The three of them reached a decision. After returning to their village, they immediately conveyed their new proposal to Kirigakure.
Tailed beasts in exchange for peace.
Under this proposal, the Third Tsuchikage deliberately emphasized an important condition: the exchange of tailed beasts must guarantee peace. If peace could not be maintained, the tailed beasts would have to be returned.
With so many restrictions, the agreement almost seemed foolish.
If a war were to break out, Kirigakure would possess an overwhelming number of tailed beasts. Its military power would become terrifyingly strong. At that point, the other villages might even face destruction.
However, Ōnoki was not thinking about the present, but the future.
Shigure was undeniably powerful. Right now, none of them could stand against him. But even Shigure would grow old one day. Even Shigure would eventually die.
When that day came, if Kirigakure ever encountered trouble, it would be the responsibility of the next generation to take action.
At that time, they would have the justification to reclaim the tailed beasts that originally belonged to their own villages.
The Third Tsuchikage was thinking several steps ahead.
He had already realized that anyone living in the same era as Shigure would inevitably be overshadowed by him—just like during the era of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
As long as Hashirama was alive, no one dared wage war against Konoha.
But immediately after his death, the First Shinobi World War broke out.
That was simply the reality of the shinobi world.
However, the Tsuchikage's careful calculations were likely destined to fail.
Because if Shigure were ever to die… the tailed beasts would disappear along with him.
After returning to Kirigakure, Shigure quietly waited for Ringo Ameyuri and the others to come back.
At that moment, deep within the underground chamber, Shigure frowned slightly.
"Is it just my imagination? It feels like my Six Paths power has suddenly increased…"
[Great Sage: Host, it is not an illusion. Analytical calculations detect a special chakra that has inexplicably appeared inside the host's body.]
"Inexplicable chakra?"
Shigure was startled.
Could someone have secretly used some kind of forbidden technique on him?
[Great Sage: Analysis complete. This chakra was not artificially cast. It appears as though the energy materialized out of thin air and flowed directly into the host's body.]
"Out of thin air?"
Shigure grew even more confused.
What kind of power could simply appear out of nowhere and enter his body?
At his current level, how could there still be a force capable of slipping into his body unnoticed—and even merging with it?
More importantly, it wasn't an ordinary power. His Six Paths power had clearly increased because of it.
That was what shocked him the most.
[Great Sage: Further analysis indicates that this chakra closely resembles the chakra once carried by Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. Chakra fluctuations show a similarity of 99%.]
"…What?"
Shigure was even more bewildered.
What was going on?
Had he somehow obtained the chakra of both Naruto and Sasuke?
Suddenly, Shigure froze.
No… that wasn't right.
This wasn't Naruto's chakra or Sasuke's chakra.
This energy had directly strengthened his Six Paths power. If that was the case, then it could only be one thing.
Asura's chakra.
And Indra's chakra.
Only the power of those two could enhance Six Paths power.
The combination of Naruto and Sasuke's chakra alone could not transform into Six Paths-level power.
"…Did I just obtain Asura's chakra and Indra's chakra?"
[Great Sage: Designation successful. Congratulations, host. New energy detected: Asura Chakra and Indra Chakra.]
Shigure stood there in silence for a moment.
How was this possible?
How could he suddenly possess the chakra of Asura and Indra?
[Great Sage: Analytical speculation: the two chakras may have been influenced by the host's power and simultaneously transferred into the host's body.]
"…What kind of explanation is that?"
Shigure could hardly believe it.
[Great Sage: Chakra in the shinobi world possesses unique properties. Six Paths–level chakra does not dissipate after death. Instead, it continues to exist indefinitely.]
The chakra of Asura and Indra had always been locked in a cycle of reincarnation.
To be precise, they were constantly searching for new hosts.
But in this era, those chakras should have been attached to Naruto and Sasuke.
So why had they suddenly appeared inside him?
Naruto and Sasuke were clearly still alive.
Did the chakra simply transfer itself?
[Great Sage: It is speculated that Six Paths–level chakra possesses a certain degree of autonomy. It will instinctively choose the most suitable host.
However, the consciousness contained within these chakras is extremely weak. They can only judge which individual is most compatible.
In other words…
They chose the host.]
This meant that the two powers sensed him at the same time.
Both forces believed themselves to be the most important and the most correct existence… so they had simultaneously chosen him as their host.
For now, that seemed to be the only explanation.
But when Shigure thought about it more carefully, another possibility emerged.
The Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, was not completely gone.
Strictly speaking, Hagoromo himself might have died, but his chakra still carried his will. That was why, in the original events of the shinobi world, the Sage of Six Paths could appear before Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, granting them Six Paths power.
His chakra still existed within the world, carrying his consciousness.
As for Asura and Indra, although their chakras had not disappeared either and had reached a Six Paths–level existence, their power was still slightly weaker than Hagoromo's.
Because of that, they could not possess the same complete consciousness as the Sage of Six Paths.
That explanation seemed much more reasonable.
But if that was truly the case…
Then Shigure realized he might have uncovered an enormous secret.
About the shinobi world itself.
Within the shinobi world, there were actually several different sources of Six Paths–level power.
The first source was the tailed beasts.
Each tailed beast contained a fragment of Six Paths power, which was why they could never truly be destroyed. Even if a tailed beast died, it would eventually reform and reappear.
The second source was the chakra of Indra and Asura.
Their chakra had also reached the Six Paths level, although it was slightly weaker.
The third source was the Sage of Six Paths himself.
These powers were not separate—they were connected to the world itself.
Even after Hagoromo's death, his chakra remained within the shinobi world, permanently existing and even retaining his will.
However, there was another individual whose strength was not inferior to the Sage of Six Paths.
Yet after his death, his chakra did not remain behind.
That person was Hamura Ōtsutsuki, who resided on the Moon.
Hamura's strength was not much weaker than Hagoromo's. At the very least, he was far beyond the level of Asura or Indra.
Even their chakra could continue to exist within the world.
So why couldn't Hamura's?
Because he had left the shinobi world.
Hamura lived on the Moon.
After his death, his chakra did not remain within the shinobi world and therefore could not exist permanently. Instead, it simply dissipated.
Shigure lowered his gaze, deep in thought.
A new idea had begun to form in his mind.
If his deductions were correct…
Then there was a way to further increase his Six Paths power.
The Six Paths power could not be strengthened through his passive skill system.
Which meant that if Shigure wanted to continue enhancing it…
He would have to obtain more Six Paths power from other sources.
(End of Chapter)
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin
😊 Thank you for your support!