"He's nothing short of a natural disaster!"
Someone watching from afar could not help but exclaim at Ōtsutsuki Shiki's overwhelming power.
"What a pity. That young man is likely to lose. Power on this level isn't something he can withstand."
An old Demi-God spoke with a hint of regret. He did not think highly of Naruto, even though Naruto's strength already surpassed his own.
Still, many in the cosmos hoped Naruto would win.
Among all races, the Ōtsutsuki Clan was one of the most hated, second only to the Mechanical Clan.
Wherever the Mechanical Clan passed, nothing remained. They stripped entire planets bare, extracting every last resource. Even the energy within a planet's core was not spared, leaving behind only lifeless, dead stars.
To most races, the Mechanical Clan was the ultimate enemy.
Worse still, their reproduction was terrifying. As long as the Mechanical Queen existed, their numbers were effectively endless.
They had no fixed territory, wandering the cosmos like a plague. Yet despite their notoriety, they had never been eradicated. The reason was simple.
They possessed a true god.
The Mechanical God.
A being at the pinnacle of existence.
That entity rarely interfered, only appearing when the Mechanical Clan faced extinction. Otherwise, it remained completely indifferent to the clan's endless wars and destruction.
In truth, most true gods behaved similarly. They rarely intervened in cosmic conflicts, and when they did, it was often out of personal interest rather than obligation.
Even so, no force dared to risk annihilating another race.
Because no one was willing to gamble on whether a true god might intervene.
Compared to the Mechanical Clan, the Ōtsutsuki Clan was only slightly more tolerable.
They planted Divine Trees across the cosmos, harvesting chakra from entire worlds. While devastating, the damage was not always irreversible. Given enough time, some planets could recover and give rise to life once more.
Because of this, the hatred toward the Ōtsutsuki Clan ranked just below that of the Mechanical Clan.
In contrast, the Mechanical Clan maintained a strange form of neutrality, despite being universally feared.
The Shinigami Clan was another unique existence. They held great influence, yet were not particularly well-liked by the wider cosmos.
The most welcomed force, however, was the Cosmic Business Alliance.
It was not a single race, but a vast organization made up of countless individuals and factions. Its structure was complex, yet its influence spanned the entire universe.
Although it lacked a true god, it still possessed numerous Demi-God-level experts.
In fact, across the entire cosmos, no one could accurately count how many Demi-Gods existed.
As long as true gods did not intervene, Demi-Gods stood at the peak of power.
A Six Paths–level shinobi could already survive comfortably in the cosmos.
Kaguya had once explained the structure of the universe to Naruto and the others, but some of her conclusions had been slightly inaccurate.
She had claimed that Six Paths–level strength placed one in the upper-middle tier of the cosmos.
In reality, it was only the middle tier.
Only those who had stepped into the Demi-God realm could truly be considered upper-middle. Beyond that lay the genuine top-tier powerhouses.
Even so, no force would ever disregard a Six Paths–level expert. They formed the backbone of any major faction.
Such individuals were often capable of ruling entire star regions.
In terms of scale, a small galaxy was the lowest tier, followed by a large galaxy, and above that, a star domain.
The original shinobi world had only been comparable to a small galaxy. Now, it had already grown into something on the level of a large galaxy, both in influence and territorial reach.
Rulers of small galaxies were generally below Six Paths level. True Six Paths–level experts rarely governed such places, as joining a major force offered far greater benefits.
In large galaxies, however, Six Paths–level individuals often served as rulers.
As for star domains, they were the dream of every Six Paths–level expert. Only the strongest among them were qualified to govern such vast territories.
Across the cosmos, this level was not universally referred to as "Six Paths."
Different factions had their own naming systems, largely because no unified cultivation method existed throughout the universe.
Most individuals who cultivated independently simply named their own realms.
Only upon reaching the Demi-God realm did the terminology begin to standardize.
The rapid rise of the shinobi world was largely due to its structured cultivation system. Compared to aimless self-training, it provided a far more efficient path to power.
Because of this, the Demi-God realm was held in extremely high regard by all forces.
Even among the five peak factions of the cosmos, Demi-Gods were considered high-ranking figures.
As for Six Paths–level experts…
Within those same peak forces, they were no longer particularly remarkable.
The transformation of the shinobi world had become a major attraction across the cosmos.
Those who arrived did not come solely for trade. Many had a second objective, to uncover the reason behind the shinobi world's rapid rise in power.
Within the shinobi world, this was no secret.
Naruto had never intended to hide it.
Aside from the Philosophical Visualization Method and the core cultivation techniques, most knowledge was openly accessible.
However, Naruto soon discovered a fundamental limitation.
The physical structures of most beings in the cosmos were vastly different from those of shinobi.
While the Philosophical Visualization Method could be practiced universally, most chakra cultivation techniques were incompatible with foreign bodies. Attempting to forcefully follow them often led to only two outcomes.
Either the body collapsed under the strain, or it was torn apart by uncontrollable chakra.
Because of this, the shinobi world's higher-level cultivation methods were not freely distributed. Access required contribution points.
Ninjutsu and taijutsu followed the same system.
After graduation, a shinobi's academy credits would be converted into contribution points, which could then be used to exchange for techniques and resources.
Even so, the overall chakra cultivation system remained relatively crude. At best, the shinobi world had developed a more structured framework compared to others.
To refine it into a truly complete system would require an unknown amount of time.
As for spreading it across the entire cosmos…
There was still a very long road ahead.
Meanwhile, the battlefield above had reached a terrifying climax.
The dense storm clouds had turned pitch black, with arcs of lightning flashing continuously within them. The energy gathered was so immense that even from a distance, it was suffocating.
In Naruto's vision, the clouds seemed to form a vast thunder pool.
Endless lightning churned within it, carrying an overwhelming aura of destruction.
"So this is the power of Ōtsutsuki Shiki… He truly deserves his reputation as a monster."
A Demi-God expert spoke in a low voice.
He had long heard of Shiki's legend. Even within the Ōtsutsuki Clan, Shiki held immense prestige.
In fact, his fame once surpassed that of the prodigy Ōtsutsuki Amaterasu.
Unlike her meteoric rise, Shiki had carved his name through relentless battles across the cosmos.
Step by step, he had fought his way to the top.
Because of this, many outsiders believed that Shiki was the true pinnacle of talent within the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
He was known as their God of War.
A title earned through bloodshed and conquest.
"This level of power has already reached the limit of what the shinobi world can produce, hasn't it?"
Someone spoke with a heavy tone.
"It might even be comparable to those ancient monsters who have not appeared for countless years."
Those observing the battle were no ordinary beings.
Some were rulers of interstellar civilizations. Others were the hidden masters behind vast organizations. A few were solitary wanderers who had cultivated in seclusion for ages.
Every single one of them stood at the peak of their respective domains.
There was not a single weakling among those witnessing this clash.