Hokage: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 156: The Girl Who Once Only Knew How to Cry Has Grown Up

Hagoromo Anki, Uchiha Izumi, and Uchiha Kei were locked in a fierce battle.

Sasuke glanced at the scene, then shifted his gaze back to Naruto and the others.

"Sasuke, this time I'm definitely taking you back!" Naruto said resolutely, ignoring the fighting sounds around him.

Sasuke looked at Naruto, his voice emotionless: "Naruto, wasn't your dream to become Hokage? Instead of wasting time chasing me, you'd be better off training."

Naruto clenched his fist, saying each word with determination: "How can someone who can't even save a comrade become Hokage?"

Sasuke lowered his eyelids and shook his head: "Naruto, you still don't get it. I never needed to be saved. When will you stop being stuck in the past and open your eyes to see the world clearly?"

"If opening my eyes means losing a friend forever, then I'd rather remain a fool."

Naruto smashed his fists together, his fighting spirit surging: "No matter what, even if I have to break my bones, I will bring you back, Sasuke. And I'll keep working hard afterward. This is my ninja way!"

"N-Naruto..."

Sakura, who had been silent, finally spoke up with a serious expression: "Just like Naruto said, no matter the cost, Sasuke, I will bring you back."

Hearing this, Sasuke finally glanced at Sakura but said nothing more.

"So, can we start now?" Sai, who had been standing in a ready position, cautiously asked after the conversation ended.

Naruto responded with action.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Poof, poof, poof.

A large cloud of white smoke appeared, and dozens of Naruto's shadow clones charged towards Sasuke.

However, Sai's attack reached first.

"Ninja Art: Super Beast Imitating Drawing!"

Sai unfurled a prepared scroll, and two ink lions leapt out, baring their fangs as they charged at Sasuke.

"Ink, huh?"

Sasuke watched calmly, raising his ninja tool. Lightning extended from the blade, slicing the lions into pieces with ease.

Plop.

The ink splashed to the ground.

Sasuke moved instantly, charging into the army of Naruto's clones with incredible speed.

Sounds of shadow clones dissipating echoed continuously.

Compared to two years ago, Naruto's shadow clone army was much more organized and skilled in taijutsu.

Against anyone else, such an onslaught might have been overwhelming.

However, while Naruto had improved significantly, Sasuke's progress was even greater.

Compared to the battle at Mount Katsuragi, Sasuke's speed, strength, and chakra levels had all increased significantly.

With the insight of his three-tomoe Sharingan, no matter how hard Naruto tried, he couldn't land a hit. One by one, his clones were dispersed.

But soon enough.

As Sasuke dispersed yet another clone, he noticed Sakura, who had donned gloves, leaping towards him with her right fist clenched tightly.

Sasuke's Sharingan rotated.

"Chakra concentrated in the right hand. This punch... cannot be blocked."

For the first time, Sasuke retreated.

Boom!

In the next instant.

The spot where Sasuke had been standing exploded into a crater over ten meters in diameter due to Sakura's punch.

"Indeed, it's monstrous strength."

Hagoromo Anki had never been stingy with his knowledge of ninjutsu. If someone wanted to learn, he would provide the relevant scrolls.

Sasuke had studied the monstrous strength training scroll but gave up after realizing he lacked the talent for precise chakra control.

This was common in Lockfront Village.

Hagoromo Anki was willing to teach, but that didn't mean others could learn.

The abilities he mastered were too advanced.

Even if he explained the process of developing a Kekkei Genkai, no one had managed to develop one yet.

While the Hagoromo Clan had a deep understanding of chakra nature, even the so-called "Ninjutsu Professor" Hiruzen Sarutobi, who mastered over a thousand jutsu of various natures, hadn't developed a Kekkei Genkai.

Perfectly merging two chakra natures was far more challenging than studying single-nature changes in chakra.

It even required a bit of luck.

Sasuke had always been confident in his talent.

Until he met Hagoromo Gengetsu, until some secret techniques were placed before him that he couldn't learn.

He then deeply realized the vast gap between them.

Thus, in the past two years, Sasuke stopped aiming too high and continued to refine his Chidori Stream system, resulting in significant improvement in his strength.

At least, he was now much stronger than when he killed Orochimaru in the original story.

However, the fact that Sakura had learned monstrous strength, which he hadn't mastered, still surprised and intrigued Sasuke.

Recalling the information gathered from Lockfront Village, where the Fifth Hokage Tsunade had officially taken Sakura as her personal student, a flash of emotion passed through Sasuke's eyes.

The girl who once only knew how to cry has now grown up.

"Sasuke!!"

Sakura, her fist pulling out of the crater, relentlessly charged at Sasuke again.

As Sasuke was about to move, his steps faltered. Looking down, he saw two ink snakes entwining his legs.

At the same time, Naruto, with a Rasengan in hand, charged at him from behind.

Sasuke's face remained calm. He brought his hands together, and a dense electric net spread from him in all directions.

The ink snakes were the first to be dispersed, followed by Sakura being forced to retreat. Finally, the Naruto carrying the Rasengan turned into a puff of white smoke.

But it wasn't over.

"Rasengan Barrage!" Naruto's voice shouted again.

A strong spiraling wind approached in an instant, making Sasuke's black hair flutter. Turning his head, he saw multiple Naruto shadow clones, each holding a Rasengan, charging at him.

The sheer number of Rasengan and the chakra waves they emitted were enough to disrupt everything ahead.

Realizing his Chidori Stream couldn't cover them all, Sasuke, fully aware of Naruto's massive chakra reserves, quickly formed seals:

"Water Style: Water Wave!"

A large stream of water spread out from him, flooding the area and drowning the ink animals drawn by Sai.

Though he excelled at Fire and Lightning Styles, as Hagoromo Gengetsu's student, Sasuke had also mastered other chakra natures. While his proficiency wasn't as high, he could still use them.

"Lightning Style: Earth Walk!"

As the water reached Naruto's shadow clones, Sasuke thrust his lightning-covered hand into the water.

Crackle, crackle.

Electric currents surged through the water.

Naruto's shadow clones shuddered and vanished one by one in puffs of white smoke.