"Asura! Are you really going to stand against me and start another war?!" Indra roared in fury, his voice booming with suppressed rage.
"Brother… I don't want to fight you," Asura replied solemnly. "But Itachi is right. We're both already dead. We're relics of a bygone era. The matters of this generation should be handled by the new generation."
"I'd rather entrust my chakra to Itachi and let him eliminate the one pulling strings from the shadows."
"For the sake of a lasting peace in the shinobi world," Asura added, trying to reason with him.
"Heh. So you are choosing to go against me," Indra said coldly, a dangerous glint flashing through his eyes.
Asura fell silent. If his brother gave in to hatred again, their chakra would simply reincarnate, and the shinobi world would be plunged into yet another cycle of war.
"…Brother, I don't want to fight you. I really don't."
"But I also won't stand by and watch you bully a descendant."
"So…" Asura looked down toward Uchiha Itachi. "Itachi, come here. I'll transfer my chakra to you. You'll fight my brother."
"If you win, your body remains yours. But if you lose…" Asura trailed off.
"If I lose… then my body becomes a vessel for Lord Indra," Itachi said calmly, looking between the two brothers.
"…That's right," Asura nodded. "That's as far as I can help you. Because I've grown tired of this eternal struggle. We've been at odds for a thousand years—it's time to end the cycle."
"I understand. Thank you, Lord Asura," Itachi said sincerely.
"No need to thank me," Asura replied, placing a hand on Itachi's back. "You possess both Wood Release and the bloodline of the Senju. You are one of my descendants. At the very least, you're a better choice than Naruto."
"The Senju… literally the clan of 'Thousand Hands'—a name that reflects unity, love, and bonds. When people come together in understanding, when we link hands and form a circle, even the tiniest spark can ignite a blaze."
"And that blaze can grow into a sun, lighting up the world, warming everything in its path."
"That is the legacy of Ninshū—our true Will of Fire."
"That… is the essence of the Six Paths."
"Heh." Indra scoffed dismissively. He wasn't afraid of Asura's Six Paths power—why would he fear a mere descendant?
If this boy wants to lose, I'll make sure he loses with conviction.
The moment Itachi opened his eyes again, his appearance had transformed—empowered by Asura's Six Paths chakra. His eyes had become Rinnegan. Six Truth-Seeking Balls floated behind his back, and golden light radiated from his entire body.
Six Paths Sage Mode: Trial Version Activated!
Itachi looked down at his open palm—where a glowing sun-shaped seal had appeared.
"This is the Six Paths Yang Power—the strength of my chakra," Asura explained. "I've given it to you. The Yin Power, however, remains with my brother."
"Go now. Experience the full force of the Six Paths.
And if you can defeat my brother—if you earn his acknowledgment—you'll obtain his Yin chakra as well.
When that day comes, you'll awaken the true Rinnegan, just like our father once wielded."
"Thank you, Lord Asura," Itachi said gratefully. Borrowing this power, even temporarily, was a rare opportunity—and he wouldn't waste it.
The red thread between Itachi and Izumi pulsed with light. Empowered by the Six Paths chakra, her lost ocular power began to regenerate rapidly.
As Izumi stirred and opened her eyes, her gaze shimmered—transformed. She now bore a Three-Tomoe Rinnegan.
A terrifying gift from Ōkuninushi-no-Mikoto himself.
Seeing that Itachi was safe, Izumi let out a soft breath of relief.
Still… Itachi in golden armor like that… so cool.
While the boost from her Rinnegan lasted, Izumi closed her eyes again, focusing on attuning herself to the power of the Six Paths.
Even now, she didn't forget to covertly manipulate the emotional threads between Indra and Asura, strengthening their familial ties and goodwill toward Itachi.
The Six Paths energy around Itachi surged once more, coating his Sage Fox Form in a radiant crimson armor. One of the Truth-Seeking Orbs morphed into a sleek, black longsword that appeared in his hand.
Armored Susanoo: Six Paths Sage Fox Mode!
"HAHAHA! Come!" Indra shouted with exhilaration. The stronger Itachi became, the more thrilled he was. Who would've thought this descendant carried both his own chakra and Asura's?
Together, the dual bloodlines had formed something transcendent—Itachi had directly awakened the same Rinnegan their father once wielded.
If he could seize this body, he'd unlock the true Six Paths state.
With it, not only would he atone for a millennium of sin…
He could finally unify the shinobi world—and bring about real peace.
"Such intense ambition…" Izumi's eyes widened as she sensed the dark surge of hatred and obsession swelling around Indra.
In ancient teachings, the "Seven Emotions" were said to govern human nature: joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, and desire.
Among them, desire—particularly the excessive craving for power or control—was a dangerous force that could lead to pride, envy, wrath, and more.
"This bastard… how dare he harbor such evil intent toward Itachi?! That's unforgivable!"
"If anyone's allowed to drool over Itachi's body, it's me!"
"No one else—no matter who they are—is allowed!"
Blazing with fury and protectiveness, Izumi launched an internal strike. In her mind's eye, she slashed at Indra's threads of malice, slicing apart the root of his greed with no hesitation—executing a full scorched-earth strategy.
Above them, atop Indra's Perfect Susanoo, a spectral moon appeared.
Atop Itachi's Armored Susanoo: Six Paths Sage Fox Mode!, a radiant sun rose.
Yin and Yang, suspended in the sky.
And as they clashed, their battle moved forward—unstoppable.
Far below, the people of the world of Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber looked up at the battle raging in the heavens. Their jaws dropped as they watched a titanic purple giant battle a golden fox cloaked in divine light.
"Amaterasu!" Indra shouted, his left eye flaring. His Six-Pointed Mangekyō Sharingan locked onto Itachi, launching the inextinguishable black flames.
Itachi's Sage Fox Susanoo raised its right arm, intercepting the attack.
The searing flames wrapped around his chakra armor, burning relentlessly.
Itachi frowned, then summoned a chakra-formed arm to rip off the flaming armor and hurl it away.
BOOM!
The discarded armor slammed into the earth with an explosion, stirring up clouds of dust.
The undying black flames continued to burn—anything organic that touched them was instantly reduced to ash.
It was death incarnate, consuming all life in its path.
The people stared up, trembling.
A massive purple titan and a luminous golden fox were locked in battle above.
"Is that… a sage?"
"Is that golden fox… some kind of demon?"
"My heavens!"
A single slash split a mountain in half.
A tailed beast bomb flattened another entirely, turning it into rubble.
The disciples of the Ming Cult fell to their knees, wherever they were—hands to hearts, eyes shining with fervor.
"Burn away my withered body—let holy flames consume me.
Life brings no joy, death holds no fear.
To do good and vanquish evil, for light alone.
All emotions—joy, sorrow, love, regret—shall return to dust.
Have mercy on us, O world, for our suffering is great."
"Disciples of the Ming Cult welcome the descent of the Holy Flame Lord!"