Fury and bitter resentment burned through Sasuke's soul.
Yet in that pure spirit form, he suddenly felt his connection to the Zanpakuto lying on the ground grow clearer and stronger than ever before!
It was no longer a weapon that needed Chakra to wield. It was an extension of his soul!
A wild idea took shape in his mind.
Sasuke's translucent spirit shot toward the Zanpakuto on the ground, and his spectral hand closed tightly around its hilt!
The next instant, without Naruto noticing a thing, Sasuke's spirit wielded the Zanpakuto made manifest in the physical world. Like a vengeful ghost, he drove it into Naruto from behind!
Squelch!
The sound of the blade piercing flesh rang out with dreadful clarity.
The smile froze on Naruto's face. He looked down in disbelief at the bloodstained tip protruding from his chest.
Blood burst from his mouth. All his strength drained away in an instant, and his vision went black as he pitched forward onto the ground.
In the final instant before the blade entered Naruto's body, Sasuke's soul had felt the unmistakable presence of life.
In the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it. At the last moment, he had shifted the blade a few inches, narrowly missing the heart and other vital organs.
The next moment, Sasuke Uchiha's soul returned to his body.
He struggled to his feet and walked to Naruto's side. Gazing at his friend's blood-soaked back, he let out a sigh, his expression conflicted.
He bent down to retrieve the two crucial Talismans from Naruto's pocket.
Just then, he sensed several powerful sources of Chakra approaching at high speed!
"Tch!" Sasuke clicked his tongue and, without hesitation, pulled the Zanpakuto from Naruto's body, drawing a spray of blood.
He gave the unconscious Naruto one last, lingering