Chapter 153 (Patreon)

The sphere continued writhing for several moments before gradually shrinking.

Its surface folded inward until Obito’s body reappeared.

However, his appearance had changed completely.

The vacant look within his eyes had disappeared. His consciousness had returned, and the immense power of the Ten-Tails was now firmly under his control.

A white robe resembling the garments of the Sage of Six Paths covered his body.

His left eye remained a Rinnegan, while his right was a Sharingan. One Truth-Seeking Ball hovered above his left hand, with eight more floating in a circular formation behind him, matching the nine black magatama upon his back.

A black Six Paths staff rested in his right hand.

Obito slowly raised his head and looked directly at Mihawk.

“It’s finally under control.”

His voice was calm and clear.

“I suppose I should thank you, Nerona Mihawk. Your attack helped me complete this form.”

Whoosh!

The moment their gazes met, the Truth-Seeking Ball above Obito’s left hand shot forward.

“Boy, don’t let that thing touch you!” Tobirama shouted.

They had already witnessed the destructive power of those black spheres.

Even in Obito’s unstable form, they had torn through Hiruzen and Tobirama’s reanimated bodies in an instant.

At that time, Obito had not yet gained full control over the Ten-Tails or Yin–Yang Release. The portions of their Edo Tensei bodies that were destroyed could still regenerate.

That was no longer the case.

The completed Truth-Seeking Balls combined all five basic chakra natures with Yin–Yang Release. They could nullify ordinary ninjutsu and prevent any section of an Edo Tensei body they destroyed from regenerating.

When expanded and detonated, a single one possessed enough destructive power to erase an entire forest.

The same substance could even defend against attacks on the level of the Evening Elephant unleashed through the Eight Gates.

Tobirama did not need to warn Hinata.

Her Tenseigan could already see the terrifying amount of chakra compressed within the approaching sphere.

She raised her hand, preparing to use repulsion.

SHING!

Before Hinata could act, Mihawk swung Nemesis.

The blade traced a simple white line through the air from top to bottom.

Mihawk didn't use Haki and had merely swung his sword.

The blade passed through the Truth-Seeking Ball without producing a sound.

The black sphere stopped in midair.

A perfectly smooth line appeared across its center.

Then the Truth-Seeking Ball separated into two equal halves.

“WHAT?!”

Everyone who witnessed the scene stared in disbelief.

Even Obito’s calm expression changed slightly.

Mihawk’s attack had been unmistakably ordinary.

He had not released a Ranged Slash or reinforced Nemesis with that strange force he usually use that Obito couldn't quite describe.

There had not been the slightest trace of chakra or natural energy within the strike either.

In the face of Six Paths power, Nemesis was still a physical blade made from ordinary material.

Even Minato’s specially forged three-pronged kunai would be erased the instant it came into contact with a completed Truth-Seeking Ball.

By all logic, Nemesis should have disappeared before its edge could penetrate even a fraction of the black sphere.

Yet the sword had never attempted to overpower the Truth-Seeking Ball.

It had simply followed the line of death Mihawk could see.

The Truth-Seeking Ball contained all five basic chakra natures and Yin–Yang Release. It stood at the pinnacle of what could be created through chakra.

None of that mattered once its death had been severed.

The two halves began disintegrating.

Black particles drifted from their surfaces before fading into nothingness.

Tobirama stared at Mihawk’s icy-blue eyes.

An almost absurd possibility appeared within his mind.

“Those eyes...”

His expression became solemn.

“Can they kill the existence of a jutsu itself?”

Naruto’s shock quickly transformed into excitement.

“That was amazing! How did Mihawk cut it?!”

Sasuke’s expression darkened.

Watching Nemesis pass through the Truth-Seeking Ball caused a phantom pain to spread across his waist.

He understood better than anyone what happened when Mihawk’s blade cut something that should have been able to recover.

Minato’s eyes widened slightly.

“What an extraordinary young man...”

He glanced toward Naruto and smiled faintly.

“Though my son isn’t going to lose to him.”

Whoosh!

While everyone remained stunned, Mihawk had already moved.

He pursued Obito before the latter could adjust to the loss of his Truth-Seeking Ball.

Obito quickly recovered his composure.

“Nerona Mihawk...”

His gaze became guarded.

“You really are dangerous.”

Another Truth-Seeking Ball moved away from the formation behind him and floated above his left hand.

The black sphere liquefied and flowed through his palm before expanding into three overlapping rings.

Obito gripped the Six Paths staff in his right hand and rushed forward.

Both weapons carried unmistakable killing intent.

Colorful light continued rotating within Mihawk’s icy-blue eyes.

He avoided looking directly into Obito’s Sharingan and Rinnegan. His attention remained upon the Truth-Seeking Ball and Six Paths staff approaching him.

The change in the Truth-Seeking Ball’s shape had altered the lines covering it.

More lines of death appeared across the enlarged form, spreading throughout the three overlapping rings.

Mihawk could cut it.

However, his Observation Haki suddenly warned him of another danger.

Instead of meeting Obito’s attack, Mihawk disappeared.

Obito struck the place where he had been standing.

At the same moment, another Truth-Seeking Ball separated from the formation behind him and flew toward Mihawk’s escape route.

Obito had anticipated where he would reappear.

The black sphere began glowing with brilliant white light.

A faint rainbow shimmer moved within the rapidly surging energy.

“Mihawk-kun, be careful!” Hinata shouted.

Mihawk had already sensed the danger.

He reappeared with Soru and immediately kicked against the air with Geppo.

His body shot upward.

The Truth-Seeking Ball reached the edge of Obito’s effective control range—approximately seventy meters.

Obito detonated it.

BOOM!

A dome of white energy expanded across the battlefield.

Everything caught inside disappeared.

The ground, rocks, and remaining trees were erased without leaving behind the usual debris of an explosion.

However, Mihawk had already escaped the attack radius.

“It’s open!”

Naruto’s voice rang out the moment the explosion erupted.

“Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!”

Naruto formed an enormous Rasenshuriken and hurled it toward Obito.

The spinning mass of wind chakra struck him directly.

BOOM!

A vast whirlwind erupted and swallowed Obito’s body.

The violent cyclone carved apart the ground beneath him and sent cutting winds sweeping across the battlefield.

Naruto stared into the storm, waiting for the result.

When the wind finally dissipated, Obito remained standing in the same place.

There was not a single wound upon his body.

“What?!”

Naruto’s eyes widened.

“How did that do nothing?”

Mihawk descended from above and landed beside him.

“Senjutsu, Naruto.”

Naruto looked toward him.

“His body contains the Ten-Tails, a mass of natural energy. Ordinary ninjutsu won’t work against him.”

Mihawk’s gaze remained upon Obito.

“Attack him with senjutsu.”

“Senjutsu...”

Naruto understood immediately.

“Right!”

The golden chakra surrounding his body disappeared.

Naruto closed his eyes and began gathering natural energy.

When he opened them again, orange pigmentation surrounded his eyes and his pupils had changed into the horizontal shape of a toad’s.

Tobirama appeared beside him.

“Try that attack again.”

Naruto nodded.

“Got it.”

Natural energy gathered within his hands.

A second Rasenshuriken formed, this time carrying senjutsu chakra.

“Sage Art: Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!”

Tobirama placed one hand against Naruto’s back.

He focused upon the Flying Raijin mark he had already left on Obito.

“Flying Raijin Jutsu!”

Whoosh!

Naruto and Tobirama vanished.

They appeared directly behind Obito.

Naruto’s enhanced perception allowed him to react to the teleportation instantly.

He drove the Sage Art: Rasenshuriken into Obito’s back.

BOOM!

A second cyclone exploded across the battlefield.

Before the Truth-Seeking Balls could respond, Tobirama teleported himself and Naruto back to their previous position.

The storm gradually dispersed.

Obito lay upon the shattered ground with clear wounds across his body.

Naruto raised his fist and cheered.

“All right! It worked!”