But Number One did not fall. Instead, he used the force of the impact to roll backward and put some distance between them.
He knelt on one knee, panting heavily, but his once-empty eyes were now fixed on Pakura with a beastlike ferocity and... a strange hint of cunning that did not belong in a puppet?
Watching from afar, Uchiha Makoto was taken aback as well.
Huh? Did that intense stimulation temporarily boost the activity of the Hashirama Cells? And restore a little instinct to his erased consciousness along with it?
He keenly noticed the abnormality in Test Subject Number One.
No, it isn't just instinct... that mutual-destruction attack just now, followed by a tactical retreat... those were clearly strategic choices! Could this guy... be starting to develop a "new" will under the influence of the Hashirama Cells?
The discovery both surprised and excited Uchiha Makoto.
If a test subject could retain his powerful physique and chakra affinities while developing a new, controllable, loyal will... his value would be immense!
Pakura clutched her scraped arm and stared at the "Sand Shinobi" nearby, smoke rising from his chest as he stubbornly stood his ground, his eyes vicious. For the first time, she felt deeply wary.
What kind of monster is this?
He survived a direct hit to the chest from Scorch Release?
And that fighting style... he doesn't fight like a controlled puppet at all. He's more like an experienced fighter ready to die without hesitation!
She glanced at Uchiha Makoto, who was watching leisurely in the distance, then at the unkillable "monster" before her, and gritted her teeth.
I have to finish this quickly! I'll capture that Uchiha first!
Having made up her mind, Pakura stopped engaging Test Subject Number One. She darted aside, trying to circle around him and