"What do we do?!" Even the ever-calm Senju Tobirama and the battle-hardened Uchiha Madara found no path to break through this clash of absolute power.
—"Tobirama!"
A voice rang out, clear and ethereal as if from the heavens: "Use my strength! Escape this crisis first!"
"I'm coming to support you soon… if possible, find a way to unleash my ocular technique. He hasn't noticed me yet!"
At that moment—
Within the battered, broken War God Susanoo that was on the verge of fading away, the most fundamental and unshakable framework—the soul imprint—was channeling Kazuki's power through its pathways…
Myōshiki descended from above, his fist crashing down toward the War God's skull with violent fury, intent on ending this farce in a single blow!
But at that moment—
The Amaterasu flames, which had almost never truly burned anyone to death, scorched Myōshiki's face with searing heat, to the point he actually felt pain!
"What is this?!"
Myōshiki instantly shot into the air, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at the War God Susanoo lying within the crater.
Where had this power come from?
A mere, rudimentary Fire Release ocular technique—yet Myōshiki found he could hardly absorb even a trace of chakra from it…
And what was this force that allowed Susanoo, on the verge of collapse, to instantly restore itself?
The answer was clear—
It could only be the power of the Ōtsutsuki God!
"You think you can drive us to despair with such shallow tricks? Impossible…"
Senju Tobirama laughed aloud: "If you had even half of Kazuki's strength, perhaps then you might stand a chance!"
"My advice—leave now! Once Kazuki arrives to support us, you'll have no future but death… damn invader!"
Myōshiki sneered coldly.
Uchiha Kazuki? He didn't care in the slightest who that was.
All that concerned him was the body of Ōtsutsuki Shibai.
The anomaly within Susanoo was proof enough that the power of the Ōtsutsuki God lay hidden there.
As long as he slaughtered everyone present, he could search for it at his leisure.
Myōshiki floated high above, finally choosing to take the battle seriously.
Chakra surged!
His prophetic dōjutsu locked down every possible evasion of the War God Susanoo!
Expressionless, Myōshiki clenched his fist.
From within his body, chakra burst forth like a collapsing firmament, transforming into a colossal, world-shattering hand descending to smash down—ready to sweep everything from existence!
But just as the massive hand was about to fall, a sudden rift in space opened behind Myōshiki—
The newcomer was Kazuki!
Myōshiki's eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, Kazuki's kick struck his spine, blasting him away like a cannonball, sent flying in the opposite direction of the War God Susanoo!
"Vile invader—what were you about to do to my precious comrades?"
Kazuki's great sleeves billowed as he stood in midair where Myōshiki had just been, turning his head toward the shinobi world with a warm smile.
"Everyone, I'm here."
...
Within the great pit, the Susanoo War God—or rather, the countless living beings of the entire shinobi world contained within—lifted their heads in dazed shock, staring at Kazuki's figure that loomed like that of a god.
Their emotions had been tossed about too violently in this battle.
From the early surge of fighting spirit, when the combined might of the shinobi world had wounded Myōshiki—
To the despair of nearly being torn apart in a single punch, as their united conviction was crushed by the fear of overwhelming power—
That single blow from Myōshiki had jolted the Shinobi Alliance awake.
After all, those as clear-headed as Senju Tobirama were few. The vast majority of the Alliance—Uchiha Madara, Indra, Obito, and others of the Uchiha, or simply the more arrogant souls—had believed themselves invincible once they tasted the power of the Susanoo War God.
Even the Sage of Six Paths, Asura, or those of more restrained temperament had begun to think they might surpass Kazuki…
Power that exceeded understanding—without a clear point of reference—could easily blind its wielder, breeding arrogance in the guise of confidence.
And once that arrogance was shattered, what followed was crushing inferiority.
Even though it was Kazuki who had bestowed upon them the strength of Susanoo, and even though they had forced Myōshiki back at the last possible instant, the overwhelming majority of wills within Susanoo no longer held the spirit to stand against him.
In truth, after Kazuki had infused them with chakra, as long as Myōshiki did not further increase his strength, they could still have fought on relatively equal terms.
But to lose the will to fight was to lose nearly everything.
When Myōshiki gathered chakra, turning the sky itself into a colossal fist, thoughts of fear and flight had already taken root in their minds.
Until Kazuki appeared.
This man had actually kicked down Myōshiki—the godlike enemy—dragging him from his divine pedestal! That overwhelming reversal shook the very hearts of every living being in the shinobi world.
"How… how did Kazuki do that? Just how strong is he…?"
Uchiha Madara, wide-eyed, stared at Kazuki suspended in midair. Uncharacteristically, he swallowed hard, muttering under his breath: "Clearly… clearly, the strength of the entire shinobi world lies here with us—be it the Tailed Beasts, the shinobi, or even natural energy itself…"
"If you can't make sense of it, then don't think about it."
Senju Tobirama's eyes were fixed on Kazuki, a smile tugging at his lips—sincere and full of relief. This was the Fourth Hokage, the savior of the shinobi world, whom he had personally nurtured!
"There are some people destined to always stand far ahead of all others. The ordinary will never be able to comprehend them." Tobirama sighed with deep emotion as he patted Madara's shoulder.
"This truth—you of all people should understand, shouldn't you? Once, long ago, weren't you the one looking down upon everyone else the same way?"
Tobirama's gaze shifted toward the Susanoo's chest. There, countless shinobi from across the world formed its heart—ordinary beings who had never understood why Uchiha Madara was so terrifyingly strong.
"Ha… you're right. Have I really become one of those weaklings gazing up at the strong?" Uchiha Madara gave a helpless smile and shook his head.
At this moment—
Compared to the shinobi who knew of Kazuki's resolve to protect the shinobi world, the rest found themselves caught between relief and unease.
The so-called combined Susanoo…
It had been created as a test, to measure the unity of the shinobi world.
Which meant that in the hearts of most, they had never even considered clashing with Myōshiki, this sudden invader. Their true opponent was Kazuki himself.
And yet the enemy they could not defeat no matter how hard they fought… had just been kicked down from the heavens by Kazuki himself. So then—did that count as passing the test?
After all, if even Myōshiki was beyond them, then what of Kazuki, whom they believed to be even stronger?
But when Kazuki had called them his "precious companions," the words soothed the turmoil in their hearts. Could it be… he had acknowledged them?
"So strong! As expected of a pursuer from the Ōtsutsuki clan…"
Kazuki's gaze turned toward the distant pit, still shrouded in rising dust. His brows furrowed sharply, and then he clapped his hands together with force.
The natural energy, once so thin it was barely perceptible, suddenly gathered at terrifying speed. Around Myōshiki's location, it formed a sealed cage, dense and unyielding.
Only after finishing this did Kazuki turn back to the Susanoo War God.
He exchanged a glance with Senju Tobirama, offering a reassuring look. Then his eyes swept gently over the mass, making it seem as though each shinobi within Susanoo met his gaze in turn.
"Everyone… you've truly surprised me, in the best way. Your resilience and unity have gone far beyond anything I expected."
"This proves that the shinobi world is not so bound by hatred and war that it cannot unite or accept peace. I believe that as you fought together toward a common goal, many of you felt deep down that this was how it was always meant to be."
"Those who once struck fear into you, who seemed like the unstable elements of this world—perhaps, if you look from another angle, they may be the most reliable comrades of all." Kazuki's voice was calm, and his eyes as he looked upon Susanoo were filled with warmth.
The shinobi nodded thoughtfully.
It was like Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Izuna—once mortal enemies, each wishing the other dead the next instant. Yet when they fought side by side, both could not help but admit from the heart—
"So this bastard actually works pretty damn well as an ally…"
And in this shinobi world, such bonds were not limited to Uchiha and Senju.
Ōnoki and the Third Raikage, the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage—many jōnin, even chūnin or genin, who had once faced each other as enemies on the battlefield, each had someone like that in their lives.
When blades were sheathed and peace restored, the most detestable foes of yesterday often became the most reliable comrades today.
It was a phenomenon seen time and again.
Even someone like Uchiha Madara, once feared across the entire shinobi world as a harbinger of death, once acknowledged and accepted by others, could not help but show a softer side—allowing those who had misunderstood him to finally glimpse his truer, fuller self.
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