Chapter 623 Give You a Choice

Sasuke glanced towards Gaara, who stood nearby. The battle was over. Deidara, despite having grown considerably stronger, still hadn't lasted long against Sasuke. Throughout the entire fight, from start to finish, Gaara had witnessed one undeniable truth: Sasuke's control over his power had reached an absolutely terrifying level. It wasn't just about raw strength, chakra reserves, or overwhelming with powerful jutsu. The most frightening aspect was Sasuke's ability to instantly generate innumerable senbon using Lightning Release. With these lightning needles, Deidara's signature explosive clay had been rendered utterly useless, mere ornaments with no combat value. This precision was what led to the almost completely one-sided victory.

Now, Sasuke's gaze fell upon him, the unspoken question clear: step aside, or prepare to stand in his way? Gaara tensed, his hands twitching slightly, the urge to stop Sasuke rising within him. But… even if he tried, could he possibly succeed? Sasuke's strength was on a level he couldn't hope to match; the Uchiha was simply monstrous. Yet, doing nothing, just standing by and watching Sasuke walk past… Gaara couldn't accept that either. His decision made, Gaara slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again an instant later, his aura sharpened, radiating fierce determination.

Sasuke let out a weary sigh. "Why must you insist on such pointless actions?" Even as he lamented, Sasuke raised a hand, drawing the surrounding sand towards him, commanding it. Fine. If Gaara wants a fight, I'll defeat him using his own element. Perhaps then, Sasuke thought, the Kazekage wouldn't bother him again.

Seeing Sasuke preparing to use Magnet Release – Gaara's signature ability – felt like a deliberate slight to the Kazekage. He intends to challenge me with Magnet Release? Very well, let him try! Gaara refused to believe that, however strong Sasuke might be, he could possibly surpass Gaara's own mastery of sand manipulation. With a swift gesture, sand surged around Gaara, instantly forming a barrage of tiny, hardened pellets that shot towards Sasuke like bullets. Sand Shower! The volley of sand screamed through the air, converging rapidly on Sasuke.

Yet, Sasuke merely gave the attack a dismissive glance. He raised his own hand, and a surprisingly thin wall of sand solidified before him, effortlessly deflecting Gaara's assault.

Gaara froze, stunned. His attack couldn't even penetrate such a flimsy barrier, one Sasuke had erected with barely a thought? It's the same Magnet Release... how can Sasuke wield it with such power?

In the next instant, Sasuke's expression turned icy. He simply clenched his outstretched fist. Immediately, sand erupted from the ground around Gaara, coalescing into massive arms that slammed together, instantly encasing the Kazekage. Sand Coffin! It was Gaara's own signature technique, one he knew intimately. Yet, experiencing it from the receiving end, wielded by Sasuke, felt entirely different.

Powerless! An overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over him. It felt as though any resistance against Sasuke was futile. Even his own vaunted control over sand, his greatest strength, seemed utterly insignificant now. Sasuke's mastery of Magnet Release was on a completely different plane than his own. There was no dodging an attack launched with such speed and precision. And when had Sasuke even infused his chakra into the sand surrounding Gaara? This level of subtle, pervasive control... it was beyond what any normal shinobi should be capable of.

"As Kazekage, you did your duty," Sasuke stated, his voice devoid of emotion. "You attempted to stop me, but you failed. Gaara, let this be the end of it." His gaze remained cold. "These Tailed Beasts don't truly belong to Suna. They are from another dimension, another time. Even Shukaku, the One-Tail, who was originally housed here..." Sasuke paused briefly. "In truth, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, merely entrusted him to your village out of goodwill!"

He scoffed internally at the notion that the Bijuu were simply vital military assets for each village. "The reality is, Hashirama distributed them to prevent the other villages from fearing Konoha's overwhelming power. It wasn't about seeking help to seal them away. Back then, Hashirama was essentially invincible, unmatched in the shinobi world. Possessing all nine Tailed Beasts, those ultimate weapons, on top of his own strength would have driven the other villages to band together out of fear. While they couldn't truly threaten Konoha, this prolonged antagonism would isolate the Leaf and hinder its future. That's why Hashirama shared the Bijuu – selling them, even – to establish a fragile peace and temporarily ease the fears of the other nations."

Hearing Sasuke's explanation of history, Gaara remained frozen, the constraining sand dissipating around him. By the time his mind processed the words and the shock subsided, Sasuke had vanished.

Sasuke was already heading towards the location of the Eight-Tails. But when he arrived, he found only an empty sealing ground. The Eight-Tails was gone.

Furthermore, Indra was also missing. Only the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother, Ōtsutsuki Hamura, remained. The instant Sasuke appeared, Hamura's eyes locked onto him, burning with rage.

"You! How dare you deceive me!" Hamura snarled, immediately launching an attack.

Sasuke was baffled by the sudden, intense fury radiating from the Ōtsutsuki.

"You killed Mother!" Hamura roared, his voice thick with hatred. "I will never forgive you!" Truth-Seeking Orbs formed in Hamura's grasp, hurled one after another towards Sasuke. Creating these orbs consumed vast amounts of chakra, yet Hamura showed no hesitation, a clear sign of his immense anger. Hamura glared at Sasuke, his eyes filled with a terrifying malice, as if he wanted to tear Sasuke apart limb from limb.

Sasuke froze, startled by the accusation. I killed Kaguya? Well, essentially, yes. But how could Hamura possibly know that? And more importantly, where were Indra and the Eight-Tails?

Just as Sasuke was about to demand answers, his eyes caught movement. A figure stood atop a rock formation some distance away, observing them. But in the very next second, the figure vanished without a trace. In that fleeting moment of disappearance, Sasuke sensed a familiar chakra signature – Indra's. The figure itself wasn't Indra, but as they opened whatever spatial passage allowed their escape, a distinct trace of Indra's presence had lingered. What in the world is happening? Sasuke wondered, confusion mixing with suspicion.

While Sasuke had been engaged with Deidara, Sasuke pieced together, Indra must have pursued Hamura to the Eight-Tails' location, intending to prevent him from taking the Bijuu. However, upon arrival, they encountered a group already preparing to abscond with the creature. Both Indra and Hamura had prepared to intervene immediately. But then, something unexpected happened – Hamura was suddenly trapped, sealed within some sort of powerful barrier that appeared out of nowhere. Indra, likely reacting a fraction faster, managed to evade the sealing technique.

The figure who had appeared now faced Indra. "You are Ōtsutsuki Indra, son of the Sage of Six Paths, correct?" the stranger observed. "Your power is impressive, and your potential, immense." A calculating look entered their eyes. "Your reincarnation, Uchiha Sasuke... he has become remarkably powerful. Perhaps you are not so far behind."

The figure leaned in slightly. "So, what do you say? Care to try? To strive, like Sasuke, to surpass everything?"

The stranger offered a choice. "Join us, and we will grant you the opportunity to achieve power beyond imagining. Or... remain here, wallowing in your past failures." The figure's voice dripped with condescension. "No matter how you try to spin it, you lost. Defeated by your own younger brother."

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