Indra: Extra - Chapter 107 - stroke6 (2024)

Chapter Text

THE SWORD THAT CUTS DREAMS

Uzumaki Naruto slipped on blood.

His own, likely. There was thunder in his ears, in his lungs, in his heart. It wasn't a force he could control or channel, even if his strength had felt within reach.

He could barely see where he was going, if he was going anywhere at all. It felt like falling; or rising, perhaps. It all shattered around him, it all burned away around him.

Until all that remained was a dark sky.

Colors, from pink to white to black to red to blond.

A terrible radiant glow; brilliance incarnate, an expression that was an unreadable mosaic of disbelief and poise.

Lurching, covered in raw-looking burns and bloodied, the Emperor of the Rings and of all humanity emerged from the hole in reality.

He raised his hand in the air silently.

All were frozen in place.

Susanoo-Arashi, kami of storms and change, had lost.

Susanoo-Arashi, sovereign of the Ocean, was fated to be immortal — his demise unthinkable before bestowing his legacy.

'Well, f*ck me.'Toru thought, with no small amount of disbelief, in spite of the fact he had trusted Naruto to prevail.'He actually did it — that madman.'

He didn't need any telepathic link to feel the tiredness that radiated from Naruto, in spite of his straight posture. He was pale, and blood dripped down his face, but he could pass for strong. To anyone who didn't know him well. The only thing Toru wanted was to help him stand, the same way he knew the others felt.

But unfortunately, appearances had to be maintained.

Toru fell in line next to him and steadied himself.

Sakura, when it came to the matter of the death of Susanoo-Arashi, out of the myriad thoughts going through her mind about their current situation and their next move, some she couldn't truly process now — or even afford to…

Felt horrible, conflicting emotions of sheer relief and… slight jealousy —f*ckingjealousy.

In spite of herself, in spite of all it meant, there was a terribly petty part of her that had wanted to kill Susanoo-Arashi herself.

Not the way they had managed to do several times, all four of them, in Takamagahara. Destroying his physical bodies, in spite of the fact it felt as though treading water without chakra.

Not the way Yoisen had learned to sever two overlapping dimensions, with a sound similar to shattering glass.

Not the — more than slightly horrifying — ways Orochimaru had forcedlifeto sprout from within the kami's nearly alive body. That had been bad enough to witness. Ichor had become even thicker fluid, growing into misshapenthings, from eyes to teeth to plant to hair to bursting, purulent flesh. Then into gooey flowers and crushed fruit and back into bone-like bark that grewfur.

…No. That had beenbad, even by Sakura's admittedly lax standards. A horrible show.

Still, Sakura had meant to kill the kami.

Tokillhim, truly kill him.

Preferably in messy, humiliating ways in front of the one audience he might have cared about some, if that.

But well, that time had passed, and besides, she wasn't entirely sure what she was seeking through vengeance, aside from satisfaction that might endanger people she cared about more than herself.

'…Thank you, Sasuke. And thank you, everyone.'

Karin felt as though Takamagahara, or the world itself were cracking, breaking apart, consuming itself.

It wasn't just the fracturing that had started before, although that wasn't helping. Something had changed with Susanoo-Arashi's death.

And Naruto's arrival was abrupt, shrouded in an ominous aura, missing a vital essence that had always clung to him, something as familiar as his own shadow.

Orochimaru, right now, was hard to read, even for her. Sakura was mostly composed, and focused on the objective, likely. Beside her, Yoisen's features were tight with concern, mirroring Karin's own anxiety. Without a word, they both moved towards the weakened Naruto, their hands glowing with a soft, healing light.

They did what they could, at least, the circ*mstances limiting their hand.

At the same time, she took into account the others' physical states, as well as their remaining chakra capacity. Ino was still unconscious, and, hovering relatively low, had spent about seventy-three percent of her chakra. Hanabi's signature, muddled and hard to read, which was a first, seemed even lower. Yoisen's chakra held at around thirty-four percent of her full capacity, higher than Toru's, at twenty-one percent and Karin's, at thirty-seven percent.

In sharp contrast, Sakura's chakra was robust at seventy-five percent, hovering high because of the earlier presence of water. Orochimarusomehowmaintained slightly more than sixty-four — but his sheer efficiency had never made sense to anyone, not just to Karin, who tended to be wasteful.

More worryingly, Karin couldn't tell how much of their full chakra capacity they evencouldrecover. In between back-to-back compoundings and general overuse, she wasn't feeling too confident. Sakura was managing thoseprettywell, but she was… Sakura.

Still, the god was gone.

Karin and Yoisen continued to heal Naruto, the same way they had healed all of them.

'This is it.'She thought.'If we fail here…'

Yoisen was not surprised.

Perhaps it had been rather optimistic of her, but she hadknownwhat would happen the moment Naruto went to fight Susanoo-Arashi. It was the sort of impossibility she had long since learned he could bring about when his mind was set.

So of course he had managed there.

In spite of the cost.

Their battle, on this side, had been cut short. Cutting the kami had proven to be impossible at first, and so she had been forced to improvise.

To adapt, she supposed.

In Takamagahara, and possibly back home, there were layers of space superimposed over each other. Yoisen, of course, couldn't see them; only Hanabi had managed. What Yoisenhadlearned to do, however, was to shift these layers' position, in the most minute of ways. This slight, nearly imperceptible movement of dimensions was akin to shifting pieces of a puzzle slightly off their original placement, for a fraction of a second.

Enough to slice through even Susanoo-Arashi's skin, in truth.

But no matter how many times they had stood up to the god, no matter how many times they dealt him a crippling blow, he hadn't died. Continued to come back, eternally amused, stronger each time. Equally cruel.

And then it happened.

Like clouds moving before the sun, like a storm as sudden as those Susanoo-Arashi wrought. The brightest of candles being snuffed out. A wave of fear, passing through all of the kami, including him.

And then Susanoo-Arashi had just faded into the ether.

Yoisen had nearly lost her grip on her sword.

But Susanoo-Arashi's death was just one thing. There was another wave of oppressive power looming over them, and she would fight until she dropped.

Now, to get everyone home.

Orochimaru adjusted plans, and prepared to adjust them some more.

Amaterasu-Yoake made no move to come any closer to them, aloof and untouchable.

Naruto felt Sakura watching the entire thingveryclosely, alert to every subtle shift.

The kami seemed to ignore any of them, aside from Naruto. She paused, seemingly weighing him up again. Naruto stood waiting, ragged but proud. He didn't bend nor bow under the weight of the kami's incandescent power.

The same power that was currently making the air nearly unbearable, even passively.

"I will admit this. You have evolved into a particularly perilous sort of mongrel."Amaterasu-Yoake declared, her voice laced with a menacing calm.

"And what of it?" Naruto responded sharply. His words resonated with defiance, relayed by Orochimaru to the listening kami, though his reach was less extensive than Ino's. "This little get-together is over. Susanoo-Arashi has been defeated —obliterated."

Silence fell, the assembled kami offering no response.

The best-case scenario, of course, being that they were sufficiently cowed.

"We are done here." Naruto asserted. "The Intent was clear, as you stated earlier. We are leaving."

If they were entirely sure they could do so without bringing trouble home, they would have done so already.

As for the worst-case scenario…

Whatever reaction Karin had expected from the kami of the sun, it apparently hadn't been a laugh, and it sent a chill up her spine.

And then the kami stopped laughing. A familiar weapon erupted in her hand, and Yoisen closed her eyes momentarily.

"Impudent fool."Amaterasu-Yoake said, with eyes somehow icier than her smile."I have suffered your trampling of the divine order for long enough. Did you truly believe I would allow such a threat to walk free?"

Several presences rose at once around them, at a careful distance. Other kami. There were no more rules. No more Susanoo-Arashi, and it didn't feel like a comforting notion, right now; more as though they had shattered a door best left closed.

"No." Naruto conceded, running a hand on his jaw, seemingly unimpressed. "I expected no less."

"Of course."Amaterasu-Yoake sneered, her smile sharp. "It explains this facade of strength."

Naruto remained silent, offering no retort.

"Even suppressed, your energy was palpable."She continued. "Before.It was how you obliterated Susanoo-Arashi. You bound your powers together in a surge, destroying him and nearly yourself."

A kamiwasshinsei. Naruto, as a mortal, was more than just chakra.

He wasn't sure how easy such a thing would have been to do with a kami less familiar than Susanoo-Arashi. But all this meant she believed it was replicable by others.

"Perhaps I did." Naruto allowed, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"That gambit is exhausted. Your power is gone entirely."Amaterasu-Yoake concluded coldly. "And the secret will perish with you."

"If you say so."

Amaterasu-Yoake's laughter echoed once more, now tinged with cruel delight."With the realm in such disarray, and thatbrute'sdemise destabilizing everything, do you really think you could navigate the currents unscathed? Your lot will never make it home."

Naruto hesitated, his doubts flickering beneath a composed exterior. Then again, trusting a kami of this sort seemed increasingly foolhardy.

"I suppose killing you is off the table?" Naruto asked the spirit.

Amaterasu-Yoake's smile widened, her eyes glinting with amusem*nt."Attempting that would be most unwise. Not only would you fail, but success would ensnare you in a fate far worse than death. A total collapse."She paused, letting her words sink in. A collapse ofwhat, exactly, she didn't say. Naruto didn't get the impression she just meant Takamagahara."Of course, I assume you already understand what fleeing now would mean."

Oh, he understood. They all did. And his patience with the kami had reached its limit.

"And so you intend to force our hand, to kill us for the sake of Takamagahara?" He probed. "To protect your realm?"

Amaterasu-Yoake's laughter filled the air.

"Formysake, Uzumaki Naruto."She corrected."And consequently, for the sake of my subjects."

The sun rose.

It felt like standing in the eye of the inferno, knowing that the slightest misstep would kill them.

Yoisen didn't flinch. Sasuke was gone, and even thoughFirenever really had been Toru's strongest suit, he did his best to help her mitigate its intensity. Even though he and Sakura had other things to prepare.

Yoisen slammed her sword into the ground, burning through hand seals.

"Infernal whispers—"

Amaterasu-Yoake burst forward with surprising speed, in a burst of raging flames.

Cursing, Yoisen threw herself aside, with nothing but a half-formed shield of fire, seizing her sword again in the same move.

The kami was aiming for Naruto first, and Yoisen's movements were frantic. The air around them crackled and hissed as the sword, all too familiar to Yoisen, unleashed a searing flame. That very flame engulfed half her vision, filling the air with a sizzling noise; her nose, with the equally familiar smells of burning flesh. She rarely had been on the other hand ofFire,in the end.

And compared to even the mighty Susanoo-Arashi's flames…

Yoisenscreamed.

Chaos followed. She lost control of her technique. Orochimaru'sWateraura jutsu barely sufficed to cool down the place, which was now so terribly hot that it felt as though lava was boiling underneath the ruptured surface, fusing their feet with their boots. Karin's powerfulGravitypush slowed the kami some, and her chains, which quickly erupted with a great mighty sound, held Amaterasu-Yoake in place.

But the kami didn'ttrulyneed to move to attack.

Pillars of fire burst from underneath with a fury to shatter earth. Toru was caught in one of them, howling as he threw himself to the side and forced his chakra to smother the flames. But he held on, sticking to the plan. Sakura threw herself atop Naruto, pushing both of them out of the way of another pillar, then warping them further away,alsoholding on to her technique.

With Susanoo-Arashi gone, Ino and Hanabi had been hidden away, and that at least, was something they didn't have to worry about, right now.

Up in the sky, amassive, incandescent sun was howling its wrath, instantly turning grass into wisps of fire, parching every throat—

And then came a rasp.

"…Cinder's call."

It was Yoisen.

Amaterasu-Yoake turned to face her. Yoisen, who had been charred terribly in the first assault, had had half her face ruined, wasstillchanting. Of course, the kami didn't care much for such notions.

"Pitiful!"

The kami thrust her hand out with the shout, heralding the rise of a dome, woven from countless fireballs, sealing Yoisen within its fiery grasp. An ordinary master ofFiremight falter here, perhaps all but Uchiha Sasuke.

But Yoisen did not falter.

Her movements were fluid, a dance of survival.

With a swift motion, even as she kept channeling her technique, even as she discarded her healing arts for the time being, she slid backward. As she retreated, she sheathed her sword in a single, seamless action, her hands moving with practiced precision.

Then, in a moment that seemed suspended in time, nearly too fast to be seen, Yoisen's eyes narrowed, focusing intently through senses that went beyond mere sight. She exhaled softly, channeling energy in quick bursts. With a sudden flick of her wrist, she unsheathed her sword just enough to allow the blade to catch a sliver of light. This action, nearly imperceptible, unleashed a wave of energy — a spectralthingthat sliced through the air itself.

Or in between dimensions, technically. Similarly to what Hanabi herself could do, ifmuchnarrower in its use.

The impossibility traveled instantly, cutting a clean line through a fireball.

She resheathed her sword.

She unsheathed her sword.

And she did it over and over again, in the span of a full second, until there was nothing left of the fireballs.

Amaterasu-Yoake watched with clear displeasure, but had not slowed down her swift rush toward Naruto, choosing to ignore Yoisen entirely.

A distortion in space shimmered where he had been, as Sakura carried him away once more.

The two of them — Sakura and Naruto — reappeared behind Yoisen. Like the rest of them did.

They gathered behind her, and just ten years ago, Yoisen would have been hard pressed to remember a time anyone had trusted her that much. A hand softly touched between her shoulder blades, and healing chakra began coursing through her again.

"Shinjutsu: Void Ember Fortress."

Amaterasu-Yoake laughed."Do you hope…"

In the blink of an eye, she crossed through the flames, appearing close to their side, sweeping majestically with her sword, fires of impossible colors trailing behind her, too bright to be observed for too long.

The heat rose from searing todeadlyin a flash.

Amaterasu-Yoake's sun continued to grow, and with it, so did her power — such was herCruel Sunability.

"…That this measly shield will suffice?"

Homura Tenraiwas not merely a weapon, the way it had been in Yoisen's hands.

When wielded by the kami of the sun, like her many other artifacts, it became an extension of the celestial inferno. Legend said it had been forged in the heart of a dying star and carried the wrath of the cosmos. That it was able to ignite the essence of the sun within its steel. That didn't have to cut through flesh and bone to annihilate. That burning through the fabric of reality would leave nothing behind but a scorching trail of heart that lingered in the air like the tail of a comet, for all the worlds to see.

That was what would happen here.

ACelestial Ignition. Amaterasu-Yoake would summon and control flames of a solar intensity, whose sole focus would be on them.

Nothing could stand up to that, and the kami knew it. No mortal shield, no—

Homura Tensaiwentthroughthe barrier of fire.

But it didn't cut anything. It didn't burn anything.

While it ruined anything and everything in a disastrous range of a dozen kilometers, a stubborn sword remained untouched… as well as everything within Yoisen's dome.

The blade wentthrough, harmlessly.

"…What?"

Without true mastery of Yin, projecting an inner domain onto the material world was not just difficult — it was impossible.

The challenge lay not only in manifesting its form, base, and boundaries but also in maintaining them upon a world that didn't care for it, something that was even more true here in Takamagahara.

This task could be somewhat alleviated by a few things.

One. Collaboration. Particularly with Ino's help. But then again, entering the realm of soul, where such things were easier, came withmanyother risks.

Two. Multiple people working together could simplify the process, particularly if they were capable of compounding together; a true chakra resonance.

Three. Through the use of a focus. A Territory created this was, however, was inherently fragile because it was anchored to a physical object — be it a sword, a lake, trees… or even a cracked fortress. These Territories would collapse if their focal object was destroyed, which often didn't require much force.

Naruto had circumvented this issue through meticulous refinement and by creating an overabundance of swords to anchor his own domain, but this solution was not viable for everyone. Sakurahadtried, but it wasn't the wayYinworked — she could not simply summon more fortresses.

However, Sakura had realized, during a battle that had forced all of them to grow beyond their limits, that she might be able to use Yoisen's Shinjutsu as a foundation.

By leveraging the dense chakra of Yoisen's barrier, she could construct her domain more effortlessly. With Toru's help, they could manage that process even more efficiently.

To add to this, there was a sort of balance to be found within inner worlds — or hers, at least. An exchange of sorts. By discarding the focus' durability entirely, making itevenmore fragile, and trusting Yoisen and Toru with adjusting for it, she could increase the output of her technique. Right now, without them, a single push would be enough to crumble her projection.

Thus, the fortress that she had once despised now manifested visibly before everyone.

She felt naked. Horribly so. As though everything she loathed about herself was exposed to the world. But there were more pressing concerns.

But… She didn't need anything else. Her technique was enough. She had the others. She was enough.

"Divine Territory."Sakura called out."Void Sign."

A pure resonance. By channeling her Kamui through everything the fortress, through everything chakra-touched, including everything within Yoisen's own barrier, Sakura sought to transcend the limitations of conventional Territories.

Amaterasu-Yoake, unlike Susanoo-Arashi, could not simply circumvent it by adapting to it.

No amount of flames would reach, not with their two techniques layered atop each other; not even the flames' heat.

Amaterasu-Yoake's expression shifted from surprise to fury in an instant.

She glared at them balefully… and then lifted her hand.

"Kill them."

Who was she talking to…?

The answer to that question became clear in just an instant. The kami's voice carried across the burned wreck of Takamagahara in instant and other kami obeyed, seemingly moving before their minds had truly had the time to understand the order.

The distance between them had been long, kilometers, as they had stayed outside of Amaterasu-Yoake's deadly range. But for kami, such things meant nothing. They crossed that distance in but an instant, falling on top of each other with reckless abandon.

It was impossible to describe, even for the short moments in which Sakura stillsawwhat was happening, before the blinding light overtook all; kami, Old and not, seemingly infinite in number and unfathomable in essence, swarmed like a celestial storm; they swirled around all of them in a dizzying spectacle, spinning tighter and tighter, their sheer density twisting the air; distorting reality into a tapestry of brilliant light and pulsating energy.

This convergence, this divine maelstrom was unfathomable, fleeting and overwhelming at once, a blinding brilliance that made visibility dwindle to nothing, swallowing the landscape in a radiant, all-consuming glow. Nothing short of apocalyptic.

Above them, the celestial realm of Takamagahara itself seemed to fracture further, ominous cracks echoing through the skies once more.

None in Sakura's beleaguered band had to brace against this divine storm, thanks to the technique. Except for Naruto, for entirely different reasons. The toll was evident on his face, growing wearier by the minute, as he leaned heavily on Karin for support. Orochimaru, whose hands were weaving signs impossibly fast, was triggering some sort ofchangewithin himself.

And Sakura's ugly, nearly broken little fortressheld.

It held dutifully, without showing the slightest sign of weakness. The same way Yoisen's barrier held. The same way Toru's focus held. They were intangible, unreachable; healing, even, through Karin's resonant chakra.

Amaterasu-Yoake must have sensed their impending escape, because everything changed then.

There was a moment of consideration, perhaps evenhesitation,upon the kami's face; slight but there.

Then the kami's hands plunged into the void, halting the world in a breathless pause. A furious power surged, rivaling even the fearsome Susanoo-Arashi, though not in magnitude, then inmalevolence.

There was a shrill sound, as though a howl.

From the maelstrom of light, Amaterasu-Yoake extracted an orb — a soul?

It was no larger thanRaijin-Kaminari'shad been, and right now, Sakura's memory of that one was vivid. Under Amaterasu-Yoake's manipulations, the orb twisted and elongated, transforming with a burst of purple flames into a sinister longsword.

As this new, terrifying entity took form, a different, oppressive force filled the air. Karin's scream pierced the momentary silence, a desperate cry of recognition.

"NO!"

Sakura felt a chill of foreboding.'That pressure...?'Her thoughts raced, recognizing, with growing dread, the unmistakable aura.'No f*cking way.'

Amaterasu-Yoake brought the power about; she drew the sword.

It was Susanoo-Arashi's power.

Infernal Rebirth.

Although the humans had no way of knowing as much, it was a cornerstone of Amaterasu-Yoake's divine powers. One that allowed her to summon and manipulate the souls of deceased kami. As forceful as it was temporary.

Using this power, she could extract a kami's soul from the formless void they joined and reform it into a physical object, typically a weapon.

This transformation, this twisted resurrection, crushed and compressed the soul's essence into a tangible form, retaining the original kami's powers, as well as fragments of his soul. It underscored Amaterasu-Yoake's control over life and death… as well as her cruelty, her chilling indifference to the sanctity of souls she proclaimed.

Susanooo-Arashi, after all, and in spite of their troubled relationship, had been her brother. One of few equals — or perhaps, it was said, in hushed tones, her better.

But perhaps notions of morality and empathy were irrelevant to Old Gods, in the end.

Amaterasu-Yoake harbored no qualms about twisting her brother's essence into a tool to serve her purposes.

No. In fact, it seemed she had long anticipated, perhaps eagerly, the arrival of this day. When she could wield his power without restraint.

There was one question running through many minds: if Amaterasu-Yoake was willing to do such a thing to her sib, where would she stop?

Of the gathered kami, the first hesitant expressions appeared.

"You are helpless before me."

Those were the words the kami said, and they rang true.

If there was one thing that could cut through Sakura's Kamui, it wasthatone. The sword built up a charge to destroy them.

'No.'Karin thought.'No! NO!'

They had fought that monster so many times already. There should have beennothingleft of him. Therehadbeen nothing left of him.

But there was no doubt it was Susanoo-Arashi's essence, shaped into that sword.

Everything else, Karin thought —knew— they would have handled. Against Adaptation, however, they hadnothing.

Next to her, Naruto was looking at the sword, silently, with bleary eyes. As though assuring for himself that it was what it was said to be. But he didn't move. It felt as though standing was all he could do, right now.

Sakura and Toru held up theVoid Sign, and Yoisen was rendered immobile for the same reason. If Karin was to try anything, she would have to stop healing Naruto, and in his current state…

'It's going to take a miracle, this time.'

Karin, of course, didn't realize she had been speaking out loud. She just noticed Naruto giving Orochimaru a silent look and a nod. Then she felt his hand on her shoulder, telling her to let go.

"Sorry." Naruto rasped out, matter of factly as he forced himself upright. "…But with that thing alive again, even partially, I think the job's not over."

Around him, there were only terse nods.

Escaping meant nothing if it meant a furious god or a hundred decided to take their revenge upon words they could reach. Besides, after this fight, the chances that they'd be able to reach their own were uncomfortably high, as well.

The mission objective broadened some:kill the murderous gods.

"I agree with him. And… Karin. A miracle, you said…?" Orochimaru said, with eeriecalm. "Fine, then. I suppose I'll make it happen."

He spread both hands out, and two things happened at that moment. The first was that Amaterasu-Yoake lifted the Susanoo-Arashi sword high up, having built up the charge.

The second was that a wormhole grew in front of Orochimaru.

("In the quiet of the workshop, a young engineer pored over blueprints, illuminated by the soft glow of a desk lamp. Each line, each calculation, was a step towards realizing the Emperor's request: a way to connect worlds that didn't depend solely on his ability. That wouldn't depend on chakra.")

Orochimaru nearly instantly grew and plunged a second pair of hands into it, drawing back an orb of crackling thunder from wherever it had been stored now.

Karin's mouth went slightly dry, and not because of the rampaging heat outside, nor from the growing storm and the burning rain. Orochimaru held the orb that was Raijin-Kaminari's soul out to her.

She understood what he wanted immediately.

'Burn it away, Karin.'

It was as dangerous, as experimental as many of his plans. Something he likely had devised after realizing what Naruto had done to Susanoo-Arashi's soul in the first place. And she would only get one attempt, too.

Karin scooped the soul up, and it burst alight withshinsei, even years after the kami's death. A maelstrom churned about them, never reaching because of Sakura's Kamui. The orb's glow was a violent golden color, and Karin could sense its tempestuous nature.

This was stupid, she thought. He was asking her to risk all their lives on a half-baked theory—

The Susanoo-Arashi sword fell.

This was their best shot here.

Karin guided the power within Raijin-Kaminari's soul remnant, layering it with itself, multiplying its essence with itself. Thunder grew around them, a color more brilliant than she had ever seen. All this power, she redirected toward itself again; a self-feeding loop.

It felt like punching a hole through blackness.

Light exploded from the lingering heart of thunder. It didn't touch the Kamui.

The end came in the form of the Storm sword—

It met the dome of layeredThunderand a cataclysm of unholy energy exploded around them.

A shimmering energy field expanded with a shearing sound that should never have seen the light of day, that would never be again. A sound that tore at the world itself; a prolonged, cosmic shriek.

Up in the sky above, the cracks spread again. To stay.

The Storm sword grinded against the impossibility for much too long, and reality continued to tear. Following this, a titanic pressure wave erupted, creating a void so absolute that it devoured everything in proximity, including the kami caught within its relentless pull.

Amaterasu-Yoake drew the sword back, retreating with a furious snarl.

Orochimaru's laughter, high and gleeful, sliced through the moment, drawing a wary glance from the exhausted Toru.

As Raijin-Kaminari's soul dissipated into the ether, Orochimaru's grin widened. "Marvelous! What is the matter, kami?" He taunted. "Is it a new type of target? A signature you couldn't match fast enough?"

"You would dare use a divine soul for your schemes?"Amaterasu-Yoake spat, voice heavy with disdain."To live, even just a moment longer?"

"How deliciously hypocritical." Orochimaru's laugh rose again, shriller this time. "You preach the sanctity of a soul, even as you twist another's to your own ends? I can almostfeeldear Susanoo-Arashi twisting in rage!"

"Silence! Do not dare to lecture on the workings of kami, mortal!"Amaterasu-Yoake snapped back."I am the one who decides."

In the distance, Karin could sense a current of disapproval mingling with fear among the other kami. Bound by unseen forces, waiting for the breaking realm to stabilize, their anxiety was palpable — the dread of having no escape from the unfolding chaos. She nodded toward Naruto, and something like the tiniest hint of a smile touched his lips.

"Is that it?"Amaterasu-Yoake snarled, eyeing the fallen kami souls near them.

"How talkative you are." Orochimaru smiled. "Do not fret for us, we have plenty more souls in reserve."

And it was the truth.

Amaterasu-Yoake did not know enough to say which ones specifically — or perhaps had never cared enough to learn about which kami had descended to the mortal realms and met their end there.

Karin, however, wondered whether Susanoo-Arashi's power would allow for an Adaptation to such broad, unknown targets. She didn't believe so, especially with soul compounding thrown in the mix, but she didn't want to assume wrongly.

Amaterasu-Yoake burst forward again, hypersonic and leading with her swords. She spun with a growl.

Orochimaru's second pair of hands pulled another soul out, for Karin to seize.

With a primal scream, Amaterasu-Yoake drew back, using her sword to analyze the soul's composition.

"Please hold on." Orochimaru warned the three responsible for holding up their protection, with a level of faith that surprised even Karin."Ninja Art: Dimension Door."

They disappeared in a flash, reappearing further away in a disorienting moment.

Yoisen stumbled slightly, but she held onto her technique firmly.

"Fleeing, now?!"Amaterasu-Yoake roared, and her eyes were twin furious embers, focused upon the humans."You merely waste prolong—"

A pause.

And then she noticed where they had teleported to. Into the void left by Naruto and Sasuke's powerful attack, the one that had set the heavens ablaze and turned Susanoo-Arashi to nothing but cosmic dust.

Amaterasu-Yoake's eyes turned cold, colder than anything Karin had ever witnessed before.

Because they were next toBakuseiken.

"What are you intending to do…?"Her question came out as a venomous hiss.

"Nothing you shouldn't have seen coming, truly." Orochimaru nearlybeamed.

Over the roar of the goddess, he reached for the sword.

Although he didn't show it, Orochimaru nearly stumbled.

The sword burst alight with terrible, terrible power. Enough to shatter worlds — and perhaps recreate them anew.

Not for the first time, he wondered how Naruto or Sasuke had managed to make use of it.

The power it held felt shrouded in smoke, coursing through him as he held it. A violent power — the power to Break.

Orochimaru had never been a spiritual man. To him, everything had an explanation, and until now, there had been nothing he couldn't rationalize to at least some degree. Yet, in the thick of battle, as he observed the chaos unfold, he found himself grappling with a profound change.

Amaterasu-Yoake continued its relentless assault. Karin shattered divine souls, repurposing them as shields. Yoisen maintained their protective barrier while Toru and Sakura tirelessly worked to keep everyone alive. Naruto teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, and was nearly losing that battle.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, felt a deep sense of reverence stir within him. It was a sensation so unfamiliar, emerging perhaps for the first time since Sarutobi had sown the seed of a dream unknowingly destined to reshape humanity.

He knelt before the sword that held the belief of billions.

It was a transcendental experience — perhaps it could be called faith, too.

Amaterasu-Yoake's sun-like power felt distant compared to even this half of the divine sword.

Orochimaru felt the power, but nearly drew back — he was just a man, wasn't he…?

Not even a good one, at that. He felt no shame for it, but he knew it was true all the same. Naruto had grown beyond him in every way that mattered, and Sasukewasa good man. It only made sense for someone like them to wield this. As Orochimaru glanced at them all, however, as he thought of home, of Anko and little Yui, of Kaguya, of an amount of people he had somehow grown to care about more that far surpassed what he had ever imagined before…

He found he couldn't care much about his limitations.

Orochimaru seized the sword.

Bakuseiken and Zanseiken could not truly be separated, of course. The link between them went much further beyond things such as the concept of physical distance.

Grasping one meant grasping the other, and perhaps it was why Naruto and Sasuke had made sure to share that power in between them.

Orochimaru suddenly stood in between both.

The power contained nearly made him burn, in spite of all the minute adjustments he had made to his body beforehand, that he continued to make now. It was a terrible heat, one that felt as though it was reducing his physical body to nothing but an afterthought, but Orochimaruchangedhimself further, keeping up with the divine artifact — the only one he truly recognized as that.

Orochimaru opened eyes that felt as though they could take in all of Takamagahara, a voice that felt as though it could reach every soul here, a soul that felt as though it had become bigger than the world itself.

And although he would have respected his dear student's wishes no matter what, he instantly understood more about this realm than ever before. Understood its inhabitants.

Orochimaru reached through to offer what mercy he could; Naruto's wishes. He reached through something that wasn't truly speech, wasn't trulyNinshū,but something that went deeper, beyond words. HisIntentwas clear.

To all beings of this realm, to every soul within reach, heed our call.

The reign of the Old Gods is nearing its end, as any who fight will soon fall by our hand. The world of Takamagahara, under their tyrannical rule, is fracturing, but not all of you are destined for destruction.

We extend an invitation to you: join us mortals, in creating a new era.

Together, we can build your world anew, free from the cruel dominion of these fading powers.

This is an offer of partnership and a promise of liberation, of growth. Those willing to seize a chance for a new beginning may step forward.

With that 'said' and done, in this moment of transcendence, Orochimaru set out for his true goal.

He reached for the pattern, holding on to the power firmly.

He had made himself a vessel, temporarily transformed into a being that was not fully human, not fully kami, and could survive such an impossible task. He couldn't ask this of Naruto, not now.

There was a single name upon his lips, as he did so. The same name that had echoed upon many others'.

It was the name of the Empire —Amatsu.

Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the human-born 'kami' whose sole domain and essence were the Celestial Ring itself, could not be considered a true kami.

It was an ancient myth that had endured through the ages; passed down from the Otsukami race to the Otsutsuki clan, and with each passing era, a bit more was lost.

It was an amalgamation of the beliefs of countless humans, a true expression of hope.

It was the embodiment of the faith of billions, whether in fear or hope; Otsutsuki or human; within the immortal Amatsu Empire or without.

It was the Celestial Ring itself.

And such beliefs, of course, held power.

Wielding the power of creation and the faith of billions, Orochimaru of no clan shattered the Oath.

So did it happen.

"Born of the divine Amenonuhoko… Bakuseiken."

The dismantling of the Oath, this meticulously constructed bond enforced by- kami more ancient than even the living Old Gods, unfolded as a systematic unweaving and disintegration of its complex, interwoven energy strands.

Initially, the Oath functioned as a multi-dimensional lattice, each thread representing an enforcement of non-violence, intricately bound within the fabric of the divine energy spectrum.

Orochimaru, wielding the formidable power of theHeavenly Jeweled Sword,which still held the might of elder kami and had been used by Izanagi-Kaero and Izanami-Shi to forge the land of Earth and bridge it to Takamagahara, did what was needed.

Wielding the formidable power of the human-born kami, Amatsu-Mikaboshi, and directing the collective faith of many, he initiated a targeted disruption at what could best be described as the molecular level of this lattice. Though the term 'molecular' might be misleading, to Orochimaru, it was a familiar analogy, the closest approximation he could conceive in this maelstrom of inhuman feelings and notions.

The disruption began with a concentrated energy flux tailored to resonate with the Oath's unique bindings. A wave. This concept, he had learned from Naruto's mind, observing his fight with Susanoo-Arashi. And unlike the kami of storms, neither Orochimaru nor the ethereal being whose power he wielded were bound by the divine obligations.

This resonance caused vibrational disturbances within the lattice, generating instabilities and stress points across its framework. As the frequency modulation heightened, these disturbances evolved into microscopic fractures within the energy threads. The repeated application of resonant energy pulses incrementally enlarged these fractures, propagating cracks throughout the lattice.

The same way Takamagahara's sky continued to fracture further.

Amaterasu-Yoake's mighty sweeps grew increasingly desperate, and still, thanks to the others' efforts, to forceful surges of divine souls' power, they did not reach.

The process reached its final phase with the complete severance of the lattice connections. The once-sturdy energy threads, now brittle and structurally compromised, fragmented. It was a breakdown that transcended the physical, now reaching far into the metaphysical realm.

And so did the Oath disintegrate fully for every kami currently in Takamagahara; for the realm itself. The once-cohesive energy threads, invisible to the great many, scattered into a state of entropic chaos.

This transformation resulted in a substantial release of energy, manifested as a pillar of divine light.

It signified the liberation of the kami from their enforced non-violence. A shift from their tightly ordered state to newfound freedom. Neither harmony nor conflict, but both.

Chaos.

It wasn't long before the first kami turned against one another.

Ancient alliances crumbled, eons-old rivalries resurfaced.

Power struggles that were hidden behind veiled words and agreements to stay out of each other's territories; whispers of temptation and new, equally temporary alliances; accusations and secrets.

All of these and more, burning to stoke the fire of conflict. So was the hierarchy broken.

In the shadow of the fracturing sky, divine beings waged immediate war, their celestial order unraveling.

As dawn broke forcefully, heralded by Amaterasu-Yoake, the kami fell into war.

The scale of battle was beyond human comprehension, but Uzumaki Karin perceived a fragment of it. One relating to the element she was most familiar with —Earth.

A massive cohort of seven thousand six hundred and fifty-five earth spirits, clad in the very essence of their element, emerged from their celestial realms. Driven by a vengeful resolve, they surged eastward, targeting the turbulent borders of the wind deities' domains.

Unified in purpose, the procession of deities struck with the force of a divine lance, intent on piercing the heart of their foes. Moving with a stealth that mirrored the most skilled shinobi, they advanced, undetected by all but the most sensitive beings.

This was the nature of divine warfare, long forgotten — swift, silent, and devastating. Each deity, a self-contained vessel of power and faith, moved through the cosmos without disturbing its delicate balance.

Among those who had once stood with Amaterasu-Yoake, many now found themselves entangled in their own battles. Shifting her attention, Uzumaki Karin refocused on the kami of the sun.

"What have you done?"Amaterasu-Yoake asked in sheerhorror.

Orochimaru, who hovered slightly over the world, let out a tremor of exhaustion.

The Oath had sunk its roots deep — deep within the kami and deeper still into this realm. Above, the sky shattered, threatening calamity.

Going home seemed a more and more elusive dream by the minute.

"Unfortunately for you." He began, tone flat. "I believe you already know the answer. I gave your kind their free will back."

"There is a reason it was taken away."She hissed.

"Oh…?" Orochimaru asked flatly, and some of his dislike at the notion of being governed byanyoneshone through. "Then perhaps, if your lot is so unfit to think for themselves, you should never have tried to impose your will on us. Man, kami. All will now be masters of their fate."

The kami of the sun leered down at him, at them all, gaze full of hatred.

"You—"

"Do not worry." Orochimaru said. "We shall do our best to prevent a massacre."

From every kami, another burst of rogue shinsei erupted. The Oath, continuing to unravel; just as Takamagahara did.

A brief moment of disruption.

Orochimaru used it to warp them away again.

Afraid she might lose control of her chakra, even temporarily, the same way the kami had, Sakura summoned both Ino and Hanabi back to them. Better than risking them being trapped forever, she figured. They appeared, as though from mists, immediately caught by Yoisen and Karin. Ino, stirring with a groan, seemed barely conscious.

Even in such dire times, it was an almost comical sight: the world's most formidable mystic, slumped over Yoisen's back like a tired child seeking a piggyback ride.

"…What." Ino rasped out, bewildered as she took in the sights and the thoughts of the people around her. "…What the hell happened here?"

"Orochimaru." Toru said curtly. "And his best student."

"Remind me to give you your good boy points." Naruto rasped out.

"…Ino!" Sakura chided, her concern poorly masked by a stern façade. "Go back to sleep. You look like absolute sh*t."

"Hush."

"Sakura is right, Ino." Yoisen began. Her eyes were upon the ongoing chaos, deep in thought. "In fact…"

Ino bonked her on the back of the head. "Spare me the lessons on overreaching when you're planning to do something even dumber. Stop being so reckless with your life! Don't you understand how much we—" She cut herself off, sighing. "Whatever — Just get rid of those foolish sacrificial plans."

Yoisen's response was a slow nod. "…Perhaps you are right. I suppose it is a rather bad habit."

"Same goes to you, Naruto." Ino finished, and decided to make no mention of his state. "You've done enough. And… remember? All of us — or none of us."

Naruto thought of Sasuke and hoped.

"Take it easy." Ino said gently. "…Please."

"…Fine." Naruto let out a weary sigh. It was true. He was not in the best state to make decisions. Even thinking felt like too much effort, right now. "I'll be counting on you, then."

Orochimaru had resumed his channeling, and was weaving through multiple techniques at once again. Ino, now awake and more adept at communicating through their souls than the man was, took over and they became one mind once more.

"In that case—" Orochimaru's words were cut short by a horrific scream.

A sound so violent it would have shattered glass had they not been in the midst of a scorched hollow, within a dying divine realm.

The dreadful wail did not emanate from any of them. It surged from Amaterasu-Yoake, spawned by something malignant spreading from her sword, during her moment of vulnerability.

"No!"The kami's roar shook the very foundations of the realm."You were sundered — Return to the void!"

Itmusthave been a dismissal. Whatever it was she had attempted to do, however, didn't work.

Karin winced.

From the depths, a low, furious laugh reverberated.

DID YOU BELIEVE YOU COULD USEMEWITH IMPUNITY…?

Anger spread across Amaterasu-Yoake's face."The Oath—"

IS GONE.The god of storms crowed in dark mirth.WITHOUT IT, YOUR MEASLY POWER CANNOT POSSIBLY SUFFICE.

Amaterasu-Yoake, her sharp face etched with fury, as well as a hint of worry, stepped forward as the shadows cast by Susanoo-Arashi's tempest swirled chaotically around her.

With a defiant cry, she raised the Storm sword. The blade ignited with a blinding light that pierced the surrounding darkness. She channeled her divine energy, infusing the very air with the radiance of the sun, her aura blazing like the dawn dispelling the night's deepest shadows.

"Your time has passed!"She declared, her voice rising above the storm's howl. The air crackled with celestial power as she unleashed a torrent of solar flames around herself."Be gone, now!"

Susanoo-Arashi's soul met her assault with what was likely a sneer, his form expanding, growing more tangible and menacing with each passing moment.

FOOLISH SISTER.He roared back, his voice a cacophony of thunderclaps.YOUR LIGHT WANES AGAINST THE TEMPEST.

And so they met, the two gods; living and dead; struggling for control over Amaterasu-Yoake's body.

When the solar flames collided with the storm, there was a momentary equilibrium at first; where light and dark existed in a furious dance.

And slowly but certainly, Amaterasu-Yoake's sun overtook the storm.

She smiled a savage smile."You are nothing but a tool,brother. The departed have no say!"

Susanoo-Arashi did not answer with words.

Instead, he did something more terrible than any words could have managed. Orochimaru noticed it with a terrible chill, even as he took them away once more, holding on to the precious Bakuseiken.

Susanoo-Arashi wascompounding.

Screams pierced the chaos.

Amaterasu-Yoake's light diminished under the relentless storm; her divine essence seemingly dissolved into the void.

Or rather, it shifted to become something else.

The sun itself withdrew from the sky, relinquishing its searing fury and light to the encroaching dark, to the tempests, which now surged with unprecedented ferocity.

The divine realm, its very fabric, trembled on the brink of annihilation, torn by winds and torrential rains once more.

"Well." Toru breathed out, his voice cutting through the cacophony. "That's a fine mess. Thanks, Orochimaru."

"You're welcome." Orochimaru replied, his tone dry,almostamused by the catastrophic turn of events. "Let us discard that plan then, shall we?" Without waiting for an answer, he did just that, and began weaving a different sequence of seals altogether. "Strike ahead of them."

"Sure." Sighing, Toru began stretching his limbs, wishing he had more strength left.

"Right." Sakura said, with an ease she didn't really feel, cracking her neck. "I guess there isn't much of a point in the barrier now, is there?"

"No." Yoisen nodded, releasing it. "I will create it anew once it is sensible." She turned toward Ino, who, just like Naruto, only stood thanks to Karin's help, her constant healing.'Could you confirm our immediate targets—'

'Yes.'Ino nodded back.'…Sakura. Yoisen. Toru. A lot rests on you.'

Toru didn't even bother nodding. He was crouched in a sprinter's stance, a statue of coiled potential. His eyes, bleeding a fierce red, were fixed intently forward, as though staring down the very essence of time. Not a muscle twitched, not a breath shook his concentration. Everything faded away around him.

Beside him, facing another direction, Sakura mirrored his intensity, with a slight smile. Her stance was wide and grounded, fist clenched at her side, and the pink-white of her hair seemed almost aflame in the dim light, accentuating the flush of focus on her cheeks. Yoisen's presence was calm, although her golden eyes shimmered. She had done this more times than both of them put together, yes, but one would have been hard pressed to tell.

Ino, using the same tool as Orochimaru had before, forged a slender connection to the Ring. A conduit through which only specific waves would pass through. This time, it was just enough for a single command to reach.

"To all units, all willing citizens of the Ring." Naruto declared. From the strength in his voice, it was impossible to tell how drained he was. "The time has come. Remain on standby."

With that, she severed the link.

'Orochimaru will give the signal.'Ino announced, her voice firm.

Suddenly, her expression changed as she turned around. Meanwhile, Orochimaru, unwavering, continued his focus alongside the others, each trusting in their comrades to manage the unfolding situation.

A palpable shift occurred.

It began as a whisper, a subtle stirring in the air that rapidly swelled into a crescendo of divine energy. They all felt it, a powerful wave of shinsei rising through the very core of the realm, composed of different energy frequencies.

But…

The wave didn't come with the intent they were so familiar with. Not the aggressive dominance of war, but something else.

From the corners of the shattering world, figures emerged, silhouetted against the chaotic skies. One by one, kami from across the shattering realms descended upon the battlefield.

The first one arrived in a cloak of serene night, their presence a stark contrast to the tempest. Behind them, deities of thunder, wind, fire, and earth materialized, their arrivals marked by the sharp claps and roars of their elements. Then came more esoteric kami — spirits of lesser renown but no less power, some humanoid, others in forms beyond human comprehension.

Were they…?

Yes. It was clear in their posture, in their Intent, that Ino quickly analyzed.

Kami were coming peacefully. Thousands of them.

A surreal silence fell, only broken by distant clashes and the increasing thunder overhead.

Naruto exchanged a nod with Ino, a silent agreement that he would handle the situation, even as Karin attended to him. Hanabi, on her shoulder, didn't stir.

He took a few steps forward.

He stepped forward, approaching the divine assembly. Among them, a small kami, emanating a soft glow, moved forward. His male identity was somehow apparent to them.

"I…" There was hesitation in his voice. "I fear we..." He paused again, seemingly overwhelmed. "I fear — I have grown terribly wary of this fearful existence. Of the Old Gods' whims."

Naruto's expression remained unreadable. "We have slain many of your kin. You would still choose to ally with us...?" His voice, hoarse and challenging, swept across the crowd.

A pause.

The kami paused, his reply tinged with a hint of disillusion. "That is not unlike our own experiences. Amaterasu-Yoake was deemed the most merciful of the Old Gods. Today, her true nature is unequivocally clear. And I—"

His speech was abruptly silenced by a distant, thunderous call.

UZUMAKI NARUTO!The Storm bellowed, oscillating between jubilation and wrath.FACE ME ONCE MORE!

"...Well, I suppose he won that one, then." Naruto said, before turning back to the small kami with a skeptical yet amused smile. "Are you certain of your choice?"

The kami's form flickered, as unstable as a candle in the wind, yet his resolve solidified. He nodded decisively. "Yes. While it may seem presumptuous to speak for all, we prefer to take our chances with you." His voice carried a newfound determination. "My name — I am named Akaishi-Kawa."

"Pleased to meet you, Akaishi-Kawa." Naruto nodded, extending a hand toward the tendril of light. "As for you all, the time for introductions will come later. I am Uzumaki Naruto. Gather around."

Three seconds before Orochimaru's signal, three humans exploded into motion.

Inari-Kitsune, kami of trickery and rice, was the first to sense the shift.

Perhaps it was their inherent paranoia, honed over eons of scheming against Amaterasu-Yoake, plotting an ascension that might now unfold sooner than anticipated. Inari-Kitsune had prepared for many eventualities.

Susanoo-Arashi's wrath and pride were predictable, elements Inari-Kitsune planned to exploit to incite fratricide or, more intriguingly, to nudge Uzumaki Naruto towards his own divine rise. The possibility of the mortal's survival had always hinted at several advantageous outcomes.

That Uzumaki Naruto hadwon, without becoming a kami, well… that was rather unexpected.

Similarly, the emergence of another mortal as a conduit for god-like power was surprising.

The real shock came from Susanoo-Arashi usurping Amaterasu-Yoake using what seemed to be a mortal technique, facilitated by a broken oath. This was a development Inari-Kitsune had not predicted.

As their suspicion crystallized into certainty and their senses extended, Inari-Kitsune noticed a contingent of rebellious kami. As well as three humans separating from the main group.

Inari-Kitsune's many eyes were on the kami.

But they should have been upon the humans.

Two seconds before Orochimaru's signal, Susanoo-Arashi's temporary form gathered power.

Though Susanoo-Arashi's laughter echoed, laden with the thrill of combat, his thoughts were mired in complexities far beyond simple battle lust.

Death; rebirth. Kami were not meant to go through such a thing — unlike humans, they remembered the void. They had no Pure Lands, not even a Naraka of sorts. Only the void.

A soul brought back through Amaterasu-Yoake's cruel spell, to become her weapon, usually kept no awareness. Usually. A kami was too broken by the experience to resume true consciousness. Susanoo-Arashi, however, was too strong for his own good. In every aspect, he was the exception.

Still, his soul had been shattered in pieces and forcefully reassembled into something that was not quite stable; not quite meant to last. The sting of his unprecedented defeat lingered, clouding his judgment as his newfound, seemingly unstoppable power surged through him. Simultaneously, Amaterasu-Yoake waged her own internal battle for control over her physical form, employing a technique eerily similar to his — a layering, a fusion that rose ever higher.

Realizing his own demise was imminent, Susanoo-Arashi faced the prospect of his soul vanishing swiftly, especially if Amaterasu-Yoake succeeded in her efforts. The escalating fury within him at her prior actions only fueled his resolve.

Determined not to fade into oblivion with his pride in ruins, and driven by a desperate need to conquer his only superior, Susanoo-Arashi accelerated his transformation. His essence morphed into a swirling tempest of nearly black electricity, struggling to seize control of a physical form that was not truly his own.

He aimed to crush Uzumaki Naruto.

Nothing else would suffice.

With a focus targeting everything within his reach — shinsei, chakra, even the very fabric of the Heavenly Plain itself — Susanoo-Arashi amassed his power. Above, the sky cracked further, mirroring the fragmentation of his resolve.

High above, the sky continued to fracture.

Consumed by a singular desire for retribution, Susanoo-Arashi readied himself for one final, devastating assault, intent on destruction.

One second before Orochimaru's signal, the loyalists of Amaterasu-Yoake heeded her last command.

Six hundred and sixty-four kami surged forward with lethal intent.

Meanwhile, three of the four humans still capable of combat separated from the main group in synchronized flurries of speed. These were the sword wielders: one with black hair, one with pink-white hair, and one with golden eyes.

The divine command to execute came from the goddess of the sun herself. Fueled by their unwavering belief in her eventual victory over the fractured Susanoo-Arashi, they obeyed it.

Despite the dissolution of the Oath, they knew that in the realm of gods, power determined rule, and Amaterasu-Yoake's moment to reign had finally dawned.

Their strategy was clear: strike preemptively, before Susanoo-Arashi could crush the mortals himself, or before Amaterasu-Yoake could claim her victory over him.

Advancing first, they hoped to evade the swath of destruction that would surely follow either kami's actions.

In the direst outcome, sacrificing themselves for their goddess would be a profound honor.

"Born of the divine Amenonuhoko. Zanseiken."

Of the kami whose senses were trained upon Orochimaru, it was likely that next to none of them knew what to expect.

When he began calling upon one half of the divine sword, they expected him to make use of the sword to Break again.

That wasn't the case.

It didn't happenimmediately.Energy rippled from the center, the fabric of space quivering as the black hole's boundaries began to widen.

Light distorted ominously around the enlarging void.

Those kami who had witnessed and understood the black hole's initial expansion during the battle with Susanoo-Arashi responded with urgency.

Among them, Tsukumo-Amatsukami swiftly crafted a new cosmic seal, intertwining dark energy and light. Alongside, Kazejin-Shippu invoked powerful cosmic hurricanes, his gales compressing space itself; Himorogi-Hikaribane manipulated concentrated starlight to bolster the fabric of reality.

Together, they mounted a desperate effort to stabilize the burgeoning void, weaving their powers into a shield against the encroaching chaos.

"Warriors of the Ring! Lend me your strength now! Together, we stand invincible!"

Upon Naruto's order, the Ring's citizens reacted nearly instantly.

Orochimaru's actions were not merely about removing the lock, despite appearances.

His true goal ran deeper, drawing on various powerful forces he could reach through the divine sword.

And through Zanseiken, they fed it to him, the power.

Faith from the Ring, chakra from his allies, and shinsei from the kami.

All these energies were directed towards him.

Additionally, the temporary, open link to the Ring bolstered the flow of faith and chakra, setting the stage for an apocalyptic finale.

Amidst this, Susanoo-Arashi, now only a shadow of his former self, seemed oblivious to the channel he would have noticed before, his focus blurred by more than just his defeat at Naruto's hands.

Orochimaru channeled all of this power, felt the immensity of Takamagahara through the artifact of creation, and knew that in spite of the inhuman amounts of power he directed, his influence was fleeting.

With a roar that surprised even himself, he raised Zanseiken high up in the air.

He understood it all, how they flowed in this place — space, time, energy.

He saw what would happen if Takamagahara broke, the way it was very likely going to shatter. Something he could not prevent, something none of them could prevent. It would result in a cataclysm of power that would swallow the mortals worlds with that of kami.

If his judgment proved incorrect, the blame would squarely fall upon him.

Yet, Orochimaru remained steadfast in his belief in the necessity of change, the ceaseless turning of the great windmill. Static existence was anathema to him.

Thus, if Takamagahara was destined to fall, Orochimaru was determined to ensure it would fall alone, sparing the mortal realms from its demise.

He saw this not just as an end but as an emancipation — a chance for humanity to finally live beyond the capricious dictates of gods.

"Lock and isolate."

The kami all felt the swelling power, even as the realm continued to tear itself apart.

Abruptly, a radiant column of light surged skyward, channeling the remnants of the Oath into a new purpose.

Takamagahara didn't shatter any faster, and it didn't break right away.

Instead, it simply was sealed off.

Cut off from the mortal realms.

Isolated from the kami's inner sanctums.

Divorced from their true might, the kami were left with merely what they had already manifested, as well as their consciousness. A shadow of their former powers.

Such a separation was likely only temporary.

This act didn't deter all the kami, contrary to the humans' hopes.

Inari-Kitsune watched it unfold, observing many still driven by their sacred duty to that fool, Amaterasu-Yoake. Susanoo-Arashi, possessing her incarnation, continued his relentless pursuit.

Inari-Kitsune, dismissing the squabbles of his peers, pondered whether an earlier retreat would have been wise.

Now, confronted with indefinite separation, the kami hesitated, uncertain of the duration of the Art. Perhaps the initial mistake was when Agehachō-Yosei ventured to Earth. Or perhaps, this moment was ripe for new beginnings—

Their thoughts were interrupted by the piercing gaze of cold, red eyes. Hadn't he been far into the distance...? Instinctively, Inari-Kitsune summoned divine essence into layers of illusions. A ruthless blade cleaved through their illusions and neck alike, its fiery edge severing bone and flesh. The intricate webs the kami had woven dissipated like morning mist.

A hand gripped the falling head by its fur-like hair.

"You…" Inari-Kitsune managed to hiss.

Before him stood the black-haired human, once a plaything within their realm, whose fears and hopes Inari-Kitsune had twisted for amusem*nt before growing bored. Now, that human held the kami within his grasp.

Rage simmered within Inari-Kitsune, yet the irony of his predicament offered no solace. Survival was paramount.

"I see." The kami started; their voice was a mask of indifference cloaking underlying fear. "I believe I can offer you—"

"I don't give a f*ck about any of your plans." Uchiha Toru said. "Or your clever tricks. Or any of that sh*t. Just die." Fear flashed through Inari-Kitsune's eyes as they met Uchiha Toru's, which burned a deep ruby red, spinning faster and faster. "Kill yourself."

It was arecursion.

Inari-Kitsune trembled, but couldn't manage to escape the maze of fractals — red, red, red,red. "Have mercy—"

"Do it. Over and over again." Uchiha Toru commanded coldly. "And if you ever return to your true realm, continue until you die for good."

Inari-Kitsune's machinations stopped here, in that brief encounter.

Uchiha Toru moved on to the next targets, eyes meeting eyes, casting illusions, sword hacking through flesh and matter, relentless in his mission until either completion or collapse.

Yoisen held nothing back in the fight against the incoming hundreds, enfeebled as they were.

She made no distinctions among the hesitant, the fearful, or those with suddenly faltering loyalties. They had had their chances, several of them. A sudden bout of weakness was not acceptable, not now, not anymore.

Every emotion — rage, pain, fear, and hope — fueled her, channeled through years of refining skills designed for this singular moment of reckoning.

Her blade, drawn swiftly and stealthily, cut through space, flesh, and ethereal essence without prejudice. There was no hesitation in her strikes, no doubt in her capability; her weapon seamlessly sliced, slashed, and tore through the ranks of her enemies.

When her blade shattered, she conjured another without missing a beat.

When a terrified kami succeeded in severing her leg, she reattached it with a surge of fiery energy, relying on Karin's wild chains and Ino's precise psychic strikes to shield her during the brief moment of vulnerability.

Her eyes blazed with a fierce intensity, mirroring the wildness in those of her adversaries.

In this raw, unbridled chaos, there was no room for restraint or concealment.

Driven by a singular, unyielding purpose, Yoisen and her allies fought as one. There was no need to hide this rawness. No need to hold back.

Only a single goal.

Together, they brought the gods to their knees.

The moment Susanoo-Arashi burst forward, shrouded in a powerful armor of thunder, was the moment Sakura discarded any pretense of enlightened detachment.

Shewantedrevenge. She exploded into motion as well.

The kami's sole focus was clear: to annihilate Naruto, driven by an insatiable need to mend his bruised pride or perhaps to silence an inner torment he couldn't quite comprehend

This obsession, possibly fueled by Toru's lingeringGodly Delusionwithin his fractured soul, had reduced him to a primal fury.

Sakura responded instantly, her movements a blur. Despite channeling all her prowess into the predictive capabilities of her Sharingan, Susanoo-Arashi's speed was nearly beyond her follow.

He was straightforward in his madness, however.

Channeling all his might into a single, devastating assault that threatened to obliterate not just his target but the very fabric of Takamagahara itself. Not that he seemed to care now.

As he charged, a deranged laugh escaped him, his mind warped.

She could sense his intentions.

Perhaps it was some twisted form of Ninshū, perhaps it was the fact she knew him all too well, the same way Naruto himself did.

She thought she could hear his words, his thoughts.

PITIFUL! PITIFUL!The kami of storms roared.YOU ARE A NAMELESS WRETCH, CAUGHT IN BETWEEN TWO GIANTS! SOMETHING HARDLY WORTHY OF NOTICE!

It did feel like it, in a way. She ignored him all the same.

Now, where the hell had this rabid beast found some respect for her husband…?

Positioning herself before Naruto, sword ready, she faced the kami's onslaught.

YOUR ONE AND ONLY TECHNIQUE, I HAVE SEEN THROUGH ALREADY!

It was true.

LOOK AT ME, UZUMAKI NARUTO! I KNOW YOU STILL HOLD MORE SECRETS FOR ME TO LEARN! GIVE ME ALL THAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE—

Naruto's response was a serene smile.

Susanoo-Arashi's madness grew with his anticipation, eyes wide.

The kami became a being of pure fear and awe and focus. In that moment, all distinctions between predator and prey dissolved, replaced by a singular, crystallized purpose. The kami had never before experienced such an undiluted clarity of intent.

"Form V."Naruto said, bringing his hands together. "Immortal Severance."

To the kami, the outcome seemed inevitable: Sakura and her compromised Kamui would perish.

Susanoo-Arashi's senses, his incredible power and his Adaptation — all of these focused upon Naruto.

YOU ARE MINE, UZUMAKI NARUTO! BODY AND SOUL!

The kami roared as he unleashed his sword of destruction with breathtaking speed.

His entire essence poured into the strike.

And the mighty sword sweep vanished into aportal.

In the brief eternity of that moment, Susanoo-Arashi realized his attack had missed.

Time seemingly stilled for all three of them.

"Sorry, Susanoo." Naruto said, his smile weary yet tinged with amusem*nt. "There's no such thing as Form V. Right now, I can't even make use of my chakra. Amaterasu was correct."

Susanoo-Arashi's eyes met Sakura's.

"I suppose I never showed you that one, did I…?" She asked, smiling broadly.

Time resumed.

All of Susanoo-Arashi's own gathered power slammed into him, aimed at the heavens instead of the earth.

When all that power rose, bursting into a contained storm just wide enough to swallow two people, Sakura threw herself forward, slamming Naruto and herself into the ground. The resulting electromagnetic wave nearly obliterated nearly all of Susanoo-Arashi — Amaterasu-Yoake's body.

The combined might of two Old Gods soared upward and detonated in the skies.

The cataclysm was beyond words, beyond sight, marking the definitive end of Takamagahara.

Helping Naruto to his feet, shielding them both from the black hole's ravages, Sakura approached the dwindling form of the kami, now fluctuating periodically, between what she could only describe assunorstorms.

No chance of regeneration remained, and the reason was clear to her just as it was to Naruto. Initiating a full compounding wasfeasible; stopping it was another matter entirely.

Well, perhaps it was no wonder that power-hungry beasts like these two had never realized the problem.

It was almost humorous, because had the kami workedtogether, or had they simply realized thatmortalpowers might come with consequences, even for them, the entire situation would likely be very different right now.

Susanoo-Arashi had already perished once, his realm lost forever.

Amaterasu-Yoake, now severed from her realm, faced her end here, leaving behind a realm without a mind.

Sakura contemplated the fading realm, musing that the paths between the kami and Earth might now be forever closed. Even if she turned out to be wrong, with as many strong warriors as they had, high up on the Ring, she felt a confident peace.

Their role was fulfilled, their part played to the end.

Standing next to the dying form of Susanoo-Arashi, Sakura and Naruto witnessed the final throes of a once-mighty kami.

Sakura's grip tightened around Naruto's hand, her expression hardening as she watched the deity's ruined body convulse with unchecked power.

A spark of lightning flared across Susanoo-Arashi's form, its energy wild and unfocused.

"You stole this from us. We call it compounding." Sakura's voice was laced with mockery. "I suppose you never learned how to prevent it from devouring you, did you?"

The entity before them — whether Susanoo-Arashi or Amaterasu-Yoake — shuddered as another surge of power coursed through it.

Sakura, with her years of practice and impeccable control, observed the failing kami with a mix of disdain and pity.

"That's it?" She raised an eyebrow. "That's what they called a god? A force of nature? Look at you now. All the power in the world, but unable to do anything."

No coherent response came, only another violent shake. Regardless of which deity might gain the upper hand, the destructive process of compounding would continue, inexorable and lethal.

"You're pitiful." Sakura declared coldly. "Nothing but a leech. A parasite that will alwaysneedsomething to sap. Without giving anything in return. Faith, souls, worlds."

A raspy whisper emanated from the crumbling form of the kami."Let…"

"…What was that?" Sakura asked.

"Let this world be ravaged as this body ruptures."The kami managed, smoldering with the last embers of will."Day and night without end — SCORCHING THUNDER — searing flesh. There shall be no shelter, no respite — NO ESCAPE — from this inferno. If this darkness doesn't… MY WRATH — shall — CONSUME — you all, even as I fade."

Sakura blinked at the curse, then laughed softly. "Oh, I know we're kinda f*cked."

"WHY — then…?"

Her gaze sobered. "Because we are shinobi. I don't think we see death the way you do."

She shrugged nonchalantly. "In any case, I suppose you at least get to go with your dear brother. Or your sister, depending on who was speaking now. I'm glad you could finally work together, by the way. Too bad it killed you both."

Sakura gave them a last look. "Well... See you around."

The fury within the kami — unidentifiable in its source — lingered in the air as Sakura squeezed Naruto's hand.

"Let's go?" He asked. As for the kami, he had nothing to say to them.

"I think…" Sakura began. "I think I would like to sleep now. Soundly."

Naruto only smiled warmly.

Together, they turned away, leaving the kami to its fate as Takamagahara continued to disintegrate around them.

Amaterasu-Yoake, sovereign of Heaven, was destined for eternity — her passing unthinkable before imparting her legacy.

The entire, mixed group of humans and kami was silent; their faces, etched with fatigue.

There were no easy jokes, no talk of sundering Tsukiyomi-Yoru as well, to finish the trifecta.

"I am sorry." Naruto said, his voice heavy. "I am too weak to bring us back."

It didn't seem as though the others could manage, either. Sakura's dark portals fizzled into nothing. The wormhole to the realm didn't take either.

Perhaps Amaterasu-Yoake had been right, and they truly were somewhere too far to reach now.

"Do not concern yourself with that." Orochimaru said faintly. "Without the swords' power… and especially now, you could not have done it. Even with chakra. We have done more than enough."

Naruto could not accept it, of course.

But as he watched his family continue to discuss with the gathered kami in hushed tones, still searching for an elusive way home, his heart swelled with both pride and sorrow.

Yoisen's hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat, and Ino, who leaned on her, looked ready to keel over.

"You did well, all of you." Naruto's words broke the quiet. "So well."

"Don't talk now." Toru said, his slurred words betraying his fatigue. No chakra came off from him either.

Karin, nearby, offered a wistful smile and brushed her hair back as she approached Naruto, her eyes searching his for answers. Whatever it was she found seemed to satisfy her. Hanabi remained unconscious.

No words could make it any easier.

Naruto had never seen Orochimaru look this weary in a long time. He himself felt the same profound exhaustion.

"Well, it is done." Orochimaru rasped out. "The realms should remain separate for now. Long enough for the human worlds to survive this realm's destruction. So will the Ring, of course."

"Good." Naruto sighed deeply. "I'm trusting them to manage on their side."

Any remaining enemy kami could likely be handled, especially the ones left headless.

Above them, Yoisen's technique ignited once more, casting a great dome of fire that cast a warm, comforting glow. With Sakura's presence, Orochimaru relinquished his grip on the twin swords, letting the reality-warping shield that had protected them from a devouring black hole and a crumbling world fade away.

"Seriously...?" Sakura asked, her voice tinged with disbelief yet steady. "You want me to use Kamui on that many people? I can't even die in peace…?"

"Forehead…" Ino muttered.

Yet, without awaiting a response, Sakura had cast her technique, without even waiting for Toru, a testament to her growing mastery. Her eyes glinted with fierce power as she shielded the extended group.

Akaishi-Kawa, the small kami who had become the de facto leader of the kami, watched silently.

"Are we to die, as well…?" His voice carried only resignation.

"Probably. This place is doomed. And we are trapped." Naruto admitted, his expression somber.

"I see."

"I am sorry." Naruto shook his head. "After all this, it seems that we could only offer you a little more time—"

"…Time is all we mortals have, isn't it?" Orochimaru's gaze was strangely intense. "Well, I suppose there is no reason not to try everything in our power, even then." He then stared at the encroaching darkness.

"I suppose not." Akaishi-Kawa agreed, a faint smile touching his soul. He too looked toward the heavens. "I was glad for the chance tochoose, if nothing else. To dream."

There were lights in the shattered sky. Something that looked like stars.

"…Did I tell you all I love you today?" Naruto mused aloud.

Apparently, he had.

They huddled together as everything was swallowed, muttering among themselves until all became darker, colder.

"It's going to be alright." Karin said, not for the first time. "They're going to be alright, too."

The Ring was safe.

"Don't worry." Ino murmured, a quiet strength in her voice. "Everyone will manage." Yoisen simply squeezed her hand in agreement.

As the realm of Takamagahara melted away into the void, Naruto's expression was one of calm acceptance.

"I am not worried." Naruto said, his voice carrying a weight that belied his tired smile. "I am with you."

On that fateful day, among kami and men, only one reached the Celestial Ring.

Thus closed the chapter of the divine, and so dawned the true era of Man.