The Valley of the End loomed, imposing and somber, the giant statues of Madara and Hashirama watching the duel that was about to break out.
Naruto stood before Sasuke, the water of the waterfall roaring behind him, a reflection of the storm brewing within him. His promise to Sakura and the memory of the Third Hokage burned in his chest.
"Sasuke, I swear I'll take you back to Konoha! Even if I have to break every bone to do it!" Naruto shouted, his voice filled with pain and resolve.
Sasuke, with the first phase of the Cursed Seal spreading through his body, gave a crooked smile.
"Naive. There's no turning back for me now. Only power. The power to kill Itachi!"
The battle began with a burst of speed. Sasuke, now faster and more brutal, unleashed a flurry of kunai and shuriken, each imbued with chakra. Naruto responded with shadow clones, a whirlwind of bodies trying to flank the Uchiha.
The clash of their fists echoed through the valley, each blow charged with years of friendship and the bitterness of betrayal.
Naruto attempted the Rasengan, a spinning sphere of pure chakra. Sasuke, with his Sharingan activated, narrowly evaded it, but felt the pressure of the attack.
Frustration propelled him into a new phase of his transformation. The Cursed Seal spread completely, covering him with marks and altering his skin, his Sharingan taking on a more sinister glow.
"This is true power, Naruto! The one Konoha denied you!" Sasuke roared, his voice distorted. He threw a Chidori with renewed ferocity, his hand crackling with electricity.
Naruto, heartbroken, activated Kurama's chakra. A reddish layer of boiling energy covered his body, and his eyes turned red, with slitted pupils. The Nine-Tails' power propelled him, giving him speed and strength that rivaled the Cursed Seal. The waterfall's water churned violently around him.
The collision was cataclysmic. Naruto's Rasengan, now imbued with Kurama's chakra, met Sasuke's Cursed Seal-amplified Chidori. The resulting explosion was deafening, a shockwave that swept through the valley and pulverized the rocks around them. The statues of Madara and Hashirama seemed to groan under the pressure.
Naruto and Sasuke were thrown backward, both severely injured, but still standing, propelled by pure will. Naruto's rage grew. He remembered Gojo's training, the Emperor's peculiar Haki sessions. Amidst the chaos, he channeled that fury and pain.
An invisible, overwhelming wave of energy erupted from Naruto, more potent than ever. It wasn't a physical attack, but a manifestation of his will. Sasuke, in his altered state, felt it as crushing pressure, a force that wasn't chakra, nor jutsu, but something inherent in Naruto's spirit.
For an instant, the glow of Sasuke's Sharingan wavered, and his body buckled from the psychic impact.
Gojo Satoru watched the battle from his usual vantage point, suspended invisibly above the valley. His Six Eyes recorded every detail, every micro-fluctuation of chakra, every change in the flow of the "plot." The manifestation of Naruto's Emperor's Haki made him smile.
'Ah, the Blond is getting the concept,' Gojo thought. It's not just brute force, it's manifest will. And his pain is empowering it.
The battle ended with a second devastating clash. Naruto's Rasengan, now tinged with red, against Sasuke's final Chidori. The collision was an iconic image, a burst of light and energy that eclipsed the statues and parted the waters of the waterfall.
When the smoke cleared, both fell. Naruto, exhausted and covered in wounds, crawled toward Sasuke. The Uchiha was unconscious, his Cursed Seal slowly fading, his body covered in bruises. Sasuke's Konoha headguard, which had fallen during the battle, lay on the ground, split in half.
Naruto reached out a trembling hand toward his friend. He had fought with everything he had, unleashed the power of Kurama and his own nascent Haki. But Sasuke was unconscious, and the truth hit him: he had been unable to stop him. Sasuke had sought power and obtained it, albeit at a terrible cost. The mission had failed in its primary objective.
The night deepened. The exhausted and injured rescue team met Naruto at the Valley of the End. The sight of Sasuke unconscious and Naruto's desolation filled the air with sadness. No one could deny the failure, but neither could they deny the heroic effort.
Gojo Satoru descended from his vantage point, appearing beside Naruto. His face was expressionless, but his eyes, now visible without the blindfold, revealed deep understanding.
"You did well, Blondie," Gojo said, his voice calm. "You fought with everything you had. That's what matters."
Naruto looked at him, tears in his eyes. "But... I couldn't bring him back, Gojo-sensei. I failed."
Gojo placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You didn't fail. You showed your strength, your will, and your determination. This is just the beginning of your path. Sasuke made his own choice. And now, it's your turn to decide what you're going to do with it."
Naruto's future, Sasuke's future, and Konoha's future branched out in the darkness. The rescue mission was over, but the true battle for Naruto's friendship and Sasuke's fate was just beginning. Gojo knew it. And he was ready to guide his peculiar student through the turmoil ahead.
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Hey guys, I'm back and now I've uploaded the first chapter of my new Novel A Reincarnated Transmigrator, I hope for your support.