Pain was defeated just like that…
The leader of the dangerous organization that threatened the entire ninja world, the culprit behind Jiraiya's death—was defeated so easily?
Everyone watching the battle from afar, standing around the massive crater, felt as if it wasn't real.
"No, something's wrong!" Tsunade suddenly realized something and urgently spoke up.
"Pain's real body isn't here!"
She recalled the intel Jiraiya had risked his life to send back.
Among the six bodies of Pain that had appeared, none of them were the real one!
At that moment, Hyuga Kou leaped back to their location.
As he landed, the enormous chakra surrounding him instantly dispersed, and the dark markings on his face slowly faded away.
"Kou, you…" Hinata looked at her clansman, momentarily at a loss for words.
"That power wasn't truly yours," Makoto said calmly.
"It was only loaned to you for a short time. Keeping it in your body for too long wouldn't have been good for you."
Kou felt a wave of disappointment wash over him.
Everything that had just happened felt like a dream.
"As for Pain's real body… if he wants to escape, you won't be able to catch up to him. It's not worth the effort," Makoto continued.
Tsunade clenched her fists as she looked at the ruined remains of Konoha.
"Damn it…"
Was this villain really going to escape?
So many people had died, and yet he was still going to get away?
At that moment, Naruto arrived.
This was supposed to be his battle—the fight that would make him Konoha's hero.
Yet, an unknown Hyuga had stolen the spotlight.
"Granny Tsunade!"
Naruto didn't pay much attention to Makoto, assuming he was just another ninja from the village.
Tsunade took a deep breath and turned to the Anbu beside her.
"Gather all surviving—no, all ninjas, and begin relief operations. Start counting… the casualties."
There was probably no need to count the casualties—after all, Pain's devastating attack had undoubtedly killed countless villagers of Konoha.
Makoto fell into deep thought.
In the original course of events, these deceased people would have been revived when Naruto convinced Nagato, leading him to sacrifice his own life to use the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu.
But now, that step had been skipped.
This meant those people might truly be dead—including Kakashi and Shizune.
Makoto glanced at the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, then casually remarked, "A lot of people have died."
Tsunade remained silent.
Then, Makoto added, "I can bring them back."
Everyone was stunned.
Tsunade immediately turned to him, staring intently. "What did you just say?!"
Makoto slowly walked to the edge of the crater and stood still.
He could sense the lingering souls scattered throughout the area.
Raising his right hand, he conjured a transparent, pale purple orb in his palm.
The orb slowly ascended, rapidly growing larger under everyone's watchful gaze.
However, its glow wasn't blinding.
When it expanded to over ten meters in diameter, it finally stopped.
Then, the pale purple sphere suddenly burst apart, transforming into countless rays of light that scattered across the ruins of Konoha.
Before everyone's eyes, figures began to emerge from the wreckage.
"Lord Hokage…" Kou's eyes widened in shock as he turned to look at Tsunade.
With his Byakugan, he saw even more than the others.
Naruto, sensing familiar chakra signatures appearing all around him, was overwhelmed with emotion.
Without hesitation, he leaped away, disappearing into the distance.
More and more people stood up from the ruins, looking around in bewilderment.
At that moment, Tsunade finally believed Makoto's words.
Not only did he possess overwhelming power, but he could also control life and death itself.
If that wasn't a sage, then what was?
The Sage had come to save Konoha!
Feeling an intense surge of emotions, Tsunade immediately bowed deeply to Makoto in gratitude.
"Thank you for saving Konoha!"
The power to control life and death had been granted to him by the Sage of the Six Paths.
Makoto couldn't help but wonder if this world's Sage of the Six Paths would come looking for him.
Seeing their Hokage bow in respect, the surrounding crowd quickly followed suit, bowing deeply to Makoto.
Moments later, Naruto arrived with Kakashi.
Tsunade resumed her duties as Hokage, issuing orders for all available ninja to begin reconstruction efforts.
She instructed that civilians be evacuated to the cliffs above the Hokage Rock, where a temporary encampment would be established.
In truth, Makoto could have easily restored Konoha to its original state with a mere gesture.
However, he chose not to.
The destruction served as a stark reminder of the devastation they had just endured, allowing them to fully grasp the weight of the disaster and the immense value of the aid he had provided.
Half an hour later.
At the temporary encampment on the cliffside, inside one of the hastily erected tents, Makoto and Tsunade sat alone.
Makoto occupied the central seat, while Tsunade, sitting before him, cautiously inquired if there was anything Konoha could do for him.
She understood well—no matter how divine someone might seem, they always had desires.
If he were truly a sage, then why had he not intervened in the world's suffering before now?
"I want the Nine-Tails."
Makoto's request was direct, mirroring that of Pain.
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat.
Then, Makoto calmly explained, "The Tailed Beasts have only ever brought war and bloodshed upon mankind. But the truth is, they do not wish for such a fate. That is why I have come—to take all the Tailed Beasts away. Rest assured, the Jinchuriki will not be harmed when I remove them."
Seeing Tsunade hesitate, Makoto asked, "You're unwilling?"
"No!" Tsunade replied quickly.
"It's just that Pain and the Akatsuki also sought the Tailed Beasts, and now you are asking for them as well. That connection made me pause for a moment."
Initially, she had been deeply concerned—if the Nine-Tails were extracted, Naruto would surely die.
That was something she could never accept.
But then she remembered—this man had dominion over life and death itself.
If he claimed the Jinchuriki would not die, then it must be true.
Given his overwhelming power, he had no reason to deceive them.
If he wished, he could simply take the Tailed Beasts by force, and Konoha would be powerless to resist.
"The Akatsuki have already gathered all the other Tailed Beasts except for the Nine-Tails and the Eight-Tails," Makoto said, his gaze steady.
"That actually saves me quite a bit of trouble."
Tsunade bowed once more. "You saved Konoha. Compared to the grace you have shown us, anything we do in return is insignificant. If the Tailed Beasts disappear from this world, it may well be a blessing. At the very least, organizations like the Akatsuki will lose the chance to wreak havoc upon the world."
Makoto's face showed a faint, enigmatic smile as he gazed at the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, standing before him.
"Are you speaking from the heart?"
Tsunade immediately replied, "Every word is true!"
Makoto's eyes flickered slightly.
This woman—Tsunade—always had an undeniable allure, no matter the time or place.
That was why, in his own world, he had allowed a version of her from another world to remain by his side.
He stood up and stepped closer to her, his gaze sweeping over her from head to toe.
Her presence, her figure, her scent… everything about her was already intimately familiar to him.
But unlike the Tsunade he had known, this one bore no hatred toward him.
Makoto lifted a hand as if to caress her cheek, but before his fingers could touch her skin, he halted midway.
After a brief pause, he slowly withdrew his hand.
"Lord Sage?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.
Makoto let out a soft chuckle and said, "Since you've agreed, go bring Naruto to me. I don't wish to linger here for too long."
"…Understood."
Tsunade turned and exited the tent.
Outside, the village was bustling with reconstruction efforts.
She stood still for a moment, lost in thought.
Just then, an Anbu appeared beside her in a flash.
"Lord Hokage, we were unable to find Shizune."
Tsunade's gaze darkened. "…I understand. Go bring Naruto here."
Not long after, Naruto arrived.
However, instead of taking him into the tent immediately, Tsunade stopped at the entrance to explain everything to him, laying out the situation and its consequences.
Naruto, however, simply smiled and said, "Got it, Granny Tsunade."
"You don't have anything else to say?" Tsunade asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.
Naruto shook his head with a grin. "Granny Tsunade wouldn't do anything to harm me."
"You brat…" Tsunade's expression softened slightly.
She then led Naruto into the tent.
Inside, Makoto was sitting at a table, writing and drawing something on a blank scroll with a brush.
"Lord Sage?"
Makoto finished his writing, rolled up the scroll, and casually tossed it to Tsunade.
"Consider this my exchange for the Nine-Tails."
Tsunade caught it and, without even looking at the contents, said firmly, "We are giving you the Nine-Tails willingly. You saved so many people in Konoha—there's no need for you to offer anything in return."
"No," Makoto shook his head.
"I saved them… for your sake."
Tsunade was momentarily stunned, staring at this completely unfamiliar man.
Makoto then turned his gaze to Naruto and said, "Come here."
Naruto obediently stepped forward and stood before Makoto.
After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Sage… big bro, how are you going to take the Nine-Tails out?"
Makoto couldn't help but chuckle. "I was quite close to your mother. Calling me 'big bro' doesn't seem very fitting."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock, his excitement barely contained. "S-Sage… uncle?! You knew my mom?!"
Makoto paused briefly before saying, "If you want to know more about your mother, you can ask Tsunade later."
Before Naruto could respond, Makoto suddenly pressed his palm against Naruto's abdomen.
In an instant, the Dual Four Symbols Seal unraveled, and the Nine-Tails' chakra surged outward.
The dark red chakra, which had been contained within Naruto for so long, erupted the moment it was released—only to be completely absorbed into Makoto's palm.
Naruto stood frozen, unmoving.
He could feel a power that had tormented him his entire childhood now rapidly vanishing from his body.
The Nine-Tails…
The entire process lasted less than a minute.
Once Makoto had absorbed all of the Nine-Tails' chakra, Naruto immediately looked weakened.
Seeing this, Makoto swiftly transferred some of his own chakra into Naruto's body.
Moments later, the tent returned to silence.
"The scroll I gave you contains techniques that Naruto should train with first. Afterward, you can decide if you want to pass them on to others," Makoto said to Tsunade.
Hearing this, the Fifth Hokage nodded.
"It's time for me to go," Makoto said as he stood up.
"Sage uncle, you…" Naruto seemed to want to say something.
He naturally had no ill feelings toward this benefactor of Konoha—especially since this person had mentioned knowing his mother.
Makoto told him, "The Ninja World may face crises in the future, but I will not return when that time comes. Do not slack off in your training."
Naruto immediately nodded firmly, engraving these words in his heart.
Makoto smiled and said, "Naruto, just stick to what you believe in. Everything you want will come true in the future."
Hearing this, Naruto grinned widely. "That's a given!"
Giving kindness and receiving kindness in return—it seemed so simple, so effortless.
Makoto then turned his gaze to Tsunade.
She seemed like she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Before she could speak, Makoto suddenly grabbed her arm, and in an instant, they appeared atop the Hokage Rock, on the stone face of the Fifth Hokage.
Tsunade was not too surprised by this sudden relocation.
After a moment of contemplation, she asked, "You… knew Kushina, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"…Did we know each other before?"
"You could say that."
Makoto's gaze remained calm as he looked down at the deep crater below and the ravaged terrain within it.
Tsunade's eyes flickered as she studied the man beside her.
She couldn't help but think that his eyes were remarkably beautiful—brighter than white light, dazzling like the stars.
She had no recollection of him whatsoever.
And if his apparent age was truly accurate, it was even less likely that they had ever crossed paths.
"Can you tell me your name?"
"…Makoto."
He only gave his first name, withholding his surname.
"I'm leaving," he said.
He vanished into thin air beside Tsunade, leaving her with a lingering sense of melancholy.
She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something in his gaze when he looked at her—an emotion she couldn't quite put into words or understand.
What exactly was it...?
............
Amegakure.
Nagato and Konan, who had escaped from Konoha, were transported back by the masked man.
At this moment, Nagato was already gravely ill, hanging on by a thread.
The large-scale Shinra Tensei he unleashed on Konoha had severely drained his lifespan.
Nagato's body was beyond the help of any ordinary medical ninjutsu—everyone present knew this.
Konan looked at the frail, blood-coughing Nagato, her heart filled with sorrow.
Meanwhile, Tobi, the man wearing the spiral mask, looked at Nagato's pitiful state and began forming new calculations in his mind.
"As the leader of Akatsuki, you've fallen into such a pathetic state," he said.
Nagato lifted his weary gaze toward him, breathing heavily as he asked, "That Hyuga... Who exactly is he?"
Just then, a strange, plant-like creature with a black-and-white split body slowly emerged from the ground.
"The latest news from Konoha—an unknown sage has appeared in the village. He healed the dying Tsunade and granted a Hyuga named Kou the power to defeat Pain. This sage also resurrected all the villagers who were killed by Pain!"
The revelation sent shockwaves through the room.
A sage…
In their understanding, the only person truly worthy of that title was the Sage of the Six Paths.
Tobi had been plotting all this time, longing to become the second Sage of the Six Paths himself!
To resurrect the dead—that was a power possessed only by the Rinnegan!
All eyes turned toward Zetsu.
Black Zetsu spoke in a grim tone, "The information is true. Everyone in Konoha who had died has indeed been brought back to life. And before this, Hyuga Kou was nothing more than an ordinary Jonin from the Hyoga Branch Family."
The idea was almost incomprehensible—why would an unknown sage appear now, of all times?!
Not only had he foiled their plan to capture the Nine-Tails, but he also posed an unprecedented threat.
And at that very moment, in the high tower where they stood, a pitch-black, chaotic vortex slowly began to form in the air.
Space-time jutsu!
Tobi immediately recognized it.
Before their stunned eyes, a figure stepped out from the swirling void.
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