16. The Final Clash - Warden's End

Chapter 16: The Final Clash – Warden's End

The smell of smoke and burning stone filled the air.

Sasuke wiped the sweat off his brow, finally turning away from the destroyed cave.

"That should be the end of it…"

CRACK.

A deep, bone-chilling sound echoed behind him.

Sasuke froze.

Slowly, he turned around.

And his blood ran cold.

---

The Warden Lives… Barely

Emerging from the debris, a half-intact Warden stood there.

Its once-powerful body was burned, cracked, and barely holding together.

Its chest core flickered erratically.

One of its arms was missing, replaced by charred flesh.

And yet—

It still moved.

It still chased him.

"Are you serious?!" Sasuke growled, clenching his sword.

---

The Last Battle Begins

The Warden roared, sending a weak but still dangerous sonic shockwave.

Sasuke jumped, barely dodging the attack. The ground where he stood cracked open.

"Tch—this thing won't stop!"

Sasuke charged forward, his Sharingan spinning.

He unleashed a fireball.

Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!

FWOOOOOOOSH!

The flames engulfed the Warden, but—

It kept walking through.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Even now… it won't go down?"

He slashed with his Iron Sword—CLANG!

The blade bounced off its tough hide.

He jumped back, panting.

"Fine. If fire and steel don't work… then I'll just knock it down!"

---

Sasuke and the Warden's fight took them to the edge of a mountain.

The ground beneath them was crumbling, unstable.

Sasuke dodged another swing from the Warden.

He saw it—a weakness.

The Warden was slower.

Weaker.

One final push… and it's over.

He took a deep breath, preparing his final attack.

---

Sasuke charged forward, his Sharingan glowing in the night.

He jumped, dodging another shockwave.

Then, he spun in midair—

SLASH!

His sword cut through the Warden's remaining arm.

It staggered—one foot over the edge.

Sasuke landed, spun around, and—

KICKED IT OFF THE CLIFF.

The Warden roared one last time as it fell into the darkness.

Then—SILENCE.

Sasuke stood at the cliff's edge, panting.

The moonlight shone down on him.

He had won.

DING!

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He looked at the night sky, watching the stars above.

The battle was over.

And Sasuke Uchiha had taken another step toward true strength.

To Be Continued…