The air was filled with tension, chakra dust, and disbelief. The skies above the shattered battlefield cleared as Tiandao Payne waved away the golden haze of sand with repulsive force, revealing Naruto Uzumaki. His body bore the signs of exhaustion—his sage mode gone, chakra nearly depleted.
But Naruto had prepared for this moment.
Hidden back in Mount Myoboku, two of his shadow clones sat in wait, storing senjutsu chakra. As one dispersed by Fukasaku's summon, a surge of vibrant energy flooded Naruto's body once more. His eyes regained that piercing orange hue—Sage Mode: Re-entered.
Tiandao Payne, still within arm's reach, was taken aback.
A precise punch to the gut sent him flying through the sky—Naruto's second wind came with fury.
Without hesitation, Naruto conjured the iconic Rasenshuriken in his palm and hurled it toward the airborne enemy, whose evasive abilities were sealed by the cooldown of Shinra Tensei.
"Now... die!" many watchers muttered in unison.
But the tension broke with a cruel twist—the Hungry Ghost Path reappeared, reborn through the hidden techniques of Nagato. It intercepted the Rasenshuriken, absorbing the senjutsu technique with its chakra-nullifying ability.
Naruto's gaze sharpened.
From the red mist exploded two more Rasenshuriken—one from his clone and another from the real him. It was a strategic feint. The clone was intercepted, but before the recovery could begin—
Boom!
The second Rasenshuriken struck, but not before the five-second cooldown expired. Payne used Shinra Tensei once again, neutralizing the blow.
But Naruto had calculated that too.
Descending from above, he wielded twin Rasengan, smashing directly into the Hell Path, obliterating it in one sweeping blow.
Now only three of the Six Paths remained.
Payne, seething, reached out with Bansho Ten'in and yanked Naruto toward him. The moment Naruto came close, Hungry Ghost caught him in an iron embrace, beginning to drain his chakra again.
Only this time... it backfired.
Immortal chakra was not like ordinary energy. It was wild, potent, and connected to nature itself. Hungry Ghost's body failed to balance the natural energy—it petrified into a grotesque toad-stone hybrid.
Another Path, down.
Payne repeated the technique again, slamming Naruto into the ground with immense force. The ground cracked beneath him like glass under pressure. Black chakra rods sprouted from Payne's hands, pinning Naruto in a crucifixion-like fashion.
Naruto screamed but did not beg. The pain was overwhelming—but he endured.
"Nine-Tails Jinchuriki... secured." Payne declared coldly.
---
Beyond the Screen
The shinobi world watching the replay stood dumbstruck.
"This can't be... didn't Naruto win?!"
"Why aren't the Konoha shinobi helping him?"
The sight of Naruto—pinned, bleeding, helpless—sparked outrage.
"That Danzo bastard is just watching!" someone barked.
Even Fourth Raikage Ai narrowed his eyes. Had Naruto been from Kumogakure, he would've never been left alone. If nothing else, he'd have thrown Killer Bee in for backup.
"Hmph. Konoha. Cowards hiding behind a boy's sacrifice."
But in Ai's disdain, a new idea bloomed—a cunning one. If he could lure Naruto away from Konoha, Kumogakure's rise would be inevitable.
---
A New Force Enters
On the edge of the crater, Tsunade was ready to act—until a lithe figure leaped down past her.
"Is that—Hinata?!" Neji shouted, his Byakugan flaring.
Indeed, it was Hinata Hyuga—but no longer the meek heiress of old.
She flipped through the air with grace, landing on the summoned Yatagarasu beast beneath the Animal Path.
Her dojutsu activated, blue veins rising around her eyes as she intercepted an incoming blast.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!"
A dome of spiraling chakra shielded her from every strike. The Animal Path faltered, underestimating the threat.
Hinata didn't wait.
"Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms! Sixty-Four Palms! One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!"
Her voice rang through the air like a war hymn. Her palms struck like thunder, precise and unrelenting. The Animal Path was reduced to ragged breath and limp limbs.
Just as the creature thought it could escape—
Boom!
Hinata's body surged forward, hands morphing with chakra into twin burning lion heads.
"Protective Eight Trigrams: Twin Lion Fists!"
She unleashed her full power mid-air, her chakra lions roaring as they tore through the Animal Path, obliterating it in a storm of light and chakra fragments.
The sky was filled with falling debris. As Hinata landed, the world seemed to stop.
She rose slowly, calm and unwavering, the lion fists still burning in her hands—an avenger, a guardian, a storm in human form.
Tiandao Payne watched her with new eyes.
The girl had grown into a warrior.
And now, she stood between him and his prize.
Naruto Uzumaki—bloodied, bound, but no longer alone.
This battle was not over.