Rumble!
A crushing pressure descended upon the earth with the weight of divine judgment, the atmospheric displacement caused by multiple city-killing meteorites creating effects that could be felt long before the actual impacts occurred. The compressed air generated by objects of such tremendous mass moving at cosmic velocities created shockwaves that rippled through the ground itself, causing loose gravel and debris to vibrate with increasing intensity.
Everyone standing within the projected impact zone could feel the tremors through their feet as reality itself seemed to groan under the approaching destruction. The meteorites cast shadows that darkened the landscape like premature nightfall, their massive forms blocking out portions of the sky as they descended with mathematical precision toward their targets.
Beside Minato, Naruto and Sasuke suddenly opened their eyes with synchronized timing that spoke to their shared experience in the realm beyond normal perception.
Minato turned his head, and the first thing that registered in his enhanced awareness was the dramatic transformation that had occurred in Sasuke's appearance. The young Uchiha's left eye had undergone a fundamental change that challenged everything Minato thought he understood about the progression of dōjutsu abilities.
The pupil had shifted to a light purple coloration, marked with the distinctive circular patterns that rippled outward like stones dropped into still water. But this wasn't simply a standard manifestation of the legendary eye technique.
"Rinnegan!"
Minato's exclamation carried both awe and analytical recognition as he processed what he was witnessing. Sasuke's Rinnegan was distinctly different from Madara's version, incorporating elements that suggested an evolution beyond even the cosmic capabilities they had been facing.
Six black magatama were distributed evenly between the circular patterns, creating a design that seemed to combine the traditional tomoe of the Sharingan with the ripple patterns of the Rinnegan. The result was something entirely new, a dōjutsu that transcended the normal categories of ocular enhancement.
"It appears that you have received the power of the Sage of Six Paths!"
Minato's voice carried unrestrained joy as the implications of this transformation settled into his consciousness. The cosmic intervention he had been hoping for, the divine assistance that represented their only hope against Madara's overwhelming capabilities, had finally materialized.
Naruto and Sasuke turned toward him and nodded with grave solemnity, their expressions carrying the weight of someone who had just been entrusted with responsibilities that transcended individual existence.
Then both young shinobis raised their heads to observe the massive meteorites that continued their inexorable descent, their faces showing tension as they calculated the time remaining before impact and the scale of the destruction they needed to prevent.
"Let's work together to neutralize Madara's technique first!"
Minato's voice carried the authority of someone accustomed to coordinating responses to impossible situations, but even as he spoke, he could feel the limitations of his own exhausted form.
Naruto turned toward his father with a smile that carried both affection and determination, his expression radiating the kind of confidence that had defined his approach to challenges throughout his young life.
"Dad, please leave the rest of this battle to us."
The words were delivered with gentle firmness, carrying with them the recognition that Minato had pushed himself far beyond normal human limitations in his confrontation with cosmic-level power.
He could sense that after the series of battles they had endured, after facing an opponent whose strength exceeded his own by orders of magnitude, Minato's spirit and body were approaching their absolute limits. The creation and manipulation of Yin-Yang Release energies had demanded resources that no mortal was meant to possess, and the toll was becoming increasingly evident.
"Sasuke, let's move!"
BOOM!
As Naruto's voice rang out with absolute determination, golden chakra light erupted from his body with intensity that made his previous enhancements seem pale by comparison. The energy that surrounded him now carried qualities that belonged to the realm of divine beings rather than enhanced humans.
Nine black magatama condensed on the back of his characteristic orange and black robe, each one pulsing with power that made the air itself seem to thicken around his form. The symbols were more than decorative—they represented connections to cosmic forces that had shaped the world since its creation.
At the same moment, nine perfectly spherical objects materialized in the air behind him, floating with the same supernatural grace that characterized Madara's Truth-Seeking Orbs.
"Truth-Seeking Orbs!?"
Minato's voice carried stunned recognition as he witnessed Naruto's transformation into something that transcended normal limitations entirely. After gaining access to the complete chakra signatures of all nine Tailed Beasts and receiving power directly from the Sage of Six Paths himself, his son had achieved a state that could only be described as divine.
The nine black spheres floating behind Naruto were indeed Truth-Seeking Orbs, cosmic implements that operated according to the same reality-warping principles that had made Madara virtually invincible. This represented mastery over Six Paths Sage techniques, a mode of existence that could properly be called Six Paths Sage Mode.
Whoosh!
Simultaneously, a brilliant column of lavender chakra erupted skyward from Sasuke's position, the energy condensing and solidifying into a humanoid form that rivaled mountains in scale and majesty.
Sasuke's Perfect Susanoo had undergone its own transformation, the ethereal shinobi now possessing wings that spread wide enough to cast shadows across entire city districts. The construct's massive feet touched the ground with delicate precision before launching itself into the sky with enough force to create sonic booms.
Swish!
Naruto shot directly into the air with speed that transcended normal physical limitations, his enhanced form moving through three-dimensional space as if gravity were merely a suggestion rather than a fundamental law.
On the ground below, Minato watched their ascent with emotions that mixed pride, relief, and profound amazement. The chakra fluctuations emanating from both young shinobis had surpassed his own enhanced capabilities, their spiritual energy operating on levels that belonged to the realm of legends rather than normal human achievement.
More significantly, he could detect the presence of extremely powerful Yin and Yang forces attached to their forms—cosmic energies that the Sage of Six Paths had somehow managed to transfer despite the vast gulf of time that separated his era from the present.
The explanation for such unprecedented power transfer lay in the unique circumstances of their situation. The Sage of Six Paths had been dead for over a thousand years, his physical form long since returned to the earth. Even considering his tremendous capabilities during life, directly granting powerful chakra to living recipients should have been impossible across such temporal distances.
But Naruto's enhancement drew its strength from the collective power of all nine Tailed Beasts, spiritual entities that carried within them portions of the original Ten-Tails' cosmic energy. Meanwhile, Sasuke's transformation was channeled through the Six-Tomoe Rinnegan, a unique evolution that differed fundamentally from standard manifestations of the legendary eye.
This was why Sasuke's enhancement was limited to his left eye rather than affecting both organs equally. The power of the Sage of Six Paths, constrained by the limitations of posthumous intervention, could achieve only so much even under these extraordinary circumstances.
"What!?"
Madara's expression in the sky underwent a dramatic shift as he processed what his enhanced perception was revealing about the two ascending figures. His cosmic awareness, elevated far beyond normal limitations by his status as a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, could detect the fundamental nature of the transformations that had occurred.
By this time, Sasuke had already reached the lowest of the descending meteorites, his Perfect Susanoo moving with precision that defied the massive scale of both the construct and its target.
In both of the ethereal shinobi's gigantic hands, enormous blades condensed from pure chakra, their edges sharp enough to cut through the fabric of space itself. The weapons swung in coordinated arcs—one from top to bottom, the other from left to right—creating a crossing pattern that divided the massive meteorite into four perfectly equal sections.
The colossal blade continued its devastating work, additional strikes reducing the once-threatening cosmic projectile to fragments small enough to pose no danger to those below.
"Everyone, please lend me your strength!"
Directly below Sasuke's position, Naruto raised his right arm high above his head, his voice carrying across the battlefield with the authority of someone calling upon forces that transcended individual capability.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
In the palm of his extended hand, several spiral-shaped techniques of different attributes and colors began materializing simultaneously, each one incorporating the unique characteristics of different Tailed Beast powers.
"Lava Style: Rasenshuriken!"
"Boil Style: Rasenshuriken!"
"Wind Style: Tailed Beast Rasenshuriken!"
The technique positioned at the top burned with the fierce red flames characteristic of the Four-Tails' lava-based abilities, its surface crackling with heat that could melt steel at a distance. Below it, steam rose from a second technique that incorporated the Five-Tails' boiling capabilities, the vapor itself carrying enough destructive potential to strip flesh from bone.
The technique closest to Naruto's palm was formed from a concentrated Tailed Beast Ball enhanced with wind-style cutting properties, representing the combined power of the Nine-Tails and his own natural chakra affinity.
"The combined power of the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Nine-Tails..."
Minato's voice carried analytical recognition as he processed the implications of what he was witnessing. His son was wielding abilities that should have required decades of training to master, channeling the unique powers of multiple Tailed Beasts with the casual ease of someone born to such cosmic authority.
"Sasuke!"
After completing the formation of his multi-attribute techniques, Naruto called out to his partner with absolute confidence in their coordination.
The Perfect Susanoo floating directly above him spread its massive wings and glided to one side, clearing the trajectory for what was about to unfold.
"Watch me destroy them all in one attack!"
"Ha!"
With explosive force that sent shockwaves through the surrounding air, Naruto hurled all three techniques skyward simultaneously. They traveled along carefully calculated trajectories, each one aimed at the structural weak points of different meteorites.
BOOM!
The moment of impact created explosions that painted the sky in colors that had no names in normal language. The devastating force generated by multiple Tailed Beast-enhanced techniques detonating simultaneously created air pressure waves that sheared through cosmic rock as if it were paper.
The three explosions linked together and expanded outward, their combined effects creating a chain reaction that enveloped all the remaining meteorites in a sphere of pure destruction. The interweaving of chakras from multiple attributes created a display that resembled gorgeous fireworks on a cosmic scale, visible from distances that encompassed nearly half of the Iron Country.
"Such incredible chakra!"
The exclamation rippled through the ranks of tens of thousands of ninja from various coalition units who had received Shikaku's orders to maintain safe distance from the primary battle zone. From their positions miles away, they could clearly observe the impossible display of power that was reshaping the very sky above them.
The sight challenged everything they thought they understood about the limitations of human capability, forcing them to confront the reality that some individuals could transcend those boundaries entirely.
"Naruto!"
"Sasuke!"
At the base of the God Tree, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Itachi, and Orochimaru all witnessed the two figures who had resolved this cosmic crisis with what appeared to be casual effort. Their faces reflected shock that went beyond simple surprise—this was the recognition of witnessing something that belonged to the realm of mythology rather than conventional warfare.
"How did these two suddenly become so powerful?"
Madara's voice carried disbelief that bordered on outrage as he struggled to process what his enhanced perception was revealing. Not long ago, he had dismissed both Naruto and Sasuke as insignificant threats, their power levels barely registering as noteworthy on his cosmic awareness.
But in the span of mere minutes, both young shinobis had achieved capabilities that surpassed even Minato's enhanced abilities. More disturbing still, Naruto's chakra fluctuations were approaching levels that rivaled his own cosmic enhancement.
"Six Paths Sage techniques..."
Recognition dawned in Madara's ancient consciousness as he identified the nature of the transformations he was observing. This wasn't simply enhanced power—this was access to the same cosmic principles that governed his own divine capabilities.
Not only was Naruto wielding the power of the Six Paths, but he had also gained access to the chakra signatures of all nine Tailed Beasts simultaneously.
"Damn Fourth Hokage!"
The pieces of Minato's strategy suddenly clicked into place in Madara's analytical mind, revealing the true scope of the plan that had been executed under his awareness.
The Tailed Beast chakra that Minato had extracted from his enhanced form hadn't been intended to weaken Madara's power—it had been meant to complete Naruto's spiritual requirements for receiving the Sage of Six Paths' enhancement.
But even accounting for the missing chakra components, the level of power that Naruto was now displaying seemed to exceed what should have been possible through such means.
At this moment, Sasuke was rapidly approaching Madara's position through three-dimensional flight, and in the space before him, black flames of Amaterasu were burning with supernatural intensity, condensing into the shape of a bow and arrow.
Swish!
When the bow formed from eternal flames was drawn back, an arrow crafted from the same inextinguishable fire materialized on the string. The projectile was released with enough velocity to cross the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
The Amaterasu arrow appeared mere meters from Madara's position almost instantaneously, its black flames carrying the promise of destruction that could not be avoided or extinguished.
Although Amaterasu possessed limited killing power against someone of Madara's enhanced durability, the cosmic flames still represented a threat that required appropriate response. He began to manipulate his Truth-Seeking Orbs to disperse the approaching technique.
But just as he prepared to counter the attack, the black flame arrow suddenly vanished from existence entirely.
Swish!
In place of the arrow, Sasuke's Perfect Susanoo materialized at point-blank range, the massive construct having somehow crossed the intervening space instantaneously.
"Space-time ninjutsu?"
Madara's expression shifted once again as he processed this unexpected development, his enhanced gaze focusing on Sasuke's transformed features with newfound respect and concern.
"Rinnegan!?"
The question carried implications that transcended simple recognition of an enhanced eye technique. This represented something entirely new, a evolution of cosmic power that even his ancient experience had never encountered.