The moon hung high, casting a cold silver radiance across the battlefield where two titans clashed in a fierce struggle.
A purple giant, wearing a Tengu mask and bearing wings upon its back, swung a mountain-sized blade that sheared through mountain peaks and tore the earth with every strike. Black fire blazed upon the crossbow mounted to its arm.
Susanoo!
The third power hidden within the Mangekyō Sharingan, the God of Destruction.
Sasuke, positioned within Susanoo's forehead, controlled the giant to parry every strike, eventually finding an opening to land a powerful kick against his opponent's chest.
His gaze pierced through the thick defensive barriers, locking onto the figure ahead.
An equally massive, ash-white Susanoo stumbled back under the impact before steadying itself, weapon in hand. Its magnificent aura was no less imposing than Sasuke's own.
Sasuke's gaze fell upon the crown of that Susanoo, where his father stood, manipulating the ash-white giant to prepare another assault.
"Father... I do not wish to kill you."
"With your strength, you should be able to tell that I have been holding back..."
Sasuke's cold voice echoed across the battlefield, causing Fugaku's expression to darken.
After their exchange, Fugaku could naturally feel his son's near-bottomless ocular power and noticed how he was pulling his punches throughout the fight.
The power of the Eternal Mangekyō combined with the Rinnegan was not something a simple Mangekyō Sharingan could hope to rival. The gap was far too vast.
If his fundamental existence had not been changed into a spiritual body that could exist without a physical form, Fugaku's eyes would have surely gone blind during this short clash with Sasuke.
Even so, the intensity of the battle left the father feeling pressured, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.
He had even been forced to borrow power from his Master to bridge the gap and maintain a stalemate with Sasuke.
Seeing Sasuke so exceptional, Fugaku felt a mix of pride and shame.
As a father, he was naturally delighted to see his son reach such heights and was proud of Sasuke's achievements.
Yet, as a father being forced into a corner and shown mercy by his own son...
It was a source of deep humiliation for any man.
Especially for a member of the proud Uchiha clan.
"Sasuke, are you implying... that you can kill me whenever you please?"
"Do not be so arrogant!"
Fugaku let out a low growl, commanding his Susanoo to charge forward with its weapon once more.
The landscape, once filled with mountains and rivers, had been reduced to a devastated wasteland by the clash of the two giants. The terrain was so altered that the maps of the various nations would likely need to be redrawn.
The ash-white giant trampled the earth, once again ravaging the already ruined battlefield.
Sasuke watched his father's murderous face, his own expression turning solemn.
His Susanoo raised its arm, and an arrow forged from Amaterasu's flames formed on its crossbow before being fired at the head of the ash-white giant.
Simultaneously, his Susanoo raised its blade to meet his father's incoming strike.
"Father, I simply do not want to fight you!"
"Why help an outside Soul Reaper invade the Ninja World? Why go so far as to make an enemy of me!"
Fugaku's Susanoo swung its weapon, parrying the Amaterasu arrow. The arrow fell upon a distant hill, and the inextinguishable flames instantly engulfed the entire peak.
Due to that momentary collision, the giant's weapon was also stained with black fire.
Seeing Sasuke already upon him, Fugaku's Susanoo fluidly adjusted its guard, blocking the strike.
BOOM!
A violent roar erupted.
The purple and white giants locked weapons, engaged in a fierce struggle.
Seeing Sasuke so close, Fugaku's brow furrowed, his face twisted in frustration.
"Sasuke, are you trying to lecture me!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, focused on the battle.
Just as the two were about to separate again, a brilliant pillar of golden light suddenly erupted from the distant volcanic mountain range, piercing the heavens.
The two Susanoo broke apart as both combatants looked toward the sky.
Sasuke had recognized that mountain range the moment it rose from the earth; it was the battlefield where the Sage of the Six Paths and his brother were fighting the Soul Reaper.
This golden light reaching the heavens carried a terrifying power. Sensing the surging torrent of chakra within it, Sasuke knew it had to be a trump card from the Sage's side.
Such a massive amount of chakra, if it hit the ground, would undoubtedly leave a deep scar across the continent.
Almost no one in the Ninja World could block it. Even Sasuke, despite his confidence in his own strength, didn't dare claim he could withstand such a brilliant strike.
'So this is the power of the Sage of the Six Paths!'
A look of gravity appeared on Sasuke's handsome face as he turned back to Fugaku.
"Father, you can feel the destructive power within that light!"
"Can that Soul Reaper really block something like that?"
Sensing the massive Spiritual Pressure emanating from the distance, Fugaku gave a cold smile, his solemn face filled with confidence.
"I told you, Sasuke. Don't be so arrogant."
"Whether it is you or the Sage of the Six Paths, none of you understand what true power is!"
It wasn't just the Uchiha father and son; elsewhere, Naruto and Sakazuki also paused their battle at the sight.
Compared to the relatively clean fight on Sasuke's side, Naruto was in a wretched state. Half of his face was corroded, and his body was covered in severe burns. One arm was missing, the stump charred black and emitting a sickening scent of burnt meat.
With only one arm remaining, he continued to resist the onslaught stubbornly.
Noticing the golden light in the sky, Naruto used the giant chakra fox to pull away from his opponent quickly.
In his one functioning blue eye, the image of the golden pillar reaching the sky was reflected.
An incomprehensibly powerful chakra radiated from that light.
'That is the chakra of Old Man Six Paths' brother!'
'And Old Man Six Paths... his chakra is surging too. They are preparing for the final showdown!'
Naruto's heart raced as he guessed the situation.
He wondered what the final outcome of this war for the Ninja World and the Pure Land would be.
'Old Man Six Paths, please don't lose!'
A flicker of hope appeared in Naruto's eyes.
Across from him, Sakazuki ceased his attacks. He looked at the pillar of light, his stoic face expressionless and as calm as ever.
Glancing at the look of hope on Naruto's face, Sakazuki couldn't help but shake his head slightly.
From the moment the Soul Reaper's gaze fell upon this Ninja World, the final outcome was already set. No one could change it!
Even Obito and Shisui, who were clashing in the sky, had paused. Both were wounded from their continuous battle, and they had fallen into a strange stalemate.
Seeing the sudden eruption of the golden light, their reactions differed.
'The Sage of the Six Paths still has this much power...'
'And that Soul Reaper...'
Obito's face was grim, a hint of dread in his mismatched eyes.
Whether it was the Sage of the Six Paths and his brother, or the Soul Reaper who had pushed them to this point, their strength was far beyond his imagination.
He then looked at Shisui, and his expression darkened further.
Shisui was merely a subordinate of the Soul Reaper, yet he had managed to push Obito, the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, to this extent.
He had originally planned to wait for the Soul Reaper and the Sage to cripple each other so he could swoop in and seize the fruits of victory.
It seemed he had been far too naive.
Unlike the anxious Obito, Shisui felt the Spiritual Pressure coming from the distance, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
Even from such a distance, that Spiritual Pressure felt like staring into a bottomless abyss!
'This Spiritual Pressure... Lord Ren is finally making his move!'
'It seems this battle will be over soon!'
As Ren's closest subordinate, Shisui understood his master's terrifying power better than anyone.
The Sage and his brother were indeed strong, but they were no match for his Lord.
Shisui looked at Obito floating in the air before him, his expression flickering with uncertainty.
Since his Lord had made his move, he couldn't afford to produce no results. He didn't want to disappoint him!
'It is a pity that my Lord ordered me not to use Kotoamatsukami.'
'Otherwise, even if Obito had become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, this fight wouldn't have dragged on this long!'
Far from the battlefield, the Five Kage, leaders of the Shinobi Allied Forces, were also staring at the golden light.
Although they were far away, they monitored every movement on the battlefield.
They saw the mountains rising, the two colossal giants fighting in the distance, and the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki battling an invisible foe in a corner of the sky.
Even the Nine-Tails form made of Naruto's chakra on the other side of the mountains was clearly visible to them.
"A battlefield like this... it would be unimaginable if I weren't seeing it with my own eyes!"
"Yes, they are in a completely different dimension from us!"
"A battle between... gods. It is so magnificent, yet it feels like the end of the world."
"Sasuke and Naruto have both become so strong... but can we really win?"
Hearing the shock in the voices of the other Kage, Tsunade's face was heavy. She glanced at the four motionless figures nearby.
If her grandfather and granduncle were still themselves, perhaps they could have participated in this war and tipped the scales in favor of the Ninja World.
But because of the Soul Reaper's methods, they had clearly lost consciousness within their Reanimated bodies—something unheard of.
Could they really do nothing but wait here for the results?
Such a vast disparity in power was truly hard to accept!
Under the watchful eyes of many, the golden pillar of light fell violently, sinking into the uplifted mountain range.
It never rose again!
"What happened... what was the result?"
"Did the Sage of the Six Paths win or lose?"
"Damn it, I can't sense what's happening inside at all!"
While the Five Kage were anxious, Naruto suddenly turned toward the mountain, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick stone to see the battle within.
His hopeful expression vanished, replaced by a dark look.
"I can't sense Old Man Six Paths' chakra anymore. Could it be..."
Not just Naruto, but Sasuke on the other side of the mountain also looked terrible, his expression shifting between doubt and despair.
With the chakra gifted by the Sage of the Six Paths, he could clearly feel the Sage's will.
But at this moment, the Sage's consciousness had suddenly vanished. He could no longer sense even a trace of it.
"How can this be!"
"The Sage of the Six Paths... was defeated!"
Across from him, Fugaku clearly felt Ren's suddenly surging Spiritual Pressure and saw the change in Sasuke's expression. His suspicion was confirmed.
"Sasuke, it seems you've already felt it."
"This war... the Ninja World has lost!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, his heart full of resentment.
He knew that since even the ancestor of the Ninja World had vanished, the scales of battle had tipped.
"But I haven't lost yet! I will be the one to defeat you all, one by one!"
"Father, I won't be holding back anymore!"
With that, Sasuke's face turned cold as he commanded his Susanoo to attack his father.
It seemed the Sage of the Six Paths wasn't all he was cracked up to be. His brother and Obito weren't doing much better. Now, he could only rely on himself.
He would be the one to change the outcome of this war!
First, he would defeat his father, then join forces with Naruto to kill the Soul Reaper's subordinates one by one.
Without his subordinates, only the Soul Reaper would remain. He and Naruto could handle him much more easily.
Seeing this, Fugaku commanded his Susanoo to meet the attack.
Rumble!
Just as the two mountain-sized giants were about to collide, a two-hundred-meter-high hill suddenly rose between them, separating the two.
The hill was roughly as high as the shoulders of the Susanoo. Rocks were exposed on its surface, and two eyes emerged from the mountainside—one on each side—staring at Sasuke and Fugaku respectively.
A mouth made of stone appeared soon after, opening wide to cry out in a voice as clear as a young girl's.
"Mama, Mama, I separated them!"
"Praise me, praise me!"
Watching this bizarre scene, Sasuke froze, his pupils shrinking.
"What is this now?"
"A mountain that talks... and has eyes!"
On the other side, seeing this strange sight, Fugaku's brow relaxed.
"It is Charlotte Linlin's Homie."
"Does this mean... the Lord has finished the battle!"
Just as Fugaku finished speaking, the ground atop the hill collapsed like quicksand, and a flat rock surfaced from the center.
Five figures of varying heights stood upon the rock, perched at the summit.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! Well done, Gaia."
Big Mom's boisterous laughter rang out as she looked at the two giants on either side.
"Well now, Uchiha. Haven't you defeated your son yet? Do you want me to teach him a lesson for you?"
"Your son looks quite talented. How about becoming my next husband?"
On the summit, a giant man on the other side casually unhooked a gourd from his waist and poured wine into his mouth.
Hearing Big Mom's words, the giant man immediately started laughing.
"Worororo! Linlin, how old are you now? Robbing the cradle like this, have you no shame!"
"What did you say, Kaido!"
A flash of anger appeared on Big Mom's face.
Uchiha Fugaku's face had turned as black as coal upon hearing Big Mom's words.
"You damn old hag, say that again and I'll have your head!"
Sasuke, on the other hand, reacted quite calmly to the giant woman's words.
Since childhood, he had grown accustomed to people expressing their admiration for him because of his looks.
He ignored the four tall figures on the hill, his gaze falling on the fifth figure—the central, shortest, and pitch-black figure.
"Soul Reaper, you're exactly the one I was looking for!"
Ren silenced the bickering group around him and looked up at Sasuke in the forehead of the Susanoo.
Catching sight of Sasuke's exquisite features, Ren's eyes brightened slightly, and a hint of softness touched his brow.
"Sasuke, we meet again."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]