The light blue aura wrapped around the blue, like a warm embrace—protecting him when he was weak, comforting him when he was lost, warming him when he was cold.
But a young eagle must eventually leave the nest. The blue light slowly pushed past the light blue, hesitant yet unable to stop, torn between wanting to stay and having to move forward.
The swirling wind became a raging storm. The immense power resisted the force of Chibaku Tensei, surging higher, driving away the killing intent surrounding them.
Yet, despite the chaotic energy of the Rasengan—so unstable it seemed ready to explode at any moment—Naruto and Minato didn't feel the slightest rejection from it. Instead, to them, the violent currents felt more like a gentle breeze caressing their faces, warm and soft.
Naruto closed his eyes. A single tear slid down the corner, catching the light as it fell to the ground.
The next second, his eyes shot open. With unwavering determination, he looked upward.
"I will win. I'll break through their jutsu. I'll protect my parents."
Minato watched with a gentle smile.
"Go, Naruto."
"I'm going."
Naruto raised the raging Rasengan high, the blue and light blue winds swirling around him, forming a protective sphere—shielding him, guarding him.
This attack... won't lose!
—
Kurama caught Minato but didn't crack a joke or say anything unnecessary. He simply landed lightly and placed Minato beside Kushina.
Kushina clasped her hands together in front of her chest—not just in prayer, but filled with emotion.
The winds stirred by Chibaku Tensei blew through her red hair, making it dance wildly in the air.
Minato stepped forward and held her, the two of them watching Naruto's back.
"Believe in him. He's our son, after all."
Kushina closed her eyes.
She believed in Naruto.
But if she could, she would stand in front of him.
If she could, she wouldn't want him to go through all this.
If she could... she would stay by his side forever.
But... trust him. Trust her child.
"Go, Naruto!" Kushina shouted at his back.
Chakra connected them like an invisible bridge.
Within the swirling Rasengan, a faint trace of red mixed with the blue and light blue—three colors intertwining.
For a moment, behind Naruto, an old man dressed in white appeared.
"The Sage of Six Paths…"
Kurama stared at the figure in shock before suddenly grinning.
"Naruto, if you lose, don't bother coming back."
"I won't lose." Naruto's voice was soft.
His cross-shaped eyes reflected the sky. Under that gloomy sky, Chibaku Tensei was forming, growing larger and larger. Compared to it, the Rasengan in Naruto's hand seemed as small as a needle.
In the next second, his body shot upward, turning into a three-colored blade that pierced into the massive Chibaku Tensei. The three-colored Rasengan spun around him. Even a needle could destroy a massive building.
There was no loud boom, no explosion.
All that could be seen was Naruto pressing his giant Rasengan against Chibaku Tensei. Then came the storm—blue, red, and green swirling together.
The sky seemed to fall into silence, with only the sound of the storm filling the air. Everyone watched in silence.
"Six Paths: True Taiji Rasengan!"
Naruto's roar suddenly broke the stillness. In the next moment, the immense pull of Chibaku Tensei vanished, and the giant meteor shattered. The three-colored light filled the entire sky.
That scene was burned into everyone's memory.
Up in the glowing sky, Otsutsuki Urashiki's shattered body fell, his face frozen in utter disbelief.
Amidst the raging storm, Naruto's body dropped from the sky, but his face was full of satisfaction.
"Out of energy again…" Kurama chuckled.
"Just like back in the Land of Snow… This guy… Old man, you really like Naruto, huh?"
But still…
Old man, you were right. A burning heart never fades…
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!"
Urashiki, his body broken and bleeding, glared at the sky with bloodshot eyes, his rage completely unhinged.
"Uzumaki Naruto! It's you again!"
"This is bad!" Minato gasped and instinctively prepared to teleport.
But just then, the sky, still glowing with red, blue, and green, suddenly roared.
A bolt of lightning shot up from the ground into the clouds.
Sasuke's cold gaze sharpened as he swung his left hand down.
The lightning bolt, linked to his hand like a chain holding back a beast, suddenly surged downward. Breaking through the clouds, it took the form of a massive beast mid-air and opened its mouth—swallowing Urashiki whole.
How fast is lightning?
Faster than Minato's thoughts.
Faster than Kurama's reflexes.
By the time the lightning devoured Urashiki, Minato had only just appeared beside Naruto. Kurama had only just leaped up.
"Lightning Release: Kirin…"
Sasuke's voice finally reached them.
The Kirin's eyes glowed red as it gazed down, like a god looking upon mortals. Its overwhelming power sent a chill even through Kurama.
But… how?
At the end of the day, Kirin was just Lightning Release. Even if it borrowed nature energy, it shouldn't be strong enough to make him feel this way.
Kurama stared at Sasuke in confusion—then froze.
In Sasuke's spinning purple Mangekyou, he saw the familiar smile of a certain old man…
Kurama's face instantly twisted.
Him again! That damn old man!
Damn it! I'm the one who's supposed to be your kid!
Why is it always Naruto and Sasuke getting these last-minute power-ups?!
Damn you, Sage of Six Paths! You're playing favorites!
Damn old man! I won't accept this!!!
Do you really like Naruto and Sasuke that much?!
Kurama was so angry that his mouth twisted.
As the final "Kirin" attack finished, Sasuke's cold expression suddenly stiffened. A wave of weakness surged through him, and as his Mangekyou shut down on its own, he collapsed to the ground...
—
"How interesting~"
In the silent space, Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked ahead—only to see Urashiki, who was supposed to be dead, standing there perfectly fine.
His expression changed drastically, and he instinctively took two steps back, staying on guard. "Urashiki? You're still alive?"
"Relax, I really am dead." Urashiki seemed completely unconcerned, smiling in amusement. "No, actually, I should say—I was indeed killed by you."
Sasuke frowned. It was only now that he finally took a moment to look around, and the moment he did, he was completely stunned.
Above him, a massive Kirin loomed in the sky. Minato was holding the falling Naruto, Kurama was mid-air after being knocked back, and Kushina's face was filled with worry. The others were a mix of shock and excitement. None of that was surprising, but what was shocking was...
Everyone was frozen in place.
It was as if time had stopped—the roaring Kirin in the sky, Kurama suspended in mid-air, Minato catching Naruto, the falling rocks, the raging wind—everything had completely frozen in this moment.
It was an unbelievable sight.
Urashiki noticed Sasuke's gaze and smirked. He lightly pushed off the ground and, in an instant, appeared right in front of Sasuke.
Staring at Sasuke up close, his grin grew even stranger. "Uchiha Sasuke... you can never go back to being an ordinary person. The moment you killed a god and got his blood on your hands, whether you liked it or not, you stopped being normal."
Urashiki activated his Byakugan, as if trying to engrave Sasuke's face into his memory. "I don't have the kind of power Momoshiki did, so I can't see your future... but I can imagine—your future is going to be very, very interesting."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke forced himself to stay calm, his face cold as he stared at Urashiki.
"Nothing... just an observation. I hope that when we meet again, you're still the same as you are now." Urashiki let out a sinister chuckle, but the next second, his expression turned cold. "But... I don't like sharing my space with others."
"Wha—"
Before Sasuke could react, Urashiki suddenly pulled out his fishing rod. In an instant, the fishing line shot out and the hook sank into Sasuke's body.
Sasuke instinctively clutched his chest where he was struck—only to realize... he wasn't hurt at all.
The hook lingered inside him for just a second before Urashiki gave it a sharp tug. A dark, ominous chakra was pulled out along with the line.
The deep purple chakra writhed as it left Sasuke's body, slipping free from Urashiki's hook before falling to the ground. Slowly, it started to take shape—forming into the figure of an adult.
Black hair, slit pupils, an icy aura, pale skin... and that familiar, chilling presence that Sasuke would never forget...
"Orochimaru!" Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I knew you left a piece of your soul inside the curse mark, but... Urashiki, why would you help me?"
"Oh, you'll find out in the future." Urashiki chuckled, his voice fading until it completely disappeared.
"Uchiha... no, Otsutsuki Sasuke—see you in the future."
Sasuke clenched his fist. He wanted to demand answers from Urashiki, but... he couldn't feel his chakra at all, not even enough to activate his Sharingan.
There was nothing he could do. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke turned to Orochimaru beside him. "I never expected we'd meet again under these circumstances, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru, still staring at the spot where Urashiki had disappeared, seemed lost in thought. Only when Sasuke spoke did he finally turn his gaze toward him.
"Sasuke, I was disappointed that you never came back to me... but that's fine. In the end, you'll still belong to me."
His voice was still hoarse and cold, as if he didn't care about anything.
"Heh." Sasuke couldn't help but laugh. "Don't make me laugh. You talk as if your real body actually has your memories. You've been following me this whole time, completely suppressed by the Six Paths' power. You never even had a chance to get out. Even if I don't fully understand the Curse Mark, you still can't control my body."
"That's true." Orochimaru didn't argue. Instead, he nodded in agreement. "But it doesn't matter. I'm not interested in you anymore. Right now, I'm more curious about the Six Paths' power and the Otsutsuki. As for you… you're too weak."
If it were the old Sasuke, he would have exploded in anger at Orochimaru's mocking words. But now? He didn't. Instead, he smiled.
"You're right. I'm weak. But I know that if I really wanted to kill you right now, I could do it."
"After all..." Sasuke paused for a moment before finishing his sentence.
"My Mangekyou Genjutsu may not be as strong as Tsukuyomi, but with the power of Six Paths Yin, it's not weak either."
"For someone whose soul has weakened from constantly reincarnating, it's just right."
This wasn't just mockery—it was a direct insult, as if he were pointing straight at "someone's" nose.
And to make it worse, Sasuke added, "Oh, my bad. I wasn't talking about you. After all, you're one of the legendary Three Sannin, the 'only' inheritor of Ryuchi Cave, the great scientist of the ninja world, a man even the Nine-Tails Kurama admired."
"You wouldn't do something as stupid as cutting up your own soul, would you?"
Orochimaru: "…"
Great. He always considered himself to have a good temper, but now his fists were clenched.
He had wanted to provoke Sasuke, but in the end, he was the one who got provoked.
Damn you, Nine-Tails! What the hell have you been teaching Sasuke?!
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