The Absorbed God Tree, Six Paths Naruto and Sasuke

Madara did not move.

He watched Naruto standing there, nine black spheres slowly rotating behind him. The aura emanating from the boy had changed—not in quantity, but in quality. Yet there was no surprise or wariness in Madara's Rinnegan, only scrutiny.

"Naruto." Madara's voice drifted down from above, carrying a hint of amusement. "What did you obtain?"

Naruto did not answer. His body still stood there, but his consciousness had only just returned from that gray-white void. The Sage of Six Paths' words still echoed in his mind—Kaguya Clan, Black Zetsu, the destiny of Indra and Asura—those things were too distant, so distant that they seemed unrelated to his battlefield. He lowered his gaze to his palm. There was nothing there, yet he could feel an extra force inside him, as if someone had poured an entire river into an already full cup.

Madara waited two seconds and received no reply. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"Don't want to say?" His right hand slowly rose, and the Truth-Seeking Orbs behind him began to gather again. "That's fine. The dead don't need to speak."

One Truth-Seeking Orb flew out from behind him and dropped toward where Guy lay sprawled.

Madara knew the orb would not hit. What he wanted to see was how Naruto would stop it.

Naruto moved. His body vanished from in front of Guy and appeared in the orb's path. His right foot lashed out—not a ninjutsu, not taijutsu, just a kick. The instant it struck the Truth-Seeking Orb, a dull thud rang out. Like a kicked ball, it flew away crookedly and exploded amid distant ruins.

Madara's Rinnegan narrowed slightly. That Truth-Seeking Orb had not been deflected—it had been kicked away. The instant Naruto's foot touched it, some kind of power had wrapped around his