"You have no chance left!"
The skies and the distant horizon had already been reduced to utter ruin, yet on the ground, Konoha's offensive showed no sign of slowing.
Kaguya's sudden assault had forced them completely apart, but fortunately, Tsunade's orders had already been issued.
Even though everyone wanted to rush back and help Tsunade's group, they all knew full well that battle was far beyond what they could interfere with.
Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage, wore a thoroughly displeased expression as he looked at the other Kage reincarnated through Edo Tensei before him. His gaze lingered especially long on the Second Raikage's side.
Back then, he had died in the rebellion carried out by that man's subordinates.
"You can say that to us all you want, but that won't change anything. Right now, I'm more curious about what the hell is going on here."
The Second Tsuchikage launched attacks as he spoke, his voice low and tense.
"Who exactly are those people? What is this war really about?"
How the hell would I know?!
Tobirama fell silent for a moment. He did not even know how to answer, because the truth was that he himself knew next to nothing.
For a long time, he had remained sealed away. His elder brother had not told him many things, which meant he was just as lost as anyone else.
"The truth is probably even more troublesome than you imagine."
Jiraiya, however, knew a little of the inside story. While dodging their attacks, he quickly called out, "Orochimaru, can you hear me? Stop being so stubborn. You're helping evil at this point!"
But his words received no answer.
The reincarnated Kage only attacked more fiercely, leaving Jiraiya with no chance to continue. He could only defend while trying to locate Orochimaru's position.
"Minato Namikaze… I never expected we'd meet like this."
The Fourth Raikage stared at Minato, his whole body wrapped in lightning chakra.
"Good. The fight between us that never truly ended back then can finally be settled now!"
"Do you even understand what you're doing right now? If you keep going like this, you'll only drag everyone to their deaths."
Minato gripped a Flying Thunder God kunai and gazed at the Fourth Raikage solemnly.
"The Eye of the Moon Plan was all a lie. The ones who would destroy the ninja world have already descended. How much further are you planning to go?"
"Destroy the ninja world?"
The Fourth Raikage's eyes flickered, but in the end his expression hardened again.
"And Konoha isn't destroying it? Spare me the nonsense. Look at what you've done. Do you really think there's any room left for reconciliation now?!"
"So you really mean to keep making the same mistake until the very end."
Minato sighed softly, already understanding the Fourth Raikage's choice.
Whether it was because the sunk cost was too great, or simply because none of them believed his words, there was no longer any room for negotiation.
"I understand. Then maybe this is the best chance to truly settle everything that started back then."
The instant he finished speaking, his kunai flew out in a blur, and his body flashed forward like a phantom.
"I wonder what's happening over there… Naruto, Sasuke…"
Not far away, Kakashi was charging deep into the Iwa and Kumo formations, but his thoughts still kept drifting to what was happening behind him.
Fortunately, the battle here was not as difficult as expected. The morale of the Iwa and Kumo forces had collapsed far more than anyone anticipated.
They seemed to have no will to fight at all—either they were defeated outright, or they simply surrendered.
That gave Kakashi some breathing room to stay aware of the rear battlefield, but he soon forced himself to focus.
Around him, Shisui was leading a group of Uchiha Root shinobi in fierce combat.
Guy had already burst into the enemy lines, attacking relentlessly, while the Sand and Mist shinobi also fought with everything they had.
Kakashi knew this was not the time to think about anything else.
"The outcome of this war is almost decided. The faster we finish this, the sooner we can turn our attention to the real problem."
With that thought, Kakashi pushed forward harder.
Whether it was him or everyone else, they all understood one thing.
This battle would decide the future direction of the ninja world itself. It would decide the foundation of whatever peace might come after.
"Damn it…"
Compared to Madara and Hashirama's side, where Kinshiki was not overwhelmingly strong, Ren was utterly suppressing the two Otsutsuki.
On the main battlefield, Konoha's alliance had completely crushed the morale of the Iwa–Kumo coalition.
But Tsunade, Hikari, Naruto, and Sasuke were in a far more dangerous position.
Kaguya was certainly not at full strength, and her combat instincts and battle sense were undeniably lacking.
But even so, for Tsunade, Hikari, Naruto, and Sasuke to handle her was still an uphill struggle.
Tsunade and Hikari were somewhat better off. Their strength had already undergone huge changes, so they could at least hold on.
Naruto and Sasuke, however, were genuinely in bad shape.
Both had improved tremendously. Sasuke had gained the Eternal Mangekyo and undergone another round of growth.
Naruto had gained Sage Mode and Kurama Chakra Mode, and he had become much more familiar with his own abilities through battle.
But neither of them had completed their final transformation yet. Right now, the whole fight was being held together almost entirely by Tsunade and Hikari.
And because those two also had to spare attention to protect Naruto and Sasuke, the battle became even more difficult and chaotic.
Naruto and Sasuke themselves seemed to realize they had become the dead weight, and both of their expressions were ugly.
"Hehe, stop struggling pointlessly."
Black Zetsu's figure emerged from the sleeve of Kaguya's robe, his voice full of sinister laughter.
"I admit Ren is very strong—far more troublesome than I ever expected. He ruined a whole series of my plans. But now he's tied down by two Otsutsuki and has no chance to come reinforce you!
You lot may be decent, but before Mother, all of it is meaningless!
Mother is the origin of chakra. The chakra inside your bodies belongs to her as well.
So stop resisting. Hand over your chakra, and Mother will naturally protect this world. Isn't that what you all wanted?"
"If you want our chakra, then come and take it yourself!"
Hikari snorted coldly, her voice detached. She did not care in the slightest whether the woman before her was some so-called progenitor of chakra or not.
Her Rinnegan locked onto Kaguya, and Susanoo had already formed around her as she waited for an opening.
"Hmph."
Tsunade frowned tightly. The Strength of a Hundred Seal was active, Yang Release chakra swirling around her body. Her stance made her answer crystal clear.
"You two, be careful. That woman is too strong. We probably won't be able to cover for you."
"It seems they won't surrender willingly. Mother, do it."
Seeing their reaction, Black Zetsu immediately urged.
"They are descendants of Indra and Asura, and those two brats carry the purest traces of Indra and Asura's chakra inside them.
I still don't understand it myself. By all logic, Ren and that woman with the Rinnegan should be the ones who inherited Indra and Asura's chakra.
But that's not a bad thing. Extra power only means Mother can recover even more!"
Black Zetsu was indeed confused.
From his perspective, the chakra of Indra and Asura should have long since "escaped" into irregular reincarnations—namely Ren and Hikari.
But now he had suddenly realized that Uchiha Sasuke and the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, also carried that same power.
How was that possible?
Had part of it escaped into abnormal reincarnations, while another part had continued down the bloodlines?
Whatever the explanation was, as he had just said, it was not a bad thing.
Absorbing their chakra would definitely restore Kaguya's strength further.
"…Very well."
Kaguya gave a faint nod.
In the next instant, her Byakugan sharpened, and a vast wave of chakra erupted invisibly from within her.
At that very moment, the earth beneath Tsunade's group shattered apart. Molten magma exploded upward from below in a towering tidal wave!
"Move!"
Tsunade barked sharply and leapt into the air at once.
Her hands flashed through seals.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Jutsu!"
Over the years, Tsunade had poured a great deal of effort into mastering Wood Release, and by now she could use it with real fluency.
At the same time, Hikari shot upward as well, and her enormous Susanoo cleaved forward with a sword strike.
"Hmph."
Kaguya let out a cold snort. A massive Truth-Seeking Ball appeared before her.
Boom!
Both the Wood Dragon and Susanoo's strike were blocked instantly.
At the same time, Kaguya's Byakugan swept over them, laying bare every tenketsu point in their bodies.
Her long hair floated up behind her, then under the infusion of chakra it hardened into countless steel-like needles and shot toward Tsunade, Hikari, and the others!
"Tch— Wood Release: Hōbi Technique!"
Tsunade formed signs at once. A fang-faced wooden shield appeared before her, while Hikari also retreated immediately.
Bang!
But those steel-like strands pierced through Hōbi in an instant, and even shattered Susanoo!
"This woman…"
Both Tsunade and Hikari's expressions worsened as they widened the distance again.
By now, they had both realized that Kaguya's battle sense seemed flawed.
But the problem was that she was simply too strong. With a casual gesture, she could reshape terrain, unleash overwhelming chakra at any moment, and instantly shift through space itself.
That made her incredibly difficult to handle.
"We have to find a way to get close if we want to really hurt her."
Tsunade spoke in a low voice, glancing around before continuing.
"Your eyes… do they have any other abilities left that could help here?"
"Possibly. My eyes retained the powers of the Sharingan, and they also gained some new abilities."
Hikari thought for a moment. Looking at the woman radiating vast chakra in the distance, she answered in a low voice.
"I'll need your cooperation. And be careful—Naruto and Sasuke were deliberately left behind, which means they're probably important somehow.
Find a way to protect those two. I don't want to hear Ren nagging afterward."
"You don't need to remind me."
Tsunade nodded. She was Hokage—there was no way she would let those two boys be taken down in front of her.
"Let's go. We can't afford to embarrass ourselves here."
"I know that without you saying it."
Hikari narrowed her eyes, and in the next instant she and Tsunade rushed forward once more.
Behind them, Naruto and Sasuke watched with complicated expressions.
Faced with the battle ahead, it felt as though there was nothing they could do.
That feeling gnawed at both of them.
They wanted to contribute. They wanted to do something.
But the cruel truth was that without experiencing Six Paths Obito's assault, without learning the flaws and nature of Six Paths-level combat, without facing Six Paths Madara and forcing the Sage of Six Paths to "sell them a cheat," the two of them were still missing a crucial final step.
"How did this happen…? I got so much stronger, so why…"
Naruto clenched his fists, miserable and frustrated. Sasuke beside him said nothing, but he was no less furious.
He had killed Uchiha Itachi, replaced his eyes, undergone another transformation, and then killed Edo Itachi all over again.
He had thought this war to pacify the ninja world would be the moment he could truly shine and restore the Uchiha name.
But then Obito became Six Paths-level.
And now things had become even more ridiculous.
The Otsutsuki recorded in the stone tablet and the root had actually descended.
Everything happening around them felt so absurd that both boys were shaken to their core.
At this point, Naruto and Sasuke felt exactly the same—they no longer understood why the world had become like this.
Why had Kaguya specifically singled them out?
What could they possibly do now?
And yet, just as despair and frustration were reaching their peak, a peculiar chakra suddenly began to stir inside them.
It felt as though it arose from the very depths of their hearts, as though it had crossed time itself to gather within them.
"Hmm?!"
Inside Naruto, Kurama's eyes flew open.
"The chakra of Indra and Asura exploded? And there's another chakra too—this is…"
"The old man's presence?"
"Huh? Where is this? Wasn't I just on the battlefield?"
Naruto, who had been drowned in regret only a moment ago, suddenly felt darkness swallow his vision. In the next instant, he realized he had arrived in some unknown world.
It was completely dark, with only a few streaking lights crossing the void like falling stars.
The strange sight left him baffled.
And then his face immediately darkened.
"Wait a second… Don't tell me Kaguya actually killed me?! No way! I still had so many things to do—how did this happen?!"
The moment that thought appeared, Naruto clutched his head in panic.
This was absolutely not how he wanted things to end.
"I don't know what your personal definition of death is."
At that moment, the voice of an old man suddenly echoed through the space.
"But by my definition, you're not dead. Not yet."
"Huh?"
Hearing the voice, Naruto got to his feet and looked toward it.
An old man in white robes sat cross-legged in midair, black Truth-Seeking Balls circling beneath him and supporting his body.
He had a long white beard that reached his waist, a pair of strange horns on his head, and in the center of his forehead was a crimson eye with concentric ripples.
"Rinnegan…"
Naruto muttered.
He noticed that the old man's two normal eyes were also Rinnegans—purple ones.
That face, that look, those eyes… he looked almost exactly like Kaguya and the Otsutsuki who had come from outside.
"An Otsutsuki?"
The moment Naruto saw him, he became alert. He started calling out to Kurama in his mind while trying to gather chakra.
But his face changed at once.
Inside him, everything was empty.
There was no chakra at all.
Kurama was nowhere to be found either.
"What's going on?"
"There's no need to panic, and no need to fear. I know what you're worried about, but I am not with them."
The old man seemed to know exactly what Naruto was thinking. He shook his head helplessly.
"Though in some ways I am of the same clan as they are, I am also their enemy."
"Enemy?"
Naruto frowned. He did not know whether he should believe this old man.
Still, when he thought about it, he did not really have much choice but to hear him out.
"Then who are you, old… sir? And where is this place?"
As he spoke, he looked around again, and suddenly something here felt oddly familiar.
The water at his feet…
The darkness all around…
Wasn't this the place where the Nine-Tails had once been sealed?
It was only because Kurama was gone and the seal had already been unlocked that it now felt so unfamiliar.
"This is your consciousness space."
The old man remained stern as he explained.
"As for my name… I'm not entirely sure how I ought to say it. I cannot be certain whether the name that has been passed down matches my true name. Too much time has passed.
My original name is Otsutsuki Hagoromo."
"…."
What kind of weird name is that?
Naruto silently stared at him, though inwardly he could not help grumbling. He had never heard of that name in his life.
"That reaction… yes, I expected as much. You are as straightforward as Asura was back then."
The old man—the Sage of Six Paths—remained calm, clearly unsurprised by Naruto's response.
"I think your current condition can be understood if one combines your memories with the circumstances of the battlefield.
Your body is fine. This is your spiritual world. Your battle with my mother caused a severe fluctuation in your spirit.
That awakened Asura's chakra, and in turn awakened the power I left within Asura's chakra…"
I really am terrible at dealing with old men like this…
Listening to him ramble on, Naruto's face twisted up. This old guy was unbelievably long-winded.
"So I wanted to meet you. You don't need to rush. In this place…"
Before he could finish, Naruto finally cracked.
"Okay, stop! Sir, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but those Otsutsuki out there are destroying the world and my time is precious!"
Naruto said in exasperation, holding himself back from blurting out, Can you just speak like a normal person?!
"Even if I'm still weak and can't turn the tide by myself, that's still my home out there. I want to help!"
"…."
The Sage of Six Paths said nothing for a moment, seeming to understand what kind of person Naruto was. Then he sighed softly.
"Very well. Perhaps the ages have passed too long. The language and culture of your era are somewhat different from my own.
I would have liked to learn your modern way of speaking, but it seems I do not have the time. So…"
"Then get to the point!"
Naruto really was at his limit. He was already wondering if punching himself awake might work.
Not that it ever had before. Back when he had accidentally entered Kurama's space, he had tried similar things plenty of times.
Still…
Hitting himself did nothing.
Would hitting this old man work?
A disturbingly rebellious idea crossed Naruto's mind. Granted, he respected his elders—but the world outside was being torn apart, so this could count as an emergency measure, right?
"…."
The Sage of Six Paths looked at Naruto and seemed to catch on immediately. For the first time, even he seemed a little thrown off.
Was he really that unwelcome?
"All right. In that case, I will try to be brief."
He sounded a little resigned as he continued.
"You need not worry too much about the battle outside. The flow of time within the spiritual world differs from the outside. We have enough time.
I came to see you because there are many things I wish to tell you. Also, you seemed unfamiliar with my name earlier.
In my era, people called me the Sage of Six Paths. Though personally, I always felt that title was somewhat excessive…"
"Huh? The Sage of Six Paths?"
Naruto's face filled with shock.
"You mean the legendary ancestor of all shinobi? The sage who sealed the Rabbit Goddess and brought peace to the world?"
"Oh? So you do know. And apparently you know quite a bit."
The Sage looked at him, somewhat surprised.
"Yeah, I've seen that history."
Naruto nodded, but then his expression turned odd again.
"I don't remember all of it clearly, but the tablet and the root both talked about your story."
"The tablet… and the root?"
The Sage of Six Paths looked completely puzzled.
The tablet, if he had to guess, should be the one he left for Indra.
But the root…
What in the world was that?
"Yeah, the tablet and the root. A lot of us saw them."
Naruto paid no attention to the Sage's confused face and went on.
"The tablet was tampered with and turned into the Eye of the Moon Plan.
But you had already discovered everything and left the truth in a root for Asura's descendants—Ren found it on the moon.
He found out a whole lot from it, and a lot of us learned the truth too."
"…?"
The Sage of Six Paths was genuinely lost.
I did that?
How come I don't remember doing that?
"Grandpa Sage, to be honest, I was really angry at first."
Naruto let out a long sigh, his voice dropping.
"Because even though you discovered everything, you still didn't stop it. You let the Uchiha and the Senju fight for a thousand years, and the whole ninja world got dragged into it.
I don't even know how many people died because of that. How many innocent people were killed. I always thought you were a cold, heartless sage.
I never said it out loud, and none of the people who knew the truth really said it either, but… that's what everyone thought."
"…."
I'm cold and heartless?
I let war continue on purpose?
The Sage's face remained calm, but inside he was growing more and more bewildered.
Could someone have copied the tablet tampering and forged some so-called Senju root too… while dragging his name into it?
Or had one of his old chakra manifestations acted on its own?
At his level, he had long transcended the limits of flesh and entered another kind of existence.
What remained in this world was only chakra consciousness.
That made it very hard for even him to know what had really happened.
"But now… I think I understand. I think I finally understand why you did it."
Naruto sighed again, then forced a crooked smile.
"Once I saw those Otsutsuki for myself, I realized how strong they really are. How terrifying.
If not for those thousand years of war tempering us, making our wills stronger and our skills sharper, maybe we wouldn't even have the courage to face them.
Guys like Ren are super rare, but at least because of all that, someone like him exists now—someone who can fight two of them at once.
No wonder Ren never said anything bad about you."
"…."
One person… fighting two Otsutsuki?
Ren?
That sounds like Asura's side, maybe?
What exactly is going on out there?
"Could you tell me more about this Ren?"
The Sage of Six Paths asked after a moment of thought.
"Don't worry. There's no time limit here. Right now, I simply want to know more.
And you can rest assured—I have a way to let you bring out far more of your power."
"Ren… so that's how it is?"
In Sasuke's spiritual world, he had been asked much the same thing.
After all, Ren had an enormous influence on him, on Naruto, and on the ninja world as a whole.
Naturally, the Sage was curious.
Only now, it was clear his feelings had gone beyond curiosity alone. He seemed genuinely astonished.
Through Sasuke's explanation, he learned just how many outrageous things Ren had done—and how unbelievable all of them sounded.
There were many things he did not comment on, but one fact stood above all the rest.
Ren had truly stopped the war between the descendants of Indra and Asura.
And he had even gone to the moon, stopping the dangerous ideas of Hamura's descendants there.
His strength, moreover, had risen step by step to an almost unthinkable level—and the key thing was, he was still so young.
"Most importantly, he found the so-called 'root' I supposedly left for Asura, exposed the grand conspiracy of the ninja world, understood the reason for my choices, and even pointed out the path the ninja world must take in the future?"
Thinking of it, the Sage's expression grew stranger and stranger.
He really did not remember ever doing such a thing.
In fact, he was beginning to suspect that Ren himself might have been behind it.
But after thinking it through, he felt that was unlikely.
That so-called root supposedly contained far too many secrets of the ninja world—things an ordinary person should not have been able to know.
"And even if he did create it himself… it seems I cannot do anything about it now. And all of it was for the sake of the ninja world…"
At present, the Sage was only a chakra consciousness. Even if it contained the highest forms of Yin and Yang Release, that power had originally been reserved for dealing with his mother.
Besides, if Ren truly acted for the ninja world, then his will and the Sage's own will were aligned. He could hardly call such a person an enemy.
"What an extraordinary child."
At last, the Sage smiled.
"With him here, and with all of you here as well, the ninja world may well know peace again. After all, he truly understands what kind of enemy the future will bring."
"Us?"
Sasuke shook his head, his fist clenching helplessly.
"You really overestimate us. I'd like nothing more than to stand with Ren-sama and fight those monsters.
But… but…"
"In truth, you underestimate yourself far too much."
The Sage of Six Paths smiled faintly.
"And, to be honest, your current attitude is much better than before. Was that Ren's influence too?"
"Hm?"
Sasuke frowned. He did not know what the old man meant. It sounded almost as if they had known each other a very long time ago.
"I know you're confused. But there's something you've likely already sensed."
The Sage waved his hand, and a Six Paths staff appeared in it.
He lightly tapped it against the ground.
In an instant, ripples spread across the water below, and within that reflection at Sasuke's feet, another figure began to emerge.
"Do you see? Hidden within your inner world is another person.
That person is my son—Indra."
"Indra?"
Sasuke's face tightened. He had, of course, sensed that the chakra inside him was strange.
But before now, he had not paid it much attention.
The reflected figure was becoming clearer and clearer, though somehow he still could not quite grasp all of its details.
But now… suddenly a great many things made sense.
"That's right. Indra."
The Sage nodded, his expression turning serious.
"You know the origin of their conflict. But I suspect you do not know how deep that hatred truly runs.
Even after death, their wills continue to cycle through reincarnation along with their chakra.
Of course, you are not literally him. You are still yourself. Your own thoughts and will remain your own.
Otherwise, you would never have changed the way you did. Isn't that so?"
"I see…"
Sasuke lowered his head to look at the reflection for a while before suddenly asking, "If that's true, then the previous reincarnations of Indra and Asura were Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, right?"
"That's correct."
"Then after they died, it became Hikari-nee and Ren-sama… didn't it?"
"…."
"They're both still perfectly fine, so why did it suddenly shift to me?"
"…Perhaps… some sort of irregularity occurred?"
Even the Sage of Six Paths looked confused at that.
Because by Sasuke's—and Naruto's—telling, Ren should indeed have been Asura's reincarnation, and the girl called Uchiha Hikari should have been Indra's.
Except the two of them had completely overturned the natural order.
They had become entangled with each other instead of inheriting the old conflict.
Of course, they might not be true reincarnations in the usual sense at all. But if not, why were they that strong?
"This isn't the important point right now."
The Sage decisively changed the subject.
"You should understand that the ninja world now faces its gravest crisis.
Even with Ren present, what about the future?
Now then—are you willing to fight once more for the ninja world? Are you willing to inherit Indra's power, and in doing so, change the future that should have belonged to him?"
"If I'm not mistaken, Asura's reincarnation should be Naruto, right?"
Sasuke did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked with a faint smile.
The Sage nodded.
"Yes. It's him. You are true brothers."
"Of course we are brothers. But not because of Indra and Asura."
Sasuke also smiled, shaking his head gently.
"Though being brothers with that idiot is honestly exhausting, I'm still glad I met him.
If it's him… then he'll probably make the same decision I do."
In the sky, the violent battle still raged on.
Three figures fought more fiercely, more savagely, and with increasing intensity.
They had long since surpassed the limits of geography. In fact, they had passed through atmospheric layers and even into outer space.
Everywhere they crossed, space, cloud, and earth alike were shattered and torn apart.
"Damn it! What are you still hesitating for?!"
Amid the fight, Urashiki shouted furiously at Momoshiki.
"Do you want to reach the point where you can't even use Kāma, you idiot?!"
"Shut up!"
Momoshiki roared back.
He too had not expected Ren to be this troublesome, especially not in his current state.
Originally, he had thought that with Urashiki going all out, he could conserve some strength and then swoop in to seize Ren's power at the end.
But he had never imagined that Ren still had not been fighting seriously up until then.
And once Ren did go all out, his strength became this overwhelming?
"Just how many planets did this monster consume?"
Momoshiki screamed inwardly.
And right then, Ren was already upon him.
That made his face change drastically.
"Bastard… are you treating me like the weak point?!"
Momoshiki was furious. Still, with Ren now directly in front of him, he thrust out his black staff without hesitation.
"Too slow."
Ren merely shook his head. With an effortless sidestep, he avoided the strike completely.
Then he closed the distance in an instant and brought his golden sword down.
"Damn it!"
Momoshiki cursed inwardly. He forced his chakra into motion and shot backward at top speed.
At the same time, he tried to distort space to delay the sword.
His black staff retracted at once. He knew perfectly well that Urashiki would not block for him.
And more than that—Ren's attack was simply too sharp. It was impossible to withstand directly.
Bang!
A dull impact rang out as Momoshiki retreated in a flicker, looking utterly disheveled.
And behind him, blood spilled in a long arc.
A gruesome wound had opened across his chest.
Buzz!
But just as Ren sent Momoshiki flying, he immediately sensed something strange happen to time around him.
Urashiki had already rushed to his front.
He seemed even faster now, and far more hideous.
After fully unleashing the chakra in his body, the strange black markings had spread even further across him.
The golden Rinnegan in his forehead radiated wildly, locking onto Ren.
And within that eye, Ren could clearly sense the power of time.
But for Ren, that was no great problem.
The "Moon's Eye" on his forehead also chose that instant to display its power.
Buzz!
In that moment, the Moon's Eye slowly turned, and a bizarre authority emerged from it.
"I declare… time remains unchanged."
Ren spoke quietly.
And with those words, the disturbed flow of time instantly returned to normal.
This was one of the abilities he had obtained—or more precisely, one of the innate powers of the Moon's Eye in his forehead.
The ability was apparently called Omnipotence.
At that point, it had already completely transcended the category of mere dōjutsu.
It had risen to an entirely different realm.
"A divine art…"
After gaining true control over the Divine Tree, Ren had gradually come to understand the abilities of the Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan in his forehead.
Not all of them yet—but enough to recognize many things, including Omnipotence.
He had seen this before in the world from which he came.
Its power was utterly absurd.
Rewriting the memories of the entire ninja world in an instant, turning Boruto—the prince of the story—into a traitor, was simply insane.
True, the effect could slowly weaken over time.
But Ren suspected that if the chakra behind it were strong enough, even that weakness might disappear.
"Perhaps this is the true power of divine arts."
Looking at Urashiki charging toward him without a care, Ren gave a soft laugh and met him head-on.
In an instant, the two of them collided.
The very starry expanse around them began to warp and break.
Yet Ren remained utterly calm.
Even after entering this transformed state, Urashiki's combat power, though far greater than before, was still not enough to truly threaten him.
In terms of taijutsu, battle instincts, and combat technique, the gap between them was simply too great.
Ren could not help but feel that the hellish grind of the ninja world had truly paid off.
That brutal environment had sharpened every aspect of his battle sense, his techniques, and his instincts, allowing him to adapt instantly and fight seriously under any circumstance.
And beyond that…
Ren himself had truly grown far stronger.
[Ren]
[Overall Physical Ability: LV17]
[Chakra: LV17]
[Ability: Kekkei Mōra: LV15, omitted…]
This improvement had not caused any outward commotion.
Ren could feel it clearly himself—at his current level, if a growth in strength were to cause some kind of grand heavenly phenomenon, it would probably only happen once he approached the realm of an Otsutsuki God.
His increase now was no different from Urashiki devouring his own Rinnegan and transforming.
At most, it had left him temporarily unaccustomed to his new body.
But as battle continued, even that slight awkwardness disappeared immediately.
Yet that did not mean his increase had been small.
The Ren of now and the Ren from before were already completely different beings.
Clang!
The golden sword in his hand effortlessly intercepted Urashiki's fishing rod.
Under Urashiki's shocked and bewildered gaze, Ren flickered.
Buzz!
The golden blade slashed again.
This time it tore straight across Urashiki's back, and blood sprayed across the heavens.
"You should understand by now that, to me, you lot really aren't all that special."
Ren did not pursue further. He simply hovered in place and shook his head.
"Perhaps the only difference between you and the shinobi of this world is that you're Otsutsuki.
That makes you a little harder to kill.
Other than that, there's really nothing extraordinary about you."
"You arrogant brat…"
Urashiki's temper snapped further. The golden Rinnegan on his forehead swelled grotesquely, as if it were about to burst right out of the socket.
"Am I arrogant? Don't you know the answer yourselves?"
Ren shook his head. The aura of the golden sword in his hand grew sharper and more terrifying.
"Harder to kill, yes. But that only means wasting a little more of my time.
So don't worry…"
"I'll send each of you off. One by one."
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