The Sage of Six Paths departed once again.
Just like three years ago, Naruto had no idea how he disappeared, where he had gone, or whether he was still secretly watching him.
The fact that the Sage had appeared the moment Naruto mentioned Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and the Ōtsutsuki Clan was enough to prove that he had indeed been paying attention.
Although the Sage of Six Paths had died over a thousand years ago, his chakra, or perhaps more accurately, his soul, continued to wander the ninja world.
Unlike ordinary people, even in death he could freely travel between the living world and the Pure Land.
After all, he had reached the Six Paths level.
It wasn’t strange that he possessed extraordinary abilities.
Nor was he simply wandering around.
For a thousand years, while silently protecting the ninja world, he had also continued watching the endless conflict between the reincarnations of his two sons’ chakras.
Indra and Ashura themselves had long since died, but throughout countless generations, their chakras had repeatedly manifested within their descendants, possessing them and continuing their ancient rivalry.
The current generation was Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
The previous generation had been Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
And there had been countless others before them.
So it really did seem that the Sage had been quietly watching Naruto all this time.
Otherwise, why would he have appeared twice to help him?
Honestly…
It was a little unfair.
Sasuke hadn’t received anything at all.
No wonder things turned out the way they did for him later…
After the Sage of Six Paths disappeared, Naruto remained inside his own mental world.
Slowly turning around, he looked toward Kurama, who remained sealed inside the massive cage.
Step by step, Naruto walked over until he stood before the bars, gazing at Kurama through the narrow gap.
For the first time Kurama felt uneasy.
Naruto was only three years old.
Yet Kurama had personally witnessed the terrifying power the Sage had bestowed upon him.
His snow-white hair.
The flowing white robe.
The pair of horns growing from his head.
Most importantly the Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan shining in his eyes.
As Naruto casually reached toward the Truth-Seeking Ball floating beside him, it transformed into a slender black staff.
Unlike the Sage’s own staff, however, Naruto’s wasn’t a true Six Paths staff.
The Sage possessed genuine Six Paths power, including Yin-Yang Release, so the ends of his staff were shaped like the symbols of Yin and Yang, one crescent-shaped and the other circular, representing the moon and the sun.
Naruto’s weapon, on the other hand, looked less like a ceremonial staff and more like a simple black rod.
“What are you afraid of, Kurama?” Naruto asked with a faint smile curling at his lips.
“I’ve already told you, I won’t hurt you.
Killing you would be the same as killing myself.”
Kurama narrowed his crimson eyes in annoyance.
Even mocking him.
“I’ll let you out,” Naruto suddenly said.
“Sooner or later, I’ll open this cage and try to accept you.
Whether I like it or not, we’ve already become beings whose lives are tied together.
When that day comes, you’ll be able to experience the outside world through me.
I’ll even let you regain some freedom by allowing your chakra to manifest outside.”
He paused, his smile never fading.
“But that depends entirely on your behavior.
I think you know exactly what I want.”
Power.
Although the Sage’s Six Paths power was overwhelmingly strong, it hadn’t yet become Naruto’s own strength.
The same was true of the Rinnegan.
Inside his mental world, he possessed it completely.
But once he returned to reality.
Naruto knew perfectly well that he couldn’t yet bring out its true potential.
After all, his actual body was still that of a three-year-old child.
Because of that, whether he should immediately leave Konoha was something he needed to reconsider.
Fortunately there just happened to be a ready-made “portable charger” sitting right in front of him.
At the current level of the ninja world, Kurama’s power alone was enough to let him ignore almost everyone and every major faction.
“So think it over carefully, Kurama.
Make the wise choice.
Don’t wait until the day comes when I no longer need you before trying to come to me.
By then, I won’t be thinking about borrowing your power anymore.
I’ll be thinking about how to eliminate the risk you pose.”
As Naruto spoke, his body gradually faded away.
His consciousness was returning to reality.
And for the first time.
He no longer bothered hiding behind a friendly mask while speaking to Kurama.
His attitude had completely changed.
When Naruto had been powerless, he needed to win Kurama over.
Now he didn’t.
So instead, he resorted to threats.
Either Kurama would become his ally or one day, Naruto would remove him entirely.
After all, the weakness of a jinchūriki was simply too great.
Lose the tailed beast and the host died.
But what if he obtained the second Ten-Tails instead?
Kaguya hadn’t been a Ten-Tails jinchūriki.
She had eaten the Chakra Fruit and fused with the Ten-Tails, becoming two sides of the same existence.
If Naruto were to obtain the second Ten-Tails…
And eat its Chakra Fruit then everything would be different.
Which meant Perhaps every promise he had made to the Sage of Six Paths had been nothing more than lies.
Well he had his own plans.
His own path.
Someday, he intended not only to reach the level of the Sage of Six Paths…
But surpass him.
As for now.
“Even though I’ve gained all this power, I still have to keep training my body.
Whether it’s Six Paths power or these eyes, neither is truly usable at my current level.
More importantly, I absolutely can’t let anyone discover them.”
“So physical training remains my top priority.”
Thinking that, Naruto’s consciousness disappeared from the mental world.
Inside the cage, Kurama stared silently at the place where Naruto had just been.
For a long time he couldn’t recover from his thoughts.
He found himself wondering just how sincere Naruto had been.
At the same time, he couldn’t help considering another question.
Should he really submit?
Kurama understood that Naruto still wanted his power.
But the boy wasn’t trying to reconcile with him.
Nor was he seeking mutual understanding.
He was issuing an ultimatum.
Demanding that Kurama compromise.
Kurama felt angry.
But even more than anger he felt helpless.
He had no idea what the Sage of Six Paths had seen in Naruto’s memories, so he couldn’t understand why the Sage had entrusted such unimaginable power to a mere child.
But one thing was certain.
He absolutely couldn’t underestimate that boy.
Once Naruto fully mastered the Six Paths power and those terrifying eyes…
There would truly come a day when Kurama could be controlled as easily as someone picking up an object.
After all, Kurama had once been controlled by Madara Uchiha’s Sharingan.
Three years ago, he was controlled again by Obito Uchiha.
No one understood better than he did what those eyes represented.
Unless he could somehow break out of this cage and shatter the seal.
Unfortunately that was something he simply couldn’t do.
“Do you expect me…
to bow my head before that brat?”