The crimson aura rose from Sasuke like a volcanic eruption.
Sasuke's muscles slightly swelled, veins bulging, and his entire presence instantly escalated to a jaw-dropping degree.
"Triple Kaioken!"
Though Triple Kaioken didn't sound like a huge increase, the boost was actually quite terrifying.
It was an all-around enhancement of strength, speed, defense, reaction, and energy.
"What?" In mid-air, Six Paths Obito finally showed obvious surprise in his normally placid Rinnegan.
He could clearly sense that the Chakra Signature of Sasuke below had instantly surged several-fold.
Although the energy level and 'quality' might not yet rival that of true Six Paths power, the sheer and ferocious 'quantity' and explosive destructive force were already enough to pose a threat to him.
"Naruto!" Sasuke called out.
"Got it!" Naruto understood immediately. His golden Chakra surged as he entered his optimal combat state.
"Here I go!" Sasuke stomped his foot.
Boom!
The earth shattered, leaving a massive crater where Sasuke had stood.
His form transformed into a crimson meteor, appearing before Six Paths Obito in an instant at speeds invisible to the naked eye.
"So fast!" Obito's pupils contracted sharply.
His Rinnegan's dynamic vision barely tracked the movement, but Sasuke's speed was several times greater than before.
"Rozan Shoryuha!"
With the terrifying power of Triple Kaioken, his fist seemed to dent space itself.
Obito dared not be careless, immediately raising his Sage's Staff to block while summoning Truth-Seeking Balls to form a shield before him.
A deafening roar echoed, like the collision of two planets.
A violent shockwave exploded outward in a ring, leveling the already ravaged land for kilometers.
Nearby Ninjas hit by the mere aftershock were sent flying backward, coughing blood as if struck by a heavy hammer.
Obito's body shook violently. He was actually forced back dozens of meters by Sasuke's ferocious punch.
Though unharmed, he felt a clear tremor through his blocking staff, and the Truth-Seeking Ball shield protecting him rippled faintly.
"This power..." Before Obito could adjust, Naruto's attack arrived from another angle.
"Sage Art: Wind Release: Big Ball Rasenshuriken!"
Combining his newly acquired Yang power with Wind Release and Senjutsu, Naruto formed a new Rasenshuriken crackling with golden lightning, hurling it in a high-speed spinning arc from the flank.
Obito immediately manipulated two Truth-Seeking Balls, shaping them into black spears to launch at the Rasenshuriken, while flickering to try and create distance.
However, Sasuke appeared like a phantom at his side.
"Pegasus Meteor Fist!"
Sasuke's fists became a blur of crimson afterimages, countless punches compressing the Kaioken aura pouring down upon Obito like a torrential storm.
Each punch could shatter mountains and crack rocks, and their speed strained even Obito's Rinnegan.
Obito was forced to recall most of his Truth-Seeking Balls, forming them into a rapidly spinning black sphere barrier around himself.
The battle grew increasingly intense.
Sasuke with his crimson aura and Naruto with his golden radiance, like two intertwined bolts of lightning, launched a relentless three-dimensional assault on Six Paths Obito hovering in the air.
Sasuke focused on close-quarters combat, using the explosive power and speed of Triple Kaioken, along with the defense of the Tattoo, to keep Obito tangled up, preventing him from calmly executing powerful Ninjutsu or creating distance.
Naruto moved around at mid-to-long range, utilizing the flight capability of Six Paths mode and various Rasengan variants to provide precise and powerful fire support and suppression.
Though they hadn't fought side-by-side for years, their coordination now was as seamless as if they had practiced it a thousand times.
Sakura watched dumbfounded, 'Why were Naruto and Sasuke so strong? Why was I the only one in Team 7 left behind?'
She smiled bitterly to herself: 'Tsunade-sama, it seems I won't be able to keep up with them.'
Though Obito possessed a higher energy level, under their perfectly coordinated joint assault, he gradually appeared overwhelmed and struggling.
"Impossible! I am the Sage of Six Paths!" Obito was shocked and enraged, his regained composure shattering piece by piece.
"Sage of Six Paths?" Sasuke exploited a tiny opening, slamming a kick onto Obito's Truth-Seeking Ball barrier, causing it to cave in dramatically. "You don't deserve that title!"
Naruto dove from above, a massive Rasengan in each hand, slamming them down: "The old Sage wasn't a scumbag like you!"
Under their combined assault, with their beliefs, strength, and coordination at their peak... the scales of victory began to tip.
Finally, in a moment of exquisite cooperation,
Sasuke used the maximum speed of Triple Kaioken to forcefully break through the Truth-Seeking Balls' interception, shattering Obito's Sage's Staff with a single punch.
Naruto seized the instant of stagnation, pressing his strongest Rasengan, condensed with all his 'Yang' power, firmly against Obito's chest.
An unprecedented explosion erupted, golden light consuming everything.
When the light faded, Obito, charred black and barely alive, plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily into the ruins.
Just as everyone began to relax, a shadow, moving like a living creature, silently seeped from the gaps in the ruins beneath Obito, quickly enveloping his broken body.
"What the hell is that?"
"Look out!"
Kakashi and the others tensed, but their reactions were far too slow against this shadow.
The shadow quickly condensed on Obito's chest, taking shape as a pair of eyes.
"Black Zetsu, it's you!" Obito's eyes widened.
Black Zetsu laughed sinisterly: "Obito, though you failed, your body will serve as a barely adequate sacrifice for Mother's resurrection."
Before everyone's shocked eyes, Black Zetsu suddenly pierced into Obito's chest.
"No... I can't die yet..." Obito's fading consciousness let out a desperate groan, but he had no strength left to resist.
"Black Zetsu! What are you doing?" Just then, a furious shout came from the shadows of the ruins.
Madara appeared, his face a mask of shock and anger: "You were supposed to use Obito's body and perform the Outer Path: Rinne Tensei Technique to revive me!"
Black Zetsu sighed: "Madara-sama, you truly were excellent 'material.'"
"A tenacious will, immense power, the perfect vessel for the Rinnegan... far more suitable than that weak-willed child, Obito."
"But it seems we've run out of time. Uchiha Sasuke is too fast. He would never stand idly by and allow me to revive you, then let you absorb the Ten-Tails."
"You..." Madara's expression darkened considerably as he glared at Black Zetsu. "You are a will I created with Yin-Yang Release. You are supposed to obey my commands! Now! Revive me!"
"Commands? Will? Hahaha..." Black Zetsu mocked loudly. "Uchiha Madara! You self-righteous fool!"
"You treated Obito as a pawn, manipulating him at will, unaware that you yourself are merely a pawn in my hand!"