Chapter 461: The Karma of Reconciliation
Did things just escalate way too fast?! He was actually seeing the Sage of Six Paths coming over for a visit?!
Uzumaki Naruto felt like he must have been drained a bit too much by the sweet burden these past few days, leading to insufficient blood flow to his brain and causing extremely absurd hallucinations.
The Sage of Six Paths was actually floating at the entrance of his newlywed home like a next-door neighbor, and even seemed to be attempting to chat using "modern methods"?!
But immediately, rationality quickly returned and refuted this speculation. His body was no longer mortal. After thoroughly absorbing and fusing Urashiki Otsutsuki's power, his life level and physical strength had long been solidly established at a genuine "Six Paths level."
Never mind just being newlyweds, even if he fought continuously for months, it would be absolutely impossible for him to have hallucinations due to simple physiological fatigue!
The presence outside the door was real.
Those distinctive horns symbolizing Otsutsuki bloodline, that simple and ancient white robe, the six prominent black tomoe patterns on his chest.
A pair of Rinnegan, and that naturally floating posture... No matter how you looked at it, this was the Sage of Six Paths.
"Hmm..." The Sage of Six Paths outside the door seemed to interpret Naruto's brief daze and intense inner turmoil as confusion. "It seems that you're still very surprised by the manner of my appearance and opening remarks?"
"Could it be that my understanding and attempted application of dialogue methods and social etiquette of this current era have some deviation or error? I referenced nearly fifty years of mainstream communication samples... I didn't expect that in actual practice, the initial contact would still be this challenging."
"Ah? No, no, no," Naruto finally found his voice. "I know what you're saying, I can understand you completely!"
"It's just... it's just that your sudden... uh, visit itself is really somewhat... beyond imagination."
"Oh, is that so?" The Sage of Six Paths' voice relaxed somewhat. "Then let's continue communicating with this feeling. For the upcoming conversation, please take care of me."
Immediately after, he conducted a formal self-introduction. "I am Hagoromo Otsutsuki. I was once called the 'Founder of Ninshu,' or you may habitually call me the 'Sage of Six Paths.'
"I am not a physical entity, but rather an aggregate of chakra will left behind from the past, an embodiment of peace and order."
"Oh... Oh!" Naruto quickly stepped aside from the doorway. "Then... please come in first. It's not very convenient to talk at the door."
He really couldn't imagine letting the Sage of Six Paths' chakra manifestation keep floating at his front door, potentially being seen by passing neighbors or patrolling ninja.
"Mm, then I'll intrude." The Sage of Six Paths Hagoromo very naturally accepted the invitation, his manifestation lightly "gliding" into the entrance hall.
Naruto closed the door and led this unexpected guest toward the living room, trying to sort out the current situation.
Black Zetsu was already dead, completely annihilated by Rasengan: Solar Core, not even leaving behind ash.
The conspirator who attempted to resurrect Kaguya Otsutsuki had already turned to dust and smoke. Kaguya herself was still sealed in the moon, and without Black Zetsu as the "key" and concrete executor, breaking the seal was impossible.
So at this point in time, why would the Sage of Six Paths suddenly appear in the form of a chakra manifestation to "visit"? It couldn't possibly be to congratulate him on his marriage, or simply to "check on" how he, the Ashura reincarnation, was doing, right?
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"What truly familiar eyes."
The Sage of Six Paths looked at Uchiha Satsuki, who wore a vigilant expression, his voice carrying faint emotion. "Although you are not 'him' personally, the power and chakra 'he' left behind seem to always choose existences with soul wavelengths similar to 'his' for reincarnation and attachment..."
"Mm, although I have gradually accepted and understood through observation the fact that 'Indra's chakra chose a female as its vessel in this generation,' seeing Ashura's and Indra's chakra in this manner with my own eyes... still makes this old fellow feel somewhat unexpected. You could say it's a pleasant surprise."
Satsuki stood vigilantly in place, her black eyes that had returned to their cool demeanor tightly locked onto this "strange old man" before her who rambled on, saying half-comprehensible things and claimed to be the Sage of Six Paths.
The Sage of Six Paths? What kind of joke was this! That was a figure from myths and legends! How could he suddenly appear at her and Naruto's home?!
Because there was an outsider present, especially such a "suspicious person" of unknown identity and unfathomable strength, all the gentleness, shyness, and dependence on Satsuki's face instantly faded completely clean. She had reverted to that ice-cold Uchiha Satsuki in front of outsiders.
She shifted slightly sideways, assuming a protective posture, subtly blocking in front of Naruto, even though she knew Naruto's strength had long surpassed her own.
The Sage of Six Paths paid no mind to Satsuki's hostility. He continued speaking in that calm and direct tone.
"It seems that this generation's Ashura chakra reincarnation... that is, Uzumaki Naruto... has not yet told you the complete truth about your bloodline and chakra reincarnation that he knows. Then let me say a few words first."
The Sage of Six Paths' gaze continued to look at Satsuki.
"You, Uchiha Satsuki, are the reincarnation vessel in this life for my eldest son, Indra's chakra."
"What?"
Satsuki blurted out instinctively, her face written full of bewilderment. Indra? The Sage of Six Paths' son? Chakra reincarnation?
These words combined together seemed so abrupt and incomprehensible compared to her actual life experiences.
Looking at Satsuki's completely confused expression, the Sage of Six Paths felt a helpless smile pass through his heart, while at the same time, that emotion spanning a thousand years deepened even further.
Of course, in the strictest sense, Satsuki was not a direct soul reincarnation of Indra himself.
Rather, she was a descendant of the Uchiha clan who carried his, Hagoromo Otsutsuki's bloodline.
It was just that the special chakra drifting through the world, representing "Indra's" power and fate's trajectory, had, in its thousand years of wandering and choosing, in this generation, attached to and acknowledged her as its "manifestation."
This in itself... was unprecedented.
For a thousand years, the chakra reincarnations of Ashura and Indra, due to the mutual attraction and opposition of their power's essence, had without exception appeared as enemies and opponents, enacting tragedy after tragedy of fraternal conflict on history's stage.
They fought each other, killed one another, twisting that bond originating from bloodline into hatred. As a father, this will of Hagoromo longed every moment for these two powers originating from the same source to let bygones be bygones, truly understand each other, and achieve reconciliation.
However, he never imagined that this reconciliation he had hoped for over a thousand years would actually be realized in such a... "simple" manner?
Simply because this generation's Indra chakra chose a female as its reincarnation vessel?
Nevertheless, today he crossed the barrier and proactively manifested to "visit" in this manner, his main purpose was not merely to lament this unexpected "reconciliation." He had more important matters.
His gaze ultimately fell upon Uzumaki Naruto, and to that emotion was added gratification and relief.
One of the reincarnation vessels of his younger son Ashura's chakra had finally... completely surpassed him.
Not just a transcendence on the level of power, but more so in philosophy, action, and influence on the world's structure. He had successfully prevented the conspiracy to resurrect his mother Kaguya and dismantled a deception spanning a thousand years.
Hagoromo came today, firstly to express gratitude, thanking Naruto for thoroughly eliminating the ultimate threat his mother Kaguya might bring, and secondly, he felt it necessary to hand over some things he had preserved to this "junior" who had truly grown up and could shoulder even greater responsibilities.
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