With Naruto's current strength—already standing at the apex of the shinobi world—there was no way he would engage in a drawn-out struggle with someone whose power wasn't even close to his when he unleashed his full might.
Moreover, aside from Obito, the only person Naruto had once considered truly talented and farsighted was Madara. Obito, in contrast, was just a man warped by grief—someone running from reality.
Whether for his own sake or for the sake of everyone who had fought and died until now, Naruto knew this karma had to be resolved. The Fourth Shinobi World War had reached a point where someone had to step forward and shoulder everything.
By this day, countless lives had been lost. The original story glossed over the casualties, but here, thousands had died—lives that could not simply be restored.
Not only would Naruto refuse to forgive Obito, but the families of the fallen would never forgive him either.
Everyone must pay for their mistakes.
In the original tale, Nagato annihilated Konoha, only to revive everyone afterward. But Obito was different.
Although Naruto, after awakening the Six Paths' power, possessed a resurrection ability similar to Nagato's, it was not without price. Only a handful of people could be brought back.
This world was fair in its own way—what one gained always came with a cost.
The Rinnegan's ability to revive others was only possible because this world's reincarnation cycle was incomplete; souls that passed on were sent to the Pure Land, and the Rinnegan, in essence, held partial dominion over life and death itself. That was the root of its power.
At this moment on the battlefield, Naruto's sudden appearance shocked everyone. Even Madara's expression twisted in disbelief.
"Stop."
Naruto's voice rang out—steady, commanding.
"The war ends here."
Obito staggered to his feet, eyes flickering with shock and confusion. Naruto's power was beyond anything recorded—far surpassing the intelligence they had gathered. The energy radiating from him, the hovering Truth-Seeking Orbs, all showed he had stepped into a different realm.
"No…!"
"No one can stop me!"
Obito's body began to distort as he forcefully pushed his incomplete Ten-Tails power to the limit.
Naruto snorted coldly. With a flick of his arm, countless glowing chains erupted outward.
Six Paths: Adamantine Sealing Chains!
"You've only mastered an incomplete Ten-Tails power," Naruto said, voice laced with disdain. "Even if its chakra is part of the Six Paths' power, you're still far from reaching the true level."
In the original story, the Sage of Six Paths subdued the Ten-Tails himself. With Naruto's current power, accomplishing the same was effortless.
The Sage back then had only just stepped into the Six Paths realm, and even Kaguya—his own mother—was ultimately sealed rather than defeated outright.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains slammed Obito to the ground, pinning him. Naruto immediately began extracting the chakra of the Tailed Beasts from the Ten-Tails. One by one, the sealed Bijū were pulled free, and the Ten-Tails, losing its hosts, reverted into the motionless Gedo Statue.
Madara watched the young man in front of him with utter disbelief. Though sixteen was already adulthood in the shinobi world, Naruto still looked like a boy.
Yet the power Madara had spent his life pursuing… Naruto had obtained effortlessly.
Aside from the Nine-Tails, Naruto held no other Bijū chakra within him. Clearly, he had achieved Six Paths status by other means. Combined with Hashirama's earlier words, Madara had no choice but to accept it.
"Madara, surrender," Naruto said calmly. "If you continue, it will only lead to meaningless sacrifice."
"Hmph! Boy, I dominated the shinobi world before you were even born! Our battle ends only with my death!" Madara barked. To die fighting was a warrior's pride. Not even Hashirama could make him bow—much less a child.
Naruto chuckled softly. He already knew convincing Madara was impossible. But he could shatter the man's lifelong belief.
"Madara… do you want to know the real truth behind the Eye of the Moon Plan?"
Madara's brows tightened sharply.
Naruto extended a hand.
"Come out."
With a twist of space, Naruto forcibly dragged Black Zetsu into the open and hurled him onto the battlefield.
"Black Zetsu?"
Madara frowned, clearly confused. What did any of this have to do with Black Zetsu?
Oh no… oh no… I'm finished today!
Black Zetsu panicked internally. Uzumaki Naruto definitely knew something.
"Black Zetsu, let's make a deal," Naruto said.
"A… deal?"
Black Zetsu blinked in confusion.
Madara's expression darkened even further—Naruto's actions made no sense to him.
"I'll help you rescue your mother," Naruto said, sitting down in front of Black Zetsu, "and in return, you tell Madara the truth. How does that sound?"
Black Zetsu's eyes lit up instantly—but the joy was quickly replaced by caution. These people were far too cunning.
"As long as Kaguya doesn't cause trouble in the shinobi world," Naruto continued, "I can help you. But you'll also help me—within your ability."
Naruto's objective was simple:
Kaguya wanted to fight the Ōtsutsuki.
Naruto also intended to protect this planet from the Ōtsutsuki.
Back then, the world didn't have chakra—only the Sage of Six Paths wielded it. That was why Kaguya created the White Zetsu army: to defend against possible Ōtsutsuki invaders.
But now, the shinobi world was on a completely different level. There were top-tier fighters everywhere—Sasuke, the First Hokage, Madara, Might Guy, and Naruto himself.
As for the future Ōtsutsuki arrivals, Naruto was confident he could face them. And the truly dangerous ones were still at least a decade away.
He had time. And he would only grow stronger.
At the mention of Kaguya, Black Zetsu's entire body trembled. Naruto's knowledge was too precise—his true purpose had been exposed.
Seeing him hesitate, Naruto smiled faintly and took out a sheet of parchment.
"This is a covenant seal I developed. Originally, it was a contract matrix used for summoning ninja beasts. Now, it can serve as the binding agreement for our deal."
His fingers moved quickly, weaving hand signs as he infused the paper with chakra. Lines of sealing formulas glowed faintly.
"With your mastery of Yin–Yang Release," Naruto added, "you should be able to verify its authenticity."
Black Zetsu accepted the contract. The moment he touched it, he felt the distinct signature of Yin–Yang Release within the seal.
The written terms were straightforward:
Naruto would help Black Zetsu rescue Kaguya and form a mutual-aid pact.
Black Zetsu, in turn, would fulfill his obligations faithfully.
Violation of the contract would result in punishment.
"If you imprint your spiritual energy, the contract is sealed," Naruto said calmly.
The contract was genuine, though Naruto had written it in a way that ensured the penalties he faced, should he break it, were minimal.
Rescuing Kaguya was already part of his plan—he wanted to understand the strength and hierarchy of the Ōtsutsuki Clan through her.
Black Zetsu hesitated. He knew the contract wasn't perfectly secure. But he also knew this was his final chance—and he had no bargaining power at all.
In the end, he could only gamble.
He pressed his spiritual energy into the parchment, sealing the contract.