Why was there such filth as the Sage of Six Paths inside his body?
Was he the Child of Prophecy?
That shouldn't be. All of Yōkō's Kekkei Genkai were given by the system; what did they have to do with the Sage of Six Paths?
Why did the Sage of Six Paths appear within him?
In the next instant, Yōkō narrowed his eyes, his heart tightening with great vigilance.
His body was undergoing uncontrollable changes.
Within his eyes, the Kekkei Genkai cells belonging to the Uchiha clan compelled Yōkō to stare intently at the Sage of Six Paths.
He wanted to look away, but couldn't.
Within his body, the muscle cells belonging to the Senju clan drove him to walk slowly towards the Sage of Six Paths.
He wanted to stop, but couldn't.
Besides the Senju and Uchiha, the other assorted Kekkei Genkai cells from various sources seemed to have come alive as well.
A chill spread through Yōkō's heart.
If he truly possessed the bloodline of the Sage, he could accept it; it would just be an ancestor having something to say.
But he didn't.
He was a civilian. All his bloodline powers were given by the system.
This feeling of being possessed, being controlled, was terrible.
The Sage of Six Paths had been dead for over a thousand years, yet he still influenced the shinobi world through Kekkei Genkai cells.
In the original story, the Sage of Six Paths could impart Six Paths Yang Release and Yin Release to Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, also relying on Kekkei Genkai cells.
The Sage's soul and chakra were transmitted through the Kekkei Genkai cells of countless people.
Paying homage to the Sage of Six Paths was Yōkō's biological instinct at this moment.
However, Yōkō was unwilling!
The power from the Vidyārāja suddenly emerged.
A crimson, three-headed, six-armed Three Worlds Vidyārāja Form appeared around him!
The fifty cycles of life and death brought by the system made the power of the Trailokyavijaya Vidyārāja Form extremely strong, becoming his greatest reliance.
The Sage of Six Paths was taken aback. A certain power that transcended life and death was suppressing the bloodline's influence.
Yōkō's footsteps halted; he had regained control of his body.
The Sharingan, which had automatically activated upon seeing the Sage, was forcibly closed by Yōkō.
The bulging muscles all over his body relaxed under Yōkō's control.
Within Yōkō, only the Vidyārāja Form brought by the fifty cycles of reincarnation remained.
The Sage of Six Paths hovered in the distance, looking at Yōkō in astonishment.
A hoarse voice echoed in the boundless void, ripples spreading across the shallow water underfoot.
"After Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, a third person who has surpassed the limits of a shinobi has appeared.
Your bloodline is so complex... Senju, Uzumaki, Uchiha, Hyūga, and more.
Inconceivable. How exactly did you achieve this?
Experiments? Transplants? More of those bloody methods used by civilians seeking power?
You, someone capable of changing the shinobi world, are neither a descendant of Ashura nor of Indra.
Who, exactly, are you?"
This Sage of Six Paths... seemed to have a rather poor impression of him...
The Sage of Six Paths was Naruto and Sasuke's ancestor, so of course he was good to them. But facing someone like Yōkō, who used special means to acquire the power of the Sage's bloodline, he was less friendly.
It seemed that as long as one had the Sage's bloodline within them, breaking through their limits would trigger the Sage's chakra and soul within that bloodline.
This was almost like some soul-seizing evil technique.
Separated by the crimson Vidyārāja Form, Yōkō looked at the Sage, and the Sage appeared bathed in a bloody red.
It was unclear whether the Sage carried killing intent, or Yōkō was enveloped in killing intent, or perhaps both held some.
Both parties were silent for several minutes; the spiritual space was utterly fine.
The Sage of Six Paths spoke:
"I am an ancient one who died long ago, named Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths who founded Ninshū.
I am the embodiment of peace and order.
To create hope, I established Ninshū..."
"Stop!"
Yōkō interrupted the Sage of Six Paths.
The ferocious Buddha faces of the Three Worlds Vidyārāja glared wrathfully at the Sage.
"The hope you speak of is the hope you perceive. In reality, there is no hope. You don't actually think the shinobi world still has hope, do you?
The order you speak of is the order you perceive. In reality, there is no order. For over a thousand years in the shinobi world, how many have died unjustly?
There's no need for a lengthy self-introduction. Just say it, what do you actually want to do?"
The Sage of Six Paths, dead for over a millennium, still regarded himself as the master of the shinobi world, its savior. This greatly displeased Yōkō.
The Sage of Six Paths fell into confusion.
If the person before him was the reincarnation of Ashura or Indra, the Sage could use the bloodline's influence to make them believe him easily.
But Yōkō before him was clearly wary.
That crimson form was completely different from the power he had passed down, leaving the Sage with no way to exert influence.
Yōkō looked at the Sage of Six Paths with a scrutinizing gaze.
In Yōkō's view, chakra itself had no good or evil; chakra was a tool.
The Ōtsutsuki clan's struggle for power had thrown the shinobi world's foundational order into chaos.
Kaguya, Black Zetsu, Indra, Ashura – all were drivers of repeated disasters.
Including the Sage of Six Paths, these people who should have died long ago wandered the shinobi world like ghosts, creating disasters.
Yōkō now reached a judgment. Among the Ōtsutsuki line, who was good and who was evil wasn't important.
What was important was the absence of the Ōtsutsuki.
Let chakra return to being a tool, rather than being controlled by this Ōtsutsuki family, repeatedly creating death and chaos in the shinobi world.
The Sage of Six Paths sensed Yōkō's hostility and said:
"Yōkō, my sudden appearance must seem strange to you.
However, I am not your enemy.
My mother, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, is your enemy, the enemy of all shinobi in this world.
Once Ōtsutsuki Kaguya revives, the God Tree will connect everyone with its roots, turning all people into living slaves providing chakra.
You possess my bloodline, and its power is strong, thus attracting the attention of my soul.
I hope you can join me in guiding the Child of Prophecy to completely solve the problem of the God Tree."
Yōkō did not voice his thoughts.
It was impossible for him to debate any principles with the Sage of Six Paths.
A figure of the Sage's caliber had a firm will; otherwise, he wouldn't have persisted for so long through his soul and chakra.
Argument was useless.
What the Sage of Six Paths wanted to do wasn't important. What was important was the absence of the Sage of Six Paths.
Returning the shinobi world to ordinary people, turning chakra into a tool like a shovel or a walking stick – that was Yōkō's idea.
Yōkō recalled the scene from the original story where Gamakichi used Sage Art to deal with Obito with the Six Paths power.
Relying solely on chakra could not defeat the Ōtsutsuki line.
Chakra originally belonged to the Ōtsutsuki family.
Using chakra against the Ōtsutsuki was like showing off one's skill with the ax before Lu Ban.
No matter how powerful ordinary ninjutsu were, they could be absorbed by Six Paths-level Ninjutsu Absorption Seals and could not overcome the Truth-Seeking Balls.
To deal with the Ōtsutsuki, one must seek other forms of power.
Besides the Six Paths-related ninjutsu, the shinobi world had many other heritages.
The Uzumaki clan's Shinigami, the evil god behind Hidan, the natural energy Sage Arts of the Three Great Sage Regions, the Fire Temple's ninja arts fused with Buddhist scriptures, etc.
Among them, the Sage Arts of the Three Great Sage Regions were the most developed; mastering them now could immediately threaten Six Paths-level powerhouses.
Furthermore, taijutsu, as the most primitive and direct form of physical attack, could also threaten members of the Ōtsutsuki line.
What Yōkō needed to do was to seek out, research, and develop other power systems. He would use non-Six Paths powers to completely solve the Ōtsutsuki problem and return peace to the shinobi world.
Having clarified his future path, Yōkō relaxed.
Pretending to be interested in the topic of the 'Child of Prophecy', he began to act:
"You mentioned earlier, guiding the Child of Prophecy?
Finally, something I can understand.
Your words sound so much like the things Jiraiya shouts about every day.
Jiraiya wanders the shinobi world; I heard he's always searching for the Child of Prophecy."
"Someone else is searching for the Child of Prophecy besides me?" The Sage of Six Paths immediately thought:
"You must be referring to something Gamamaru of Mount Myōboku has always been doing.
Gamamaru was my teacher in Sage Arts; he is a long-lived toad.
Like me, he awaits a Child of Prophecy to prevent the shinobi world from heading towards destruction."
After the Sage finished speaking, Yōkō asked in an elusive tone:
"If it's the kind of thing Jiraiya is doing, then I am somewhat interested.
Sage of Six Paths, what should I do? How can I guide the Child of Prophecy?"
"You have a significant connection with the Child of Prophecy. When the Child of Prophecy appears, you will naturally help him. When the Child of Prophecy needs it, I will also appear again."
The Sage's soul vanished, and Yōkō exited the spiritual world.
This mastermind behind the scenes didn't seem to trust him much.
Yōkō had wanted to put on an act before the Sage, to play the role of a loyal servant of the Ōtsutsuki in front of him, but the Sage didn't give him the opportunity.
The Vidyārāja Form punched out, shattering a large tree in front of it.
He had to administer a potent medicine to the shinobi world, so that even ordinary people could deal with these invading Ōtsutsuki.
The Sage of Six Paths had been troubling the world for over a thousand years. Had he figured anything out?
This mastermind behind the scenes – do you even know how to be one properly?
Under the Sage's trouble, the shinobi world was becoming increasingly hopeless.
Out of ten shinobi in Konoha, nine were somewhat mentally ill. Having killed so many, which shinobi could be considered a good person?
Outside Konoha, death and plunder were even more widespread; it was more miserable than Konoha.
Many shinobi truly loved Konoha precisely because they had seen the more miserable lives outside it.
A sage who guides the world's change – if Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo can do it, why can't I, Yōkō?
***
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(Chapter End)