Decisive Battle with Kaguya!

"Cough, cough... I was careless, brother."

Ōtsutsuki Hamura clutched his chest, a bitter smile playing on his face.

He had assumed that even if he couldn't defeat his mother, he could at least retreat unscathed, yet he never expected to be controlled so abruptly, falling victim to a first-strike kill.

Had his brother not awakened the Tomoe Rinnegan in time and been protected by the immortal talisman of Manji, his soul would have long since returned to the dust.

"It is nothing; it is not your fault."

Hagoromo patted his shoulder, the grief in his eyes hardening into resolve as the purple light of his Tomoe Rinnegan deepened. "Thanks to this strike from Mother, I was able to grasp the power of the Rinnegan so quickly."

As he spoke, a primitive Yin-Yang Release staff manifested out of thin air behind him. Chakra flowed through the staff, surrounded by floating, rounded Truth-Seeking Orb, radiating a majestic aura that held both destruction and creation.

The Six Paths Staff made its debut.

"Brother?! What is this?"

Ōtsutsuki Hamura stared at the Truth-Seeking Orb in astonishment.

The two brothers stood side by side, their Byakugan and Rinnegan reflecting one another. Their chakra resonated and intertwined, forming an impenetrable field of energy.

I have always wondered where Hamura's Truth-Seeking Orb came from; the anime never provided an explanation, and they simply appeared out of nowhere.

Meanwhile, the fierce battle high above had reached a fever pitch.

Recovering from her initial shock, Kaguya completely discarded all contempt.

The chakra around her surged to its limit, her long, silver-white hair dancing without wind, and the Tomoe Rinnegan on her forehead slowly opened!

"Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Although Manji had suppressed Kaguya for a time by fusing technique with senjutsu, he knew deep down that he was ultimately bound by the system's power and could not reach the Six Paths level.

The current suppression was merely temporary; Kaguya's chakra was like a vast ocean, endless and inexhaustible. If the stalemate dragged on, he would inevitably be the one to fall.

The moment Manji felt his strength waning, two figures surged into the high sky with the momentum to shatter the heavens:

"Teacher! We have come to assist you!"

Hagoromo and Hamura arrived side by side. The Truth-Seeking Orb behind them erupted with brilliant light, the power of Yin-Yang Release transforming into two sharp attacks aimed directly at Kaguya's back.

"Just in time!"

Seeing this, a flash of realization crossed Manji's eyes. He instantly retreated, pulling out of the battlefield and landing on a distant mountain peak!

In the original work, these two brothers possessed the power to seal Kaguya. Now, with the dual blessing of the Rinnegan and Byakugan, combined with the foundation of senjutsu he had laid, they were sufficient to handle the current situation.

He would take this opportunity to conserve his strength; there was no need to exhaust himself in this destined battle.

Sensing the lethal aura striking from behind, Kaguya's expression shifted, and she hurriedly turned to block.

With a thunderous "bang," the chakra of the three figures collided violently. The shockwaves swept across the sky like a hurricane, tearing the clouds apart.

"Do you think you can oppose me with this meager power?"

Kaguya roared, the light from the Tomoe Rinnegan on her forehead flaring as she gazed toward the towering God Tree in the distance.

The next second, the God Tree trembled violently. Its trunk twisted and shrank frantically, leaves fell, roots burst from the earth, and its massive body gradually transformed into a giant monster the size of a mountain—the Ten-Tails!

"ROAR!!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

It let out a deafening roar and charged madly toward the battlefield, the earth collapsing and mountains shattering in its wake.

The Ten-Tails.

"Not good!"

Hagoromo's expression changed, his Rinnegan flashing with gravity.

He could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within the Ten-Tails—energy capable of destroying the entire world. He immediately prepared to channel his chakra to manifest the Susanoo for defense.

[There is no Susanoo in the manga, but this book follows the anime TV version.]

"No need for words!"

Just then, Manji moved once more.

Stepping on senjutsu chakra, he instantly flashed above the Ten-Tails and shouted in a deep voice: "Sage Art: Gate of the Great God!"

No hand seals were required; he released the technique directly!

As he spoke, dozens of pitch-black Gates of the Great God, carved with immortal runes, emerged from the void. Like giant stones falling from the heavens, they slammed toward the Ten-Tails with the force of thunder!

This was a technique Manji had created by drawing inspiration from the Gate of the Great God used by Hashirama Senju in later generations, combined with the senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest. While slightly inferior in suppression, it was infinitely close to the power of the original.

"BANG! BANG! BANG!!!"

A series of dull, heavy thuds echoed through the world. Dozens of Gates of the Great God acted like heavy shackles, pinning the Ten-Tails' limbs, torso, and head firmly in place, locking the rampaging beast to the spot.

"ROAR—!!!"

The Ten-Tails let out a deafening roar, its tails lashing wildly against the ground in a desperate attempt to break free from the restraints of the Gate of the Great God.

The earth trembled violently under its struggle, and cracks continued to spread.

Manji's gaze sharpened as he shouted, "Summoning Jutsu!"

The next second!

The Great Toad Sage, already aged and withered!

The White Snake Sage, in the form of a youthful maiden.

And the snow-white White Ape King!

The three of us!

"The three of you, please lend me a hand!" Manji said, cupping his hands in a salute toward them.

The White Ape King stared at the Ten-Tails pinned to the ground, his eyes filled with awe: "What a terrifying monster. This power... it is truly horrifying."

The White Snake Sage nodded slightly, her tone carrying a playful, carefree air: "Don't worry, Brother Manji, leave it to us."

The Great Toad Sage leaned on his staff, his gaze sweeping over the Ten-Tails with gravity as he spoke in a deep voice: "Everyone, this battle concerns the future of the Ninja World and the survival of all living things. We must give it our all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Great Toad Sage took the lead.

At the same time, the White Snake Sage immediately unleashed the sealing jutsu of Ryūchi Cave!

"White Ape King!" Manji turned to look at the White Ape King, a hint of a signal flashing in his eyes.

"Right!" The White Ape King understood immediately and roared at the sky: "White Ape King! Transform!"

In the next second, his form changed drastically; his muscles surged, his white fur receded, and he transformed into a massive Golden Cudgel, covered from end to end in senjutsu markings, which he slammed fiercely toward the head of the Ten-Tails!

"BOOM--!!!"

The Golden Cudgel, carrying earth-shattering power, struck the head of the Ten-Tails heavily, driving the violent beast deep into the ground and creating a massive crater.

As the dust settled, the struggles of the Ten-Tails gradually weakened!

Under the combined sealing jutsu of the three sages and the heavy strike of the Golden Cudgel, the Ten-Tails was finally completely suppressed, lying motionless in the deep pit with only faint, ragged breaths remaining.

Manji landed slowly on the head of the Ten-Tails!

With his arms crossed and his black and red robes snapping in the gale, he looked down at the beast suppressed beneath his feet:

"Behave yourself, you beast!"

In the distance, Hagoromo watched this scene, his Rinnegan flickering with irrepressible surprise as he exclaimed sincerely: "Master truly possesses boundless divine powers! With you suppressing the Ten-Tails, dealing with Mother will be much easier for us!"

High above in the sky.

Kaguya watched the suppressed Ten-Tails, then looked at Manji standing atop the beast, her expression turning ugly to the extreme.

Complex emotions surged in her eyes: anger, unwillingness, shock, and a trace of bewilderment she herself had not yet realized.

This man, whom she had betrayed with her own hands and who should have long been dead, was not only alive but now possessed such formidable power, even joining forces with her own son to stand on the opposite side of her.