Six hand seals, six seconds!
Even with such slow hand seals, the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique, which was practically ingrained in Uchiha’s very bones, was successfully brewed by Sasuke!
Blazing chakra began to accumulate in Sasuke’s chest!
Perhaps fueled by desperate focus, perhaps boosted by the newly awakened Sharingan, or perhaps due to another breakthrough in comprehension following the fierce battle.
Sasuke could clearly feel that this upcoming fireball would be the most powerful one he had ever cast since learning the ninjutsu!
Feeling this, Sasuke’s grim expression finally eased a little!
Suppressing the release of the ninjutsu, and ignoring the flames that had already surged up to his throat and were about to scorch the corners of his mouth, Sasuke said to Akali:
"I can't control the next jutsu. If you can't take it, you'd better hide well!"
"Akali, don't go dying on me!"
Sasuke’s expression was deadly serious!
Seeing this, Naruto grew somewhat worried.
He knew Sasuke well. Given Sasuke's arrogance, he rarely gave such a warning, and saying it meant he was truly confident!
"Akali, maybe you should still—" Naruto wanted to warn her.
But Akali’s words came first, directly cutting him off!
"Relax, what's a Great Fireball anyway? Hilarious. Can a Great Fireball actually kill people? Since when?"
Waving her hand casually, Akali said with total indifference.
The infamous charity technique—oh boy, she was *so* terrified!
"Fine!"
Seeing Akali’s attitude, Sasuke said no more.
After all, you can't save someone who's hell-bent on dying!
Ceasing to suppress the flames in his chest, Sasuke drew in a deep breath, inflating his chest and swelling both cheeks until he looked like a toad!
Finally, like a sluice gate opening to release a flood, releasing the long-accumulated and suppressed flames along with the chakra surrounding his body, Sasuke spat out a long, extremely thin, high-pressure line of fire.
Driven by the pressure, the streak of fire surged forward rapidly, only expanding into a massive fireball after it had traveled three or four meters away from his body.
What should have been a Great Fireball Technique was, through a quirk of fate, blown by Sasuke into something resembling the devastating effect of the Great Fire Destruction!
And this brought a velocity far exceeding that of a standard Great Fireball!
While the Great Fireball possessed tremendous destructive power, it was notoriously slow, earning it the reputation of a charity technique because it never actually killed anyone.
Yet the Great Fire Destruction had never carried such a label!
At this moment, a massive fireball resembling a dump truck was hurtling toward Akali at a speed of over twenty meters per second!
A speed of twenty meters per second was equivalent to a car traveling at over seventy kilometers per hour.
At such a speed, even a fragile waffle cone could inflict injury, let alone a gigantic fireball!
Even in the middle of casting, Sasuke’s expression underwent a subtle shift!
He and Akali had no grievances between them; he merely wanted to prove himself and had never actually intended to kill anyone!
Therefore, having released this unprecedentedly powerful Great Fireball, Sasuke immediately watched Akali with intense concern!
Then, Sasuke’s heart sank!
Because even in the face of such a Great Fireball, Akali didn't budge an inch!
Just as she had said, a Great Fireball wasn't worth dodging!
Setting Akali aside, what left Sasuke utterly speechless was that the woman beside Akali had also foolishly stood right behind Akali without choosing to evade!
A question immediately popped into Sasuke's mind.
"Are they really this confident?"
"Do they really trust Akali this much?"
If Akali could hear Sasuke’s thoughts, she certainly would have replied.
"Yes, I really am this confident!"
However, whether Naruto trusted her or simply hadn't reacted in time, Akali had no way of knowing; she didn't even know if Naruto behind her had stepped aside!
Because at that moment, Akali crouched slightly like a sprinter, readying herself for a dash!
Dense chakra converged into shadows, condensing on the surface of her body!
From a distance, the emerald-green Akali looked as though she had temporarily changed into night-reconnaissance gear!
Yet Akali knew that wasn't night gear—it was shadow power!
Ninjas of the Order of the Shadow could traverse between the physical world and the spiritual dimension by relying on this very power.
It was a power similar to the Nara clan's shadows, but far more potent.
Now, with shadow power enveloping her entire body and preparing her to step into the Twilight Shroud, Akali was fully prepared!
Gripping her kama in both hands, Akali tipped off her toes.
"Swoosh—"
A pitch-black radiance abruptly erupted, instantly matching the intensity of the Great Fireball's glow!
Then, before the shocked gazes of Naruto and Sasuke.
A radiance somewhat dimmer than the fireball's light split cleanly through the very center of Sasuke's Great Fireball!
Following that, the radiance transformed into a human figure, landing lightly beside Sasuke with her still-flaming kama in hand!
This scene was nothing short of divine!
[Ding! Emotion points from Sasuke +9999!]
[Ding! Emotion points from Naruto +999!]
Akali glanced sideways at Sasuke, who was leaning on his knees and panting heavily from massive chakra depletion and physical injuries, before flicking her blade to extinguish the fire.
She said nothing, but her orange-yellow eyes seemed to say: "See? I told you the Great Fireball was no big deal!"
"..."
Sasuke wore a bitter smile. Physical exhaustion, chakra depletion, and the mental toll of defeat assaulted him all at once, making him want to collapse right then and there.
Yet Sasuke held on with his last remaining breath.
Looking at Akali with bitter reluctance, he asked: "What is the name of this technique?"
"Perfect Execution!" Akali said softly. "To be more precise, it should be called the first act, because there's a second act coming, and it's even more ferocious!"
"Against a mere Great Fireball, even the first act is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!"
"Is that so..."
Hearing Akali's words, Sasuke fell completely silent.
He perhaps wanted to say something more, but his body could no longer hold out!
"Bang!" Sasuke rolled his eyes and collapsed forward!
[Ding! Emotion points from Naruto +9999!]
"Sasuke!" Naruto's panicked voice rang out!
But this time, no one would reply to him with red eyes.
For a moment, Naruto looked at Akali in a panic: "S-s-s-sasuke, he isn't going to die, is he?"
"How could it be that simple? He's just exhausted his chakra and passed out from exhaustion. I know my limits."
Looking at the panicked Naruto, who looked like a grieving young widow, Akali rolled her eyes in an attractive manner: "Besides, isn't that perverted peeping tom gentleman over there still hiding?"
"What, there's someone else here?"
Hearing Akali's words, Naruto looked surprised.
"Of course!" Akali looked toward the roof of a nearby house: "Look, isn't he right there?"
Naruto followed Akali's gaze.
Sure enough, upon hearing Akali, a tall figure clad in a Jonin flak jacket leaped down!