"So, it really was him who won?"
Hashirama and the others were panting heavily, their faces betraying a mix of emotions as they stared at the figure in the sky. The sight of the crumbling full moon sent a chill through their hearts.
They couldn't see the details of the distant battle clearly, not even with their exceptional sensory abilities, as the twisted space obscured their vision. But dealing with Kaguya Ōtsutsuki here was already proving to be an exhausting challenge.
"This Kaguya Ōtsutsuki... she's easier to handle than we imagined. She lacks combat experience, but still..."
They clenched their fists, unable to suppress their thoughts. Even so, taking her down quickly was unrealistic. Her overwhelming power and ability to traverse space made her an incredibly difficult opponent. Even if they tried to lock down the space she moved through, it would take time. And the collateral damage from the Ten-Tails' battle nearby forced them to be extra cautious.
What they hadn't expected was how quickly and explosively the battle between the Ōtsutsuki had concluded.
"Ōtsutsuki Minamoto... he truly is extraordinary, isn't he?"
Sasuke, Naruto, Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, Minato, as well as Kakashi and Guy, all wore solemn expressions. This man was undeniably different from anyone else they had ever faced.
"Have you dealt with your problem over there?"
Kaguya's face was far from composed. Being surrounded and battered by these so-called "mortals" had left her in a sorry state—a scenario she had never envisioned. Of course, some of them couldn't strictly be called "mortals." With Indra and Asura's powers manifesting within them, they had transcended the limits of ordinary mortals. Particularly troubling for her was the fact that their powers posed a genuine threat to her.
"Yes, but it seems you're not doing too well here."
Kitagawa Minamoto slowly flew over, speaking with amusement. His words made Kaguya glare at her "good son" with intensity.
"As I expected, Hagoromo never intended to spare me. The powers he bestowed upon them were specifically designed to counter me!"
"..."
Kitagawa Minamoto tilted his head slightly. This was indeed a tricky situation, but it was also undeniably true. He reacted quickly, tilting his head again and replying with a chuckle.
"Why not reflect on yourself? You're so much stronger than them, yet you're in such a pitiful state. Isn't that your own fault?"
"You—"
Kaguya opened her mouth to retort, but before she could speak, she saw Kitagawa Minamoto suddenly fly closer to her. This instinctively made her body stiffen, and she took a step back.
"..."
Kitagawa Minamoto fell silent, staring at the woman before him. She seemed to be overreacting.
Buzz—
Just then, a ripple of spatial distortion appeared behind him. In the next instant, a figure shot out from the twisted space.
"Ōtsutsuki Minamoto!"
With a roar of fury, a black staff thrust toward his back. But Kitagawa Minamoto didn't even turn his head. He simply tilted his body slightly to the side.
Swish—
A silver gleam flashed through the space, and the incoming figure suddenly found a massive gash across their body. They plummeted face-first to the ground. Yet at that moment, space distorted once again.
"Now's the time—die!"
Sharp bone spikes accompanied by the sound of tearing air and an immense gravitational force seemed to pull Kitagawa Minamoto's body toward them. But astonishingly, Kitagawa Minamoto reached out effortlessly, grabbing the incoming bone spike.
"Good timing, but the strength is lacking."
As his words fell, he elegantly swung his blade. In an instant, another figure plummeted from the sky. He then yanked the spine-like bone spike outward, wrapping the figure in it and pulling them close.
"Also, these eyes don't seem to belong to you, do they?"
Buzz—
Another slash followed, and even the powerful repulsion force couldn't stop it!
"Obito?"
"Nagato?"
"And that... Kimimaro?"
Naruto and the others stared at the three figures falling from the sky, their expressions becoming complex and peculiar. They hadn't expected these three to be resurrected through Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation.
"Minamoto! We've arrived!"
In the next moment, Deidara, the Second Tsuchikage, and Ōnoki flew over. Ōnoki, who was supposed to stay at the rear and wait for the outcome, could no longer bear to wait.
"Tch, I didn't expect the Ninja World to have so many chaotic incidents and so many inexplicable people."
Elsewhere, the Second Mizukage, sporting his small mustache, arrived alongside Mei Terumi.
"This time, no matter how difficult it gets, we won't lose again!"
In the distance, several massive toads, alongside giant snakes and slugs, charged forward. Standing atop them were Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. The legendary Sannin of Konohagakure, despite their differing allegiances, were reunited once more.
Not only them, Gaara and Chiyo also flew in, alongside several members of the Akatsuki. They quickly gathered, fixing their gaze on the two figures in the sky. Around them, the Ninja Alliance formed a dense perimeter. Everyone understood how terrifying these enemies were. They had felt the impact of the previous battles, but at this moment, no one would choose to give up.
"Everyone..."
Naruto's eyes flickered as he took in the scene. Sasuke, meanwhile, crossed his arms, appearing calm. But the clenched fists hidden beneath his sleeves betrayed his inner turmoil.
"This is how it should be—everyone united!"
Hashirama smiled, while Madara merely snorted. But deep down, this was what he had always longed for.
"Did you arrange a surprise?"
Kitagawa Minamoto's Divine Tree clone smiled, speaking softly to Hagoromo beside him.
"Isn't this what you wanted?" Hagoromo replied in a voice only the two of them could hear, his tone tinged with emotion.
"To make the world feel pain—pain brought by the Ōtsutsuki. But isn't this pain also yours?"
"..."
Kitagawa Minamoto nearly rolled his eyes. Did he look like he was in pain? He was having the time of his life, reaping great rewards. Besides, pain could be transferred...
"Indeed, everyone must realize this. It's no longer a game of make-believe."
Kitagawa Minamoto nodded cooperatively, then turned his gaze upward, smiling as he spoke.
"So, I'm going to add some seasoning. Are you ready?"
"The Divine Tree?"
Hagoromo glanced at the towering tree beside them. During the battle between Naruto and his mother, Kitagawa Minamoto's Ten-Tails had defeated her Ten-Tails, and absorbed it, transforming into its current form. But was that still not enough?
"Hiss..."
Suddenly, Hagoromo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You... you wouldn't..."
"Relax, I'm not interested in hanging everyone on the tree. But..."
Kitagawa Minamoto's expression remained calm as he spoke in an eerie tone.
"It's time for everyone to witness the most profound despair and the most absolute fear."
The most profound despair and fear? Hagoromo gave Kitagawa Minamoto a peculiar look, trying to figure out his intentions.
Clap, clap, clap—
At that moment, Kitagawa Minamoto's true body in the sky began clapping with a smile.
"Interesting, isn't it?"
Standing in the sky, with the shattered moon still crumbling above, boundless energy continued to descend upon the earth. No one knew how long it would take for the moon's collapse to affect the Ninja World, but everyone understood it would be a catastrophic disaster.
For now, no one had time to worry about that. Their focus was entirely on Ōtsutsuki Minamoto and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. This was the immediate crisis. Only by dealing with them could they hope to address anything else.
"The living and the dead, beasts and sheep, good and evil, life and death—all marching forward hand in hand?"
Ōtsutsuki Minamoto seemed indifferent, his tone light and even tinged with reflection.
"People always use beliefs to distinguish themselves. Yet today, the clear boundaries have all converged here. Truly fascinating."
"This is the will of all of us!" Guy shouted loudly, while Kakashi gazed at the figure in the sky and spoke firmly.
"That's right. No matter how strong you are, we'll never be your pawns. We've endured so much—we'll never compromise!"
"You outsiders—don't even think about making us submit!"
Obito, Nagato, and Kimimaro stood up with difficulty, their eyes brimming with anger and murderous intent.
"Arrogant fools..."
Sasuke, Madara, and the others wore grim expressions, but they refused to back down.
"Even if we die, we'll never surrender!"
"This is the will of all of us!"
The roar of determination echoed skyward, the unwavering resolve of the crowd converging. No one would yield, and no one would choose to give up.
"Is that so?"
Kitagawa Minamoto tilted his head, then turned his gaze toward the Divine Tree.
"Well then, I'm curious how you plan to stop me..."
In an instant, the towering tree began to stir. Boundless Chakra surged from its body, spreading like tidal waves.
"What is this..."
At that moment, everyone felt an overwhelming sense of dread. The infinite Chakra expanded relentlessly, its sheer magnitude suffocating even the most seasoned sensors.
"How can it be so terrifying..."
Hashirama's eyes grew dazed. Even without the Tailed Beasts, his revival coupled with Hagoromo's "gift" had significantly enhanced his strength. But his heightened sensory abilities only made the experience more agonizing.
"Damn it... damn it, damn it!"
Naruto clenched his teeth, feeling the weight of it all. But what tormented him even more was something else entirely.
"Naruto..." The voice of Kurama echoed within him.
"That Divine Tree's power is intertwining with his. He's..."
"Enough! Stop talking!" Naruto interrupted Kurama brusquely. He couldn't bring himself to say more.
At that moment, the giant tree emitted a beam of light that pierced the heavens. The light spread across the entire sky. A gentle breeze suddenly swept down from above, brushing against everyone's faces.
This breeze was cold, yet strangely stirring. It carried the light far and wide, touching every corner of the Ninja World. The wind persisted, but as it reached every corner, it suddenly vanished.
"What is this...?"
Naruto muttered softly, but in the next moment, he seemed to understand.
BOOM—
The earth began to rumble violently. Countless vines burst forth from the ground, spreading endlessly. The massive tree erupted once more, its body glowing with a golden radiance.
This golden light was divine, yet it instilled fear deep within. Everyone froze, staring in disbelief at the enormous glowing tree that seemed to connect the entire world.
It was as if the tree was rooted in the depths of their souls. It was colossal, majestic, divine, yet profoundly unsettling and despair-inducing.
"So, are you all ready?"
Kitagawa Minamoto's voice echoed across the universe, calm yet chillingly indifferent.
"This is the final moment."
As he spoke, the tree's crown suddenly opened. A peculiar fruit appeared within it, radiating a mysterious glow. The terrifying power contained within the fruit was palpable, causing dizziness even from a mere sense of it.
"That's..."
Even Kaguya stared at the fruit in a daze, unable to comprehend the sheer energy it held.
"So this is the secret of the Ōtsutsuki clan's Divine Tree..."
Madara's face grew grim, and Hashirama, along with the others, looked equally troubled.
Everyone had known about the Divine Tree's secret. But at this moment, an indescribable despair seemed to envelop them all.
"Is this guy planning to destroy the entire planet?!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Naruto clenched his fists and shouted toward the sky.
"Enough! Do you truly care about nothing? Are you really going to destroy this world? Do you truly disdain everything here?!"
"Naruto..."
Sasuke watched Naruto curiously, as did Kakashi and the others. Even Minato struggled to understand his son's outburst.
"Minamoto..."
Naruto turned toward Kitagawa Minamoto, his gaze filled with complexity. After a long moment of hesitation, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with a hint of sobbing.
"This isn't real, right? This is just a nightmare, isn't it? We'll fix everything together, won't we?"
"Naruto..."
Everyone stared at Naruto in disbelief. But suddenly, their faces turned pale.
Perhaps they had been too overwhelmed by the earlier events. Perhaps the Chakra flooding every corner of the world was too overwhelming. Or perhaps they had placed too much trust in Kitagawa Minamoto.
They hadn't paid much attention to the fact that the Chakra resonating with the Divine Tree was also emanating from Kitagawa Minamoto himself.
This Chakra was vast, suffocatingly so. Even the forces of nature couldn't suppress it. Golden light shimmered across his body, and the roaring energy surged within him.
"You..."
Sasuke's breath caught, his face filled with shock and disbelief. Hashirama and Tobirama froze in place, their minds blank. Even Madara, stoic as he was, stared at Kitagawa Minamoto in stunned silence, unable to speak.
Kakashi and Guy's eyes widened in shock, while Kitagawa Minamoto remained silent for a moment before shaking his head with a chuckle.
He reached out, patting Naruto's cheek as he laughed softly.
"Smile, because when the sun casts a shadow..."
Before he could finish, the figure in the sky suddenly spoke.
"Everyone will be heartbroken, won't they, Naruto?"
As the words fell, an overwhelming sense of dread and despair began to echo madly in everyone's hearts.
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