"Am I... dead?"
As the Chakra of the Sage of Six Paths enveloped him, Naruto slowly opened his eyes. But he quickly realized something was off. He distinctly remembered being struck by Ōtsutsuki Minamoto's attack, which shattered Kurama's Chakra form. At the same time, a golden sword had pierced his body—an attack so devastating that survival seemed impossible.
"Damn it, I died so early? I haven't even achieved my dream of becoming Hokage yet! Mom and Dad will be so heartbroken!"
Naruto groaned, clutching his head in frustration. But soon, another thought crossed his mind.
"Wait a second, isn't there Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation? Hurry up and bring me back, damn it!"
"What are you yelling about?!"
Suddenly, Sasuke's voice rang out beside him.
"Huh?"
Naruto froze for a moment, then quickly turned his head to look at Sasuke. His expression grew even more bitter.
"Damn it, you died too? This is just..."
"Can you shut up for a moment?!"
Sasuke couldn't hold back, furrowing his brow and yelling at Naruto.
"The situation is far from normal. Take a look around!"
"Huh?"
Naruto blinked in confusion, then turned his gaze to his surroundings. He was immediately stunned. He saw countless figures standing on the ground, all looking at them with puzzled expressions!
"Pervy Sage, Kakashi-sensei, Granny Tsunade..."
When he looked up, he saw even more familiar figures, also glancing around in confusion.
"Second Hokage, Dad?!"
"Naruto! Sasuke!"
Minato Namikaze's face was filled with disbelief, as was Senju Tobirama's.
"Brother, you..."
"This is so strange. What's going on? I thought I was dead?"
Senju Hashirama was equally confused, glancing around in bewilderment.
"Huh? Why don't I see Madara?"
"That guy probably isn't dead yet."
Senju Tobirama felt a bit irritated. Judging by their current state, it seemed they were indeed dead.
"Well, that's fine."
Senju Hashirama was surprisingly carefree, laughing heartily.
"As long as he's still alive, it doesn't matter. After all, he's about to become the Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails. We may be in a bad spot, but..."
"I don't know what your definition of death is, but according to mine, you're not quite dead yet."
Before Senju Hashirama could finish speaking, a voice suddenly rang out. The voice was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears at this moment. Instinctively, they all looked up toward the sky.
Almost simultaneously, everyone seemed to see through the layers of figures, catching sight of an old man floating cross-legged in the air!
"This is..."
Seeing the old man, everyone froze. He looked incredibly mysterious. His appearance was distinctly different from that of modern humans. Wrinkles covered his face, and his eyes bore concentric ripples—Rinnegan. Two horns protruded from his forehead, and a third eye seemed to rest on his brow. Black Truth-Seeking Balls orbited behind him, and his long beard hung down to his waist. A black staff hovered beside him, emanating an indescribable aura.
"An old geezer who looks stern and old-fashioned?"
Naruto couldn't help but mutter upon seeing the old man. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, unsure why he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Even Senju Hashirama stroked his chin thoughtfully. He didn't sense any malice from the old man. Not just him—most of the other ninjas felt similarly. But there were exceptions.
"This is..."
Senju Tobirama froze for a moment, but in the next instant, his face twisted into a fierce expression.
"Be careful! This is an Ōtsutsuki!"
The Sage of Six Paths: "..."
"!!!"
Senju Tobirama's words snapped the ninjas back to reality. That appearance, those unmistakable Truth-Seeking Balls, and that aura—there was no doubt about it.
"Another Ōtsutsuki?"
Deidara couldn't hold back, though excitement flickered on his face. Jiraiya quickly spoke up.
"Prepare for battle!"
As he spoke, his hands moved swiftly to form seals. The two elder toads on his shoulders seemed to realize what he was about to do, immediately cooperating and forming seals alongside him.
The Sage of Six Paths: "..."
Seeing this, the Sage was dumbfounded. What was this supposed to mean? He hadn't said anything or done anything yet!
"I..."
He tried to speak, but before he could finish, a puff of smoke appeared. In the next moment, several massive toads were summoned by Jiraiya. This sight left the Sage silent. He was starting to feel like it would've been better not to show up at all.
"Gamamaru?"
As the smoke cleared, the Sage of Six Paths felt a familiar presence. He immediately recognized it as his old ally. He hadn't expected his companion to still be around after all these centuries.
"Huh?"
Sure enough, when Gamamaru appeared, the giant toad froze. He looked up in disbelief, his aged eyes revealing an indescribable expression.
"Hagoromo? Why are you here too?"
"I..."
The Sage of Six Paths was about to respond, but Gamamaru seemed to have figured it out.
"So the situation has escalated to the point where even you had to awaken?"
"It's been a long time, Gamamaru."
The Sage hesitated for a moment before speaking softly. This exchange left everyone present stunned. Not only the ninjas, but even the summoned toads looked incredulous. Gamamaru was the true name of the Great Toad Sage! How did this man know it?
"Aren't these toads summoned by Lord Jiraiya?"
Someone in the ninja alliance couldn't help but voice their doubts, and such questions grew louder. Even Jiraiya himself looked bewildered, gazing at the Great Toad Sage with a questioning expression.
"Who are you, old man?"
Finally, Naruto couldn't hold back any longer and asked.
"My name, huh? That's a good question."
The Sage of Six Paths sighed in relief. If this stalemate continued, who knew what might happen?
"I'm not sure if the name currently passed down matches my original name, as it's been far too long. But my name is Hagoromo. As for other matters..."
"Hagoromo, you're still as humble as ever."
Before the Sage could finish, Gamamaru chuckled.
"Hagoromo also has another identity!"
"Hiss—"
Hearing this, the Sage felt uneasy. He wanted to stop Gamamaru, but it was too late!
"This man is none other than the one who created the ninja world—the Sage of Six Paths!"
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, every ninja's face showed utter disbelief. And amidst their shock, a sense of unease and dread began to surface. This was the Sage of Six Paths? The one who created the ninja world and sparked millennia of bloodshed? The one who created the Pure Land, forcing even the dead to continue fighting? The true puppet master behind the ninja world?
"The Sage of Six Paths..."
Naruto's eyes widened, and he instinctively swallowed hard. Sasuke subconsciously took a step back. Even Senju Hashirama gasped in shock. He never imagined that this seemingly "benevolent" old man was the architect of the ninja world's greatest tragedies.
"The Sage of Six Paths..."
Senju Tobirama's expression darkened, and he suddenly asked loudly.
"Why does the Sage of Six Paths look so much like those Ōtsutsuki? What's going on here?!"
"Because..."
The Sage froze, but before he could answer, Gamamaru sighed again.
"His full name is Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki!"
"..."
In that instant, the entire ninja alliance fell silent, as if a cold wind had swept through, leaving them breathless. How many secrets were buried in the ninja world? Why was the legendary Sage of Six Paths also an Ōtsutsuki? What was happening to this world?!
The Sage clenched his fists, feeling once again that he shouldn't have shown up.
"Seeking revenge against me?"
Meanwhile, as the Sage of Six Paths' identity was revealed, shocking the entire ninja world, Kitagawa Minamoto stood with his arms crossed, watching Madara Uchiha below. He smiled languidly.
"You shouldn't make such bold claims. I believe I've said this before: don't speak so rashly—it only reveals your weakness. The same applies to you."
"I'm different now!"
Madara Uchiha roared, his Chakra shaking heaven and earth. The power of the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki was truly extraordinary.
"I now possess the power of the Sage of Six Paths. Do you really think you can still do as you please like before?"
"Oh?"
Kitagawa Minamoto tilted his head slightly, then asked softly after a moment.
"Do you truly believe you're any different from before?"
As he spoke, Kitagawa Minamoto's Chakra erupted, so vast and powerful that even Madara Uchiha felt suffocated!
Whoosh—
In the blink of an eye, Kitagawa Minamoto appeared before Madara Uchiha. He casually raised his hand, and the golden light sword in his grasp slashed downward!
"So fast!"
Madara Uchiha didn't even have time to defend himself, let alone activate Limbo: Border Jail. But his instincts allowed him to react somewhat—he twisted his body sideways and raised his arms to shield himself.
Slash—
However, despite now being the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki with greatly enhanced physical abilities, his entire arm was severed in that instant!
"Damn it..."
Madara Uchiha cursed under his breath. His Chakra suddenly erupted, and in the next moment, he finally managed to create some distance.
Yet, Kitagawa Minamoto's voice rang out once more.
"So what's different about you now?"
"Let me remind you once again: distance only matters in battles between equals."
"Between you and me, distance is completely meaningless..."
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