A few days later, Training Ground 7.
Night had long since fallen. Sparse moonlight stretched the figures on the training ground into long shadows.
Sasuke's body was already at its limit. His Chakra had nearly been drained dry, and mental exhaustion surged over his taut nerves like wave after wave of tide.
Before Sasuke stood a massive boulder, even larger than the one Kakashi had shattered before. Its surface was covered in pits and scratches of varying depths, all traces left behind by his frenzied training over the past few days.
"Not enough... still not enough..."
Sasuke muttered unconsciously.
Naruto Uzumaki's infuriating smiling face kept flashing through his mind.
I'm a genius of the Uchiha Clan! I absolutely cannot lose to him!
"One more time..."
Sasuke forcibly squeezed out the last trace of Chakra in his body.
He slowly raised his right hand, which trembled slightly from exhaustion, spread his fingers, and held his palm forward.
"Crackle..."
"Gather... gather for me!" Sasuke let out a beastlike roar.
Kakashi's repeated words from the past few days echoed in his mind.
"Nature transformation is the foundation; shape transformation is the key!"
"Don't use brute force to compress it. Feel it, guide it! Treat lightning as an extension of your arm!"
Crackle... crackle crackle... crackle crackle crackle—!
This time.
Pale blue Lightning Release Chakra transformed into countless tiny electric snakes, wildly converging in Sasuke's palm!
The piercing chirping sounded as though a thousand birds were crying out together in his palm, making the very air hum!
"I did it..."
Feeling the violent power in his palm, perfectly restrained yet brimming with fury, Sasuke's eyes erupted with indescribable ecstasy.
This was Chidori!
He, Second Pillar, had succeeded!
"Pant... pant..."
After the joy of success came an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. Merely maintaining Chidori's form