"That's right!" another person chimed in, eyes blazing with fervor. "The Byakugan is the strongest! All those flashy genjutsu and copying tricks of the Sharingan are nothing but side paths! What our Hyūga Clan has inherited is the purest insight and taijutsu, closest to the very source of power! We simply haven't yet discovered the correct way to develop and use the Byakugan!"
Within the Heavenly Veil
The Sage of Six Paths sat cross-legged in the void, his voice calm and ancient.
"Asura inherited my Sage power. Its outward manifestation is a powerful physique and immense life force—unceasing vitality and indomitable resilience."
Sasuke's eyes flickered. Drawing from what he already knew, he cautiously asked, "So… the Uzumaki Clan are descendants of Asura's bloodline?"
He thought of Naruto's astonishing vitality and vast chakra reserves.
The Sage of Six Paths gave a slight nod, then corrected him.
"More precisely, it was the Senju Clan who most directly inherited the essence of Asura's power. For example—Senju Hashirama, whom you know well."
"Hashirama Senju!" Sasuke's body trembled. That name symbolized the legend of the God of Shinobi.
"And Indra," the Sage continued, "inherited my Yin power. Its outward manifestation is the dōjutsu of your Uchiha Clan—the Sharingan."
Sasuke nodded silently.
This explained the origin of his clan's Kekkei Genkai and gave him a clearer understanding of the true nature of his own power.
"The ultimate evolution of the Sharingan is the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan," the Sage said, his gaze seeming to pierce through Sasuke's eyes and into the depths of his soul. "That is one manifestation of Yin power at its extreme."
Sasuke understood.
He had already awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and knew its ocular power far surpassed that of an ordinary Mangekyō.
But even that… did not seem enough to stand against Naruto.
Then came the most crucial—and most shocking—revelation.
"The Rinnegan," the Sage of Six Paths declared, "is born when extreme Yin power merges with Yang power. When Yin and Yang unite, giving rise to the power of all creation, the ultimate dōjutsu manifests."
"What?!" Sasuke shot to his feet, shock breaking through his usual composure for the first time.
The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan… could evolve further?
And its evolution required the fusion of Yang power to become the Rinnegan?
This completely overturned his understanding of the Sharingan's evolutionary path.
After the shock came a surge of hope—burning and fierce.
He already possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
If what the Sage said was true, then all he needed was Yang power—
He forced himself to calm down, his gaze sharpening as he looked directly at the Sage of Six Paths.
"So you intend… to grant me Yang power?"
The logic was simple and direct.
To confront Naruto—who possessed the Rinnegan, overwhelming physical prowess, and even mysterious divine techniques—the Eternal Mangekyō alone was far from sufficient.
Only power of the same tier—the Rinnegan—would grant him a fighting chance.
And the key to awakening it stood before him.
Outside the Heavenly Veil
The shinobi world erupted into an uproar once more.
"Yin power… Yang power… So that's it! The Senju and Uchiha are the continuation of the Sage's sons!"
"The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan isn't the end?! It can evolve into the Rinnegan?! The condition is the union of Yin and Yang?!"
"Terrifying! The fusion of those two powers can give birth to a mythic eye like the Rinnegan!"
"Sasuke Uchiha already has the Eternal Mangekyō. If he's granted Yang power by the Sage of Six Paths… he can awaken the Rinnegan too?!"
"Two wielders of the Rinnegan fighting?! Is this the return of the age of legends?!"
"Wait—if the Rinnegan requires the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan as a prerequisite, then where did Nagato's Rinnegan come from? He never had the Sharingan!"
"Exactly! There's definitely something shady going on there!"
"And what about the Hyūga Clan? Their progenitor was the Sage's younger brother. What kind of power do they inherit? Yin? Yang? Or something else?"
Konoha
Tsunade was stunned speechless.
She hadn't expected her lineage to carry such monumental origins.
Yet bitterness soon surfaced on her face.
What did it matter?
The Senju Clan was already gone.
The Uchiha Clan as well. Even without a world-ending crisis, perhaps they too would have faded from the shinobi world in time.
Everyone held their breath.
The atmosphere, both within and outside the Heavenly Veil, had once again been pushed to suffocating heights by the Sage's words.
Within the Heavenly Veil
The Sage of Six Paths first nodded at Sasuke's reasoning—then slowly shook his head. His aged, profound gaze seemed to see a predetermined future.
"Even if I grant you Yang power and you awaken the Rinnegan," he said steadily, with unquestionable weight, "you would still not be a match for Naruto as he is now."
Sasuke's expression changed abruptly.
It was not doubt in the Sage's judgment—but the immediate recollection of Naruto's unfathomable divine techniques.
That monstrous reinforcement of his physical body—perhaps even the Rinnegan would not guarantee superiority.
Hope had just ignited—only to be crushed by an even harsher reality.
Sasuke's heart sank.
"Therefore," the Sage continued, shifting his gaze to the silent figure beside him, "you will need assistance."
"Me?" Neji looked up in disbelief, pointing at himself.
He even glanced instinctively at Sasuke, seeing in his eyes the same astonishment—and a trace of unconcealed doubt.
In Sasuke's view, Neji was undoubtedly strong, a true Hyūga prodigy. But this confrontation had already surpassed Kage-level combat and entered the realm of myth.
Neji's strength simply did not stand on the same plane.
How could he possibly become the key to opposing Naruto?
The Sage of Six Paths seemed to perceive their doubts. Rather than explaining directly, he offered a seemingly unrelated fact.
"I possess the Rinnegan. Yet my descendants," he looked at Sasuke, "inherited only the Sharingan."
Sasuke and Neji both felt their hearts tighten.
The comparison was simple—but struck at the core.
A descendant does not necessarily inherit the entirety of an ancestor's power. Often, it is diluted, divided, or specialized.
The Sharingan originated from Indra's Yin power—the extreme manifestation of the Yin aspect of the Rinnegan. But it was not the complete Rinnegan.
"Likewise," the Sage said, turning his gaze back to Neji. His eyes seemed to penetrate Neji's body, reaching the ancient mark slumbering in his bloodline.
"The Byakugan of your Hyūga Clan… is merely a form that degenerated over countless ages from the eyes once possessed by my younger brother."
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