"Where... am I?"
Naruto looked around. This did not seem to be a physical space. It felt more like a mental realm.
"I... didn't die?"
"Of course you didn't."
Just as Naruto was puzzling over this, a voice sounded beside him.
An old man had appeared before him at some point without his noticing.
"But you will soon, unless something unexpected happens."
The old man sat cross-legged in midair, his long beard hanging down. Black Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind him, but what stood out most were his eyes.
"The Rinnegan? You're..."
Naruto watched the suspicious stranger warily.
Why did this man seem so much like those Otsutsuki?
"As you suspected, my name is Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo. I am Otsutsuki Kaguya's son."
"Otsutsuki Kaguya?"
Naruto sensed that this man had something very important to tell him.
Meanwhile, the same scene was unfolding within Sasuke's mental realm.
Outside.
Two-thirds of Naruto's Shadow Clones had already been destroyed in that brief span. With all the remaining clones about to be wiped out, at that critical moment-
" screee!"
"Awooo!"
Black Wolf and Great Eagle, whom Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had left behind, caught up.
"Tch."
Watching those two mental mutants catch up again, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was almost out of patience.
"Still, this might just be an opportunity for me."
Those two mental mutants were clearly protecting the two boys.
In that case, perhaps he could use a slightly more powerful ninjutsu.
All this time, he had worried that if his attacks were too powerful and killed Naruto, the Nine-Tails might die as well.
But he did not believe these creatures would stand by and watch their companions die.
"Let me see just how strong your friendship really is!"
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki flew into the sky and raised one hand above his head. Terrifying chakra began to gather.