The arc of light trailing from the Kurikara Blade sliced Isshiki's vision into fragments of alternating light and shadow. He could only grit his teeth and swing his Black Rod to block, the sparks from rod meeting blade lighting up his tightly furrowed brow.
Several hundred meters away, Momoshiki's battle with Naruto and Sasuke was just as fierce.
Momoshiki wielded a long red rod, hammering it at the two before him with tremendous speed.
Naruto had recovered from most of his injuries, and his increasingly swift, ferocious attacks now drove Momoshiki back relentlessly.
Sasuke darted in from the other side, turning the Kusanagi Sword in his hand. Its blade, wreathed in Chidori's blue-white lightning, thrust toward Momoshiki's back, forcing him to turn and block.
The two worked in perfect concert. Though both were injured, they forcibly confined Momoshiki within an ever-shrinking area, leaving him unable to escape.
Momoshiki's breathing had long since lost its initial steadiness. His chest heaved more and more heavily, veins throbbed at his temples, and the blood vessels around his Byakugan stood out clearly.
He had consumed over seventy percent of his chakra. The stamina and recovery that the Ōtsutsuki Clan took such pride in were gradually being ground away in this prolonged battle of attrition.
He hated them enough to grind his teeth, but he had to admit that these two wounded men together were a tough nut he could not crack.
Naruto's recuperative abilities made his wounds heal at a visible rate, while Sasuke's Amenotejikara made every one of Momoshiki's killing blows miss.
He, on the other hand, had been caught in openings and struck by several counterattacking sword blows, leaving two more wounds on his body.
Just as the five remained locked in their stalemate, branches and leaves suddenly shook violently at the