The Rinnegan and the Ten-Tails slumbered within his body—though the Ten-Tails Shigure possessed differed from the original in certain ways.
Even so, in essence, Shigure now stood on the same level as the Sage of Six Paths.
Upon stepping into the Six Paths Realm, he finally understood what true terror—and true power—really meant.
A new force now stirred within Shigure's chakra.
It was not entirely unfamiliar; he had wielded it before, but only as a borrowed strength.
It had never truly been his.
That power…The Power of the Six Paths.
Feeling it now—belonging wholly and completely to him—made Shigure's entire being tremble with exhilaration.
And then came the voice of the Great Sage.
Great Sage: Congratulations, host for acquiring the new skill — Six Paths Power.
The moment it registered as a skill, Shigure understood the implication—he could continuously strengthen this power through his passive skill bar.
In other words…
Once Shigure opened his passive skill slots, the seven formerly empty slots were immediately occupied by Six Paths Power.
At once, he felt that newly budded Six Paths force expanding inside him—growing at a rate far beyond expectation.
And because it now resided in his passive skill bar, Shigure could draw upon the Six Paths Power limitlessly.
Even reality-altering abilities—powers comparable to the divine—could now be used without restraint.
Through the fusion of his Rinnegan, Shigure also gained unrestricted access to Rinnegan abilities:
Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)
Banshō Ten'in (Universal Pull)
Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation)
But the greatest surprise came next.
Great Sage: Congratulations, host, for acquiring the new dōjutsu — Limbo: Border Jail.
Great Sage: Congratulations, host, for acquiring the new dōjutsu — Tengai Shinsei.
Two Rinnegan-exclusive techniques—Madara's personal abilities—manifested directly in Shigure's eyes.
Nagato had gained only the basic powers of the Rinnegan.
But Shigure had devoured and fused the source itself.
He didn't just steal eyes—he inherited their essence.
A faint smile curved across his lips.
Now, he stood at the very apex of the shinobi world.
Even if the Sage of Six Paths himself were to resurrect, Shigure no longer had anything to fear.
Yet, calling this the apex felt premature.
His Six Paths Power continued to grow passively.
After surpassing the Six Paths…what realm lay beyond?
The thought stirred a quiet curiosity.
But speculation could wait.
It was time to test his new power.
Large and small ice floes drifted across the sea.
Above them, Shigure floated in mid-air.
He flew directly toward Kirigakure.
The Mist-nin on lookout spotted him and immediately tensed.
Facing his overwhelming presence, fear rose within them—instinctive and unbidden.
Shigure gazed at the ruined village below, recalling what it looked like before its destruction.
"ROOM."
Space warped open at his command.
His eyes—now fiery red with the six black rings of the Six Paths Eyes—locked onto Kirigakure.
These rings didn't fill the whole eye; instead, they formed a circular pattern centered around the pupil.
"Divine—Extreme."
Activate.
Before the Mist-nin could even understand what Shigure was doing, the earth began to tremble.
Then—without warning—the broken landscape began to heal.
Collapsed buildings rose as if time reversed.
Shattered stone reassembled.
Roads straightened and restored to their former width.
Kirigakure…was returning to the state it once held.
Even the people who had died began to reappear in the exact places where they had fallen.
Ordinarily, the dead were far beyond the reach of any ninjutsu, even divine techniques.
But now that Shigure possessed the full power of the Rinnegan…
Rebirth — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.
Countless green motes of light manifested out of thin air, descending like a gentle rain.
Where they fell, lifeless bodies stirred, lungs filled with breath, and eyes slowly opened again.
In front of Mei Terumi, the thick mist parted.
Inside were the two Yuki Clan sisters—Hizuki and Yukika—their bodies once broken, now completely restored… and alive.
"Lady Mizukage… we're—!"
Mei stared at them in disbelief, then slowly lifted her gaze toward Shigure floating above the village.
Shigure… what kind of power have you obtained?
To resurrect the dead instantly—this was beyond anything she had ever imagined.
The casualties in Kirigakure this time had been immense.
Shigure silently estimated the number.
At this speed, everyone who died today would be restored within minutes.
The longer someone had been dead, the more effort it took—but even then, the Six Paths Power continued to regenerate so rapidly that the strain barely mattered.
As long as he didn't exceed the limit of the technique, Shigure faced no difficulty at all.
"My hand… when was it healed?"
"Wait—wasn't I dead?"
"Am I dreaming? I remember being killed by that intruder—but now I feel nothing at all…!"
The Mist-nin returning from death wore expressions of shock, confusion, and awe.
Meanwhile, the survivors who witnessed their revival firsthand were trembling.
This—This overwhelming display…
It could only be Shigure.
Resurrecting dozens—no, hundreds—of shinobi simultaneously…
What kind of power was this?
Too terrifying.
Too divine.
"Lord Mizukage… he's practically become a god!"
One Mist-nin couldn't hold back.
His voice made the others erupt in agreement.
Who but a god could bring the dead back instantly?
Meanwhile — in the Akatsuki base.
Obito turned toward Zetsu, his voice heavy.
"Nagato is dead. The Rinnegan is gone. What now?"
He sounded hollow—drained.
The Akatsuki… ruined.
Their plans… crushed.
All because of Shigure.
He had underestimated the boy from Konoha.
He should have eliminated him back then, when he first heard the name of that prodigy.
Then none of this would have happened.
The Akatsuki wouldn't be destroyed.
The Eye of the Moon Plan wouldn't be in ruins.
Obito exhaled bitterly.
"There isn't a single person in this world who can defeat him now."
Zetsu froze for a moment.
No one in this world…
But there was one place—one possibility—beyond this world.
Though Zetsu could only see the cave ceiling, he sensed the moon high above them.
If Hamura Ōtsutsuki's descendants still exist… perhaps someone there could defeat Shigure.
A spark of hope flickered within him.
He looked at Obito.
"The Rinnegan has vanished. My mission ends here. The path forward… is up to you, Obito."
With that, Black Zetsu separated from White Zetsu's body and disappeared into the earth.
Obito watched him go.
Zetsu was Madara's will.
If even he chose to abandon the plan…
Was there truly no hope left?
Obito clenched his fists.
No.
There might still be a way.
But before anything else—He needed to meet someone.