Reanimation

Chapter Eighteen

Mitsuki kept both hands gently resting on Sarada's shoulder while watching Kansuke from behind her, to let her know she was doing fine, to let her know she was doing an excellent job.

"Mitsuki," Sarada muttered, her voice barely hissing.

"Yes?" Mitsuki asked, "You're doing great."

"Are you sure?" she asked, her vision now faltering at the length of time she had her eyes locked onto Kansuke. "But when do I stop him? For how long will I let him go on?"

Mitsuki kept silent for a few seconds, before responding. "Once he tells me," he said.

"Tells you? Who gets to tell you?"

Sarada had to trust her partner now. With her genjutsu, she could only see through Kansuke's perspective, and she should not, in any circumstance, break this connection. If she did, they would all fail. She watched helplessly through Kansuke's vision as he began to control Naruto, as he began to chase a badly injured Boruto around, and as her father did everything he could to defend himself and his student.

"The Eighth," Mitsuki said.

Sarada almost breathed a sigh of relief. "Papa? You're talking to him?"

Mitsuki only gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "Just continue, Sarada. Trust me with this, alright?"

Before Sarada could protest, Kansuke seemed to stop with what he was doing, as if Sarada had momentarily lost her grip on Kansuke's carefully controlled consciousness. Without any choice left, the youngest Uchiha decided to trust her bright-eyed teammate despite having no idea what was going on.

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Sasuke's concern grew when he saw Boruto's state. The young man just halted beside Sasuke and was panting really hard. It was impressive how he was still standing. Kansuke only used Naruto's shadow clones against Boruto, maybe just to strain him a bit. Even Sasuke could feel that Kansuke was careful about what he did to Boruto now -- either pondering about how to use him to his advantage, or probably just wary of how to proceed further.

He felt Naruto's chakra surge. Sasuke proceeded to activate a half-bodied Susanoo around him and the boy. Naruto never went for the kill when they last fought, yet their strengths evened out. If Naruto really went for the kill, how strong would he be? Sasuke did not want to know.

"Stay close to me, I don't know what will happen if he summons even just half his strength. He's starting to tap into Kurama's chakra," Sasuke said, reaching out to pull Boruto by the arm.

"Is he really that strong?" Boruto asked.

"Unimaginably so," Sasuke answered.

"They always said you can match his strength," Boruto pointed out.

"They don't really know that. Haven't I told you I had lost to him?"

Sasuke's grip grew tighter as the figure of the nine-tailed fox formed around Naruto through blazing yellow chakra. It was shifting its position to stand on its hind legs, its tall figure looming over Susanoo, when Naruto shouted.

"Sasuke! He's testing our full strength; you need to end this really soon."

Sasuke just kept quiet, unfazed, despite witnessing a tailed beast ball growing in front of them. He heard Naruto yell his name again when the immense pool of chakra discharged viciously toward him and Boruto but they did not move. Right before it reached them, a lightning-shaped arrow pierced violently right through the ball in a flash, causing a huge explosion that shook the ground and sent them flying backwards.