Although Six Paths Uchiha Madara had fused with nearly all the power in the shinobi world, in Chiyu's eyes it still didn't mean much.

Right now, there was only one opponent he was waiting for…

Her name was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.

Aside from her, no matter how strong Six Paths Madara became, in the end he was no match for Chiyu.

In fact…

Chiyu even had to some extent help bring about Kaguya's resurrection; otherwise, his "farming" plan would fail.

That's why this battle had no real significance.

It was just for show…

So even though Chiyu was locked in a great battle with Six Paths Madara, on the other hand, he used his shadow clones to keep tabs on the other battlefields every minute of the day.

…

Meanwhile, in Konoha Village:

Naruto Uzumaki and the other tailed beasts and jinchūriki had all been placed inside a special sealing barrier that Chiyu had prepared.

He had created this Four Red Yang Formation using his own power alone. Not to mention ordinary tailed beasts and jinchūriki—even the Ten-Tails would find it hard to break.

Yet knowing there was a war going on outside, while they themselves were stuck inside this protective barrier, left the tailed beasts and jinchūriki with mixed emotions.

Naruto kept pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath.

Gaara stood with his arms folded, unable to hold back a sigh as he rubbed his forehead.

"Naruto, could you calm down a bit?"

Without the pressure from his father Rasa, and because Yashamaru had neither tried to assassinate him nor died by his hand, Gaara had not fallen into darkness.

Moreover, thanks to Chiyu, not only had Gaara come to Konoha but he also attended the Ninja Academy, training alongside Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and the others. Although he remained somewhat withdrawn and gloomy, he was far better off than in the original story.

Because Gaara and Naruto had gone through similar experiences, the two had naturally become good friends.

Naruto turned and walked right up to Gaara, practically nose to nose.

"Gaara, there's a war going on outside, right? And it's for our sake too. Aren't you at least a little curious about what's happening?"

They were only six or seven years old at the time—just kids.

Gaara replied calmly, "I'm not who I used to be.

"Nor is Shukaku inside me.

"Right now, I can sleep well without worrying about Shukaku causing trouble, and that alone is enough for me to be content. It's all thanks to the Lord of the Shinobi World. So…

"Whatever he tells me to do, I'll do it."

Just then, Shukaku's high-pitched voice echoed:

"Gaara, I understand how you feel, but…

"When I think about that part of my own chakra and tailed-beast power that Madara stole and used for himself, I'm still boiling with rage!

"I want to tear that bastard to pieces myself!"

Kurama, the Nine-Tails, sneered, "Shukaku, do you really think you could pull that off?

"Even I couldn't defeat Uchiha Madara, so what makes you think you—who only has one tail—could?"

Though Chiyu had subjugated all these tailed beasts, and they coexisted more peacefully with their jinchūriki, the beasts still clashed now and then—especially Shukaku and Kurama, who'd disliked each other from the moment they were born.

Enraged, Shukaku snapped, "Kurama! How dare you look down on me?!

"Wanna fight right now?!"

Utakata, the Six-Tails' jinchūriki, calmly shook his head with a sigh.

"Alright, we're all trapped in this barrier, so don't start fighting each other.

"If you make too big a fuss and ruin the Lord of the Shinobi World's plans, none of us can afford the consequences."

Hearing that title, "Lord of the Shinobi World," Kurama and Shukaku immediately fell quiet.

Currently, Gaara, Utakata, and Naruto were the only three jinchūriki left in the world, each forcibly raised to perfect-jinchūriki status by Chiyu.

Besides them, the Two-Tails Matatabi, Three-Tails Isobu, Five-Tails Kokuō, and Eight-Tails Gyūki were also inside the barrier.

Only the Four-Tails Son Gokū and Seven-Tails Chōmei were absent, as their jinchūriki had died and their tailed-beast power had been completely sealed away by Madara, leaving them without physical forms.

Though their souls still could communicate with the other tailed beasts and jinchūriki in their shared mental plane…

Suddenly—

Vrrrmm—

Ripples spread in the air, like swirling vortexes, and in the next instant, a figure appeared inside the barrier!

It was…

Uchiha Obito!

Naruto and the others were stunned. "Y-You're…"

Ever since his mask had been destroyed, Obito no longer bothered to hide his identity, appearing now in his true form.

Even though the Four Red Yang Formation was extremely powerful and nearly impossible to break through by force, it was useless against space-time ninjutsu.

Obito let out a cold laugh.

"So they really are all here—the jinchūriki and the tailed beasts…

"As long as I capture all of you, neither Uchiha Madara nor Uchiha Chiyu will stand a chance. They'll both fall before me!"

Utakata immediately shielded Gaara and Naruto.

"Obito, don't even think about it!

"You really believe you alone can handle this many jinchūriki and tailed beasts?!"

Obito sneered, "True, this many jinchūriki and tailed beasts together is no small challenge…

"But, Utakata, what makes you assume I came here alone?"

In a flash, Obito reached into his Kamui dimension and released another figure:

Orochimaru!

Everyone was shocked.

"Orochimaru?!"

Utakata's brow creased.

"So that's it, Obito. From what you've just said, it's clear that you and Madara were only using each other. What you're doing now—he definitely wouldn't have approved. So in other words…

"You've betrayed Madara!"

"So Orochimaru, you've made that same choice?"

Orochimaru gave a sinister chuckle.

"Madara, Obito—it makes no difference to me.

"All I want is more test subjects for my experiments…

"And Madara can't give me any more. So…"

Utakata gave a cold snort.

"Hmph. Even with Orochimaru on your side, you can't possibly defeat us!"

Obito glanced at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru nodded in understanding and quickly formed hand seals. With a heavy slap of his palms:

Smack!

"Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!"

The Edo Tensei resurrectees were…

Nagato—

And also the deceased jinchūriki:

Fū (the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki), Yugito Nii (the Two-Tails), Yagura (the Three-Tails), Rōshi (the Four-Tails), Han (the Five-Tails), the Six-Tails' previous jinchūriki, the former One-Tail Jinchūriki Bunpuku, as well as the Eight-Tails' previous host, Blue B!

Of course, the tailed beast power within these resurrected jinchūriki was only a remnant, nowhere near what they had in life. But there were a lot of them.

Thankfully…

Defending this Four Red Yang Formation and the tailed beasts within it was not a task falling solely to tonight's jinchūriki; and given that they couldn't leave anyway, they could fight here without worrying about damaging the outside world…

Right now, inside the Four Red Yang Formation, a showdown unlike any other in history was about to begin!

Utakata understood that while Naruto and Gaara were also perfect jinchūriki, they were still so young. They couldn't yet wield the full might of their tailed beasts. Ultimately, the main offensive force would be up to him.

After all, they were just kids.

He stood protectively before them, yelling, "Obito, Orochimaru…

"As long as the Lord of the Shinobi World is around, your plot will never succeed!"

Obito sneered back, "Unfortunately for you, right now he's locked in battle with Madara. He won't have time to worry about anything else. Once the two of them wear each other down, the whole shinobi world will end up in my hands!"

Utakata snarled, "You're dreaming!"

In a flash, he took on his full Tailed Beast Mode!

Currently, Utakata had achieved mutual understanding with Saiken, the Six-Tails, boosting his strength beyond measure!

"Water Release! Bubble Technique!"

Countless foaming bubbles burst forth from his fully transformed body, surging toward Obito, Orochimaru, Edo Tensei Nagato, and all those reanimated jinchūriki!

An instant later…

Boom—

BOOM RUMBLE!

The bubbles, which seemed so light and fragile, suddenly unleashed an earth-shattering explosion.

Inside the Four Red Yang Formation, explosions raged, flames soared, and the ground quaked!

Even so, this level of force couldn't possibly destroy the barrier itself.

When the dust settled, Obito remained unscathed.

His Kamui phasing made him virtually impervious.

Orochimaru, with his own slippery resilience, was similarly unharmed.

And even if the reanimated shinobi were damaged, they would simply regenerate.

Utakata frowned.

At this rate…

Though on the surface their side didn't seem weaker, Naruto and Gaara were just kids; the other tailed beasts were difficult to coordinate precisely; and facing the likes of Obito and Orochimaru—foes not easily overcome by brute force alone—winning would be very hard…

He was about to see if he could contact the Lord of the Shinobi World when—

Naruto suddenly stepped forward with a determined look, placing himself ahead of Utakata!

Alarmed, Utakata yelled, "Naruto! What do you think you're doing?!

"This isn't the time for you to act rashly!"

Naruto's face was more fierce and terrifying than ever.

"Obito…

"You're the one who killed my parents!"

Utakata froze.

Of course—that's right. Naruto's father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, and his mother, the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki Kushina Uzumaki, had died at the hands of this 'Uchiha Madara.'

No wonder Naruto was…

The man in front of him was the villain who had caused Naruto's lifetime of tragedy. No one could endure that!

Obito remained cold.

"Ah, Naruto. Yes, it's true. Minato-sensei…Lady Kushina. They both died by my hand.

"You want revenge?

"Unfortunately, you're too weak!"

Hearing that, Naruto's fury surged. He let out a roar that shook the air, and his body started transforming dramatically!

Even though Chiyu had helped Naruto and Kurama acknowledge each other, the sudden rage caused the Nine-Tails' chakra to surge wildly, covering Naruto and submerging him in ferocious power.

Sensing Naruto's boundless hatred and anger, Kurama quickly toned down his own malice, reducing the harm to Naruto as much as possible.

He was in a partial Tailed Beast Mode!

In an instant, Naruto's entire body glowed red, cloaked in the Nine-Tails' chakra, four crimson fox tails lashing behind him!

Because they hadn't truly fought together yet, and Naruto was in a fury, they couldn't fully harness the power of a perfect jinchūriki.

But even so…

The Nine-Tails was still the Nine-Tails!

Boom—

BOOOM—!

A terrifying aura burst forth, and everyone inside the Four Red Yang Formation—people and tailed beasts alike—felt an overwhelming pressure!

In the original story, once Naruto entered full Tailed Beast Mode with half the Nine-Tails, he could fight off six other tailed beasts. Compared to the others, Kurama's power was simply overwhelming.

Obito and Orochimaru both looked startled for the first time.

Orochimaru smirked oddly. "So that's the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, is it? That's a power unlike any of the others…"

"Obito, he's all yours.

"As for the other tailed beasts and jinchūriki, I'll deal with them…"

With that, he formed another set of hand seals, commanding Edo Tensei Nagato and the other revived jinchūriki to charge at Utakata, Gaara, and the rest of the tailed beasts.

Obito, meanwhile, could sense the terrifying aura of a perfect Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

He recalled his battles with Kushina and the unleashed Nine-Tails in the past—none of which came close to what he was seeing now.

BOOM!

With a furious roar, four-tailed Naruto lashed out, a giant claw of Nine-Tails chakra slamming toward Obito from above!

Obito sneered, phasing through it effortlessly. The attack shook the entire barrier and filled the air with debris, but Obito was unharmed.

"You're just a kid. Don't underestimate me!

"I killed the Yellow Flash. I can kill you and the Nine-Tails as well!"

Clapping his hands together, Obito unleashed a secret Wood Style technique that specialized in suppressing tailed beasts:

"Wood Style! Binding!"

A flurry of massive branches and tendrils shot out from his arms, racing to ensnare Naruto in his partial Tailed Beast Mode.

Kurama immediately warned him: "Naruto, be careful!

"That Wood Style jutsu suppresses tailed beasts. Don't let it touch you!"

Though enraged, Naruto managed to nod and swiftly dodged aside.

In partial Tailed Beast Mode, his speed and strength were far above ordinary ninja. Even when he lost control at four tails, he could fight Orochimaru on even footing—now that he was actually cooperating with Kurama, he was even stronger.

Obito's expression tightened. He hadn't expected Naruto to be this formidable already.

But…

He scoffed, switching to another trump card.

"Fire Style! Blast Wave Wild Dance!"

He unleashed howling winds laced with raging fire, surging violently toward Naruto—an attack even partial Tailed Beast Mode might have trouble stopping.

Kurama shouted, "Naruto, I know you want revenge on this guy. I do too!

"But Chiyu didn't teach us to get along just so you'd lose your head in battle.

"Remember your training. Use the mode where our hearts and minds are one!"

Thinking of his parents' hatred and pain, Naruto clenched his teeth, but nodded firmly.

"Right!

"Let's do it, Kurama!"

"Mm!"

Together, jinchūriki and tailed beast roared in unison. Their chakra erupted, evolving from the partial form into a fully realized Tailed Beast Mode!

Unlike other jinchūriki, a perfect Nine-Tails host doesn't simply transform into the beast's physical body. Instead, it takes on a form somewhere between tangible and intangible—a chakra avatar similar to a Susanoo, only vastly more powerful.

A brilliant golden chakra enveloped them, forming a single entity of offense and defense—a manifestation of the Nine-Tails that shone so brightly it was dazzling. Naruto stood inside, united with Kurama as one. This was the legendary pinnacle…

The perfected Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!

Also called…

Kurama Mode!

BOOM—

RUMBLE—

Nine enormous fox tails made of golden chakra lashed out, tearing through the Fire Style blast in an instant, blowing it apart!

Obito watched, stunned.

"That…that's…

"A perfect Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?

"How is that possible…?

"Even if Chiyu forced Kurama to submit, that kid's only six or seven years old. How could he possibly handle full Tailed Beast Mode?!"

Orochimaru, Utakata, Gaara, and the other tailed beasts were all similarly speechless.

"T-That's really Naruto now?"

"His strength is already so terrifying?"

At the same time…

High above, a lone figure quietly observed.

It was, of course…

Chiyu himself!

A faint smile played across his lips.

"Indeed, Naruto. You truly are the Child of the Prophecy…"

Naturally, Chiyu knew everything that happened to Naruto would be extraordinary. Though he was still young, he possessed the blood of the Uzumaki clan, the lineage of Minato, and above all, the spirit of Asura reincarnated. No one was more suited to wielding the Nine-Tails' power than him.

Chiyu had, of course, been watching all along. He would never let the tailed beasts and jinchūriki actually fall into enemy hands.

And in truth, this was exactly what he wanted to see: Naruto killing Obito with his own hands and avenging his parents.

At that moment…

Naruto truly entered Kurama Mode!

Jinchūriki and tailed beast roared as one, opening their giant maw. Ferocious chakra rapidly condensed into a destructive sphere…

"That…that's…"

Obito broke into a sweat.

"A Tailed Beast Bomb?!"

Before he could say another word—

BOOOOOOM!!!

A massive Tailed Beast Bomb shot straight at him!

~~~

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