Chapter 6

The tension was palpable as Naruto, Sasuke, and the Kage gathered on top of one of the tall towers of the Hidden Leaf. They had been preparing for weeks, but nothing could have prepared them for the terror that was about to unfold. The warning from Kaguya had been clear—Isshiki Ōtsutsutski was coming.

And now, the time had come.

Naruto felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Isshiki's presence could be felt in the air, a twisted, ominous force that bent the very fabric of reality. He could sense it in the air before his eyes even saw the dark portal opening in the sky.

"That's him…" Naruto muttered, his voice low and grim.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "He's here."

The massive black vessel descended from the sky with an unnatural grace, as if the laws of physics didn't apply to it. As it touched down, the ground trembled beneath their feet, and the very atmosphere seemed to grow heavy, as though reality itself was being warped.

Isshiki Ōtsutsuki stepped out, his crimson eyes cold and calculating. His form was imposing, towering over the shinobi in the area. His intense gaze swept over the assembled Kage and top shinobi, a smirk creeping across his face. His presence radiated power—something the likes of which the shinobi world had never seen before.

"Foolish humans," Isshiki's voice was like a calm breeze before the storm, yet every word carried an underlying threat. "Your world is ripe for harvesting. The chakra it holds will belong to the Ōtsutsuki."

Naruto clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. "We won't let you take this world," he said with conviction.

Sasuke, standing beside Naruto, readied his Rinnegan, his Sharingan taking in every detail of Isshiki's body language. "He's not going to make this easy."

Without warning, Isshiki's figure flickered, and in an instant, he appeared directly in front of the Kage, his body moving at a speed so fast that none of them had time to react.

In a blink, Isshiki used his Daikokuten, summoning a massive cube-like dimension, pulling objects and even entire chunks of earth into it. The space around him warped, and before anyone could react, massive rods of black energy shot out from the cube, aimed directly at the group.

Mei was the first to act, summoning her Lava Release to create a barrier around herself and the others. "Get back!" she yelled, her eyes wide with shock at the sheer speed and power of Isshiki's assault.

Onoki, using his Earth Release, tried to lift the ground beneath them to create an immediate defense. "This won't hold him off!" he shouted. "We need to act fast!" This work was created by shredder121

But Isshiki wasn't finished. He twisted his hand, and time itself seemed to bend. The space around them collapsed, distorting as his Sukunahikona ability activated. In an instant, he shrank their entire group into a pocket of space that was no larger than a hand. The Kage and the top shinobi were helpless as they found themselves trapped in an alternate dimension where time and space were no longer predictable.

Sasuke, though stunned, immediately activated his Rinnegan, attempting to open a portal to escape. "We're too slow!" he cursed, struggling against the overwhelming power that Isshiki exuded.

Naruto pushed his chakra to its limit, summoning multiple clones to try and overwhelm Isshiki. But Isshiki casually destroyed each clone with a flick of his wrist, his eyes bored and disinterested in the effort.

"You think you can stop me with this?" Isshiki's voice came as he swatted away the clones, his power barely even being taxed. "How amusing."

The Kage tried to regroup, but Isshiki's abilities were too much for them to handle. With every moment that passed, their attacks were nullified, and their attempts to defend themselves grew weaker.

Gaara quickly summoned a massive sand barrier, trying to bind Isshiki in place, but once again, Isshiki used his Daikokuten ability, pulling himself and the sand into his alternate dimension before reappearing behind Gaara. With one swift motion, he crushed the sand under his foot, sending Gaara flying through the air.

"Is this truly your best?" Isshiki's voice was mocking as he toyed with them.

Tsunade, always the fierce protector, charged forward with a powerful punch imbued with her strength. But before she could land a blow, Isshiki flicked his hand, using his Sukunahikona to shrink her attack to nothing. He followed up by slamming a devastating Shinjutsu technique, sending Tsunade crashing to the ground.

Onoki struggled to move, his age and lack of chakra compared to Isshiki's overwhelming power were starting to show. "We can't win… not like this," he gasped.

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged looks. There was no way they could fight Isshiki head-on. His control over space, time, and matter made it impossible to land any sort of blow. They were being crushed under his overwhelming power.

"We need to retreat," Sasuke said, eyes flicking around to find an escape route. He was calculating the situation, his mind racing.

"Leave now! I'll hold him off!" Naruto said, clenching his fists. His resolve was as strong as ever, but he knew they weren't ready to fight Isshiki and win. Not yet.

Sasuke, ever the strategist, nodded. He activated his Rinnegan, opening a portal as quickly as he could. "Everyone, move! Now!"

With the portal open, Naruto and the others fled through it, barely escaping the destruction that Isshiki was bringing. They reappeared in the Hidden Leaf, breathless and battered, but alive.

Isshiki stood at the entrance of the portal, watching them leave, his crimson eyes glowing with amusement. "This isn't over. You can't hide from me forever."

The battle with Isshiki had been an overwhelming defeat. They had barely escaped with their lives, and the weight of that loss was heavy on their minds. But even as they licked their wounds and regrouped, Naruto knew one thing for certain—they could not afford to lose hope.

"We'll come back stronger," Naruto said, determination in his eyes. "Next time... we will fight, and we will win."

The stage was set. Isshiki's power was too much for them at the moment, but the battle for their world was just beginning. It was only a matter of time before the Ōtsutsuki returned, and when they did, the shinobi world would need to be ready.