"Indeed."
The Sage of Six Paths nodded gravely, his ancient features taking on the weight of someone delivering a diagnosis that would determine the fate of the world itself. When he spoke again, his voice carried the accumulated wisdom of millennia and the sobering clarity of cosmic perspective.
"Madara has now achieved what was once thought impossible—he has become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. In terms of raw power alone, his current capabilities rival what I possessed during my prime, when I first faced the Ten-Tails and divided its essence among nine separate entities."
The implications of this statement settled over Minato's consciousness like the shadow of an approaching storm. The Sage of Six Paths hadn't merely been a legendary figure from the distant past—he had been a being of cosmic power, someone capable of reshaping the fundamental forces that governed reality itself. If Madara now possessed equivalent strength...
"And the only individuals who currently have the potential to defeat him," the Sage continued, his purple eyes gleaming with the intensity of prophecy itself, "are Naruto and Sasuke."
"What do you need me to do?"
The words burst from Minato's lips with all the desperate hope of a drowning man being offered a lifeline. Originally, he had possessed no realistic expectation of victory in this battle. His analytical mind had calculated the odds with brutal honesty, and every scenario had ended in defeat. Madara's transformation into a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki had elevated him beyond the reach of conventional warfare, into a realm where only divine intervention could provide meaningful opposition.
But if Naruto and Sasuke could somehow obtain access to the Sage of Six Paths' power, if they could bridge the impossible gap between mortal limitations and cosmic forces, then the entire dynamic of the battle would shift in their favor.
"Sasuke's spiritual development has reached the necessary threshold," the Sage explained, his voice carrying the clinical precision of someone who had spent centuries observing the growth of souls across multiple incarnations. "His connection to Indra's essence, combined with his natural talents and the trials he has endured, have prepared him to receive and channel divine power."
A pause settled between them, heavy with implication.
"However, Naruto still lacks a crucial component of the strength he will need to face this challenge."
Minato's enhanced perception immediately grasped the nature of this deficiency, his tactical mind racing through the logical connections.
"You're referring to the power of the other Tailed Beasts, aren't you?"
The insight was both obvious and profound. Naruto's connection to Kurama was strong, but the Nine-Tails represented only one-ninth of the Ten-Tails' original power. To stand as an equal against someone who had absorbed all nine beasts, who had become the living embodiment of the cosmic entity that had once threatened to destroy the world, Naruto would need access to the chakra signatures of his fellow Tailed Beasts.
"Precisely." The Sage's approval was evident in his tone as he confirmed Minato's deduction.
"In that case, I will attempt to extract some of the missing Tailed Beast chakra from Madara during our continued battle."
The declaration was made with the calm determination of someone who understood that impossible tasks were simply challenges that required unconventional solutions. If Naruto needed access to the power of the other Tailed Beasts, and if that power was currently contained within Madara's transformed form, then logic dictated that it would need to be taken by force.
"Haha." The Sage's chuckle carried genuine amusement at Minato's straightforward approach to cosmic-level problems. "But given Madara's current strength, achieving success will prove... difficult if you cannot find a way to counteract the Truth-Seeking Orbs."
"Truth-Seeking Orbs..."
Minato's gaze shifted to focus on the black staff that lay across the Sage's knees and the nine perfect spheres that orbited beneath his floating form. The terminology provided clarity about techniques that had seemed to operate beyond normal understanding of chakra manipulation.
The so-called Truth-Seeking Orbs—these were the cosmic implements that had casually negated the Third Tsuchikage's Dust Release and dissolved his own Tailed Beast Ball as if they were mere illusions. Without some method of countering their reality-warping effects, even the enhanced power of senjutsu would prove insufficient to threaten Madara meaningfully.
The current power differential between himself and the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki was so vast that conventional strategy seemed pointless. No amount of tactical brilliance could compensate for the fundamental gap between mortal limitations and divine authority.
"I cannot directly transfer my power to you," the Sage admitted, his tone carrying the regret of someone constrained by cosmic laws beyond his control. "Although you now carry Hashirama Senju's genetic material within your body, you are not my direct descendant in the truest sense."
The qualification was important. The Sage's power could only be passed down through specific bloodline connections, following spiritual pathways that had been established during the original division of his abilities. Minato's enhancement with the First Hokage's cells created a bridge of sorts, but not one stable enough to support the transfer of cosmic-level abilities.
"However," the Sage continued, his ancient eyes lighting up with the satisfaction of someone who had found an elegant solution to an apparently impossible problem, "I can teach you how to fight against the Truth-Seeking Orbs."
"How is that possible?"
Minato's question carried the eager intensity of someone whose entire strategic framework was about to be revolutionized. If there truly was a method for countering Madara's ultimate defenses...
"Although you do not possess the traditional five chakra natures in perfect balance," the Sage explained, his voice taking on the patient tone of a master instructor guiding a particularly gifted student, "you do possess something far rarer and potentially more valuable—access to both Yin and Yang properties simultaneously."
The revelation struck Minato like a physical blow as implications began cascading through his consciousness.
"The genetic material from Hashirama Senju that now flows through your bloodstream can serve as a conduit for Yang Release—the power of physical energy, vitality, and life force itself. Meanwhile, that extraordinarily powerful soul of yours, one so refined that even I cannot fully comprehend its depths, possesses the potential to generate tremendous Yin Release capabilities."
The Sage's analysis continued with clinical precision, cataloguing resources that Minato had possessed without fully understanding their significance.
"Furthermore, your body has been fundamentally transformed through years of exposure to Kurama's chakra. That long-term integration has already infused your cellular structure with traces of both Yin and Yang energies, creating a foundation that most shinobi could never hope to achieve."
Understanding began to dawn on Minato's features as the scope of what was being proposed became clear.
"As long as you learn to consciously control and focus the Yin and Yang forces that already exist within your body, combining them with your mastery of natural energy, you will no longer need to fear the Truth-Seeking Orbs."
The explanation carried with it implications that challenged every assumption Minato had made about the nature of power and possibility. Normally, mastering both Yin and Yang Release simultaneously required possession of all five basic chakra natures, perfect spiritual balance, and the cosmic perspective that came with becoming a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.
But Minato's soul and physique were unprecedented in their development, shaped by experiences and modifications that had never before occurred in combination. While the Yin and Yang forces he could generate would be far less powerful than those wielded by the Sage of Six Paths himself, they would be sufficient for the task at hand.
"From this point forward, the responsibility rests with you."
The Sage's voice carried the weight of final judgment as he prepared to withdraw from the spiritual realm.
"Fourth Hokage!"
As his words echoed through the metaphysical space, the entire environment began to tremble and blur around the edges. The figure of the Sage of Six Paths grew translucent, his cosmic presence gradually fading as the connection between dimensions began to dissolve.
But even as his physical manifestation disappeared, something else remained—a stream of pure information that flowed directly into Minato's consciousness with the force of divine revelation. The knowledge settled into his mind with perfect clarity, providing step-by-step instructions for channeling and controlling his own Yin and Yang energies.
The method was complex but comprehensible, requiring precise chakra manipulation and spiritual focus that pushed the boundaries of what any normal shinobi could achieve. But for someone who had mastered the Flying Thunder God technique, who had spent years refining his control to superhuman levels, it was within the realm of possibility.
Minato's eyes snapped open with sudden intensity, his consciousness returning to the physical realm where the battle for the world's future continued to rage around him. The spiritual encounter had felt like hours, but in reality, only moments had passed since his mysterious conversation with the ancient voice.
Guy had already closed the distance to Madara's position, his blood-red aura of Eight Gates enhancement blazing like a miniature sun as he prepared to unleash the full fury of his father's forbidden technique.
Bang!
The punch that Guy threw was less a physical attack than a fundamental assault on the concept of space itself. The air in front of his fist was compressed by impossible force, squeezed until it became visible as a devastating shockwave that raced toward its target with the speed of light made manifest.
"Incredible speed!"
Even Madara, despite having witnessed the original power of the Eight Inner Gates during his battle with Might Duy, found himself genuinely surprised by the velocity of Guy's assault. This version of the forbidden technique surpassed anything the previous generation had achieved, refined by decades of additional training and enhanced by superior physical conditioning.
The Truth-Seeking Orbs floating beside Madara responded to his will with liquid grace, flowing together to form a comprehensive defensive barrier that positioned itself between him and the incoming attack.
BOOM!
The collision between Guy's compressed air cannon and Madara's cosmic defense created a pillar of pure force that seemed to connect earth and sky. The enormous energy contained within the attack transmitted itself through the ground, shattering some of the God Tree's massive trunks and sending tremors through the battlefield for miles in every direction.
This was power several times more terrifying than anything Might Duy had achieved with his final Eight Gates opening!
Minato felt genuine shock at the display, but his tactical mind immediately shifted to more pressing concerns. Thanks to the guidance he had received from the Sage of Six Paths, he now possessed knowledge that might prevent the ultimate tragedy of Guy's sacrifice.
The Eight Gates technique inevitably led to death through the complete destruction of the user's chakra pathways and vital organs. But if Minato could somehow channel Yin and Yang Release energies during the process, if he could provide healing and regeneration that operated on the same cosmic level as the damage being inflicted...
Guy had opened the Death Gate only minutes ago. If intervention came quickly enough, it might still be possible to save him!
"Second speed!"
The announcement came from directly behind Madara's position as Guy demonstrated the supernatural velocity that the Eight Gates granted to its users. He had moved from his initial attack position to a flanking angle with speed that defied normal perception, positioning himself for a follow-up strike before his first technique had even finished resolving.
Bang!
Another shockwave of compressed air erupted from Guy's enhanced form, this one aimed at Madara's exposed back with surgical precision. The attack carried enough force to level mountains, concentrated into a beam of destruction that could theoretically overwhelm any conventional defense.
However, Madara had already adapted to his opponent's enhanced capabilities. The Truth-Seeking Orbs flowed around his body like liquid mercury, forming a complete spherical barrier that enclosed him in absolute protection. Even the incredible power of the Eight Gates' ultimate techniques could not easily penetrate defenses that operated according to cosmic principles.
While rushing toward the confrontation between Guy and Madara, Minato began the delicate process of accessing the different forces that the Sage of Six Paths had revealed within his own body. Years ago, he had theorized about the existence of Yin and Yang energies based on his observations of the Nine-Tails' power, but he had lacked the knowledge necessary to manifest them consciously.
Now, with the comprehensive methodology provided by the world's greatest sage, it felt as natural as breathing.
"Left hand for Yin, right hand for Yang..."
Minato was still a beginner in this cosmic art and could not perfectly control both energies simultaneously without some form of physical focus. Following the technique taught by the Sage of Six Paths, he chose to channel his newfound abilities through his left and right hands respectively, using the natural duality of his body to maintain separation between opposing forces.
Beneath the dark golden chakra that covered his palms, faint lights began to pulse in response to his will. The energies that emerged carried signatures unlike anything he had previously experienced—deeper than normal chakra, more fundamental than even natural energy.
Buzz!
In the palm of his right hand, brilliant and blazing light gradually coalesced into a white circle that resembled a miniature sun. The radiance was warm and life-giving, carrying with it the essential properties of Yang Release—creation, vitality, the power to heal and restore and breathe life into what had been damaged.
Simultaneously, in his left palm, rich and dense darkness settled into the shape of a black crescent. This was Yin Release in its purest form—imagination given substance, the power to create form from void, to impose will upon reality through sheer spiritual force.
Bang!
Minato suddenly brought his hands together, palms touching, and in that moment of contact, a profound sense of connection between Yin and Yang energies spread throughout his entire body. The sensation was indescribable—like two halves of his soul finally achieving perfect unity, like discovering a fundamental truth about his own existence that had always been present but never acknowledged.
Within the dark golden flames that had always risen from his enhanced form, white light began to emerge and interweave. The black and white energies complemented each other in perfect harmony, creating patterns that resembled the eternal dance between sun and moon, day and night, creation and destruction.
His cross-shaped pupils, already altered by years of Nine-Tails chakra exposure, began to shift into something entirely new. Half of each eye took on the brilliant white of pure Yang energy, while the other half deepened into the absolute black of Yin mastery. The transformation was both beautiful and terrifying, marking him as someone who had achieved balance between opposing cosmic forces.
At precisely this moment, Madara's enhanced awareness detected Minato's approach through the sphere of Truth-Seeking Orbs that protected him from Guy's assault. Without hesitation, he activated his Rinnegan clone, sending the dimensional projection to intercept this new threat while his true body continued to defend against the Eight Gates technique.
The shadow that had been barely perceptible to Minato's normal senses now appeared clearly in his enhanced vision. The Rinnegan clone materialized as a faint but distinct figure, identical to Madara's current form but composed of chakra rather than physical matter.
The clone attacked with its usual directness, swinging a fist toward Minato with enough force to shatter mountains. It was the same straightforward assault that had caught him off-guard in previous encounters, relying on speed and power to overwhelm opponents before they could mount effective defenses.
However, this time, Minato did not dodge.
Instead, he separated his clasped palms to reveal what had formed between them during those crucial moments of Yin-Yang unity. A sphere of deep blue light pulsed in his grasp, its surface marked by two completely different energies—one black, one white—that orbited around each other in perfect harmony.
The technique represented everything he had learned about chakra manipulation, enhanced by cosmic principles that had never before been accessible to mortal practitioners. It was his signature Rasengan elevated to divine status through the integration of Yin and Yang Release.
"Sage Art: Yin-Yang Rasengan!"