Two beams of chilling light flashed across the sky, the massive blades slicing through the clouds and stirring up fierce gusts of wind.
In the next moment came a cacophony of booming explosions.
The entire mountain was split into three massive chunks, all of which were swept up in a raging shockwave.
Meteors rained down from above.
The already cratered ground became even more battered, as though a colossal earthquake had just struck.
Black Zetsu felt an ever-growing sense of unease.
It even began to hesitate, should it team up with Shinho to free Kaguya Otsutsuki?
Sasuke waved his right hand, and the Truth-Seeking Orbs before him formed a barrier against the falling debris.
He paid it no real mind because his attention was fixated on the Sage of Six Paths' Susano'o.
At first glance, his impression was simple: It's huge!
A normal Susano'o was only about as tall as an average Tailed Beast, but this one was at least ten times larger, towering over a thousand meters high.
It seemed like the ultimate form of Susano'o.
And in fact, it was.
In the original accounts, when the Sage of Six Paths fought the Ten-Tails, he used Susano'o as well.
His Susano'o was the largest, comparable to the Ten-Tails itself, and could easily block its Truth powers.
Shinho raised his head slightly.
In front of this colossal Susano'o, which towered hundreds of times higher than him, he seemed even smaller than an ant, more like an insignificant microscopic bug.
After all, the Ten-Tails alone was large enough to dwarf the nine Tailed Beasts combined in just one of its hands.
And the current Sage of Six Paths was essentially the Ten-Tails in power.
At last, the chaotic meteor shower ceased, leaving the land in complete devastation.
The Sage of Six Paths fixed his gaze on Shinho and lifted his two swords once more.
Despite their enormous size, those blades moved at surprising speed, reaching overhead in a blink, as if two colossal sword-mountains were coming down on Shinho.
Six-Armed heavenly Zombie King!
Strength Gu!
Shinho did not hesitate.
He activated the killer move Six-Armed heavenly Zombie King.
Previously, it had been a Rank 5 killer move, but its core Gu, Borrowed Strength Gu, was no longer Rank 5.
After ascending to the rank of a Rank 6 Gu Immortal, Shinho had upgraded both Borrowed Strength Gu and All-Out Effort Gu to Rank 6 level.
This raised the power of Six-Armed heavenly Zombie King, and with the addition of his Rank Seven Immortal Strength Gu, it now stood as a true immortal killer move.
A frigid aura of death spread out around him.
Shinho's body expanded dramatically, six monstrous arms extending from his sides, while the forces of heaven, earth, water, and fire swirled around him.
The twin swords descended, carrying a whirlwind of razor-sharp wind.
Flying Bear Strength Gu
All-Out Effort Gu!
Clenching his fists, Shinho suddenly manifested the phantom of a flying bear behind him.
He hurled both fists forward, smashing into the gigantic sword tips.
Iron Wall Gu
He activated his defensive Immortal Gu, producing a resonant, metallic clang.
In that instant, a power beyond imagination surged forth.
Those unbearably heavy blades rebounded with shocking speed.
"What?!"
The Sage of Six Paths couldn't hide his surprise.
This force was faintly stronger than even the Ten-Tails.
He had to retreat two steps, mustering all his chakra just to stop the swords from flying back into him.
A tremor rippled through the air.
The Sage of Six Paths felt a numbing in his arms.
He hadn't experienced such a sensation in a thousand years, it was unbelievable.
He couldn't fathom how a mortal-born person like Shinho had managed to gain such overwhelming strength.
Moreover, it was clear that this version of Six-Armed heavenly Zombie King was far stronger than what he'd seen before.
A sudden whoosh of air alerted him.
Shinho shot into the sky, heading straight for him.
Though Shinho now stood over five meters tall, he was still minuscule compared to the Sage's towering Susano'o.
Yet, after that display of raw power, no one dared look down on him.
Those last punches had given Shinho a feel for the Sage of Six Paths' physical power.
This time, he added two more Immortal Gu to his move:
Iron Crown Eagle Strength Gu
Qi Grand Lion Strength Gu
Like a mighty eagle, Shinho swooped down at incredible speed.
Space itself seemed to warp in his wake, light twisting like venomous vines.
Ultimately, he looked like a shooting star trailing a bright tail of luminescence.
A crushing sense of danger overwhelmed the Sage of Six Paths.
His hair stood on end.
He again felt like he had a thousand years ago, facing off against Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Susano'o stirred in response, and the colossal twin blades crossed before him.
At the same time, his Rinnegan flared, unleashing a massive wave of invisible force to form a protective shield.
Shinho frowned slightly.
He could feel a powerful pulling force within that shield, siphoning away the surrounding heaven, earth, water, and fire.
Such was the unique ability of the Rinnegan.
Dark Arrow Immortal Gu!
Unhurried, Shinho raised his left hand.
Three arrow-like projectiles struck the shield, detonating in a violent explosion.
The Sage of Six Paths had no time to react as Shinho's right fist was already upon him.
Crack!
Under the Sage's startled gaze, the giant sword fractured, quickly shattering into countless shards that rained down to the ground.
But the onslaught didn't end there.
Powered by the raging Flying bear phantom, Shinho transformed into a streak of light that slammed into Susano'o itself.
The Sage of Six Paths responded at once.
A tidal wave of chakra converged on Shinho.
Amid this ocean of chakra, the nine Truth-Seeking Orbs reformed.
Boom!
With a single punch, Shinho scattered the Truth-Seeking Orbs and struck Susano'o directly.
In an instant, an immense force swept out in layers of shockwaves, mixing chaos and chakra together.
The thousand-meter-tall figure of the Sage of Six Paths staggered backward.
The unstoppable power pursued him all the way down toward the earth.
The earth-shattering impact that followed resounded like thunder.
Susano'o's once-impenetrable armor cracked with a series of sharp snaps before vanishing altogether.
Like a cannonball, the Sage of Six Paths was driven into the ground, creating a fathomless pit.
Shrouded in dust and debris, only that towering figure in the sky, like a demonic god, remained standing.
"This… this is impossible!"
The Great Toad Sage's voice was quivering with dread.
Its entire body trembled in despair.
"So strong…"
Sasuke's expression had turned grim.
He had believed that with the Ten-Tails sealed within him, he was already strong enough. But now, he realized it was not nearly enough.
If he had to face Shinho, he had no confidence at all.
"Victory… is that victory?"
Black Zetsu's face was dark.
It was pondering a crucial possibility: If the Sage of Six Paths, Shinho, and Sasuke all teamed up, could they actually defeat Kaguya Otsutsuki?
Recalling how the Sage of Six Paths and Hamura Otsutsuki had fought her a millennium ago, Black Zetsu considered it highly likely.
In that case, was there any point in cooperating with Shinho at all?
Letting Kaguya out only to watch her be defeated seemed pointless. Perhaps it would be better to bide its time until Shinho died, then proceed with the plan.
Just then, the Great Toad Sage suddenly whooped in joy.
Black Zetsu reflexively turned its head.
From the bottom of that deep pit, the Sage of Six Paths slowly rose into the air.
At a glance, he appeared mostly unscathed, though his form looked thinner and less solid than before.
Of course, "looking fine" didn't mean he truly was.
Having lost his physical body long ago, he survived on chakra alone.
In his current state, it was obvious that a great deal of chakra had been consumed, meaning, he was seriously injured.
"As expected of the Sage of Six Paths."
Shinho let out a laugh, which looked rather frightening in his Six-Armed heavenly Zombie King form.
A powerful vortex of energy swirled, and in a single breath, Shinho closed the gap, appearing right before the Sage of Six Paths.
He raised a fist and looked down at him, saying, "You only have one choice now. Bestow the Six Paths power upon Sasuke and Naruto."
The Sage of Six Paths fell silent.
Reverting to his normal humanlike shape, he found himself dwarfed by Shinho's looming five-meter form, who was radiating an aura of lethal menace.
For the first time in centuries, the Sage of Six Paths felt genuine fear for his life.
He's going to die!
The Sage of Six Paths was certain of that.
With no physical body, his strength was already diminished.
This was precisely why, in the original events, he had entrusted the task of sealing Kaguya Otsutsuki to Sasuke and Naruto.
"You truly wish to release her?"
His expression shifted unpredictably as he spoke.
"I don't like being threatened."
Shinho's face remained impassive. "I prefer to keep threats firmly in my own hands, yet I won't take reckless chances. Sasuke and Naruto are my insurance."
The Sage of Six Paths paused in thought, then understood.
Once Sasuke and Naruto obtained the power of the Six Paths, they'd have enough strength to threaten Kaguya, especially since each also carried Indra's and Asura's chakra.
Adding Shinho into the mix, the chance of Kaguya reigning over the Shinobi World again would be slim.
Yes, there was still some risk, but he had no other choice.
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly froze, eyes widening.
Shinho made a casual wave of his hand, instantly, a heavy restraint blanketed the entire space.
This was Universe-Suppressing Gu, an Immortal Gu.
"What the—?!"
The Great Toad Sage suddenly tumbled out of a cloud of smoke.
When it saw the Sage of Six Paths negotiating with Shinho, it knew the situation was dire and, in its panic, tried to flee back to Mount Myoboku.
Yet the locked space prevented any escape.
In the next moment, a mountainous wave of power surged forth.
Turning its head, the Great Toad Sage caught a glimpse of Shinho's enormous fist.
That fist crashed down like a tsunami, submerging everything in its path.
Centered on the toad, the ground erupted; entire layers of earth caved in, dropping dozens of meters.
"You…"
The Sage of Six Paths began, only to fall silent.
In that brief instant of distraction, the companion he'd known for a thousand years, the Great Toad Sage, had perished.
Yes. Its presence had vanished entirely.
Not even a creature like it could withstand Shinho's terrifying blow.
"Hm?"
Shinho scanned the area and noticed Black Zetsu had vanished.
He was about to give chase when he paused, raising his brows slightly.
A new achievement reward had arrived at just the right time.
With a powerful leap, he slammed straight down into the earth.
His target was none other than Black Zetsu, burrowed underground.
In his current state, no stealth technique could hide from him.
A massive explosion resounded.
Another deep crater appeared in the ground.
Shinho reached out, grabbing for Black Zetsu.
"Damn it!"
Black Zetsu felt its soul practically leaving its body.
In that desperate moment, it split into a black half and a white half.
It threw White Zetsu forward, letting Shinho seize it.
"You traitor!"
White Zetsu never imagined Black Zetsu would sacrifice it so ruthlessly.
Because of that brief interference, Black Zetsu managed to flee a bit farther.
"It's useless."
Shinho casually knocked White Zetsu unconscious and pursued.
"You can't kill me!"
Black Zetsu shouted in terror. "If I die, you won't be able to accomplish your goal!"
"I don't plan on killing you."
In a flash of golden radiance, Shinho's speed surpassed the speed of light, cutting off Black Zetsu's escape.
Beast Subduing Gu!
He seized Black Zetsu, using the newly acquired Gu.
The moment he activated it, Black Zetsu, previously struggling with all its might, fell eerily silent.
This Beast Subduing Gu had come as part of Shinho's latest achievement reward:
..
[Achievement Unlocked: "My Fate Is Mine, Not Heaven's."
Reward: Beast Enslavement Gu]
[Beast Subduing Gu: A Rank Seven Immortal Gu of the Enslavement Path that allows the user to control all non-human life forms.]
..
From the instant Shinho laid eyes on Beast Subduing Gu, he decided it would be perfect for Black Zetsu.
Sure enough, it worked like a charm.