The appearance of the Sage of Six Paths instantly shocked everyone!
Kairen's pupils shrank slightly. What is going on?
Why has the Sage of Six Paths come?
He was having too much fun—has even the Sage of Six Paths decided he can't watch anymore?
Some people didn't recognize the Sage of Six Paths, because there were no cameras back then, but they inexplicably felt that this weird old man was very strong.
Just the outfit alone was something ordinary people could never afford!
Tobirama looked somewhat wary. Staring at the unfamiliar old man, he asked, "Who are you?"
The Sage of Six Paths held his staff and smiled, pointing to himself as he said, "Me—"
He hadn't even begun to speak when a cheerful voice cut in.
"He's just a fraud who claims to be the Sage of Six Paths, the founder of Nin religion!"
Kushina appeared not far away with her hands on her hips.
"The Sage of Six Paths?!"
Everyone was stunned. This legendary figure—
The Sage of Six Paths looked speechlessly at Kushina.
"Little girl, I'm not some fraud!"
Fukasaku stared in surprise at the Sage of Six Paths.
"Six Paths, why are you getting involved too?!"
The Sage of Six Paths had become an existence of eternal chakra, always aloof from worldly affairs, drifting outside the shinobi world. Why had he shown up today?
Fukasaku was an old veteran; his words practically confirmed the identity of the Sage of Six Paths!
Tobirama was shocked. "It really is the Sage of Six Paths!"
The Sage of Six Paths was a legend!
What is a legend?
It is a myth whose very existence cannot be verified—everyone treats it as strange tales and hearsay, never expecting that such a sage actually exists!
Orochimaru's eyes widened. The mythical figure stood right before him.
He looked greedily!
Those eyes were like microscopes, wanting to examine every inch of the Sage of Six Paths from head to toe!
This old man really is Six Paths—and those eyes are… the Rinnegan!!
I, Orochimaru, am drooling!
The Sage of Six Paths answered Fukasaku's question, pointing his staff at Kairen.
"Because of him!"
Fukasaku frowned. "Six Paths, you—"
The Sage of Six Paths didn't continue answering and suddenly turned toward a streak of orange-yellow shadow.
A fox flew quickly in front of him.
"Old man, you finally came! You have to stand up for me—humans have locked me up for almost thirty years!"
Kurama tugged on the Sage of Six Paths' sleeve, his face full of grievance.
The Sage of Six Paths was the one who separated the Ten-Tails. To the nine tailed beasts, he was like a father.
Kurama continued pointing at Hashirama to complain to the Sage of Six Paths.
"He said my power is too strong and sealed me away. It's simply nonsense. Old man, hurry and teach him a lesson!"
"And there's someone called Uchiha Madara—he used the Mangekyō to bully me."
"And there's Kairen—he hit me, scolded me, and even forced me to sign a summoning contract. These past two days he's been yanking out my fox fur. Hurry and avenge me!"
In front of the Sage of Six Paths, Kurama was like a little fox, telling its master about the evils of humans.
The Sage of Six Paths rubbed Kurama's head, then glanced at Hashirama.
Hashirama felt a bit guilty. He had never expected Kurama's backing to actually be the Sage of Six Paths—back then he had thought it was just a wild fox.
Its chakra was enormous, and coupled with its unfriendly attitude toward humans, he had simply locked it up.
The Sage of Six Paths smiled. "Kurama, you really weren't very friendly toward humans. Them locking you up was right!"
Kurama felt wronged. "Humans covet my power and use all kinds of means to steal it. Why should I be friendly to them?"
"Old man, you've changed. You won't stand up for me anymore! Do you know how much I've been hurt here? I am powerless, I am helpless!"
The Sage of Six Paths rubbed Kurama's head again.
"Kurama, I can't interfere too much in the affairs of the shinobi world. Showing up this time is an exception!"
Kurama lowered his head in grievance.
The Sage of Six Paths couldn't stand up for him. From now on he would have to work like an ox and a horse under Kairen, suffering a lifetime of grievances.
Speaking of Kairen, Kurama shuddered.
Kairen is so petty—he had just spoken badly about him. Would he make things difficult for him later?
Kurama quietly raised his head to look around, but his fox eyes didn't find Kairen's figure. He carefully scanned the surroundings.
In the end he found Kairen not far away.
Kairen's expression was a little sorrowful, and tears shimmered in the dark pupils of his eyes.
"Ma'am, I am ashamed before Fugaku!"
Mikoto's face was pale as she quietly knelt beside Fugaku's corpse, while Itachi beside her desperately held back his tears.
A female Uchiha Jōnin nearby said softly, "Clan leader's wife, the Third was truly despicable. The clan leader and the three elders didn't even have time to react before he ambushed them. That old man has no martial virtue."
"Lord Kairen risked his life trying to save them at the time, but it was already too late!"
Mikoto listened silently, then tightly clenched her fists, murderous intent seeping from her body.
Her dark pupils slowly turned red, the three-tomoe Sharingan spinning nonstop.
Just as they were about to link into a shuriken, a hand tightly grasped her vein-bulging palm.
It was Kairen.
Kairen said to Mikoto, firm and resolute, "Sarutobi is already dead. The Sarutobi family has also been wiped out. Your revenge has been fulfilled."
"Fugaku entrusted me to protect you Uchiha. I will definitely do it!"
Mikoto looked carefully into Kairen's eyes. She saw no trace of greed or the falsehood of a successful scheme—only open and honest sincerity.
The fragility in her heart was touched by Kairen. Unable to pretend to be strong any longer, she weakly crawled into Kairen's arms and cried.
"Woo… woo…"
No one thought too much of it; they only assumed the clan leader's wife needed a place to cry.
In the distance, Hashirama scratched the back of his head in confusion and asked,
"Is Kairen still going to fight or not? This body of mine can't hold on much longer!"
Tsunade shouted, "Kairen, hurry and come spar with my grandfather. The old man's about to enter the coffin!"
"Uh…" Even Hashirama was speechless at Tsunade's words.
...
Only then did Kairen remember his real business. He patted Mikoto's soft back.
"Ma'am, sleep for a while! After a great dream, everything will be better!"
Kairen used a Mangekyō illusion on Mikoto, sending her to sleep.
Itachi beside her had kept his head lowered the whole time. If this unlucky child kept being so depressed, he'd get sick.
Kairen also used a Mangekyō illusion on Itachi, putting him to sleep as well.
He stood up, tightened his belt, and slowly walked toward Hashirama and the Sage of Six Paths.
One was the First Hokage of the Warring States era who pacified the chaos; the other was from Kaguya's era, who saved the world and founded Nin religion—the Sage of Six Paths.
Both were giants of the Hokage world. Fighting them made Kairen's blood boil.
"Come on!"
A mythic war was about to erupt.
The Sage of Six Paths waved his staff and said to Hashirama, "Let me go first! Ashura, I've spent even less time in the shinobi world than you."
Both were top-notch figures, and naturally would not gang up on a child.
"Ashura?!"
Hashirama looked left and right before finally realizing that the Ashura the Sage of Six Paths mentioned was him.
Seeing Hashirama's confusion, the Sage of Six Paths explained, "Ashura is your past life… forget it, I was going to talk for a day and a night, but there isn't that much time."
The Sage of Six Paths had much to say in his heart, but he would not forget his true purpose here.
He turned, holding his staff, and slowly approached Kairen, forming a sign of opposition with one hand.
"This is the rule for your ninja duels, right? I'll follow local customs too!"
Kairen originally wanted to say that he had begun cultivating immortality, and was no longer a ninja.
But seeing how serious the Sage of Six Paths looked, he didn't have the heart to disturb an old man's leisurely mood.
He also formed the sign of opposition.
...
At Mount Myōboku, the great toad sage's toad eyes were full of uncertainty.
"What is Hagoromo doing? Has he started intervening in shinobi world affairs?"
A thousand years ago, relying on a prophecy, he had broken up the Ōtsutsuki Kaguya family and had been scripting the shinobi story ever since.
The Sage of Six Paths had always drifted outside the script, beyond his control.
But he had never intervened in the toad sage's plans for the shinobi world either.
"Truly one wave hasn't settled before another rises. My story is about to collapse—at this rate it'll be discontinued!"
...
Deep underground.
Uchiha Madara's eyes seemed to hold only the Sage of Six Paths' pair of Rinnegan.
His own eyes were being preserved by Nagato, and he was very certain the eyes on that old man's face weren't his.
Then there was only one possible answer!
The legendary Sage of Six Paths!
"Wasn't he dead? Why has he come out again? Has he noticed me?"
Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed mastermind Black Zetsu's face was dark—nearly black with fury.
He roared madly in his heart, "Hagoromo! You're actually not dead yet? Damn thing, why aren't you dead?!"
A breeze blew past, then turned into a gale. Dark clouds covered the sky, and heaven's face was like Biden's backside—when it says go, it goes.
"Old man, catch this!"
"Don't worry! I'm at least someone the world respectfully calls the Sage of Six Paths!"
Kairen's mind was filled with going all out. As soon as he lowered his hands, he summoned the second form of Susanoo.
The upper body of Susanoo wrapped around Kairen, and together they synchronized forming hand signs.
"Heavenly Obstruction Meteor!"
When the signs were completed, high in the tens of thousands of meters up in the sky, a gigantic meteor over a hundred meters in diameter scraped with sparks and descended toward the earth.
In the blink of an eye, the entire sky seemed to be covered by shadow.
Everyone raised their heads together, instantly seeing a streak of red light.
It was simply dimensionality reduction strike!
Tobirama's cold expression couldn't hold; he stood agape in shock.
"Summoning a meteor from beyond the heavens—this… this isn't even ninjutsu anymore. Calling it Sage Art is too exaggerated. Is this kid planning to destroy the Land of Fire?"
Hashirama was also stunned.
"I underestimated him. Just this move alone gives me a headache!"
Though shocked, Hashirama wasn't without countermeasures.
Opening Sage Mode and using True Several Thousand Hands should be able to withstand the meteor.
Uchiha Madara joined the commentary.
"Isn't that my Rinnegan technique? No… this kid even used super propulsion to increase the impact—it's an enhanced Heavenly Obstruction Meteor."
The Sage of Six Paths looked somewhat helpless.
"To deal with an old man like me, is this necessary?"
He felt speechless inside, thinking today's ninja were getting less and less disciplined.
Shouldn't battles start by testing each other's techniques—one move from you, one from me, and whoever endures longer wins?
Back then, he and Hamura fought their mother for three days and three nights—everyone knew the rules!
Why do new-era ninja all like to end things in one move?
Moreover, with a meteor this big and this powerful, if he couldn't stop it, the land within a hundred miles would turn into a molten grave.
"Kid, are you that confident I can stop it?"
Kairen stood to the side with arms folded, slowly manifesting the complete-body Susanoo, standing within the crystal and looking down on the Sage of Six Paths.
If he couldn't even stop this move, the Sage of Six Paths' character would collapse!
The scorching flames descended from the sky, filling many with despair and many with awe.
Is Moku Kairen even human?
It's just a fight—why do you have to involve us too?
Is this Lord Kairen's power? As expected of the one we follow—an existence to rival the Sage of Six Paths.
As the meteor came within a hundred meters of the earth, a faint smile appeared at the corner of the Sage's mouth.
"Sage Mode!"
He closed his eyes, and the raging natural energy around him merged completely into his body. Then, a trace of yellow eye shadow appeared on the Rinnegan.
The Sage of Six Paths raised one hand, palm toward the sky.
"Sage Art: Super Shinra Tensei!"
Even ordinary Shinra Tensei could flatten all of Konoha—let alone a Rinnegan technique enhanced by Sage Art.
A powerful repulsive force burst from the Sage of Six Paths' palm. Even the air was compressed into sparks; from afar, it looked like a gust of wind sweeping across the giant meteor.
"Rumble…"
Within mere seconds, the sky returned to azure blue, and the raging meteor from moments ago vanished without a trace.
On the earth below, a sage holding a staff slowly lowered his palm.
At this moment, everyone understood that the reason myths are myths is because there is a god within the story.
And the Sage of Six Paths was that god!
Kurama looked proud, casting a glance at Hashirama.
"See that? That's the old man's power. I advise you to apologize obediently, or I'll have the old man give you trouble!"
Hashirama said nothing, as if immersed in the Sage's power.
In the Warring States era, he and Madara had climbed to the peak of the ninja path, transcending all shinobi.
But now, their so-called strength seemed like a joke.
Hashirama sighed with emotion.
"So this is the power of a sage! The limit of ninja power?! What a pity—I'm already dead and can never reach such a height again!"
Tobirama's eyes were full of inquiry.
Just like Orochimaru beside him, their eyes seemed as if they wanted to dissect the Sage of Six Paths a thousand times, ten thousand times.
"Sigh… if only we could borrow his cells to study, how great would that be!"
Tobirama and Orochimaru sighed in unison.
For researchers, the greatest pity is that the specimen is too strong to study.
The two looked at each other and seemed to see a kindred spirit.
Back to the present.
The Sage of Six Paths looked up at Kairen's Susanoo and suddenly smiled.
"Child, your Susanoo is a bit small!"
"Small?!"
Kairen was puzzled. This was complete-body Susanoo, a hundred meters tall—how was it small?
He most couldn't stand anyone saying he was small!
Even Tsunade couldn't handle him—how could it be small?
"Then how big is yours?"
"About twice as big as yours!"
"Old guy, at your age, don't try to bluff me!"
The Sage of Six Paths smiled.
A massive vortex of chakra ignited around him, as if the entire world centered on him and a sea of chakra spiraled up.
In an instant, a bright blue curtain appeared in the sky. Looking closely, it was a giant clad in armor.
Just over two hundred meters tall, as if pressing down on the entire firmament.
This was the Sage of Six Paths' Susanoo!
Uchiha Madara was the first to lose control.
"Holy—so big!"
He had originally thought his own Susanoo was already the extreme, but compared to the Six Paths Sage's Susanoo, it was nothing.
Kairen's Susanoo was only half the size of the Six Paths Sage's, and he couldn't help but have his momentum weakened a bit.
Thinking carefully, Kairen recalled that in the original story, the Six Paths Sage's Susanoo was almost as big as the Ten-Tails.
As the first one to open Susanoo, he could be called the ancestor of Susanoo. Naturally, he could make it as big as he wished.
But one cannot lose in momentum. Kairen prepared to increase the height of his own Susanoo—to suppress the Six Paths Sage!