Konan glanced awkwardly at Kakuzu. She'd, uh… invested his savings into talisman materials.
"Looks like he won't last long. I'll just make him into a puppet," Sasori said, voice like cold steel.
"Kakuzu is one of us," Pain shot him a look. "Drop it."
[Boruto: "Dad had it so rough growing up…"]
[Naruto (youth): "Tch—now you feel bad for your old man?"]
[Himawari: "Papa, onii-chan is just shy! He always cares in secret!"]
[Boruto: "Hey, Himawari!!"]
Father and son—awkward, that classic, tight-lipped kind of closeness.
[Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki: "Brat, those blue eyes of yours will take everything from you."]
[Boruto: "Who even are you?!"]
[Sasuke (adult): "Ōtsutsuki…"]
On the road, Sasuke's eye narrowed. He had just traced a lead to an Ōtsutsuki ruin—and run into Kinshiki.
[Nagato: "Focus. How do we stop the Obito on screen?"]
[Sasuke: "I'll move."]
[Boruto: "Knew you had this, sensei!"]
Orochimaru arrived with the reinforcements. The new gen stared.
"Sumi— so that's your… dad—uh, mom?" Sarada asked, blinking.
"Mm. That's my mom," Mitsuki smiled, pure sunshine.
Boruto's mouth twitched. On video, Orochimaru looked very… not-mom. Surely he didn't… actually…?
Hashirama linked up with Ino to broadcast: the God Tree blooms in twenty minutes. Cut it down before that.
Cue despair.
If they couldn't beat Madara, how were they supposed to beat Six-Paths Obito?
Then Sasuke's Susanoo cleaved a God Tree root.
Boom. The severed trunk hammered the earth.
Everyone stared, stunned.
"Naruto, quitting already? I'll go alone."
Sasuke dropped with Jūgo's senjutsu flowing into him.
"Start, Jūgo."
Infected by that fire, Naruto popped Kurama Mode—a golden sun flaring into being.
Chakra surged. Through Ino's Mind Transfer Link, the army saw Naruto's heart:
A shy kid no one played with.
The parents' glares. The training. The endless uphill.
The three-year grind to bring Sasuke back.
Then the funerals—Asuma. Itachi. Jiraiya.
[Sarada: "We live in peace because someone else carried the pain."]
[Shinki: "Treasure it."]
[Boruto: "Compared to Dad, I've had it easy…"]
[Izuna: "It's getting hype!!"]
[Madara: "Good. Then—let us dance."]
The music eased over a gravestone. The army lifted their heads.
No more quitting. Infinite Tsukuyomi is still a lie. Cut the tree.
Obito watched Naruto, eyes complicated. They were too alike—except Naruto had Iruka, Kakashi, Jiraiya. Obito had only darkness. When Rin—the last moonlight—died, he fell.
Split screen: Naruto vs. Obito. Conviction vs. conviction. The score swelled; goosebumps rippled across the nations.
"I'm not quitting. I've met too many comrades to pretend they never existed."
A yellow flash—Naruto soared to Sasuke's flank.
"I'm in!"
"That's more like it." Sasuke's lips tilted up.
Hashirama watched the sky, proud. In influence and strength… Naruto might already surpass him.
Nagato's fists trembled. "My junior really is…!"
Konan nodded. "Even Yahiko would be smiling."
"…Just need to know which bastard killed Jiraiya-sensei," Nagato added, voice turning knife-cold.
"Worthy son of the Yellow Flash!" A pounded tabletop from A.
"Oh yeah! Naruto so fly!" Bee sang on beat.
Across the shinobi world, faith condensed around a single name: Uzumaki Naruto.
"Uzumaki Naruto… again and again… you block my plan." Obito exhaled. He'd have to end both of them.
Quick whispers between the duo. Cursed marcas traced across Susanoo; sage markings burned on Naruto's cheeks.
They vanished.
Obito swung the Six Paths staff—
Naruto's myriad golden arms rose to meet it—
BOOM.
Air buckled. Naruto pinwheeled away.
Obito's irises bled war. His body became a crimson missile; Truth-Seeking Orbs howled around him.
Sasuke sniped from range; Naruto pressed close.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM.
The sky detonated until the shockwaves punted the onlookers back like leaves.
Smoke peeled away. Obito strode out, unmarked.
"Fine. If you insist on opposing me… then see where this goes."
He speared Naruto with a look.
"I told you: I'll tear off your mask," Naruto shot back, eyes just as firm.
Twin streaks, left and right—Naruto + Sasuke burned for the heavens.
And alone, Obito met them both—
Six-Paths vs. Two Prodigies.
[Sarada: "So this is our ancestor's power…"]
[Boruto: "Why are all of Sarada's clan monsters?!"]
[Shinki: "Stronger than even my guardian…"]
The battlefield held its breath—
—when a ring of Truth-Seeking Orbs rearranged behind Obito, knitting a sigil none had seen before. The air went thin, like the sky forgot how to breathe.
A shadow fell across Naruto and Sasuke as Obito lifted one hand. "Try and survive this—Cross-Flame Sanction." The world tilted toward white.
To be continued…
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