Unlike before, when the Sage of Six Paths appeared separately in Naruto and Sasuke's inner worlds, this time… both of them stood together in the same mental space, facing him.
Looking at the two of them, the Sage spoke in a low voice, "It is through the link created by Sakura Haruno's life force that the two of you are able to meet me together like this."
"…."
Naruto and Sasuke remained silent, as if their minds had completely frozen.
Between life and death, their senses had become unnaturally sharp. They could clearly feel everything happening outside.
Jigen had already left.
But Konoha had suffered devastating losses.
To save them, Sakura had used the forbidden technique once employed by Chiyo to revive Gaara—a technique that burned away her own life.
When they truly opened their eyes… they would be forced to face a reality more painful than anything they had ever known.
A reality that would erase all hope.
They're completely weighed down… the Sage thought. This timing… may have been too heavy.
I have no choice. I'll need to intervene slightly, or we won't even be able to talk properly.
"Hm!"
A deep, resonant chant echoed from his chest.
Naruto and Sasuke's minds suddenly cleared. Their gazes sharpened, and their thoughts began flowing again.
"Gramps… what was that just now?" Naruto asked.
"That was the Silent Tone of the Six Paths," the Sage replied. "It temporarily steadies the mind and allows one to focus. But it is only a temporary measure. In the end, you must face reality yourselves… and overcome it."
"Thanks… that really helped," Naruto said.
The Sage was about to respond when Sasuke suddenly spoke.
"Sage… where have you been all these years? And what have you been doing?"
The Sage answered calmly, "After my mother was sealed once more, I expended a great deal of power. To recover and prepare for future threats, my soul entered a dormant state. I only awakened not long ago."
"Not long ago… exactly when?" Sasuke pressed.
Naruto frowned. "Sasuke, that's rude! He helped us before—you're treating him like a suspect!"
"It's fine," the Sage said gently. "I understand Sasuke's feelings."
He continued, "To be precise… my soul awakened twenty-four days ago, in the evening."
"After waking, I found that the world had changed drastically…"
Today was July 28.
Twenty-four days ago… July 4.
Naruto and Sasuke both fell silent.
That day… was unforgettable.
At dawn, in the thorn forests of Yunmen Mountain in the Land of Lightning, they had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Uchiha Akira.
Fifteen years of victory… ended in a single battle.
After that, everything began to collapse like falling dominoes.
And that very evening… the Sage had awakened.
It couldn't be a coincidence.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
So the Sage wasn't observing everything like before.
Until twenty-four days ago… he knew nothing about Akira. Nothing about Isshiki.
"What exactly happened that evening?" Sasuke asked.
"That must be what triggered your awakening."
The Sage lowered his gaze. "It's difficult to explain with words. I'll show you."
With a wave of his sleeve, the lake beneath them rippled like a mirror, forming an image.
Kaguya's dimension.
The Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei shattered—and from within, a massive Rabbit Beast emerged.
Uchiha Akira, Edo Tensei Madara, and Edo Tensei Obito… surrounded and attacked it.
Naruto's eyes widened. "This is…!"
Sasuke muttered, "I see… so that's what happened."
The scene froze at the moment Akira used Time-Killing: Piercing Spear to freeze the Rabbit Beast.
The Sage spoke.
"The seal imprisoning my mother loosened. That was the trigger I set for my awakening."
"As you can see, Uchiha Akira not only took the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path… but also the Rabbit Beast—the vessel containing a portion of my mother's chakra and soul."
"I have long tried to contact you. But over the years, the Six Paths power within you faded. I could neither reach you nor intervene."
"I have been waiting… for a moment like this."
He looked at Naruto.
"You awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and with it, your dormant tailed beast chakra stirred once more."
Then at Sasuke.
"And your transplanted Hashirama cells have fully awakened… triggered by the brink of death."
"Thus, the conditions for us to meet again have been fulfilled."
"In that sense… what Jigen—no, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki—did was not entirely a bad thing."
Sasuke frowned immediately.
"What do you mean by that? After what Isshiki did to Konoha, you can still say that?"
The Sage stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"I was unaware of Isshiki's existence before. His strength is indeed formidable."
"But objectively speaking… he is far inferior to my mother, Kaguya. The threat he poses is also far less."
"The reason you feel powerless… is because your own strength has declined over time."
"Naruto. Sasuke. Think carefully… is that not true?"
"…."
Sasuke remained silent.
Naruto lowered his head, deep in thought.
He compared Kaguya's overwhelming power with Jigen's displayed strength… then extrapolated Isshiki's potential.
After careful consideration, he reached the same conclusion.
"…You're right," Naruto admitted quietly. "Isshiki might not be stronger than Kaguya."
"These years… we've grown complacent in peace. We neglected our training… and now Konoha has paid the price…"
The Sage smiled reassuringly.
"Do not worry. I will grant you power once more, as I did before."
"This time, your foundations are even stronger. Your starting point will be higher. You will surpass your past selves."
"And this time… I will not leave."
"Until the threat is completely eliminated, I will remain with you. After this meeting, my soul will reside within Naruto. Sasuke, you may communicate with me through him."
Sasuke said nothing.
Naruto's dim eyes lit up again.
"Really!? That's amazing, Sage! I didn't even know how we were supposed to deal with Isshiki!"
"Isshiki?" The Sage raised his head slightly. "Naruto… the threat I speak of is not Ōtsutsuki Isshiki."
"…Huh?"
"It is my mother… Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
"What!? Kaguya!? But… didn't Uchiha Akira completely freeze her!?"
"Freeze?" The Sage frowned deeply. "If that were all… I would not be so desperate to meet you again."
"Listen carefully, Naruto, Sasuke."
"After awakening, I gained a new ability—the ability to sense the causal threads connected to my mother."
"And I can clearly feel it."
"My mother, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya… is about to be revived."
"And it will be done by Uchiha Akira."
His voice grew heavy.
"The true threat… is my mother, who has long feared the existence of the celestial clan. That fear drove her into madness—into tyranny—into becoming a danger to this world and humanity."
"And… Uchiha Akira, who seeks to awaken her."
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