*Huff! Huff!*
Perhaps sensing the killing intent, the black monster that had been crouching motionless finally flapped its wings and took to the sky.
Unable to pinpoint a specific direction, it could only circle in the air, warily scanning its surroundings.
"I'll go first!"
As the strongest person here, Hikari could not allow the others to throw their lives away.
With a light step, he shot straight upward like an arrow, entering the black monster's defensive range and landing on the walls of Hōzuki Castle. Strangely, the monster seemed not to notice him and continued flying straight ahead.
'Let's test it!'
"Chidori!"
Purple lightning tore through the sky, striking the black monster at a speed almost too fast for the eye to follow.
'Gaaa...'
A shrill cry rang out, and the black creature immediately lunged toward Hikari.
Focusing his gaze, Hikari saw that the creature did not have a single wound.
"I already told you, attacks like that won't work," Obito said mockingly as he appeared beside Hikari using Kamui.
Hikari had no time to respond—the black monster was already upon him, its dark wings slashing like blades.
Seeing the danger, Hikari swiftly retreated while raising his right hand. A semi-transparent orb formed in his palm.
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
The technique developed by the future Naruto appeared in Hikari's hand and flew toward the black monster.
In the next instant, the creature shifted position almost instantaneously, evading the attack.
"Is this... Satori?"
It was no wonder Hikari hesitated. The black monster before him looked far too different from the 'Satori' he remembered from the original story, making him reluctant to believe it was the same.
But now it was clear. The creature's acute awareness of danger confirmed its identity.
Satori.
A being that could read hearts, sense impending threats, possess immense defensive power, and deliver sharp attacks—a nearly perfect organism.
The reason it was only "nearly" perfect was that this monster lacked intelligence, acting purely on instinct.
"Divine Vacuum Strike!"
Hikari raised his hand, unleashing a powerful palm strike that tore through the air—only for Satori, as expected, to dodge it effortlessly.
"Sage Mode—activate!"
Hikari saw no point in continuing to probe with ordinary techniques. This Satori's sensitivity to danger was simply too sharp; it could anticipate and avoid threats before they even arrived.
To land a hit, he would need either extreme speed or a large-scale attack.
Extreme speed could be achieved with Chidori, but the creature's defenses against ninjutsu were far too strong to inflict fatal damage.
A large-scale attack, on the other hand, would mean instantaneous widespread destruction of the surrounding area, leaving Satori with nowhere to escape.
*Sizzle!*
Brown markings appeared around his eyes as lightning crackled around his body.
"Sage Art: Lightning Release: Azure Dragon!"
Roaring thunder gathered above him, condensing into a majestic dragon brimming with mystique—capable of bending or stretching, growing large or small. The dragon opened its maw and spat out a bolt of purple lightning that struck Satori directly.
Because the attack was part of the ninjutsu itself and incredibly fast, Satori failed to dodge it this time.
But the effect?
Mediocre, at best.
A thunderbolt powerful enough to carve a several-meter crater into the ground left only a small white mark on Satori's body... and nothing more.
---
"This monster is way too strong!"
Kakashi and Gai had already grasped how to deal with Satori's perception—rapidly shifting their gaze and not staring at it for too long. With Hikari blocking the front, Satori would not notice them at all.
"The worst part is that Hikari is using my Chidori better than I ever have!"
Kakashi felt a pang of heartache. He was, after all, the developer of the Chidori. Yet, Hikari wielded the technique even better than he did, which was frankly downright depressing.
'When Hikari gets back, I'm definitely making him draw me a whole batch of waifus.'
"Kakashi, if I open the Seventh Gate and charge in, do you think I could land a fatal blow?" Gai asked curiously.
Watching Hikari fight while he hid below made Maito Gai's heart ache.
His youth was burning! How could he possibly stay hidden in the back?
---
Standing on the castle wall and protected by Kamui, Obito watched Hikari casually unleash Sage techniques. Only one thought occupied his mind.
The monster had to die—and so did Kamizuki Hikari.
Hikari was already terrifyingly strong before, but now, with Sage Mode, his power had multiplied several times over compared to their encounter in the Land of Hot Water. No one could say for sure that this was the limit of Hikari's trump cards. This was the man who had single-handedly held his own against all six paths of Pain.
Speaking of which, where the hell did Black Zetsu run off to? He always disappears at critical moments—just like his master, Uchiha Madara!
---
"Roll, Azure Dragon!"
Realizing the lightning from the Azure Dragon had little effect on Satori, Hikari used it a few more times before sending the thunder dragon itself crashing down.
If Sage Art combined with Lightning Release couldn't affect this thing, his remaining options were limited.
Hikari now had a theory about Satori's surface.
That pure black coloration suggested it was a product of Yin-Yang Release; otherwise, its defenses wouldn't be this formidable. If that was the case, this 'Satori' must have been created by the Sage of Six Paths.
But why? Why had the Sage not destroyed it outright instead of using the Box of Ultimate Bliss to nurture it?
Hikari didn't understand, nor did he need to right now. All that mattered was killing Satori or sealing it away.
Killing it would require entering his half-Six Paths mode—and even then, success wasn't guaranteed. Ordinary seals would be meaningless. The only viable option was Chibaku Tensei... but the problem was, Hikari couldn't use that technique yet.
His previous clash of gravitational forces with Nagato was due more to his superior control over power, not because he overpowered Nagato outright.
The Rinnegan was still the Rinnegan. Even if Nagato couldn't fully utilize its power, his overall strength firmly placed him in the half-Six Paths level—not far below Hikari himself.
That left only one option: the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
If the box could nurture a monster like Satori, then it could also be used to capture him.
Decision made, Hikari turned and headed toward the center of Hōzuki Castle.
*Whoosh...*
The next moment, Satori swooped down, its massive claws tearing a huge fissure into the castle wall.
With no time to think, Hikari activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, tripling his speed in an instant.
He ran ahead while Satori pursued from behind—a frantic chase filled with sparks and lightning.
A black box appeared before Hikari.
Its four sides bore the large faces of Joy, Anger, Sorrow, and Pleasure. Around it wandered numerous adult-sized versions of Satori—clearly the offspring nurtured by the complete Satori above.