Lightning tore through the ruins as the two of them moved.
Blade and claw met again and again, each impact throwing off sparks sharp enough to sting the eyes. Yugito was forced onto the defensive, her hands a blur as she parried Sasuke's relentless thrusts with arcs of blue-white electricity.
Her gaze stayed locked on him.
This kid…
The pressure kept mounting. With every exchange, she felt it more clearly. His control over Lightning Release was precise, economical. Worse, it was steady. No wasted motion. No hesitation.
That alone irritated her.
A violent crack rang out.
The Thunder God's Blade and her claws split apart slightly, hairline fractures crawling along both edges. The damage was minor, but Yugito's expression darkened.
"Impressive," she said at last. "Didn't expect this from an Uchiha brat."
Her chakra surged.
Blue patterns flared across her skin, feral and luminous. The ground trembled beneath the sudden release, fissures racing outward in jagged lines. The shockwave threw Sasuke back, forcing him to flip midair before landing in a low stance.
The killing intent that followed was immediate.
Predatory. Focused.
Sasuke felt it settle on him like a weight, cold and sharp, the way a cat fixes on prey. His posture didn't change. His eyes stayed calm.
Partial release, he noted. Not transformed.
Yugito smiled thinly. "Uchiha are known for fire, aren't they?"
Her voice carried heat now. Challenge.
"Then let's see how you handle mine."
She drew in breath.
"Fire Release: Flame Rat!"
Blue fire burst from her mouth, compressing into a dense, rodent-shaped mass before hurtling forward. The air warped around it. Even at a distance, the heat dried the throat and blurred the vision.
Sasuke didn't move.
His hand closed around Homura's hilt.
The blade came free in a single motion.
Crimson fire erupted along its edge, expanding into a sweeping arc that tore straight through the oncoming flame. Blue and red collided, exploding outward in a violent wash of heat that rolled across the ruins.
Yugito's eyes widened.
Before the blast had fully dissipated, Sasuke was already moving.
He crossed the distance in a breath, boots shattering stone as he launched forward, fire trailing behind him like a wake. The burst was shorter than his Lightning Release charge, but sharper. More decisive.
Faster, Yugito realized. Stronger up close.
She recoiled instinctively, body lowering as she fled in a zigzag, leaving streaks of blue flame in her wake. Sasuke followed, adjusting his angle, cutting through the debris with tight, efficient steps.
That movement… Yugito watched closely while retreating. Not pure Body Flicker. Something layered.
She pushed harder, widening the gap. Her speed was exceptional even without fully drawing on the Two-Tails. Gradually, the distance stretched beyond twenty meters.
Sasuke felt the change immediately.
His momentum bled away. The edge of his burst dulled.
He slowed.
Yugito saw it and smiled.
Now.
Chakra gathered in her core as she prepared to turn the tide.
That was when Sasuke looked straight at her.
His eyes were already red.
Three tomoe spun slowly, calmly.
The world snapped.