"An outsider? The power of a god? Changing the shinobi world? Even ninjutsu will disappear?"
"No wonder Kaito is so strong. Is he a god too?"
"This is too hard to believe..."
The amount of information in the Sage of Six Paths' words was immense, and the crowd chewed on it carefully.
After a long while, the Third Hokage was the first to speak. "You attacked Kaito based on that reason alone? Isn't that a bit inappropriate? I don't believe Kaito is the kind of person who would want to destroy the shinobi world. We should have an open and honest discussion first."
"Mmm, I agree with you," the Sage of Six Paths nodded.
"Huh? Then why did you?"
"Because only when both sides are on equal footing do they have the right to negotiate," the Sage of Six Paths said bluntly. "He was growing too fast. By the time I became aware of his existence, I no longer had the power to defeat him. Therefore, I could only resort to this method to seal a portion of his power."
"A portion of his power? Are you saying that was only a part of Master Kaito's strength?" Nawaki asked in disbelief.
"Yes. You can understand him as one of Kaito's clones," the Sage of Six Paths replied.
"A clone? Then what have we been so busy for? This is too despairing." Nawaki clenched his fists, looking extremely unwilling to accept it. "And I thought I was finally catching up to him."
"Don't be discouraged. He's a god. There's no shame in losing to him," Tsunade comforted him.
But her mind couldn't help but drift back to the first time she had met Kaito, when he was just a budding youth.
'If we had been serious back then, could we have killed him before he had grown so strong?'
Tsunade shook her head. Such a hypothetical was meaningless.
"Sage of Six Paths, your powers are vast. Since you know that was a clone, you must also know where his main body is now, right?"
Jiraiya said in a low voice, "I hope you and Kaito can sit down and have a proper talk, and not resort to fighting again."
"Yes, I know. His main body is right here. That is why I came."
With that, the Sage of Six Paths looked towards the Third Kazekage standing not far away and said in a loud voice, "Come. Let's talk."
Originally, Kaito, disguised as the Third Kazekage, had been silently watching the battle from the sidelines, enjoying the spectacular show of some of the shinobi world's strongest fighting a battle of wits and courage against his clone.
But he never expected the sudden appearance of the perfect Susanoo and the Wood Style Great Buddha, which gave him a slight sense of foreboding.
Then, his premonition came true. His clone was tragically sealed, becoming a star hanging in the sky, soon to be shoulder-to-shoulder with the invincible Kars.
Old man Six Paths, why are you targeting me like this? Shouldn't you be saving your Yin-Yang power for your old mother?
Kaito was simply speechless.
Afterward, he continued to play the role of a bystander, listening to the Sage of Six Paths' story.
When he heard the reason for his sealing, Kaito really wanted to laugh out loud three times.
What kind of joke is this? Just because you say I'll destroy the shinobi world, it means I will? Just because you say I can make ninjutsu disappear, it means I will? Ninjutsu is quite interesting. Why would I want to make it disappear?
Anger churned within him, but he calmed down a bit after hearing the Sage's addendum.
So he's afraid I'm too powerful. That's understandable. Because I really am too powerful.
Seeing the Sage of Six Paths turn his gaze upon him and issue an invitation, Kaito sighed.
No more pretending. He was laying his cards on the table.
Kaito dropped his disguise, returning to his original appearance. He smiled and cupped his hands. "Sage of Six Paths, I've heard so much about you. As expected of a Sage, you saw through my disguise in an instant."
The Sage of Six Paths shook his head. "Your aura is quite different from that of an ordinary shinobi. I couldn't have distinguished you by appearance alone."
"I see."
The others remained stone-faced, not reacting much. The shocks of the day had been too numerous, and they were already numb.
Out of a sense of concern, the Third Hokage coughed twice and asked, "Kaito, when did you start impersonating the Third Kazekage? Where is the real one?"
"The Third Kazekage is fine in the Sand Village. I just temporarily borrowed his identity. I haven't harmed him."
Kaito let out a soft laugh. "His affairs are not important. Let's talk about the future of the shinobi world, Sage of Six Paths."
"If you have any thoughts, feel free to speak. However, whether I accept them or not is another matter."
"Mm, that's only natural," the Sage of Six Paths said. "I have always persuaded people with reason, never with force."
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two most powerful beings in the shinobi world began their conversation.
And their discussion would decide the fate of the shinobi world.
The Sage of Six Paths spoke with a compassionate air. "For the stability of the shinobi world, are you willing to leave this place and return to your original home?"
"Heh, what a joke. The stability of the shinobi world was never disrupted by me," Kaito sneered, shaking his head. "For a thousand years, people have fought endlessly. When has the shinobi world ever been stable? Don't try to pin such a big hat on my head."
The Third Hokage sighed. The turmoil of the shinobi world indeed could not be blamed on Kaito.
"The struggles of humanity are a part of their nature. I will not interfere, nor can I," the Sage of Six Paths replied. "However, your strength has already reached the realm of the gods. You are no longer suited to remain in the shinobi world. Your very existence will bring a series of troubles."
"For example, a change in the rules of the shinobi world."
"A change in the rules of the shinobi world?" Nawaki asked, puzzled. "What does that mean?"
"It means that with a single thought from Kaito, the laws that govern the shinobi world could change. For example, rain would no longer fall from the sky, but fly upwards..."
"What the..."
The thought alone was terrifying.
"Do I look like I have nothing better to do? Why would I randomly change the rules of the world?" Kaito retorted.
"Even if you don't intend to, the world will still change because of you. That is the power of a god."
The Sage of Six Paths said in a low voice, "Back then, although my strength was not as great as yours, I had already experienced this deeply. This is the advice of someone who has been there. If you truly care for the shinobi world, then you should leave it as soon as possible."
"What a joke!" Kaito scoffed at the Sage's words. "Since you describe a god as being so powerful, then you have even less to worry about. Because if anything bad happens, I can just set it right again."
"Using mortal thoughts to speculate on the power of a god... I think you're the one who's gotten stuck in a narrow mindset."
"..." Hearing Kaito's words, the Sage of Six Paths was clearly moved.
He pondered for a long time before letting out a long sigh. "Perhaps I was wrong. However, if a god is truly that powerful, I would rather that no one in the shinobi world becomes one. Otherwise, the survival of the world would rest on a single thought from that god."
"So you're not convinced. Then let's have a fight. If you can't beat me, then you can obediently go back to your seat in the audience," Kaito said.
"Alright."