The group marched forward, the air still heavy with the weight of Sasuke's revelation. Nyx, the primordial force of darkness—her name alone sent chills through their spines. They pressed onward, the once familiar forest now feeling like a labyrinth of shadows, twisted by the knowledge of what was coming. Every step felt like it brought them closer to an inevitable clash with an enemy they barely understood.

Naruto: "Nyx… I've never even heard of her. How do we prepare for something we can't even imagine?"

Sasuke walked beside him, his expression grim. "You can't. Not fully. But there are ways to increase your chances of survival."

Yasaka's golden eyes flicked between the two of them. "What kind of ways? We don't have much time, Sasuke."

Sasuke stopped abruptly, motioning for them all to gather around. "That's why we need to use the time we have wisely. There are ancient relics—artifacts scattered across dimensions that hold the power to either protect or destroy. If we can find them before Nyx does, we might stand a chance."

Tsubaki, who had been silent for most of their journey, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Relics? Why didn't Ophion mention these? If they're so important, wouldn't he have used them to stop her?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Ophion was a guardian, a sentinel. His purpose was to keep the balance, not interfere directly. The relics I speak of were lost long before his time. They're not for the guardians—they're for warriors like us."

Kuro's sharp gaze scanned the horizon, ever alert. "Where do we start?"

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, as if focusing on something distant. "There's one not far from here. The Eye of Gaios. It's said to reveal the true nature of any entity it gazes upon. If we want to understand Nyx, we need it."

Naruto's brows furrowed in thought. "And you think this relic will help us stop her?"

Sasuke's eyes opened, piercing and cold. "No. But it will help us understand her weaknesses—if she has any."

The group fell silent, the crackling of twigs beneath their feet the only sound as they resumed their journey. Naruto's mind raced. He had faced gods before—he had gone toe-to-toe with beings of unimaginable power—but this felt different. Nyx wasn't just another opponent. She was something primordial, something ancient. The idea of fighting an entity that could reshape reality itself was almost too much to comprehend.

But still, he couldn't shake the thought that they had to try. There was no other option.

---

A Day Later: The Forgotten Ruins

They stood before the ancient ruins of what looked like a once grand temple, now overgrown with thick vines and moss. The Eye of Gaios lay somewhere inside, hidden for centuries. The air was thick with an otherworldly energy, making every breath feel heavy.

Kiba unsheathed his sword, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed their surroundings. "This place… it feels wrong."

Yasaka nodded, her tails swaying gently behind her as she stepped forward. "The energy here is strong, but it's warped. Like something's been feeding off it."

Sasuke led them deeper into the ruins, his movements deliberate, as though he had been here before. "There's more to these ruins than meets the eye. Be prepared for anything."

As they ventured further, the atmosphere grew denser, the light dimming despite the clear sky above. Strange whispers echoed in the distance, though no one could pinpoint their source. Shadows flickered at the edge of their vision, but when they turned, nothing was there.

Naruto's grip tightened on his kunai. "I don't like this. Feels like we're being watched again."

Kuro's eyes glowed faintly, his powers attuned to the unseen forces around them. "We are. But whatever it is, it's not hostile… yet."

Sasuke stopped before an ancient stone door, its surface carved with intricate symbols that pulsed faintly with light. "This is it."

The group gathered behind him, their tension palpable. Sasuke placed a hand on the door, and with a low rumble, it began to slide open. A gust of stale air rushed out, carrying with it the scent of something old, ancient beyond their comprehension.

Inside was a vast chamber, dimly lit by faintly glowing runes etched into the walls. At the center of the room, hovering in a beam of light, was the Eye of Gaios. It was a crystalline orb, swirling with colors too complex to describe, as though it held the very essence of existence within.

Naruto stepped forward, but Sasuke raised a hand. "Wait."

Without warning, the ground trembled, and from the shadows emerged figures cloaked in darkness, their forms shifting like smoke. Their eyes glowed a dull, crimson red as they surrounded the group.

Kiba growled, raising his sword. "Looks like we've got company."

Tsubaki stood back-to-back with Kuro, her fans drawn. "What are they?"

Sasuke's eyes flared with the Sharingan. "Nyx's shadows. She must already know we're after the Eye."

Naruto's chakra flared as he moved into a battle stance. "Then let's make this quick."

The shadows lunged, their forms moving with an unnatural speed, but Naruto was faster. He weaved through them with Rasengan in hand, the swirling energy colliding with the first shadow and dissipating it into nothingness. Kiba and Tsubaki fought side by side, their attacks swift and precise, but the shadows were relentless, reforming as quickly as they were destroyed.

Sasuke's Rinnegan pulsed with power as he summoned a barrage of black flames that consumed several shadows at once. "We need to get the Eye. These things won't stop coming."

Yasaka's tails glowed with fiery energy as she unleashed a wave of fox fire, driving the shadows back. "I'll cover you!"

Naruto nodded and dashed toward the Eye, but as his hand reached for it, the shadows surged forward in a desperate attempt to stop him. Sasuke appeared at his side in an instant, cutting them down with a swift strike of his katana.

Finally, Naruto's hand closed around the Eye of Gaios, and the chamber was filled with a blinding light. The shadows screeched in agony before vanishing into nothingness, leaving the room eerily silent.

Naruto held the Eye up, its surface swirling with a strange energy. He could feel its power coursing through him, revealing glimpses of the future, of Nyx, and of the darkness that awaited them.

Naruto: "We've got it. Now what?"

Sasuke sheathed his sword, his expression unreadable. "Now we learn the truth. But be prepared—what we see may change everything."

The group exchanged uneasy glances as they stood in the heart of the ancient ruins, the Eye of Gaios now in their possession. But with it came the terrifying realization that they were only beginning to scratch the surface of the battle ahead.

As the light from the Eye flickered and pulsed, the echoes of twilight seemed to whisper of an even darker future, one that not even the Eye could fully reveal.

---

The glow of the Eye of Gaios filled the chamber with a light that seemed to flow along the walls like water, wrapping the group in a strange mixture of calm and dread. Naruto held it in his hands, but the energy radiating from the artifact made him feel like he was holding something larger than the universe itself.

Sasuke: "Don't look directly at it, Naruto. This isn't just a simple relic. It's tied to forces far beyond our understanding."

Naruto nodded, but the Eye had already begun to show him glimpses of something—quick flashes, fragmented visions of an uncertain future: a sky covered in shadows, cities in ruins, and in the midst of it all, a giant figure engulfed in darkness. Nyx.

Kuro's voice broke through his thoughts. "What are you seeing, Naruto?"

Naruto clenched his teeth, forcing his gaze away from the Eye. "It's… complicated. It's not just a vision; it's like the Eye is showing me possibilities. Things that might happen, but I don't know how to interpret them."

Yasaka, always attuned to his emotions, stepped closer. "Then we can't waste time. If the Eye can give us answers, we need to use them while we can. The enemy is approaching."

Sasuke, his Sharingan activated, studied the artifact carefully. "The Eye doesn't just reveal possible futures. It also shows what's hidden. If there's a weakness in Nyx or the forces she commands, it's there, somewhere."

The group gathered closer to Naruto as the Eye began to project images across the chamber. A series of arcane symbols appeared in the air, slowly rotating like planets in orbit. It was an ancient language, something none of them had ever seen before.

Tsubaki frowned, observing the symbols intently. "I don't recognize these runes, but they feel familiar. Like they're part of something bigger, something primordial."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "These are the marks of Nyx's Veil. It's a barrier that separates our reality from hers. The Eye is showing us how to break it."

Naruto looked at Sasuke, surprised. "Break it? Wouldn't that let Nyx through even faster?"

Sasuke shook his head, his voice firm. "Not exactly. The barrier works both ways. If we weaken it from the inside, we can confront Nyx in her own domain before she fully crosses into our reality. Otherwise, when she gets here, it'll be too late to stop her."

Kuro nodded, quickly understanding the strategy. "It's a risky move, but if we enter her domain first, we might find a way to seal her again or even destroy her before she grows too powerful."

Naruto took a deep breath. The idea of facing Nyx in her own territory terrified him, but he knew it was their only option. "So how do we do it? How do we weaken the Veil?"

Sasuke stepped forward, pointing to the floating symbols. "These are the weak points in the Veil. There are four in total, scattered across different dimensions. If we destroy those points, we'll open a portal big enough to enter her realm."

Kiba, who had been silently listening until now, spoke up with concern. "And if we fail, what happens?"

Sasuke looked at him coldly. "If we fail, Nyx will enter our world fully unleashed. There won't be a safe place left in the universe. Everything will be consumed by her darkness."

The group fell into a heavy silence. The magnitude of the task ahead was overwhelming. Destroying those points in the Veil didn't just mean risking their lives; it meant venturing into unknown lands, facing forces beyond their comprehension.

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, letting the weight of the situation sink in, but then he opened them with renewed determination. "We don't have a choice. If that's the only way to stop her, then we'll do it."

Yasaka gave him a soft smile, always trusting in his courage. "Together, like always."

Sasuke nodded, satisfied with the group's resolve. "Good. Our first destination is the closest weak point, located in a dimension not far from here. A place known as the Abyss of Eryndor. It's a land of darkness, but also of great power. It'll be dangerous."

Naruto clenched his fist, feeling the heat of his chakra flowing within him. "Danger or not, we're going to stop her."

---

Hours later: The Abyss of Eryndor

The group stood at the edge of the Abyss of Eryndor, a vast expanse of dark, shattered land that seemed to stretch into infinity. In the sky, a perpetual storm raged, lighting the horizon with bolts of dark energy. The air was dense, heavy with a power that made everything feel oppressive.

Naruto: "So this is one of the weak points of the Veil."

Sasuke nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "Yes. This is where the barrier between worlds is thinnest. You'll feel Nyx's presence more strongly the deeper we go."

Kuro closed his eyes, concentrating. "I can feel it. The darkness here is almost tangible."

Tsubaki adjusted her fans, preparing for whatever might come. "It won't be easy. This place is crawling with creatures that have been touched by Nyx's shadow. We have to be ready."

Naruto stepped forward, his eyes burning with determination. "No matter what's waiting for us, we're breaking that Veil."

As they descended into the Abyss, the darkness around them grew thicker, as if the very air was being consumed by shadow. And then, they felt it. A presence.

From the depths of the Abyss, a figure emerged. It wasn't Nyx, but something about it radiated the same ancient power. Its form was indistinct, like a shadow constantly shifting, but its eyes… its eyes burned with a malevolence that made them all freeze.

The figure's voice echoed like thunder in their minds. "You think you can challenge the power of Nyx? This is where your hopes will be devoured."

Naruto stepped forward, unleashing his chakra. "I don't care what you are! We're going through this place, and nothing will stop us."

The figure laughed, a cold, empty sound. "Then come, little mortals. Let the Abyss consume you."

---

End of Chapter 10.

To be continued

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