"How... how could this happen?"
As Kitagawa Minamoto's words echoed from the sky, the entire world seemed to fall into a deathly silence in that instant. The expressions of those standing beside Kitagawa Minamoto's Divine Tree clone were filled with terror, as if they couldn't believe what they had just heard.
"What... what is going on?"
Those who had just arrived were equally stunned, an intense unease and fear beginning to ripple through their hearts.
"No way... Minamoto, stop joking around."
Deidara couldn't help but swallow nervously. He wanted to laugh to lighten the mood, but for some reason, he found himself completely unable to do so.
"Senior... what is this..."
Sasuke swallowed hard, his eyes vacant, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"Minamoto, what's going on?"
Kakashi and Guy stared in disbelief at the figure behind them, then instinctively looked up at the sky. Confusion, fear, and sorrow swirled within them, making it impossible to process what they were witnessing.
Even Nagato, Obito, and Kimimaro, whose souls had just been wrested back from the grasp of the three Ōtsutsuki, looked utterly bewildered. Among them, Obito's gaze flickered. He couldn't help but glance at Kakashi, as if this situation didn't surprise him at all.
The former Hokage, meanwhile, collectively fell into silence and despair, unable to recover from their shock.
"What exactly happened over there?"
In the distance, the Ninja Alliance was filled with confusion. Many of the ninjas didn't fully understand what was happening up ahead, but they all felt as though something terrifying was about to unfold.
"Ino, are you okay?"
Shikamaru looked at Ino with a peculiar expression. Ever since earlier, he had noticed that Ino seemed off. Choji was equally concerned.
"Are you worried about that guy? Relax, it'll be fine. With everyone here, there's no way anything will go wrong."
"With Senior Minamoto here, everything will definitely be fine."
Lee and Neji spoke simultaneously, and Hinata nodded in agreement.
"I think everyone should be more cautious."
Ino didn't want to dampen everyone's spirits, but she couldn't shake the growing unease in her heart.
"How does that guy know Naruto? And why do his words... sound more and more like Minamoto's?"
Ino didn't dare voice her thoughts, nor could she bring herself to admit them. Because it was all too terrifying—too much for her to accept.
But unfortunately, things often don't go as one wishes.
"Minamoto, you..."
Tobirama swallowed hard, his face filled with disbelief.
"What's going on with you?"
"Nothing much, just saying something normal."
However, the one who answered wasn't the Kitagawa Minamoto standing before them, but the "Ōtsutsuki Minamoto" in the sky. The Kitagawa Minamoto in front of them simply withdrew his hand, smiling at Naruto before shrugging indifferently.
"But I'm curious about one thing—when exactly did you realize something was wrong? After all..."
As he spoke, the Kitagawa Minamoto before them slowly raised his head to look at the sky, while the "Ōtsutsuki Minamoto" above continued speaking with a smile.
His voice had changed—it had become identical to Kitagawa Minamoto's!
"I've noticed for a while that your emotions were off. I just didn't expect you to figure everything out. Truly surprising..."
"What... what are you two talking about?!"
Sasuke couldn't hold back anymore, and the others' eyes were equally vacant, their shock and fear rendering them speechless.
"What are we talking about?"
The one who answered wasn't the Kitagawa Minamoto before them, but the "Ōtsutsuki Minamoto" in the sky. The Kitagawa Minamoto in front of them simply shook his head lightly.
In the next moment, specks of golden light began to spread across his body, as if he were being enveloped entirely by the golden radiance.
Meanwhile, the "Ōtsutsuki Minamoto" above reached for his mask, slowly removing it.
"You've known all along, haven't you, Sasuke? You just didn't want to admit it. You didn't want to accept the truth."
"Shut up! Shut up!"
Sasuke screamed hysterically, feeling as though a piece of his heart had been ripped out, leaving a bloody wound with no visible scar. His eyes involuntarily turned toward the figure in the sky, while the Kitagawa Minamoto beside him, now covered in golden light, shook his head lightly and continued speaking.
"I can't blame you—I understand. But unfortunately, this world has never been about truth or lies. It's only about..."
Before he could finish, the golden-glowing "Kitagawa Minamoto" vanished, and the "Ōtsutsuki Minamoto" in the sky completely removed his mask!
His true face was revealed, and it was Kitagawa Minamoto. His voice echoed once more,
"Only unshakable facts."
Buzz—
Sasuke felt as though his head had been struck heavily. He stood there in a daze, his ears ringing incessantly. Not only him, but everyone else, including the distant Ninja Alliance, felt the same way.
"What kind of joke is this..."
Deidara finally broke down, his gaze unfocused. Ino, far away, fell into complete silence. The scene she had dreaded most had come to pass.
"No... no way. How could this happen?"
Neji and Lee were equally lost, while Shikamaru and Choji were too stunned to speak. Everyone else was frozen, their expressions indescribable.
In an instant, the world, bathed in the golden light of the "Divine Tree," seemed to lose its sense of reality.
All sound, color, and even warmth felt as though they had been stripped away. All that remained was the dull ache in their chests and the suffocating weight of despair.
"Even so, the creatures of this world live by mistaking beneficial facts for truth, because that's the only way to survive."
Kitagawa Minamoto seemed to mockingly glance at the mask in his hand. With a light squeeze, the mask shattered into pieces. He raised his head to look at the crowd, his face still carrying that faint, inscrutable smile.
"However, for the powerless majority of the world, the facts that harm them are often the real truth. Just like now."
These words left everyone utterly despondent. They could never have imagined that the endgame of this world would turn out like this.
Moreover, the person who had given them endless hope, the one who could lead them out of their historical deadlock—Kitagawa Minamoto—was also the one who sought to destroy the world as "Ōtsutsuki Minamoto."
This despair was beyond words. For the people of Konohagakure, it was even worse. They couldn't believe that their trusted Fifth Hokage had such an identity.
Especially Kitagawa Minamoto's friends—memories of their past interactions now felt like shards of broken glass stabbing into their hearts, making every breath agonizing.
"Why would you do this?"
Suddenly, Naruto's furious voice rang out.
BOOM—
An even stronger surge of Chakra erupted from Naruto, as if his anger and despair had amplified the energy within him. His Chakra grew more intense, more radiant.
"Naruto..."
Sasuke looked at Naruto, still dazed. But Naruto ignored him, instead glaring at Kitagawa Minamoto in the sky and shouting loudly.
"Why would you do this? Why?!"
"Why, huh?"
Kitagawa Minamoto found the scene oddly familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. Suddenly, he remembered—it was during the time he seized the Sword of Totsuka. The environment of the sword's illusion had influenced him, showing him this very moment.
But the Sword of Totsuka had underestimated his achievements. In its illusion, he had only been surrounded by Konohagakure's ninjas. Now, he seemed to have become the enemy of the entire world.
Still, he didn't mind. He looked at Naruto with a playful expression.
"Before I answer your question, you still haven't told me how you recognized me."
"Eight years ago, at Ichiraku Ramen."
Naruto clenched his fists, his eyes shut tight as he spoke loudly.
"You once looked at the sky and said, 'The empty throne of heaven will soon end.' At the time, I thought you were joking, or maybe you wanted to become Hokage."
"But I never imagined it would lead to this moment! Tell me why! Why did it turn out this way?! Why?!"
"Ichiraku..."
Kitagawa Minamoto's expression turned peculiar. Suddenly, he remembered that he had indeed made a similar joke to Naruto. Who would have thought that Naruto would remember it for so long? This realization amused him somewhat.
"So that's it, Naruto. It seems I've had quite an influence on you."
"Now it's your turn."
Naruto opened his eyes, and at that moment, all his pain, confusion, and despair vanished. What remained was an unprecedented, indescribable resolve.
"Tell me why, you bastard! Why are you doing this? You're not the Kitagawa Minamoto I know!"
"Not the Kitagawa Minamoto you know anymore?"
Kitagawa Minamoto raised an eyebrow, his smile growing even brighter.
"What a pity. That's your mistake—or rather, the mistake of everyone here. Because..."
"The Kitagawa Minamoto you all thought you knew never existed in the first place."
BOOM—
Before he could finish speaking, Naruto shot into the sky. His Chakra roared, his power surged. He glared at Kitagawa Minamoto, shouting loudly.
"I won't accept this! Even
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