"That's right, exactly so."
Hagoromo Otsutsuki nodded gently in response, showing no anger at Qingshui's Shadow Clone forcefully entering the Pure Land. In fact, he even seemed a little pleased.
Perhaps it was because the old man hadn't spoken to anyone in over a thousand years.
"So, you must have reacted the moment I entered, Hagoromo-senpai?"
"Indeed, but after I awoke, I spent some time reading the memories of these recently departed souls, learning about the speaking habits and cultural norms of your era. I've also learned about the changes you've brought to the Ninja World.
While your methods were brutal, inciting war and killing countless lives, I must admit that your ultimate goal is the same as when I first created Ninshu: to bring change to this world with Chakra, creating peace and a future.
What surprises me even more is how excellent and powerful you are. Even in my lifetime, I wasn't much stronger than you."
As the Sage of Six Paths spoke, he shifted from his previous archaic, deliberate manner of speaking to a normal, modern conversational style.
Qingshui looked at the Sage of Six Paths, who held a shakujo staff and, despite being a spirit, appeared as real as any living person. Feeling an energy fluctuation emanating from him that was even stronger than his own, Qingshui spoke:
"It seems Hagoromo-senpai doesn't object to what I've done in the Ninja World."
"I do have some objections, actually."
Hagoromo Otsutsuki replied.
Although his words sounded like a joke, Hagoromo Otsutsuki's expression and tone were quite serious and proper.
"However, a thousand years ago, after Asura's death, Ninshu fell apart, and war erupted once more. Chakra, in my hands, was a tool to help people grow food, ward off natural disasters, and protect themselves. But after my death, it immediately became a weapon to kill fellow humans and start wars.
I have no right to criticize you. You are merely achieving what I set out to do from a different perspective.
You and I simply differ in our methods. I was a pure idealist, while you are someone who practices ideals through realism. In this regard, perhaps you will do better than I did."
The Sage of Six Paths' expression grew somewhat sorrowful.
Over a thousand years had passed, and he had come to see things clearly.
The world he dreamed of, where people understood each other and lived in peace with all things, was merely a reflection in the mirror, the moon in the water.
Even with the power to overturn the entire world, he couldn't reshape it into his desired form.
Qingshui smiled slightly and said:
"As long as humans retain their humanity, no, as long as this world operates in this manner, such things are unavoidable. Even within the animal kingdom, creatures fight each other with fangs and claws for food and territory.
Before Chakra was born, people used spears, swords, and fire to take each other's lives. And before that, fire and the metals and stones used to forge weapons were treasures that humans relied on to survive, to drive away wild beasts, and to cook food and make tools like hoes.
From this perspective, Chakra is no different from fire or metal.
Everything ultimately has two sides, and depending on the stage of human societal development, one side will be emphasized. I believe what I have brought is the same.
What we must do is analyze human nature, then guide it, and with the help of human nature, push the world's future in the direction we desire."
Hagoromo Otsutsuki held his shakujo staff, savoring Qingshui's words.
"These are not words one would expect from someone only seventeen years old."
"I am seventeen, but human history is far older than seventeen years. As long as one can read and analyze history, one can always build upon the foundations laid by those who came before."
Hagoromo Otsutsuki nodded calmly, approving of Qingshui's statement.
"You are very intelligent, and nature is the best teacher. History is the accumulation of natural wisdom. Perhaps over these past thousand years, I shouldn't have slept for so long. Sometimes, one needs to immerse themselves in the world to experience and learn the precious wisdom that humanity has accumulated over time."
Hagoromo Otsutsuki then asked:
"So, after you end the wars in the Ninja World, will the Sand Village, like Ninshu in the past, bring about a more lasting peace to the Ninja World with the changes you've created? How long will this peace last?
Perhaps you can watch over them forever, but as someone who has been through it, I must tell you: we are too strong. Constantly watching over the Ninja World like a nanny will only lead people to comfortably accept the protection of the strong, causing them to degenerate. One day, when we face enemies we've never encountered before, enemies far stronger, not only will the Ninja World be unable to help us, but we will also have to divert more of our strength to protect it."
"It's enough that Hagoromo-senpai doesn't object to me ruling the Ninja World through war. The alternation of peace and war is what drives human progress. As long as the Sand Village unifies this world and brings a long period of prosperity and peace, then even if this peace is eventually broken and war returns, there will always be various kinds of people who emerge. They might be ambitious, wanting to achieve great deeds surpassing their predecessors, or perhaps they hold ideals, yearning for the past prosperity. But ultimately, they will achieve unification once more.
History is always a spiral, with its troughs and peaks. As long as the transmission of culture and knowledge continues, this spiral will always be upward.
Furthermore, compared to bloodlines, knowledge is a better carrier of power. Given enough time, perhaps in the future, unexpected individuals will emerge onto this stage?"
Hagoromo Otsutsuki was silent for a long time, seemingly in thought. Finally, he nodded slowly, then changed the subject.
"Do you know about the Otsutsuki? The stronger enemies I worry about are them. My mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, was an extraterrestrial being. Their goal is to plunder the life and energy of this entire planet as offerings for themselves. To prevent such an outcome, my brother Hamura and I had to seal our mother. And what I worry about is not just my mother, but also her clan members, who are far more powerful than she is.
I must admit, I was the one who spread Chakra, hoping to foster understanding among people. But I was also the one who aimed to cultivate enough strong individuals through Chakra to resist a potential future invasion by the Otsutsuki.
My two sons, my elder son Indra and my younger son Asura, both possessed great talent. If they could have truly comprehended the Yin-Yang Power I passed down through bloodlines, or if they could have reconciled and achieved Yin-Yang unity, evolving all creation, they could have awakened the Rinnegan like me. They wouldn't have been much different from my brother Hamura and me when we sealed our mother.
Unfortunately, after a thousand years, they still fell short by that one crucial step."
Hagoromo Otsutsuki sighed as he spoke to Qingshui.
Qingshui lowered his gaze slightly, lost in thought.
This old man appeared amiable and yearned for peace, but in reality, he was no simple figure.
The spread of Chakra had brought a thousand years of intense warfare to the Ninja World, giving rise to countless powerful ninja. And the reincarnations of Indra and Asura who grew up in this environment became the cream of the crop in each era, producing exceptional individuals like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
They were all potential candidates for Six Paths Level powerhouses. Just a portion of the Six Paths Yin-Yang Power would have been enough to shape two individuals into beings capable of sealing Kaguya.
And this power didn't even need to be directly given by the Sage of Six Paths. All they needed was to comprehend it through the Yin-Yang Power hidden within their own Chakra. However, the reincarnations of Indra and Asura throughout history had failed to achieve this.
Even the most outstanding Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama only managed to push their existing talents to their limits, rather than breaking through their own limitations. If they had, they truly could have crossed the threshold into the Six Paths Level.
And possessing Six Paths Level combat power would be crucial in fighting the Otsutsuki. Among the Otsutsuki, those at the Six Paths Level were considered powerhouses.
"I know the story of the Otsutsuki, Senior Hagoromo. As I just said, I understand history very clearly. However, the history recorded by our predecessors is often one-sided, even containing excessive subjectivity and distortion. Truly intelligent people know how to sift through the evidence, cross-referencing multiple sources to uncover history close to the truth. Even though the records of you and the Goddess of Usagi in the Ninja World have been processed and evolved many times over the millennia, I believe I still understand."
"I will not interfere with your reforms of the Ninja World, because your very existence is enough to prove that your path can also give birth to strong individuals—more, stronger individuals who are free from reliance on Chakra."
The Sage of Six Paths looked up, as if seeing the strong individuals emerging across the lands of the Ninja World.
Puppets, Ice Bombs, Scorching Cores, Breathing Styles, human Sage Arts...
These were all abilities that could break free from the Chakra system and truly harm the Otsutsuki.
If, one day, the Ninja World needed to fight against the Otsutsuki, these things would become important strengths.
If the young man before him continued to lead the Ninja World in this direction, the chances of defeating the Otsutsuki would also continuously increase with all these developments.
Under the threat of the Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths had no reason to refuse the young man's unification of the Ninja World.
Because he could feel from the young man's vigorous life force and powerful human Sage Art Chakra that the other party's lifespan would likely be very long.
As time passed, most things in the current Ninja World would become fleeting memories. Moreover, in terms of power, the Ninja World could no longer offer him anything new.
The only one who could bring him new things was himself.
As Hagoromo Otsutsuki was contemplating these matters, Qingshui continued to speak:
"The unification of the Ninja World will be completed soon. However, there are some Otsutsuki rats hiding in the Ninja World, and we can use this opportunity to flush them out. But this will require Senior Hagoromo's cooperation."
Otsutsuki rats hiding in the Ninja World?
"You've also discovered the remnants my mother left behind in the Ninja World? That guy's abilities are too hidden, too cautious, and too cunning. Although I suspected his existence, I could never uncover him. However, you can rest assured about it. If you want to release my mother, who is sealed on the moon, you must borrow the power of the Rinnegan. And the current Ninja World just happens to have a pair of Rinnegan opened by an Indra reincarnation. As long as you keep an eye on those eyes, it will eventually reveal itself and make a mistake."
The Sage of Six Paths was very confident, as if everything was under his control.
Qingshui shook his head.
"Although this guy is troublesome, his power is ultimately insufficient. As long as the Goddess of Usagi is not released again, it won't pose a threat. But it's not the only one causing trouble; there's another."
The Sage of Six Paths frowned slightly.
"There's another... Is it that Otsutsuki who came to the Ninja World with my mother back then? But he died from my mother's sneak attack without leaving a [Karma], or did he evade death through some other means?"
The Sage of Six Paths did not doubt Qingshui's words.
Although he was surprised that Qingshui could discover the remnants left by Kaguya Otsutsuki and the clues left by another Otsutsuki, the other party was already a being no less than himself in his prime. Furthermore, his subordinate forces were the most powerful in the current Ninja World, controlling nearly half of the Ninja World's territory.
If there was indeed an unknown Otsutsuki hidden away, it was not strange for him to discover some clues.
"What do you need me to do?"
The Sage of Six Paths asked.
"Its condition must be very poor, which is why it has been hiding for a thousand years without revealing itself."
Qingshui analyzed for the Sage of Six Paths:
"This means it needs subordinates with sufficient ability to do things for it. At the very least, it definitely needs those people to help it recover. And those people must be from the Ninja World, and they must be ninjas. Only ninjas have enough power to do things for it.
Over the millennia, these people must have formed a secret organization with it as the leader, lying hidden. Many people must have died in various ways, whether by old age or in battle.
Hearing this, Hagoromo Otsutsuki understood Qingshui's meaning.
It meant he would be the laborer, searching and sifting through the memories of these deceased ninjas.
Although it would certainly be tiring, Hagoromo Otsutsuki slowly nodded and agreed:
"The Rinnegan possesses the ability to read soul memories, and the seals placed in the physical brain cannot stop it. I will modify a batch of King of Hells using Yin-Yang Release to search for information from the souls of deceased ninjas in batches. As soon as any clues are found, I will inform you immediately."
Regardless of anything else, as long as it involved the Otsutsuki, the priority for the Sage of Six Paths was always the highest.
This concerned the survival of the Ninja World.
"Then, I'll trouble you, Senior Hagoromo."
The Sage of Six Paths nodded slightly:
"It's nothing. Our goals have always been the same: to protect this beautiful world that gave birth to us and is full of infinite possibilities and future."
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