Seeing the suddenly appearing Kamizuki Hikari, Obito instinctively activated the Sharingan in his eyes, then frowned.
"What's going on with you right now?" In his view, the present Kamizuki Hikari was like a mass of gathered energy, lacking a normal physical body.
"You don't need to worry about my situation."
Hikari acknowledged Obito's concern anyway. "Rest assured, I'm perfectly safe. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll definitely live longer than you."
Obito: '...That somehow stabbed me right in the heart.'
"Let's not talk about that for now, Hikari-senpai. Please tell us how to restore this world to normal!" Yakumo said urgently.
She didn't like this desolate world at all.
Her beloved Kurenai-sensei was trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, wrapped up like a dumpling. The only living people in this world were the four of them.
"Simply using the eye in the center of Madara's forehead can dispel this genjutsu." After speaking, Hikari walked towards Uchiha Madara. "I assume you don't mind me taking this eye, right?"
Uchiha Madara: ...
Is that even human language?
Madara truly felt like a tiger fallen to the plains and bullied by dogs. At this moment, he felt it would have been better to be possessed by Black Zetsu; at least then he could have preserved his last shred of dignity.
As his will to resist faded, the area corrupted by Black Zetsu on Madara's body instantly doubled.
"Truly stubborn to the end."
Though he said that, Hikari didn't take any further action, simply watching as Madara underwent a transformation.
A gigantic female silhouette appeared behind Uchiha Madara. Then Madara and that silhouette merged into one.
A woman with white hair, horn-like protrusions resembling rabbit ears, and three eyes appeared before them.
"I feel somewhat weakened."
Upon appearing, Kaguya's first words were these.
"Mother, it's because the Nine-Tails has not been recovered. Based on my deduction, that Nine-Tails Jinchūriki must have entered Mount Myōboku, the place where the toads that fooled that big idiot Hagoromo live," Black Zetsu spoke up, critiquing without holding back.
"And what of these three?" Kaguya asked, looking curiously at the three unmoving figures before her.
"The man with the Sharingan is Uchiha Obito, a pawn used to resurrect you. These two are wicked people who wish to seal you away, Mother. Let's kill them!"
Hearing Black Zetsu's words, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya observed Kamizuki Hikari and Yakumo with her three eyes.
As for Obito on the side, she ignored him.
"You wish to seal me?" Kaguya didn't believe anyone could kill her.
Just like her unfilial son, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, couldn't kill her either and could only seal her away in the sky!
Hikari shrugged. "As long as you dispel the Infinite Tsukuyomi and restore this world to normal, we have no real conflict. The need to seal you would vanish."
"You believe you can seal me?" Kaguya pressed.
Hikari shook his head. "I don't have the ability to seal you. I have the ability to kill you."
"Like this, for example!"
To convince Kaguya, Kamizuki Hikari extended his right hand, and Black Zetsu, who was hiding in Kaguya's sleeve, appeared in his grasp.
Kaguya wasn't particularly concerned about Black Zetsu.
What she cared about was the method Kamizuki Hikari had employed.
"A space-time ninjutsu?"
"Not exactly," Hikari replied politely, then kneaded Black Zetsu, molding it into a black sphere. "You used Yin-Yang Release to create the lifeform that is Black Zetsu. I can use a more refined method than yours to return him to his original state. If you don't mind, I can demonstrate."
"Please," Kaguya said. For Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, Black Zetsu was merely a being she created to help free herself from the seal. Now that she had regained her freedom, Black Zetsu had lost its purpose.
A meaningless existence, its disappearance was of little consequence.
"There are seven chakra natures in this world: Wind, Earth, Water, Lightning, Fire, plus Yin and Yang."
"Among these seven, the most important are Yin and Yang. The other five natures, when combined with either Yin Release or Yang Release, can possess greater power. The fusion of Yin and Yang Release can even create life and forge the Six Paths weapon, Truth-Seeking Balls."
"Yin Release is spirit, the product of consciousness. Yang Release is the physical body, the proof of one's existence in the world. Only the unity of Yin and Yang allows one to attain the strongest power."
"The chakra you value, in my view, only increases the burden on the body. Aside from making one's physique stronger and allowing the use of more ninjutsu, it holds no fundamental significance."
"In my opinion, it's better to focus on cultivating Yin and Yang Release. Yin Release enhances one's spiritual power, Yang Release enhances one's physical energy. As for the other chakra natures, they can be released using senjutsu."
"Do you truly believe ordinary elemental chakra is so significant to you?"
Having said this, Hikari directly tossed the black sphere in his hand to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Kaguya caught it casually, examined it carefully, and all three of her eyes narrowed simultaneously.
"You destroyed Black Zetsu's spiritual essence. How was this done?"
"It's still based on the Rinnegan's abilities. The Human Path can absorb souls and read memories. I used Yin Release to breach Black Zetsu's spiritual defenses and incidentally wiped his memories clean. Now he is just a mass of pure Yin-Yang energy. Of course, if you wish to restore him, I can assist."
Facing Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, Kamizuki Hikari intended to try courtesy before force.
As long as Kaguya was willing to give up harvesting the shinobi world's chakra and release the people, then Hikari would not be her enemy.
However, the likelihood of this was very low.
Since even the Sage of Six Paths hadn't accomplished this, Kamizuki Hikari didn't believe he could achieve it.
"Your methods are indeed impressive. But how can I be sure that the path you took to grow stronger would suit me?" For Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, gathering the chakra essence of the shinobi world was originally for the sake of becoming stronger. If there was another path that could make her stronger, she wouldn't mind taking it.
After all, in her view, Kamizuki Hikari's methods were truly profound and unfathomable.
"I cannot prove that my path is suitable for you. However, I can demonstrate my abilities to you."
"Yakumo, I need your cooperation!"
Yakumo nodded. Between them, words weren't needed to express intent.
Hikari waved his right hand, and Yakumo immediately floated into the air, arriving before him.
"In my view, the essence of the Six Paths level is no different from Kekkei Genkai. One only needs to decipher its secrets to reach this level. Yakumo's spiritual power has already reached this point. So, all I need to do next is alter her physical body, and she will possess strength at the Six Paths level."
Being able to resist the Infinite Tsukuyomi released by Madara meant Yakumo already possessed semi-Six Paths level strength. She just didn't realize it herself, thinking she had merely found a clever workaround.
The struggle of genjutsu is even more brutal than ordinary ninjutsu battles. Without corresponding strength, one would have long become a puppet under the Infinite Tsukuyomi.