𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑. ❪ 𝗌𝖺𝗌𝗎𝗄𝖾.𝗎 ❫

thirty-seven

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More Than Anything

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Everyone must not interfere with the fight when stepping away from the pit.

Sasuke transforms into his human self and joins the people on the sidelines of the pit. He becomes super-focused as Naruto unveils his brand-new techniques. After years since their battle against one another, he can admit that his friend has yet to be one of the strongest shinobis.

In his Sage Mode, Naruto can detect all chakra signatures around him, summon Sage Toads, and many more. For instance, Rasenshuriken was impressive.

"Sasuke!"

He jolts, and his ears pick up a familiar voice he has been waiting to hear for a long time.

Slowly, the young Uchiha turns his body around. He can feel a lump in his throat as he sees his brother coming his way with his lover.

Nanami went straight to Misa and squeezed the life out of her. Then she went up to Sai, Sasuke, and Sakura, one by one.

The woman told the squad they were hiding from Pain and his group. Nanami was supposed to stay away from Itachi because he didn't want anyone hurt or worse. But she refused.

Nanami was fighting by her lover's side and promised to protect him.

Out of the blue, "Itachi, you look like crap." Sasuke smirked.

That playful remark makes Itachi smile.

He steps closer to be in front of Sasuke. As he spreads his arms, Itachi says, "I know, but that doesn't mean you can dodge my affection." The perfect way to embarrass his little brother is to smother him with love. Sasuke frowns at him, and his ears slowly turn red.

Nanami, Sai, Sakura, and Misa watched the Uchiha brothers interact. It's such a rare sight to witness. But it warmed their hearts when Sasuke decided to be in his brother's arms.

Instantly, Pain's chakra sensory picks up the person that betrayed him. His eyes look at the other side of the pit for a second before defending himself against Naruto's attacks. It seems like Itachi dares to be at present. Pain wanted to laugh. Of all times to show up, he was close to taking over the world.

One of Pain's clones was controlling the summons as they attacked the Sage Toads. The man smirks because Naruto struggles to compete with an enemy. He also noticed his Sage Jutsu powers were decreasing. It's going to be an advantage for Pain.

Naruto tries his hardest but feels like he can't keep going. He urges himself to remain standing despite running low on Sage Mode chakra. His blue eyes have returned.

As everyone watches in a daunting way, they pray for Naruto. Misa is desperate to help him, but she obeys his demand. Her strong senses can read that Pain hasn't used all of his willpower since the beginning of everything. It makes her question how a human being is that strong. On another thought, is Pain a human?

Too busy thinking, a gust of sand dust erupted the area. The people immediately covered their faces. The Mother of the Toad Way, Shima, performed a jutsu to trick Pain and his clones—a classic shinobi trick.

Once the dust settled, they all detected that someone was missing. A gasp was let out by Misa, "Where's Naruto?" She asked. Baffled, Sasuke tries to find him by sensing his chakra. What surprised him caused him to smirk. "He sure is a smart loser." The Uchiha can't believe it.

"What is it, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura looks at him, confused.

He answers, "It's not just one Naruto is contributing to this fight. It's multiple."