"What is that?!"
"He absorbed all of the Ten-Tails' chakra..."
"Could it be that he's become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki?"
"What is this guy trying to do?!"
At the edge of the battlefield, the Allied Shinobi Forces noticed something extraordinary. The most perceptive and powerful among them turned their gaze simultaneously toward the mysterious figure in the sky.
Like the one who had demolished the Hokage and Madara earlier, this being radiated an indescribably terrifying presence.
"Interesting." Aizen gazed into the distance, sensing the powerful energy emanating from the white figure, a slight smile playing at his lips, "Sealing that creature called the 'Ten-Tails' within himself and claiming its power? Shinobi truly are beings of limitless potential. I must admit, I underestimated you all."
Even Orochimaru stood stunned. The battle's sudden shift defied comprehension.
In mere moments, mortal enemies Madara and Hashirama had united to unleash the most terrifying technique he'd ever witnessed — only to be shattered by that Shinigami, Akira Kisaragi.
The power gap between them seemed insurmountable.
Just when he thought the ninja world faced its end, an unexpected shinobi became the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, their chakra surpassing all others present. More remarkably, their current form resembled something from ancient texts.
A legendary shinobi?
A smile of anticipation crossed Orochimaru's face. This war grew more intriguing by the moment.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
Akira studied the transformed Obito, his brows furrowed.
With his keen insight, he easily deduced how this opponent had seized the chance during his battle with Madara to absorb the Ten-Tails and become its jinchūriki.
He didn't mind facing powerful opponents — he relished it.
But this particular person, he simply detested. Like banoffee milkshake, there was no specific reason — just pure aversion.
Through the billowing smoke, two battered figures emerged from the heat, staring in astonishment:
"This chakra is stronger than mine!" Hashirama's sharp gaze matched his grave expression.
"Pardon my frankness, but that's correct." Hiruzen materialized beside them, confirming the observation.
With a flash of light, Tobirama and Minato, recovered from their destruction, also arrived nearby.
"Even at his peak, brother might not be his match."
"I understand, but..." Hashirama looked at the person beside him and said gravely, "I'm more curious about which side he'll take."
Madara shrugged, unconcerned.
"Does that matter?" He pointed to the burning figure in the sky, "Look at his expression — does he look like he's planning to spare Obito? Hashirama, the power to determine this war's outcome isn't in your hands, mine, or Obito's. It's in his hands!"
The moment those words left his mouth, a figure struck with lightning speed, moving faster than anyone could follow — even the Hokage couldn't detect it.
As Obito suddenly appeared before him, Akira grinned. Six Paths or not, he'd deal with that after beating him up.
Without hesitation, his fist burst into flames like a blazing sun rising in the sky, striking straight ahead. The air split with a groan of distress as the airflow parted around his attack.
Obito's face remained expressionless as he raised his hand to counter-attack. As the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, his raw strength now surpassed all other shinobi present.
Yet one critical weakness remained: his consciousness was in a hazy state, unable to fully control this immense power. Acting purely on the Demonic Statue's instincts, he desperately sought to devour the remaining tailed beast power to complete himself.
Anyone who stood in his way would die!
When their attacks collided, a deafening boom rang out. Dazzling white light exploded from the point of impact, spreading in all directions.
The next moment—
CRASH!!
The sound of breaking bones erupted, followed by spine-chilling sounds of shattering and spinal columns snapping.
A white figure plummeted like a meteor from the smoke, crashing violently into the ground. The impact splashed scalding magma and carved out a massive crater. Countless particles surged upward as streaks of violent white matter burst outward, the body beginning to transform uncontrollably.
Seeing Obito's miserable state, the Hokages' eyes twitched as they once again questioned their reality.
Even Madara's expression turned strange. Obito's current state was what he had been plotting to achieve all along.
He had thought this guy's appearance would turn the tide to some degree. But never did he imagine he would still be mercilessly beaten. He was even punched until his body collapsed, unable to maintain a stable state.
Ripples moved through Madara's pupils as he watched the cackling figure in the sky uneasily, an almost imperceptible confusion growing in his heart.
This guy... Just how strong was he?
Akira observed the constantly mutating and expanding Obito in the rolling dust, then glanced at his own fist with a slight frown. The individual strength was certainly higher than before, but still within acceptable limits.
Within the expanding white mass, flesh continued to accumulate until it formed a massive sphere — like a giant heart — sprawled in the crater.
Deep within, Obito's mismatched eyes revealed a desperate gaze. In his final moment, he recalled the past, remembering his most cherished memories.
"ROAAAAAR!"
In a desperate howl, the white mutated body exploded.
As the dust settled, an unscathed figure appeared before everyone's eyes. Obito looked up at the sky, his face calm.
"Now I lack nothing. It's done, outsider. I now have power equal to the ancestor of all shinobi — no one can stop me..."
Before he could finish speaking, the figure in the sky vanished.
Akira appeared directly in front of Obito, a friendly smile playing across his face:
"Why so many words? Take my punch first."
Watching the swift approach of the simple attack, Obito's pupils contracted.
In that moment, his field of vision filled with his opponent's fist, as if a bright red character for "death" had ignited above his head.
Without hesitation, the black spherical Truth-Seeking Ball behind him transformed into fluid, instantly condensing before him to form an indestructible shield.
Obito attempted to block Akira's basic attack with this defense — a powerful force imbued with Yin-Yang Release that could nullify and reduce all ninjutsu to nothingness.
Bang!
Under Obito's expectant gaze, the fist burning with black-purple flames struck the Truth-Seeking Ball defense.
He blocked it!
The terrifying impact he had imagined didn't come — the outsider's proudest attack couldn't break through the power of the ancestor of all ninja!
Just as Obito prepared to launch a counterattack, he caught sight of the mocking smile on his opponent's face. Before he could react, a piercing death warning screamed in his heart.
Crack!
A breaking sound echoed across the Truth-Seeking Ball defense as a tiny crack appeared, triggering a chain reaction.
Countless fissures spread instantly across the entire black defense.
Boom!
The Truth-Seeking Ball shattered, its fragments spraying everywhere. A large hand burst through, seized Obito's throat, and violently slammed him into the ground.
Pain surged through his entire body. Before he could resist, Akira stomped on his chest, lips curling to reveal fierce white teeth.
Under countless bewildered gazes, he extended his finger, gathering dazzling serrated light at its tip as wild Reiatsu erupted uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Aizen was somewhat surprised.
Unlike his previous battles where he had held back, Akira was fighting differently now. Was this opponent particularly strong?
Sensing the energy fluctuations, Aizen furrowed his brow. Strong indeed, but still within acceptable limits.
There could be only one explanation: Akira despised this opponent.
With this thought, he turned to Orochimaru and smiled, "Orochimaru-san, would you mind telling me about that person's story?"
Looking at Aizen's gentle smile, Orochimaru felt an unexpected pang of pity for Obito.
Their brief interaction had taught him one thing: compared to the openly destructive Akira, this man was far more dangerous...
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
Boom!!
A pillar of scorching red fire erupted, engulfing both Obito and the battlefield. Heat waves rolled outward as hot whirlwinds howled through the air.
As the chaos dissipated, Akira looked down at the ash-like creature at his feet and smirked.
"Nothing special."
Ignoring the barely breathing Obito, his massive Reiatsu spread out, detecting other presences near the battlefield.
"Come out!"
As Reiatsu surged, the ground split open, and a black and white figure was dragged forcibly from underground.
"How... how did you find me?" Black Zetsu asked in disbelief.
"Your soul stands out like a huge lamp — it's practically blinding. It would've been harder not to notice you." Akira picked him up and threw him onto Obito, commanding, "Carry out your previous agreement with Madara. This battle is far from reaching its climax."
Hearing these words, Black Zetsu's eyes widened in bewilderment.
This person appeared to be a mere brute, yet he seemed to know everything about them, including his plans with Madara.
Just who was this guy?!
Black Zetsu's gaze met Akira's, catching sight of that meaningful smile, and his heart trembled.
Damn it, could he know my true purpose?
Given their vast difference in combat power, Black Zetsu didn't hesitate. He transformed into a mass of black substance and consumed Obito's body.
Just as he prepared to activate his technique, Akira suddenly spoke:
"Since we're pursuing excitement, why not go all the way? Resurrect the Hokages of Konoha as well."
Black Zetsu: "?"
He wanted to object, but seeing the other's increasingly stern gaze, he quickly made up his mind.
If they couldn't deal with this opponent, the Eye of the Moon Plan would fail anyway. Their priority now was eliminating this outsider.
Decision made, Black Zetsu commanded Obito's hands to form the signs.
⤫ Gedō: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu ⥤ Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique! ⤬
Enormous chakra swept across the battlefield. Under the Hokages' shocked gazes, white steam rose from their bodies.
Long-absent heartbeats returned to their chests. Dormant life force flowed through their veins.
The Edo Tensei dissolved. They had defied death itself, returning fully to life.
Hiruzen stared at his trembling hands in disbelief.
"This is... resurrection?!"
Tobirama's brow furrowed. Though his expression remained composed, the shock in his eyes betrayed him.
"What is this, challenging the rules of the Pure Land?"
Minato's expression was grave as he looked toward Obito, "The chakra fluctuations came from there. I suspect that outsider is behind this."
Hashirama turned to the figure beside him, who was absorbed in experiencing his restored life, "Madara, what exactly happened?"
Madara lifted his head, his pupils crumbling away like dust until they were hollow. Yet rather than appearing dejected, his face bore an arrogant smile.
"Haha, how outrageous! That Akira Kisaragi — he forced Black Zetsu to possess Obito's body and use the Rinne Tensei to resurrect us all! This guy understands my thinking perfectly! A fair fight, is it?!"
At Akira's signal, Black Zetsu took Obito away.
Black and White Zetsu emerged from underground simultaneously, returning the Rinnegan to their original owner.
As Madara inserted both eyes into his sockets, an even more violent chakra burst forth with him at its center.
⤫ Kuchiyose: Jūbi ⥤ Summoning: Ten-Tails! ⤬
A massive form twisted out of Obito, transforming into a mountain-sized creature that towered over the ruined battlefield, letting out an earth-shaking roar.
The mighty Ten-Tails had returned!
In that moment, Hashirama's vision blurred, and when his sight cleared, he found himself in a dim space.
Above the water's surface floated a figure — strange yet somehow familiar — truly like a god!