The so-called Dragon Vein was, in truth, the planet's core energy—its original life source.
Unlike chakra, which was introduced to the world by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and could be considered alien in origin, the Dragon Vein represented the planet's native energy. Over time, however, this natural energy had been gradually tainted by the influence of chakra.
It was similar to natural energy, like the kind harnessed in the three great sage lands. Though those powers had been adapted by humans, they still came from the planet itself. The Dragon Vein was the same—only on a far larger and more fundamental scale.
Even the strange powers used by individuals like the priestess Shion, or the prophetic visions of the Great Toad Sage, could be traced back to this native force. Then there were the dark immortality techniques used by the cult of Jashin and Hidan's curse—these too seemed to fall under the planet's original spiritual system.
Sakiya had a theory.
Chakra, for all its versatility and raw strength—even at Kaguya's level—was an artificial energy system. It was powerful, yes, but not particularly attuned to the soul, or to concepts like fate and prophecy. Those were domains still governed by the planet's ancient energies.
"If these native powers had been allowed to evolve naturally," Sakiya mused, "perhaps the Ōtsutsuki threat wouldn't be so terrifying."
But the world had already been reshaped.
Thanks to chakra's spread, the planet was now soaked in foreign energy. The God Tree had essentially rewritten the entire system, injecting chakra into every living thing, every element, every breath of air. Its real purpose had always been planetary transformation—preparing the world to bear the fruit of the God Tree.
In that context, the Dragon Vein was like a safeguard—one of the last defenses left by the planet itself. Its immense power could bend time and space, restore what was lost, and realign history.
But the Fourth Hokage had sealed it, hoping to prevent chaos.
Sakiya rested her cheek against her fist, her head tilted thoughtfully.
"So that's it... It's not impossible. It all fits."
Her lips curled into a confident smile.
"I was worried I wouldn't be able to return if I crossed time... but now, I've seen how the system works. This makes sense."
The Dragon Vein—raw, unstable, and powerful—would be her passage through time.
Without further hesitation, Sakiya stepped forward. Slowly, deliberately, she walked into the swirling storm of energy, her right eye glowing faintly red—the Eye of Origin active and alert.
...
In the next moment—
Sakiya found herself drifting inside something completely foreign.
There was no time. No space. No body. No boundary.
And yet… she existed.
She wasn't a person anymore. She felt more like an idea.
She couldn't feel her limbs, or even define her form. Everything was gone, and yet her mind remained, perfectly clear.
"It's like… I am a concept," she thought.
Most people would've lost their minds the instant they entered this place. The amount of information—too dense, too vast—would shatter the soul on contact.
But Sakiya remained calm, unshaken.
This was the power of her Eye of Origin. It kept her conscious, grounded, able to process even the infinite.
And in that stillness, she waited for the Dragon Vein to show her when… and where… she would emerge.
---
In the silent stretch of outer space above the Naruto world, the darkness of the void began to ripple—like a stone dropped into water.
From within that disturbance, a single transparent bubble emerged. Curled inside was a small figure—Sakiya.
A moment later, the bubble popped.
Sakiya drifted weightlessly in the vacuum of space, her body suspended in the stars. Slowly, she opened her eyes—one glowing blue, the other red. They shimmered faintly in the darkness.
She stretched out her limbs, turning to gaze at the beautiful blue planet behind her.
"I really ended up here... If it were anyone else, they'd be dead by now."
With a flicker of red light from her right eye—her Eye of Origin—Sakiya looked straight through the planet's atmosphere. In an instant, she saw everything happening on its surface.
---
Far below, in a windswept desert, yellow sand whipped through the air. The battlefield was littered with bodies. The Allied Shinobi Forces were locked in pursuit of the reincarnated Second Tsuchikage.
But then, atop a rocky outcrop, another figure suddenly appeared.
He stood tall, wrapped in crimson armor layered over black robes. Long black hair flowed down his back. Arms folded, his gaze carried the weight of a god.
Onoki's eyes widened in disbelief. A chill ran down his spine as buried memories returned in full force.
"That's... Uchiha Madara!!"
The sensor unit nearby confirmed it with horror in their voice.
"Who... Who is that?! What incredible chakra!"
Naruto, standing beside Onoki, turned in shock.
"Wait, what? Uchiha Madara? Isn't the masked man supposed to be him?"
Onoki's expression twisted into something between fear and fury.
"No... There's no mistake. That man is Madara. That kind of power… only he has it."
Temari stared at the figure's cracked skin and the black, lifeless glow in his eyes.
"He's been reanimated... Then who the hell is the masked one?!"
Onoki gritted his teeth.
"That doesn't matter right now. This—this is the real Uchiha Madara."
Madara, arms still folded, looked down at the army gathered below. He exchanged a few words with Kabuto, who hovered nearby.
"My prime, huh? Then let this rat in the shadows witness it."
Madara spread his arms slightly. His eyes glinted.
"My prime!"
And then he leapt.
In a single bound, he landed in the middle of the desert—face-to-face with the Allied Shinobi Forces.
One man against an army.
Strangely, despite their overwhelming numbers, the soldiers of the Allied Forces felt a pressure that crushed their morale. It was like the weight of Madara's presence alone was enough to sap their will to fight.
They swallowed hard, fingers tightening around weapons.
Then—he moved.
Madara dashed forward like a bolt of lightning, heading straight into the crowd. In mere seconds, he tore through the front lines like a blade through silk. His attacks were swift, brutal, and precise.
Ninjas flew through the air, their bodies thrown back by invisible shockwaves. Screams echoed across the battlefield.
Every movement from Madara was effortless—each punch and kick perfectly timed. Dozens of shinobi fell with every breath he took.
In the chaos, one ninja wielding a chakra-enhanced blade broke through the confusion and lunged at him. He attacked with speed and intensity, slashing in a storm of steel.
For a moment, it looked like Madara had to evade.
But then—without emotion, without effort—Madara stepped in, disarmed him with a flick, and caught him by the throat with one hand.
The ninja's weapon clattered to the ground.
He was completely at Madara's mercy.
And the battle had only just begun.
Madara stared coldly at the struggling ninja in his grasp.
"You want to dance too?"
Suddenly—
A gust of wind chakra burst forth, slicing through the air and striking Madara head-on. His eyes narrowed. It wasn't powerful, but fast—clearly designed to push him back rather than harm him.
He didn't dodge.
Bang!
The wind hit, and Madara was thrown backward. He flipped midair, landed smoothly, and dusted off the crimson armor on his chest as if nothing had happened.
Temari stood in front of him, her fist clenched tight.
"Stop underestimating us!"
Madara raised his hands calmly and formed a quick seal.
"Fire Style—Majestic Destroyer Flame."
He exhaled, unleashing a massive torrent of fire that spread out like a fan, sweeping across the battlefield toward the Allied Shinobi Forces like a blazing tsunami.
"The scale... it's enormous!"
"We have to use Water Style—everyone together!"
Immediately, the water-style users stepped forward in unison, hands flying through seals.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
A roaring wall of water surged forward, crashing against the oncoming fire.
But water and fire don't just cancel out.
The collision produced a massive cloud of vapor that engulfed the entire battlefield in thick steam.
Within the haze, the shinobi stood alert, eyes scanning.
Then—
A sensor ninja shouted.
"He's coming!"
Hearts pounded.
Suddenly, small sparks of light flared in the mist overhead.
Fireballs rained down like a deadly storm.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rocked the ground as chaos erupted once more.
Madara dropped into the midst of the confusion, slicing through the coalition ranks without hesitation. Every swing of his weapon cut down another ninja. Calm, precise, and unstoppable.
Then—
His blade met resistance.
It didn't cut flesh—but sand.
Madara frowned. His arm moved to strike again, but more sand rose to intercept the next blow.
Opposite him stood Gaara, now fully recovered. Chakra swirled around him as he raised one hand with grim determination.
"You're not getting past me."
Bang!
The ground beneath Madara exploded in a wave of sand, surging to swallow him. Madara leapt clear, flipping through the air, landing in an open space.
At that moment, Onoki slammed his palm to the ground.
"Earth Style: Moving Earth Core!"
Boom!
A massive pillar of stone erupted beneath Madara, launching him into the air.
And just as he ascended—
"Got you!"
Naruto appeared above, a massive Rasengan in hand.
"Super Big Ball Rasengan!"
Madara's expression sharpened. In an instant, his Sharingan morphed—becoming the Mangekyō.
A simplified version of Susanoo materialized around him just in time to block the devastating attack.
Naruto's shadow clone shot into the air, delivering a powerful punch backed by a Rasengan. Below, the rest of the shinobi forces joined the attack—hurling fire style, water style, kunai, and explosive tags toward Madara's Susanoo.
But Susanoo held firm.
At the same time, it manifested two enormous chakra blades, sweeping down at the shinobi below. Every strike sent groups of ninja flying.
Inside the massive armor, Madara stood with arms crossed, silently watching the chaos unfold around him—unfazed, merciless.
Gaara clenched his jaw and thrust both arms forward. He summoned all his strength to control the sand, wrapping thick layers around Madara's Susanoo. The more he poured in, the tighter it bound the armored form.
The chakra construct slowed, its movement hindered.
But Madara glanced at Gaara with cold indifference. He flared his Mangekyō Sharingan, and instantly, Susanoo sprouted two additional arms. Chakra surged violently, and the sand restraints shattered apart like glass. Wielding the glowing blue blades, Susanoo slashed down.
Boom!
The strikes ripped through the battlefield, sending four massive shockwaves outward. Deep trenches split the ground, carving destruction through the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Gaara stared, teeth clenched.
"Damn it…"
Onoki stepped beside him, calm and composed.
"Gaara—I've reduced the sand's weight."
He placed a hand on the gourd at Gaara's back.
"Earth Style: Light-Weight Rock Technique."
Suddenly, Gaara felt the difference. The sand was faster, easier to move.
"It's so light now!"
Meanwhile, Naruto entered Sage Mode once more, his eyes sharp.
Gaara called out, "Naruto! I'll give you an opening!"
Naruto nodded. "I'll finish him with the Rasenshuriken!"
Gaara attacked again—this time, faster than before. The sand surged like ocean waves, crashing over Susanoo with immense force.
Madara didn't flinch. Susanoo endured the assault, refusing to budge.
But in the sky of swirling yellow sand, his vision was obscured.
Now!
Gaara manipulated the sand beneath Madara's feet. A whip of chakra-infused sand lashed out, coiling around his leg and arm. With a sharp pull, Madara was yanked out of Susanoo and flung into the air.
"Now, Naruto!"
Naruto appeared instantly, hurling the Rasenshuriken at Madara midair.
"It's over!" Naruto shouted, watching the jutsu soar toward its target.
The Rasenshuriken made contact—
But instead of exploding—
It vanished.
Naruto's eyes widened in horror.
Madara's eyes had changed.
The Rinnegan.
The entire Rasenshuriken dissolved into pure chakra and was absorbed completely.
Madara landed effortlessly, brushing the dust off his clothes. Then he leapt onto a lone boulder and looked down at them all.
Naruto stared, shaken.
"R-Rinnegan...? How!?"
Gaara and Onoki shared grim expressions.
"The plan failed," Onoki muttered. "We didn't expect him to have the Rinnegan."
Madara smirked and dusted his hands.
"Not bad. You've managed to keep up with my warm-up."
"But let's see how you handle this next one."
He raised his hand, preparing to form seals—
Then suddenly paused, looking up.
A moment later, others followed his gaze.
Blue sky. Clouds.
Nothing at first.
But then—
A glimmer.
A small light—high above.
The shinobi alliance looked up as well. The light grew rapidly.
"A falling star?"
"No… it's too fast!"
And then they realized—it wasn't a star. It was a meteor. Or something like one.
Its trajectory was aimed directly at the battlefield.
"Wait—Madara can summon meteors now?!"
Flames trailed behind it as it fell—blazing like a comet.
But unlike the others, Madara's enhanced vision allowed him to see more clearly.
He narrowed his eyes.
That wasn't a meteor.
It was...
A girl?