In the next instant, the Rasengan tore through the defenses of the Susanoo like a battering ram, surging forward with unstoppable momentum, on course to strike Sasuke directly.
Suddenly, the Rinnegan in Sasuke's forehead flared to life, and an invisible repulsive force exploded outward.
But the Rasengan was far too powerful—far beyond what a standard Almighty Push could hope to stop.
Though the blast slightly slowed the Rasengan's charge, the overwhelming chakra behind it still tore through the gravity field and sent Sasuke flying, smashing him brutally into the ground.
The impact carved a crater into the earth, debris and dust billowing into the air.
Only after a long moment did Sasuke claw his way out of the pit, battered and bloodied, his body caked with dirt and grime.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Why… why?! Why do you all insist on stopping me?! Naruto, you should be the one who understands me the most! I could bring your parents back! Why would you try to stop me?!"
Naruto gazed at him, eyes filled with both compassion and unwavering resolve.
"Sasuke," he said, "it's because I understand you that I can't let you keep making the same mistakes."
Minato stepped forward as well, his voice calm but firm.
"Child… hatred will only lead you astray. Let it go."
But Sasuke roared in defiance, "No! You don't get it! None of you could ever understand what I've been through!"
...
Just then, the space next to Sasuke began to warp.
Three massive octopus-like limbs burst through the distortion, followed by the colossal form of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—and finally, Uchiha Obito emerged.
Obito surveyed the battlefield: the three captured Tailed Beasts still restrained by Wood Release in the distance, the elite Konoha shinobi struggling to hold the line, Sasuke bloodied and disheveled, and the overwhelming chakra radiating from Naruto and Minato.
"Well, don't you look pathetic, Sasuke."
Sasuke ignored the jab. "Is this it? Just a few octopus legs?"
"The Second and Fourth Mizukage from Kirigakure put up quite the fight," Obito replied. "But we've done enough. It's time to summon the Ten-Tails."
Sasuke's voice was cold. "I kept so many enemies occupied according to plan. Per the agreement, I'll handle the final step."
Obito chuckled. "Of course. Go right ahead."
Sasuke was definitely exaggerating—Obito had handed over all the best Paths of Pain puppets to him. If Sasuke still got beat quickly, that'd be entirely on him.
But Obito had no objections to the request. After all, he was following Gakuya's plan to make Sasuke the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki.
Obito gestured politely, relinquishing control of the Demonic Statue.
Sasuke stared up at the statue with burning desire in his eyes. He swiftly formed hand seals, channeling an enormous amount of chakra into it.
The remaining Pain puppets that hadn't yet been sealed all converged on Sasuke.
The Demonic Statue opened its mouth wide. From above, a dozen purple chakra chains shot into the sky, lashing out toward the Tailed Beasts on the battlefield.
The chains wrapped around their targets and began dragging them—sealed or not—toward the Demonic Statue.
"Stop him! Don't let him absorb the Tailed Beasts!"
The Konoha shinobi were in a panic. They surged forward in an attempt to intervene.
But the Tailed Beasts under enemy control fired Tailed Beast Balls at them from midair, forcing the Konoha shinobi to halt and intercept the blasts.
Just as they neutralized the attacks, Obito appeared before them in a blur, cutting off their path.
"You're not getting through," he said coldly, an oppressive chakra radiating from him.
Tsunade glared at him with fury. "Obito, you bastard—get out of our way!"
"With just you people?" Obito sneered. "Don't kid yourselves."
The Konoha shinobi unleashed their techniques, each aiming to break through Obito's blockade. But his dual Kamui Sharingan gave him an eerie and unpredictable edge, plunging both sides into a stalemate.
Even Minato and Tobirama's Flying Thunder God kunai were absorbed into Obito's Kamui space the moment they got near.
...
Meanwhile, Sasuke's chakra chains had successfully dragged all the Tailed Beasts into the Demonic Statue.
From the complete One-Tail to the Seven-Tails, plus the horns and three octopus legs from the Eight-Tails, and even a portion of Nine-Tails' chakra—chakra from all nine Tailed Beasts was now gathered.
The nine closed eyes on the Demonic Statue slowly opened one after another. It clutched its head and let out an earsplitting, inhuman howl.
Sasuke's face twisted in madness.
"The Ten-Tails is about to be reborn!" he roared. "This war is mine to win!"
But even as Sasuke shouted in triumph, not a single Konoha shinobi backed down.
Naruto's eyes blazed. The Nine-Tails' chakra surged out of him again like a torrent.
"I won't let you win, Sasuke!"
Minato hurled several kunai toward Sasuke.
Hashirama formed a rapid set of hand seals, summoning a colossal Wood Dragon from the ground that surged toward the Demonic Statue and Sasuke.
"Young man," Hashirama called out, "this isn't the path you should walk!"
Tobirama, ever the tactician, calmly observed from the side, looking for a critical weakness—ready to strike with lethal precision.
Sakumo Hatake charged forward with his long blade drawn, a fierce aura radiating from him as he sped toward the Demonic Statue.
Kakashi Hatake slashed at Obito again and again.
"Sasuke! Obito! Don't throw your lives away chasing the wrong path!"
Might Guy activated the Seventh Gate, his body burning with the fires of youth.
"Let me put an end to this madness!"
Tsunade clenched her fists, monstrous strength building as she readied herself for impact.
Obito merely smirked. "You think that's enough to stop us? Don't be so naïve."
He summoned a half-bodied, azure Susanoo, forming several Kamui shuriken that he hurled toward the Wood Dragon and the shinobi below.
The first shuriken struck the airborne Wood Dragon, twisting it mid-flight and shredding it into splintered pieces that crashed to the ground.
Everyone watching felt a chill down their spine and immediately scattered to dodge the next wave of attacks. The shuriken that hit the earth tore the ground into swirling vortexes of destruction.
If those had landed on a person, the consequences would've been unimaginable.
...
In the next heartbeat, Minato and Naruto used Flying Thunder God to teleport directly in front of Sasuke.
The Rasengan in Naruto's hand was spinning wildly, infused with his roaring chakra.
He lunged forward, aiming straight at Sasuke.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (237 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)