A month has gone by in a blink of an eye.
During this month, Konoha was like a precise and efficient machine, running at high speed with the return of Shikaku Nara, the full assistance of Shikamaru Nara, and the presence of Hokage of all generations.
Personnel deployment, material reserves, intelligence analysis, tactical deductions... everything is proceeding in an orderly manner.
Naruto Uzumaki is practicing in seclusion, adjusting his state to its peak, and at the same time constantly familiarizing himself with and integrating his complex power system to make final preparations for the upcoming "chess game".
However, under the calm water, the undercurrent never stops.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, this thousand-year-old soul who narrowly escaped from Pure Land's killing spree and lurked like a gutter rat for a month, has never given up coveting the body of the "perfect Vessel" Naruto Uzumaki.
Like the most patient hunter, he dragged his broken body around in the shadow of Shinobi World, looking for any possible opportunity.
Finally, he waited!
Through secret observation, Isshiki was keenly aware that Otohime Otsutsuki and Kaguya Otsutsuki, who had always maintained an aloof relationship with Naruto, existing like two untimely bombs, seemed to have temporarily left Konoha for some reason, at least unable to support Naruto in the first place!
"Opportunity!"
Isshiki's eyes burst out with a fanatical and greedy light.
Although Jigen's body is on the verge of collapse and his strength is far from restored, the absence of Strongest's two bodyguards around Naruto at this moment presents a golden opportunity for a surprise attack.
As long as you can get close to Naruto, activate "Wedge"'s forced reincarnation, or use other means to control him...
"My perfect Vessel... finally, I can have you!"
Isshiki's hoarse voice was filled with morbid longing.
He no longer hesitated, drained the last bit of potential from Jigen's body, increased his speed to the extreme, and turned it into a blurry afterimage that was almost impossible to catch with the naked eye. Like a poisonous snake that pounced on its prey, he rushed towards Hokage's Office, the center of Konoha!
He wants to make the final gamble and take Naruto's body by force.
Almost at the same moment when Isshiki launched the surprise attack, it seemed like fate or Sage of Six Paths's precise calculation.
A vast, ancient, indescribable power descended.
There was no abnormality in the sky, but all Sensing keen experts felt their hearts sink inexplicably, as if the rules of the entire world had been gently shaken.
Deep inside Pure Land, the special Treasured Tool Six Paths·Life-and-Death Shogi, which was jointly created by Sage of Six Paths and Great Toad Sage and combined the power of Yin-Yang Release and Senjutsu, was completely activated!
It's not like the last time we dealt with Isshiki, where we just projected part of our power to build a temporary Chessboard.
This time, Sage of Six Paths used all the power of Treasured Tool!
A huge Chessboard shadow that was unimaginably huge, with complex and mysterious lines, and seemed to contain the cycle of life and death, as well as the rules of time and space, slowly unfolded in the void of Pure Land.
Like a root system, it slowly resonates and connects with the rules and energy of the entire Pure Land, and even countless sleeping or awake souls.
Chessboard is Pure Land, and Pure Land is Chessboard.
Konoha, Hokage's Office.
Naruto Uzumaki, who was closing his eyes to concentrate and adjust his condition, suddenly opened his eyes.
He clearly felt a gentle pulling force coming from the void and covering his whole body.
This force is not an attack, but more like an invitation or a guide to bring him into a specific space.
"Are you here..."
Naruto whispered to himself, a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.
He did not resist this force, but relaxed his body and mind and allowed the pulling force to act on him.
He knew that this was Sage of Six Paths arriving as promised to start the chess game that would determine the future.
At the same time.
"Whoops!"
Hokage's Office The solid wall was torn apart like paper.
A figure carrying the aura of madness and greed rushed towards Naruto at a terrifying speed exceeding the speed of sound.
It was Ōtsutsuki Isshiki who launched the raid!
He had a desperate and ferocious smile on his face, and the five fingers of his right hand formed into claws. The fingertips were condensed with enough black Chakra to penetrate the space, and they were about to touch Naruto's neck.
Space distorts, light and shadow change!
The figures of Naruto and Isshiki who rushed towards him became blurry at the same time, as if they were wiped from their place by an invisible big hand.
Pure Land, on top of the huge Chessboard that blends into the entire space.
Light and shadow condensed, and two figures appeared out of thin air and landed on a certain chess position on the side of Chessboard.
It was Naruto Uzumaki and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki who were attracted by Six Paths Treasured Tool"Life-and-Death Shogi"!
Isshiki The ferocious smile on his face has not dissipated, and the greed and madness in his eyes are still blazing.
But he immediately noticed something was wrong, and the surrounding environment completely changed.
It is no longer the familiar Hokage's Office. There are huge criss-crossing Chessboard lines under the feet, and above the head is a deep and boundless void, as if there are countless stars twinkling.
The Naruto Uzumaki in front of me has also disappeared.
"What... is going on?!"
Isshiki stopped in shock, scanning the surroundings with one eye, alarm bells ringing in his heart.
Could it be Sage of Six Paths's method?
Before he could clear his mind, a voice so calm that it was almost indifferent sounded behind him, very close at hand:
"Borrowed it."
It is the "prey" of Isshiki, Naruto Uzumaki.
Isshiki was startled in his heart, and subconsciously wanted to turn around or dodge, but an indescribable terrifying force that seemed to freeze time and space enveloped him instantly.
The speed he was proud of, his remaining strength, and all his reactions, in the face of this power, were like flying insects trapped in amber, becoming slow and weak.
He could only "feel" with his eyes, Naruto seemed to be moving, but it seemed not to be moving?
Then, Isshiki suddenly felt that the scene in front of him... changed.
The height of his sight seems to be much higher?
He saw the headless body below wearing tattered white clothes, with a large amount of black blood gushing out from his neck?
That's... my body?
It wasn't until his consciousness began to blur, and severe pain and a sense of soul peeling came, that Isshiki "understood" a fact very clearly at the last moment of his life:
He was so easily defeated by this Young Naruto whom he regarded as the "perfect Vessel"!
How is this possible?
He is Ōtsutsuki Isshiki!
Even if he is seriously injured, even if Vessel is on the verge of collapse, he still possesses strength and reactions far beyond ordinary people.
How could it be possible to be killed instantly without being able to see clearly the opponent's movements?
Endless doubts, unwillingness, fear and absurdity flooded his last consciousness like a tide.
Naruto stood next to Isshiki's slowly falling headless corpse, with a calm expression, as if he had just brushed away a speck of dust.
He didn't even take a second look at the corpse. He just raised his eyes and looked at the Sage of Six Paths Hagoromo Otsutsuki who had been sitting in the position of "King General" for some time and whose aura was as vast as the abyss opposite Chessboard.
Naruto whispered to himself, with a hint of indifference in his tone, almost pity, "You are so weak, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, I may forget you in two days."
As soon as he finished speaking, Naruto's eyes suddenly changed.
The eyes that were originally Blue Eyes instantly turned into Blue Rinnegan.
Immediately afterwards, Naruto raised his right hand, spread his fingers, and aimed at Isshiki's body.
The taboo ability that Urashiki once used to refine life forms and Chakra into elixirs is now reappearing in the hands of Naruto.
Refined instantly!
I saw the broken body of Isshiki, the scattered soul, and the pure Chakra contained in it, rapidly collapsing, condensing, and purifying in front of the palm of Naruto...
Finally, it turned into a Chakra Fruit that exuded an alluring luster and contained majestic energy and life essence.
This is exactly the move that Naruto naturally mastered after using Amenotajikara to seize Urashiki's ability.
Naruto put away this fresh Chakra Fruit as if it was just a trivial thing.
Then, he raised his head and looked calmly at Sage of Six Paths opposite Chessboard, as if the instant kill of Isshiki and the refining fruit just now were just a noisy fly that he casually cleared away before the start of this "chess game".
Above Chessboard, the dust has settled.
The real chess players finally come face to face.
Naruto Uzumaki VS Hagoromo Otsutsuki.
The Sage of Six Paths field is unfolding, with the entire Pure Land as Chessboard and the future of Shinobi World as the bet, "Life-and-Death Shogi" officially kicks off at this moment!