"What is going on? This Chakra is..."
"So strong!"
"It's even stronger than the Ten-Tails!"
"Could it be Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, just as the Sage of Six Paths warned us?"
The reincarnated Kage, Naruto, and Sasuke chased after Madara, who had been blasted away. However, before they could even check his condition, they noticed a strange change taking place within his body.
Vast waves of Chakra radiated from Madara, and their intensity had already surpassed that of the Ten-Tails. It was as though he had crossed into an entirely different realm.
"Kekkei Mōra..."
"Another Kekkei Mōra-level presence?"
Because of Seiryū's explanations, they already understood the basic distinction between these levels of power. A Ten-Tails Jinchūriki stood at the Six Paths level, while above the Six Paths level was Kekkei Mōra.
The Isshiki who had arrived from another space-time was a Kekkei Mōra-level powerhouse.
And now, another Kekkei Mōra-level Chakra had appeared.
"Ahhh!"
Unable to withstand the erosion of that immense Chakra, Madara screamed as his body began swelling like a balloon.
"You... what have you done to me, Zetsu?!"
Half of Madara's body had already been covered in black matter. He gritted his teeth and roared.
Black Zetsu had chosen to strike precisely when Madara was at his weakest.
"What have I done?" Black Zetsu's lips curled into a cold, sinister smile. "Naturally, I'm resurrecting Mother."
Earlier, it had manipulated Obito into using the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive Madara. After Madara became the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, Black Zetsu had hidden itself within his sleeve and waited.
Now that Madara had been forced into a weakened state by their combined attacks, Black Zetsu naturally would not let such a perfect opportunity slip away.
So it acted immediately.
It released the Kekkei Mōra-level Chakra Kaguya had left behind within it and used that power to overwhelm Madara, turning him into the vessel for Mother's resurrection.
"You dare betray me?!"
"Hahaha! Betray you?" Black Zetsu laughed loudly. "Even now, you still don't understand? You were never the one who created me. My mother, Kaguya, was!"
"Everything you did was guided by me from the shadows. I was the true mastermind behind it all. Everything, absolutely everything, unfolded according to my plan!"
'Except for those two people from another space-time.'
Black Zetsu silently added that part to itself.
Those two outsiders were a serious problem.
Black Zetsu understood perfectly well what Kekkei Mōra meant. Two beings capable of fighting at that level were enormous variables.
It was not even sure whether Mother, after being fully resurrected, could defeat them.
No.
More specifically, whether she could defeat Seiryū.
But given how far things had already progressed, Black Zetsu had no intention of stopping now.
So it continued with the plan.
And finally, its wish was fulfilled.
Mother was resurrected!
"You..."
Madara's pupils trembled violently, disbelief spreading across his face.
Had he truly been nothing more than someone else's pawn?
The irony was almost unbearable.
He had believed himself to be the one manipulating everything, only to discover that Black Zetsu had been guiding him from behind the scenes all along.
But it was already too late.
Faced with the erosion of Kekkei Mōra-level Chakra, Madara could no longer resist.
'Hum...'
Madara's swollen body gradually returned to normal, but his appearance began changing at the same time.
Eventually, he transformed into a beautiful woman with long white hair that reached the ground, crystal-clear Byakugan, and a scarlet nine-tomoe Rinnegan in the center of her forehead.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!
"Yo, you broke free too, Kaguya."
Seiryū appeared nearby in a flash and greeted her casually.
"Your Chakra is actually stronger than the Kaguya from my space-time."
This Kaguya was indeed somewhat stronger than the one in Seiryū's world, likely because Madara's body had served as a superior vessel.
However, the difference was still limited.
Kaguya did not answer. She merely furrowed her delicate brows and stared at Seiryū.
Black Zetsu, hidden inside her sleeve, hurriedly warned her, "Mother, be careful. This man can fight against Kekkei Mōra-level opponents!"
"Hand over your Chakra."
Kaguya still possessed an intense desire for Chakra. She stared coldly at Seiryū.
"All Chakra on this planet belongs to me."
"Whether it's the version of you from my world or the one standing here now, your personality really is the same. Can't you say anything else?"
Seiryū shook his head, then suddenly asked, "Out of curiosity, did Hagoromo and Hamura have a father?"
"???"
Everyone present stared at him.
What kind of question was that?
Even Kaguya had clearly not expected him to ask something like this.
After a brief frown, she answered indifferently, "The man who betrayed me turned to dust more than a thousand years ago."
"Anyone who defies me will only have their life force drained by the God Tree and become nourishment for it."
"Oh, so that's how things played out in this world?"
Seiryū nodded, then lost interest almost immediately.
"In that case, never mind. You can go back to staying on the moon."
The Kaguya from his own space-time was better.
She had lived in complete emotional isolation and had never formed that kind of relationship with anyone.
This Kaguya, however, had once had a partner and experienced betrayal.
Seiryū immediately lost any interest in trying to win her over.
The Kaguya from his own world could perhaps be influenced through affection and trust.
This Kaguya had already experienced betrayal and had become deeply intolerant of any possible threat.
There was no point trying the same approach.
So there was only one thing left to do.
Send her back to the moon.
"Kaidō!"
Seiryū formed a one-handed seal and cast several Kaidō spells directly onto Kaguya.
"Mmm."
His movements were far too fast for her to react in time.
More importantly, Kaidō was Medical Ninjutsu. Kaguya sensed no hostility or danger from it beforehand, so she had no instinctive warning.
And just like that, she was caught.
The strange sensation caused Kaguya to let out an involuntary sound. A faint flush appeared on her pale cheeks, making her already striking appearance even more captivating.
"This... what is this? My... strength..."
Kaguya suddenly realized that her strength had vanished.
She could not even remain standing properly.
Her knees gave way, her eyes lost focus, and her voice became noticeably unsteady.
"A form of Medical Ninjutsu that's especially effective on women," Seiryū answered honestly. "As long as the target is female, I haven't met anyone who could stay standing through it."
Truthfully, the effect of Kaidō was absurd.
So far, no woman had been able to endure it and remain unaffected.
"Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei!"
Seiryū brought his hands together.
The tomoe Rinnegan in his left eye erupted with ocular power and locked onto Kaguya.
Her body immediately became the core of an overwhelming gravitational force and began rising into the sky.
"You..."
With her strength suppressed, Kaguya naturally could not resist Seiryū's technique.
Her expression shifted from confusion to panic, and then to despair.
How could things have ended like this?
"This is impossible!!"
Black Zetsu was even more stunned.
It had never imagined this outcome.
Mother had not even managed to put up a meaningful resistance!
'Boom, boom, boom!'
The earth split apart as overwhelming gravitational force tore massive layers of rock, soil, and trees into the air.
Everything converged around Kaguya, binding and sealing her within an enormous sphere.
Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei!
When empowered by Six Paths Power, the Rinnegan's Chibaku Tensei became a Six Paths-level sealing technique.
Even someone at the Kekkei Mōra level could not easily break free once fully sealed.
Kaguya had broken free.
And Kaguya had been sealed again.
The entire process had taken less than a minute.
Everyone present remained frozen in disbelief.
That was it?
It ended just like that?
Wasn't this supposed to be a world-ending crisis?
"Huh? Huh, huh, huh?!"
Naruto was equally dumbfounded.
But despite his usual unreliability, he suddenly remembered something important.
"Sage Seiryū! The Tailed Beasts! The Tailed Beasts are still inside her!"
"Kurama is in there too, and we can't let the others get sealed again!"
Seiryū clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Why didn't you say that earlier?"
Naruto's mouth twitched.
"You moved too fast! I had just finished preparing myself to fight her, and then you already."
Hadn't the Sage of Six Paths warned them that Kaguya was extremely difficult to deal with?
Yet Sage Seiryū had taken care of her almost immediately.
And Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei.
That was the very technique Hagoromo had entrusted to Naruto and Sasuke so they could seal Kaguya together.
Yet Seiryū could use it by himself.
His strength was simply terrifying.
"Fine, fine. I'll let them out."
Seiryū shook his head helplessly.
The tomoe Rinnegan in his left eye activated once more, and he forcibly separated the nine Tailed Beasts from Kaguya's body.
Then he pulled them out from within the seal of Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei.
(To be continued.)