On Uchiha Hikaru's side, things moved quickly. Under her careful control, the God Tree rapidly took root in the earth, its enormous roots frantically absorbing the natural energy of the ninja world.
Nagato was forcibly made into the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, but in the end he was still only a mortal. Even with the Rinnegan, he could not fully control that violent chakra.
The Ten-Tails' will flooded over his mind and body like a torrent.
"Ahhh!!"
Nagato let out a painful roar. His body began to twist and swell, on the verge of completely losing control.
At that moment, Otsutsuki Kaguya personally stepped in and instantly seized control of the Ten-Tails. Nagato's body fell like a broken puppet.
Kaguya's figure slowly solidified in midair. She had completed a half-revival, and her aura had become even more unfathomable than it had been at her peak.
The next moment, she raised a hand toward the sky.
"Infinite Tsukuyomi!"
A dazzling white light shot into the heavens, and the moon instantly became incomparably bright.
A blood-red light poured down upon the world, covering the entire ninja world.
Except for the souls in the Edo Tensei state, everyone, whether they were shinobi locked in battle or ordinary civilians, fell into the perfect illusion at that very moment.
"So this is the Infinite Tsukuyomi..."
Yukio hid within a crack in another dimension, silently watching everything outside.
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi... It's been a long time since I last saw it... The last time was during Kaguya's era.", Arisu murmured to himself.
Meanwhile, Arisu stood in midair, looking at the moon that illuminated the world, and let out a slight sigh.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi had never worked on him in the first place. He was born a sage.
At this moment, Kaguya's aura was as vast as an abyss. The power she had gained had already surpassed even her own peak.
"Now, let's go find him.", Uchiha Hikaru spoke.
Kaguya slowly turned to look at her, her eyes completely devoid of warmth.
Hikaru met her gaze with a hint of vigilance. The air was filled with tension.
"Hikaru, I'm sorry. I can't give Arisu to you. However, I can let you fall into the Infinite Tsukuyomi and give you a perfect ending.", Otsutsuki Kaguya said slowly.
Hearing that, Hikaru's expression darkened, her voice carrying suppressed anger.
"I thought we were like sisters. I never expected you to go back on your word."
"I should have known long ago that you're no good. You betrayed your companions, betrayed Arisu, and now you're betraying me too!"
"Did you think I didn't have a backup plan?"
With a thought, the space around Uchiha Hikaru rippled violently.
Countless powerful Edo Tensei figures appeared instantly, densely surrounding the entire area.
Among them were not only every reincarnation of Indra and Asura throughout history, but also many of the greatest experts from the era of the Ninshu, their auras as heavy as mountains.
"You think these dead people can stop me? They're nothing but a rabble."
Otsutsuki Kaguya swept her gaze across them, her tone still indifferent.
"Who are you calling an old hag!?"
"So you're my grandmother? You look like some naive little fool."
Indra, in his Edo Tensei state, was the first to step forward, sneering with disdain.
"So the Infinite Tsukuyomi was a lie? It was your conspiracy?"
Watching what had happened to Nagato, Uchiha Madara felt a chill in his heart.
If things had gone according to his own plan, would he have been possessed as well?
Uchiha Hikaru stepped forward, her voice icy, "This isn't ordinary Edo Tensei. I strengthened it using Dragon Vein Sage Arts together with Otsutsuki cells. These Edo Tensei bodies perfectly reproduce all the power they had in life, and they cannot be sealed."
Kaguya's expression finally changed slightly.
She wasn't familiar with the techniques of later generations, but she instinctively sensed the threat.
"What's more, I prepared this for you as well."
Uchiha Hikaru clapped her hands together.
As two ancient and overwhelming auras descended, the Edo Tensei forms of Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura slowly appeared.
Kaguya's pupils contracted slightly.
At this moment, Kaguya wasn't certain whether Hikaru had really managed to bring Hagoromo and Hamura back.
Uchiha Hikaru continued, "Kaguya, it's not too late to choose. I don't want to fight you, because Arisu could make his move at any time. Let's not fight each other and let Arisu benefit from it!"
Kaguya slowly closed her eyes.
That was indeed true. Celebrating victory halfway through would only give that most dangerous man an opportunity.
For now, the two of them were better off joining forces first.
"Are you two going to fight or not? If you won't fight, then I'll forcibly break free from Edo Tensei myself!"
Indra finally couldn't hold himself back. He spoke impatiently, his voice full of fighting spirit.
His blazing eyes were fixed on the incomparably powerful Kaguya. At this moment, all he wanted was to fight her.
Uchiha Hikaru glanced at Indra, clearly displeased.
Was this disciple of Arisu here purely because he enjoyed fighting?
"If you want a fight that badly, why don't you go challenge Arisu?", Uchiha Hikaru said flatly.
Indra's expression stiffened. He curled his lips.
"That's no fun. I don't want a one-sided fight. I only want an evenly matched opponent."
Just as both sides remained locked in a stalemate, three figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the battlefield.
With his hands behind his back, Arisu slowly walked forward with Kakuzu and Afei.
"Hehe, quite lively here... They're all familiar faces."
Arisu looked around, his gaze passing over everyone present, and a nostalgic smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Whether it was Uchiha Hikaru, Kaguya, or the powerful figures revived through Edo Tensei, almost all of them had once been his disciples or former subordinates.
Uchiha Hikaru and Kaguya both reacted as though facing a great enemy. Their auras instantly rose to their limits, their eyes filled with caution.
Arisu merely waved a hand.
In an instant, every connection between Uchiha Hikaru and the Edo Tensei was completely severed.
She immediately lost control over the entire army.
The restraints on every Edo Tensei shinobi disappeared at the same time, and their bodies regained complete freedom.
"Teacher, you've finally come."
Indra stepped forward and spoke respectfully, though with unmistakable excitement.
"We pay our respects to the Sage of Six Paths!!"
The other reincarnations of Indra and Asura from every generation also gathered around, their expressions varied but all filled with respect.
The Third Leader of the Ninshu, Sarutobi, also stepped forward respectfully.
"Greetings, Founder!"
Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna stared at Arisu in a daze before cautiously calling out,
"Great-grandfather?"
Senju Hashirama also looked shocked.
"Lord First Hokage?"
Uchiha Yuto was completely dumbfounded.
"Elder?"
Uchiha Tajima looked even more confused.
"Isn't he my grandfather?"
Hatake Sakumo widened his eyes.
"Isn't he my brother Arisu?"
One astonished voice after another rang across the battlefield. The tense standoff instantly became somewhat chaotic.
Seeing this, Arisu smiled helplessly, then raised a hand to signal everyone to quiet down.
"Let me introduce myself again. I am the Sage of Six Paths. The Arisu you all speak of... they're all me."