(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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Colt stood unwavering, staring at the Sage of Six Paths, summoning his immense Susanoo, and confronted him head-on.
What was even more infuriating was that Colt's Susanoo was nearly a hundred meters taller than that of the Sage of Six Paths, as if mocking him.
The Sage's face darkened.
Two colossal figures, both over a kilometer tall, stood firm, with faint lightning flickering between them.
Colt snicked as he stood in the crystal of his own Susano.
"Size isn't everything; it's the essence that matters!" the Sage of Six Paths scoffed.
His Susanoo's sword slid out from its sheath, slashing towards Colt's Susanoo.
Colt snorted.
"Size is impressive, and this height is the proof of my power!"
Wielding the Kaminari, Colt's Susanoo engaged in a fierce battle with the Sage's.
The destructiveness of the battle had reached another level.
The two god-like beings were now fully immersed in their fight, and every time their long swords clashed, boundless storms followed.
Each step they took leveled mountains beneath their feet.
Colt's Susanoo leaped into the air, quickly sheathing its blade, then unleashed a slash that seemed to cut through heaven and earth towards the Sage of Six Paths.
Clang!
The Sage of Six Paths clenched his fists, and his Susanoo shifted, manifesting another long sword in its left hand. Both swords crossed as he met Colt's attack.
The massive blades collided.
Everything fell silent.
A tremendous shockwave erupted, centered between the two Susanoo statues, sending a roar loud enough to shatter eardrums.
At the ninja alliance gathering point, the news that these new changes were caused by the battle between the Sage of Six Paths and Colt shattered everyone's worldview once again.
Even Hashirama and Madara remained silent.
Back when they fought, the aftermath did indeed affect some nearby islands, even causing the Land of Water to suffer some repercussions.
But now, as Kaguya explained to Hinata, if the battle between the Sage of Six Paths and Colt continued, the entire ninja world could be destroyed.
"They're far stronger than we were," Madara murmured.
Kushina's face paled.
"That old man is using my son's body! What if Colt accidentally cuts him down?"
Namikaze Minato, though equally shocked, forced a smile.
"Don't worry, Colt has always been careful. He will protect Naruto."
But Kushina remained anxious, pointing at the still-quaking earth.
"With this kind of scale of battle, can Naruto withstand it?"
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to respond.
Mieko approached Kushina, taking her hand.
"Kushina, Kaguya-sama just told us the Sage of Six Paths is fighting with his own body now."
"Rest assured, Naruto will be safe."
Hearing this, Kushina breathed a sigh of relief.
In the distance, a roar echoed, as large boulders and trees were carried by the fierce winds towards the ninja alliance.
Hashirama's face turned serious.
He grabbed Madara and dashed toward the group, clasping his hands together.
"[Sage Art: Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands!]"
A massive wooden statue emerged from the ground, with thousands of arms forming seals to shield the ninja alliance from the oncoming storm.
"[Wood Style: Wood Expulsion Jutsu!]"
Standing atop the statue, Hashirama created a fang-like grimacing shield to protect himself and Madara.
After a while, the wind subsided.
Hashirama opened the shield and leaped out, surveying the devastation in front of him with a bitter smile.
The once-mighty wooden statue of the Senju had become tattered, and in some places, it was completely obliterated.
Madara, standing beside him, was stunned, deeply questioning himself.
He had once become the Ten Tails' Jinchūriki, arrogantly calling himself the second Sage of Six Paths.
But now, seeing the aftermath of such a fight and witnessing True Several Thousand Hands used merely as a defense against stray attacks, he doubted his own strength.
Back at the Valley of the End, the two Susanoos clashed once again.
The Sage of Six Paths, wielding two long swords, managed to block Colt's advance, but his Susanoo's arms trembled under the strain.
The power gap was becoming clear.
Kaminari slowly pressed down, inching closer to the Sage of Six Paths, who was stationed inside the cockpit.
Suddenly, Colt manipulated his Susanoo to pull back, causing the Sage's Susanoo to lose balance and fall backward.
Seizing the moment, Colt's Kaminari swung upward from below, cleaving through the Sage's Susanoo and splitting it in half.
Even the Sage of Six Paths' body was cut in two.
Burst!
The toad that had been gathering Sage Chakra for the Sage of Six Paths suddenly lost its target, and the violent energy inside it caused it to bleed from its orifices.
"Hagoromo… he actually lost?" Gamamaru muttered in disbelief, staring at the battlefield where only Colt's towering Susanoo remained.
The space twisted, and the body of the Sage of Six Paths slowly reformed, appearing in the world once more.
Being in a spiritual state, close to immortality, he could restore himself, but this time, the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Beasts within him, along with the Yin and Yang powers he had borrowed from Naruto and Sasuke, were gone.
"I lost…" the Sage whispered, smacking his lips as if regretful, but also somewhat relieved.
He raised his head slowly, looking at Colt above him.
"You've won. The task of guarding my mother will now fall to you."
Then, he glanced at Gamamaru in the distance, guilt evident in his eyes.
He had dragged the old toad into this mess, and after this injury, he wasn't sure how long he could continue existing.
Colt dispersed his Susanoo and landed in front of the Sage of Six Paths.
"I didn't expect you to keep your word," Colt remarked.
"Ahem!" The Sage of Six Paths coughed lightly.
"Don't always look at me through tinted glasses. Yes, I sealed my mother, but that was something I had to do. What other choice did I have? The destruction of the world, or seal mY own mother…"
"It was all for the sake of this world."
"Even splitting the Ten-Tails into the tailed beasts was to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Ōtsutsuki clan."
Colt nodded.
"In the future, leave this kind of responsibility to me. You can retire to the Pure Land."
The Sage of Six Paths smiled in relief.
Maybe this wasn't such a bad outcome after all.