Third Faction

The Unseen Golden Age

Event Description: Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo invites you to alter the outcome of the event and defeat the reincarnators and Plot Characters of the Golden Order faction in order to prevent the world from entering a golden age.

Event Reward: Unknown Bloodline Item (quality related to completion rate)

Event Penalty: Hostility with the Otsutsuki Clan becomes fixed.

"Though I should reside permanently in the Pure Land, the matter at hand is not something the current Ninja World can resolve. This world is a world of ninja. A power like the Golden Order is by no means a benevolent path."

Bai Cangshu raised a hand, stopping Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo from continuing his "lecture" through Uchiha Obito’s body.

He straightened up and released Hiranaka Minoru’s throat. The latter fell to the ground, coughing violently.

"What this world should be, what it will become, has nothing to do with me."

"But your attitude makes me curious about one thing… Sage of Six Paths, do you truly still possess the strength of a sage?"

A dangerous aura emanated from Bai Cangshu.

Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo frowned slightly. Mercenary Tao before him seemed exactly like an unawakened wild beast. He had tried to communicate through morality and reason, yet what the other man focused on was the "weakness" revealed by that very attitude.

This was not the logic of human communication. This was how beasts communicated. When two beasts dealt with each other, the content was not what mattered most. What mattered was first taking a sniff and determining their respective positions in the food chain.

The Truth-Seeking Orb in Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo’s hand had already transformed into a pitch-black long sword wrapped in spirals, radiating an intimidating pressure. It was the divine sword known as the Sword of Nunoboko, the Heart Sword.

This sword would carry out its master’s will and convictions completely. The stronger the will, the stronger the sword.

"Mercenary Tao, do you think that without the strength of a sage, I cannot kill you…?"

Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo raised his sword, the Sword of Nunoboko pointing straight at Bai Cangshu. Truth-Seeking Orbs possessed the powers of Yin-Yang Release, the five elements, and Myriad Manifestation Species all at once. The Sword of Nunoboko, formed from a Truth-Seeking Orb, was even more powerful.

It was matter produced by energy approaching physical substance.

The power of such high-density energy completely surpassed Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tōta. A fist-sized Truth-Seeking Orb could easily destroy an entire forest.

This was the manifestation of true Six Paths-level power.

In the eyes of reincarnators, it was power that completely surpassed the Second Tier.

Seeing Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo’s display, the cruel smile on Bai Cangshu’s face grew even more pronounced. Raising his sword to point at him looked highly intimidating, but the more Hagoromo did so, the more Bai Cangshu sensed that something was wrong with his condition.

Logically speaking, if Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo truly still possessed Six Paths-level power, shouldn’t he have directly killed Hiranaka Minoru and Heaven’s Will at this moment? He could even have forcibly destroyed the Erdtree.

Yet such a top-tier figure was actually trying to persuade him?

He had even tried to pull him into his own faction.

The weakness revealed by this was keenly caught by Bai Cangshu. Moreover, under the influence of Satsui no Hado, he had grown increasingly insane. If it had been the Bai Cangshu who had first entered Infinite Dimensional Space, he would probably have only tested the waters and ultimately would not have chosen to act at the risk of angering the Sage of Six Paths. But now…

Bai Cangshu suddenly raised his left hand and grabbed the divine sword—the Sword of Nunoboko.

The spiraling, bizarre long sword reacted violently the instant it came into contact with Bai Cangshu’s left hand.

As a substance possessing the characteristics of Myriad Manifestation Species, Truth-Seeking Orbs could ignore all changes in ninjutsu nature while possessing immense destructive power. Even an Impure World Reincarnation body could not heal or regenerate after being shattered by a Truth-Seeking Orb.

It could be called "true damage."

But Bai Cangshu’s left hand was no less formidable. It was a powerful Bio-Implant explicitly marked as indestructible, the King’s Left Arm that had run rampant through Infinite Dimensional Space.

Clang!

Pitch-black lightning flashed as space twisted slightly. Intense fluctuations began spreading from Bai Cangshu’s left hand and the Sword of Nunoboko.

Occupying Uchiha Obito’s body, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo looked at Mercenary Tao’s left hand. Nothing from Myriad Manifestation Species could harm it. That arm contained power surpassing the Golden Order.

Even Truth-Seeking Orbs could not contend with it at all.

Bai Cangshu suddenly swung the Sword of Nunoboko with the power that was still functioning at peak capacity.

He wanted to snap the sword outright, but Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo’s will was not something Obito could compare to. Power erupted fiercely and rapidly, making the air boom dully, yet neither Bai Cangshu’s left arm nor the Sword of Nunoboko suffered any damage.

Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo sighed. His body phased backward a step, and the Sword of Nunoboko in his hand reverted to a Truth-Seeking Orb.

Mercenary Tao was right. He had already truly entered the Pure Land. What remained in the world now was merely his spirit and a portion of his Chakra.

It was not that he was wholly incapable of interfering with the world, but personally taking action came with just as many restrictions.

Furthermore, the two portions of power Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo had preserved were originally meant to give his two sons another chance to choose their futures. He could not hand them over at a time like this to someone like Obito, who was bent on destroying the world.

"Mercenary Tao, you do not have much time left."

Uchiha Obito’s body swiftly twisted and phased away, then vanished directly. He gave Bai Cangshu no chance to act and did not even attempt to kill Hiranaka Minoru.

Bai Cangshu looked at the increasingly distinct golden glow on the horizon and knew that the woman codenamed Heaven’s Will had probably truly made her move against Uzumaki Naruto and Second Pillar.

Attacking the Children of the World directly, forcibly accelerating the Erdtree’s growth, and drawing the Greater Will’s gaze was an extremely aggressive approach. It would inevitably cause the World Will to intervene in various ways.

Whether they were powerful ninja hidden somewhere or dead experts lying in Yellow Springs, the World Will would certainly attempt to awaken them in one form or another.

Although Orochimaru was in the Land of Lightning, with the World Will’s power, a forbidden technique like Impure World Reincarnation would surely produce some unexpected timeline in which it somehow spread through Danzo or Senju Tobirama.

Then, at precisely this moment, it would be used to revive the Ninja World’s top powers one by one to oppose the Erdtree faction.

But what made Bai Cangshu hesitate was their attitude toward him.

Bai Cangshu knew his own level of strength. In the current ninja world, he was probably already among the top tier, but he could not be called invincible. What was more, Six Paths-level experts theoretically still existed in this world, and they were beyond what Bai Cangshu could currently contend with.

Yet whether it was Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo or Heaven’s Will, both seemed to regard him as a key figure capable of determining the world’s course.

There had to be some hidden information here.

Theoretically, if several genuine Six Paths-level experts in their complete states appeared now,

they would be enough to sweep aside all the reincarnators and Plot Characters in this world.

Ōtsutsuki Toneri on the moon? No, he lacked a Byakugan of extremely high purity. Given that woman’s temperament and methods, she would certainly have blocked off that path before taking action. She would kill Hyuga Hanabi and even all the others from the Hyuga Main Family beforehand, or take their eyes.

That Ōtsutsuki Isshiki whose existence was uncertain…

And… the currently sealed Otsutsuki Kaguya…

With the World Will’s power, theoretically, it should not be impossible to awaken those beings as well. What exactly was the reason all these people had set their sights on him? So long as he figured that out, Bai Cangshu believed he would be able to take whatever he wanted in this world.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Several sounds tore through the air. Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi finally arrived from the direction of the Land of Lightning with Hiranaka Hana.

"Minoru…"

Her voice was soft, as though she could not believe it. Hiranaka Hana broke free from Itachi’s restraint, climbed down from the Summoning Beast, and staggered toward her husband.

Hiranaka Minoru also stood frozen in place.

Out of the corner of his eye, Bai Cangshu watched the two of them and suddenly realized a fact.

The World Will and the Planet’s Will were not the same in this Naruto Derivative World.

The corner of his mouth unconsciously curled up. He realized that beyond the Golden Order faction and the Sage of Six Paths’ faction, there was actually a third faction—the faction that truly belonged to this world’s native inhabitants.

The Otsutsuki Clan had always been foreign invaders and plunderers. The Planet’s Will did not like them.