The Void Array Triggers a World-Shaking Change; Snake Eyes Merge with Souls as the Six Paths Face Their Final Showdown

The chakra giant's blade tore through the air. Patterns woven from pale gold and crimson chakra flowed along its edge, wrapped in the faint purple glow of the Six Paths Immortal Bones, as it came crashing down toward Orochimaru's head. But Orochimaru showed not a trace of panic. The corners of his mouth curled into his signature sinister smile as he slammed his left hand against the ground. His black robe snapped in the surging chakra. "The game is only just beginning."

The ground suddenly shook violently. Black runes lit up beneath the land stretching a hundred li in every direction from the Uchiha forbidden grounds. The runes spread through the soil like living things, resonating across the Shinobi World. Thunder at Cloud Thunder Gorge was swallowed by black mist. The quicksand in Sunagakure's forbidden grounds turned dark purple. Black liquid seeped from the walls of Iwagakure's underground chamber, and the waters of the Deep Sea Secret Realm in the Land of Water boiled until they turned ink-black. Black pillars of light rose from all Six Great Secret Realms and pierced the void rift above the Shinobi World, tearing it open into a gaping maw large enough to swallow three mountains.

"That's... the Void Array!" Sage Fukasaku's voice came through the communicator, heavy with unprecedented solemnity. "He actually set up a formation across all Six Great Secret Realms, using the natural chakra of the entire Shinobi World to feed the void rift!" Su Ye's pupils contracted. Through the Rinne Sharingan, he clearly saw trees withering and rivers drying up across the Shinobi World. Even the sage tree chakra of Mount Myoboku was being forcibly drained, streaming into the rift as black pillars of light.

Orochimaru spread his arms, allowing the power of the void within the black pillars to coil around him. The skin on his neck split open, revealing writhing black patterns beneath. "I began preparing this feast a hundred years ago. All the power of the void collected by the Dark Organization was for this moment." He clenched his fist, and the black token at the center of the altar rose into the air. The Lord of the Void's remnant soul became a cloud of black mist, which Orochimaru forcibly absorbed into his body.

"Fuse with a void remnant? Have you lost your mind?" Sasuke's Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword blazed with reddish-gold flames. His sword energy slashed toward Orochimaru, only to be blocked by a black barrier that appeared out of nowhere. Orochimaru's left eye gradually turned dark purple, its pupil taking on the distinctive spiral pattern of the Lord of the Void. The chakra around him grew violently erratic, carrying both the sinister chill of a snake and the strangeness of the void. "Mad? This is true evolution! Su Ye, you'll soon understand what an honor it is to become a vessel for the power of the void."

The golden Tailed Beast Chakra around Naruto surged, and the silhouettes of nine Tailed Beasts appeared behind him. "Whatever kind of monster you've become, we won't let you get away with this!" He swiftly formed Hand Seals, gathering golden chakra in his palm into an enormous Rasengan. The power of a Tailed Beast Bomb churned within it. "Super Tailed Beast Rasengan!" The golden sphere hurtled toward Orochimaru with enough force to destroy the world.

Orochimaru merely raised a hand. The power of the void formed a vortex before him, swallowing the Super Tailed Beast Rasengan whole. He gave a cold laugh, and the vortex spun in reverse, sending the Rasengan's energy back at twice its strength toward Su Ye and the others. Su Ye immediately channeled the power of the Six Paths Immortal Bones, forming six pale purple barriers before him. At the same time, he shouted, "Naruto, Sasuke, use the combo technique!"

Sasuke understood at once. His left Rinnegan unleashed Chibaku Tensei, rapidly forming a black gravitational core in the air that temporarily trapped the reflected energy. Naruto took the chance to leap behind Sasuke, fusing his golden Tailed Beast Chakra with Sasuke's Susanoo. They formed a crimson Susanoo covered in golden fur. Wielding two swords, it shattered Chibaku Tensei with one strike, then swung the other, infused with their combined chakra, at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's body suddenly turned into countless small snakes, dodging the Susanoo's attack. The snakes gathered in midair and re-formed into his human shape, a Kusanagi Sword wreathed in black flames now in his hand. "The Uchiha's Susanoo, the Tailed Beasts' chakra—what nostalgic power. Too bad none of it can stand against the power of the void." He swung his sword, unleashing a slash of black energy. Space warped wherever it passed, and the Susanoo's arm was severed in an instant, scattering golden fur and crimson chakra.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Ye teleported behind Orochimaru and thrust his chakra sword toward the back of his heart. But the moment the blade touched Orochimaru's black robe, a powerful force of the void repelled it. Orochimaru turned, his dark purple left eye fixed on Su Ye. "The power of the Six Paths Immortal Bones is more interesting than I expected. But do you really think this little power is enough to defeat me?" He thrust out a hand. A black chain extended from the void rift, coiling around Su Ye's ankle and dragging him toward it.

"Su Ye!" Naruto roared. His Tailed Beast Chakra turned into chains that wrapped around Su Ye's wrist, pulling against the black chain. Sasuke used Banshō Ten'in with his Rinnegan, trying to pull Su Ye back as well. But the void rift's pull grew stronger and stronger. Cracks began to appear in Su Ye's Six Paths Immortal Bones, and his pale purple chakra grew unstable.

Just then, Sage Shima arrived with the Toad Army from Mount Myoboku. Sage Fukasaku sat atop a giant toad and formed Hand Seals. "Mount Myoboku Senjutsu: Toad Sage Chant!" Countless toads let out high-frequency sounds at once, forming a pale green sonic barrier that temporarily held back the void rift's pull. Sage Shima leaped to Su Ye's side and put a Senjutsu pill into his mouth. "Take this quickly. It was made with the Millennium Immortal Vine and can temporarily suppress the void's corruption."

Su Ye swallowed the pill, and the power of the Six Paths Immortal Bones within him surged. He broke free of the black chain and formed his chakra sword again. At the same time, he activated the ultimate form of his Rinne Sharingan—the Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan. As its ocular power unfurled, countless tiny cracks appeared in the space around him. Fixing his gaze on Orochimaru, he said word by word, "You want the Six Paths Power? Then I'll show you that the power to protect the Shinobi World is far greater than you imagine."

A trace of apprehension flashed through Orochimaru's eyes, only to be replaced by madness. "Then let me see just how powerful this so-called power of yours really is!" He formed Hand Seals, and the runes of the Void Array lit up once more. The black pillars of light across the Shinobi World thickened, and howls rang out from within the void rift. Countless Void Remnants streamed into the Shinobi World along the pillars, attacking ninja villages such as Mount Myoboku and Konoha.

"The communicator says Konoha and Sunagakure are both under attack by Void Remnants!" Naruto cried anxiously as his golden Tailed Beast Chakra grew erratic. "We have to split up and send reinforcements!" Sasuke shook his head, pointing the Heaven-Burning Ancient Sword at Orochimaru. "No. If we split up, Orochimaru will take the chance to complete his fusion with the void remnant. We have to deal with him first."

Su Ye took a deep breath. The Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan unleashed its ocular technique—Time Reversal. He disappeared from where he stood and reappeared before Orochimaru the next instant, driving his chakra sword into Orochimaru's left shoulder. Orochimaru screamed as dark purple blood seeped from the wound. He countered with a thrust of his Kusanagi Sword, but Su Ye blocked it with the Six Paths Power. Then Su Ye channeled his chakra, trying to forcibly extract the void remnant from Orochimaru's body.

But the void remnant had already fused deeply with Orochimaru's body. As Su Ye tried to separate them, the power of the void began corrupting his arm, and black patterns spread along it. Orochimaru seized the opening and drove his Kusanagi Sword into Su Ye's abdomen. "I told you—you'll become my vessel. Your Six Paths Immortal Bones and your Rinne Sharingan will both be mine!"

Enduring the pain, Su Ye drove his chakra sword into Orochimaru's chest once more, while channeling the power of the Six Paths Immortal Bones into him. "I'll never let you get away with this!" The Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan blazed with light, and its ocular technique—Six Paths: Sealing Jutsu—activated. Pale purple sealing runes extended from the chakra sword and wrapped around Orochimaru, trying to seal him together with the void remnant.

Orochimaru's body began to warp. He roared as the power of the void erupted wildly, trying to break the seal. "Impossible! I spent a century planning this! How can I fail!" The Lord of the Void's remnant soul within the rift sensed that its host was in danger and began burning itself, giving Orochimaru strength. His body swelled several times over, his skin turned dark purple, and a pair of black wings sprouted from his back. His appearance became utterly terrifying.

"Su Ye, get away from him!" Sage Fukasaku cried. Orochimaru's power shattered the sonic barrier of the Toad Sage Chant, sending the giant toads flying in all directions. But Su Ye didn't retreat. He gripped his chakra sword and fused all the power of the Six Paths Immortal Bones within him with the ocular power of the Rinne Sharingan. The sword grew enormous, its surface covered in Nine-Tomoe runes. "This battle is for the Shinobi World—and for everyone we protect!"

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance, then poured all their chakra into Su Ye at the same time. Golden Tailed Beast Chakra, crimson Susanoo chakra, and the pale purple power of the Six Paths Immortal Bones fused into a pillar of chakra that pierced the heavens. Within it, the figures of Su Ye, Naruto, and Sasuke overlapped. Together, they swung the chakra sword at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru refused to yield. His black wings beat, sending countless black feathers flying like blades, while he formed a gigantic black sphere of light and hurled it at the pillar. The moment the two forces collided, the entire Shinobi World was engulfed in white light. The void rift began to shrink, the black pillars of light gradually dimmed, and the runes across the Six Great Secret Realms lost their glow.

When the white light faded, Su Ye, Naruto, and Sasuke lay on the ground, covered in wounds and nearly out of chakra. Orochimaru had fallen not far away, his body wrapped in sealing runes. The dark purple chakra around him was faint, and his black wings had vanished. Sage Fukasaku hurried over and checked Orochimaru. "The void remnant inside him has been scattered, and the Void Array has been destroyed."

Su Ye struggled to his feet and watched the void rift slowly close, finally letting out a breath of relief. But just then, Orochimaru suddenly opened his eyes. A strange glint flashed in his dark purple left eye, and his body turned into black mist that drifted toward the void rift. "I'll be back! The Shinobi World will belong to me in the end!"

"Don't think you're getting away!" Su Ye channeled the last of his chakra and teleported behind the black mist, thrusting his chakra sword at it once more. He cut off part of the mist. It let out a scream and sped into the void rift, which immediately closed behind it. Su Ye fell to the ground, unable to hold on any longer, and passed out.

When Su Ye woke again, he was lying in the hospital in Konoha. Tsunade sat beside his bed, worry on her face. "You're finally awake. You've been unconscious for three days." Su Ye looked around and saw Naruto, Sasuke, Sage Fukasaku, and the others in the room. Naruto smiled. "Thank goodness you're awake! The Void Remnants in the Shinobi World have been eliminated, and the Six Great Secret Realms are back to normal."

Sasuke handed him a report. "Orochimaru escaped, but we gave the sample of black mist he left behind to Konoha's research department. Also, the Six Paths mark you placed on Obito can still sense his location. He seems to be heading toward the Land of Lightning."

Su Ye took the report, determination flashing in his eyes. "Orochimaru's still alive, and Obito is still on the run. This crisis isn't over." Sage Fukasaku nodded. "That's right. Although the void rift has closed, as long as Orochimaru is alive, he could open it again. We have to be ready."

Just then, the hospital room door suddenly swung open, and a mysterious figure in a black robe walked in. A mask covered his face, leaving only a pair of golden eyes visible. "Su Ye, if you want to put an end to the threat of Orochimaru and the power of the void, come to the back mountain of Mount Myoboku. I have something to give you."

Su Ye, Naruto, and Sasuke tensed at once, chakra gathering around them. The mysterious figure only smiled. "Relax, I mean no harm. I only want to help you. After all, we share a common enemy." With that, the figure turned into a streak of golden light and disappeared from the hospital room.

Tsunade furrowed her brow. "Who was that? How could he just walk into Konoha Hospital?" Su Ye thought for a moment, his Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan turning slightly. "I don't know who he is, but his chakra feels familiar. It's like... the Sage of Six Paths' chakra."

A spark of excitement appeared in Naruto's eyes. "The Sage of Six Paths? Could he have come to help us?" Sasuke remained calm. "Whoever he is, we can't trust him easily. We have to be careful."

Su Ye nodded and struggled out of bed. "Whatever his intentions, I'm going to Mount Myoboku. Maybe he really can help us deal with Orochimaru." Naruto and Sasuke hurried over to support him. "We're coming with you."

The three of them immediately set off, racing toward Mount Myoboku. They didn't know that the mysterious figure's appearance would unveil a great secret from a hundred years ago—a secret inextricably linked to Su Ye's origins and the source of the Six Paths Immortal Bones. A new adventure was about to begin in the back mountains of Mount Myoboku.