A gleam of light shone into the void, a cold, desolate alternate dimension. Lin Yu felt waves of warmth and familiarity.
Not far outside the Time Barrier, a spatial portal opened. Kushina, unusually, tied her forehead protector around her brow, her round, pretty face filled with worry and determination. Behind her, familiar figures one after another passed through the portal into the alternate dimension.
Led by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Konoha contingent; Temari and Kankuro of the Hidden Sand Village; the Raikage brothers and their followers from the Hidden Cloud Village; Onoki and Akatsuchi from the Hidden Stone Village; Mei Terumi and her subordinates from the Hidden Mist Village.
All five great ninja villages had arrived.
Black Zetsu secretly emerged from a corner of the crowd, looking back with lingering fear before patting his chest and sighing in relief. Fortunately, his life had been spared.
The spatial portal gradually closed. A phantom figure, accompanied by the Nine-Tails, passed through the portal into the alternate dimension last.
The Sage of Six Paths, who had disappeared during the previous battle, returned, but his body was now more ethereal, as if it could dissipate at any moment.
After distributing his power to Naruto and the others, Hagoromo Otsutsuki could only use the chakra of the Nine-Tails to open the portal to the alternate dimension. Combined with White Zetsu clones under Black Zetsu's command informing the major ninja villages, this allowed such a large gathering in a short period.
However, time was still too short. Coupled with their understanding of Lin Yu and the others' strength, those who had come did so with the resolve to die.
It wasn't just for the ninja world; their loved ones were also fighting desperately here.
"Lin Yu, we're here."
This familiar, light voice made Lin Yu tremble. He slowly turned his head, and a figure with flowing, fiery red hair gradually filled his vision.
Lin Yu's lips twitched. His pale, bloodless face forced a difficult smile. His voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "Kushina, you… shouldn't have come."
Without answering, Kushina first glanced at Kaguya, then buried her head in Lin Yu's embrace, taking a deep breath of the familiar scent. Chakra surged.
"You're here, so I had to come."
*Whoosh!*
Dozens of figures swooped in.
"Kid, put the sweet talk aside for later. What's the situation now?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged face was fixed on Shibai Otsutsuki within the Time Barrier, his expression exceptionally solemn.
The existence of an enemy that even the First Hokage, the Ninja God, and Lin Yu combined couldn't defeat was more unbelievable than Danzo becoming a good person.
"One, two, three… ten, eleven! There are a full eleven Otsutsuki!"
The Fourth Raikage and the others didn't know the horror of Shibai, but they had personally experienced the strength of the Otsutsuki members. They weren't defeated in one move, but they couldn't hold on for more than a few rounds.
And now, there were dozens of such enemies!
No, if it were only dozens, the monsters of Konoha wouldn't be struggling. The situation was likely far worse than they imagined.
Lin Yu sighed, a bitter smile on his face. "Honestly, I wish you hadn't come."
"Enough talk. Tell us what to do. Ninjas never fear death!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately smacked Jiraiya on the back of his head and reprimanded Orochimaru, "How did you teach your disciple?"
Jiraiya was confused. Why was he being hit on the back of the head when the reprimand was for Orochimaru?
Orochimaru chuckled lightly, "It's shameful to say, but as Lin Yu's former teacher, I never taught him a single thing."
"However, the principle is clear to everyone."
"Compared to certain things, even death seems insignificant."
These words coming from Orochimaru sounded particularly strange, but no one present objected. They all looked at the person beside them.
Yes, compared to them, death was not terrifying.
*Bang!*
The Time Barrier rippled, and a crack gradually widened, only to be filled the next second. A large amount of chakra was transmitted from everyone to Lin Yu, forcing Shibai Otsutsuki back again.
"If you keep rambling, I won't play along anymore," Madara Uchiha snorted.
Hashirama Senju raised an eyebrow. He knew the Uchiha were sharp-tongued; if they wanted to leave, they would have left long ago. How could they have fought to this point?
"Make a decision, Lin Yu, no matter the outcome."
Lin Yu was doing his best to prevent Shibai Otsutsuki from escaping the reach of the River of Time, but as time passed, the situation became increasingly unfavorable.
It wasn't a lack of chakra, but the River of Time… it was becoming more and more ephemeral.
Lin Yu closed his eyes and reopened them, speaking sternly to everyone, "There is only one way to win: force the enemy into that illusory river. But now, the two sides are locked in a stalemate, so I've decided to…"
"Go on the offensive!"
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances. Everything was understood without words. They said in unison, "We'll clear the way for you!"
Just as they were staggering to their feet, ready to enter the Time Barrier, their backs were suddenly poked by sharp claws.
Turning around, two fluffy fists stopped in front of them. Kurama snorted arrogantly, "Don't get the wrong idea, this isn't a free gift. You'll have to repay it later."
Behind Kurama stood the other eight Tailed Beasts.
*Clink!*
Fist to fist, Naruto looked up, a brilliant smile on his face, and shouted, "Yosh! I'll repay it for Sasuke too!"
"Tch!"
With that, golden chakra surged, and the purple Susano'o enveloped them. Without wasting a moment, the two of them rushed into the Time Barrier, paving the way for everyone.
Not far away, Minato Namikaze shook his head helplessly, withdrawing his hand. His eyes held a hint of relief mixed with a touch of bitterness.
"Really, is this a child's debt paid by the father?"
Gathering his dwindling chakra, the Yellow Flash charged into the barrier, guarding Naruto's side. Beside him was a stoic young man, Itachi Uchiha.
"Baka, it's just a fight, isn't it? Little Eight, give me some of that…"
*Bang!*
"B, be more serious!"
The Fourth Raikage, Ay, hit Killer Bee hard, and said sternly, "Bee, you stay here. If the situation goes south, return to the village. I…"
Before Ay could finish, Killer Bee interrupted, "Brother, without my Lariat, is the Nueve Rayos still the Nueve Rayos?"
Ay still wanted to say something when two gusts of wind suddenly passed by. Ay initially ignored them, but their tone was unbearable.
"Hmph! Is this the Hidden Cloud Village? Rather than brutes, calling them delicate little ladies is more fitting."
"Danzō, you're going too far. At least they should be budding young ladies!"
Ay roared, the rock beneath his feet instantly crumbling. Lightning enveloped him, and he instantly charged towards the two, "Hiruzen, Danzō, you two old geezers, stop and explain yourselves!"
Onoki held a torn sleeve and a ring with the character "青" (Blue). His wrinkled face could not hide his grief.
"Deidara, you unfilial disciple, why can't you be more settled, so I, your master, can rest easy."
Onoki's face turned fierce, and he waved his hand, "Go!"
…
Hagoromo Otsutsuki floated not far from Lin Yu. He first bowed respectfully to Kaguya, then looked at Lin Yu with an awkward expression.
"You know about my situation."
Lin Yu nodded, but still asked with some surprise, "That power in the Pure Land, was it you?"
"That's right, but unfortunately, the Pure Land couldn't be saved. That person's power was too terrifying."
Hagoromo Otsutsuki felt a lingering fear and sighed inwardly. The Pure Land had shattered, and the last refuge of the ninja world was gone.
"How much longer can you hold on?"
Lin Yu wasn't surprised. Anyone with eyes could see the River of Time becoming ephemeral, and Lin Yu knew why. That mysterious energy had a time limit, one hour and ten minutes. Now, only ten minutes remained!
At this moment, a shout echoed from within the Time Barrier.
Indra's Seal and Asura's Seal appeared.
"Six Paths — Chibaku Tensei!"