Although the Sage of Six Paths had initially attacked without much effort, his expression darkened the moment he saw how easily Ryūjin countered him. In fact, Ryūjin's response looked even more effortless.
A faint sense of pressure rose in his heart.
It was clear now, dealing with Uchiha Ryūjin would not be simple.
He would have to use his real strength.
With that realization, his expression grew serious. He raised his hand toward Ryūjin, and a Truth Seeking Orb floated forward from behind him.
At his command, the orb rapidly shifted shape, splitting into five sharp blades.
With piercing sounds cutting through the air, the blades shot toward Ryūjin at extreme speed.
Boom.
Ryūjin's half-body Susanoo shattered instantly under the impact.
The blades did not stop. They continued forward without resistance and passed straight through Ryūjin's body.
If it were anyone else, even someone like Hashirama Senju, such an attack would have been fatal.
But Ryūjin possessed Kamui.
The blades phased through him without leaving a single scratch.
Moments later, the ground behind him exploded violently. A massive crater formed, stretching hundreds of meters wide, while the surrounding terrain trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
The destructive power was overwhelming.
And yet, completely useless.
"That space-time dōjutsu again. Troublesome," the Sage of Six Paths muttered, frowning slightly.
He understood the nature of Ryūjin's ability. It was not something easily countered.
If Ryūjin relied on that ability alone, even he would struggle to find a proper response.
Still, Ryūjin had no intention of dragging the fight out with tricks.
That brief exchange had already given him what he wanted, a measure of the Truth Seeking Orbs.
Even if the Sage's chakra was comparable to Madara's, that alone did not define his strength. The presence of Truth Seeking Orbs changed everything.
"Not bad," Ryūjin said, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "But not enough to matter."
His eyes shifted into the Tenseigan, and a golden blade formed in his hand.
The Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
At the same time, he infused it with natural energy.
"Come on then. Show me what you've got."
With that, Ryūjin rushed forward, his figure vanishing in an instant.
The golden sword came down in a powerful slash.
Clang.
A sharp sound rang out.
The Sage of Six Paths' eyes widened.
His staff, formed from Truth Seeking Orbs, had been cut in half.
Black Zetsu nearly lost his footing, frozen in shock.
That was the Sage of Six Paths, and his weapon had been severed so easily.
The impact of that moment hit both of them hard.
But to Ryūjin, it made perfect sense.
The real strength of Truth Seeking Orbs was not their raw power, but their ability to nullify ninjutsu and erase matter.
Once that advantage was countered with senjutsu, they were no longer special, just powerful techniques.
And powerful techniques meant nothing if they were not overwhelming.
The Sage, in his current state, simply did not have that level of power.
The severed staff quickly reformed as the Sage willed it back together.
Then, with a flick of his hand, another Truth Seeking Orb shot toward Ryūjin.
Ryūjin dismissed his golden blade and raised his hand.
Three Tenseigan Truth Seeking Orbs formed instantly, filled with natural energy.
With a single gesture, he sent them forward.
They collided midair.
Boom.
The explosion shook the surroundings violently. The entire mountain beneath them was erased, leaving nothing behind but devastation.
This was a battle at the highest level, one that could reshape the land itself.
Compared to the battle that created the Valley of the End, this was on a completely different scale.
The Sage's expression grew heavier.
His Truth Seeking Orbs were being completely neutralized.
As a soul, his chakra was limited, and every use drained him further.
Ryūjin, on the other hand, had enormous reserves. His own chakra rivaled Hashirama's, and the Tailed Beasts within him continued supplying more.
The difference was obvious.
The Sage's only advantage was time.
Ryūjin's Sage Mode would not last forever.
If he could outlast it, Ryūjin's attacks would lose their effectiveness.
But Ryūjin had already accounted for that.
He had no intention of dragging this out.
End it quickly.
That was the plan.
Without hesitation, he condensed ten Tenseigan Truth Seeking Orbs in front of him, each one infused with natural energy.
Then he launched them all at once.
The Sage could not phase through attacks, nor could he evade such speed completely.
He had no choice but to defend.
Two Truth Seeking Orbs formed a protective barrier in front of him.
It shattered almost instantly.
The force sent him flying backward, his body thrown through the air like debris in a storm.
Before he could recover, the barrage continued.
There was no pause, no opening.
The attacks came relentlessly.
The Sage was forced into pure defense, barely holding on as his Truth Seeking Orbs were consumed one by one.
He was driven back repeatedly, unable to regain control of the fight.
Within minutes, all of his Truth Seeking Orbs were gone.
Even his staff had disappeared.
What remained was only a trace of chakra, barely enough to maintain his form.
Ryūjin's eyes shifted to the Rinnegan.
He raised his hand.
"Human Path."
The Sage's soul was pulled forward and held in place before him.
At this point, his life was entirely in Ryūjin's hands.
With a single thought, Ryūjin could erase him completely.
"So it has come to this," the Sage said, sighing softly. "I still failed to stop you."
Ryūjin narrowed his eyes slightly. "You already knew how this would end?"
"The Great Toad Sage's prophecy," he added.
The Sage did not deny it.
"I did what I could. In the future, no one will be able to oppose you. I only hope you do not bring destruction to the ninja world."
Ryūjin let out a quiet scoff.
"You think I'm going to destroy the world? Yeah, right. That's not even on my list."
"That is not Gamamaru's prophecy," the Sage replied. "It is my concern."
Ryūjin clicked his tongue.
"You're overthinking it. I'm not interested in that, now or ever."
The Sage looked at him steadily.
"Once you pursue that power, some things will no longer be under your control."
Ryūjin understood immediately.
The Ten-Tails.
Then he spoke bluntly.
"You're worried I'll attract the Ōtsutsuki clan."
The Sage showed genuine shock.
That was not something anyone in this world should know.
And yet, Ryūjin said it so casually.
Even the Sage of Six Paths was left momentarily speechless.