Kaguya Otsutsuki's idea was a good one. However, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha had a different plan, as their main goal was to seal her away.
"We have to find a way to get past Shirou..." Naruto whispered to Sasuke, watching Emiya Shirou stand guard before them. "I'll use the fight as a chance to get close to Kaguya. Sasuke, you use your space-time jutsu to rush over there with me. We'll seal Kaguya first..."
"After sealing Kaguya," Naruto finished, "we'll deal with Shirou."
"I understand," Sasuke nodded slowly, glancing at the moon mark on his palm. "In terms of threat level, Emiya Shirou is definitely a step down..."
After all, Shirou didn't seem as powerful as the Sage of Six Paths had described. The man didn't have strange abilities like the Rinnegan, nor could he cast Infinite Tsukuyomi. He seemed much easier to handle than Kaguya.
Just a moment ago, it looked like Naruto had gained the upper hand against him. If it weren't for Shirou's impressive Earth Style jutsu, Naruto might have already defeated him.
But the moment they actually fought, Sasuke realized how wrong he had been.
On the cliff, Shirou's figure was a blur. On the ground, his swordsmanship was even more terrifying. The black longsword in his hand was exceptionally sharp, and his skill with it surpassed even Madara Uchiha's.
The black blade constantly sliced through the air.
"How were you winning against him earlier?" Sasuke yelled, dodging left and right, barely avoiding the attacks. He found it hard to believe this was the same man Naruto had almost beaten.
"I used my shadow clones!" Naruto replied, immediately forming a hand seal. A dozen clones appeared and rushed toward Shirou all at once.
However, the result this time was completely different.
Shirou's black sword swept across the clones in a single motion, turning them into puffs of smoke that dissipated almost instantly. With his own strength, he was completely overwhelming both of them.
"That's not right..." Naruto said, as if he'd figured something out. "In the air, Shirou couldn't dodge properly! He's much stronger on the ground!"
Sasuke felt a bit helpless.
Alright, I guess that makes sense, he thought. At least on the ground, I can still fight. If we were in the air, I'd be completely powerless.
"Watch out!"
While Sasuke was defending against Shirou's attack, he saw Kaguya suddenly fire several rabbit hair needles at them. His expression changed, and he hurriedly raised his sword to block them.
Crack!
In an instant, Shirou's black sword shattered Sasuke's blade.
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, his expression hardening.
"I'm fine." Sasuke threw the broken hilt in his hand like a kunai, but Shirou simply swatted it away.
"Sealing Jutsu: Release."
Sasuke glanced at his wrist guard, which was covered in rows of sword character seals. He released one and pulled out a new ninja sword. But just as he stepped back to re-arm himself, Naruto's fight took a bad turn. Shirou's black sword pierced his shoulder.
Blood sprayed into the air. If Naruto hadn't received the power of the Six Paths, that single strike would have been enough to destroy his body.
"Naruto!"
"Universal Pull!" Sasuke's heart leaped. Without thinking, he extended his palm toward Shirou, using gravity to pull him away from Naruto.
"I'm fine!" Naruto gritted his teeth, reassuring his partner. "Don't worry, it's just a small injury. It will heal soon..."
"Then," Shirou said, his gaze fixed on Naruto as he was pulled backward toward Sasuke, "can Sasuke heal?"
He lifted the black sword in his hand.
Clang!
Sasuke's new sword was shattered as well. Shirou's returning slash cut through the blade and sliced across Sasuke's shoulder, a pained look flashing across his face.
"Chance!" Black Zetsu immediately reminded Kaguya.
Kaguya raised her hand and shot out a series of rabbit hair needles, which flew straight toward Sasuke's back.
"Amenotejikara!"
Sasuke instantly swapped places with a nearby rock. However, the moment he teleported, Shirou threw his black sword toward his new location. In mid-air, the sword transformed into a black rod, piercing Sasuke's lower abdomen and sending him flying.
"!!!"
Naruto turned his head in disbelief. The Nine-Tails chakra in his body once again formed a large hand, reaching for Sasuke's falling body.
"Naruto, don't come near me!" Sasuke called out, his voice surprisingly calm. He knew the trouble he was in. "This is a Truth-Seeking Orb. It could explode at any moment..."
If the orb exploded, it would kill him instantly. It might even endanger Naruto if he got too close.
But Naruto's attempt to help him had revealed a huge opening. A pitch-black portal appeared next to him, and in an instant, another black rod shot out, piercing his other shoulder.
"It's over," Shirou said, forming a Tiger hand seal. He controlled the two black rods, which turned into a black liquid and slowly began to engulf their bodies.
Under his control, Sasuke and Naruto could only watch as the black liquid flowed over them, leaving them completely unable to move.
"As expected of Wei Yuan," Black Zetsu praised Shirou with a sinister smile. "To win so quickly..." It then quietly communicated with Kaguya. "Mother, what should we do with them now?"
Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly. Her wide sleeves lifted, and a pale hand extended from within. A portal quietly opened.
"Lady Kaguya," Shirou asked calmly, wanting to consult her on how to handle Naruto and Sasuke. "Are we going to kill them now?"
But before his voice had even faded, the portal Kaguya had just created opened behind him. Several rabbit hair needles flew out, instantly hitting the pressure points on his body.
At that moment, no one could have imagined it.
Kaguya had launched a sneak attack on Shirou.
Just when he had helped her solve her biggest threat, she was now burning the bridge with her ally. This sudden turn of events seemed to be unexpected by everyone present.
At least, Naruto and Sasuke hadn't expected it.
The despair on their faces was replaced by shock. They couldn't figure out how today's battle could have so many twists and turns.
The enemies... why did they start fighting each other again?
First, just as the ninja world was about to fall into eternal peace, Black Zetsu pierced through Madara's heart. Now, just when the two people most likely to seal Kaguya were defeated, she suddenly turned on her own subordinate.
"What... is going on?" Shirou couldn't even lower his head. He could feel the pressure points in his body being sealed, cutting off his chakra flow.
A hint of surprise appeared on his face, which had remained unchanged for a thousand years.
"Sorry... Wei Yuan," Black Zetsu apologized with a sinister, hoarse laugh. Its voice was filled with an unprecedented smugness, pleased that its long-standing deception was finally being revealed. "Actually, Kaguya was never the 'Rabbit Goddess' you imagined..."
Black Zetsu's body emerged from Kaguya's sleeve.
It laughed as it followed her to Shirou's side, satisfied as it watched the change in his expression. "Wei Yuan, from the very beginning, you were on the wrong path."