I've Already Confronted the Five Kage, and the System Just Arrived!-Chapter 326 - 327

As Guy, with all Eight Gates open, charged toward the Divine Tree—

Beyond the battlefield.

Uchiha Sasuke, who had remained unseen until now, emerged from the secret base where the Gedo Statue had once rested.

With the Gedo Statue summoned away, his mission was complete.

Raising his head, Sasuke gazed at the unusually crimson Blood Moon hanging in the sky.

"At this point, even if I rush there, I won't make it in time."

To fulfill Gensou's order of guarding the Gedo Statue, Sasuke had missed out on this grand battle—one far surpassing any previous shinobi war. Yet, he had no regrets.

He fully understood the importance of the Gedo Statue and was well aware that if Gensou succeeded, the chaos of the shinobi world would end, the Uchiha Clan would rise once more, and he would witness its return to glory.

Thus, he had taken his mission seriously.

Now that the Gedo Statue was gone, Sasuke finally exhaled in relief.

He knew that soon, the future he and his comrades had long awaited would arrive.

However, at that moment, his expression suddenly changed.

In the blink of an eye, he found himself transported to an unfamiliar space.

Before him, a mysterious figure sat cross-legged in mid-air, his back facing Sasuke. The man wore a white robe adorned with tomoe and held a staff, with a ring of Truth-Seeking Orbs hovering beneath him.

"Who are you?"

Sasuke tensed, gripping the hilt of his sword.

At the same time.

"...Am I... dead?"

Naruto opened his eyes, confusion written all over his face as he took in his surroundings.

A solemn voice answered from ahead:

"Your body has perished, but your spirit remains. By the definition of the living world, your situation aligns perfectly with death."

"...So, I really died."

Naruto mulled over those words before scratching his head and saying,

"Well, dead is dead. No need to make it sound so complicated."

Looking at the person who had spoken, Naruto saw an elderly man floating in mid-air, dressed in a white robe.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Naruto asked, "Uh... Didn't I die? Why am I here? And who are you, old man? Are you dead too?"

"You're asking too many questions at once!"

The white-robed elder—none other than the Sage of Six Paths—spoke sternly.

"Because of the passage of time, the cultural traditions, ethical values, and perceptions of the world have changed drastically from my era. Every time I awaken, I feel an immense disconnect with the present age. Although I can learn modern language and customs, it must be done gradually. Simply put, if I were to answer all your questions at once, you might not fully comprehend."

Naruto: "..."

After a series of failed attempts to communicate, the Sage of Six Paths finally adjusted his speech to a way Naruto could understand.

"Death is merely a state of existence. Though you have died, your soul remains. As someone who can communicate with the Pure Land—what the modern shinobi world calls the 'Underworld'—I have summoned you here."

"As for my identity..."

Raising his staff, the Sage continued,

"I am the one who once upheld peace and order in the shinobi world. My name is Hagoromo."

"Hagoromo?!?!"

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

At first, Naruto listened quietly. But the moment he heard that name, he jumped up in shock, pointing at the Sage with wide eyes.

"You—you—you're THAT Hagoromo?! Wait a minute! And those Rinnegan eyes—you look just like him! Are you related to Hagoromo Gensou? His father? No, wait! You seem way too old—so you must be his grandfather!!"

Naruto's expression turned wary as he eyed the Sage suspiciously.

"Alright, spill it! What's your scheme in bringing me here?"

The Sage of Six Paths remained calm as he watched Naruto's over-the-top reaction.

"It seems you've misunderstood my words."

He tapped his staff against the ground.

Immediately, an image of Hagoromo Gensou in his Ten-Tails Jinchūriki form appeared before them.

The Sage explained, "I am Hagoromo, but not of the Hagoromo Clan. I am the founder of Ninshū, known to the world as the Sage of Six Paths."

"The legendary Sage?"

Naruto had heard about him from Pervy Sage before and was visibly stunned.

The Sage nodded. "In terms of bloodline, Gensou is indeed my descendant, but not a mere grandson—more like 40 or 50 generations removed. The connection is already extremely distant. Naruto, you are also part of this lineage."

"But rest assured, I did not summon you here to fight against you. On the contrary, I brought you here to stop Hagoromo Gensou."

"Stop... Hagoromo Gensou?"

"Yes." The Sage tapped his staff again, changing the image on the ground.

"Before explaining further, let me first tell you a story—a story about my mother, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, from a thousand years ago."

As Sasuke and Naruto listened, the Sage of Six Paths recounted the history of his mother, Kaguya, their conflicts, and the truth behind the reincarnations of Asura and Indra.

Then, he revealed the impending disaster—if Infinite Tsukuyomi were successfully cast, Kaguya would return, plunging the shinobi world back into an age of absolute despair.

To prevent this, he needed the current reincarnations of Asura and Indra to inherit his power and stop Gensou.

"...But I'm already dead. Even if I want to stop Gensou, I can't do anything."

Naruto was deeply troubled upon learning how dire the situation had become.

Looking at his own ghostly hands, he made a firm decision and turned to the Sage.

"Please give all your power to Sasuke! Now that he knows the truth about Infinite Tsukuyomi, I'm sure he'll come around! He'll fight for the shinobi world, for everyone!"

"Oh? You trust Sasuke that much? You believe in Indra's reincarnation?"

The Sage was slightly surprised.

"I do!" Naruto nodded firmly. "I believe Sasuke is a good person deep down."

"Is that so?"

The Sage's Rinnegan shifted, turning his gaze toward Sasuke.

At that moment, Sasuke—who had been listening intently—nodded without hesitation.

"Give me the power. I will stop all of this."

The Sage studied Sasuke carefully.

"...Naruto thinks the same. He trusts you completely."

"...Naruto?"

Sasuke was momentarily stunned.

Then, as if realizing something, he composed himself and turned back to the Sage.

"I already understand the truth. You summoned me for this very reason. I've given my answer. Now, it's your turn."

"My answer is..."

The Sage of Six Paths looked deeply at Sasuke—and at Naruto, who stood beside him, full of conviction.

Then, his answer came.

"I refuse."

(End of Chapter)

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]