On the desolate battlefield, the air seemed to freeze.
Nagato hovered in mid-air, clad in a white robe and wielding the Six Paths Staff; eight pitch-black Truth-Seeking Orbs orbited him silently like satellites, radiating a terrifying, soul-shaking pressure.
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Come, Allied Forces, Uchiha Madara, and... the one in hiding."
Faced with this unprecedentedly powerful foe, the Allied Forces did not give up.
Under the command of Minato, the elite forces launched a probing attack.
The "AB Duo"—the Raikage Ay and Killer Bee—transformed into a storm of golden and blue lightning; the combined, violent force of the "Lariat" and the Tailed Beast's spinning assault surged straight toward Nagato.
Yet, Nagato did not move an inch; a single Truth-Seeking Orb instantly morphed into a shield, effortlessly blocking the joint attack capable of obliterating mountains.
BOOM!
The moment the Raikage's lightning storm and Killer B's torrent of Tailed Beast chakra collided with the shield formed by that pitch-black orb, a deafening roar erupted.
However, the earth-shattering clash of energies one might have expected did not occur; instead, there was a terrifying sense of annihilation.
The Raikage's pupils contracted sharply.
His Lightning Release Chakra Mode began to emit a crackling, splintering sound as it struggled under the strain of contact with that pitch-black substance!
The fine cracks did not stem from the physical impact; it was as if the very chakra constituting the armor was being directly erased by a power of a higher order!
A massive force rebounded against them, far exceeding anything they had imagined.
"Urgh!"
"Gah!"
Two cries of pain rang out almost simultaneously.
It was as if the Raikage and Killer B had been struck by an invisible giant hammer; their bodies were sent flying uncontrollably backward, tracing wretched arcs through the air.
The lightning aura dimmed, the Tailed Beast Cloak flickered violently, and Gyuki roared in agony within Killer B. In the split second they were sent flying, the Raikage, A, fought through the agonizing pain that threatened to tear his body apart and the chaotic turbulence of his chakra.
Driven by instincts honed in years of life-or-death combat and an intense concern for his comrade's safety, he roared at the top of his lungs:
"Damn it! Don't touch those black spheres! That stuff... it erases ninjutsu and chakra!!"
His warning was laced with shock and urgency.
The moment he made contact, he had clearly sensed the terrifying, unreasonable nature of the Truth-Seeking Balls.
They ignored defenses and instantly annihilated the chakra structures that formed the very foundation of ninjutsu!
His Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Killer Bee's Tailed Beast chakra were as fragile as paper before that black substance.
Had he not reacted quickly and pulled away in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable!
Killer Bee managed to steady himself while tumbling through the air; the Eight-Tails' chakra was frantically repairing his damaged body. Still shaken, he chimed in—forgetting even his signature rap style.
"Yo! Big Brother's right! You fool! You moron! That black sphere... it's wicked!
Even Lord Eight-Tails felt like he was about to get 'erased,' yeah!"
His voice, too, was filled with lingering dread; the earlier lightheartedness was gone.
Nagato, in his Six Paths form, hovered in the air, paying no heed to the Raikage's warning. His gaze remained utterly calm, as if he had merely brushed away two annoying insects.
Upon hearing the warning from the Raikage and Killer Bee...
Gaara manipulated a vast cloud of gold dust, attempting to bind Nagato.
Meanwhile, high above, Onoki condensed a massive cube of Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World's Art, aiming it at Nagato's core.
Nagato lifted his gaze slightly and tapped his black rod.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A terrifying repulsive force—far exceeding that of the Tendo Pain—exploded outward. The gold dust scattered like mere grit, and the Dust Release cube was forcibly shoved off course, detonating to create a massive crater in the distant desert.
Kakashi activated Kamui, attempting to warp the space around Nagato's body or the Truth-Seeking Balls. "Huh?"
Nagato was somewhat surprised; that space-time ninjutsu was actually still effective against him.
Then, a Truth-Seeking Ball behind him transformed into a black spear. Ignoring the spatial fluctuations, it thrust straight toward the center of the Kamui vortex—aiming directly at Kakashi with blistering speed.
Facing the pitch-black spear that pierced through the spatial distortions, Kakashi's pupils contracted sharply.
He realized instantly that the speed at which Kamui could warp space was no match for the spear's thrust!
Forcing the technique to continue would only result in him being impaled before the distortion could complete.
"Damn it!"
Kakashi made a split-second decision and forcibly aborted the active Kamui; his crimson Mangekyō Sharingan instantly reverted to the three-tomoe state.
He pushed off with his legs, his body instinctively darting to the rear-side in a desperate attempt to dodge the lethal blow.
However, at that critical juncture, the aftereffects of repeatedly pushing his Mangekyō Sharingan to the limit suddenly flared up!
A wave of intense dizziness and excruciating, piercing pain assaulted his entire nervous system—concentrated most heavily in his eyes.
This momentary, fatal paralysis caused a lag in his evasive maneuver—a delay that could cost him his life!
The turn of events was so swift and sudden; the sight of Kakashi frozen in place, unable to dodge, caught everyone completely off guard!
"Kakashi-sensei!!"
In the distance, Naruto's eyes bulged with rage and horror as Nine-Tails chakra surged violently within him—but he was too far away.
"Kakashi!!"
Minato was seized by sheer terror; his Flying Thunder God kunai was poised to leave his hand, but even a space-time jump required time.
That pitch-black spear of death, carrying an aura capable of annihilating everything in its path, closed in on the chest of the frozen Kakashi—poised to run him through completely!
Just as life and death hung in the balance...
A dark figure appeared instantly like a phantom between Kakashi and that all-annihilating black spear! The robed figure clutched a seemingly ordinary short blade, which—infused with a terrifyingly massive amount of chakra—slammed violently against the Truth-Seeking Ball spear controlled by Nagato!
Clang! Crack!
The sound of a fierce collision was accompanied by a sharp, splintering snap!
The moment the chakra-infused blade made contact with the Truth-Seeking Ball spear, cracks spiderwebbed across its surface before it shattered completely!
The terrifying nature of the Truth-Seeking Balls—capable of obliterating all ninjutsu and chakra—was far beyond what ordinary ninja tools or chakra infusion could withstand.
The robed figure was sent sliding backward by the immense impact, his wide sleeves billowing wildly.
His form swayed slightly beneath the hood; clearly, this hasty defense had been an arduous struggle, costing him his weapon in the process.
Although Minato was utterly astonished by the sudden appearance of this robed figure, as the "Yellow Flash," his thought process never hindered his actions!
The instant the robed figure appeared to intervene, the Flying Thunder God kunai Minato had thrown had already embedded itself precisely beside Kakashi's feet.
Almost simultaneously with the shattering of the short blade, a flash of golden light streaked past.
Kakashi, frozen in place, was instantly whisked away by Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique, leaving behind only a swirl of dust kicked up by the wind.
Sensing the spatial fluctuation behind him, the robed figure realized Kakashi had been rescued.
Facing the unstoppable Truth-Seeking Ball spear, he showed no hesitation or reluctance to retreat.
With a strange, fluid twist of his body, he nimbly sidestepped, slipping out of the spear's trajectory.
Deprived of its target, the pitch-black spear drove viciously into the earth!
BOOM!
It was not the fiery spectacle of a conventional explosion, but a violent collapse and energy shockwave following a silent annihilation!
At the point of impact, the ground seemed devoured by an invisible, gaping maw, instantly creating a massive, deep crater.
The crater walls were as smooth as a mirror, as if all matter had been utterly erased the moment it made contact. The figure in the black robe stood a short distance away; the gaze beneath the hood seemed to flicker briefly toward Kakashi—who had been brought to safety by Minato and was still reeling from the shock—before shifting to Nagato, who hovered in the air with the detached indifference of a deity, and finally settling on the Collector in the distance.
Nagato's Rinnegan shifted slightly, focusing on this unexpected interloper.
Kakashi's pupils contracted sharply as he stared fixedly at the shattered short blade held by the robed figure.
The familiar, worn pattern on the hilt was exactly as he remembered it!
His throat tightened, and he summoned every ounce of his strength to ask, "Who are you?"
The robed figure paused for a moment; amidst the swirling dust and the lingering aura of annihilation left by the Truth-Seeking Balls, he slowly raised his hand and pulled back his hood.
A shock of short silver hair was revealed, and eyes—weathered by time yet sharp as a hawk's—swept over Kakashi's stunned face as the corners of his mouth curled into a gentle smile.
"Kakashi," Hatake Sakumo's voice, carrying the poignant emotion of a long-awaited reunion, cut clearly through the roar of the battlefield. "You've grown up."
"White Fang?!"
"Hatake Sakumo?! That's impossible!!"
Cries of astonishment erupted from across the Allied Forces' ranks.
Minato's eyes narrowed instantly, his gaze sweeping over Sakumo with piercing intensity.
There were no cracks indicative of the Impure World Reincarnation; this was a living, breathing body of flesh and blood!
A legendary ninja, long dead, had reappeared on the battlefield in the flesh?!
"Father..." Kakashi's voice trembled uncontrollably.
His Mangekyō Sharingan fluctuated wildly; the sheer shock of the moment made him almost forget he was standing at the very heart of the battlefield.
Might Guy roared in excitement, "Sakumo-senpai?! Is it really you?!"
Hatake Sakumo's appearance was like a massive boulder cast into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a tidal wave of emotion within the Allied camp.
Kakashi's trembling call of "Father" and Guy's excited shout rang out with startling clarity across the otherwise deathly silent battlefield. Minato, the Raikage Ay, the Tsuchikage Onoki, and even the Allied Shinobi Forces further away all wore expressions of utter, stunned disbelief.
"Fourth Hokage!"
The Raikage was the first to break the eerie silence; his voice was low, heavy with shock and a trace of suppressed anger.
"What is the meaning of this? Hatake Sakumo... the 'White Fang of the Leaf'! He was supposed to have died by his own hand over a decade ago! Did you orchestrate this? Just how many secrets is Konoha hiding?!"
The gazes of the other Allied forces converged on Minato, their confusion pressing down like a tangible weight.
Minato's azure eyes were likewise filled with bewilderment and astonishment.
Looking at that silver-haired figure—at once familiar and yet strange—he could only shake his head honestly in response to the Raikage's and the others' demands for answers.
"No, Lord Raikage... everyone. I swear in the name of the Hokage: I had absolutely no knowledge that Sakumo-senpai was still alive. Had I not seen it with my own eyes just now, I would still believe that my senior had sacrificed his life for Konoha."
His tone was sincere, momentarily quelling some of the skepticism; after all, his own shock had clearly been genuine.
Yet, a deeper mystery lingered in everyone's minds.
Hovering in the air, Nagato—wielding the power of the Six Paths—swept his Rinnegan's gaze from Hatake Sakumo to the stunned Allied forces, finally settling back on the "White Fang" who was supposed to be dead.
For the first time, an expression of intense curiosity and contemplation flickered across Nagato's face—a face usually marked by the detachment that comes with wielding absolute power.
His voice, typically calm and unruffled, held a barely perceptible tremor of emotion.
"Returned from the dead... and not through the Summoning: Edo Tensei... A truly intriguing spectacle."
He seemed to have glimpsed a crucial possibility within the reality of the White Fang's existence, a realization that stirred a faint excitement within him.
Consequently, he did not rush to strike; instead, he slightly reined in his power, seemingly intent on first observing this unexpected variable.
At that moment, Hatake Sakumo turned to face the crowd—and Nagato, hovering above. He did not shy away from the questioning gazes; his voice was steady and direct—sharp as the blade he once wielded, slicing through all speculation and pretense.
"There is no need for suspicion, nor for questioning the Hokage. I was indeed meant to die that day—on a rainy night that should have marked the end of my life."
He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through time and space as he recalled a memory.
"But I did not die. Someone saved me at that moment, granting a second life to this body that ought to have long since rotted away."
He took a deep breath, his sharp gaze sweeping across the crowd.
Finally, he clearly uttered the name that had shaken the ninja world and forced even the Ten-Tails to retreat:
"The one who saved my life—allowing me to survive to this day as a 'specter of the living world'—is the Collector."
Boom!
It was as if an invisible thunderclap had exploded in everyone's minds.
The Collector!
That mysterious entity who always watched with cold detachment, regarding all living beings as mere ants; who possessed unfathomable power and had effortlessly repelled the Ten-Tails!
Not only did he possess destructive might, but he also held the power to... reverse life and death?!
And more than a decade ago, he had secretly intervened to save the White Fang of the Leaf—a man who was supposed to have committed suicide?!
What, exactly, was his objective?
The role he played in this war suddenly seemed a thousand times more complex and terrifying than anyone had imagined!
Takuno reclined casually on his stone throne; his gaze swept over Hatake Sakumo—who stood shielding Kakashi—without a ripple of emotion in his eyes.
Amidst the rising chorus of gasps from the Allied Forces and Nagato's probing stare, he flicked his finger casually, causing a faint glimmer of light to vanish into nothingness.
"Merely an experiment."
Takuno scanned the faces frozen in shock, a cold, mirthless smile playing on his lips.
"When the entire ninja world was convinced that the 'White Fang of the Leaf' had taken his own life..."
He pointed vaguely in Sakumo's direction.
"...I wanted to see if I could single-handedly overturn that 'destined' death."
The ranks of the Allied Forces were plunged into even greater turmoil. The Raikage A's fists creaked audibly; shock welled up in the depths of Mei Terumi's eyes; even Nagato—hovering in mid-air as the Six Paths—saw the Truth-Seeking Balls atop his black rod freeze in place.
Reversing life and death, manipulating perception—this transcended the realm of ninjutsu; it was a divine miracle that defied the very rules of existence!
Sakumo stood in silent stillness amidst the swirling sand and wind, his black cloak billowing like a banner.
Yet, Takuno had already looked away, treating the earth-shattering spectacle he had just unleashed as nothing more than a speck of dust.
Resting his chin on his hand, he gazed up at the fractured firmament, while jagged, dark shadows spread from the base of his stone throne.
"The outcome proves that so-called 'consensus'..."
A soft chuckle dissolved into the wind,
"...is merely a cage for the mediocre."
A suffocating silence descended upon the battlefield.