In the same instant that the thunder struck, a powerful gaze, filled with rage and greed, also descended from the skies.

The moment that presence sensed the Divine Chakra Fruit, the old man of the Six Paths could no longer hold back—he finally made his move against you!

BOOM!

You looked up, and before your eyes, the descending lightning seemed to slow infinitely. Raising your hand, you released a chakra orb to block the strike.

But right at that moment, a strange sensation surged from your dragon horns. It was a kind of swelling—almost pleasurable pain—as though the thunder held great benefit for you.

Crack!

You withdrew the chakra orb that had formed a shield, your body transforming into a white streak of light as you soared skyward, diving straight into the bolt of lightning.

In that instant, the thunderbolt—previously brimming with destructive force—was actually absorbed by your horns. A tingling numbness followed, and you felt both your soul and body being nourished on a fundamental level.

Guided by your breathing technique, the thunder's power was rapidly consumed and refined, fueling your growth.

Crack! Crack!

Two more thunderbolts fell, each stronger than the last. But they merely nudged your form closer to the ground, without leaving even a scratch.

On the contrary, through your horns, you faintly sensed that something was hidden within the thunder itself—

The Rule of Lightning!

You shot toward the purple thunderclouds that resembled the Rinnegan, with concentric rings swirling from small to large, seeking the hidden law within.

...

"Not good!"

Suddenly, you noticed that the proto-Divine Realm you'd opened using Kamui couldn't be closed—it was stuck, gripped tightly by an invisible force. The Divine Chakra Fruit inside was violently ripped out.

Bang!

You burst out from the thunderclouds, whipping your tail with immense force toward the invisible energy trying to seize the fruit.

The unseen force trembled, and the fruit tumbled to the ground.

Without hesitation, you opened your mouth wide and swallowed the black-and-white Divine Tree Fruit whole.

Crack!

Just as you wrapped the fruit in chakra, the thunderclouds above twisted into a knot. In the next instant, they released all their stored energy along with the Rule of Lightning itself.

You had no time to react. A bolt of heavenly thunder struck your midsection, slamming you deep into the earth—nearly cleaving you in two.

Though the power of your horns mitigated much of the impact, the lightning's embedded Rule transformed into an uncontrollable, rampaging destructive force within your body!

Pain engulfed you. Lightning burst from every inch of your body, leaving you torn and battered. It scorched even your soul, and you almost vomited the fruit back up.

Fortunately, you managed to endure. You forcibly drove the lightning into your horns, repairing your wounds at an accelerated rate.

Just then, the scattered invisible force reformed into a massive hand—

It gripped you tightly.

With a sudden squeeze, it tried to crush you to death right then and there!

You reached for the Flying Thunder God marks you'd left elsewhere in the shinobi world, hoping to teleport away—only to find that the space around you had somehow been reinforced to an unshakable degree.

Even Kamui could only twist for ages before managing to tear open a pin-sized crack.

Your organs shattered.

Blood gushed from your mouth, nose, and wounds.

The crushing pressure made it impossible to even think.

Even so, you continued to wrap the Divine Tree Fruit in chakra—it was your only hope of survival.

...

The outer shell of the fruit began dissolving, unleashing wave after wave of sacred power. Your body regenerated rapidly.

With a bit of energy restored, you immediately activated Susanoo.

A black armored Susanoo erupted from your body, forcefully prying open the giant hand's grip.

BOOM!

Though the Susanoo was gradually crushed, you had earned yourself a brief moment to breathe.

Instinctively, you began circulating both your breathing technique and Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode. With every breath, the massive natural energy from the dragon veins, and the mysterious power from the Divine Tree Fruit, fused into your body and spirit.

Your injuries healed, and your strength surged at an incredible pace!

...

But in the next instant, your Susanoo collapsed into a shower of fragments.

The giant hand struck again. The surrounding space remained unbreakable.

Blood ran from your eyes—yet your heart brimmed with joy!

Because during your last simulation, you couldn't even withstand a single move from the Sage of Six Paths. Back then, only a clone allowed you to barely cling to life.

But now—

You still weren't his equal, but you could at least put up a real fight!

The air exploded with a loud crack as the giant hand clamped down once more—only to be met by the simultaneous detonation of nine chakra orbs.

The hand flinched slightly.

At your command, nine pre-prepared Sage Truth-Seeking Orbs shot from between its fingers and streaked toward the sky.

Above, the Rinnegan-like thunderclouds dispersed. A multicolored dimensional gate opened in the heavens, and nine pitch-black Truth-Seeking Orbs launched through.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Explosions rocked the sky. Even the shockwaves alone razed the Land of Wind flat. The entire shinobi world felt the tremors of this unimaginable battle.

...

"The space seal—it's gone!"

You were overjoyed. You quickly called out to the Flying Thunder God mark you'd left in Konoha.

But instead of teleporting, two Truth-Seeking Orbs—one azure, one white—appeared in your claws.

In an instant, they vanished without a trace.

Bang!

The giant hand caught you again and smashed you down into the shinobi world. The tremendous impact drove you through the earth's core.

Unrelenting collisions, molten rock, and scorching temperatures—like natural weapons—pounded every inch of your body as the giant hand dragged you forward.

Scales peeled off. Horns broke.

Jagged ore veins and remnants of Divine Tree roots pierced your flesh. The core's heat incinerated everything.

Even as your body evolved rapidly under the Divine Chakra Fruit's power, it couldn't withstand this level of punishment.

...

Your consciousness dimmed.

Suddenly, a purple glow descended from the sky, circling a few times before transforming into an unremarkable bracelet that flew straight for your forehead.

CLANG!

The sound of a massive ancient bell echoed inside your mind. Even your strongest bone—the skull—shattered under the impact.

A terrifying pull emanated from the purple bracelet, trying to suck your soul into it.

The gate to the Pure Land slowly opened.

...

Then, an explosion powerful enough to shake the entire shinobi world erupted—centered not on Konoha, but the entire Land of Fire. It became a massive crater like an ocean trench.

Torrents of seawater surged in monstrous waves, yet they still couldn't fill the void.

Even the planet's rotation faltered under the force.

Death!

At that same moment, as your body teetered on the brink of collapse and your soul began to scatter, a blood sacrifice of your entire clan caused your power to soar—fivefold!

The Divine Chakra Fruit's power rapidly refined within you. Your spirit and body became one again. At this moment, you had reached your peak, no longer bound by the forces of the Pure Land.

...

One slash!

A sword light, dark as ink, shot into the endless void of space. The purple bracelet was blasted away.

The once-indestructible invisible hand began to bleed beneath the sword aura imbued with the complete Rule of Death.

A faint cry of pain—barely audible—echoed from the heavens above.

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