Naruto stared blankly at Gaara and asked in disbelief, "Gaara… how did you connect what I said to Hyūga Tarō?"
Gaara lifted his teacup and gazed at the tea shimmering under the lamplight for a long moment before setting it down again.
"Naruto, from your perspective, you've been bombarded by Uchiha Jin, Kara, Jigen, and Isshiki, one after another."
"But before meeting you today, the only thing occupying my thoughts day and night—the reason I couldn't eat or sleep—was Hyūga Tarō, the man who attacked me, the Mizukage, and Sasuke."
"Combined with what you just told me about Kāma and vessels, I'm almost certain that Hyūga Tarō—the man who attacked the three of us Kage and disappeared after murdering Hyūga Hiashi—was also a vessel for an Ōtsutsuki."
"The Kāma and the markings that appeared on Jigen… I saw the same things on Hyūga Tarō."
"There is another Ōtsutsuki in this world, one who has never formally entered our field of view."
"The glowing red fishing rod Hyūga Tarō used operates on the same principles as the crimson weapons used by Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki."
"We can be certain this Ōtsutsuki was nowhere near as powerful as Momoshiki or Isshiki. He was likely a fringe figure."
"But he definitely existed."
Naruto was dazed.
So that man… was an Ōtsutsuki too?
To be honest, after everything involving Jigen and Isshiki, I'd almost forgotten about him.
He was the one who killed my father-in-law.
Where did he go?
Why did he vanish without a trace?
Is he dead… or not?
My head is a mess.
Damn it… what is happening to the shinobi world?
It was supposed to be an era of peace.
Why are Ōtsutsuki appearing one after another like this?
The reappearance of Hyūga Tarō as a possibility caused Naruto's thoughts to spiral.
His chest tightened.
The deaths of his loved ones flashed before his eyes.
The pain he had desperately suppressed surged back, triggering another stress-induced pneumothorax.
"Hah… hah… hahhh!"
He doubled over, gasping violently.
"Don't rush! Breathe slowly!"
Gaara rose at once and patted his back, anguish written across his face.
"This is my fault! I shouldn't have used Hyūga Tarō as an example right now!"
"I was only trying to point out the inconsistencies surrounding Uchiha Jin!"
"Since Hyūga Tarō has already vanished, let's set him aside for now! Pretend he doesn't exist!"
Seeing Naruto's symptoms ease slightly, Gaara quickly handed him a cup of tea.
"Here. Drink some tea and calm down."
Naruto gulped it down.
After several deep breaths, his breathing steadied.
His eyes were still bloodshot, but the terrifying intensity from moments ago had faded.
"Sorry, Gaara. I lost control."
Gaara exhaled in relief and returned to his seat.
"It's fine. You've been under too much pressure lately, Naruto."
"If I were in your position, I doubt I'd be handling it any better."
Naruto let out a weary sigh.
"Gaara, what you said makes sense. Thanks for reminding me."
"But there are two other possibilities."
"Have you considered them?"
Gaara nodded. "Go on."
Naruto raised a finger.
"First, Uchiha Jin's Kāma may be hidden somewhere we can't see."
"He may never have displayed the markings because the power of the 'heavenly fiend' described by the Great Toad Sage is so overwhelming that he didn't need to draw on the Kāma at all to defeat us."
He raised a second finger.
"Second, Jin may have some method of concealing both the Kāma and the markings."
Gaara rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I can't rule out either possibility."
"But that still doesn't conclusively prove that Uchiha Jin is the heavenly fiend."
"So if we're talking about mobilizing an army to attack Dark Hidden Village… we need to proceed very carefully."
He refilled Naruto's cup with hot tea, then his tone softened.
"There's something else I want to say, Naruto. My honest feelings."
Naruto cradled the warm cup in both hands.
"Of course. Go ahead."
Gaara looked him straight in the eye.
"I don't know whether the Great Toad Sage's prophecy is truly so urgent."
"But right now, in terms of priority, Isshiki and the threat of his reincarnation through Kawaki are more immediate concerns."
"For reasons we don't understand, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki suddenly gained overwhelming power."
"Even you and… Sasuke, after regaining Six Paths power, were no match for him."
"So adding the Five Kage likely wouldn't change anything."
"Isshiki only has two days left to live."
"No one can predict what he might do in that time."
"A man who knows he is going to die, who possesses overwhelming power and has already prepared for his reincarnation…"
Gaara clenched his fists.
"Just imagining it is enough to make my skin crawl."
"Since we cannot confront him directly, our top priority should be to issue warnings and prepare evacuation measures at all times."
"We have to be ready in case he launches another surprise attack and causes needless casualties."
He paused before continuing.
"There is another matter we must address as soon as possible."
"We need to eliminate the threat of Isshiki's reincarnation."
"Isshiki stole the minds of Hinata and the others, granting them tremendous power."
"He seems to have done this to ensure Kawaki's protection."
"That means even if Isshiki dies, those safeguards will remain."
"If we want to resolve Kawaki's situation, we'll inevitably have to confront these transformed individuals."
"How to defeat them."
"How to save them."
"These are immediate and unavoidable problems."
Gaara's hands tightened.
"Naruto… I can't deny that my own selfishness is part of this."
"My sister, Temari, is one of the victims of Isshiki's technique."
"So I… I…"
Naruto interrupted him in a hoarse voice.
"Gaara, not for a single second have I forgotten any of that!"
"No one wants to save Hinata and the others more than I do!"
"No one wants to protect Kawaki more than I do!"
He looked up, eyes burning.
"But my instincts are screaming that Uchiha Jin and Dark Hidden Village are dangerous!"
"Something is wrong, Gaara. Terribly wrong!"
"You weren't there."
"You didn't see the Great Toad Sage when he delivered that prophecy."
"That old sage, who always joked and smiled no matter what happened…"
Naruto's voice trembled.
"The expression on his face was unlike anything I've ever seen."
"It was as if he were staring directly at his own death."
"Truly."
"I have never… never seen him look like that."
As though making a final decision, Naruto stood.
Then, with a thud, he dropped to his knees before Gaara.
Gaara's eyes widened.
"Naruto! What are you doing!?"
Naruto lowered his head.
"Trust me, Gaara! Please, trust me!"
"The situation is truly urgent!"
"If we don't unite now and defeat Uchiha Jin and Kaguya before they recover their full power…"
"Then it may become impossible to stop them!"
He pressed his forehead to the floor.
"I promise you!"
"Once the Dark Hidden crisis is resolved, I will immediately focus on Kawaki and the tree people!"
"I swear I will rescue Temari and return her safely to your side!"
"I swear it!"
His voice broke.
"I… I'm not Hokage anymore."
"I no longer have the right to speak to you as a fellow Kage."
"So, Gaara…"
"Uzumaki Naruto, as your best friend, is making the most important request of his life."
"Please help me."
"Not for my sake."
"For the future of the shinobi world."
"Please… help me."
Naruto bowed deeply.
Gaara closed his eyes.
His lips trembled as tears streamed down his face.
"That's enough…"
"Don't do this."
"I'll help you."
"I'll help you."
Enjoyed these chapters? Access 60+ ahead avanced chapters and exclusive content by visiting my Patreon. https://patreon.com/WillOFD129?