"Mm."
Senju Haruto gave a slight nod.
He had thought that defeating Nagato would be enough to crush the Akatsuki's plans once and for all. Yet, against all expectations, Obito had succeeded in gathering every single Tailed Beast.
And what's worse—this Obito was far more complete than the one Haruto remembered from the anime.
In the original timeline, Obito had forcefully summoned the Ten-Tails and fused with it under less-than-ideal circumstances, becoming its jinchūriki. But back then, he never obtained the Nine-Tails sealed within Naruto, nor the portion sealed inside the Fourth Hokage.
Now things were different. Aside from the Fourth Hokage's half of Kurama, Obito had managed to collect them all.
The figure before Haruto now resembled Madara in his Six Paths state more than anything else.
"How are you holding up?" Haruto asked Naruto first, checking his condition before turning his thoughts toward strategy.
And right then, that familiar mechanical voice echoed in his ears once more.
Congratulations to the host for completing the special sign-in mission.
Reward obtained: Six-Tails' chakra and the Yang Power of the Sage of Six Paths!
A surge of energy rippled through Haruto's body, flooding his veins and spreading to every limb. The sensation was overwhelming, almost intoxicating.
Now he was just one step away from becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki—only the Seven-Tails' chakra remained.
And to become a true Sage of Six Paths, all he lacked was the Yin Power.
It was tantalizingly close… yet just out of reach. The feeling left Haruto both exhilarated and helpless.
By now, the endless battles had dragged into nightfall. Darkness swallowed the sky, and the pale moon hung high above the ruins.
Obito tilted his head back, staring at the moonlight, Rin's face surfacing in his mind.
At last… he had reached this point.
At last, he held the power to rival the Sage of Six Paths himself.
For Rin's sake, he could finally create a new world.
Black Zetsu, however, seemed dissatisfied. In his script, it was supposed to be Madara—the chosen vessel—who would resurrect "Mother." Yet somehow, Obito had stolen the role.
"We must stop him."
Uchiha Itachi dragged his battered body forward, determined to fight again.
But Haruto could read his condition at a glance. Not just Itachi—everyone present was in no state to face an enemy like this.
"Ordinary attacks won't even scratch Obito now. With your strength as it is, none of you can stop him."
Drawing a deep breath, Haruto urged everyone to retreat as far from Obito as possible.
At that moment, the mechanical voice rang out again.
Final Sign-In Mission:
Stop Obito's Eye of the Moon Plan.
"The final mission?" Haruto blinked in surprise—then quickly understood.
When he thought about it, he already possessed the pinnacle of this world's powers:
Wood Release.
Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Rinnegan.
Byakugan.
The chakra of nearly all the Tailed Beasts.
The Yang Power of the Sage of Six Paths.
The only things missing were the Seven-Tails' chakra and the Yin Power.
"Yes… stopping Obito, huh?" Haruto's lips curved upward. A mission like this was exactly what he'd been hoping for.
Madara, watching from below, noticed the shift in Haruto's expression. His heart skipped a beat.
He had expected Haruto to tremble at the sight of Obito in this godlike form, stripped of all fighting spirit.
But instead, there was excitement—raw eagerness.
It was the same look Madara himself once wore when facing Hashirama Senju.
"Senju Haruto, with your current strength, you can't possibly defeat me. No one… no one can stop me now."
Obito stood beneath the moon, lofty as a god, looking down upon the earth.
Whether it was Haruto… or even Madara—it didn't matter. To him, they were nothing but mortals beneath a deity.
Now, as the perfect Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, he possessed the ultimate power.
Power equal to the Sage of Six Paths.
No… power that surpassed him.
With a slight flick of his Six Paths staff, Obito sent one of his Truth-Seeking Orbs streaking downward.
"Wood Release: Wood Human Technique!"
Haruto clasped his hands together, summoning a towering wooden giant to shield Naruto and the others.
But he had underestimated Obito's might.
The black sphere pierced straight through the Wood Human's chest, continuing toward the ground.
At the last second, Kakashi and the others scattered, narrowly avoiding disaster.
"Do you see, Haruto? This is the power I wield now."
"Perhaps before, you truly were the strongest in the shinobi world."
"But now—you are not."
"Haruto!"
"I have already surpassed you!"
Obito roared down at him, unleashing another volley of Truth-Seeking Orbs.
"Indeed… Obito is far stronger than me now," Madara muttered from the ground, watching the clash above. "How will you respond, Haruto?"
The moment Obito became the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, the gap between them had become a canyon.
And yet… Madara couldn't help but look forward to Haruto's answer.
Though their powers seemed to belong to entirely different dimensions, there was something stirring in the air.
Haruto's Wood Human collapsed under the onslaught, and his body plummeted toward the earth. Mid-air, dodging the black spheres was nearly impossible.
"Surpassed the Sage? Transcended dimensions?"
"Obito, aren't you overconfident?"
With a fierce glare, Haruto slammed his palms together again. From the remains of the Wood Human, a massive Wood Dragon split off. Using its body as a platform, Haruto propelled himself back up, narrowly avoiding Obito's strike.
To Obito, however, these efforts looked like nothing more than desperate thrashing. Futile.
"Still resisting?"
His voice rumbled low, and this time he hurled all of his Truth-Seeking Orbs at Haruto.
A thunderous roar split the night.
The Wood Dragon shattered under the impact, and Haruto's body was sent spiraling downward.
Everyone watching was certain—there was no way he could escape now.
Suspended high in the air, no ally could possibly reach him in time.
"No…" Itachi tried to rise, but his frail body gave way, forcing him to his knees.
"It's useless. The battle is already over," Madara said coldly.
"Haruto may have inherited Hashirama's power well, but… he chose the wrong opponent."
But then—
At the very instant Madara's words left his lips, the impossible happened.
Haruto stopped midair.
He didn't fall into Obito's trap. He hung suspended, out of reach of the black orbs.
"What… what is this?"
Even Obito faltered, eyes narrowing. From his perspective, Haruto wasn't merely hovering—he was flying.
But… how could a mere shinobi fly?
While Obito wrestled with the impossible sight before him, Haruto's body began to change.