"What... is this presence?"
Sasuke whipped his head around.
When he saw the pale red, bubbling chakra enveloping Naruto, anxiety immediately gripped his heart.
Instinctive concern drove him to rush over and check on Naruto.
Yet while Sasuke wrestled with himself, he saw Naruto slowly rise to his feet.
"Hey, who gave you the confidence to say I'd lost?" Naruto slowly raised his head, revealing the crimson, slit pupils of a demon fox. "I told you, didn't I? Even if I have to break all four of your limbs, I'm taking you back!"
As he spoke, Naruto pressed both hands against the ground, then let out an animal-like growl.
"Ah... ah... aaah!"
Whoosh...
A tail immediately appeared behind Naruto, constantly churning with bubbles of red chakra.
At the same time, Naruto's presence grew increasingly oppressive.
"You... you?!"
Sasuke desperately wanted to ask what had happened to him, but before he could get the words out, a flash of red appeared right before his eyes.
"I'll cripple you!!"
Bam!!
Before the sharp, tearing gust struck, the Cursed Seal markings on Sasuke's face suddenly spread, covering his entire face in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, the clothing over the right side of Sasuke's back bulged. A huge, hideous appendage resembling a phoenix's claw burst out of his body, blocking Naruto's claw strike.
Although he blocked the blow, its immense, crushing force still hit Sasuke.
Sasuke was sent flying and slammed into the stone wall beside the riverbank.
"Sasuke, that thing on your back... what the hell is it?!!"
With the Cursed Seal activated and surging power strengthening him, Sasuke slowly stood up. A savage smile spread across his gray, sinister face.
"This is the new power I've gained. Naruto, I don't want to kill you. If you leave