Uchiha Madara's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Hyuga Gakuya to be this shameless—going straight for his core, the very foundation of his dream.
But there was nothing he could do about the attack. The Rinnegan was an Eye of Six Paths, offering a wide array of abilities.
But Gakuya's eye? It was the Reincarnation Eye—pure offense.
Madara could block it, dodge it, but he couldn't stop it.
When it came down to comparing the Rinnegan and the Ten Tails' Jinchuriki powers, not a single ability among them could halt that strike.
All Madara could do was watch helplessly as the golden beam in Gakuya's hand slashed down toward the Divine Tree. That dazzling light tore through the darkness, lighting up the battlefield.
Crack—! A deafening crack echoed as the massive trunk of the Divine Tree was cleaved in two.
The colossal tree began to shudder violently, branches snapping, leaves cascading like a doomsday rain.
The energy within the Divine Tree spiraled out of control, surging in wild torrents that erupted in massive shockwaves.
Madara's face darkened. He glared at Gakuya, voice filled with fury.
"You've signed your own death warrant!"
Of course he was furious—his dream, his foundation, had been destroyed in an instant by Gakuya's hand.
At that moment, the Divine Tree called out to Madara in his mind. He lunged toward the falling tree, absorbing it into his body.
...
At the same time, Kamui's swirling vortex reappeared on the battlefield—Naruto and Black Zetsu, carrying Obito, returned.
The moment Black Zetsu landed, it separated from Obito and slipped into the ground, merging with a White Zetsu's body.
Gakuya wasn't surprised to see Black Zetsu emerge. He had, after all, hinted to Obito that he needed to bring it along—even if it was just for show.
Naruto, now fully recovered, stood tall with nine Truth-Seeking Orbs swirling behind him—gifts from the Sage of Six Paths himself.
He immediately rushed to Might Guy's side and used the power of Yang Release to keep him alive.
At the same time, Sasuke also regained consciousness. His left eye had awakened into the Six Tomoe Rinnegan.
The two of them took their place behind Gakuya, standing with him against Madara.
Sasuke was the first to speak, bowing his head slightly.
"I'm sorry, Gakuya-senpai. I lost my way. I'll do everything I can to make things right."
Gakuya blinked in confusion. Before he could ask what was going on, Naruto added,
"Mokushu-san, the entire shinobi world owes you. We've come this far because of your efforts. Thank you."
What...?
What the hell was this? Thanksgiving?
The moment they showed up, both of them started offering their heartfelt thanks.
What did that old man from the Moon say to them?
Gakuya had assumed the Sage of Six Paths, always secretly watching over the shinobi world, would have exposed his identity. But why did it feel like they just had a big family dinner instead?
Sasuke gave a concise explanation.
"We met the Sage of Six Paths. He gave us new power—and told us everything you've done for the shinobi world over the years."
Naruto's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"That's right, Mokushu-san. We know how much you've sacrificed. The whole shinobi world is in your debt."
Hearing both of them say that, Gakuya let out a small, satisfied smile and gave a sagely nod.
"It's all for the sake of protecting our world. My efforts are nothing worth mentioning."
Their admiration only deepened at his response.
And yet, internally, Gakuya was more confused than ever.
What the hell? Just what did that old fossil tell them to make them act like they've been completely brainwashed?
Naruto suddenly turned serious.
"The Sage of Six Paths asked us to tell you—he wants to speak with you in the spiritual realm."
Now that raised a few red flags.
Is this a trap? Did they butter me up just to lure me in and take me out?
Right now, Gakuya had no idea what the old man was up to—but one way or another, he was going to find out.
He wasn't afraid of the Sage pulling any tricks. Gakuya was confident he could take on Kaguya Ōtsutsuki at this point. That old man? Please.
Gakuya frowned, playing the part.
"With the enemy right in front of us, shouldn't we deal with Madara first?"
Naruto and Sasuke stepped forward in unison, shielding him.
"Don't worry," Naruto said. "We've got this. We're not pushovers anymore."
Gakuya hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. I'll go into the spirit realm. Hold him off. He just absorbed the Divine Tree—he's more dangerous than ever."
"Leave it to us," Sasuke said, unsheathing the Kusanagi blade on his back.
...
Gakuya retreated to the Allied Shinobi Forces' rear line, protected once again by their top fighters.
He sat down cross-legged and entered a meditative state, slipping into sleep and diving into his own mental space.
Time to see what kind of game the Sage was playing.
If this turned out to be a threat, Gakuya would end it—once and for all.
...
As Gakuya entered his mental realm, he immediately sensed another consciousness trying to enter along with him.
So that's why Naruto and Sasuke warned him first. If this had happened without warning, his first instinct would've been to crush that intruding thought with his Tenseigan.
He relaxed the defenses around his mind and allowed the Sage of Six Paths to enter.
A white, chakra-wrapped spirit floated into his inner world, gradually taking human form in front of him.
Gakuya didn't speak. He simply stared at the Sage coldly, waiting for him to say something first—maintaining control.
The Sage looked at Gakuya, his eyes filled with nostalgic emotion.
"It's been a long time... little brother."
That one line gave Gakuya a hint of what was going on.
The Sage had mistaken him for the reincarnation of Ōtsutsuki Hamura—the ancestor of both the Hyuga Clan and the Moon's Ōtsutsuki line.
But Gakuya played dumb, keeping in character. He replied sternly,
"Sage of Six Paths, I respect you as an elder. But if you keep this up, I'll have no choice but to treat you as a threat to the shinobi world—and eliminate you."
He raised a hand, golden light pulsing in his palm.
Gakuya could feel how weak the Sage currently was. With just one hand, he could erase him.
So much time had passed without a proper reincarnation. The Sage had been surviving off fragments of power and memory—his strength had faded drastically.
Of course, it was also possible that this was just an avatar, a fragment of the Sage's consciousness.
That ancient turtle had probably played it safe.