NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34: Rasengan and Chidori
The ninja world buzzed with heated discussions as they watched the tension escalate between Naruto and Sasuke.
"The Sasuke in this video feels extreme. Because they're friends, that means he should kill Naruto? What kind of twisted logic is that?"
"Naruto doesn't seem to be Sasuke's match here. What if he actually loses? Could he be killed?"
"Don't be ridiculous! Naruto's alive and well in the future. No way he's dying here."
Naruto stared at the screen, his eyes filled with a mix of hope and confusion.
"Closest friends..." he thought, repeating the words Sasuke had said. But then his expression grew cloudy.
"If we're friends, why are you acting like this, Sasuke? What are you thinking? What's in your heart?"
Naruto and Sasuke stared each other down, standing on the water and atop the statues of the Valley of the End.
[They charged toward each other, crossing the distance rapidly: ten meters... five meters... one meter.]
"Bam!"
They clashed fists, but Sasuke quickly gained the upper hand. He grabbed a kunai from Naruto's pouch and threw it.
Naruto countered by pulling out a shuriken and tossing it at Sasuke.
"Clang!"
But before Naruto could react further, Sasuke landed a kick that sent him flying into the lake.
"I told you before, you've been waiting for this moment, haven't you?"
Sasuke's voice echoed as he stood above Naruto.
"Sakura and Kakashi aren't here now. No one can stop us. This is the real fight to settle everything—I will defeat you!"
With that, Sasuke weaved hand signs, his hand erupting in a bright, crackling light.
"Chidori!"
Meanwhile, Naruto stood in the water below, his face twisting with anger.
"Damn it! I'm gonna knock some sense into you, Sasuke—even if I have to drag you back myself!"
Naruto created a shadow clone, which helped him gather the energy to form a glowing, swirling blue sphere.
"Rasengan!"
The tension built as the two raced toward each other again. Sasuke leaped from the statue of Uchiha Madara, while Naruto, boosted by his shadow clones, hurtled forward from the statue of Senju Hashirama.
[Ten meters... five meters... the sound of their weapons sinking into the lake intensified the scene's urgency.]
"Boom!"
The collision of Rasengan and Chidori erupted into a massive explosion, sending towering waves across the lake.
"Rasengan versus Chidori—two S-rank jutsu clashing head-on!"
"I'm rooting for Naruto! Go, Rasengan!"
"No way, Chidori's gonna win!"
Among the Twelve Konoha Genin, everyone watched in awe.
"Is this really a battle between Genin? They might as well be Jonin at this point!"
"If this is what Genin are capable of, then what the hell does that make us?"
Naruto himself glanced at the screen, eager to see the outcome of their clash. Sasuke, too, couldn't hide his curiosity.
Naruto and Sasuke both tumbled across the water, neither gaining the upper hand.
"A draw..."
Naruto and Sasuke muttered in unison as they regained their footing.
But as the battle wore on, it was clear that something had shifted in Naruto. His punches lost their force; his heart wasn't in the fight.
Sasuke emerged from the water first, his gaze dark and calculating.
"That jutsu... How could it stand up to my full-powered Chidori?"
He remembered their earlier rooftop battle and clenched his fists.
"This idiot... the same loser from before... has gotten this strong?"
"Sasuke's face looks like he's actually considering killing Naruto. He's gone too far!"
"Naruto won't seriously hurt Sasuke. He just wants to save him. How is this even fair?"
"It's obvious—Naruto sees Sasuke as a comrade, while Sasuke just sees Naruto as an obstacle."
Among the Twelve Genin, unease spread like wildfire.
"Naruto would never go all-out against a friend, especially someone as important as Sasuke," Shikamaru said, his voice heavy with concern.
"If Sasuke keeps fighting like this, he could actually kill Naruto," Hinata whispered, her hands trembling.
Naruto surfaced again, his face filled with sorrow.
"You really want to kill me, don't you, Sasuke..."
Sasuke, his face now half-covered in the markings of the Cursed Seal, smirked coldly.
"You don't understand, do you, Naruto?"
His voice dripped with venom as he stared Naruto down.
"If two equally skilled shinobi fight, they can see into each other's hearts through their fists. But you're too naive to understand."
Sasuke hurled fireballs at Naruto.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Naruto dodged, only to be caught by Sasuke's swift follow-up kick, which sent him sprawling again.
Naruto's Struggle
Even as Sasuke pressed his attack, Naruto barely fought back.
"Why isn't Naruto retaliating?"
"Because he doesn't want to hurt Sasuke. This isn't a fight to him—it's a rescue mission."
"But Sasuke isn't holding back. If this keeps up, Naruto could die!"
Shikamaru turned to Naruto in real life, his voice cutting through the heavy atmosphere.
"Naruto, if Sasuke really defects, what will you do?"
Naruto hesitated, his confusion clear.
"I don't know... I don't understand what Sasuke's thinking. I don't know what's in his heart."
Shikamaru nodded.
"That's the problem. Sasuke feels he can't grow stronger in Konoha. He's consumed by revenge. If it comes to that, Naruto, will you stop him? Or..."
He didn't finish, but the implication was clear.
Naruto's face hardened.
"I'll stop him. No matter what, I'll stop this from happening!"