The sky was wrong.
Not dark. Not light. White. Pure white. Like someone had erased the sun.
Naruto stood at the cave entrance. His whiskers twitched. His blue eyes reflected nothing but emptiness.
Kurama is screaming. Naruto's voice was small. He says... he says she is here.
Sasuke stepped out. His Sharingan spun. His hand was on his sword, but his fingers were shaking.
Tch. I can't see her chakra. It's everywhere. Like the air itself is alive.
Kakashi leaned against the wall. His visible eye was closed.
I've read the scrolls. The Sage of Six Paths sealed her because she could not be killed. Only contained.
I looked at my hands. The regeneration was working. My ribs were whole. But my chakra was still low.
The voice. Warning. Kaguya Otsutsuki is descending. Distance: two kilometers.
Then the ground cracked.
Not earthquake. Something beneath the earth was pushing up. Roots. White roots. Moving like snakes.
Naruto jumped back. What the...
The roots grabbed the air. Tore through the cave ceiling. Rocks fell. Kakashi pulled me.
Move!
We ran outside. The forest was gone. Replaced by white branches stretching to the sky.
And there. Floating above us.
Kaguya.
Long white hair. Pale skin. Horns on her head. Her eyes were white. No pupils. No emotion. Just emptiness.
She looked down at us like we were insects.
Naruto stepped forward. His fists raised.
Hey! You! Why are you doing this?!
She did not answer. Just raised one hand.
The voice screamed. Evade!
I grabbed Naruto and Sasuke. Flying Raijin. Teleported fifty meters left.
Where we stood exploded. A rod of bone pierced the ground. Three meters tall. Black and sharp.
Sasuke's eyes went wide. She almost...
Don't finish that sentence. I pulled them both behind a rock.
Kakashi appeared next to us. His hands were already forming signs.
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
The flame hit Kaguya. She did not move. Did not blink. The fire passed through her like she was not there.
Naruto's jaw dropped. That did nothing?!
She is not solid. Kakashi's voice was tight. She is... something else.
Kaguya raised both hands.
The white roots around us moved. Wrapped together. Formed a dome. We were trapped.
Naruto slammed his fist against the wall. Believe it! I will not die here!
He formed a Rasengan. Threw it at the dome.
The Rasengan hit. The dome absorbed it. Grew thicker.
Sasuke drew his sword. Chidori covered the blade. He stabbed.
Same result. The dome ate his lightning.
Tch. We can't touch her. She can't touch us. Stalemate.
Kaguya spoke. Her voice was soft. Cold. Like wind over ice.
You have something of my sons. Give it back.
Naruto blinked. Your sons? You mean... the Sage and his brother?
Give it back. She repeated. Her hair floated upward. Her eyes began to glow.
The voice. Extreme danger. Her chakra is spiking. She is preparing All-Killing Ash Bones.
I did not wait. I grabbed everyone. Activated Flying Raijin to the last marker outside the dome.
We appeared in a field of ash. The dome was behind us. Kaguya was still inside it. For now.
Naruto fell to his knees. Breathing hard.
What... what was that? She didn't even move and we almost died.
Sasuke stood over him. His voice was low.
That is the mother of chakra. We are children playing with fire against the sun.
Kakashi looked at me. His eye was serious.
Shin. Can you take her power?
The voice answered before I could. Negative. Kaguya's power exceeds current extraction limit. System level insufficient.
I shook my head.
Not yet. I need more. Much more.
Naruto stood up. His face was hard. Not angry. Determined.
Then we run. We train. We get stronger. And we come back.
Sasuke nodded. For once, he agreed.
Kaguya's voice echoed across the field. She had broken the dome. She was floating toward us. Slow. Unstoppable.
You cannot run from me. I am everywhere.
I looked at my team. Broken. Tired. But alive.
The voice. Extraction cooldown: twenty-two hours remaining.
Too long.
Kakashi grabbed my shoulder.
Shin. What is the plan?
I watched Kaguya approach. Her white hair waved like snakes. Her empty eyes locked on us.
The plan is simple.
I pulled out a kunai. Marked it with Flying Raijin.
We survive today. We fight tomorrow. And one day, we seal her back where she belongs.
Naruto grinned. His old grin. The one that had won a hundred battles.
Believe it!
Kaguya raised her hand. The sky turned black.
The impossible battle had just begun.