startled by Zaku's sudden scream, Dosu saw that nothing seemed outwardly wrong, yet Zaku's entire body was convulsing, his face distorted and his eyes bloodshot. He hurriedly shouted, "Zaku, you're under a genjutsu! Break out of it, now!"

It was as though Zaku could not hear Dosu. He had already collapsed to the ground, rolling around and screaming endlessly. "Aaaah... It's burning! Help me put out the fire!"

From Zaku's perspective, the surrounding forest had become a sea of flames, and fire engulfed his entire body.

Being burned alive, one of the most agonizing ways to die, caused Zaku such unbearable pain that he could not even break free from the genjutsu.

This was—Genjutsu: Shiranui.

"How dare you let your attention wander?"

Just as Dosu turned to look at Zaku, Ryusuke had already rushed in front of him and pressed the Rasengan against Dosu's body.

Boom—

With a thunderous blast, Dosu flew backward like a fired cannonball. Like Kin before him, his body spun continuously through the air, trailing a blue, spiraling chakra vortex before crashing heavily into a large tree.

A huge crater immediately appeared in the trunk.

Dosu's body sank into the tree trunk, his fate unknown.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Ryusuke showed no mercy. He took out three kunai and hurled them with superb precision, driving them into the heads of the Sound Ninja Trio and taking their lives.

Flash, flash, flash—

White light flickered from the three of them.

As three beams of light shot out, several white orbs floated above the ground around the three corpses.

Ryusuke merely glanced at the orbs before turning and walking toward Sakura.

Sakura had her back to Ryusuke. Green light flickered before her, and she was clearly treating her own injuries.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

Ryusuke rubbed Sakura's head from behind and asked with concern.

With her head lowered, Sakura used one green-glowing hand to cover her face while treating herself. "Ryusuke, don't look at me. I look ugly right now."

"Not at all. You looked really cool just now."

Ryusuke laughed helplessly and vigorously ruffled Sakura's hair. "You're healing yourself too slowly. Let me help you."

"No. You have a camera on you. What if you take pictures of me without permission?"

Sakura complained in a coquettish tone, "Hinata said you often secretly take pictures of her. I don't want you capturing me looking this awful."

"I won't, I won't. Why does Hinata tell you girls everything?" Ryusuke promised, looking embarrassed.

"Hm?"

Before Sakura could respond, Ryusuke suddenly raised his brows and looked toward a cave.

Sakura also stopped healing herself and looked up at the cave where Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha were. Her eyes widened in shock. "Sasuke woke up. Why has his chakra become like this?"

"Sakura, who did this to your face?"

Sasuke Uchiha's voice reached their ears.

From the shadows of the cave, a figure slowly emerged, purple chakra swirling around him and an evil aura radiating from his body.

With black Cursed Seal markings covering half his face, Sasuke Uchiha had activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan. Looking toward Ryusuke and Sakura, he immediately noticed the bruises covering Sakura's face and asked.

"Enemies came earlier, but Ryusuke took care of all of them."

Sakura gave a brief explanation, then asked with some concern, "Sasuke, are you okay?"

"Yeah... I'm fine."

Sasuke Uchiha lowered his head to look at the black Cursed Seal spreading across his left hand. Excitedly, he said, "Not only am I fine, I feel amazing. It feels like I can do anything."

Yet his words only made Sakura more uneasy.

Then Sasuke Uchiha suddenly looked at Ryusuke. His smile was the very image of wicked charm as he issued a challenge. "Ryusuke, want to fight?"

"No. Something is seriously wrong with your current state."

Ryusuke shook his head and reminded him, "I don't know what happened to your body, but that chakra clearly isn't yours. Are you planning to abandon the pride of the Uchiha Clan and immerse yourself in borrowed power like this?"

"...Hmph."

At those words, Sasuke Uchiha's smile stiffened slightly. Pain then appeared on his face, and he let out a muffled groan. His Sharingan reverted to black eyes as he clutched his neck and crouched down.

Before long, he stood up weakly again. The Cursed Seal on his face and hand had faded away.

After his emotions returned to normal, Sasuke Uchiha glanced at Zaku nearby, then at the corpses of Kin and Dosu embedded in the trees. Finally, his gaze returned to Sakura as he said with a trace of apology, "Sorry for dragging you into this, Sakura."

"It's enough that you're both okay."

Seeing Sasuke Uchiha return to normal, Sakura finally breathed a sigh of relief. She said apologetically, "I should be the one apologizing. I couldn't help at all."

"You were already incredible for facing enemies like that."

Ryusuke could not help pinching Sakura's little cheek, making her suck in breaths from the pain.

"Let me heal you. Your chakra is too weak."

Ryusuke crouched down and used Medical Ninjutsu on Sakura's face.

Sakura hurriedly closed her eyes, her cheeks reddening as she muttered, "Hurry up. I can sense Hinata's chakra. She can't see me like this."

"Hinata has the Byakugan. She's probably already seen you."

"It's different. What she sees through the Byakugan is black and white."

"All right, I really can't do anything with you."

After glancing at the two whispering to each other, Sasuke Uchiha held his neck and walked over to Zaku's corpse. He then examined the corpses of Dosu and Kin embedded in the tree trunks.

More accurately, he was staring at the traces of destruction around them.

A few seconds later, as if remembering something, Sasuke Uchiha suddenly turned around. Enduring the pain caused by the Cursed Seal, he activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan once more and looked at Ryusuke, who had already healed Sakura's injuries. A flash of shock appeared in his eyes, followed by an intense fighting spirit on his face.

Such astonishing chakra... is this your true strength?

I never expected you to have hidden yourself so deeply!

Wonderful. Only someone like you is worthy of being my opponent!

Only by defeating the real you can I erase my past humiliation and prove the strength of the Uchiha!