"That doesn't matter. Just do as I say." Madara Uchiha seemed unwilling to engage him further and replied indifferently.
Sasuke stared at him deeply before stepping forward and ripping out the eyes of Itachi Uchiha.
Madara frowned but did not stop him.
Seeing Sasuke approaching Izumi Uchiha's direction again, Madara's eyes flashed a warning.
Under his intense gaze, Sasuke coldly turned away.
Naruto simply watched everything silently.
The three stood there quietly facing each other for a moment before Madara finally left first, taking the injured Itachi Uchiha and Izumi Uchiha with him.
"Sasuke..."
As soon as Madara was gone, Naruto anxiously ran to Sasuke's side and began spilling out all the information he'd received from Fukasaku.
"It looks like Kaguya went to the Three Sacred Lands... The Frog Sage told us we should deal with Kaguya's followers first..."
Sasuke listened attentively, then remained silent briefly before sighing and saying, "Naruto, the situation is too complicated now. We might genuinely need help from the Sage of Six Paths..."
So saying, he extended his palm.
Naruto smiled and high-fived him.
They both closed their eyes and concentrated their chakra throughout their bodies.
A miraculous fluctuation of energy filled the air.
A brilliant ray of white light appeared before them, and a familiar figure materialized within this glow.
The spectral form of the Sage of Six Paths floated midair, looking down upon Sasuke and Naruto who gazed upward at him. He sighed softly before speaking:
"It's been quite a while since our last meeting, hasn't it? You two kids... why do you still seem to have made no progress whatsoever?"
Upon hearing this, Sasuke felt slightly embarrassed.
Naruto responded somewhat discontentedly, "Six Paths Sage, you clearly know how to deal with Kaguya, so why insist on making me and Sasuke handle it? Isn't that just passing the buck?"
The Sage of Six Paths fell silent momentarily before explaining, "I'm in this condition already; my capabilities are limited."
"But you can't just do absolutely nothing either," Naruto continued bluntly. "In fact, the entire crisis started because of your past mistake, which gave Kaguya her chance to escape."
Sasuke couldn't help pulling at his sleeve slightly.
"Don't I already share my power with you?" the Sage said with visible frustration.
Naruto: "This tiny bit of help hardly makes any difference..."
"Enough!" The Sage abruptly cut off Naruto, apparently growing impatient.
"Naruto, stop being unreasonable. If there's something important, hurry up and say it..."
"Mount Myōboku is in trouble..."
Coughing slightly, Naruto grew serious again and repeated what he had previously told Sasuke, also informing the Sage about Madara's control over the Country of Rain.
The Sage glanced at them and began thinking.
"...Gamamaru's strength alone might not hold out for long."
Before he even finished speaking, the spectral image of the Sage of Six Paths gradually faded until completely vanishing from before the two youths.
"Tsk, leaving without even telling us where he's going?"
Naruto grumbled where he stood.
"Stop wasting time. Let's go to Konoha," Sasuke said.
Pfft...
[Yin-Yang Release jutsu] chakra was pulled out from the frog's body, sending sprays of blood flying.
Hiroki continued moving forward toward where groups of frogs gathered.
At Kaguya's side, she had already adjusted to Gamamaru's rhythm and mastered Mount Myoboku's defenses, ready to strike at any moment.
Suddenly, a faint rustling filled the air as a beam of light appeared, and a hazy figure slowly took shape.
"Mother..." The Sage of Six Paths spoke in a complex tone.
"Hayato... Have you been here all along?" Gamamaru and the other frogs of Mount Myoboku were delighted.
The Sage of Six Paths' appearance made the atmosphere strangely tense.
Frogs scattered away from Hiroki in haste.
As for Gamamaru, there was no need for words. He might not have known just how much power Kaguya had recovered, but he was well aware of her lethal techniques — and had no desire to get near her.
"Kaguya, if you feel uneasy, come to my side."
Hiroki said, stepping into midair to stand beside her.
Kaguya naturally linked arms with him.
"Whenever I chose to appear or disappear was always up to me. There simply wasn't a need before..." The Sage explained indifferently toward Gamamaru.
He hadn't opened his mouth, yet his voice clearly reached Gamamaru's mind.
No one else could hear it.
This was a technique he once developed a thousand years ago — using chakra to link spiritual energies between individuals for silent communication.
With the Ninja World Continent divided among different forces, this skill was lost over time.
Gamamaru understood inwardly.
While maintaining mental communication with Gamamaru, the Sage of Six Paths stared at Hiroki for quite some time.
It was hard not to feel uneasy watching Kaguya and Hiroki walking arm-in-arm like that.
After a long pause, he turned to Kaguya directly. "Mother, if you're seeking revenge, take it out on me alone. There's no need for more bloodshed."
"Is that so? Then for them, would you willingly face death?" Kaguya replied coldly.
"I've been as good as dead already."
Upon hearing these words, Kaguya sneered, "If you're already dead, then why show yourself now? Hayato… between us, who really can't let go?"
"That's right. Hamura left the Ninja World and lived in isolation until he passed away naturally. But you, Hayato — even in death, you've kept manipulating the cycle of life and death, watching everything unfold in the Ninja World." Hiroki added.
The Sage of Six Paths' cold gaze fell on him again. "This doesn't concern you, kid!"
"Hayato, aren't you showing a bit too little respect? After all, I am your father," Hiroki said, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at his lips.
Clearly affected, the aged-looking Sage — still maintaining his ethereal form — let out a soft breath before returning to his composed self.
"Mother, isn't it absurd to mix with Hamura's descendants?"
Saying this while expressing clear dissatisfaction, the Sage used chakra to 'connect' all the frogs inside Mount Myoboku.
Included were the hidden White Snake Sage and Taiko Hime lurking in the shadows.
"Everyone, please assist me next and follow my instructions."
A powerful male voice reverberated in their minds. The White Snake Sage and Taiko Hime both recoiled slightly, caught off guard.
Before they could react, two shockwaves came barreling straight at them.
[Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!] Hiroki's voice followed closely after.
It was a simple yet concentrated burst of Chakra energy. As it neared the two snakes' bodies, it was completely absorbed.
The original air currents dissolved into nothingness.
"So you really are here. C'mon, you two, stop loafing around like cheerleaders—time to bring the fight!"
Hiroki called out in that direction.
Then, he summoned a handful of Shadow Clones, bracing for battle.
With no other option, the White Sage and Taiko Hime reluctantly revealed themselves.
Still, the two serpents hovered in midair, silent and motionless as statues.
Clearly, they still intended to remain passive observers.
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