The view on the Sky Screen advanced, following close behind Sasuke.
Having defected from Konoha, Sasuke raced onward without stopping. Following the directions he remembered, he soon reached the hideout outside the village entrance.
The remote mountain forest lay deep and deserted, an eerie, sinister air hanging over every corner.
Three people were already waiting there in silence.
All three fixed their eyes on Sasuke as he arrived alone, making no attempt to conceal the jealousy and malice swirling in their gazes.
They seemed jealous of the special attention Orochimaru paid to this orphan of the fallen Uchiha clan.
The Sound Ninja leading them spoke with deliberate indifference. "Sasuke, Lord Orochimaru has been waiting for a long time."
"Get into this jar first. It can awaken the power of the Cursed Seal inside you and let you enter the more powerful Curse Mark Stage Two. We'll take you to see Lord Orochimaru."
Sasuke raised his eyes and gave the strangely shaped jar on the ground a cursory glance. It stood half a person's height and was covered in bizarre runes.
Sasuke knew this might carry hidden risks, or conceal some other scheme.
But by then, he no longer feared any danger.
As long as he could grow stronger, he was willing to pay any price.
Without further hesitation, Sasuke nodded calmly, leaped up, and jumped straight into the jar.
The three Sound Ninja immediately stepped forward and closed the lid, sealing the jar tight. They secured it on one of their backs and continued traveling through the night.
The images on the Sky Screen suddenly raced ahead, skipping the tedious journey.
When the scene settled, a vast, desolate canyon appeared before everyone's eyes.
Two enormous stone statues stood facing each other in the middle of the canyon. One depicted the imposing Madara Uchiha, the other Hashirama Senju, whose might had shaken the Shinobi World.
At the sight of this iconic scene, everyone across the Shinobi World instantly understood.
"It's the Valley of the End!"
"This is the site of the final battle between Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, and Madara Uchiha!"
"It's dawn already. I wonder how Sakura is doing."
The wind howled through the canyon.
Two teenage figures stood atop the statues, facing each other from afar.
His face full of anxiety and anger, Naruto Uzumaki stared hard at Sasuke across from him and spoke first, his voice laden with hurt and accusation.
"Sasuke! Come back to Konoha with me!"
"Do you have any idea how worried Sakura is about you?"
"You went too far! How could you knock Sakura out and leave her alone by the roadside in the middle of the night?"
At Sakura's name, a flicker of emotion finally appeared in Sasuke's cold eyes.
He frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "How is Sakura?"
Seeing him finally react, Naruto hurriedly suppressed his anger and answered, "You actually knocked her out! But someone passing by found her and took her to the hospital. She wasn't hurt!"
Then Naruto's tone softened into an earnest plea. "Sasuke, everyone in the village misses you. Kakashi-sensei, Sakura... everyone's waiting for you to come back."
"Come back, Sasuke!"
Faced with his closest friend's heartfelt plea, Sasuke's expression abruptly turned cold. The warmth in his eyes vanished, leaving only absolute chill and resolve.
"Stay out of my business."
Those few words severed every bond.
Watching Sasuke remain cold and stubborn, Naruto felt both angry and desperate. He clenched his fists, his gaze becoming utterly resolute.
"No! I won't stand by and watch you keep going down the wrong path!"
"I promised Sakura, and I promised myself! I'm bringing you back to Konoha!"
"That's my Ninja Way!"
"Your Ninja Way has fuck all to do with me! I told you to stay out of it!" Sasuke raged.
"Say another word and I'll kill you!"
"Sasuke!" Naruto roared. "I'm taking you back, even if I have to break your arms and legs!"
As his words fell, chakra erupted around them both!
Their chakra clashed, whipping the canyon winds into a frenzy!
There were no more wasted words, no hesitation.
Naruto fought for their bond; Sasuke fought for power.
Their positions clashed, their convictions opposed!
The battle at the Valley of the End began!
Beyond the Sky Screen, the entire Shinobi World erupted, a flood of discussion sweeping through it!
"A fated showdown! This is the most impossible battle of bonds in the Shinobi World!"
"One holds fast to the light, while the other rushes into darkness. From this moment on, they're heading in completely opposite directions!"
"It's heartbreaking. They used to be the closest teammates, and now they're fighting to the death!"
"Sasuke really has made up his mind. He'll sever every bond if it means gaining the power to take revenge!"
"Who's right? Who's wrong? Or is there even a right and wrong?"
They fought for a while, neither gaining the upper hand!
Naruto and Sasuke faced each other from a distance.
"Sasuke! I'll beat some sense into you and bring you back to Konoha!"
Naruto shouted furiously, chakra boiling wildly around him!
Across from him, Sasuke's gaze remained cold.
"Unnecessary bonds only slow me down on the path to strength."
The instant the words left his mouth-
Bzzzt-!!
Strange chakra violently gushed out of Sasuke's body!
The Cursed Seal markings on his neck spread wildly and began to glow. Black patterns rapidly crawled across his skin, covering his neck, cheeks, and arms!
Curse Mark Stage One erupted in full!
Savage and chilling, the forbidden power born of senjutsu swept across the battlefield!
Sasuke's black hair whipped wildly as the air around him burst outward. His presence instantly surged to several times its former strength!
Feeling the scorching power coursing through him, far beyond anything his grueling training in Konoha could have given him, Sasuke's eyes flashed with intense greed and fervor.
This was the power he wanted!
This was the power Konoha couldn't give him!
"So this is what you're relying on, Sasuke?"
Watching Sasuke, his body covered in black Cursed Seal markings and his presence eerie and sinister, Naruto felt both shocked and heartbroken.
The next second, Naruto's eyes turned red, and his chakra erupted in full!
Boom-!!
Scarlet tailed beast chakra burst out of his body, enveloping him!
A red Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak wrapped around him, and the Nine-Tails' savage presence ravaged the canyon!
Naruto's one-tail chakra mode!
Activate!
One wielded a forbidden Cursed Seal; the other, the Nine-Tails!
The canyon floor cracked apart inch by inch. Fierce winds swept up stones, and wave after wave of air burst outward!
"Rasengan!"
Naruto lunged forward, a scarlet Rasengan spinning violently in his palm as he charged straight at Sasuke with devastating force!
"Chidori!"
Lightning erupted from Sasuke's hand. Purple-black bolts tore through the air as he met the attack head-on, bolstered by the Cursed Seal!
Bang-!!
The two top-tier ninjutsu collided with a thunderous crash!
An earthshaking explosion instantly swept through the entire Valley of the End!
Shattered stone filled the sky, smoke and dust blotted out the sun, and the immense shock wave split the canyon walls!
Both were thrown back by the blast, only to charge at each other again the instant they landed!
They traded taijutsu blows, vied for speed, and clashed with chakra!
Relying on the Nine-Tails' regenerative power, Naruto fought relentlessly. Every injury healed quickly, and he battled without fear of death.
Sasuke relied on the Cursed Seal to boost his speed and explosive power, every strike vicious and decisive!
They exchanged a hundred moves without a victor. Their strength, speed, and endurance were almost evenly matched!
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