Chapter 98: The Most Unpredictable Ninja
Though he didn't know what Naruto was planning, Sasuke didn't believe that Naruto could defeat him.
No matter how many clones there were, it was useless.
Sasuke raised his hand, striking a pose similar to Lee's.
His left hand was behind his back, and his right hand extended forward in a palm strike, facing the hundreds of clones in front of him.
Sasuke's index finger subtly twitched.
Then, he revealed a devilish, confident smile.
"Come on!"
"Let's see what else you can do!"
In the next moment, Naruto's clones seemed to be provoked. They rushed forward, launching a series of attacks toward Sasuke.
This time, the clones coordinated even more smoothly than before.
But Sasuke, on the other hand, focused even more intently on the battle. His right foot remained planted firmly in place, while his left leg moved fluidly, adjusting his stance as he smoothly shifted his position.
He raised his fist and delivered a powerful punch.
With a single strike, he took down the nearest clone. Stepping back, he spun and used an elbow to instantly crush another clone's attack, sending it flying apart with a brutal counterattack.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sasuke's movements flowed like water, as if he was effortlessly dancing through the battle.
The ninjas in the stands were entranced, watching in awe.
"Not a single wasted movement! Despite the constant barrage, he always finds the perfect opening for a decisive strike!"
"To be precise, the sheer number of enemies prevents him from making any unnecessary moves."
"Every extra movement would only reduce his time to respond to the next attack!"
"Under such a continuous assault, to avoid mistakes... this kid is definitely a freak!"
From the perspective of the audience, it was easy to see what Sasuke's best options were at any given moment.
But for the person in the battle, it was far more difficult to make split-second decisions and maintain the zero-error precision Sasuke exhibited.
For most high-ranking ninjas, blocking Naruto's attacks might not be hard, but to execute it with Sasuke's level of style and perfection was something else entirely.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The clones continued to explode around Sasuke, and soon, the area around him was completely covered in white smoke.
As Naruto's clones were rapidly defeated, their numbers dwindled quickly. In the blink of an eye, only a few were left.
At this point, Sasuke looked at the remaining clones, and he even casually tucked his left hand away.
His right hand was more than enough to deal with the few remaining clones. Sasuke's eyes carefully scanned the remaining clones, trying to figure out where Naruto's real body was hiding.
One of the clones suddenly moved closer, and Sasuke turned to face it.
Though the clones were weak, each one was a perfect copy of the real Naruto, thanks to the Shadow Clone Jutsu, making it difficult to tell which one was the real one.
Even Sasuke's Sharingan couldn't easily distinguish the true body.
But by closely observing the subtle details, Sasuke quickly deduced which one was not the real Naruto.
This clone was not the real one!
'Where is Naruto's real body...?'
While thinking, Sasuke blocked the incoming punch from the clone with one hand, spun around, and knocked the clone apart with a single punch.
As the white smoke erupted from the exploding clone, Sasuke quickly switched targets, preparing to deal with the next one.
However, in that instant, Sasuke noticed a shift beneath his feet.
Suddenly, Sasuke froze for a moment.
'Wait... Could it be... Naruto...?'
Boom!
In an instant, the ground beneath Sasuke's feet exploded, and Naruto, with his trademark shout, shot up from underground.
With an upward hook, Naruto's fist came straight at Sasuke's jaw.
In that split second, Sasuke had to face two simultaneous attacks: one from a clone and one from Naruto's real body.
Avoiding them... was a bit too late!
Sasuke stared in surprise at Naruto bursting up from the ground.
'I was careless!'
'Naruto... This guy really lives up to his reputation as the most unpredictable ninja!'
'I'm impressed!'
Crash!
The next moment, a heavy thud echoed through the air.
Sasuke's body was sent spinning in mid-air, rotating a full 360 degrees before landing with a soft thud some distance away, having used the momentum to absorb the force of the blow.
Meanwhile, Naruto stood in place, staring at his fist with excitement.
"I hit him!"
"I actually hit him... Finally!"
At that moment, the entire audience was left stunned.
"From underground?"
"This guy... Actually thought of attacking like that!"
"Wait, no! Even if he attacked from underground, he should've hit him!"
"Didn't you notice? That Uchiha kid's right foot hasn't left the ground this whole time!"
"That kid used that! He knew that Sasuke wouldn't move unless it was absolutely necessary, so... he knew he could land the hit!"
Kakashi smiled, clearly impressed.
Although it was just one hit, and it didn't really affect Sasuke, Naruto's growth made Kakashi respect him even more.
"Naruto... This guy's actually pretty impressive!"
Sakura and the other members of Team 7, as well as the rest of Konoha's elite ninjas in the stands, all nodded in agreement.
Naruto, who often seemed unreliable, had delivered an unexpectedly brilliant performance.
It was just a single punch, but hitting Sasuke like that was no small feat.
However, Naruto had landed the hit but not directly on Sasuke!
As Sasuke landed, he held his ninja sword across his chest, having used it to block the blow just in time.
The strike had hit the blade, not Sasuke himself.
Sasuke grinned, his expression one of calm amusement.
Sasuke raised his hand, spinning his ninja blade in a flourish before driving it straight into the ground with a forceful thrust.
Crack!
Chidori Lightning Release!
In an instant, a surge of lightning erupted, spreading outward and obliterating the remaining Naruto clones in the blink of an eye.
The lightning crackled along Sasuke's ninja sword as he slowly pulled it from the ground, the blade humming with energy. He raised the sword in front of him, eyeing the last remaining Naruto his real body.
"Not bad!"
"You thought of attacking from underground, and you used my reluctance to move from my spot against me."
"Naruto... your growth is truly surprising!"
Sasuke smiled.
However, Naruto's grin quickly faded as he realized that Sasuke had casually wiped out his remaining clones with a single slash. If Sasuke had done that from the beginning, his entire plan would have been pointless.
The truth was, it wasn't that Sasuke couldn't avoid the attack it was that with his abilities, landing a hit on him was a near impossibility, let alone defeating him.
Naruto sighed, realizing just how much more he had to grow.
But the next second, Sasuke's eyes suddenly narrowed.
[Destined Battle Triggered]
[The host's fated bond with their opponent is inevitable. While the time and place of the battle may change, the fight is unavoidable.]
[Please ensure the opponent does not touch your headband, and leave a mark on it while winning the battle.]
[Reward: Special Dojutsu]
Dojutsu?
The reward was a dojutsu!
Sasuke's expression shifted, his curiosity piqued. This... was getting interesting.