The ten-year mark had arrived. The battlefield had long since been established, and most of the Ninja World's population had already been relocated to the front lines. This was not a choice, but a necessity—only by doing so could they prevent the complete destruction of their world.
At this level of warfare, the scale of devastation was already unimaginable.
Those who had reached the Six Paths level possessed power approaching planetary destruction. Given enough time, such individuals could dismantle an entire planet. Even the Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, upon first stepping into that realm, had used Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei to create a small celestial body. If one could create such a structure, then destroying it was only a matter of time.
As for those beyond that—beings comparable to demigods—their power was even more terrifying. At that stage, strength was no longer just about chakra, but about the understanding and manipulation of fundamental forces.
The so-called "turns" of the demigod realm represented stages of mastery:
The first three turns: initial comprehension of these forces.
The middle three: control, refinement, and effortless application.
Beyond the seventh: complete mastery—acting with absolute freedom, grasping the very essence of power.
Each stage created a massive gap in strength.
Even someone like Naruto Uzumaki, who could fight above his level, could not easily bridge such differences. What he lacked was not understanding, but accumulation.
Standing beside Naruto were familiar figures: Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyūga, Madara Uchiha, and Hashirama Senju.
Behind them stretched a vast army of fellow shinobi—millions strong. Intermixed among them were advanced technological weapons, including towering humanoid war machines. Over time, the Ninja World had evolved into a force capable of projecting power beyond its own planet, its influence spreading into nearby star systems.
They had been waiting.
Three days passed in silence.
Then, Naruto slowly opened his eyes. He gazed into the endless starry sky and spoke calmly:
"They're here."
Moments later, enormous starships began to emerge from the void. One after another, they descended upon the planet.
Naruto and the others stood like beacons in the darkness, their chakra illuminating the battlefield.
Above them, a figure stepped forward.
Ōtsutsuki Shiki revealed himself in full, his presence overwhelming. Even Naruto could not help but acknowledge it—among all Ōtsutsuki he had encountered, this one carried the most imposing aura.
His orange-gold Rinnegan radiated authority, befitting a being hailed as a god of war.
"Do you intend to settle everything here?" he asked, his gaze fixed on Naruto.
Then, his expression shifted with disdain.
"A group of cowards… and you dare to involve yourselves in this battle?"
He raised his hand and pointed into the void.
Space itself shattered.
Three figures emerged.
One of them was Yushento—the same ally who had once aided the Ninja World. But now, under the pressure of Ōtsutsuki Shiki, he could barely remain standing.
The leading figure among the three stepped forward, releasing his own aura and dispersing the oppressive force.
Even so, his eyes were filled with caution.
Among them, he was the strongest—having just stepped into the eighth stage of the demigod realm. The two behind him were clearly weaker.
He belonged to a clan tied to the Shinigami, specializing in powerful fūinjutsu—sealing techniques capable of restraining even godlike beings.
The situation had changed.
"You'll have to get past him first," he said coldly, pointing at Naruto.
Ōtsutsuki Shiki's lips curled into a smile.
"Him… or you—it makes no difference. All of you will become nourishment for my evolution."
"Fate has already been decided."
"To know the truth is to understand despair."
"The resistance of ants… is meaningless."
His laughter echoed across the battlefield, filled with absolute confidence and contempt.
Nearby, Madara Uchiha folded his arms. He glanced at Hashirama Senju before speaking slowly:
"I once believed I stood above everything—able to see the world clearly, as if the future itself lay before my eyes."
He paused, his gaze shifting toward the vast battlefield.
"But the future… is never certain."
"You never realize how vast the world is until you step beyond it."
His voice grew firmer.
"They've already proven it to me."
"Fate… can be changed."
Neji Hyūga stepped forward slowly.
After cultivating for over a hundred years within the Time Treasure Pearl, he remained within the Six Paths realm—but the calm in his eyes showed not the slightest fear when facing such an overwhelming enemy.
"Even a caged bird… will one day spread its wings and soar."
His Byakugan seemed to burn with resolve.
"My fate has already changed."
Beside him, Might Guy and Rock Lee stepped forward together.
"Youth is something fate cannot interfere with!" Guy declared.
"Every drop of sweat we shed… is proof that we are changing our destiny!" Lee followed, his voice filled with unwavering conviction.
Then, Yakumo Kurama spoke up.
"My destiny was to never become a shinobi… to simply drift along with life."
She looked toward Naruto.
"But from the moment I met Naruto-kun… everything changed."
Now, she stood as a Six Paths–level genjutsu user, her Kekkei Genkai pushed to its absolute limits—her illusions capable of manifesting reality itself.
"In the past, the Ninja World was defined by war—great nations clashing, hidden villages competing endlessly."
Her voice grew firmer.
"But now… everyone is fighting for their own future."
Behind them, countless fellow shinobi raised their voices in agreement.
Their eyes shone brightly.
That light—
Was hope.
Was belief.
High above the battlefield, Naruto Uzumaki rose into the sky.
Across from him, Ōtsutsuki Shiki stood unmoving.
The two faced each other in midair, their gazes colliding like invisible blades.
Naruto had already reached the peak of the seventh stage of the demigod realm.
With the combination of his abilities, he no longer feared Ōtsutsuki Shiki in the slightest. His mastery of both chakra and physical combat had reached an astonishing level—his true battle power far exceeding what his realm alone would suggest.
At the same time, his unique ability—rewarding diligence with growth—had pushed every aspect of his strength toward near perfection.
Behind him stood the culmination of the Ninja World's evolution.
Millions of combat-ready shinobi.
Tens of thousands of mechanized units.
Over the years, as new planets were explored and resources expanded, the foundation of the Ninja World had transformed completely. Trade with interstellar merchants further accelerated technological progress.
At the center of it all was Sasori, whose work on mechanized puppetry had evolved into full-scale mecha development.
After exposure to advanced technologies from other worlds, his creations underwent rapid iteration.
At the same time, other fields advanced just as quickly—especially weapon systems.
They had already surpassed traditional gunpowder weapons and entered the realm of energy-based armaments.
The turning point came from Orochimaru.
He developed a method to convert Natural Energy directly into chakra.
This single breakthrough changed everything.
Energy weapons could now be mass-produced.
A standard chakra-based energy rifle could rival the power of a Chūnin. With sufficient charging, even reaching Jōnin-level output was trivial. More importantly, these weapons offered rapid-fire capability, long endurance, and sustained battlefield presence—far beyond what ordinary shinobi could maintain.
In the past, such weapons relied on limited chakra reserves and could not be widely deployed.
Now, chakra itself was no longer scarce.
Its value had dropped.
It had become something accessible to all.
As a result, chakra cannons underwent continuous upgrades. Massive artillery units capable of threatening even Six Paths–level opponents had been developed.
And beyond the atmosphere—Star cruisers designed for space warfare now filled the skies.
(End of Chapter)
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