Chapter 45

Upon arriving at the castle, Naruto and his group were immediately met by Mystogan, Panther Lily, and Erza Knightwalker. The air inside the castle was tense, the weight of looming catastrophe pressing down on them.

Naruto smirked, folding his arms. "Hey, thought you'd be rotting in a prison cell, Prince—"

Mystogan sighed, rubbing his temple. "Don't call me that…" He shook his head before getting straight to the point. "Things have changed. And I need your help."

Naruto raised a brow. "You? Asking for help? Must be serious."

"It is. I have a plan, but before that—we need to regroup our thoughts."

The two wizards stepped aside, exchanging information. Mystogan and his allies detailed what they knew, and in return, Naruto explained everything about the sleeping threat—the Ōtsutsuki buried within the God Rock, an entity waiting to awaken and consume this world. They discussed the horrifying experiments of the underground world, the tailless lizard abominations, and how their failed pursuit of power had led to their monstrous transformation.

Once the puzzle pieces aligned, Mystogan exhaled deeply. "Now that we're on the same page… I need to tell you my plan."

But before continuing, he hesitated.

"First, I need confirmation," Mystogan said.

"Sure, spill it," Naruto replied.

Mystogan's gaze was sharp. "Can you create a self-generating Ethernano source?"

Naruto blinked. "Huh? What for?"

Mystogan gestured toward the night sky visible through the castle's high windows, where the pale glow of the God Rock loomed. "A replacement for that."

Naruto followed his gaze, then let out a low whistle. "Oh."

"My father—King Faust—will do anything to secure an energy source for Edolas," Mystogan continued. "Once the Ōtsutsuki is gone, he will search for another way to sustain this world. And I can't let him turn to something even worse. That's why I need an alternative—one that doesn't rely on the Ōtsutsuki or some other dangerous power. If you can create an artificial Ethernano generator, Edolas can survive without another catastrophe waiting to happen."

Naruto scratched his chin, humming in thought. "I might have a few ideas…"

Mystogan's eyes narrowed. "Such as?"

Naruto smirked. "The God Rock. We can repurpose it."

Mystogan crossed his arms. "Go on."

"The Ōtsutsuki is currently acting as the core of that moon. If we remove it, the moon will collapse. But what if we replace the core instead of letting it fall?" Naruto explained. "I can create a new core, one that absorbs energy from the sun and continuously converts it into Ethernano. Naturally, that would be impossible… but I can engrave a seal or runes onto a lacrima that will serve as core—commands that would force the energy conversion process to happen."

He tapped his temple. "With my Aokugan, it's definitely doable."

Mystogan let out a slow breath, processing the information. "Good… that's good."

Naruto grinned. "So? What's next? Want me to wake that thing up? Not gonna lie—I almost did. Spooked me pretty bad."

Mystogan immediately shook his head. "No, not yet. If you fight the Ōtsutsuki now, what happens to God Rock? The moment it's gone, the moon will lose its stability and collapse."

Naruto tilted his head. "Yeah, that'd be bad. Got any ideas?"

Mystogan's eyes darkened as he considered his options. Then, as if a lightbulb had gone off in his head, he spoke.

"There's one way…" Mystogan murmured. "Dorma Anim."

Naruto blinked. "Dorma what now?"

Mystogan turned to face him fully. "My father—King Faust—has been preparing for the Ōtsutsuki's awakening for a long time. In doing so, he had a colossal mechanical dragon constructed."

He let the words hang for a moment before continuing.

"It's called Dorma Anim."

Naruto's jaw dropped slightly. "Wait, hold on—you mean to tell me there's a giant metal dragon somewhere in this kingdom?"

"Yes."

"And we're gonna use it?"

"Yes."

Naruto grinned. "Oh, that's sick."

Mystogan sighed. "Focus."

"Right, right," Naruto chuckled. "So what's the plan?"

"I need your help to prepare Dorma Anim for space travel," Mystogan said. "Specifically, I need you to create this new core and install it inside the machine."

He stepped forward, voice steady and determined. "Once we defeat the Ōtsutsuki, I'll pilot Dorma Anim into space and place the new core at the very center of God Rock. That way, Edolas won't lose its energy source."

Naruto's excitement briefly faded as he raised a brow. "Wait. You're piloting it? What about you? How do you get back?"

Mystogan pulled a small lacrima crystal from his coat. "I have a Teleportation Lacrima. I still have some spares… but they're limited. I don't have enough power to travel from the moon back here on my own."

He looked at Naruto expectantly. "That's where you come in."

Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Ahhh, I see where this is going."

Mystogan nodded. "Can you help me?"

Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Not a problem. This sounds like the craziest thing I've ever done. I'm all in."

With the plan set in motion, the two headed beneath the royal castle, descending into the underground chamber where the Dorma Anim rested.

As Naruto laid eyes on the massive metallic beast, his grin widened.

This was going to be one hell of a mission.

Down deep beneath the royal castle of Edolas, within an expansive underground chamber, stood Dorma Anim, a towering mechanical dragon of steel and magic, its metallic form gleaming under the dim lacrima-powered lights. Around it, a gathering of key figures observed in silence—the imposing King Faust, the ever-vigilant Panther Lily, and the fierce Erza Knightwalker.

Mystogan stood before them, his expression unwavering as he introduced his companion.

"So, this is the man you spoke of, my son?" King Faust asked, his voice carrying the weight of authority as he examined the stranger before him.

Mystogan gave a firm nod. "Yes. This is Naruto Uzumaki. One of my closest friends from Earthland, and the very reason I was able to return to Edolas. Under normal circumstances, he should have already left for his own world… but with the Ōtsutsuki threat looming over us, we chose to investigate first."

King Faust remained silent for a moment before nodding in understanding. He had already been given an abridged version of Naruto's background—like Mystogan, Naruto was not native to Edolas. In fact, he came from a world beyond even Earthland, making him a traveler between realms.

Erza Knightwalker, arms crossed, studied Naruto with sharp, scrutinizing eyes. "I don't sense anything remarkable from this man. Are you certain this is the one tasked with facing a god?"

Mystogan's gaze hardened. "Do not underestimate him, Knightwalker."

Panther Lily stepped forward, his feline features betraying curiosity as he regarded Naruto. "So, you're the one who helped the prince return to Edolas…" he said. Then, with a small but genuine nod, he extended a hand. "You have our deepest thanks."

Naruto accepted the handshake with a grin. "It's nothing. Mystogan's helped me a lot too—I owe him just as much."

Mystogan's voice called out, sharp and commanding. "Naruto!"

Naruto turned to him, understanding what it meant. It was time.

With King Faust's engineers assisting, Naruto moved to modify Dorma Anim's core, a crucial step in their reckless plan. The mechanical dragon was already equipped with a lacrima-based power system, but for it to function in the void of space, it needed adjustments. Activating his Aokugan, Naruto meticulously altered its composition, ensuring it could sustain itself outside of Edolas' magical atmosphere.

At the same time, he amplified Mystogan's teleportation lacrima, enhancing it so that once their mission was complete, Mystogan could safely return from the foreign moon—God Rock—before being stranded.

Inside the cockpit, Mystogan ran his hands across the controls, checking the machine's vital systems as its core pulsed with renewed energy. "Everything's operational. It's ready."

Naruto climbed atop the dragon's metallic surface, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "This is gonna be one hell of a scenic route!"

"Already heading out?!" Panther Lily called, his tail flicking with concern.

"Son, be careful!" King Faust warned.

Knightwalker scoffed, arms still crossed. "This plan is reckless," she muttered. Then, looking at Mystogan, her gaze softened slightly. "You better not fail, Prince."

Mystogan, already seated in the cockpit, gave a slight nod—then, as if responding on its own, Dorma Anim's massive head followed suit, mimicking his motion.

With a loud hiss of steam and the deep hum of magic circuits, the field doors groaned open, revealing the dark sky above. The mechanical dragon tensed—then launched itself upward, tearing through the air with a deafening roar.

After an awe-inspiring journey through the vastness of space, Naruto carefully guided Mystogan as they neared their destination—the Chakra Moon, or as it was now known, the God Rock. Glowing with a faint, eerie luminescence, the celestial body loomed before them, its cracked and cratered surface bearing the marks of time.

"Land there," Naruto instructed, pointing towards the moon's deepest crater. "That's the closest spot. From there, I'll dig down and stir some trouble."

Mystogan nodded, maneuvering Dorma Anim with precision. But as they descended, something immediately felt wrong. Within the largest crater, there was already a gaping hole, a freshly made tunnel that bored straight through the moon's rocky shell.

Naruto's eyes narrowed his Aokugan, flaring through the deepest he could sense underneath the surface of the moon. The Otsutsuki was already gone.

And then—he noticed something even more alarming. The moon itself was shifting. A slow but unmistakable descent toward Edolas had begun.

"We don't have time!" Mystogan's voice rang through Dorma Anim's communicator. Without hesitation, he piloted the massive mechanical dragon forward, diving into the new tunnel, determined to get to the core of God Rock before it was too late.

As Dorma Anim plunged into the depths, Naruto leaped off, landing lightly on the crater's jagged edge. Dust and loose stone crumbled beneath his feet. He turned his gaze toward the newly made hole, his Aokugan already active, scanning its depths. Something had torn its way out from within…

And it wasn't here.

"Where did it go…?" Naruto muttered, scanning the surface for any trace.

Then—a portal tore open behind him.

A shiver ran down his spine as an overwhelming presence emerged from the rift.

Slowly, Naruto turned.

The Otsutsuki stood behind him.

The being wore a flowing black cloak, its very presence radiating an ancient, god-like authority. Its pale, porcelain-white skin seemed untouched by time, yet its crimson hair burned as vibrantly as freshly spilled blood—the exact shade of his mother's.

Naruto's breath caught.

The resemblance was uncanny.

This wasn't just any Otsutsuki.

This one… looked like him.

A cold chill ran through his veins as he took a step forward, blue eyes locked onto the stranger's face. "Who… are you?" he asked, wide-eyed.

The Otsutsuki gazed at him, unfazed, as if he had expected this meeting for centuries. Then, in a calm, almost measured tone, he spoke—

"Otsutsuki Kushiki."

God Rock

"Otsutsuki… Kushiki?" Naruto repeated, his voice laced with caution.

The Otsutsuki remained eerily still, his expression unreadable, eyes unblinking. An unnatural calmness hung over his pale face, as if he were a statue carved from the void itself.

Naruto's instincts flared. Something about this guy felt... wrong.

"Alright…" Naruto exhaled, steadying himself. "How the hell did you even get here?" His voice was sharp now, accusatory. "We both know you're no native to this world—not from some distant planet, but from an entirely different universe."

He took a step forward, keeping his stance loose, ready. "Your goal's obvious. You came here to plunder this world's resources, right?" His lips curled into a smirk. "Well, guess what? You ain't stealing a damn thing, pal."

Yet, Kushiki did not respond.

He simply stared, those ethereal blue eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity.

Then—Naruto's breath hitched.

His eyes widened.

That glow…

That shape…

The Otsutsuki's eyes—he had the Aokugan.

A tense silence fell between them.

Neither moved.

Aokugan to Aokugan.

For a fleeting moment, the world itself seemed to hold its breath.

Then—Kushiki vanished.

Naruto's instincts screamed.

Before he could even process it, an invisible force ripped through the space where he had just stood. The sheer pressure of it carved deep scars into the moon's surface, dust and debris scattering in all directions.

If he hadn't moved—he would've been erased.

"Tch—he's gone?" Naruto's Aokugan flared as he scanned the battlefield, his head snapping from side to side. Nothing. No movement, no presence. It was as if Kushiki had never been there in the first place.

Then—another strike.

Naruto barely twisted out of the way in time, feeling the distortion cut through the air just inches from his skin.

It didn't make sense.

His Aokugan—the one dojutsu that let him see beyond the limits of time and space—couldn't track him.

A realization clicked in Naruto's mind, sending a chill down his spine.

"Wait—he's not in this world at all."

His movements—his attacks—they were like Obito's Kamui. But there were no delays, no restrictions.

He wasn't teleporting. He was attacking from an entirely different dimension.

"Bullshi—" Naruto barely had time to curse before another strike came for his head.

He dodged again.

Naruto barely twisted out of the way before another invisible force tore through the ground behind him, cutting through the moon's surface like a blade through water. He couldn't see the attack—couldn't track it—only react.

Another strike. Another dodge.

His body moved purely on instinct.

It was a fight unlike any he had ever faced.

There were no telegraphed attacks. No wind-ups. No shifts in footing. No flickers of intent in Kushiki's expression. Nothing.

Naruto could feel the strain creeping into his muscles. This wasn't just a battle—it was survival.

Dodge left. Pivot. Shift weight. Evade again.

Each attack came from nowhere.

Each dodge was a gamble.

Naruto's body was forced to rely on the barest sensation of danger—his gut, his skin tingling, his muscles screaming at him to move a second before death touched him.

Another force slammed down from above.

Naruto threw himself sideways—too slow!

The air split apart as a crushing force clipped his shoulder, sending him skidding across the crater floor. He gritted his teeth, barely keeping his footing before—

Another one!

No time to think—just move!

Naruto rolled—just as the space where he had stood collapsed in on itself. The ground beneath the attack turned into dust, crushed into nothingness.

Shit.

His breathing was heavy now, sweat trickling down his face despite the cold emptiness of space. He needed a plan.

Naruto's Aokugan flared, but even then—Kushiki was nowhere.

The bastard was attacking from outside reality itself.

Another strike!

Naruto spun mid-air—dodge!

His feet barely touched the ground before—again!

He twisted, letting the unseen force rush past his ribs, feeling its pull distort the air around him.

Again. Again. Again.

It was like fighting a phantom.

"Fine..." Naruto muttered under his breath, exhaling sharply as his mind raced. If this guy wanted to stay hidden, then Naruto would have to force him out of his hole, no matter how deep into another dimension he was lurking.

His index and middle fingers extended, gathering chakra at their tips, a tiny, black hole-like Rasengan swirling into existence. Unlike a normal Rasengan, this one wasn't meant to explode—it was meant to pull.

A spiraling pulling sphere.

"Rasen Kyūin Gan!"

He left the technique hanging in mid-air, right in the spot where the last invisible attack had tried to tear him apart. And just as he expected—the unseen force clashed against his Rasengan.

Naruto smirked as his Rasen Kyūin Gan devoured it whole.

"Good."

So this Otsutsuki wasn't invincible. At the very least, he wasn't beyond reason. If his attacks could be pulled in, then Naruto could work with that.

But absorption alone wasn't enough.

Naruto's Aokugan pulsed, reading the stolen energy, deciphering its flow. He twisted his wrist, reshaping his previous technique, the spiraling pull now refined—redirected. If he could absorb, then he could take it further. He could steal.

A Spiraling Thieving Sphere.

"Rasen Enshū Gan."

Another attack came. This time, Naruto didn't just counter it. His technique reached into the invisible force—ripped it away—and stored it.

The Otsutsuki's invisible offense was his now.

Again and again, Naruto repeated the process, dodging and stealing, stealing and learning. The more he absorbed, the clearer the puzzle became.

Until finally—he saw it.

The hole.

The very breach in reality where the Otsutsuki was attacking from.

And the moment it opened again—Naruto struck first.

There was no hesitation. No wasted motion. A flicker of speed—a blur of pure instinct.

Naruto's hand shot forward, fingers wrapping around something solid.

A wrist.

The bastard's wrist.

For the first time, Naruto felt flesh and bone.

And before Kushiki could even think of slipping away, Naruto yanked him straight out of the void, hurling him across the air like a ragdoll, sending him crashing into the jagged surface of the God Rock.

"I've had enough of your crap! Get out!"

The ground shuddered from the impact, cracks webbing outward as dust and debris scattered across the desolate moon-like landscape.

Naruto's piercing gaze locked onto Kushiki, who was now kneeling on the rough, cratered rock.

For the first time—the Otsutsuki looked shaken.

His Aokugan flared once, flickered… then dimmed slightly.

Naruto's eyes sharpened.

He's running out of fumes.

Of course, he was.

Naruto's own Aokugan wouldn't function without his Miracle Seal—Tenkei no Fūin—inscribed on his gut.

He cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders, stepping forward with slow, deliberate confidence.

"Looks like you're running on empty, pal."

Naruto exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he cracked his knuckles. Alright. Time for the next move.

Close combat.

No more guessing, no more waiting for an opening—if this guy wanted to fight from the shadows, slipping between dimensions like some phantom, then Naruto would drag him into the light with his own hands. The first step to beating any opponent was to understand them, and right now, Naruto didn't know a damn thing about Kushiki Otsutsuki. But there was one thing he did know—this bastard wasn't normal.

Something about him felt… wrong.

Naruto had fought plenty of Otsutsuki before, and one detail about them always stood out.

He thought back to the ones who had ascended beyond human limits, the ones who had clawed their way to a god-like existence—Obito, Madara. Then the Otsutsuki—Kaguya, Toneri, Momoshiki, Kinshiki, Isshiki.

And every single one of them had white hair.

Obito and Madara had been born human, but when they absorbed the Ten-Tails, their bodies underwent a grotesque, irreversible transformation—one that made them something more than human, but less than Otsutsuki.

Otsutsufication.

That was the term Naruto had come up with to explain what had happened to them.

And now, staring at Kushiki's red hair, feeling the eerie familiarity in the way his chakra pulsed, in the way his movements felt almost… too familiar, Naruto felt something twist in his gut.

He knew.

This guy was the same.

Kushiki was just like Obito and Madara.

But—why? How?

That was what he needed to find out.

And he was going to beat the answers out of him.

Kushiki was already running out of fumes, his Aokugan flickering with exhaustion after Naruto had forcefully dragged him into the open, away from whatever void he had been slipping through. He was losing access to his powers, and that meant one thing—Naruto had the upper hand.

Time to press the advantage.

Naruto rushed in, blurring forward like a streak of golden lightning, his first punch shooting out like a cannonball aimed straight for Kushiki's face. The Otsutsuki managed to block, but the sheer force sent him skidding back, his feet grinding against the rocky surface of the colossal God Rock.

Naruto didn't stop.

A jab to the ribs. A hook to the jaw. A spinning elbow that sent a tremor through Kushiki's entire body.

Each hit landed harder than the last, and Naruto could feel the cracks forming in the Otsutsuki's stance, could feel the way his opponent's movements were slowing down, becoming sluggish, desperate.

But more than that—Naruto was learning.

Not just about Kushiki's physical abilities, but something far deeper.

With every exchange, every clash, every moment of contact, Naruto's Aokugan flared, peeling away the layers of mystery surrounding this opponent. He could see it now—the strange nature of Kushiki's chakra, the way it twisted and coiled, like tangled threads weaving together different forces of life itself.

And then, suddenly—he recognized something.

One of those threads.

Naruto's eyes widened.

It was his own chakra.

And the rest?

Undeniably Otsutsuki.

Confirmed.

Kushiki wasn't born this way.

He was made.

Just like Obito. Just like Madara.

Naruto's fist slammed into Kushiki's ribs, sending the Otsutsuki stumbling, his dark robes billowing as he barely caught himself from falling. But in that split second, as the fabric shifted, Naruto saw it.

His breath hitched.

A mark.

Centered on Kushiki's gut.

It had been meticulously hidden, buried beneath layers of thick, flowing robes, but now—Naruto could see it clearly.

And his stomach dropped.

Karma.

Not just any Karma.

A layered Karma.

Naruto's heart pounded.

This wasn't just another Madara or Obito situation.

This wasn't some ordinary case of an Otsutsuki reviving through a vessel.

No.

This was something else entirely.

This was—

"Boruto…" Naruto muttered under his breath.

Because this was the exact same thing that had happened to his son.

But unlike Boruto, who bore the will of a single Otsutsuki, this Kushiki bastard carried multiple.

Naruto's stomach churned.

The layered signatures weren't just overlapping—they were intertwined, stacked, carefully arranged like a sequence of parasites all waiting to devour their host from the inside out.

This was not natural.

This was not normal.

Naruto took a slow, steadying breath, his gaze darkening, his fists clenching.

This was something beyond Karma. Beyond resurrection.

This was something that shouldn't even be possible.

Naruto's jaw tightened as his Aokugan blazed brighter than ever, locking onto Kushiki's form with a piercing glare.

"What the hell are you?"

Naruto lunged forward, body twisting into the motion, his fist coiling back before exploding outward with a devastating punch, a strike so forceful that it caved into Kushiki's gut with bone-shattering impact. The Otsutsuki's body recoiled, his mouth wrenching open as he gagged, a violent heave forcing bile and whatever semblance of breath he had left from his lungs. His entire face twisted in agony, features contorting into something unrecognizable as the sheer force of the hit rippled through his entire being.

And yet—Naruto felt nothing.

No resistance. No weight. No presence.

It was as if the enemy standing before him, the so-called god, had been stripped of something fundamental, as though his very essence had been unraveled and erased, leaving behind an empty shell where a person should have been. It wasn't just a body he had struck—it was a void, a husk, a being that existed without truly existing.

And in that moment, an unsettling thought crept into his mind.

"Is this what Boruto would turn into?"

No. That couldn't be. Boruto had one Karma. But Kushiki—Kushiki had multiple. The difference was staggering, and yet, the implications weighed down on him in a way he couldn't quite explain.

Before he could even process it, Naruto's body instinctively came to a halt, every nerve in his system screaming at him to stop. His gaze darted upward, and that's when he saw it—Mystogan.

Suspended midair. Bound. Helpless.

Kushiki wasn't even touching him. And yet, Naruto could feel it—an invisible force gripping Mystogan, locking him in place, suffocating him in its hold.

No. Not invisible.

It was chakra.

An ascended one, no wonder he couldn't see it. The Chakra's properties was on another realm.

But not anymore.

Naruto's senses sharpened, his eyes narrowing, and in that instant, his world shifted. The Aokugan flared to life, a surge of clarity cutting through the illusion that had masked the truth from him. What had seemed formless and unseen before was now laid bare before his eyes—Kushiki's limbs, ghostly, ethereal, like spectral arms woven from pure chakra, stretched outward, gripping Mystogan in an unbreakable grasp.

And then—he let him go.

Not by accident. Not by force.

By choice.

Naruto barely had a moment to react before Mystogan's form was swallowed whole, vanishing into the depths of a pocket dimension.

It was a statement.

A hostage.

A silent demand, unspoken yet deafening in its weight—move, and he dies.

Naruto didn't move.

Kushiki, on the other hand, took a step forward, the casualness of his stride more terrifying than any attack could have been. His arm extended, fingers stretching toward Naruto's stomach, pressing against his gut—not to strike, but to take.

To steal.

The sensation was immediate, sharp, and relentless.

Naruto's body lurched as chakra was ripped from him, siphoned away with a force so consuming it felt as though his very essence was being pulled apart, strand by strand, his endless reservoir bleeding out into the Otsutsuki's grasp.

Kushiki's Aokugan flickered, its dull glow igniting with newfound intensity, his expression unreadable as the plundering continued.

And yet—Naruto still didn't move.

Not because he was frozen.

But because he was waiting.

Because this was exactly what he needed.

As the chakra was drained from him, Naruto did something that defied all logic—he reached back.

Not physically, not even consciously, but through something deeper, something more profound. He extended his senses, tracing the theft, following the flow of his own chakra, searching through the countless threads of energy that wove together the being known as Kushiki.

And then—he found it.

A thread that shouldn't have been there. A thread that didn't belong to Kushiki alone.

A thread that was his.

And in that instant, his mind was no longer his own.

Memories flooded in.

A life unraveled before his eyes.

Not his life. Not his story.

But one that felt so close to home it may as well have been.

Uzumaki Menma.

A name he had heard before. A version of himself that was so similar, yet so different. A reflection warped by fate, yet bound by the same blood, the same lineage, the same will.

Menma had been born a genius, a prodigy among prodigies, a ninja who had been given everything—power, wisdom, talent—but unlike others who had been gifted such things, he had learned their worth through his friends' eyes.

And because he understood just how precious they were, he had sworn to protect them all.

No matter the cost.

Even if it meant throwing away his own free will.

And so, he had sealed every Otsutsuki he had ever faced inside himself.

That was his answer. His burden.

And now, Naruto stood face to face with the result of that choice.

A selfless yet selfish bastard.

Naruto let out a breath, slow and steady, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Idiot…"

But he didn't resist.

Didn't fight back.

He allowed it.

"Go ahead."

Because the longer Kushiki drained him, the more he could feel it—his body adapting.

He wasn't just the unpredictable ninja anymore.

He was something far worse. Something far more terrifying.

He was absurdity itself.

And if he wanted to return, if he wanted to end this once and for all, if he wanted to face the last of Kara and the remaining Otsutsuki, then this was exactly what he needed.

Kushiki's eyes suddenly widened.

His fingers trembled.

And then—he recoiled.

Because in that moment, he realized what had happened.

His pocket dimension was empty.

Mystogan was gone.

Naruto had stolen him back.

The realization dawned on Kushiki like a creeping nightmare, his lips parting slightly, but before he could even think to react, Naruto took a slow step forward, his presence now overwhelming, towering over the so-called god like an unstoppable force.

And then—he smiled.

A grin that wasn't cocky, nor mocking, nor arrogant.

A grin that simply dared him.

"Go on, Kushiki."

His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, razor-sharp and unwavering.

"Attack me. I'm all yours."

Kushiki's body jerked forward, instincts compelling him to lunge, to strike, to tear Naruto apart.

And in that exact moment—Naruto moved.

His right hand lifted, fingers extending—index and middle, poised and precise.

A Rasengan bloomed to life, but it wasn't like any before.

It didn't just spin. It twisted reality itself.

The chakra whirled into a spiraling, consuming vortex—not just a weapon, but an anomaly, a force of nature so potent that it absorbed everything it touched.

A purifying storm of absolute absurdity.

A spiraling, purifying, absorbing sphere.

"Rasen Jōkyū Gan!"

Chapter End