Chapter 208: The Sage of Six Paths

Meanwhile, in the Ninja World outside.

The Sage of Six Paths and the successive Hokage stood on a high ground.

Suddenly, the Sage of Six Paths slowly raised his palm, a faint light rippling in his palm, "Did it succeed?" A trace of relief carried in his voice.

"It seems the sealing went smoothly." Hashirama Senju smiled faintly, "Those two kids really pulled it off."

"Now we just need to bring them back." The Sage of Six Paths turned to the group, "I've already prepared the technique."

"How do we do it?" Hashirama asked.

"I will form the technique's Hand Seals," the Sage of Six Paths explained, brows furrowing slightly, "but this technique requires a massive amount of chakra, and right now I don't have that much."

Voice Not Fall, a violent fluctuation suddenly came from the air, the Sage of Six Paths's expression changed abruptly, brows knitting tight.

"What's wrong?" Tobirama keenly sensed something was off.

The Sage of Six Paths's voice sank: "The seal has been broken."

"What?" Minato's face instantly tightened, he stepped forward, "Did Kaguya break free of the seal? Are Naruto and the others alright?"

The Sage of Six Paths did not answer immediately, his figure slowly rose, the Natural Energy around him surging like a tide, instantly forming a tornado-like vortex.

Sand and gravel moved without wind, emitting fine cracking sounds.

"This chakra fluctuation." Hashirama widened his eyes, as the God of Shinobi he clearly felt that heart-palpitating power, in the blink of an eye it had multiplied to several times the chakra within his body.

"I must go take a look." The Sage of Six Paths's hands rapidly formed Hand Seals.

"We're going with you." Hashirama spoke and moved to step forward.

The Sage of Six Paths shook his head: "You stay here. With the current situation, going won't help, and you might get caught in the backlash instead."

Voice Not Fall, the Sage of Six Paths's figure instantly vanished from the spot.

……………………

In the Beginning Ball Space: Kaguya's eyes widened, revealing a pained expression for the first time.

Starting from where the Tentacles made contact, her body continuously shrank, countless particles continuously pouring into Madara's body.

"Not good!" Naruto's face changed, about to rush forward.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a suffocating aura erupted from within Madara's body. Air Waves swept out, rubble sent flying, the ground instantly cracking.

The skin on Madara's forehead writhed, two fine cracks surfaced, white light faintly visible from within the Cracks.

"Now!" The Magatama in Sasuke's left eye spun wildly, Locking onto Kaguya's Location, "Amenotejikara!"

Space distorted for a moment, however just as Sasuke was about to swap positions with Kaguya, four illusory figures suddenly appeared around Madara, instantly blocking Kaguya and Madara behind them.

"Damn it!" Naruto raised his right hand, orange chakra condensing in his palm, "Sage Art: Magnet Release Rasenshuriken!"

A giant Shuriken wrapped in Magnet Release chakra broke through the sky, tracing an arc straight for Madara's back.

Sasuke instantly understood, Complete Body Susanoo coalescing behind him. The purple energy Giant drew its bow and nocked an arrow, the arrow Entangled with black Amaterasu flames.

"Go!"

The Magnet Release Rasenshuriken and the Amaterasu arrow converged mid-air, the two forces fusing perfectly, forming a blinding radiance.

"Crack! Crack!"

At This Moment, the two protrusions on Madara's forehead suddenly burst, blood spraying, two Byakugan abruptly opening!

Four different ocular powers intertwined, erupting with a heart-palpitating fluctuation.

"Hahaha!" Madara laughed to the sky, a hint of madness in his laughter, "So this is Kaguya's power? It's... truly wonderful!"

He abruptly turned, right fist blasting out, the air instantly Freezing: "Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!"

"Boom!"

Dense fist shadows instantly manifested in the air, each fist shadow wrapped in terrifying chakra, even more fierce compared to Kaguya, instantly Smashing the Rasenshuriken and energy arrows to pieces.

The remaining fist shadows lost no momentum, heavily bombarding Naruto and Sasuke.

The two were instantly blown away, tracing two arcs in the air, finally crashing heavily onto the Ground.

"Cough!"

Blood overflowed from the corner of Naruto's mouth, he propped his body up with difficulty, this strike's power was actually several times stronger than Kaguya's previous attacks.

"This power." Sasuke propped himself on his right hand, slowly Standing Up, gaze heavy, "He not only obtained Kaguya's power, but even amplified it."

At this moment Naruto's eyes suddenly lit up, he turned to look at Sasuke: "Hey, I've got a move."

"What?" Sasuke was just about to form Hand Seals, hearing this his hand movements paused.

"It might be able to interrupt Madara's process of absorbing Kaguya." The corner of Naruto's mouth hooked into a cunning smile.

Sasuke instantly reacted, eyes widening: "You mean that one? Using that kind of technique now" Disbelief carried in his voice.

"Won't know unless we try." Naruto grinned, "And look, his current state."

Sasuke's gaze sharpened, indeed, Madara was currently immersed in the pleasure of gaining power, this was an opportunity.

"At This Moment!" Naruto pushed off the Ground, his whole person soaring into the sky. Hands rapidly forming Hand Seals, chakra rapidly circulating in his body.

"Ninjutsu: Reverse Harem Technique!"

"Bang!"

White smoke billowed, instantly filling the entire Space. When the smoke dispersed, Madara's Pupils abruptly contracted——

Dozens of Hashirama Senju appeared before him, each wearing Red armor, Long Hair draping to their waists.

"Madara, how could you do this to me." One Hashirama said aggrievedly.

"Aren't we best friends?" Another Hashirama's eyes glistened with tears.

"You actually abandoned our friendship for power" More Hashirama joined the chorus.

"Pfft!"

Madara caught off guard, six eyes staring round. His figure involuntarily Retreated half a step, clearly having suffered no small shock.

"Right Now!" Sasuke moved with lightning speed, Susanoo expanding in an instant, the purple energy giant drawing its longbow.

"Amaterasu!" Jet-black flames entwined around the arrow, tearing through the air.

Naruto also seized the opportunity, Sage Mode chakra gathering in his palm: "Sage Art: Wind Release Rasenshuriken!"

However, the very instant the attacks were about to connect, Madara's vacant gaze suddenly sharpened. He swung his right hand violently, chakra surging around him: "Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!"

"Boom!"

Countless fist shadows instantly materialized in the air, each wreathed in terrifying chakra.

These fist shadows fell like raindrops, instantly smashing the Amaterasu arrow and the Rasenshuriken to pieces.

The remaining fist shadows lost no momentum, slamming heavily into Naruto and Sasuke. The two traced arcs through the air like kites with cut strings, finally crashing hard into the ground.

"Cough!" A trickle of blood spilled from the corner of Naruto's mouth; this strike's power was more than double the previous ones.

"You two bastards!" Madara gritted his teeth, cold light flashing in his six eyes, "You actually dare use such despicable means to humiliate me!"

Amidst the roar, the God Tree's roots behind Madara writhed frantically, accelerating the absorption; Kaguya was tightly entangled by jet-black roots, her figure already shrunk to only one-tenth its original size, like a petite porcelain doll.

"Mother!" Black Zetsu collapsed on the ground, letting out a wail.

At this moment Madara turned his head, looking down at Black Zetsu on the ground, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes: "To resurrect Kaguya, you manipulated countless people's fates, started wars, causing countless innocents to die."

Madara slowly raised his right hand, "An existence like you has no need to continue surviving."

"No!"

Black Zetsu let out a shriek, trying to burrow underground and escape.

"Truth-Seeking Ball!"

Madara waved his hand, a Truth-Seeking Ball instantly shooting out, engulfing Black Zetsu in his terrified gaze.

"Boom!"

After a muffled blast, Black Zetsu didn't even have time to scream before turning to flying ash, dissipating into the air.

Naruto struggled up from the ground, his golden pupils filled with disbelief.

"Madara!" Naruto clenched both hands into fists: "You already knew Infinite Tsukuyomi was Black Zetsu's scheme, why still do this?!"

"Hmph." Madara tilted his head slightly, a trace of coldness flashing in his six eyes, "Infinite Tsukuyomi was indeed a trap Black Zetsu set to resurrect Kaguya, but"

"But what?" Naruto stomped his foot, the ground cracking, his whole body shooting toward Madara like an arrow off the bowstring: "Can't you see clearly?"

Madara swung his right hand forward, an invisible force slamming heavily into Naruto's chest; Naruto's figure stalled, suspended in mid-air.

"The ones who can't see clearly are you!" Madara's voice suddenly rose, "The path I once walked was not wrong! People can never truly understand each other! As long as people exist, war will never stop!" "You're wrong!" Naruto roared, "People can understand each other!"

"Naive!" Madara let out a cold laugh, "You think the Five Great Ninja Villages united back then for some other reason? It was merely because they feared Hashirama's power! Once Hashirama died, war broke out immediately! That is human nature!"

"That's because." Naruto tried to retort.

"Because what?" Madara coldly interrupted, "Because without absolute power to suppress them, the greed and desire in human nature will be exposed. Only before overwhelming force will people temporarily set aside their differences!"

"Since Hashirama's era has ended, then I will end this absurd cycle!"

Madara Uchiha shouted in rage, the roots greedily devouring Kaguya's power; her figure had become nearly transparent, yet Madara's aura grew ever more terrifying.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a golden light tore across the long sky, like a sharp blade, instantly severing the connection between Madara and Kaguya.

The jet-black roots snapped in response, Madara's figure shuddering violently, retreating half a step.

"This is." Naruto's eyes widened, "Grandpa Sage of Six Paths!"

In the air, an old man in a long robe, holding a Shakujō, slowly manifested; he had gray-white long hair, a spiral emblem revealed on his forehead.

"The Sage of Six Paths?" Madara tilted his head slightly, a trace of surprise flashing in his six eyes, "You're actually still alive?"

"Uchiha Madara." The Sage of Six Paths looked down at the figure below, brow tightly furrowed, "You are not of this world; such special power, I have never seen in all these years."

"Oh?" A trace of interest flashed in Madara's eyes, "So you've survived from the beginning until now, observing everything in this world?"

The Sage of Six Paths was about to speak when a burst of loud laughter suddenly cut him off.

"Hahaha!"

Madara laughed to the heavens, his laughter full of irony, "So you've lived this long just to be a bystander?"

The Sage of Six Paths' brow furrowed slightly: "What do you mean by that?"

"What do I mean?" Madara's voice suddenly turned cold, "You created the ninja system, yet turned a blind eye to the Ninja World's chaos! You clearly possessed the power to end it all, yet merely hid in the shadows watching!"

Madara swung his right hand violently, air waves surging: "War has never stopped, hatred passed down generations. You, the progenitor of ninja, besides scattering power across the world, what else have you done?!"

The Sage of Six Paths quietly regarded Madara, his eyes utterly calm: "You think possessing power can solve everything?"

"At least it's better than doing nothing!" Madara shouted, "Since you're unwilling to end this absurd cycle, then let me be the one to settle it!"

"Boom!"

Vast chakra fluctuations erupted with Madara as the center, sweeping the surroundings like an invisible shockwave.

"Ugh." Naruto only felt a stuffiness in his chest, as if pressed down by an invisible giant hand; even the Nine-Tails' chakra stagnated under this pressure.

Sasuke fared no better, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "This power..."

The Sage of Six Paths lightly tapped the void with his Shakujō, a golden ring of light expanding with him as the center. "Naruto, Sasuke, your mission is already complete."

Golden light enveloped the two; the Six Paths Power within their bodies rapidly returned into the Sage of Six Paths' body.

Simultaneously, a beam of light shot toward Kaguya's nearly transparent form, drawing her into it.

"Wait!" Naruto tried to stop it, but his body had already begun turning illusory.

"What are you doing?" Madara narrowed his eyes at the Sage of Six Paths.

Only after Naruto and Sasuke's figures had completely faded did the Sage of Six Paths turn his gaze to Madara:

"I cannot let you leave this world with the Tailed Beasts' power; this world still needs the Tailed Beasts' power."

"Bang!"

Next second, the Sage of Six Paths slammed both palms into the void. Invisible waves rapidly expanded with him as the center, space as if shrouded by an invisible barrier.

"This..." Madara's six eyes on his forehead lit up simultaneously, his brow furrowed. Space was sealed by some power, not even the power of the Magatama Rinnegan could break through.

"Madara Uchiha." The Sage of Six Paths's voice suddenly turned serious, "Our battle will destroy the entire Ninja World. So..."

"Bang!"

His shakujō struck the ground heavily: "Everything will end here!"

"Since that's the case..." Madara's six eyes lit up simultaneously, "Then let's fight!"

"Boom!"

Blue chakra erupted from Madara's body, soaring into the sky like a volcanic eruption.

A massive Susanoo skeleton formed within the light pillar, muscles and skin instantly covering the whole body, armor appearing one after another.

Then the giant's body rose section by section, in the blink of an eye exceeding a thousand meters. Blue radiance illuminated the entire sky, like a pillar supporting the heavens, its shadow enough to cover a town.

Mountain peaks beneath his feet were as small as toys, every movement able to make the earth tremble.

"Do you think you can defeat me, who possesses the power of two Ten-Tails?!" Madara's voice echoed through heaven and earth.

The Sage of Six Paths said nothing, merely slowly raising his palm; the next moment, an indescribable fluctuation came from the void.

"Hum—"

Countless golden points of light emerged from the void, dense as stars. Every point of light contained the chakra of a soul.

"This..." Madara's pupils shrank, "Pure Land?"

The points of light converged like streams, turning into a golden flood injected into the Sage of Six Paths's body.

The chakra accumulated by ninjas who died over a thousand years in the Pure Land was now all poured into his body.

"Heh, so that's it." Madara laughed coldly, "You really held back."

The Sage of Six Paths's Susanoo soared into the sky; in the blink of an eye, a golden giant equal in height to Madara condensed into form, facing off against the blue Susanoo from afar.

The golden Susanoo raised both hands to the sky, countless chakra gathering in its palms. In the blink of an eye, a hundred-zhang-long great sword formed.

"Boom!"

The sword edge whistled down; wherever it passed, clouds were split in two, wrapping around both sides of the blade like gauze, then torn into fragments by the blade's edge.

"Hmph!" A glint of cold light flashed in Madara's eyes; the blue Susanoo's right hand shot out like lightning, and the moment the hilt entered his hand, the entire space froze.

Then his right foot stomped down heavily, the ground instantly shattering.

"Clang—"

Using this recoil, the blade broke from its sheath, blue radiance soaring into the sky.

"Boom!"

Two sword lights, one above and one below, suddenly clashed; a massive shockwave instantly whipped up towering air waves, the surrounding clouds stirred by this force as if by an invisible hand, forming a huge vortex in the blink of an eye.

Dazzling sparks burst at the point of contact; every falling spark could smash a huge pit tens of meters wide into the ground.

"Bang!"

Madara's Susanoo was shaken back by this force, every step crushing the mountain peak beneath his feet into pieces, gravel flying.

He steadied his form, the great sword in his hand sweeping out; several blue sword qi slashed across the long sky.

The Sage of Six Paths swung his shakujō; golden radiance unfolded like a curtain, blocking all the sword qi.

"Crack!"

The earth cracked continuously under the impact of the two forces; mountain ranges a hundred li away collapsed bit by bit under this force.

"It seems you haven't gone all out yet." Madara Uchiha's gaze narrowed; the giant arms behind the Susanoo simultaneously clenched fists.

"Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!"

Madara roared violently; huge blue fist imprints broke through the sky, every fist imprint a thousand meters in size.

Wherever the fist shadows passed, the air was compressed into white lines.

The Sage of Six Paths's expression turned grave; both hands quickly formed hand seals: "Diamond Realm!"

Golden radiance condensed before him, turning into a huge shield; the fist imprints struck the shield surface, emitting a deafening roar.

The Sage of Six Paths's brow furrowed slightly: "This power has already surpassed Mother..."

At this moment, Madara's Susanoo suddenly spread its wings.

"Whoosh—"

The huge wings flapped violently, whipping up towering air waves; using this thrust, the entire Susanoo shot forward like a shell from a cannon.

Armament Haki instantly covered the blade; the power of the Gura Gura no Mi flowed along the blade, while Kamui formed wind blades on the blade edge; the three forces perfectly merged, turning into a black sword light.

Wherever the sword edge passed, space was cleanly cut open, revealing the deep void.

(Chapter End)