Sasuke twisted through the air, dodging left and right, but he couldn't avoid every strike.
Several heavy arrows and pieces of the wooden dragon slammed into his Susanoo, sending it lurching violently. Sasuke's expression darkened.
Chiyo's massive puppet showed no sign of slowing down. Its arm swung again, launching a barrage of senbon like a torrential rainstorm.
Meanwhile, under Hashirama Senju's command, the Wood Human attacked relentlessly. Thick branches shot toward Susanoo like spears.
Sasuke had no choice but to keep evading in midair, swinging his katana to scatter the incoming assaults.
But the pressure from every direction was overwhelming. His Susanoo was battered and cracked from the sustained onslaught.
Chiyo's puppet continued to fire its hidden weapons, shouting,
"Sasuke! This is the end of the road for you!"
Hashirama showed no mercy either. His voice thundered as he hurled more wooden projectiles.
"Stop this madness, or face complete destruction!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth and roared, "You think you can defeat me?!"
He slashed with all his might, trying to fend off the attacks, but the combined force of so many powerful enemies was intensifying.
Killer Bee, in his fully transformed Tailed Beast form, joined the fray and fired a massive barrage of Tailed Beast Bombs from his mouth.
The pressure became unbearable. Cracks spread across Susanoo's armor.
Gaara and Rasa combined their powers, shaping swirling torrents of sand and gold dust into a vortex that pulled at Susanoo's legs, trying to anchor him in place.
And Nagato, too, added his strength—summoning a Chibaku Tensei, trapping Sasuke with its overwhelming gravitational pull.
Susanoo's movement slowed. It could no longer break free.
Under the force of such an overwhelming assault, Sasuke finally reached his limit.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, Susanoo shattered.
Sasuke plummeted from the sky, smashing down hard onto the back of the Ten Tails.
Immediately, the allied forces surged forward, heading straight for Sasuke. They were ready to deliver the final blow and end the war once and for all.
...
Just as the crowd closed in on the fallen Uchiha, a blur of orange streaked across the battlefield.
Naruto.
He landed squarely in front of the advancing group, arms outstretched, voice ringing with desperation and conviction.
"Please—stop! Give me a chance to talk to him!"
His words rang out, urgent and unwavering. His gaze swept across everyone, eyes burning with determination and a plea that pierced to the heart.
Sweat poured down his face. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, but he stood firm.
"Sasuke is my friend. I know I can bring him back. Our bond is stronger than you think. I don't want to see him die like this... Please, I'm begging you—just give me one chance!"
Then—thud!—Naruto dropped to his knees, shouting, his voice trembling with emotion.
The others froze at the sight. All eyes turned to him, but their reactions varied.
Raikage flared with rage.
"What did you just say? Sasuke murdered so many of our comrades—he doesn't deserve forgiveness!"
With a snarl, he kicked Naruto aside and charged toward the Ten Tails.
But in the next instant, Naruto clung tightly to his leg.
"Out of my way!" the Raikage growled, trying to shake him off—but no matter how hard he struggled, Naruto wouldn't budge. It was like his leg had been chained to the ground.
"Please, Lord Raikage! I'm begging you! I know there's still hope for Sasuke!"
Naruto's voice didn't waver. He held on, firm and unrelenting.
Jiraiya stepped forward, eyes solemn as he addressed his student.
"Naruto, your loyalty to your friend is admirable. But the crimes Sasuke has committed... they're not something we can just ignore."
Naruto raised his head. His eyes were full of resolve.
"Sensei, I understand why everyone's angry. But Konoha bears part of the blame for what Sasuke has become. I believe that if we give him one more chance... he can still find his way back."
Gaara stood in silence, deep in thought. After a moment, he said,
"Naruto... I understand how you feel. But this isn't just about friendship. This is about the future of the shinobi world—about countless lives. We can't act based on emotions alone."
Naruto clenched his fists.
"Gaara... you, of all people, know what it's like to be consumed by pain and darkness. You know what it's like to be lost. Don't you think Sasuke deserves the same chance you got?"
Chiyo let out a heavy sigh.
"Naruto... that boy has gone too far down the wrong path. He may not be able to come back."
Naruto stood up and looked around at everyone.
"If he can't... then I'll bear the consequences alongside him. I'll take full responsibility for whatever happens."
Raikage seethed. "What gives you the right to take responsibility?! What about all those who died?! What do we tell their families?!"
He threw a furious punch at Naruto—
But before it could land, another hand reached out and stopped it cold.
Raikage's eyes widened. The hand belonged to none other than Hashirama Senju.
Hashirama looked at Naruto and felt a pang of sympathy. Once upon a time, he and Madara had stood in a similar place.
"I understand how you feel," Hashirama said gently. "So how about this? For my sake... give Naruto a chance. Tsunade just told me about everything. And I agree—Konoha bears some of the blame. So please, let him try."
Raikage froze. His mind screamed in frustration.
You're already dead—what 'sake' do you even have left?! When this war's over, you'll just go back to the Pure Land! Who am I supposed to trade this favor with then?!
But he didn't have a choice. The power gap was obvious.
He might not want to give Hashirama face—but what could he do?
Still, there was one person present who wouldn't give face to the First Hokage.
His younger brother—Tobirama Senju.
Tobirama's voice was cold.
"Brother, have you forgotten what happened with Madara? Your mercy back then is exactly what led to this chaos."
"If you'd listened to me and wiped out the Uchiha clan when we had the chance, none of this would've happened."
Hashirama had no retort. The truth was undeniable. But if given another chance, he would've made the same choice.
Tobirama stepped forward, intending to end the Uchiha once and for all.
But Naruto once again stood in the way.
"Tobirama-san, I beg you..."
Tobirama glared down at him. "Brat. Move."
But Naruto didn't flinch. He raised his voice.
"Tobirama-sama, I know you have a grudge against the Uchiha—but Sasuke is different!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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