Chapter 328: The Six Paths Sage's Countermeasure

Chapter 328: The Six Paths Sage's Countermeasure

As Guy, with all Eight Gates open, charged toward the Divine Tree, a significant event occurred outside the battlefield.

Uchiha Sasuke, who had remained out of sight, emerged from the secret base where the Gedo Statue had previously been kept.

After the statue was summoned away, Sasuke's task was complete. Now, stepping out of the base, he looked up at the sky, noticing the blood-red moon, which appeared more vivid than ever.

"If I rush over now, it might already be too late," he murmured.

Due to his commitment to guarding the Gedo Statue as instructed by Hagoromo Gengetsu, Sasuke hadn't experienced the current Shinobi World War firsthand. Yet, he felt no regret. Sasuke was acutely aware of the statue's significance, and he knew that if Hagoromo Gengetsu succeeded, the chaos of the Shinobi world would finally end, and the Uchiha clan would regain its former glory. Sasuke had taken his mission seriously.

Now that the Gedo Statue was gone, Sasuke felt a sense of relief. He knew that the future he and others longed for was close at hand.

However, in that instant, Sasuke's expression suddenly changed.

In the blink of an eye, he found himself in an unfamiliar space.

Ahead of him, a stranger clad in a white robe adorned with tomoe, holding a staff, sat floating in the air, his back turned to Sasuke. A ring of Truth-Seeking Balls hovered beneath him.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword, his brow furrowed.

Meanwhile, in the same space, Naruto stirred.

"Am I... dead?" he muttered, confused as he took in his surroundings.

A solemn voice answered him from in front: "Your body may have perished, but your spirit endures. By the standards of the living world, your condition matches the definition of death."

"So... I really am dead," Naruto concluded after a moment's thought. Then, scratching his head, he added, "Well, dead is dead. No need to make it so complicated."

He looked at the old man floating before him, someone he had never met before.

"Uh... I thought I was dead. How am I here? And who are you, Grandpa? Are you dead too?"

"You ask too many questions at once!" the old man, none other than the Six Paths Sage, spoke sternly. "Due to the passage of time, the traditions, morals, and worldviews have greatly diverged from those of my era. Every time I wake, I feel a profound disconnect with the present. While I can learn new cultures, languages, and norms, it must be done step by step. Otherwise, simply understanding the surface won't suffice. If I were to answer all your questions at once, you might struggle to comprehend them fully."

Naruto remained silent, processing the words.

After some time and a few attempts at communication, the Six Paths Sage finally found a way to convey his message in a manner Naruto could grasp.

"Death is but a formality. Naruto, though your body has perished, your soul remains. I, who can communicate with the Pure Land—what you now call the underworld—have summoned you here."

"And as for who I am..." the Six Paths Sage lifted his staff slightly, "I am the one who maintains peace and order in the Shinobi world. My name is Hagoromo."

"Hagoromo?!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping back in shock as he pointed at the sage. "You... you're Hagoromo?! And those Rinnegan eyes, they're just like his! Are you Hagoromo Gengetsu's father? No, wait! You're too old for that! Maybe his grandfather then!" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the sage. "So, what's your scheme in bringing me here?"

The Six Paths Sage observed Naruto's frantic state calmly before replying, "It seems you've misunderstood me."

He tapped his staff on the ground, and an image of Hagoromo Gengetsu in his Ten-Tails Jinchuriki form appeared on the ground.

The sage explained, "I am Hagoromo, but not of the Hagoromo clan. I am the founder of the Shinobi sect, known as the Six Paths Sage."

"The legendary sage?" Naruto was astonished, recalling tales of the Six Paths Sage from Jiraiya.

The sage nodded. "In terms of bloodline, Hagoromo Gengetsu is indeed my descendant, but not as close as a grandfather. To be precise, there are at least forty or fifty generations between us. Our connection is quite distant. And Naruto, the same goes for you."

"Rest assured, I didn't summon you here to harm you. On the contrary, it's to stop Hagoromo Gengetsu."

"Stop... Hagoromo Gengetsu?"

"Yes." The sage nodded, tapping his staff once more. The image on the ground shifted as he continued, "Before explaining further, let me tell you a story. A story about the love and hatred between my mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, and myself, from a thousand years ago."

In the strange space, the Six Paths Sage recounted the tale of his conflict with Kaguya Otsutsuki, revealing the truth about the reincarnations of Asura and Indra.

He then explained to Naruto and Sasuke the dire consequences of the Infinite Tsukuyomi's success—that Kaguya Otsutsuki would return, plunging the Shinobi world back into an era of despair as it was a millennium ago.

For this reason, he needed the reincarnations of Asura and Indra from the current era to carry his power and stop this catastrophe.

"But... I'm already dead. Even if I want to stop Hagoromo Gengetsu, I can't," Naruto said, deeply worried about the Shinobi world's fate. He looked at his ethereal hands, then earnestly asked the sage, "Please give all your power to Sasuke! Knowing the truth about the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he'll surely change his mind and fight for the Shinobi world, for everyone!"

"You trust Sasuke that much? Trust the reincarnation of Indra?" the sage asked, surprised.

"Yes!" Naruto nodded firmly. "I believe Sasuke is good at heart."

"Is that so?" The sage's Rinnegan shifted focus, and in his mind, Naruto's image was replaced with Sasuke's.

At that moment, Sasuke remained calm, nodding as he spoke, "Give me the power, and I will stop all of this."

The sage looked deeply at Sasuke and, seeing Naruto's image overlaid with Sasuke's resolute expression, finally responded:

"My answer is... rejection."