"Come to your senses, Sasuke!"
"Damn it, even Sasuke has fallen for the genjutsu!"
Just as everyone was panicking, Xianglin suddenly asked, "What if only Sasuke is seeing the truth, and we're the ones trapped in an illusion?"
"Huh... Well..."
Though instinctively feeling that Xianglin was just making excuses for Sasuke, upon reflection, they realized it wasn't impossible!
After all, among them, Sasuke had the strongest resistance to genjutsu. It was perfectly reasonable for him to remain unaffected while they were the ones deceived.
Gaara sighed, "Even if Sasuke isn't trapped by genjutsu, what can we do? Just charge in and fight with him?"
The group's morale instantly dropped. Indeed, facing such an insurmountable enemy, the truth hardly mattered anymore.
Even knowing Sasuke was fighting the enemy, they still didn't dare to intervene recklessly.
What they saw now might be the enemy, but once the battle began, telling friend from foe would be extremely difficult!
"Looks like the only way to stay safe is to stay put!" Raikage's expression darkened. "As long as we don't act, he can't touch us!"
"Naive!" Mizuki scoffed. "You think genjutsu is his only strength? He used it because it was the easiest way!"
"Then why hasn't he—" Raikage quickly caught on, asking grimly, "Are you saying he could've ended this fight anytime and he's just been toying with us?"
"Finally got it?" Mizuki sighed. "He never considered us worth his attention in the first place. Still, we should be thankful we don't look like threats to him, otherwise we'd all be dead already!"
Hearing this, everyone felt ashamed, yet oddly comforted.
Even though Madara and Kaguya were extremely powerful, at least they knew how to fight back — they could see progress in the battle! But against this enemy? They had absolutely no idea how to fight. Worse, every time they attacked, their moves inevitably hit their own allies.
In such circumstances, their will to fight had completely vanished.
"Haha, so you're just a—"
"Eh? Naruto, why are you lying on the ground?"
Hearing Sasuke's startled voice, everyone sighed again, their attitudes growing even more resigned, almost self-destructively relaxed.
At that moment, a dark portal opened within the void.
Isshiki, who had departed earlier, stepped out from the portal and approached Aizen. He directly plucked out his left Byakugan, saying, "[Ten-Tails] is sealed within this eye!"
Though somewhat disturbed by the Otsutsuki clan's habit of casually digging out and consuming eyes, Aizen still accepted the organ, speaking in the tone of a great capitalist, "Magnificent. Now, offer up your soul as well!"
Without hesitation, Isshiki poured his soul into the "galaxy" within Aizen's hand.
With the ascended souls as planets, and other souls as meteorites and cosmic dust, everything revolved around Isshiki — like a true galaxy — radiating a deep and mysterious allure!
However, everyone understood the deadly danger hidden beneath this beauty.
This man had actually forged artifacts using Isshiki's soul and those of numerous powerful experts!
"Damn it, Father, Sensei Jiraiya..." Naruto, his eyes burning with rage, tried to rush forward.
Gaara quickly grabbed him. "Stay calm. We don't stand a chance against him. Don't provoke him!"
Kakashi also urged, "Are you really sure the person you're seeing now is actually him?"
Naruto clenched his fist, then eventually lowered his head helplessly. "I... I'm not sure anymore..."
In this suffocating atmosphere, a woman wearing a light blue paper flower on her head suddenly flapped her wings and flew toward Aizen.
Aizen smiled and asked, "Konan, is something the matter?"
Konan looked hesitant but couldn't help herself. "Uncle, what will happen to their souls?"
"They'll disappear," Aizen smiled. "And become part of the Hollow Orb!"
"Disappear!" Konan couldn't help asking. "Isn't that too cruel?"
Unlike the "Big Nan" from this timeline, she hadn't endured so much suffering. Her heart still held onto her original kindness, so naturally she felt sensitive about such total eradication!
After all, those souls included Nagato's and Yahiko's!
"Cruel? How could you say that?" Aizen smiled and shook his head. "On the contrary, I've always been very lenient toward the living, just like them..."
Aizen pointed at the Allied Forces. "But the dead are different. Blurring the boundaries between life and death will only disturb the world's peace, just like this Great Ninja World War. Rather than letting such imbalance continue, it's better to let them become my Strength, bringing hope to the world of the living!"
Konan was momentarily stunned before asking hopefully, "Then could you at least spare Nagato and Yahiko? Although they're not the Nagato and Yahiko I know, I still hope traces of their existence can remain in this world..."
Aizen helplessly removed his glasses. "Really... Must I explain myself so clearly? You're just a chess piece in my hand, a piece that's already lost its value. How could I possibly change my plan for your sake?"
Konan's pupils trembled greatly. She shook her head violently. "No, that's not who you are! Uncle, you're not someone who would do something like this!"
Looking at her wide, fearful eyes, Aizen showed no trace of softness. "Sorry, I'm no longer interested in playing house with you all. From today on, I shall stand above the heavens!"
Seeing her about to say something else, Black Zetsu, clinging onto Aizen's sleeve, laughed loudly. "How foolish! Did you really think someone as noble as Aniki would sincerely communicate with trash like you?"
"You're the same, Aniki!"
Black Zetsu's maniacal laughter abruptly stopped, his smile freezing on his face. He stammered, "Bi... Big brother, what did you just say?"
Aizen casually picked up Black Zetsu, smiling gently. "You're also just a pawn I used to erode Isshiki. Now that Isshiki's mission is complete, it means you've also lost your value!"
Black Zetsu couldn't believe it, frantically shaking his body. "That's impossible! Big brother, have you forgotten we still need to rescue Mother?"
"Sweet dreams may make you cling to them, but it only makes you look more foolish!" Aizen slightly shook his head and flung him away.
Someone carelessly tossed away Black Zetsu, who hit the ground with a plop, like a washed-up loser who'd lost all hope, muttering to himself, "Impossible, impossible..."
In normal circumstances, everyone might have laughed at his misfortune, but right now, they felt only fear and despair in their hearts.
This man wasn't just powerful and cunning—he had the heart of cold iron, almost completely without flaw!
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