Bonds That Never Fade

Josuke took several steps back as evil chakra appeared around him. Just as expected of an evil Uchiha brat—this was the power of the Cursed Seal. Cursed Seal Stage Two, activate!

Josuke had mastered Orochimaru's improved Cursed Seal Stage Two as early as three years ago.

It could only be said that it was incredibly impressive. Compared to Sasuke's chicken wings, Josuke's Cursed Seal Stage Two was practically divine.

As his chakra erupted, even Naruto could not help but be startled.

What evil power!

Wrapped in black chakra, Josuke's entire body was covered in armor. Being a rogue ninja in armor really was awesome, hehe. The armor covered everything from helmet to toe, and a sword was attached to his right hand.

(What did it roughly look like? (⊙o⊙)... Like Japanese samurai armor, with a sword connected to the right hand.)

It had to be admitted that whoever invented Orochimaru was truly a genius!

Josuke looked cool as hell. Compared to the original Cursed Seal, the improved version utterly crushed an ordinary Cursed Seal in appearance, power, and speed.

But!

It was not without drawbacks.

The drain on his vitality would be even greater than in the first stage, and the aftereffects would be far more severe as well.

With Josuke's current condition, maintaining it for three minutes was already the limit. Honest question: Josuke, are you Ultraman? Ahem. Josuke's transformation was complete.

Josuke felt that restless power surging within him. He raised his right hand and pointed it at Naruto.

"Come on, let me see what you've got!"

With that said, Josuke did not hesitate. He charged at Naruto and slashed at Naruto's tail with the sword in his right hand!

Naruto's cloak-tail was severed just like that. Naruto was shocked, and his fox claw raked across Josuke's armor, leaving a deep scratch.

So this is the Nine-Tails' power?

Too weak. Josuke shook his head inwardly. But it was only the Two-Tails form. What more could he expect? Heh, I can't beat you in your complete form.

But right now, aren't I crushing you?

He grabbed Naruto with his left hand and thrust his sword at him with his right. Naruto's prized Tailed Beast cloak was pierced by Josuke's blade, which ran through Naruto's chest, though it did not kill him.

After all, a Tailed Beast jinchuriki possessed tremendous life force.

Yet Naruto still fell into a deathlike unconsciousness from the excruciating pain.

No!!!!

Naruto's consciousness was pulled into his inner world, where evil chakra condensed into a bubble-shaped fox.

"Do you crave power?"

The Nine-Tails' voice tempted Naruto.

"I do... I do!"

The Nine-Tails looked at Naruto with satisfaction. This was precisely the effect he wanted: a gradual descent into corruption until Naruto's body fell under his control.

"Good. Then this old man shall grant it to you!"

Outside the inner world, Josuke had already tossed aside the unconscious Naruto and was preparing to leave. But then a cannonball exploded behind him. Flames burst outward as Josuke felt the armor on his back being pierced through!

Josuke turned around and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Three tails already?

He would fight anyway. Under the Cursed Seal's enhancement, the shattered armor on his back gradually repaired itself.

He swung his sword!

Josuke shot toward Naruto like a cannonball. Naruto's second Tailed Beast Ball was held directly in his mouth, but Josuke cut off one of Naruto's tails with a single slash.

Naruto retaliated, clawing off Josuke's left shoulder guard and leaving his left shoulder a bloody mess. At this point, neither of them had any refined moves left—no soldiers against soldiers, no generals against generals.

There was only the most primitive hand-to-hand combat.

Josuke's Cursed Seal had only one minute remaining. He had already cut off all of Naruto's tails, but his armor had been completely destroyed, and his body was covered in wounds of every size.

Especially his back. It had been injured once by Naruto's Tailed Beast Ball, then Naruto had caught him off guard and struck his back again. If Josuke was not mistaken, his back had probably already been torn open.

Let's decide life and death with the final blow, Naruto!

Lightning Cutter gathered in his left hand, while his final reserves of chakra activated the Sharingan.

"Naruto!"

Naruto, in his Three-Tails Tailed Beast form, looked over and roared back at Josuke!

He charged forward as well, just like the battle at the Valley of the End back then—except this was far more brutal than Sasuke's battle at the Valley of the End.

Take this, Naruto! This is the final Lightning Cutter!!

He drew closer and closer to Naruto. The Sharingan activated!

Naruto was caught in a genjutsu for three seconds, and Lightning Cutter pierced through his Tailed Beast defenses!

Naruto was defeated!

Josuke's Cursed Seal Stage Two was released immediately afterward. There was not a single intact patch left on his body. His left shoulder looked as though it had been torn apart by an animal, with a large chunk gouged out.

After taking only a few steps, Josuke coughed up blood. He would not die, but if he was not treated in time, he would suffer lasting aftereffects. The consequences would be unimaginable.

Orochimaru's location on the scroll was getting closer and closer. Josuke tossed his Hidden Leaf Village forehead protector beside Naruto, then forced himself onward to rendezvous with Orochimaru.

In the dense forest not far away, Orochimaru had long since shaken off Kakashi and was following the scroll's direction to find Josuke.

A distance of just over ten meters took more than ten minutes. At last, a man riding a snake appeared before him, and only then did Josuke collapse in relief.

Orochimaru came to Josuke's side and looked at the injured Josuke and the fallen Naruto. He had absolutely no interest in Naruto—my ass he didn't.

Using an unknown scroll, he extracted some of the chakra from Naruto's body before turning to inspect Josuke's condition. Kabuto, that lackey, had appeared at some point as well.

He gave Josuke's wounds a simple cleaning.

The situation did not look good. "Lord Orochimaru, what should we do now?"

Orochimaru glanced at Josuke's injuries. It would be a lie to say they were not serious, but they were not serious enough to be fatal.

As though he had thought of something, he let out a creepy chuckle.

"Kabuto, aren't the Improved Hashirama Cells just lacking a clinical trial now?"

A flash of madness crossed Orochimaru's eyes. He was a ninja, but even more than that, he was a scientist!

"Th-this..."

Kabuto was somewhat hesitant.

But Orochimaru's authority did not permit such hesitation. After giving Josuke's wounds simple treatment, the three of them hurried without pause to a nearby base.

If Josuke did not receive timely treatment this time, he would be left disabled.

Josuke-kun, Josuke-kun. Though I too crave your body, Sasuke is my vessel, so you get to benefit instead. (You ask why I didn't choose Josuke? I wanted to say the author wouldn't allow it.)

He took a small, wriggling lump of flesh from a refrigerated cabinet.

Using some unknown solution, he fused it with Improved Hashirama Cells and applied it to Josuke's body.

The instant the cells touched Josuke, they began fusing with his own cells. However, the fusion did not go smoothly. The Hashirama Cells' immense vitality resisted merging with Josuke's cells, and the two were in conflict.

Improved Hashirama Cells were far more advanced than ordinary Hashirama Cells. They also possessed something ordinary Hashirama Cells could never match: their color could blend with the host's natural skin tone.

As for the drawback-----

(A note here. A later chapter will describe Naruto and Josuke's situation this time around. It is mainly to give Josuke a cheat—ptui, boost his combat power. It's really not a cheat.)