Black Zetsu fled as far as he could, but the instant the Six Paths: Planetary Devastation materialized, he felt an overwhelming gravitational pull.
The earth itself was drawn inward, coalescing into a massive sphere.
"No, Madara! I'm the one on your side! I'm the one helping you! Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi can bring true peace to the world!"
"Perhaps the Infinite Tsukuyomi could indeed realize my dream of peace, but I can achieve it without you. Farewell, Black Zetsu."
Madara remained expressionless, showing no intention of stopping.
The sphere grew larger and larger, its gravitational pull intensifying to terrifying levels.
Black Zetsu knew the only way to break Planetary Devastation was to destroy its core, but under the power of Six Paths: Planetary Devastation, even Kaguya herself would be immobilized, let alone him.
'Mother in the heavens, I can't break the seal for you anymore.'
Six Paths: Planetary Devastation differed from ordinary Planetary Devastation.
While the sealing power of the latter would gradually weaken over time, eventually crumbling, the Planetary Devastation created by two combined forces showed virtually no signs of decay.
After all, the moon still hung in the sky.
Within that moon lay the sealed consciousness of Otsutsuki Kaguya, the very being Zetsu had been striving to save.
Its continued existence proved that waiting for the seal to weaken naturally would require millennia.
"Father, look!"
Asuma, running through the outskirts of Konoha, suddenly pointed to the distant sky.
The retired Third Hokage looked up, a flicker of shock in his eyes.
'That was... the moon?'
No, wait, the real moon was still in the sky.
This was another moon.
The Third Hokage recalled another legend about the Sage of the Six Paths, who was said to have created the moon using ninjutsu in ancient times.
Previously, everyone had dismissed it as mere folklore, paying little attention to its truthfulness - including himself.
But now, it seemed the legend was real.
Two moons hung in the sky.
Unbelievable!
"Father, what's happening?" Asuma asked.
"Don't ask too many questions, Asuma. This battle is beyond your capabilities. Return to the village," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
His expression turned solemn as he vanished with a whoosh.
For now, he couldn't determine who Madara had unleashed this ninjutsu on, but he knew one thing for certain: this level of combat was far beyond anything Konoha could handle.
Even in his prime, Sarutobi Hiruzen doubted he could intervene.
'I hope the outcome isn't what I fear...'
He prayed silently.
The sight wasn't limited to Konoha.
As a second moon rose from the earth, anyone with eyes could see it.
Whether in the Land of Lightning, where massive construction projects were underway, or in Sunagakure, where Sunagakure Ninja toiled in the mines, everyone clearly witnessed the radiant moon hanging in the sky.
It was slightly smaller than the normal moon, yet its brilliance remained undiminished, casting its radiant moonlight across the land.
This was an inconceivable miracle.
"Konoha, what's happening?" Rasa looked up, his heart filled with awe.
Creating a moon!
This was a miracle only the Sage of the Six Paths could accomplish.
Konoha had somehow replicated it.
How much power must it have taken to achieve this?
Konoha was simply too powerful.
"Lord Kazekage, that's..."
"Keep digging."
Rasa waved his hand dismissively, sighing wearily.
Comparing oneself to others only leads to frustration.
The joy of discovering a small gold mine vanished instantly.
He no longer entertained any thoughts of opposing Konoha.
After all, the current Sunagakure and the current Konoha... no matter how you compared them, they were on entirely different scales.
Even if the entire ninja world united, they likely wouldn't stand a chance against Konoha.
This scenario felt all too familiar; everyone had experienced it once before.
Back then, for decades, no one dared to wage war.
It was practically a carbon copy of Hashirama Senju.
But Rasa realized another problem: Hashirama Senju had only lived for a few decades.
He knew many Summoning Beasts lived far longer than humans.
While ordinary Ninja Cats might live only a few decades, Raj was different.
Perhaps it could live for centuries, or even longer.
Damn it...
He couldn't dwell on it; the more he thought about it, the more hopeless he felt.
Rasa took a deep breath, forcing himself not to look or think.
A similar scene played out with Onoki and the Third Mizukage.
Their hatred for Raj was no less than Rasa's, especially Onoki's.
He had thought Iwagakure's years of patience had finally paid off, only for Konoha to immediately send a horde of people to remind him: You bunch of rookies, better behave yourselves.
Forget it.
Nothing to think about.
Just stay put and behave.
With power rivaling the Sage of the Six Paths, even if Konoha or that Black Cat wanted to unify the Ninja World, there was nothing they could do but surrender.
Their opponent's strength had long since crushed all resistance.
Still defiant?
Hold your breath.
It all depends on whether Konoha has such ambitions.
The strongest figures in the entire ninja world were restless, destined to spend a sleepless night.
This unease extended beyond them; even the ninja of Konoha couldn't remain calm.
Only a few knew the truth, while the majority remained bewildered and confused.
Yet the most perplexed beings weren't the inhabitants of the Ninja World, but the Otsutsuki Hamura lineage on the moon.
As everyone knew, the moon's origin lay in the Six Paths: Planetary Devastation, a technique jointly executed by the Sage of the Six Paths and his brother Hamura.
This collaboration was clearly documented within their lineage, detailing how Hagoromo and Hamura had worked together to create the moon - a feat only achievable by beings of their caliber.
Could the Sage of the Six Paths have been resurrected?
Impossible.
Even if the Sage possessed such power, achieving this feat required two individuals with comparable strength.
The most pressing concern was the Otsutsuki Clan's current predicament.
They had just emerged from a devastating war, having annihilated the peace-advocating Main Family at the cost of...
The Branch Family was decimated, with many dead and wounded.
Their situation was beyond dire; they were on the verge of extinction.
"What should we do?"
...
The remaining couple discussed their options.
Having sacrificed their Byakugan, they were already blind, yet even they could clearly sense the immense surge of Chakra.
They exchanged a glance.
After a few seconds, the man said, "No, we're no match for them now. The clan needs us to carry on.
Let's wait a few years. But I'm curious... what exactly is sealed on this new moon?"
"It must be something important."
As they spoke, the sphere continued to ascend.