Naruto shot Hashirama a sharp look.
He didn't need to ask. This reckless mid-battle decision had definitely been Hashirama's idea. Madara might be a battle fanatic—but Hashirama was no different when it came to worthy opponents.
Hashirama coughed awkwardly.
There were only a handful of people who could make him feel guilty:
His father, Senju Butsuma.
His younger brother, Senju Tobirama.
His wife, Uzumaki Mito.
And now—
Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto's current status was no ordinary title.
Even the former daimyō of the great nations would not dare stand on equal footing with him. In this era—still shaped by feudal structures and shinobi power—Naruto's prestige had long surpassed that of political rulers.
More importantly—
His strength had surpassed Hashirama's.
Naruto walked to Madara's side.
He crouched and examined him carefully.
Madara's condition was terrible.
Burning his life force had pushed his body far beyond its limits. Chakra pathways were unstable. Muscles were torn internally. Even with his resilience, this was not something that would heal overnight.
Naruto placed a hand over Madara's chest and released warm Yang Release chakra, stabilizing his injuries and sealing the worst of the damage.
Full recovery would take three to five days—even with medical support.
Naruto withdrew his hand.
That was enough for now.
Further treatment required proper medical equipment back at base. While Naruto could continue accelerating the healing process, there was no need to exhaust himself further.
It wasn't Hinata lying there.
A few extra days of recovery wouldn't kill Madara.
Naruto stood and handed Madara over to Hashirama.
Behind them, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki watched silently.
His eyes narrowed.
A trace of unease surfaced in his heart.
"…This is bad."
In his current state—this deteriorating vessel—he was unlikely to defeat Naruto.
This was not the same Naruto he had once underestimated.
The gap between them now was unmistakable.
Isshiki made his decision instantly.
Retreat.
Switch vessels.
Return at full strength.
A spatial vortex opened behind him.
But before he could step through—
"Where do you think you're going?"
Naruto's voice came from directly behind him.
Isshiki's pupils shrank. He leapt aside.
"When—?!"
Another vortex began forming at his flank.
Naruto's speed—
It was absurd.
Isshiki abandoned the thought of counterattacking. Escape was his only priority now. He needed Kawaki—his perfect vessel.
"Trying to leave?" Naruto's voice turned cold.
"Too late."
He raised one hand.
"Space Lock."
The surrounding space froze.
The forming vortex shattered instantly, dissolving like broken glass.
Isshiki's expression changed dramatically.
He felt it.
An invisible force had sealed the spatial coordinates around them.
Naruto's mastery of space-time ninjutsu had reached a terrifying level. After years of research into Flying Thunder God principles and dimensional travel techniques, he had achieved full spatial suppression within a defined range.
Unless one's control over space exceeded his—
Escape was impossible.
And Naruto knew well:
Nearly every Ōtsutsuki possessed space-time traversal abilities.
"What… is this?"
Isshiki's voice carried genuine shock.
"Today," Naruto said calmly, stepping forward, "you'll be buried here, Isshiki."
No more words.
No wasted breath.
Wind Release chakra condensed in Naruto's palm.
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
The spinning vortex of microscopic wind blades screamed forward and detonated against Isshiki's body.
The explosion blasted him through a mountain wall.
Dust and stone collapsed around him.
Isshiki steadied himself amidst the rubble, heart trembling.
This sense of pressure—
He had only ever felt it from the upper-ranking elders of his clan.
How could a native of this world possess such power?
He himself had not fully surpassed the Six Paths level.
Yet Naruto—
Naruto stood beyond conventional limits.
Naruto lifted his arm again.
"Wind Release: Super Giant Rasengan!"
A colossal Rasengan formed—dozens of meters wide, dense with Six Paths chakra.
The earth trembled.
Wind currents spiraled violently around Naruto, whipping his cloak and hair into a storm-like frenzy.
The sheer density of chakra distorted the air.
Without hesitation, Naruto hurled it downward.
Isshiki forced his trembling body to move—
But he couldn't.
His muscles refused to respond.
It wasn't fear.
It was suppression.
Naruto's chakra pressure was physically restricting him.
"So this is your answer…" Isshiki growled.
With no other choice, he gathered every remaining drop of chakra.
"Super Shinra Tensei!!!"
A massive repulsive force erupted outward.
The two techniques collided.
The battlefield shook violently.
At first, neither side yielded.
But then—
Thin streaks of blood appeared along Isshiki's cheek.
His skin began to split under the overwhelming pressure.
The balance was shifting.
And this time—
It was not in the Ōtsutsuki's favor.
Naruto's Super Giant Rasengan continued pressing forward.
Slowly—
Inexorably—
It began to pierce through Isshiki's Shinra Tensei.
The so-called "absolute defense" trembled under the overwhelming force.
Shinra Tensei was never invincible.
If it appeared unbreakable, there was only one explanation—
The attack simply wasn't strong enough.
Cracks spread across the repulsive barrier.
Isshiki's eyes widened.
"No…!"
"The Ōtsutsuki will never allow a heretic like you to exist!"
It was a furious, desperate roar.
But it changed nothing.
Naruto's Rasengan tore through the repulsive force completely.
The storm of Six Paths chakra swallowed Isshiki whole.
The explosion that followed reshaped the terrain.
When the light faded, a massive semicircular crater—dozens of meters deep—scarred the earth.
Silence returned to the battlefield.
Naruto stood at the center of it all, cloak fluttering gently.
He observed the crater for a moment, ensuring no trace of chakra remained.
Then he glanced at Senju Hashirama, who was staring wide-eyed and swallowing hard.
"…This place would make a good fish pond."
Hashirama blinked.
Naruto nodded thoughtfully.
The surrounding forest stretched for dozens of miles, dense and lush. The terrain was stable. Water sources were nearby.
Yes.
Very suitable.
He formed hand seals casually.
"Water Release: Great Torrential Flow."
A vast surge of water poured into the crater, cascading like a river meeting the sea. The technique was not meant for destruction—only for volume and control.
With Naruto's mastery over chakra natures, modifying a Water Release technique was trivial. The real requirement was chakra capacity.
And Naruto had more than enough.
Soon, the massive crater began filling with clear water.
Hashirama could only watch in silence.
Beside him, injured and supported upright, Uchiha Madara stared at Naruto.
The difference was obvious.
Both he and Hashirama had nearly died fighting Isshiki.
Naruto had crushed him—cleanly and decisively.
Madara's fists tightened.
His eyes burned with unwillingness.
He had already stepped into the Half-Step Six Paths realm. His combat power had touched the Six Paths level—but his physical body had not yet fully reached that threshold.
If he could temper his body into the true Six Paths realm—
His strength would rise dramatically.
Perhaps then—
He could even rival Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Kaguya, after consuming the chakra fruit of the God Tree, had been stronger than Isshiki in raw power. Within the Ōtsutsuki Clan, she had not been considered weak.
Madara exhaled slowly.
When he returned—
He would train without rest.
Far away, dozens of miles from the battlefield—
Amado Sanzu, Kawaki, and the others who had retreated earlier felt the terrifying chakra fluctuation erupt in the distance.
The shockwave had swept across forests and mountains alike.
An ultimate force.
One that could erase dozens of miles in an instant.
They inhaled sharply.
Amado's glasses reflected the distant light.
His expression was unreadable.
At that moment, a new thought formed in his mind.
Back at the newly formed lake, Naruto's gaze shifted.
His perception expanded outward—vast and precise.
He locked onto Amado's presence.
More accurately—
He sensed him.
Amado Sanzu had always been… peculiar.
A genius scientist who had lingered at Isshiki's side for years.
His true purpose remained unclear.
But one thing was undeniable—
No one understood Isshiki better than Amado.
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly.
The battle might be over.
But the game had only just begun.
(End of Chapter)
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