In an instant!
An indescribable, terrifying pressure spread across the entire plain!
In that moment, the air surrounding the center of the battlefield was directly vacuumed away, as if annihilated from existence!
Amidst the roars of Yuto and Uchiha Madara, the two attacks collided and crossed in midair!
"It's over, Madara!"
A trace of indifference flashed through Yuto's gaze.
As the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Uchiha Madara combined with the Rinnegan was naturally extremely powerful. But Yuto's golden Tenseigan was a super Tenseigan forged through countless generations of the Ōtsutsuki Toneri lineage.
Uchiha Madara's attack was indeed powerful, but Yuto's Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion was a technique that could effortlessly slice the Moon in half!
The sheer destructive force of the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion was far purer and more concentrated than the technique Uchiha Madara had unleashed!
In other words, in terms of raw technique power, Yuto held the edge — and that edge was enough to decisively determine the outcome!
Ultimately, it came down to the fact that Uchiha Madara did not truly understand Yuto's Tenseigan. Otherwise, he would never have attempted this kind of head-on contest!
The instant the two techniques made contact, a scene like the end of the world unfolded across the sky above the plain!
Boom, boom!!
Boom, boom!!
In that brief instant, the entire world seemed to press pause — then immediately erupted with a cataclysmic explosion like mountains crumbling and seas surging, accompanied by a deafening roar that shook the very earth!
The battlefield where the two stood was instantly reduced to complete ruin.
The enormous collision and rumbling carried all the way to the Hidden Mist Second Village in the Land of Fire, over a hundred kilometers away.
After the tremendous sound came a visible shockwave expanding outward in all directions, raising currents of air across the land like visible ocean waves!
The violent gusts churned and surged, forming an apocalyptic storm that destroyed everything in its path!
Whether it was Uchiha Obito and the others near the edge of the battlefield, or Jiraiya's group, every single one of them released techniques to withstand the aftershock!
"Itachi… can I really avenge you?"
Sasuke piloted his small skeletal-frame Susanoo, straining with everything he had to block the shockwave, despair flickering in his eyes.
With power like that, how could they possibly win?
And on the other side.
Naruto was sheltered behind Jiraiya, his eyes glazed with a dazed look.
Could they really defeat those two?
Could the people of Konoha truly take back the village from Yuto and Uchiha Madara?
They couldn't win at all, could they?
"It's so frustrating… so frustrating!"
Naruto clenched his fists without realizing it, his face filled with unwillingness. Memories of words he had spoken before suddenly echoed through his mind.
"Don't underestimate me! I won't run away from a fight! I'm going to become Hokage!"
"With all of you here, I'm already… no longer alone."
"For me, all of you are bonds I worked so hard to gain, and I will never let them go!"
"I'll become Hokage — a Hokage who surpasses all those who came before me! I never go back on my word! I will never break my promise!"
Just then.
A hand gently rested on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto froze, then turned his head to look behind him. He saw Nara Shikamaru's lazy face, wearing a smile as he looked at him.
"What are you thinking about, Naruto? You've got us too!"
Nara Shikamaru patted Naruto's shoulder and spoke with a grin.
Behind Nara Shikamaru stood Haruno Sakura, Rock Lee, Tenten, Aburame, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and the others.
"Everyone…" Naruto looked at them all and smiled as well.
Just then, a somewhat chilling voice suddenly came from behind.
"My, my. In a situation like this, there's still such a heartwarming moment. I almost hate to interrupt."
Orochimaru's pale face bore a faint, enigmatic smile as he suddenly emerged from underground.
Jiraiya, Hatake Kakashi, Kurotsuchi, and the others naturally detected Orochimaru's presence immediately.
"You're a bit late, Orochimaru!"
Seeing Orochimaru appear, Jiraiya felt a slight weight lift from his chest, though his expression still carried a hint of displeasure.
"Sorry. There were things that needed preparing, and it was rather troublesome, so I ended up late."
Orochimaru withdrew his gaze from Naruto and shrugged, his tone carrying a trace of apology — though his face showed not the slightest hint of embarrassment.
Jiraiya was about to say something when Kurotsuchi stepped forward, looking past everyone at Orochimaru.
"Right now, Yuto and Uchiha Madara are about to decide things at the center of the battlefield. What exactly is your plan? If we don't act soon, we'll lose our chance!"
Kurotsuchi's tone was clearly tinged with urgency as she looked at Orochimaru.
The battle at the center of the field was so intense that both Yuto and Uchiha Madara had surely consumed massive amounts of chakra and sustained injuries.
Now was absolutely the best moment to strike!
And up to this point, the only person who knew Orochimaru's so-called plan was probably Orochimaru himself.
"You can tell us your plan now, can't you?"
Darui, formerly of the Land of Lightning, stepped out from the side, his voice somewhat low.
Jiraiya also nodded in agreement, looking up at Orochimaru. At this point, there was no need to worry about information leaks anymore.
"I've said it before — the legendary Sage of Six Paths had two sons. One was called Indra Ōtsutsuki, and the other Ashura Ōtsutsuki."
A mysterious smile appeared on Orochimaru's lips, his voice carrying a slight rasp.
Having said this!
Orochimaru did not continue. Instead, he walked toward Naruto.
"You're Uzumaki Naruto, right?"
"You must be feeling pretty frustrated right now."
Under everyone's gaze, Orochimaru looked at Naruto and suddenly spoke.
Naruto was taken aback, but still nodded.
He knew that the pale, untrustworthy-looking man before him — called Orochimaru — was one of the legendary Sannin, just as powerful as the Pervy Sage!
"Very good. I can help you obtain the power to stand against those two at the center of the battlefield."
A gleam of excitement and a brilliant smile appeared on Orochimaru's face as he stared intently at Naruto.
The moment those words were spoken.
Jiraiya and the others nearby all froze, turning to look at Orochimaru with astonished expressions.
"Really?!"
Naruto was stunned for a moment, then immediately became excited.
"Of course. Though it might hurt a little." Orochimaru suddenly grinned, then bit his finger and slapped his hand directly onto the ground.
Summoning Technique!
With a puff of white smoke, eight snakes of various colors, each as thick as an arm, appeared before Naruto.
"All you need to do is let each of these eight snakes bite you once, and you'll gain that power."
Orochimaru looked at Naruto with a beaming smile, paused, then continued:
"Of course, there's also the possibility that you won't."
"Orochimaru, what exactly are you planning? And what's with these venomous snakes?"
Jiraiya flashed in front of Naruto, frowning as he looked at Orochimaru.
Kakashi, Kurotsuchi, and the others also turned to face Orochimaru, their expressions grim.
What did he mean by gaining power to rival those two at the center of the battlefield?
If he really had that ability, why not use it himself?
And this was Orochimaru's so-called plan?
Kurotsuchi, Darui, and the rest all felt like they'd been fooled.
If the situation weren't what it was, they would have already lunged at Orochimaru.
"So impatient."
"Do you really think that mere numbers and something like 'bonds' can defeat those two?"
"Don't make me laugh! The power that Yuto and Uchiha Madara currently possess has long since transcended the level of ordinary shinobi!"
"That kind of power can rival the legendary Sage of Six Paths himself!"
"To stand against those two, you'd need to master that same level of power. Otherwise, you're just like you are now — hiding in a corner, peeking out from the gutter."
Orochimaru raised his head and coldly swept his gaze across everyone present, speaking without mercy.
"As for these eight venomous snakes — these are no ordinary serpents. They are snakes whose bodies contain eight different types of tailed beast chakra."
With that, Orochimaru fell silent again. Some things were too troublesome to explain, and he had always hated explaining things to others.
"I have no idea what you're even talking about!"
"But rather than standing around doing nothing while watching, I'm willing to accept this creepy uncle's suggestion. It's just a few bites from some snakes, right?"
Naruto stepped out from behind Jiraiya with a shout, his face completely serious.
"Naruto?" Jiraiya looked at him with a complex expression, wanting to dissuade him.
"Pervy Sage, speaking my mind and acting on it has always been my ninja way!"
Before Jiraiya could say anything, Naruto spoke again with determination, then walked directly toward Orochimaru under everyone's gaze.
"Tsk tsk. There's an element of gambling, but the success rate isn't bad at all."
Orochimaru looked at Naruto with a satisfied smile, then gently waved his hand toward the eight colorful venomous snakes.
"Hiss!"
"Hiss!"
The eight venomous snakes hissed simultaneously, then immediately sank their fangs into Naruto's body.
The eight different types of tailed beast chakra, nurtured within the snakes' bodies, were all injected into Naruto at once.
In that instant, Naruto felt his consciousness blur.
Meanwhile, over at Uchiha Obito's side.
A white snake appeared before Sasuke and the others.
"Orochimaru?"
Uchiha Obito's eyes flickered with confusion as he looked at the white snake that had emerged from underground. This snake clearly carried Orochimaru's presence.
"It's been a long time, everyone. Especially you, Sasuke-kun."
The white snake let out a low chuckle.
"I thought you were dead. Didn't expect you were still alive, Orochimaru."
Kakuzu flashed to a position not far from the white snake, looking down at it with a cold sneer on his face.
[
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