On one side floated the Six Paths Sage, founder of ninjutsu—suspended in the air, holding a black staff, his body radiating an ancient and sacred white glow.
On the other stood Uchiha Tobirama, hands clasped behind his back. His black robes whipped violently in the wind as dark and azure chakra surged around him.
"Further discussion is pointless."
The Six Paths Sage's purple Rinnegan hardened. The nine Truth-Seeking Orbs behind him instantly transformed into streams of black light, converging in his hand and condensing into a massive, double-helix-shaped divine sword.
The divine artifact—the Sword of Creation.
A weapon said to shape the world itself through sheer will.
"Descendant of the Uchiha," the Sage intoned, "witness the power of creation!"
He swung the sword down in a single, decisive motion.
"The creation of heaven and earth?"
Tobirama chuckled, making no move to dodge.
The golden light in his Reincarnation Rinnegan flared.
"Outdated tricks like that are already obsolete."
Buzz!
He loosely clenched one hand.
Countless golden particles gathered instantly, condensing into a dazzling light blade hundreds of meters long—a weapon formed by fusing Truth-Seeking power, prayer-bead constructs, and Tobirama's own unique abilities.
Super: Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion—Divine Sword Mode!
"Cut."
Clang!
The golden blade collided head-on with the black divine sword in midair.
The expected explosion never came.
Instead, the clash vanished into silence.
Two powers that transcended bloodline and logic devoured each other.
In an instant, all seawater within a ten-kilometer radius evaporated, exposing the dry seabed below.
Only afterward did the shockwave arrive.
Rumble—!
The surrounding atmosphere was torn apart, forming a massive vacuum cavity.
"How is this possible?!"
The Six Paths Sage's expression shifted.
His prized Sword of Creation was being suppressed—by a weapon casually formed by the opponent. Worse still, it showed signs of shattering.
And Tobirama wasn't even exerting himself.
"Yin–Yang Release: Return All Things to the Origin!"
Unwilling to accept it, the Six Paths Sage formed a seal with his left hand.
A gray-white beam shot forth, dismantling matter at the most fundamental level, reducing everything in its path to nothingness.
"A trivial skill."
Tobirama's nine-tomoe Rinnegan rotated slightly.
"Sage Art: Storm Release—Light Fang, Enhanced Version."
A thin purple beam fired from his mouth, instantly slicing through the gray-white ray. Its momentum didn't stop—it even shaved off a strand of the Sage's beard.
"Too slow."
"Too weak."
Tobirama stepped forward—and vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already right in front of the Six Paths Sage.
"Is this all you've got, old man of the Six Paths?"
Mockery filled Tobirama's eyes.
"If so, you've wasted a thousand years."
"Arrogant!"
After all, the Six Paths Sage was the progenitor of chakra, with combat experience beyond measure.
The Truth-Seeking Orbs instantly transformed into a shield as his staff slammed down.
"Immortal Technique: Yin Release—Thunder Descent!"
"Lava Release: Lava Beast!"
"Boil Release: Corrosive Mist!"
In an instant, the Sage revealed terrifying depth.
Countless ninjutsu, senjutsu, and bloodline-limit techniques rained down like a storm. Each one alone was enough to annihilate a Kage-level shinobi.
Yet—
Tobirama walked through it as if strolling through his own garden.
He used no defensive techniques.
Relying solely on his physical body, he ignored everything.
He sidestepped the lightning.
Swatted away the acid.
Dispersed the poisonous mist with a burst of chakra.
"Boring."
"So boring."
Tobirama shook his head in disappointment.
"In terms of tactics, you already lost."
"Since you're only a spirit body," he continued calmly, "taijutsu should be your weakness, right?"
The Six Paths Sage narrowed his eyes.
"Taijutsu? I possess an immortal body. My physical power is already divine!"
"Yeah?"
Tobirama's lips curled into a manic grin.
He raised his right hand and pressed his thumb against his chest.
"Then I'll show you…"
"The peak of mortal power."
"And the true limit of taijutsu."
Boom!
The flow of chakra inside Tobirama reversed violently.
His heart thundered like war drums.
"Eight Gates…"
"Gate of Death—"
"Open!!!"
Boom!!!
Scarlet steam erupted from every pore of his body—the steam of death born from burning blood.
Ordinarily, opening the Gate of Death guaranteed annihilation, the body collapsing under its own power.
But Tobirama showed no sign of breakdown.
His perfected body endured it all.
The crimson steam dyed half the sky red, and the sheer pressure made even the Six Paths Sage's spirit tremble.
"This… this power!"
The Sage's eyes widened.
"How can a mortal body withstand such a burden?!"
"Don't blink, old man."
Tobirama vanished again.
Space itself warped under the force of his movement.
"Evening Elephant!"
Bang!
This was no ordinary Evening Elephant.
It was an attack fused with Six Paths power, Tobirama's ocular abilities, and perfected senjutsu—a transcendent strike.
A white pillar of compressed force roared forward like a sky-piercing cannon.
"Danger!"
The Six Paths Sage felt death approach.
He thrust both hands forward, unleashing everything at once.
"Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!"
Countless colossal chakra fists manifested, dense as a meteor shower, colliding with Tobirama's attack.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each impact was like a nuclear detonation.
The sea boiled.
Islands sank.
Even distant space裂 open with black fissures.
"One strike!"
"Two strikes!"
"Threefold assault!"
"Furious!"
"Fivefold barrage!"
Tobirama moved faster and faster, transforming into a streak of crimson lightning as he relentlessly assaulted the Sage.
And then—
"Night Guy!"
"Night Guy!"
"Night Guy!"
He needed no rest. No concern for bodily damage.
Night Guy could be unleashed endlessly—again and again, even simultaneously through clones.
This was infinite Gate of Death mode.
"Damn it! What kind of monster is this?!"
The Six Paths Sage was forced into retreat. Even the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack began to collapse under the onslaught.
Bang!
At last, a Night Guy broke through.
It slammed straight into the Sage's chest.
"Pff!"
Even as a spirit, the Six Paths Sage spat blood and was blasted thousands of meters away like a cannonball.
Far away—
Madara's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"This… using taijutsu at that level continuously—can a human really do that?"
Hashirama swallowed hard.
"If that hit me… my Wood Release regeneration wouldn't even have time to activate."
As for Senju Tobirama beside him, his face remained cold—but his slightly trembling fingers betrayed his thoughts.
As for Kurotsuchi, Yugito, and the other captives, their minds were completely numb.
They watched a man wreathed in crimson steam chase down a god and beat him senseless.
Only one thought remained:
In this world, no one could stop him.
…
In the sky, Tobirama finally halted.
The red steam faded, revealing unblemished skin.
Even his breathing remained steady.
The Gate of Death—a suicidal technique—had become nothing more than a basic move in his hands.
Tobirama clapped lightly, looking toward the Six Paths Sage struggling to stabilize himself in the distance.
The Sage's white robes were in tatters. His sacred glow had dimmed, his spirit form turning faint and transparent.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
This man…
Had surpassed him completely—not just in power, but in the very level of existence.
"Well?" Tobirama crossed his arms, floating like a judge in the sky.
"The test is over."
"I've experienced your ninjutsu, taijutsu, senjutsu, and bloodline limits."
"To be honest…"
He shook his head, undisguised contempt in his voice.
"I'm extremely disappointed."
"The legendary Six Paths Sage is nothing special."
"If this is all you have, you're not even worthy of being my whetstone."
The Six Paths Sage's face went pale. His grip on the staff trembled.
He couldn't refute it.
Because he had lost—completely.
"…What do you want?"
The Sage took a deep breath, his voice low.
"Kill me? I am already dead. I belong to the Pure Land."
"You can't kill me."