Chapter 341: Exposed
After Susanoo's purple skeleton steadily blocked the Giant Rasengan's impact, Naruto immediately used the force to leap backward, attempting to create distance.
But Sasuke's reaction was faster—he raised his single arm, Rinnegan patterns flowing in his eye.
Naruto, having just retreated several meters, immediately felt his body pulled forward by a powerful force, his entire person uncontrollably flying toward Sasuke's direction!
"Is that Universal Pull?"
Naruto immediately recognized this familiar technique. Seeing himself about to be drawn before Sasuke, he reacted at this critical moment.
Whoosh!
Naruto's figure instantly vanished from his position! Flying Thunder God required no hand seals to activate. The next moment he'd already appeared not far behind Sasuke, azure chakra in his hands beginning to rapidly spin, preparing to condense a Rasengan.
However, Sasuke had already predicted this move! Almost the same instant Naruto appeared, he violently turned his head, Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and Rinnegan precisely locking onto Naruto's position.
Swoosh!
Sasuke's figure also vanished from his original position, leaving only a Flying Thunder God kunai stuck in the ground slightly trembling.
WHAM!
A heavy impact sound rang out! Naruto's back was struck by a heavy kick from Sasuke who'd suddenly appeared behind him. His entire person flew forward beyond control. He barely adjusted his posture mid-air, golden chakra condensing beneath his feet as a cushion.
Naruto instantly understood everything that just happened—Sasuke had used Amenotejikara to swap positions with the Flying Thunder God kunai he'd laid beforehand. This tactic of habitually covering the field with coordinates before battle had instead become a vulnerability the opponent exploited.
Just as Naruto struggled to stabilize himself, Sasuke had already launched the next offensive. The originally skeletal Susanoo rapidly evolved to its second form, purple energy condensing into a complete upper body. A massive energy bow materialized in the giant palm!
WHOOSH—BOOM!
Purple energy arrows shot forth. The first deliberately struck the ground beside Naruto, exploding into a sky full of dust.
This was obviously Sasuke's warning—looked like he was still somewhat afraid of accidentally killing Naruto.
"Seems I need to push harder..."
Naruto murmured. This kind of attack couldn't do anything to him yet, but both sides still hadn't used full strength. This level of exchange fell far short of his expectations.
"ROAR!!"
With a shocking roar, Naruto entered partial Tailed Beast transformation. A massive golden fox head phantom materialized behind him, perfectly protecting his body within. Purple arrows struck the chakra shield, stirring up ripples but unable to breach this defense.
The golden fox opened its giant mouth. Tailed Beast chakra began rapidly condensing—not a Tailed Beast Bomb but the slightly less powerful Tailed Beast Chakra Cannon.
BOOM!!
The golden Tailed Beast cannon and purple Susanoo arrows violently collided mid-air. The explosion's shockwave swept across the entire training ground. This showdown temporarily reached stalemate, like two fortresses bombarding each other. Dense energy barrages wove into death's net at the field's center. Explosion flashes continuously flickered yet never broke through the opponent's defense.
"Amazing..."
Distant Boruto watched this showdown, unable to help voicing sincere amazement. This world's father at this age could already fight current Sasuke to a standstill.
Though this scene's magnificence fell far short of the battle in his memory when Naruto and Sasuke jointly fought Otsutsuki Momoshiki, if both truly let loose—Sasuke could completely summon Perfect Susanoo while Naruto could display complete Nine-Tails form. Then the battle's scale would expand dozens of times.
The reason both held back now was precisely to avoid tremendous commotion drawing unnecessary attention. This showdown already far exceeding Kage-level—if perceived by other Konoha people, it would certainly cause tremendous waves.
For Boruto, without utilizing that dangerous power within his body, battles at this level exceeded his reach. He focused observing every detail, attempting to absorb experience.
"Who is that person?"
A cold yet shocked female voice rang out beside his ear without warning, startling Boruto. He immediately realized the battle's commotion might have drawn others, but when he saw who'd arrived, his heart immediately sank—this was undoubtedly the worst situation.
Uchiha Satsuki, originally taken from the battlefield by Naruto's Flying Thunder God, had somehow found this place on her own. Though this location was considerable distance from Konoha, she'd still precisely located their position.
More troublesome—Satsuki's gaze was locked dead on that Susanoo which to ordinary ninja seemed like mythological legend.
Most impossible to gloss over—three-tomoe Sharingan had already manifested in her eyes, meaning she could see far more details than ordinary people, including chakra flow and that mysterious person's unique eyes.
"Sasu... Master!"
Boruto hastily shouted aloud, hands violently waving in the air, signaling the two to immediately stop. Boruto's abnormality immediately caught Naruto and Sasuke's attention. When they clearly saw that figure standing at the field's edge, both their expressions instantly froze.
Almost simultaneously, purple Susanoo and golden Nine-Tails chakra rapidly receded like tides. The battlefield immediately fell into silence, leaving only devastated ground and chakra aftershocks not yet completely dispersed.
---
"Naruto! If you don't explain clearly, I won't... forget it!"
Satsuki's voice carried obvious anger. She first glared somewhat fiercely at Naruto who dared not meet her gaze. Obviously, being forcibly sent from the battlefield just now had accumulated considerable grievance.
She'd originally wanted to say "if you don't explain clearly, I won't forgive you," but swallowed the words—because deep down she clearly knew she fundamentally couldn't truly be angry at Naruto.
She petulantly turned her face away but quickly shifted her gaze toward Sasuke standing aside. Her originally somewhat annoyed expression instantly became cold as frost—this was how being controlled by emotions worked.
"Who exactly are you?! What's going on with that eye of yours? The Uchiha clan on that night should have all already..."
"I..." Sasuke was at a loss for words. "How did you find this place?"
Sasuke's heart actually very much wanted to directly knock out Satsuki, letting Naruto explain later. He really didn't want to get involved in this troublesome conversation. But rationality told him—couldn't knock her out every time she came, right?
"Answer my question!" Satsuki stepped forward aggressively. "Also! Why! Our ocular powers are so similar! What's your relationship with that woman!"
"Woman?"
This second question left Sasuke somewhat confused. If saying ocular power similarity was understandable—after all, they essentially possessed the same eyes, just with vastly different evolution levels—but who was this "woman"?
"Don't tell me you don't know her? Uchiha Itachi! The one who massacred the Uchiha clan! Your ocular power carries her aura!"
"...?"
Sasuke's originally troubled expression suddenly became quite subtle—an indescribable calm, but his slightly twitching mouth corners exposed inner fluctuations. He forcibly held back the impulse to hold his forehead and sigh, barely maintaining surface composure.
"That woman... what is she to you?" He cautiously asked back.
"Don't answer questions with questions!" Satsuki's voice sharply rose. "I said it! Answer me quickly!"
Facing such hostility, Sasuke could only cast his gaze toward Naruto for help. Though Sasuke's face remained expressionless, Naruto could clearly feel that almost substantial resentment, involuntarily shivering.
"The relationship should be..." Naruto carefully weighed his words. "Your older sister, I suppose."