As the pinnacle battle of the current Ninja World, with both sides unleashing their full strength, the power of their Ninjutsu was naturally terrifying.
The collision of their techniques tore the earth apart. The sky darkened beneath layers of clouds and mist, while explosions continuously erupted across the moon.
Sōgi's hands trembled violently. His sleeves had been shredded to pieces, and his silver hair was left in complete disarray by the raging shockwaves. His feet dragged across the ground as he was forced backward again and again.
A bloody wound split open across his forehead, thick crimson blood streaming down his face.
Without warning, Hayashi appeared behind Sōgi and drove his fist directly into the back of his head.
Boom!
It was as though Sōgi had been struck by lightning. His body shot forward uncontrollably and slammed into the tip of the spiraling sword.
The blade pierced straight through his chest.
His arms fell limp at his sides as he let out a silent roar toward the heavens. A moment later, his head drooped.
Sōgi died instantly.
Covered in blood, Hayashi sat cross-legged on the shattered ground.
Rain poured from the sky, washing over his body and mixing with the blood staining his clothes. He looked utterly battered.
The Tailed Beast Chakra within him and his powerful Yang Release continuously repaired his injuries, but every breath still felt as if it were tearing apart his internal organs.
Pain.
Unbearable pain.
Rolling onto his back, Hayashi lay in the crater and stared at the gray sky above. His vision gradually blurred.
A figure suddenly rushed through the smoke and debris, sprinting toward him.
When Hayashi saw Himeji's pale, bloodless face, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Then he lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a strange space.
Looking ahead, Hayashi's eyes widened.
A figure sat cross-legged before him, suspended in midair.
A black staff rested before his knees, while nine black Truth-Seeking Balls revolved behind him.
The figure was an elderly man with white hair.
His eyes contained concentric ripples.
The Rinnegan.
As Hayashi observed the old man, the latter also looked back at him. A gentle smile appeared on the aged face.
"The era I lived in is far removed from the present. Language and terminology have changed greatly, so explaining things may be somewhat difficult."
The old man paused.
"However, I am the Sage of Six Paths."
Hayashi frowned slightly, his heart filled with surprise.
With the Rinnegan and the ability to enter his consciousness directly, there was only one possible identity.
The ancestor of ninjutsu.
The Sage of Six Paths.
What surprised him was not the old man's identity, but the fact that he had appeared here at all.
This was neither reasonable nor logical.
Nor did it fit the usual pattern of events.
"Could it be because I've gathered the Chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts, and he thinks I'm planning to revive Ōtsutsuki Kaguya?"
That would be a huge misunderstanding.
Hayashi considered himself a good person.
The Sage of Six Paths currently existed only as Chakra, but Hayashi did not dare underestimate him.
The fact that he could enter Hayashi's mental space without being detected proved he was far from a powerless spirit.
True, he could no longer compare to the peak of his strength a thousand years ago, when he was the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.
Even so, a lion remained a lion.
At the very least, he still possessed Six Paths power.
With a wave of his hand, he could summon deceased Kage from the Pure Land into the Ninja World.
By dividing a portion of his power, he had elevated Naruto and Sasuke to an entirely different realm of strength.
Such abilities were simply absurd.
It was no exaggeration to say that beneath the Six Paths level, everyone else was insignificant by comparison.
Hayashi knew that even if he combined his own power with the Chakra of the nine Tailed Beasts, he would not be a match for the Sage of Six Paths.
Since he could not win, caution was the wiser choice.
"Why have you appeared in my consciousness?" Hayashi asked carefully.
"I have wanted to meet you for a very long time," the Sage of Six Paths replied.
"As for why I have come here, it is because there are matters I wish to entrust to you."
His gaze settled on Hayashi.
"A very special person."
Hayashi's pupils contracted slightly before he quickly regained his composure.
"It seems you know about my situation."
The Sage of Six Paths had existed for over a thousand years in a unique form. Discovering the truth behind Hayashi's transmigration was not difficult to imagine.
Besides, his mother, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, had also come from beyond this world.
The Ninja World itself even contained examples of space-time travel.
Compared to those things, Hayashi's circumstances were not particularly shocking.
"You crossed the boundaries of time and space and arrived in this body through a unique process. You inherited Ashura's power and have reached an extraordinary level of strength."
The Sage of Six Paths sighed softly.
"You are indeed remarkable. More importantly, although you collected the Chakra of the nine Tailed Beasts, you never crossed the final line, nor did you seek to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki."
As he spoke, he hooked a finger.
Nine crimson streams of Chakra emerged from Hayashi's body and gathered beside him.
The nine Tailed Beasts instantly appeared.
Aside from Kurama and Shukaku, the Sharingan patterns within the eyes of the other Tailed Beasts immediately vanished.
Hayashi felt somewhat embarrassed.
After all, these were the Sage's creations.
Except for Kurama and Shukaku, he had controlled the others with the Sharingan.
Getting caught by their creator himself was undeniably awkward.
"Old Man..."
Kurama stared at the Sage of Six Paths, its voice trembling with emotion.
The reunion clearly stirred complicated feelings within it.
Then Kurama pointed a paw toward Hayashi.
"Old Man, he bullied me."
The touching atmosphere instantly collapsed.
The other Tailed Beasts immediately joined in, voicing their grievances one after another.
Shukaku was especially enthusiastic.
Hayashi found himself speechless.
He had not even used Genjutsu on Shukaku, yet Shukaku was the loudest complainer.
The Sage of Six Paths raised a hand.
The Tailed Beasts instantly fell silent.
Each of them obediently stood behind him, tails swaying as they stared at Hayashi.
It looked as though they were waiting for their creator to punish him.
"What exactly do you want me to do?" Hayashi asked with a flattering smile.
The Sage did not appear hostile.
Judging by what happened in the original timeline, wasn't this simply a kind old grandfather preparing to hand out a powerful gift?
Although Hayashi had once dismissed the Sage's power as temporary, the temptation was still enormous.
Even a seven-day membership was still a membership.
Turning it down would be foolish.
Hayashi was more than willing to enjoy the benefits.
However, the Sage of Six Paths did not immediately offer any power.
Instead, he spoke calmly.
"You already know most of the story regarding my mother, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. She remains sealed within the moon by Chibaku Tensei and cannot escape on her own."
"You may wonder why Hamura and I chose to seal her."
"The reason is simple."
"Fear."
The Sage's expression grew solemn.
"My mother possessed power beyond anyone else's. I feared her. In turn, she feared something else."
"Something unknown."
Hayashi narrowed his eyes.
"An unknown threat?"
"Yes."
The Sage nodded.
"Mother came to Earth from another world in order to plant the God Tree. However, she consumed the God Tree's fruit herself. Because of that, she feared that members of her clan would eventually come searching for her."
He sighed quietly.
"That fear is etched into her very soul. To prepare for the arrival of those unknown enemies, she is willing to do anything."
"More importantly, Mother has never truly trusted others. The only person she trusts is herself."
"That is why she insists on controlling all power."
"If she ever escapes her seal, the first thing she will do is reclaim all Chakra."
The Sage fixed his gaze on Hayashi.
"Do you know what happens when a ninja loses all Chakra?"
Hayashi nodded.
For a ninja, Chakra was as essential as physical stamina.
People could die from complete exhaustion.
Likewise, when Chakra was completely depleted, death was often the result.
The Sage continued.
"That would only be the beginning."
"After all, humans capable of using Chakra are only a fraction of humanity."
"Mother would then continue nurturing the God Tree until it produced additional Chakra Fruits."
His expression darkened further.
"But waiting naturally would be far too slow."
"To accelerate the process, she would cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi and transform humans into White Zetsu on a massive scale."
"Those White Zetsu would become nourishment for the God Tree while simultaneously increasing the rate at which it drains the planet's natural energy."
The Sage's voice became heavy.
"And once that energy is completely exhausted, this planet will gradually wither away."
He paused.
"Humanity itself will become extinct."