The Seventh's offhand comment hit like a kunai to the group chat.
No one expected it—
Obito's ceiling… that high?
"Six Paths Sage level"—that phrase alone made throats go dry.
[Iwa no Iwabe: "No way, seriously?!"]
[Sarada Uchiha: "If that's true… isn't Obito the strongest Uchiha?"]
[Denki: "Then the weakest must be… Madara?"]
[Mitsuki: "Sarada's clan is terrifying."]
Boruto-era, classroom sky-screen.
"Will Obito really become Sage of Six Paths?" Wasabi's lips trembled.
"So scary… so scary…"
[Shinki: "Can my adoptive father beat Obito?"]
[Arago: "Obviously not. Me? Maybe."]
[Boruto: "Only Master Sasuke beats Obito. The rest of the Uchiha are trash!!"]
[Sasuke: "Well said, my pupil. If I feel like it…"]
[Fourth Kazekage Rasa: "Not the point. Are you telling me my Gaara becomes Kazekage?!"]
Rasa blinked in honest confusion.
That son? Really?
[Gaara: "…"]
Gaara stared up at the feed, equally dazed. Him, a Kage?
Because Obito was tunnel-visioning the Ten-Tails, he missed two dots high above—Shadow Clone Naruto and Kakashi.
Kakashi dropped from ten thousand meters and fired Kamui.
Inside, he dragged out Killer B.
B plummeted mouth-first, a Tailed Beast Bomb already forming—aimed square at the Ten-Tails' eye.
"Please hit…" Naruto's voice was tight.
Just before contact, Obito raised… a single finger.
Flick.
The sphere ricocheted and slammed straight into B, launching him like a comet.
"Two flies up top," Madara said, arms folded, bored.
Seeing B tumble, Naruto palmed Kakashi-sensei… and patted him through the air like a volleyball to intercept.
A Ten-Tails arm clipped Naruto—a flare of light—poof. Shadow clone smoke.
Obito watched, a memory cutting in: a boy pushing a teammate aside and taking the hit himself.
"Naruto… you're like me."
[Naruto: "No way I turn out like you!"]
[Momoshiki: "Never say never…"]
[Boruto: "What is that alien even on about?"]
[Obito: "When the person you love dies in front of you—what then, Naruto?"]
[Naruto: "I'd grieve… but I wouldn't do what you did."]
In a small rental room, Naruto mulled it over and answered simply.
He never had parents long enough to understand Obito's abyss.
[Obito: "Hmph. We'll see. You and I are alike."]
[Kakashi: "Obito, please… come back to Konoha."]
[Minato: "Yes, come home."]
"Sure. You're just younger than me. One day—"
A boom cut him off.
B, battered by the rebound blast, pinwheeled away; Naruto's clone vaporized.
"Another shadow clone," Madara said, unimpressed.
The real Naruto caught the falling Kakashi, then sprinted to brace B—arms out, skidding as he stopped the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki from sliding off into ruin.
Stalemate.
Too long in constant combat—Naruto's cloak fizzled; he sagged back to base form.
Stall for time. That was all he could do.
Problem: B also slipped back to his base human state.
Both tailed beasts were at their limit.
Now what?
Kakashi had burned out his eye.
Might Guy still lay on the ground, panting from Gates aftershocks.
[Oscar: "Guy's been the most useless. Why is he always out of breath?"]
[Ni Hong: "Don't be rude to seniors."]
[Rock Lee: "Might Guy-sensei is incredible!!"]
[Oscar: "Doesn't look it. He's as useless as Madara."]
[Madara: "Kid, do you also… wish to dance?"]
[Hashirama: "Madara, don't bully children."]
Madara snorted.
Let the video reach his highlight reel and the kids would eat those words.
[Sarada: "Dad said Might Guy is insanely strong."]
[Might Guy: "Burn bright, youthful flame!!"]
[Rock Lee: "Yes, sensei!!!"]
Elsewhere, Guy and Lee trained with weighted legs, hands on the ground, slowly walking forward.
Villagers stared.
Taijutsu? What's the point?
On the video, Guy's dead weight.
[Shennong: "Eight Gates… I've heard of this."]
[Uryū: "Teacher…"]
The tension ratcheted.
People piled blame onto Guy—always wheezing, never contributing.
"Looks like the Eight- and Nine-Tails have run dry," Obito said flatly from the Ten-Tails' crown.
Naruto bristled, inhaled, and crossed his fingers.
"You'll do Shadow Clones again? Multiplying trash only makes more trash," Madara frowned.
"I'm not trash!" Naruto snapped—
Kakashi touched his arm: save your chakra.
"Hmph. You're nothing but a rabble," Madara sneered.
Naruto froze. A bead of sweat slid down his temple.
"R-rabble…?"
He knew every character, but stuck together like that… what?
From the desk rows, Boruto couldn't help himself.
[Boruto: "Dad, weren't you super well-read as a kid? Explain it!"]
[(Young) Naruto: "…"]
A beat. Then the sky-chat pinged.
[Shikamaru (remote): "Definition: 乌合之众 = a disorderly crowd with no discipline or leadership—'a motley band.' Translation: Madara says you're uncoordinated."]
[Naruto: "…Oh."]
[Sakura: "Then let's coordinate."]
On the battlefield, Naruto's fingers uncrossed. He exhaled, eyes narrowing.
Kakashi steadied B. Guy forced himself to a knee; Lee pushed his hands harder into the dirt.
Madara's smirk widened. "Prove you're not rabble."
High above, the Ten-Tails' pupil tightened to a needle point—
and the ground began to hum.
To be continued…
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