Chapter 7

After the intense battle in the field, the Kage and their allies retreated to the Hidden Leaf Village, battered and broken. But their reprieve was short-lived. Word spread quickly of Isshiki's overwhelming power, and every shinobi in the village knew the truth—there was no time to rest. The Ōtsutsuki were coming, and they weren't going to stop.

Days passed, filled with endless planning and preparing for the next conflict. But despite their best efforts, it was clear the Ōtsutsuki were a threat beyond their comprehension. They weren't just fighting for survival—they were fighting for the future of their entire world.

That's when the worst possible thing happened. The village was shaken by an ominous presence, one that no shinobi had ever felt before. It was Isshiki, and he was headed straight for the heart of Konoha.

"I've had enough of these humans," Isshiki's voice was cold, echoing from the skies. The air shimmered as reality warped under his immense power, bending space to his will. "It's time for this world to end."

His vessel materialized in the distance, descending toward the village with destructive force. Buildings shook, and citizens scattered in terror as the sheer gravity of his presence pressed down on the village.

Naruto, Sasuke, and the other Kage were already prepared. They had no illusions that they could stop Isshiki head-on, but they would try to buy time for everyone to escape.

Naruto stood at the forefront, his face a mask of determination. "We won't let him destroy our home."

Sasuke, standing beside him, tightened his grip on his sword. "We're not ready to fight him directly. But we have to hold him off until we can think of a strategy."

The battle began as soon as Isshiki landed in the heart of Konoha. He immediately began tearing through buildings with his spatial manipulations, warping the environment and rendering any counterattack futile. Naruto rushed forward with a Rasengan, but Isshiki simply flicked his hand, turning the attack into nothingness.

"Your efforts are meaningless," Isshiki's voice was a bored whisper, his power palpable in the air. "You cannot stop me."

Just as Isshiki began preparing a final, devastating attack to wipe out the entire village, a new presence suddenly entered the battlefield. A strange, eerie sensation filled the air, and Isshiki froze for a moment, sensing something.

From the shadows, a figure appeared—one that none of the shinobi had expected. It was Kaguya.

But this Kaguya wasn't the same as the one they had read about in the history books. This Kaguya, the one who had reincarnated in this world, walked forward with confidence, her power radiating like a storm. She wasn't the terrified, weakened version of herself they had seen before. She had grown stronger, not only by embracing her Ōtsutsuki heritage but by manipulating events from the shadows to secure her own survival.

Isshiki's eyes narrowed as he turned to face her, his expression hardening. "You. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. I see you've finally decided to show yourself."

Kaguya's cold, calculating gaze met Isshiki's. "I'm not the same Kaguya you remember. I've learned a great deal since I awakened, and I'll make sure this world is not your domain to conquer."

Isshiki smirked, his hand raising as he prepared to strike. "You're in no position to stop me. I'll take what's mine—your chakra will belong to me."

Kaguya's expression remained unchanged, her eyes glowing with immense power. She took a single step forward, and suddenly, a burst of energy exploded from her body, warping space and time in a similar fashion to Isshiki. The ground beneath them cracked as her energy surged outward, her chakra seemingly amplifying at an unprecedented rate.

She extended her hand, and the space around Isshiki began to twist and bend, his own techniques failing to land. "I'll be the one to decide who gets to live, and who gets to die."

But just as the battle began to escalate, something unexpected happened. Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths, appeared in the midst of the battle, his figure descending from the sky. His expression was grave, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of wisdom.

"Isshiki," Hagoromo's voice rang out, powerful and commanding. "This world is under my protection. I will not allow you to destroy it."

Isshiki turned to face Hagoromo, his smirk faltering for a moment. "You're too late, old man. This world will fall to the Ōtsutsuki. Nothing can stop us now."

Hagoromo's eyes glowed with the power of the Sage. "You underestimate the will of humanity, Isshiki. Even you will learn to fear it."

The tension between the three grew, and just as it seemed like a battle between the gods themselves was about to unfold, Kaguya took a decisive step forward. Her eyes locked onto Isshiki with a cold intensity.

"Enough." Her voice was like ice, cutting through the tension. "This battle is mine."

Isshiki turned to face Kaguya, a look of disbelief crossing his face. "What are you doing?"

Kaguya smirked, her energy flaring brighter than ever. In an instant, she reached forward, using her Daikokuten ability to manipulate space around Isshiki and drain his chakra. His eyes widened as he tried to fight back, but it was too late. Kaguya absorbed his chakra in a single moment of overwhelming power, leaving Isshiki staggering, weakened and vulnerable.

"Your chakra is mine," Kaguya said coldly, her voice carrying an unspoken promise. "You are no longer a threat."

With Isshiki weakened, Kaguya turned to Hagoromo, her eyes glowing with an unsettling mixture of authority and defiance.

"Leave, Hagoromo. I'll deal with this."

Isshiki, now drained of much of his power, staggered backward, clutching his chest in pain. His anger flared, but he was no longer able to resist. "You… you'll regret this, Kaguya. I will make you pay for this!"

Kaguya raised a hand, the energy around her flaring once more. "You're weak now. Leave. Go back to where you came from, before I finish what I started."

In that moment, Isshiki, completely drained of chakra, had no choice but to retreat. With a final glare at Kaguya, he warped reality around him, disappearing into the void, leaving Konoha standing, for now, untouched.

Kaguya turned her gaze to Hagoromo. "Your world is still fragile, Hagoromo. Keep it in mind."

Hagoromo, still sensing the overwhelming presence of his mother, nodded. "I'll be watching, Kaguya. But don't think you're free of consequences."

Kaguya's lips curled into a small, victorious smile. "We'll see, won't we?"

The village breathed a collective sigh of relief. They had been saved, but at a great cost. Kaguya had intervened, but her motives were still unclear. With Isshiki gone—for now—Naruto and the others realized that the world was far from safe.

The Ōtsutsuki had shown their true power, and the stakes were higher than ever before. Kaguya's return would change everything.

But whether she was an ally or a threat to the world still remained to be seen.