In the real world, Chinatsu had entered a state of absolute stillness.
She hadn't moved for days.
Her body remained cross-legged on the ground, completely motionless. Her breathing was so faint that it was almost impossible to notice, while her aura had vanished entirely.
She looked less like a living person and more like a stone statue.
Naruto and Sasuke sat beside her, quietly waiting.
The three Snake Princesses had already returned to report the situation to the White Snake Sage.
"The fusion of three Sage Techniques..."
The White Snake Sage narrowed his eyes.
"She really is a madwoman."
He wasn't particularly surprised.
The moment he learned that Chinatsu had mastered two different Sage Techniques and had come to Ryūchi Cave specifically to master a third, he had already guessed what she intended to do.
Still...
Knowing someone was crazy and actually witnessing their madness were two completely different things.
The White Snake Sage flicked his tail.
"You three may leave."
He glanced at Naruto and Sasuke.
"As for those two, don't worry. I'll provide them with food and water until Chinatsu either succeeds or fails."
The Snake Princesses nodded before leaving.
And so, the days continued to pass.
One day.
Two days.
Three days.
Chinatsu remained motionless.
Like a stone statue.
Naruto and Sasuke never left her side.
However, they also refused to simply sit around and do nothing.
They began practicing taijutsu.
No chakra.
No ninjutsu.
No special abilities.
Just pure physical combat.
Whether such training would actually improve their strength was questionable.
At their current level, ordinary taijutsu training could hardly provide them with any meaningful growth.
But it was better than doing nothing.
More importantly, moving their bodies helped distract them.
Neither Naruto nor Sasuke wanted to spend every second staring at their sister's unmoving body.
Bang!
Bang!
Boom!
The sounds of fists colliding echoed through Ryūchi Cave.
Yet, beside them, the stone statue called Chinatsu remained completely unmoved.
---
Inside Chinatsu's spiritual world, everything was changing.
The violent turbulence that had once surrounded her had gradually calmed.
Chinatsu's spiritual body stood silently within the boundless space.
The three forms of Sage Chakra no longer violently rejected one another.
Instead...
They had begun to coexist.
Kaguya stood nearby.
Her arms were crossed over her chest as she silently watched Chinatsu.
For some reason, an inexplicable sense of unease had appeared within her heart.
It was getting stronger.
Stronger by the second.
Kaguya couldn't explain why.
She simply felt that something was wrong.
Chinatsu had finally reached the state she had been searching for.
She wasn't controlling the power of nature.
Nor had the power of nature devoured her.
The two sides had reached a strange balance.
Assimilation.
That was the key.
After countless failures, Chinatsu had finally found a tiny opening.
And as her connection with the power of nature continued to deepen...
Something terrifying began to happen.
---
Outside.
Bang!
Naruto's fist struck Sasuke's shoulder.
Sasuke immediately countered with a kick.
Boom!
Naruto was sent sliding backward.
Without using chakra, Sasuke's Sharingan gave him a clear advantage.
His movements were faster.
His reactions were sharper.
His attacks were more precise.
But Naruto had one terrifying advantage.
His endurance.
He could take punishment far beyond what an ordinary person could withstand.
If losing two drops of his own blood meant landing a clean hit on Sasuke, Naruto wouldn't even consider it a bad trade.
After another fierce exchange—
BAM!
Naruto's fist slammed into Sasuke's face.
At almost the exact same moment—
BOOM!
Sasuke's foot struck Naruto's stomach.
The two flew backward.
They landed on the ground almost simultaneously.
Both were breathing heavily.
Sweat covered their bodies.
Their clothes were slightly disheveled.
Yet neither had suffered any serious injury.
At their current level, even minor injuries could be healed instantly with chakra.
Naruto lay flat on his back and stared at the ceiling.
"Sasuke..."
"Hm?"
"When do you think Chinatsu-nee will wake up?"
Sasuke sat nearby, drinking water from a bottle provided by the Snake Princesses.
"I don't know."
He lowered the bottle.
"So I'll wait."
The food and water provided by Ryūchi Cave were mostly supplies left behind by previous visitors.
The Snake Sages had little interest in human food. Those who came to learn Sage Arts but were deemed unworthy were devoured, while their belongings were usually left behind.
So Naruto and Sasuke had been eating those supplies during their stay.
And no...
They weren't going to complain about whether the food had technically "expired."
Expired didn't automatically mean poisonous.
At worst, the taste had changed.
Besides...
Even questionable preserved food was still better than the insect feast the toads of Mount Myōboku had tried to serve them.
Naruto reached for another snack.
But just as he was about to eat—
He froze.
Sasuke froze as well.
Something was wrong.
The space around them...
Naruto slowly turned his head.
"Sasuke..."
His voice trembled.
"Sis..."
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"Where's my sister?"
"What...?"
Naruto immediately looked up.
The biscuit in his hand slipped from his fingers.
Clatter.
The two stared ahead.
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then—
They jumped to their feet.
"Chinatsu-NEE?!"
They rushed toward the spot where Chinatsu had been sitting.
Nothing.
No body.
No chakra.
No aura.
Nothing.
They looked around frantically.
Maybe she had moved.
Maybe she was playing a prank.
Maybe...
"Where is she?!"
Naruto's voice became increasingly panicked.
Sasuke's Sharingan spun rapidly.
He searched every corner.
Nothing.
Their sister had disappeared.
---
Inside the spiritual world.
Kaguya's unease finally reached its limit.
She stared at Chinatsu.
Then—
The world went dark.
It was like being inside a room with the lights suddenly switched off.
One moment, Kaguya could still see Chinatsu.
The next...
Nothing.
"Chinatsu?"
Kaguya reached forward.
Her hand passed through empty space.
The iron cage that had once separated her from Chinatsu was gone.
Kaguya's expression changed.
"Chinatsu!"
No response.
She reached out again.
Nothing.
Even within this spiritual world...
She could no longer sense Chinatsu's presence.
Kaguya's pupils contracted.
She finally understood.
The worst possible outcome had occurred.
Chinatsu's adaptation to nature had progressed too far.
Her existence was gradually changing.
She was no longer simply a biological being borrowing the power of nature.
She was becoming...
Nature itself.
If this continued, the person known as Uchiha Chinatsu might completely disappear from the world.
Kaguya gritted her teeth.
"No..."
She clenched her fists.
Then she shouted into the endless darkness.
"Is that all you've got?!"
Her voice echoed through the darkness.
"Didn't you brag to me before that you were absolutely certain you'd succeed?!"
"Then wake up!"
"Chinatsu!"
"WAKE UP!!!"
Her voice echoed again and again.
But there was no response.
Only silence.
Kaguya's fists trembled.
For the first time in a very long time...
She felt afraid.
---
Yet reality had not ended.
Far away, somewhere within the Ninja World—
Dark clouds suddenly gathered.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
BOOM!!!
A terrifying explosion tore through the clouds.
A massive hole was ripped open in the heavens.
Three figures descended from within.
They hovered high above the ground, looking around.
"Is this it?"
One of them stretched lazily.
"Finally found it. I'm exhausted~"
Another closed his eyes and sensed the world beneath them.
"Yes."
"This should be it."
"I can sense traces of a Divine Tree."
"This world once produced a high-quality Chakra Fruit."
The third Ōtsutsuki smiled.
"Interesting."
"A world capable of producing such a high-quality fruit should have been thoroughly drained."
"Yet this planet still possesses such incredible vitality."
"This world is extraordinary."
The three looked down.
Their expressions gradually became serious.
Because countless Ōtsutsuki had already visited this world, traces of their presence remained.
The three only needed to carefully scan the surrounding space.
"It's confirmed."
"Several clan members have been here."
"There's something else..."
One of them narrowed his eyes.
"I can sense two more Ōtsutsuki."
"Based on their chakra signatures..."
"It's likely Isshiki and Momoshiki."
"Huh?"
Another raised an eyebrow.
"They aren't dead?"
"I thought they were."
"They probably used Karma to extend their lives."
The first Ōtsutsuki smiled.
"Either way, let's go take a look."
The three immediately locked onto a location.
Ryūchi Cave.
At the same moment—
Naruto and Sasuke felt it.
Someone was watching them.
Both brothers turned toward the same direction.
Their expressions became serious.
They could feel it.
Three powerful presences.
Three terrifying enemies.
And those enemies had already found them.
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance.
No words were necessary.
They both understood.
Their sister wasn't here.
That meant there was no reason to stay.
Naruto clenched his fist.
"Sasuke."
"I know."
The two turned away from Ryūchi Cave.
They weren't running.
They weren't retreating.
They simply didn't want the battle to happen here.
Ryūchi Cave had nothing to do with this.
Their sister had disappeared.
And now...
Her enemies had arrived.
Sasuke's eyes hardened.
"If they want us..."
Naruto's expression became equally serious.
"Then let's give them what they came for."
The two brothers stepped into the darkness.
Their destination was the outside world.
Their enemies were coming.
And this time...
There was no Chinatsu standing in front of them.
Only Naruto and Sasuke.
Since their sister wasn't here...
They would deal with her enemies themselves.
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