Itachi's voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the surrounding clamor, reaching Sasuke's ears with a calming power.
"The path to power is not paved with just a single set of thorns. Being illuminated by the light of your comrades should not be a reason for despair."
Sasuke's whole body stiffened.
His elder brother's words were like a key, prying open the door to his heart that had been imprisoned by negative emotions.
The lingering faint pain on his forehead strangely intertwined with the warm power originating from Naruto, transmitted through the chakra cloak.
This warmth was not a handout, but the unreserved trust and protection of a comrade.
He suddenly realized just how narrow-minded he had been a moment ago.
That state of mind, only staring at Naruto's back and being blinded by jealousy and resentment, had almost dragged him down an irredeemable path!
Meeting Itachi's eyes, which were full of understanding and expectation, Sasuke's violently heaving chest slowly calmed down.
The madness and gloom in his eyes receded like a tide, replaced by a clarity after being awakened and a rekindled determination.
He took a deep breath, his clenched fists loosening and then tightening again.
His gaze swept past the surging Allied Forces, locking firmly onto that familiar figure in the distance shining with golden-red light.
"I understand, Nii-san."
Sasuke's voice regained its usual calmness, yet it held a newfound firmness.
"Naruto has grown stronger again... but that won't stop my progress. No matter how high he reaches, I will use my own power, step by step, to catch up in the most honorable way!"
The oath rang true, carrying the sharp edge of cutting through doubt, complementing the warm chakra cloak Naruto had gifted him.
Although the Allied Forces were still numerous, Naruto, having activated Nine-Tails Mode, was incredibly fast, successfully sharing his chakra with everyone before the Ten-Tails could recover.
...
Naruto's golden-shining Nine-Tails Mode, and his heroic feat of generously sharing the Nine-Tails' power with every Shinobi in the Allied Forces, not only brightened the Allied Forces' morale which was on the verge of collapse, but also struck the two people still facing off in the distance like a thunderclap.
Obito's crimson Sharingan stared fixedly at Naruto, who was bathed in golden light, through the holes of his swirl mask.
Especially the Golden Haori composed of several clearly visible and agilely dancing golden chakra fox tails.
And the vast and violent chakra aura unique to the Nine-Tails emanating from him.
This was by no means an ordinary chakra mode; it was the symbol of perfect mastery over the Nine-Tails' power!
Shock and astonishment were soon replaced by a surge of fury at being played for a fool.
He even forgot his struggle with Konan.
"Heh... Hahahaha!"
Obito abruptly let out a series of ironic chuckles, his laughter sounding particularly harsh amidst the Ten-Tails' roars and the battlefield's clamor.
He jerked his head around, his single eye filled with undisguised malice and mockery.
He stared deathly at Konan, who was standing ready nearby with paper slips fluttering around her.
"Konan! Do you see that?!"
Obito's voice grew even raspier due to suppressed anger as he raised his hand and pointed at the golden-shining Naruto below.
"The Nine-Tails! Another perfect 'Nine-Tails Jinchuriki'! Is this the 'great work' of that 'Suzaku' you all trust?!"
His words stabbed viciously at Konan.
"He swore up and down that the Nine-Tails had already been successfully captured by him, even showing it off right under our noses! And the result?! That Konoha brat actually still has the Nine-Tails hidden within him, and can even activate such a perfect mode! We've all been played by him! We're like complete clowns, with everyone's trust being toyed with by him, including your 'God'!"
Obito's mockery was sharp and biting, attempting to direct the spearhead toward Suzaku.
Simultaneously, he tried to drive a wedge between Konan and Suzaku, as well as her relationship with Nagato's decisions.
Naruto's golden light was also clearly reflected in Konan's violet eyes; her inner shock was no less than Obito's.
The appearance of the Nine-Tails Mode completely overturned the Akatsuki's—especially hers and Nagato's—understanding of the Nine-Tails' capture.
She clearly remembered the scene in the high tower where Suzaku displayed the Nine-Tails, firmly imprisoned by a massive golden barrier and letting out roars of hatred.
That terrifying sense of oppression, that pure and massive chakra—it was definitely not fake!
During the sealing process of the Phantom Dragon Nine Seals, the pure Nine-Tails chakra extracted was indeed funneled into the Gedo Statue, providing the key power for the statue to open its eyes.
Facing Obito's mockery, Konan suppressed the turmoil in her heart. A cold glint flashed in her violet eyes as she retorted decisively.
"Shut up, 'Madara'! The Nine-Tails chakra sealed by the Phantom Dragon Nine Seals was absolutely real! That massive power, that will of hatred and destruction originating from the Nine-Tails—how could it be faked?! The seal Suzaku showed was also seen with our own eyes! This Nine-Tails on Naruto..."
Her words paused slightly, as if she were rapidly thinking of a logical explanation.
"There must be a reason for this! Perhaps it was a contingency left behind by the Fourth Hokage back then. Using some secret technique unknown to us to split and seal the Nine-Tails! Suzaku's mission was to capture and seal the Nine-Tails; it was the Akatsuki that failed to deliver the intel regarding the Nine-Tails being split to him in time. Therefore, the Nine-Tails chakra he handed over to the organization was completely genuine!"
Konan's tone was exceptionally firm.
She had witnessed the Nine-Tails Suzaku sealed with her own eyes and participated in the subsequent chakra extraction.
She would not easily overturn the facts she had seen herself, nor would she question Suzaku's failure in such a critical mission in front of Obito.
At this moment, attributing the cause to an unknown Konoha secret technique was the most logical explanation she could think of.
It was also a surface-level defense of Suzaku, because she knew the real Suzaku was watching right nearby!
The other's formidable strength would never allow Madara to easily drive a wedge between them!
"Hmph!" Obito let out an extremely disdainful snort, as if thumbing his nose at Konan's defense.
His crimson single eye swept between Naruto's golden-shining figure and Konan's firm face, finally landing back on Konan.
"Excuses!" Obito's voice was bone-chilling, yet he no longer pursued the issue regarding Suzaku.
The existence of the other half of the Nine-Tails within Naruto's body was already an established fact, whether Suzaku was deceived due to lack of ability or had intentionally lied.
Arguing about this now, in the heat of battle and after having completely dropped all pretenses, was already meaningless.
The priority was still to capture Konan!
"It's too late for all this! Your struggle ends here!"
Obito shouted sternly, his Sharingan spinning rapidly as Kamui's spatial distortion locked onto that swirling wave of paper once again.
He no longer paid attention to the shock Naruto caused or the argument about Suzaku, re-pouring all his malice and power into the operation to capture Konan.
Cold killing intent spread out like something physical, and the focus of the battle instantly shifted back between the two of them.
Konan's gaze sharpened, and countless paper slips instantly transformed into a vortex of blades and Explosive Tags, meeting the distorted space.
Although her heart was filled with countless doubts about the Nine-Tails appearing on Naruto, at this moment, protecting herself and Nagato was the only goal.
...
The Ten-Tails' body, which had been bombarded by Naruto's Tailed Beast Ball, regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye under the frantic surge of dark purple chakra.
A new stratum corneum covered the old wounds, shimmering with an even darker luster.
Ten giant tails, carrying a corrosive purple lightning storm, slammed toward the Allied Forces' positions once again!
However, this time, what met it was a completely different sight.
It was no longer a desperate scattering, but a vast ocean of crimson!
"Defend! Hold your ground!"
Amidst the roars of commanders at all levels, the Allied Shinobi, wrapped in Nine-Tails chakra cloaks, erupted with unprecedented power and resilience.
Boom! Boom! Rumble!
Where the Ten-Tails' giant tails struck was no longer a tragic scene of flesh and blood flying everywhere.
Earth Release Barriers covered in red chakra cloaks erupted with a sturdiness far exceeding the past; though instantly covered in cracks, they were not completely pierced through.
The Water Formation Walls jointly cast by Water Release Shinobi became as viscous as liquid metal under the enhancement of Tailed Beast chakra, greatly slowing the impact of the giant tails.
The Barriers formed by the intertwining of Wind Release and Lightning Release crackled, tenaciously neutralizing the erosion of the purple lightning.
Even if a few defensive lines were breached, the Shinobi who were hit were only sent flying.
The red light on their bodies flickered violently, yet they did not crumble into pieces as before; instead, they quickly regrouped with the support of their comrades.
The "Tailed Beast Cloaks" on them neutralized most of the fatal impacts and continuously replenished their chakra, with their injuries healing at an astonishing speed.
"It's working! It's really working!"
"This power... is too strong!"
"We blocked it!"
The ecstasy of surviving a disaster and unbelievable shock spread throughout the Allied Forces.
The Nine-Tails' power shared by Naruto was like donning a layer of powerful energy armor for the entire Allied Forces, forcibly evening out the originally overwhelming gap!
Although the Ten-Tails' terrifying attacks could still cause destruction, they could no longer easily tear through the defensive lines and harvest lives as before.
The battle, for the first time, fell into a stalemate.
The Ten-Tails' violent attacks were like a torrential rain, striking against the Allied Forces' tough shield covered in crimson energy, producing a dull and continuous roar.
Although the shield was vibrating violently and even denting from time to time, a fatal breach was never torn open.
Under Nara Shikaku's precise scheduling, the Allied Forces relied on the defense, recovery, and chakra replenishment brought by the Nine-Tails chakra.
They tenaciously maneuvered, constantly wearing down the Ten-Tails' power.
Right at this moment when the fierce battle was in full swing but stuck in a stalemate of attrition.
In the minds of several people in the Allied Forces' core command, Inoichi's voice rang out simultaneously:
'Minato-sama, Raikage-sama, Tsuchikage-sama, Kazekage-sama, Mizukage-sama, Naruto...
This is Nara Shikaku. Please concentrate and connect to the temporary mental conference room.'
A golden light flashed in Minato's eyes as he instantly split off a thread of his mind.
The others also briefly withdrew a sliver of their consciousness amidst the intense battle.
In an instant, a "conference room" constructed from pure spiritual energy, isolated from the clamor of the external battlefield, appeared in their consciousness.
Nara Shikaku's Mental Projection was clearly visible, his brow furrowed, revealing an unprecedented solemnity.
"Everyone," Nara Shikaku's voice rang out directly in the mental link, carrying a hint of exhaustion but remaining exceptionally clear and firm.
"The battle situation has stabilized for now, but a stalemate is still disadvantageous for us.
The Ten-Tails' power seems to still be slowly growing, and Naruto's chakra sharing...
Ultimately has its limits. The longer time drags on, the greater the variables."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone's Mental Projections, finally fixing on Minato.
"The most critical issue is Nagato's original body!
We have utilized all means of perception: Shinobi Beasts, sensory Shinobi, and the Yamanaka Clan's mental scanning.
We even conducted targeted excavations and investigations of every possible corner inside and outside the battlefield.
Including underground at the edge of the battlefield, beneath the Allied Forces' headquarters, abandoned caves...
One could say we've practically turned this battlefield and its surrounding areas upside down!
However, there is no trace of him!"
Nara Shikaku's words struck heavily at everyone's hearts.
Without finding Nagato, the Ten-Tails will never truly stop; all fighting is just delaying time and cannot reach the core.
"Regarding this, I have only two speculations."
"First, Nagato possesses some secret technique beyond our imagination for precise, long-distance control of the Ten-Tails.
This might explain why he can hide so thoroughly."
As soon as he finished, Minato immediately shook his head, his golden Mental Projection interjecting.
"The probability is extremely low, Shikaku.
Controlling such a massive power, especially the Ten-Tails, places astronomical demands on the user's mental burden and chakra control.
The further the distance, the greater the delay, interference, and loss in signal transmission.
With the slightest error, the Ten-Tails would instantly break free from control and backfire on him.
Given Nagato's meticulous persistence regarding the plan, he would never base such a critical link on such an unstable foundation!
The risk is too great."
"Exactly."
"Therefore, I am more inclined toward the second speculation. The reason we can't find him even after digging three feet deep is that he isn't in any 'hidden location' within our conventional understanding at all. He is very likely... right under our noses, right on the Ten-Tails itself!"
"On the Ten-Tails?!"
Raikage Ay's Mental Projection let out a low growl.
"Impossible! That monster is covered in rampaging purple lightning, its chakra is so violent it can shred anything that gets close, and even perception gets distorted!
How could a living person stay on it?"
"That is exactly the most dangerous and most unexpected part!"
"...This is the conclusion I reached after excluding all wrong answers. Although it's hard to believe, it has theoretical support."
He paused and clearly explained the core logic.
"If Nagato's original body is hidden inside the Ten-Tails' body, or even at its core. Then even the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, with its penetrative power, would be unable to see through the Ten-Tails' massive body, which is filled with terrifying energy. This is precisely the most dangerous, yet most perfect hiding place."
After Shikaku finished, the mental link fell into a brief silence.
Although his reasoning had a tight logical chain, the massive risks at the practical level made it difficult for everyone to be convinced.