Chapter 104: Converging, Storms Gathering

The Chakra system of the Naruto world, when manifested as the "Ninja" profession on the Ninja Star, is extremely lopsided—a typical glass cannon with high attack but low defense.

When a ninja reaches the Six Paths level, the short board of the three basic elements—specifically "Physical Strength"—is gradually filled, and their ability to withstand damage increases significantly.

Senju Hashirama, who already possessed the "Sage Body," gained the "Six Paths Power: Yang," making his health bar even more boundless; he is jokingly referred to as the unit of measurement, the "Hashirama."

Uchiha Madara, loaded with the "Six-Tomoe Rinnegan" and "Six Paths Power: Yin," possesses a strength that the Six Paths Sasuke of the Fourth War could never hope to touch.

"Madara! Stop being so willful!"

"Hashirama! You're the one being willful!"

The two middle-aged men shouted passionately, their gazes clashing so intensely it seemed sparks would fly.

After staring each other down for a while, the two men turned their heads away like children, sulking and refusing to acknowledge one another.

"Didn't you say we were going to the moon? Let's get it over with sooner!"

Uchiha Madara crossed his arms, abruptly changing the subject, and gestured with his chin for Black Zetsu to lead the way.

Black Zetsu finally breathed a sigh of relief; the two idiots were nearly ruining the plan to save his mother.

Intent on saving his mother, Black Zetsu didn't bother with their posturing and said calmly, "Follow me, you two."

Black Zetsu led his two "nephews" through the forests of the Land of Fire at high speed, crossing mountains and rivers alike.

Reaching a calm lake, Black Zetsu dove straight in.

Uchiha Madara thought for a moment, then shrouded himself in a Susanoo skeleton made of spiritual energy and chakra, jumping into the pool to follow Black Zetsu.

Senju Hashirama didn't care for such trivialities and performed a cannonball dive, kicking up a massive splash.

After sneaking along the lakebed for over ten minutes, the Six Paths Sage, hiding in the shadows, tapped his staff lightly.

The sealed space power slowly dissipated, and a barrier made of Truth-Seeking Orbs blocked the path ahead of the moon-bound team.

"Glug, glug—"

Black Zetsu signaled for Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama to step forward and use the "Yin" and "Yang" runes to unlock the barrier imposed by Otsutsuki Hagoromo.

At this point, the two didn't cause any more trouble; they extended their left and right hands respectively, their palm runes fitting perfectly into the recesses of the Truth-Seeking Orb barrier.

The life-force-rich "Six Paths Power: Yang" and the spirit-active "Six Paths Power: Yin" glowed with gold and white light, and the Truth-Seeking Orb barrier gradually dissolved.

The three slipped into the entrance of the underwater cavern, passed through a dreamlike bubble, and upon looking back, found themselves in a strange space.

Moon: Inner Space.

A dim orb hung in the sky, most of the land was barren and dilapidated, with only a small amount of land used for crops, where puppets were busy working.

"So this is the moon? It's not quite what I imagined."

Uchiha Madara, confident in his strength, took the leisure to observe the scenery of the moon's inner space.

"It's a bit small. Can people really live in such a desolate place? Won't they get stifled?"

Senju Hashirama gave a blunt evaluation.

"It's normal. After all, it's a seal created by that traitor Otsutsuki Hagoromo using 'Six Paths: Planetary Devastation'; the inner space naturally wouldn't be very large."

Black Zetsu didn't forget to kick Hagoromo while he was down, saying in a deep voice, "Focus on the task at hand. Let's find Hamura's descendants first."

The three walked along the narrow paths between the fields, heading toward the buildings in the distance.

At this point in time, the Otsutsuki on the moon had not yet piled up the "Giant Tenseigan," so their numbers were not small.

"Wait! This is... the Rinnegan?!"

An Otsutsuki dressed as a farmer, controlling thousands of puppets, looked up in shock, using his Byakugan to stare at Uchiha Madara's Six-Tomoe Rinnegan.

"Are you... descendants of the Hagoromo ancestor from the Ninja Star?"

Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama nodded slightly, explaining their purpose after some exchange, and showing the Six Paths runes on their palms to prove their identity.

Indra and Asura back from the dead?

Otsutsuki Hagoromo back in the world?

And that ugly blob, actually a child of the Goddess along with Hamura ancestor?

The Otsutsuki man, whose status wasn't very high, wiped the sweat from his forehead. "The three of you, please follow me. I will take you to see the Clan Head."

Sharing the same origin, how could they fight upon meeting? That would just be being a hot-headed fool.

Not long after, the group arrived at the central area of the building complex and met the Clan Head of the Moon Otsutsuki.

Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow; the Clan Head was interesting, his aura comparable to Madara's own during his Mangekyo period.

"Since it is Asura-senpai and Indra-senpai, acting under the orders of Hagoromo-ancestor, I will naturally cooperate."

"The Ten-Tails husk, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, went missing from the seal over a decade ago. So it was summoned to the Ninja Star by Indra-senpai."

The Rinnegan could not be faked, the Truth-Seeking Orbs could not be faked, and the Six Paths Yin-Yang power passed down in the clan's records could not be faked.

Doubts vanished, and the arrival of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama prevented a fratricidal conflict among the Moon Otsutsuki.

The elderly Otsutsuki Clan Head stroked his graying beard and asked, "Asura-senpai, Indra-senpai, the remains of Hamura-ancestor are kept in the clan cemetery."

"But how do you intend to break the seal imposed by Hagoromo-ancestor?"

"According to the records of our ancestors, the nine Tailed Beasts of the Ninja Star have all been captured by the enemies from beyond. Reconstructing the God Tree to break the 'Six Paths: Planetary Devastation' is no longer possible."

Uchiha Madara waved his hand. "Simple. I'll just slice the moon in half with one strike, won't I?"

The Otsutsuki Clan Head froze, looking at Uchiha Madara in shock, doubting his own ears.

"Indra-senpai, the younger members of the clan might not be able to withstand the aftermath of your power, let alone survive in outer space!"

"Why don't you wait a while? Let the people of the moon migrate to the Ninja Star through the tunnel, and then you can slice the moon and save the Goddess. What do you think?"

Honestly, the Moon Otsutsuki Clan Head was giving them plenty of face, trying to be as accommodating as possible just to fulfill his duty as Clan Head.

"Madara! Don't be reckless!"

Senju Hashirama grabbed Uchiha Madara, forcing a smile. "No problem. About how long will it take to migrate to the Ninja Star?"

The Otsutsuki Clan Head thought for a moment. "Including the main and branch families, there are over four thousand people. The tunnel has a limit on the number of people it can transport at once, and it needs to absorb natural energy from the Ninja Star to recover after each use."

"According to my estimates, it will take at least a month."

*Clang—! *

A crisp, melodious sound rang out, and space rippled like water.

Relying on the three living coordinates, the sneaky Otsutsuki Hagoromo transferred the Netherworld space fragment to the moon region.

Sitting cross-legged in the air, with nine Truth-Seeking Orbs floating around him, the Six Paths Sage—with horns on his head and wearing a Sage's feather robe—stepped through space.

A vast, expansive different space unfolded behind the Six Paths Sage.

"You!! You!! You are... Hagoromo-ancestor?!"

The Moon Otsutsuki Clan Head, who had only seen the Six Paths Sage in clan portraits, was too excited to speak.

The Six Paths Sage stabilized the Netherworld tunnel and said in a deep voice, "Descendants of Hamura, go to my Netherworld space to rest for now. Once everything is over, I will let you return to the Ninja Star."

The Moon Otsutsuki Clan Head naturally could not refuse.

The ancestor had returned from the dead; refusing would be insane!

The Moon Otsutsuki began their migration, keeping everything simple, bringing only a little food and water.

In less than half a day, everyone had entered the Six Paths Sage's Netherworld space.

"Let's go. Wake Hamura, save Mother, the war is about to begin."

Otsutsuki Hagoromo stepped on the ground with a look of nostalgia, walking steadily toward the moon cemetery, followed closely by Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, and Black Zetsu.

"Hamura, forgive me for disturbing your slumber."

The Six Paths Sage stroked Hamura's coffin lightly, sending Hamura's soul, which had been sealed in the Netherworld, back into his old body.

The lifeless blood regained vitality, and the silent coffin began to echo with the sound of a heartbeat.

The withered, frail body grew muscle, and a surging, demonic bloodline force burst through the stone coffin.

Hamura, floating in the air, opened his gorgeous sky-blue eyes, staring blankly at Otsutsuki Hagoromo standing close by.

Otsutsuki Hamura's lips moved; having not spoken for a thousand years, he was a bit stuttery at first, but soon became fluent.

"Brother, why apologize? I never expected that the enemies from beyond, whom Mother worried about, would truly arrive."

"This body of a Bloodline Ghost can still exert some of its former glory; it's not a waste of this thousand-year slumber."

The Six Paths Sage nodded, formed seals with his hands, and shouted, "Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"

*Boom—!! *

Space exploded, and smoke dispersed.

A giant humanoid monster with nine closed eyes and ten spikes connected to its back, looking like it was made of wood, appeared.

Uchiha Madara summoning the Demonic Statue?

Nagato summoning the Demonic Statue?

That was only because Otsutsuki Hagoromo hadn't bothered with it; he was the primary authority of the Demonic Statue!

"Kurama and the others have been captured by the enemy. The Ten-Tails husk might allow Mother to exert considerable power."

"With the five of us combined, we will surely be able to kill the enemies!"

*Crack—crack—! *

The dome of the moon's inner space shook violently, and the tooth-aching sound of friction echoed across the moon.

"Have the enemies discovered us?"

The Six Paths Sage, Hamura, Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara, and the trembling Black Zetsu all looked up at the shattered sky.

Otsutsuki Hamura's body spread with black ghost-like patterns, his human form swelling and deforming into an ugly, twisted monster.

*Bloodline Ghost! *

*Mimic Kekkei Mora: Tenseigan Chakra Mode! *

The patterns in his sky-blue eyes rotated, and dark green chakra flames shrouded his body.

"Brother, you and Black Zetsu go and break Mother's seal."

"Leave this place to me, Indra, and Asura!"

Hamura said calmly, gathering twelve Truth-Seeking Orbs, and a dazzling golden light bloomed!

One strike! Slicing stars and breaking the moon!

Across the cracked sky, the crystal barrier shimmering with flowing light easily blocked the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.

Apostle Li retracted her fair palm, and a black gauze shrouded her body.

*Tailed Beast: Heavy Ion Mode! *

Temporarily loading Meng Yi's electromagnetic control, the thunder sea that lit up the local dark universe converged into a lightning pillar tens of thousands of feet long!

*Electromagnetic Force: Lei Guang Strike! *

The lightning pillar shattered large swaths of the moon's sky, and Otsutsuki Hamura laughed wildly. "Well done!"

The Bloodline Ghost connected to the twelve Truth-Seeking Orbs, and a silver storm rose from the earth, bombarding the magnetic lightning without showing any weakness!

Lei Guang and sword light collided.

Even though most of the force dissipated into outer space, the remaining ripples caused the moon to begin cracking.

Gullies and ravines spread across the moon's surface, and the moon, orbiting the Ninja Star, looked like a piece of porcelain barely held together.

"You six, go capture Uchiha Madara and the Demonic Statue. Leave Otsutsuki Hamura to me."

Apostle Li, the strongest combat unit currently under Meng Yi, spoke calmly, her eyes burning with fighting spirit.

Blood Apostle, Moon Apostle, Apostle Jin, Apostle Shuang, Apostle Ming, and Apostle Qing—the six apostles at the Fourth Rank peak (C+, quasi-Six Paths level)—obeyed the order and flew into the moon's inner space to surround Uchiha Madara.

Apostle Li beckoned provocatively to Otsutsuki Hamura. "It's too cramped here. Shall we fight in outer space?"

"You think I'm afraid of you?!"

The ghost-like Hamura bared his hideous fangs, his back growing twisted wings, and he flapped them to fly out of the moon's inner space.

Moon: Inner Space.

Facing the six surrounding apostles, Uchiha Madara roared, "Do you take me for a soft persimmon?!"

*Rinnegan Jutsu: Limbo: Border Jail! *

Four invisible shadows attacked, and although they knocked the apostles flying, they couldn't break the life-force field loaded by the apostles.

Uchiha Madara's eyes narrowed; after testing the enemy's strength, he didn't dare to be careless, and his inner arrogance subsided slightly.

*Complete Body: Susanoo! *

*Beast Difficulty: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path! *

A Susanoo giant hundreds of meters tall rose from the ground, attached to the Ten-Tails husk, and turned into sky-blue armor.

The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, clad in armor, drew the twin blades at its waist and swung them into a dense web of swords, launching fierce slashes that could split mountains and seas at the six apostles.

"Madara! I'm here to help you!"

*Sage Mode, Open! *

*Six Paths Power: Yang, Open! *

Senju Hashirama was filled with fighting spirit, his Sage markings appearing, and a sun symbol appearing on his forehead.

*Sage Art: Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence! *

What real ninja uses hand seals to fight?

The "True Tree King" clapped his hands together, and whatever he called for appeared.

Earth, water, natural energy, and Six Paths Yang energy merged into one, directly rewriting the environment of the moon's inner space!

*Sage Art: Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands! *

The boundless forest boiled violently, weaving together into a giant wooden Buddha; the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was barely as tall as the wooden Buddha's knees.

*Sage Art: Wood Style: Thousand Wood Dragon Jutsu! *

Senju Hashirama cast another technique, and the thousands of hands behind the wooden Buddha turned into roaring wooden dragons!

The "True Tree King" who gained the "Six Paths Power: Yang" was fierce.

The Six Paths Naruto, who only knew how to make Rasengans and Shadow Clones, wasn't even fit to tie the shoes of the "True Tree King"!

"Hahahaha!"

"Hashirama! Let's fight side by side once more!"

Uchiha Madara laughed wildly, forming hand seals and shouting: *Limbo: Susanoo!! *

Augmented with "Six Paths Power: Yin," Madara was not to be underestimated either.

His six-tomoe Rinnegan rotated, and the four shadows also condensed into Complete Body Susanoos!

"Six against six, now that's fair!"

Why does it feel like the Fourth War Sasuke—with only a single six-tomoe Rinnegan and Eternal Mangekyo—wouldn't be able to beat the Rinnegan Uchiha Madara?