"Summoning Technique!!"
The Sage of Six Paths once again harnessed the chakra of the five previous Kage to perform a powerful summoning.
"Ha!" Leo, wielding a pair of Six Tomoe Rinnegan, observed the technique unfolding before him.
But he didn't stop it.
Poof—!!
A sudden burst of white mist rose into the air.
Uchiha Sasuke and Namikaze Minato were summoned back to the ninja world!
"Dad! Sasuke!!"
Nearby, Six Paths Naruto had momentarily distanced himself from Six Paths Madara and his eight shadowy Rinnegan manifestations. When he spotted Sasuke and the Fourth Hokage appearing in the distance, his face lit up.
Naruto exclaimed with joy, "They're back!"
At the same time, Uzumaki Naruto's heightened perception in Six Paths Sage Mode never left Madara and his terrifying presence.
"Hm?" Six Paths Madara, bearing a pair of Six Tomoe Rinnegan in his eyes and a Nine Tomoe Sharingan on his forehead, slightly turned to glance at the scene near the Sage of Six Paths.
He spotted Minato and Sasuke, who he had recently banished to the realm of [Ame-no-Minaka], now standing revived on the battlefield—clearly summoned back through the combined chakra of the five Kage.
"What is the other me thinking?" Madara muttered, puzzled by Leo's lack of interference.
Shrugging, he chuckled lightly. "Well, whatever. That's his concern."
He shifted his gaze away, his three eyes narrowing on his main opponent—Six Paths Naruto.
"Let's not waste time. This war has only one ending..."
"Either you die, or I, Madara, fall."
"Now then…"
Raising his Six Paths Scepter high, Ten Tails Sage Mode Madara prepared to begin again.
"Let's start over. Let's finish this."
Naruto's expression hardened. He clenched his fists tightly, frustration bubbling inside him.
"Damn it!" he muttered, angered by how Madara had not only recovered but become even stronger.
Zing—!
Suddenly, a flicker of light surged across Naruto's palm. It lasted only a second, but he noticed it.
"Huh?" Naruto stared at his hand. "This is…"
He paused.
"Is this… the Six Paths Yang Power that Grandpa Sage just restored to me?"
Indeed, a glowing [Yang] mark shimmered brightly on his palm.
Naruto turned toward the Sage of Six Paths in the distance, and—
Just as he thought.
Sasuke, who had previously been impaled through the heart by Madara, now stood upright once more. Like Naruto, he looked curiously at his palm.
The [Yin] mark of Six Paths Power had also reappeared on Sasuke's hand.
"Sasuke…!" Haruno Sakura, Kakashi, and the others smiled with relief and joy.
At that moment, Sasuke turned to the Sage of Six Paths.
"Sage of Six Paths, are you going to just keep watching from the sidelines?"
The question cut sharply through the tension.
The Sage gave a slow, measured response. "As someone who has passed on, I should not interfere. But now, with the situation as it is… perhaps I no longer have that luxury."
"Great," said Tobirama with a grin. "With you on our side, even Madara isn't unbeatable."
The Sage turned toward Sasuke and said, "You and Naruto—the current reincarnations of Indra and Ashura—must now join hands and release the world from Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"We're about to face two Madaras, both possessing Moon Eyes and Rinnegan. Even I, as an ancient sage, may not be able to defeat them alone. We need the power of unity."
Seeing Sasuke's hesitation, the Sage added, "Only together can we bring hope."
Sasuke nodded silently. Without another word, he moved toward Naruto.
Clang—!!
He activated his [Heavenly Hand Power], instantly swapping space to appear beside Naruto.
Strangely, Madara did nothing to stop him. He merely watched as the two came together once more.
"Hmph. What do you think, Leo?" Madara muttered, glancing toward the distant figure.
Leo had made no move. Even when Sasuke and Minato were summoned back, he remained passive.
Madara didn't understand.
What was Leo's purpose?
Unbeknownst to him, Leo didn't see the need to intervene—just as he himself hadn't when Sasuke reunited with Naruto.
Leo simply smirked and folded his arms across his chest.
He wasn't afraid. No matter how many came at him.
He would stand firm.
---
"Infinite Tsukuyomi… RELEASE!!"
As soon as Naruto and Sasuke reunited, they began forming hand seals simultaneously.
In that instant—
Crack, crack, crack—!!
Throughout the world, massive trees holding people in suspended dreams began to fracture.
Bit by bit, one by one, people were released from the genjutsu.
Tsunade-hime, Orochimaru, Raikage A, Killer Bee, Terumi Mei, Gaara, and countless others slowly emerged from their dreamlike prisons.
But their expressions were not joyful.
No one else could understand.
Only those who had been trapped in [Infinite Tsukuyomi] knew just how perfect that illusion had been.
Now, as they woke, confusion and loss filled their eyes.
Some even looked reluctant—resistant—to leave that dream world behind.
"Grandma Tsunade, Gaara, Uncle Raikage, Grandpa Tsuchikage… everyone!"
"Please pull yourselves together!" Naruto shouted. "The war isn't over yet! We need your strength!"
Hovering in front of them, the Sage of Six Paths raised his voice.
"Stand tall once again! This battle is not yet won!"
"...Naruto."
Tsunade, Gaara, and the others finally returned to their senses.
Slowly, they rose and looked across the battlefield.
And then—
"Two Madaras?"
"A clone?!"
Gaara was stunned. His eyes flicked between Leo and Six Paths Madara.
"That's not a clone," Sasuke interjected. "They're both real. And both of them have Rinnegan."
"WHAT?!" Tsunade, Raikage, and the rest all gasped in shock.
Then—
Swish—!!
As the Sage kept a wary eye on Leo, Six Paths Madara suddenly floated toward him.
"So…" he asked. "What are you thinking, other me?"
Leo remained composed.
The winds of war howled around them, but his calm expression never wavered.
He looked straight at Madara and smiled.
---