Chapter 257: I Am the Savior

"You're really just throwing around the idea of your own death like that? Stay positive, kid."

Obito followed the voice and turned his gaze toward its source.

Seated cross-legged atop floating Truth-Seeking Orbs was a mysterious figure, his back facing Obito.

The man had brown hair, horns protruding from his forehead, and held a Six Paths Staff in one hand. He was dressed in flowing white robes, adorned with a red spiral pattern on his back and a set of nine black tomoe arranged in a grid.

Obito knew exactly who he was, but he still asked in a confused tone,

"Who are you?"

"That is indeed a question," the figure answered solemnly.

"To be honest, I always worry whether the name I give matches the one the world has passed down."

The nine Truth-Seeking Orbs behind him rotated slowly.

Then, turning with deliberate grandeur, he declared with unwavering dignity,

"I am the embodiment of peace and order—Hagoromo."

Obito stared blankly at him, his expression clearly saying, And who the hell is that?

Hagoromo let out a deep sigh.

"That reaction… I suppose I should have expected it."

Suddenly, Obito pressed one foot against the ground, covered his face with his hand, and struck a dramatic pose straight out of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

"Embodiment of peace and order, huh? Nice to meet you! I am the embodiment of both beauty and wisdom, a hero of justice and chivalry—THE ONE AND ONLY OBITO!"

Hagoromo: (◎﹏◎〃)

"I spoke too soon… I did NOT see that coming."

Obito dropped the exaggerated stance and looked at Hagoromo with a serious expression.

"Where is this place? And, old man, why do you have the Rinnegan?"

Hagoromo chuckled lightly, regaining his composure.

"This is your mental realm. And as for me… I am what your people have come to call—"

Before he could finish, Obito smacked his forehead and pointed at him in realization.

"I got it! You're one of those aliens, aren't you?"

Three black lines appeared on Hagoromo's forehead.

"…You're being a little too disrespectful, don't you think? What do you mean, alien?"

"I am an ancient monk who died long ago. My lingering chakra exists only to watch over this world in silence."

"You may have heard of me by another name—the Sage of Six Paths, founder of Ninshū."

Obito rubbed his hands together, his face filled with disbelief.

"The legendary ancestor of all shinobi? The one who created all ninjutsu? That Sage of Six Paths?"

Hagoromo struck the ground with his staff, his face darkening in displeasure.

"Not ninjutsu, but Ninshū!" he corrected firmly.

"Ninshū was meant to spread hope, not be confused with the war-driven art of ninjutsu."

"Chakra was supposed to be a power that connected people's hearts, not a weapon used to oppress the weak!"

His voice carried a sharp intensity, and his imposing presence surged toward Obito like a tidal wave.

However, Obito remained unfazed, his eyes locking onto Hagoromo's.

"I understand your perspective. I really do," he said earnestly. "But that's just your idealistic vision."

"Maybe, at the very beginning, people did treat chakra as a force of connection."

"But now, everyone sees it as a weapon. If that's the reality, don't you think the problem lies somewhere deeper?"

Hagoromo studied Obito carefully before nodding thoughtfully.

"…It seems you are not as foolish as you first appeared."

"After all, someone who has wielded a fragment of the Ten-Tails' power and annihilated tens of thousands of enemies in a single battle… couldn't possibly be simple-minded."

"Very well, then. Drop the act. Speak to me honestly."

Obito let out a small laugh, scratching the back of his head before giving a slight bow.

"Alright then, if that's what you want, I'll be direct."

Hagoromo held his staff horizontally in front of him, his voice solemn.

"Do you realize that you narrowly avoided a catastrophe?"

"If you had slaughtered all forty thousand of those soldiers… I, Hagoromo, would have done everything in my power to seal you away."

"But after witnessing what you chose to do in the end, I have decided to give you a chance to explain yourself."

Obito, hearing Hagoromo's confident tone, smirked to himself.

"Old man, you have no idea… My Tsukuyomi is the perfect counter to beings like you."

"If I wanted to, I could've sent you off for a long-overdue family reunion with your mother just now."

"The only reason I didn't absorb you outright is that it wouldn't have been worth it. Plus… you actually seem like a decent guy."

Out of respect for the elderly, he chose not to bring this up.

After all, the Sage of Six Paths was an ancient figure. Wouldn't want to embarrass the guy.

"What exactly do you want to hear?" Obito asked, spreading his hands.

Hagoromo's gaze sharpened as he sat up straight.

"What is it that you seek? What do you hope to achieve at the end of this war?"

"I want your most honest answer."

Obito had asked himself this question countless times.

He already knew the answer, deep in his heart.

Without hesitation, he declared,

"Peace. Everything I do is for the sake of peace!"

"The purpose of power is to protect those who must be protected."

Hagoromo's expression wavered slightly—he could tell Obito was speaking from the heart.

"His view on peace is somewhat twisted, but… in some ways, it aligns with my own."

A strange force—perhaps the aura of respect for one's elders—softened Hagoromo's wariness.

"There seems to be a guiding principle behind your actions," he observed. "Is it because of your belief in peace?"

Obito nodded, his face set with determination, reminiscent of Naruto's.

"You may not be aware of this, but two looming threats hang over the shinobi world."

"One is your mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. She intends to overthrow the current order and resurrect herself."

"The other is the Ōtsutsuki Clan—those godlike beings capable of invading our world at any moment, spelling the end of human civilization."

A flicker of surprise crossed Hagoromo's eyes.

He unconsciously leaned forward.

"You know more than I expected, young one…"

Obito's serious expression melted into a playful grin as he pointed at himself.

"Oh, did I forget to mention?"

"I have another title."

"I'm the savior personally chosen by the Great Toad Sage—the one destined to save the world from disaster!"

Hagoromo's eyes widened in understanding.

Then, his expression turned… complicated.

"Hmph… Gamamaru, that old fool…" he muttered to himself, his tone unreadable.

"That guy just loves orchestrating these 'Savior' narratives, doesn't he?"

Hagoromo's feelings toward the Great Toad Sage were… mixed.

The sage had helped him once—preventing his mother from offering the Divine Tree's power to an unknown force and guiding him toward the path of "love."

But in hindsight…

Hagoromo couldn't shake the feeling that he had been played.

Had Gamamaru not intervened, perhaps things with his mother wouldn't have escalated so drastically.

Perhaps… he could have found a better way.

Perhaps… Kaguya would have let go of her obsession with power.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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