"Hm… so we're not needed anymore?"
"To be honest, we came all this way, and all I did was cast one jutsu."
"At least you cast one. I didn't do anything at all."
"Just think of it as sightseeing."
"Let's get out of here! I don't want to stand this high up for another second—I'm afraid of heights!"
"Mizukage-sama, if we withdraw, what about you?"
"I have my own way of retreating. Don't worry about me. Go."
"Yes, ma'am. Please be careful."
The Mist and Stone shinobi scattered down the outer walls of the giant earth barriers like a swarm of locusts.
In the blink of an eye, the enormous walls were left with only two figures standing side by side:
Mei Terumī and Kurotsuchi.
Kurotsuchi said, "Sending the troops away makes sense, but aren't we staying too close? Naruto's become an absolute monster. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if Jin-nii can even beat him."
Mei smiled.
"Oh my. You call him 'big brother'?"
Kurotsuchi snorted and turned away.
"What else am I supposed to call him? If I don't call him 'big brother,' should I call him 'Dad'?"
As far as Mei knew, Kurotsuchi was actually one year older than Jin. Logically, she should be calling him "Jin-kun," just as Mei did.
Mei pondered: Could it be… Jin-kun doesn't like women close to his age calling him 'little brother'? Hm. That does sound like him.
She turned serious.
"Kurotsuchi, you're underestimating your Jin-nii."
"Naruto is no match for him."
"Even if Jin fought with one hand tied behind his back, Naruto wouldn't stand a chance."
"Their power levels aren't remotely comparable anymore."
Kurotsuchi's thought process took a sharp turn, as usual.
"You sound awfully sure. Don't tell me you've already 'eaten' him."
Mei, incredibly, answered without missing a beat.
"Yes. We ate fish together."
Kurotsuchi blinked.
Mei continued calmly.
"Jin is now the jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails."
"And not just any Ten-Tails jinchūriki."
"He's surpassed everything we previously understood."
Kurotsuchi's jaw dropped.
"No way. He's that strong!?"
Mei turned toward her.
"That's not the important part."
"Kurotsuchi, you're also one of Jin's Twin Bloom replicas, correct?"
"Yep. Been one for quite a while."
Kurotsuchi thought: Which means Jin-nii has already deconstructed my body. There's literally no secret left to hide… Ugh, that's mortifying! What kind of twisted Uchiha creates a technique like this?!
"That makes things easy."
Unlike Kurotsuchi, Mei hadn't been subjected to Kotoamatsukami, so her mind wasn't cluttered with bizarre thoughts.
She raised her hands into a seal.
"Kurotsuchi, watch my hand signs carefully."
Six Paths: Twin Bloom Reverse Flow Technique!
The seal completed.
A black Six Paths robe, styled like a divine ceremonial mantle, erupted around Mei's body.
Kurotsuchi's eyes nearly popped out.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"That chakra… no way!"
"It's leagues beyond the scraps Naruto gave us!"
Mei said sternly,
"This is a technique Jin developed after becoming the transcendent Ten-Tails jinchūriki."
"Only Twin Bloom replicas can use it."
"Through our karmic connection, we can remotely draw upon Jin's chakra."
The principle was the same as when Naruto once shared Kurama's chakra with Hinata and the Konoha shinobi during the Fourth Shinobi War.
It consumed only a negligible portion of Jin's power while granting the recipient an overwhelming boost.
But because the current Jin stood incomparably above the Naruto of those days, the resulting enhancement was on an entirely different scale.
For a short period, Six Paths: Twin Bloom Reverse Flow Technique elevated the user to a level beyond peak Kage—equivalent to the threshold of the Six Paths realm.
Combined with Bloodline Limits and secret arts, it was enough to pose a genuine threat even to Naruto in his current state.
Kurotsuchi clenched her fist and stomped.
"Jin-nii! How could you keep such an awesome technique from me?! I'm so mad!"
Mei sighed.
Honestly, I'm starting to feel my age.
Keeping up with young people is exhausting.
She spoke patiently.
"He simply didn't have time to see you."
"So he asked me to pass it on."
"Now stop sulking and copy the hand signs."
"Fine, fine!"
Kurotsuchi formed the seal.
An identical black Six Paths robe burst around her body.
She grinned in exhilaration.
"This power is incredible!"
"If I'd had this years ago, I could've conquered the entire shinobi world by myself!"
That wasn't an exaggeration.
Not even slightly.
From the sky, Konan curved her lips in a faint smile.
"So… Jin taught you this technique as well."
Darui felt a chill run down his spine.
"Hey! What is that form the Mizukage and Tsuchikage just took?!"
"You've got to be joking."
"How can they become that powerful in an instant!?"
Gaara clenched his fists.
"Some sort of amplification technique?"
"Judging by the form… there's no question. It's Six Paths power, Naruto."
To be enhanced so dramatically in a single moment—
They were now several times stronger than Naruto had been before obtaining Six Paths power.
And that chakra robe was unmistakably Jin's handiwork.
Could it be… Kurotsuchi and Mei had long maintained a relationship with Jin that none of them knew about?
Boom!
Kurama's golden avatar expanded, enveloping both Gaara and Darui in its protection.
Naruto glared up at the top of the earth wall.
Mei stood there, robes billowing, chestnut hair streaming like a banner.
Six Paths: Melting Monster Technique!
A massive torrent of orange corrosive acid poured down like a heavenly flood and drenched the Nine-Tails avatar.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The giant fox body dissolved almost instantly.
Within Naruto, Kurama growled.
"She melted my chakra body!"
"Naruto, do not underestimate them!"
"Though their raw reserves are far below yours, their Bloodline Limits and secret techniques are powerful enough to injure you seriously!"
"Even you would be gravely wounded if hit directly!"
Naruto gritted his teeth.
"I know."
"This is all Uchiha Jin's doing."
"He must have stolen the Ten-Tails' power and become a jinchūriki himself."
"That's how he turned Mei and Kurotsuchi into his pawns."
"I'll stop him."
"Even if I have to kill them."
The nearly dissolved Kurama avatar regenerated instantly.
Then a colossal blue Perfect Susanoo formed around it.
Naruto had created Majestic Attire Susanoo by himself.
Gaara stared in disbelief.
"Majestic Attire Susanoo…"
"In the past, Naruto and Sasuke could only perform that together."
"And Naruto just did it alone."
"And judging by how casually he did it… this isn't even close to his limit."
Darui thought grimly: That protects me, but not my men. If Mei unleashes that corrosive attack against the main force, thousands could die.
Shing!
The armored Kurama reached for the sword at its waist.
At that moment—
Six Paths: Water Trumpet Technique!
Kurotsuchi formed seals in midair.
A colossal trumpet-shaped water blast slammed into the armored avatar, engulfing it in a spiraling vortex.
Then she changed seals.
Six Paths: Lava Release — Quicklime Coagulation!
Crack!
The water hardened into a thick cement prison.
Kurotsuchi followed with another seal.
Six Paths: Non-Contact Super Weighted Rock Technique!
The cement shell grew immensely heavier.
Majestic Attire Kurama froze in place, unable to draw its sword.
Naruto immediately tried to break free.
His expression changed.
"Even this form… can't break out!?"
In the sky, Konan formed a seal.
Six Paths: Twin Bloom Reverse Flow Technique!
A black Six Paths robe erupted around her.
Her white paper wings turned jet-black.
Six Paths: Black Angel Mode!
Her amber eyes shone coldly.
"Even in this form, the three of us together are still insufficient to defeat the current Uzumaki Naruto."
"So I won't waste my effort."
She looked down at him.
"Uzamaki Naruto."
"What I find truly foolish isn't your interpretation of the toad prophecy."
"It isn't even your decision to attack Hidden Dark."
"It's that you brought along this mob."
"A makeshift circus troupe that can't even qualify as extras."
"Mei and Kurotsuchi are constrained by their positions."
"They'll likely target only you."
"But I'm different."
"I can slaughter these people without blinking."
Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!
Countless black paper sheets separated from her wings and twisted into innumerable black spears.
"The moment you chose to make Hidden Dark your enemy…"
"You lost the ability to protect anything."
Konan lowered her hand.
The sky darkened as endless black spears rained down upon the Allied Shinobi Forces behind Naruto.
"Die."
Six Paths: Dance of the Shikigami!
Even the strengthened chakra cloaks could not withstand the black spears.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
In an instant, the Allied Army descended into chaos.
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