However, in the next moment—before even having the chance to move—

A massive, multicolored sphere of light instantaneously teleported before "Naruto," completely enveloping him before it began to collapse inward.

The surface of the massive orb twisted and buckled with numerous deep and shallow indentations, from which beams of colored light erupted. Inside, a violent annihilation reaction was occurring, more intense than anything before.

Under such overwhelming power, "Naruto" didn't even have time to feel pain—his entire being was obliterated.

His body, tempered countless times by the rules of Yin and Yang...

His soul, forged through centuries of reincarnation and the fusion of good and evil...

Even the intertwined, indestructible Yin-Yang rules themselves...

All were utterly destroyed.

Not a speck of dust remained. Even the very existence of this person was being erased from memory and record.

And yet, in that moment...

The being seated high within the Pure Land, gazing down upon all of existence, smiled faintly.

Though Nagato had, through faith alone, managed to comprehend an ultimate divine technique—one that only the ancient gods of the Shinobi world could grasp...

A technique powerful enough to nearly erase the ripe and pivotal "Naruto" from existence—

He had, unknowingly, done that being a great favor.

Originally, the fusion of Asura and Indra's power had been flawed due to an anomaly—an unexpected mutation in the Uchiha bloodline, twisted together with an Otsutsuki who had inexplicably emerged.

This flawed fusion had resulted in an incomplete "fruit," with the two reincarnated souls of Asura and Indra yet to reconcile. Despite accumulating immense power over lifetimes of reincarnation, their Yin and Yang energies had not fully merged.

But the intense battle with Nagato had gradually mended that flaw.

And finally, the release of that ultimate divine technique—the one capable of erasing even gods—

——〖Wish of All Beings〗

Had wiped away the internal discord of Yin and Yang, perfectly uniting them into one.

Thus, the original plan—to have the reincarnations of Asura and Indra reach mutual understanding, earn the recognition of the entire Shinobi world, and slowly gather the faith of all living beings...

Was now no longer necessary.

Under the catalyst of 〖Wish of All Beings〗, the fused Yin-Yang power had become the Power of Taiji!

(T/N: Taiji may be understood as 'source of the world')

This was the most crucial missing piece for the Sage of Six Paths to ascend to the next level!

Some rules in this world differ from others. These rare forces are the key to singular authority—the path to becoming a Supreme God...

With the conditions for the fruit's maturity now perfectly met, the Sage of Six Paths raised his staff.

Invisible hands stretched across the sky above the Shinobi world. Streams of violet energy surged from the Dragon Vein, pouring into the heavens before returning to the Pure Land—completing a cycle in a mere instant.

The Six Paths revolved. The power of the Rinnegan was pushed to its absolute limit. And the once-scattered rules of Yin and Yang returned, drawn together by the churning of reincarnation...

Forming a slowly spinning Taiji symbol.

...

With the birth of this new power, "Naruto"—whose body had been annihilated down to the atoms—was resurrected!

His bones gleamed like white jade, his blood shimmered like divine nectar, and each heartbeat thundered like a storm. His soul was radiant, his heart free of all distraction.

At this moment, "Naruto" was the embodiment of the Taiji rule. Both his body and soul far surpassed even those of gods forged by ordinary rules.

Bang!

With a single burst of force, "Naruto" shattered the golden light that Nagato had formed.

At the same time, everyone in the Shinobi world felt it—an inexplicable sense of loss, as if something precious, something intangible yet vital, had been taken from them.

...

In the distance—

Nagato, his body broken, collapsed into a crater left by the battle's aftershocks.

He had lost.

The people of the Shinobi world had lost.

Even though the power of faith had reached its peak, it still couldn't heal the injuries caused by the Power of Taiji.

The leader of the Shinobi world would fall today!

"It seems... in a world where power is concentrated in individuals, even the power of faith has its limits..."

...

While recovering your strength in Ryūchi Cave, you sensed your power increase once again. Using the rules of Void, you concealed yourself—watching this entire battle from the shadows.

This was a battle between the collective will of the Shinobi world and the will of the Sage of Six Paths...

A god who could shape the world however he pleased.

The strength of the masses? Insignificant!

No wonder Jashin and even the Shinigami always spoke of both the strength and flaws of faith.

No wonder that after losing to the Otsutsuki, the Shinobi gods chose to abandon the quickly-accumulating power of faith—

And instead pursued things like natural energy, which were far harder to master...

...

You looked toward the direction of the Shikkotsu Forest and nodded slightly, silently thanking the Slug Sage.

Without her secret assistance, you wouldn't have recovered your power so quickly through the Dragon Vein.

She had also revealed that because the Sage of Six Paths had voluntarily abandoned his physical form, his control over the Pure Land was strong—but his ability to influence the living world was limited.

That's what allowed you to remain hidden through the rules of Void, observing everything without taking action.

But now, it was time to act.

In his current state, "Naruto" was extremely unusual. Having witnessed the entire battle, you knew—something within him had formed that even someone on the Sage of Six Paths' level would deeply desire!

You moved.

But instead of attacking "Naruto," you used Kamui to flash in front of Nagato.

A surge of natural energy burst from the earth. When it made contact with the remaining cells in Nagato's golden body, they began rapidly dividing and multiplying.

Within moments, his body was fully restored.

A period of rest would be enough for him to regain his former strength.

The leftover power from the Faith also returned to the Shinobi people, slightly relieving the mysterious emptiness they had felt.

You helped Nagato to his feet, then carried Nagato away for treatment...

...

After watching you finish all this, "Naruto's" expression shifted once more—bloodthirsty, but no longer frenzied. What remained was a pure, unfiltered killing intent.

It seemed your unexpected presence meant you were destined to clash with this so-called prophesied child of the Shinobi world!

Then bring it on!

You welcomed the fight. With the fusion of Indra and Asura's power and a body refined through multiple rebirths...

If you could defeat him, kill him, or even devour him—

That would be truly fascinating!

Boom!

"Naruto" struck first, throwing a punch directly at your face using nothing but raw physical power.

You countered with your own fist, and—shockingly—you felt your tempered body waver, pain radiating through your knuckles.

White scales and a metallic skeleton emerged from your body as the clash continued.

This time, it was "Naruto" who was knocked back!

"You're not bad... You'll make fine nourishment for my power."

"Naruto" nodded expressionlessly, then cracked a grin.

Without hesitation, he activated Susanoo.

A towering Susanoo, stretching over a thousand meters high, shimmered with a noble purple-gold aura—like a true god standing atop the world!

Just as its head began to move—

Boom!

You vanished with Flying Thunder God, flashing thousands of miles away...!

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