The white light on the electronic screen flickered twice.
The names froze in place.
[Zaku vs. Akado Yoroi VS Sasuke Uchiha]
Sasuke rose from beside the wall.
Naruto noticed that the thread of Yin Release chakra at the back of his neck, as thin as a spiderweb, twitched the instant he stood. It was faint, but it was definitely moving.
Orochimaru's handiwork. That old snake had fled openly, but secretly planted the seed deep.
He would remember it for now. He could deal with it later.
Sasuke walked to the center of the arena. Akado Yoroi was already in position across from him, dark red metal armor covering his upper body, chakra amplifiers strapped to both arms. Every punch he threw carried a buzzing roar.
"The Uchiha survivor?" Akado Yoroi grinned, baring a mouthful of uneven teeth. "Let me see how much the Sharingan is worth."
"Begin."
Akado Yoroi charged. Chakra wrapped around his fists. He was not especially fast, but each blow was incredibly heavy, blasting sonic booms through the air.
Sasuke did not take him head-on.
The Sharingan spun rapidly in his eyes, its two scarlet tomoe reflecting every trajectory of his opponent's movements. He sidestepped, dodged, and counterattacked—his fist struck the armor with a dull metallic clang.
Useless. That armor was as hard as an iron plate, and Sasuke's knuckles went numb.
"Is that all?" Akado Yoroi sneered, swinging a backhanded punch at Sasuke's face.
Sasuke leaned back to evade it and retreated three steps. His teeth ground together.
The gap was not large, but that man's defense was disgusting.
The Sharingan flashed.
The instant Akado Yoroi punched, there was a brief gap in his chakra beneath his right ribs. At the seam in his armor. A blind spot.
Sasuke vanished from where he stood.
Akado Yoroi's