Facing the incoming black spikes, Naruto simply abandoned his attempt to continue the stalemate. He wrapped one foot in Haki for isolation, pushed off forcefully against the black substance using it, and used the recoil to put distance between them.
"What's wrong? Finally realizing the power of this [Truth-Seeking Ball]?"
His attack missed, but no frustration showed on Obito's face. Instead, he calmly transformed the black substance into several black spheres, letting them float behind him.
Ever since performing the Ten-Tails Coffin Seal and obtaining this Six Paths power, knowledge about the Truth-Seeking Balls and other related information had automatically appeared in Obito's mind.
As if he had been born with it.
Truth-Seeking Balls are essentially special, high-density chakra spheres created through Yin-Yang Release, fusing the seven properties of Yin, Yang, and the five basic Chakra Natures.
As one of the abilities of the Sage of Six Paths, Truth-Seeking Balls can negate and obliterate most Ninjutsu, as well as any physical object they touch.
The Whirl Release created by Naruto was relatively effective, able to distort the shape of the Truth-Seeking Balls.
If it were Onoki's Dust Release, it would likely have been completely nullified.
Similarly, it was precisely because he saw himself being hit and pierced by the Truth-Seeking Balls in his Observation Haki prediction that Naruto chose to dodge.
"Quite troublesome indeed-"
Despite Obito's provocation, not a trace of despair showed on Naruto's face… his fighting spirit remained as intense as ever.
He slowly drew out Mushoukou, which he hadn't used for a long time, from within himself, coated it with Haki, then beckoned Obito forward with a finger.
"Now this is what I call a 'worthy opponent'."
"Heh, if you want to talk tough, you'd better do it now while you still can."
Obito shaped a Truth-Seeking Ball into a spiral-shaped long sword.
The Sword of Nunoboko, called a 'sword' but actually the legendary divine tool used by the Sage of Six Paths to create the first continent. It carries the user's willpower, and the stronger the will, the greater its hardness.
In the next moment, the two weapons clashed.
A massive shockwave spread outwards from the two as the center.
With Conqueror's Haki providing isolation, Mushoukou avoided directly colliding with the legendary divine tool, thus avoiding being shattered.
Thud!
Clang!
Relying on his vastly enhanced physical abilities and dynamic vision in the Six Paths state, Obito barely managed to keep up with Naruto's high-speed slashes.
No matter from which angle Mushoukou's blade came, the Sword of Nunoboko would steadily block it.
It seemed Naruto was about to fall into a disadvantage.
"Useless..."
During the stalemate, Obito, quite dishonorably, controlled the other Truth-Seeking Balls to transform into spikes and stab towards Naruto.
Naruto, of course, dodged them in advance.
Boom!
The dodged Truth-Seeking Balls hit the ground, producing an effect like an explosion of Tailed Beast Bomb.
Obito's attack missed, but Naruto seized the opportunity.
"Bite down hard!"
The bicep on his left arm instantly swelled like a ball, while black-red lightning coiled around his steel-cast fist.
Boom!!!
A roar echoed in Obito's ears. He felt everything before him shaking, the scene rapidly receding.
Then followed two more loud thuds. Obito, even in his Six Paths state, was sent flying over a kilometer by this single punch, incidentally piercing through two mountain peaks in the process.
Rubble fell from his body. Obito felt his entire face going numb.
"Impossible! I have mastered this 'divine power'!"
Still somewhat dazed, Obito supported himself against the mountain wall. Just as he floated out from the dust, he saw that terrifying figure appear before him again.
"Don't even think about it!"
This time, he was smarter, directly controlling the Truth-Seeking Balls to collide with Naruto.
Pop-
The Truth-Seeking Balls passed through Naruto's body without obstruction, but then Naruto dissipated into a puff of smoke.
"A clone!?"
Before Obito could react, another Naruto attacked from above.
[Heaven and Earth Musou: Sever]
Musoukou descended quite plainly from above, chopping down towards Obito's forehead.
The Sword of Nunoboko blocked in front of the blade's path, but the blade light passed through the obstruction like an illusion.
Immediately after, the Haki-coated blade sliced down through Obito's head as if through butter, completely unhindered.
If Obito hadn't used his levitation at the last possible moment to shift slightly, that single slash would have been enough to split him in two.
Boom!!!
After the blade passed through the air, an invisible slash cut the earth apart, forcibly carving out a hundred-meter-long trench.
Clearly, the power of this slash was not as harmless as it appeared.
And now, the left half of Obito's upper body was completely severed from the main part.
"Grahhhh... It's useless! Uzumaki Naruto!"
Obito let out a piercing roar, then his body began to heal rapidly under the power of the Six Paths.
Although he didn't have much Hashirama's cells within him, even the small amount of White Zetsu's cells, supplied with Six Paths-level Chakra, were enough to achieve instant regeneration.
"Obito, stop wasting time with him."
At this moment, the mud-like Black Zetsu attached itself to Obito's ear and reminded him.
Hearing this, Obito's face instantly darkened.
According to the original plan, he was supposed to use the Rinne Rebirth Technique to revive the true Uchiha Madara, then let him perform the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
But in truth, from beginning to end, he had wanted to bypass the step of reviving Madara and perform the Infinite Tsukuyomi himself.
Although Madara had saved him, Obito was someone who could even kill his own teacher and comrades, so why would he care about a mere life-saving favor?
For him, only a world with Rin had meaning.
"Shut up! I will perform the Infinite Tsukuyomi!"
Obito simply stopped pretending. Ignoring Black Zetsu's reminder, he decisively put distance between himself and Naruto, then clapped his hands together.
In the next moment, the previously absorbed Ten-Tails emerged from Obito's body again, transforming into an enormous divine tree.
"This is... what?"
Naruto looked at the massive giant tree formed from the Ten-Tails, muttering to himself.
At this point, Kurama came online again.
"The God Tree, its name is the God Tree! Chakra originates from this tree!"
Naruto didn't wait for Kurama to finish explaining before vanishing from the spot.
In the next moment, countless vines completely filled the area.
Naruto, now high in the air, felt a sense of lingering fear.
Because in the brief future he observed, even a slight graze would cause the Chakra within him to be continuously absorbed by this Divine Tree, and the vines would keep entangling him.
It could be said that touching it even a little would mean disaster.
On the other side, seeing the God Tree successfully descend, a smile returned to Obito's face.
But before he could do anything more, his body began to swell like a giant balloon.
"This... this is... what's happening!?"
The uncontrolled physical change added a touch of anxiety to Obito's face.
Black Zetsu, watching secretly, silently made a decision.
Originally, he had genuinely considered letting Obito initiate the Infinite Tsukuyomi like this.
After all, no matter who initiated it, they would only become a stepping stone for him to liberate his mother.
But judging by Obito's current state...
"As expected, Obito, you still lack the qualifications after all."
When Black Zetsu's voice sounded again, Obito's heart sank.
His greatest fear seemed to be coming true.
In the next moment, Black Zetsu directly used the trigger Madara had previously planted within Obito's body to forcibly take control of Obito's form.
Poof!
A scroll was taken out.
After the smoke cleared, it revealed a coffin.
"Black Zetsu! What are you doing!?"
Watching his own hands form hand seals uncontrollably, Obito shouted at Black Zetsu with a threatening but weak tone.
"No helping it, Obito. Who asked you not to be the chosen one?"
As he spoke, the hand seals for the Rinne Rebirth Technique were completed. A massive amount of ocular power and life force were madly drained at this moment.
Although Naruto wanted to stop it, the layers upon layers of still-colliding tree roots blocked his path.
No matter how many he cut, the God Tree would quickly grow more.
On the other side, Obito's body had already become 'withered' again. In its place, faint rustling sounds came from within the coffin.
Click-
The coffin lid was moved aside from within by a hand. Immediately after, a figure all too familiar to Kurama appeared at the center of the battlefield.
"Uchiha Madara!"
Inside Naruto, Kurama said in disbelief. Naruto followed his guidance and looked down below.
His gaze passed through the gaps in the vines, clearly seeing the figure with long black hair. The other seemed to sense Naruto's gaze, turning his head to meet his eyes.
Uchiha Madara had officially been revived.