"One has activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, and the other has entered Sage Mode."
"The battle is about to escalate!"
Shihōin Naraku had his feet propped on his desk as he leisurely watched the battle outside the Fire Temple.
To him, this was an entertaining play.
And it was far better than a play. After all, this world's protagonists were performing in person, and they were fighting in deadly earnest.
Even if both sides had their reservations and would not truly go for the kill.
But during a battle, no one could guarantee anything. Injuries or deaths from a moment's carelessness were perfectly normal.
"No matter how fiercely Naruto and Sasuke fight, they'll definitely end up evenly matched. That's their destiny."
"As for Rock Lee, Jūgo and Suigetsu both happen to specialize in close combat. The fight between those three looks a little more dangerous."
"But even though Rock Lee has already opened the first four gates of the Eight Gates Formation, taking down Jūgo and Suigetsu quickly won't be that simple."
Suigetsu went without saying. Skilled in the Hydrification Technique, he could turn himself into liquid at critical moments to minimize the physical damage Rock Lee inflicted.
Jūgo, meanwhile, had an innately different constitution. In his berserk state, his defense and recovery rose to an extremely formidable level, while his reactions and perception were enhanced as well.
Although this "Sage Transformation," which he could not fully control, was not as powerful as true Sage Mode, it was not bad either.
The best way to defeat Jūgo was to finish him off in one go with a powerful attack he could not withstand.
Otherwise, things would drag on endlessly afterward.
Moreover, Jūgo and Suigetsu coordinated very skillfully, which also prevented Rock Lee from easily finishing the two of them off.
Sitting