Sakura Haruno seemed completely immersed in the projection's image of herself—valiant, imposing, utterly commanding. Her cheeks flushed pink, her eyes practically sparkling with stars. She didn't even hear Naruto thanking her, only muttering absentmindedly:
"So cool… way too cool… Is that really me…?"
Beside her, Sasuke Uchiha couldn't help but let out a cold snort at Naruto's shameless self-congratulation. In his usual detached, faintly mocking tone, he said:
"Dead Last, did you hit your head on a door or something?"
"Sakura saved Neji."
"What does that have to do with you? Stop spouting nonsense."
"Dead Last is still Dead Last. You trained in Sakura's so-called Divine Techniques and still couldn't beat a dog."
"What?!" Naruto bristled instantly, jabbing a finger at Sasuke. "Who are you calling Dead Last?! Just wait—just wait until I—until I—"
He faltered, searching desperately for something threatening enough.
Finally, he pointed at the projection.
"Just wait till I break your arm next time!"
Sasuke's lips curved into a cold smirk, eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Oh? Break my arm?"
Before he even finished speaking, Sasuke vanished from his spot, lunging at Naruto with sharp killing intent once more.
"Waaah! Sasuke, not again?! Sneak attack! That's cheating!" Naruto's yelp rang out as fists and feet collided once more across the training ground.
Inside the Crater
The air felt torn between two equally dangerous auras.
On one side stood Sakura, pink hair flowing, surrounded by a quiet yet oppressive presence. Her focus was locked firmly on Wangcai—and Karin.
On the other stood Karin, red hair blazing like fire. Her face wore an expression of grievance and innocence, though malice simmered beneath the surface.
At the center of it all, Wangcai tilted its head slightly, black eyes shifting back and forth between the two women in visible confusion.
"You've gone too far," Sakura said coldly.
Karin immediately spread her hands, putting on a wronged expression.
"What did I do? Don't go accusing good people. I'm a well-behaved girl—I never do bad things."
Then her eyes darted as if she had just realized something. She clapped her hands lightly.
"Oh~ You mean Wangcai?"
"Big misunderstanding!"
"Naruto was the one who released Wangcai. He attacked first. It has nothing to do with me."
"If you're unhappy, you can ask Wangcai to deal with Naruto for you. Or if that's not enough… I could help~"
She shot Naruto a sidelong glance, who had just struggled free from the rubble, her malice completely undisguised.
Sakura clearly knew Karin too well to waste time arguing.
She drew a firm line instead.
"Leave now. I won't stop you."
Karin's smile twitched faintly.
Sakura continued, her tone sharpening with warning.
"But whatever 'good deeds' you're planning… you'd better pray you can escape before my master arrives."
The words "my master" hit Karin like a red-hot brand.
The fake grievance and innocence evaporated instantly.
In their place rose bone-deep coldness—and killing intent barely restrained.
Her crimson eyes locked onto Sakura as if she wanted to tear her apart.
"So…" Karin's voice dropped, dangerously calm. "You're threatening me… with that old fossil?"
Sakura said nothing further.
She simply clenched her fists, emerald eyes unwavering.
"I may not be able to kill you."
"But I can stall you."
She paused, delivering her final warning.
"If you don't leave now… once my master arrives, you won't be leaving at all."
Karin didn't explode immediately.
Instead, she nodded thoughtfully, as if considering the advice.
Those who knew her understood—
This was the calm before the storm.
"You're right…" Karin's voice turned soft—sickeningly sweet.
"You can stall me…"
Before she finished—
The air distorted violently.
Bzzzzzt—!!!
A thick, dark radiance burst from Karin's body, instantly engulfing her.
It carried chaos.
Madness.
Ancient malice.
Black mist and crimson light intertwined, and grotesque, demonic silhouettes twisted and churned around her form, making her look like a witch clawing her way out of hell itself.
"But I can…"
Her voice echoed from within the blood-red glow, brimming with twisted excitement and venomous hatred.
"Stall you too!!!"
"I hate being threatened!!!"
" Wangcai—!!!"
Karin pointed sharply at Sakura—and at the exhausted Neji, Sasuke, and Naruto behind her.
"Use your mouth—!!!"
"I'll tie this ugly freak down for you!!!"
"All the good stuff—"
"You can eat it all!!!"
"Now—!!!"
The instant her voice fell, the black-and-red aura around her exploded outward—
Transforming into countless writhing, living tendrils of darkness that swept toward Sakura like a tidal wave.
Where they passed, even space itself seemed tainted, emitting faint, strained whimpers.
At almost the same moment, Wangcai's last trace of hesitation vanished from its eyes.
A low, excited growl rumbled in its throat.
Its hind legs coiled—
And with a flash of yellow light, it lunged toward Neji, Sasuke, and Naruto as if teleporting.
The three shinobi gathered instinctively, backs to one another, forming a final defensive stance.
But to Wangcai—
They were merely three delicate desserts pressed together.
"Raaah—!" Naruto forced the last scraps of strength from his body, launching a punch driven by what remained of his Divine Techniques—
Only for Wangcai to casually swat it aside. Another crack of bone echoed as Naruto was knocked stumbling backward.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Neji unleashed a flurry of palm strikes despite his tearing meridians. But the blows sank into Wangcai's body like mud into the sea. Instead, a pulling force dragged at his chakra. He coughed, face turning ghostly pale.
"Chidori… Stream!" Sasuke forced a faint flicker of purple lightning to dance at his fingertips.
Before it could even take shape—
Wangcai swiped him aside like trash.
Sasuke flew through the air and crashed to the ground, coughing blood.
Even at full strength, they had been utterly countered.
Now, drained and wounded—
Before the newly unsealed Wangcai—
They were as fragile as infants before a giant.
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