At first, Boruto and the others—those chosen from the villages and cultivated as seedlings to fight against the Ōtsutsuki—fought on their own, launching attacks on the lands of various daimyo and upstart lords.
However, despite their formidable individual power, they couldn't stand against the organized, religious armies empowered by divine Ōtsutsuki might.
The returning nobility was no longer what it once was. Having learned from past failures, they now presented themselves as earthly representatives of the Ōtsutsuki gods, seizing complete control of military power.
They also revived their old tactics, and—like their predecessors—easily dismantled and seized control of the already-fragmented Shinobi Alliance.
Those like Boruto, who truly fought for the sake of the ninja world, not only received no support, but were hunted by the very Alliance they had once protected, branded as rebels after their defeat at the hands of the Ōtsutsuki divine army...
Unnoticed, the briefly revitalized ninja world once again fell into darkness.
The daimyo and nobles, like a swarm of locusts, used the indestructible divine Ōtsutsuki army to carve up the ninja world into isolated, helpless islands—preaching, dissecting, and subjugating each in turn...
No one could stand against them.
...
Not until Boruto, Sarada, Mitsuki, and other elite shinobi from across the villages regrouped within the safe havens of New Shinobi Village and the Hidden Hot Springs Village.
In the dark era that followed the rise of the post-Ōtsutsuki order, only the original gods of faith had the potential to counter them and protect the realm from the corrupting influence of their belief systems.
While what remained of the ninja world's forces recovered in secrecy...
The guardians of the two remaining sanctuaries—mountain god and Jashin, both true deities—were stirred from their slumber.
Though they had once seemed indifferent to the Ōtsutsuki invasion, the truth was that their very existence was meant to oppose such a crisis.
...
Almost simultaneously, as the Ōtsutsuki Divine Church rapidly expanded...
The boundless power of belief not only surged into Momoshiki's body but split into two tributaries—one flowing into Kinshiki deep within Ryūchi Cave, the other shooting toward the sun, attempting to fuse with the wedge left behind by Urashiki.
The sacred beings of the Three Great Holy Lands awoke in unison, turning their gaze toward the body of Naruto, now bound and sealed—a vessel for Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki.
According to Orochimaru, he had already succeeded in extracting nearly all of the Ōtsutsuki genetic material from Kinshiki's body. If he could also analyze and transform the soul, they might open a path toward creating artificial Ōtsutsuki—to make their power serve the ninja world.
However, Orochimaru's own soul was flawed, and Kinshiki's spirit, strengthened by belief, continued to grow stronger. They would need the combined power of the Three Sages to suppress and refine him...
"I can do it."
The usually silent Slug Sage spoke at last, releasing a beam of green light that completely extracted the belief energy from Kinshiki's soul, shattering it utterly—leaving it beyond restoration.
At the same time, some of Kinshiki's most devout followers around the world suffered immediate backlash. The Ōtsutsuki power they had gained through their faith vanished in an instant, and their previously healthy bodies were torn apart as that energy ripped out of them, leaving them riddled with wounds.
Even more terrifying was the feeling of rejection they experienced—from the world itself.
They tripped over their own feet, choked on water, and even food failed to replenish their energy. The very air they breathed could no longer sustain their minds or bodies.
Even confined to sickbeds with access to the most advanced medical care, nothing worked. The heavy quilts over their bodies gave only crushing weight, no warmth.
Hot springs felt either like icy ponds or boiling cauldrons.
They had been rejected by the world itself...
...
Meanwhile, in the heart of the sun, as his power advanced once again and his breathing technique evolved to better suit him, Uchiha Kirin had already purged the chakra from his bloodline—replacing it with a completely new energy that transcended space and time, now flowing through his body!
With a steady, powerful heartbeat, he slowly awoke, sending his consciousness into a Limbo clone.
"To think even in the ashes of a dead soul's wedge, belief could give birth to something new..."
But unlike the Three Sages, his approach to Urashiki was different.
He wiped away the lingering Ōtsutsuki will in Urashiki's soul and replaced it with a brand-new consciousness—one that would benefit the ninja world.
"Return."
...
In the Star Shinobi Village, the mountain god opened his eyes and immediately began crafting a pseudo-body for Urashiki using soon-to-be-perfected chakra-living-armor technology.
A wedge was implanted into it, and the now-loyal Urashiki—his soul restructured to serve the ninja world—was rapidly revived under the blessings of his new believers.
Of course, belief flows both ways. As Urashiki's faith spread, his followers began to develop a subconscious aversion to those of Momoshiki, and disagreement arose over how the ninja world should be governed.
For the first time, multiple voices and powerful factions began to emerge within the once-unified Ōtsutsuki Divine Church.
...
Among Kinshiki's followers, even some high-ranking members—now crippled and diseased—cried out loudly that faith in the Ōtsutsuki was like drinking poison to quench thirst. All power gained was temporary, and ultimately, everything would be taken from them!
Within Urashiki's camp, there were even those who openly defected to the remnants of the Shinobi Alliance. They reinstated education and order in their territories, rallied troops, and used Ōtsutsuki power to fight Ōtsutsuki power—going to war against Momoshiki's zealots.
The once-dominant, overwhelming force that had crushed the ninja world—Ōtsutsuki Divine Church—was now fractured.
...
Though Momoshiki's believers remained the most numerous and powerful, they suffered a devastating surprise attack in the early stages of the conflict.
Then came the unrelenting assault of the Jashin cult, whose presence declared the hostility of the native ninja gods.
Under the mysterious and lethal rituals of Jashin, many high-ranking members and strong followers of Momoshiki died without warning.
Though the church still had vast armies to command...
The Star Shinobi Village had also deployed its forces. Beyond its highly-equipped shinobi—armed to the teeth with enchanted ninja tools—they had united with the unfallen remnants of the Alliance and the new generation led by Boruto.
This triple alliance struck with the force of a storm, swiftly crushing Momoshiki's vanguard and reclaiming land.
They conquered the Land of Earth in the north, then turned east to liberate the Land of Fire...
Even with Ōtsutsuki-enhanced power, even with the ability to mass-produce chunin-level fighters...
The Star Shinobi Village had undergone a technological transformation. Scientific ninja tools now far exceeded the limits of ordinary shinobi. Whether in ranged combat or close-quarters fighting, the once-invincible Divine Church army was now tasting bitter defeat.
...
In the end, the Ōtsutsuki Divine Church was completely purged from the ninja continent. Its remnants retreated to the isolated Land of Water, clinging to their homeland.
And throughout this long and grueling war...
Boruto finally encountered the opportunity he had long awaited.
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