In the unknown space—
Sasuke stared at the Sage of Six Paths before him, his mind flashing back to sothing Hagoromo Gensou had once told him before the great battle.
It had been a night just like this, the Blood Moon hanging high in the sky. With his back to Sasuke, the towering figure of Hagoromo Gensou, the pillar of both the Hagoromo Clan and the Uchiha Clan, spoke of the sa tale the Sage had just recounted—a story of the tragic conflict between Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and her sons.
But Gensou had not asked for Sasuke's thoughts on the tale. Instead, he had posed a different question:
"A thousand years have passed, and the Ōtsutsuki mother and sons still linger above. They do not tire, yet those on the ground have long grown weary of watching. Now, if soone were to suddenly appear before them and ask, 'Are you not exhausted?'—Sasuke, how do you think they would respond?"
Sasuke's answer had been simple.
"They wouldn't welco an outsider."
Just as long-standing traditions resist disruption, and entrenched hierarchies reject upheaval, Sasuke had understood the implications from the very mont he learned the Sage's identity.
Would Hagoromo Gensou ultimately amount to nothing more than a vessel for Kaguya's return?
Having spent so much ti by Gensou's side, Sasuke knew better.
Gensou was unfathomably powerful, but more than that, Sasuke understood his character.
A man who now held the entire shinobi world in his hands would never allow himself to be a re stepping stone for soone else.
Moreover, now that he had confird that the Sage's account of history was identical to Gensou's, Sasuke realized that Gensou's knowledge of this world far surpassed everyone's expectations.
Yet, despite this, the Sage stubbornly insisted that Gensou was destined for failure.
Sasuke was not one for argunts, nor did he intend to lay out his thoughts to the Sage.
He now understood why Gensou had shared those words with him that night.
So, when the Sage questioned him and Naruto recomnded him, Sasuke decisively nodded in agreent.
He indeed fought for peace—but not the kind Naruto or the Sage envisioned.
If given the Sage's power, he would wield it for peace.
But he would do so at Gensou's side.
Sasuke's answer was given with absolute calm.
Yet, to his surprise, the Sage rejected him.
His expression unchanged, Sasuke simply asked,
"So, even now, you still refuse to trust Indra's reincarnation?"
Indra's reincarnates had always pursued power above all else, often at the cost of their comrades, their humanity, and everything else.
Ti and again, their ambition had brought calamity to the shinobi world.
Sasuke assud that the Sage feared he would follow that path, using the granted power for his own ends rather than true peace.
However, the Sage shook his head.
"No. In you, Sasuke, I see sothing different from past Indra reincarnations. You are not bound by Indra's chakra."
Sasuke's brows furrowed. "Then why?"
The Sage looked at him deeply and said,
"You do desire peace. But you place too much faith in Hagoromo Gensou. Even after hearing the truth about Infinite Tsukuyomi, you remain unshaken."
"That is why you are not my chosen one."
As soon as the Sage spoke, the surroundings began to fade.
In the next mont, Sasuke found himself standing outside the base once more, as if no ti had passed at all—an illusion so fleeting it could have been mistaken for a dream.
But Sasuke knew it was real.
"...So, he saw through ?"
He had intended to claim the Sage's power for himself, yet his plan had ultimately failed.
But the mont had passed. Sasuke quickly buried any lingering thoughts and turned his focus to the implications of the Sage's presence.
"...Naruto."
His eyes sharpened as he turned toward the grave where he had buried Naruto.
A blur of motion—and he was gone.
Inside the Sage of Six Paths' spiritual space.
As Naruto continued trying to persuade the Sage to grant Sasuke power, the elder interrupted him.
"There's no need to recomnd him further, Naruto. The future of the shinobi world now rests with you."
"Huh? But Sasuke—" Naruto was taken aback.
The Sage explained, "Sasuke's vision of peace still revolves around Hagoromo Gensou."
"I see..."
Naruto lowered his head briefly before looking up again, his expression serious.
"But... I'm dead."
The Sage dismissed his concern.
"Yin-Yang Release can create sothing from nothing, even granting life. By modern understanding, you haven't even passed your seventh day of death.
With the power of Yin-Yang Release, your body can be restored to life."
"So, Naruto, the fight now falls to you."
"...I got it!"
Understanding his duty, Naruto clenched his fist and pounded his chest, making his resolve clear.
"Good."
The Sage extended his right hand.
Naruto followed suit, pressing his palm against the Sage's.
In that instant—
The Sage's chakra flowed into Naruto, along with the power of Six Paths—Chibaku Tensei, the ultimate sealing technique.
Naruto glanced at the Sun and Moon markings now etched into his palms. He nodded at the Sage—then vanished.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rocked the cetery where Sasuke had buried Naruto.
As the dust settled—
A newly resurrected Naruto, now in Sage of Six Paths Mode, rose from his grave.
Six Truth-Seeking Orbs hovered behind him.
He glanced around, reading the inscription on the tombstone before him.
Engraved in bold letters:
"Uzumaki Naruto's Grave."
And just beneath it—
"Erected by his closest friend, Uchiha Sasuke."
"...Huh? So Sasuke was the one who buried ? He even picked a nice spot!"
Despite all of Sasuke's past betrayals, Naruto's feelings toward him remained unchanged. Even after being killed by him, his first thought upon revival was still about Sasuke.
But there was no ti to waste.
Determining the location of the Divine Tree, Naruto prepared to race there at full speed—
Until a massive purple Susanoo blade descended from the sky.
BOOM!
Debris scattered.
Naruto easily evaded the attack and looked up.
Sasuke was approaching, clad in a perfect Susanoo, his eyes unreadable.
"...Sasuke."
Sasuke eyed the fully revived Naruto, unsurprised.
"Naruto, we et again. Let's talk for a while."
Naruto slowly shook his head.
"Sasuke, this isn't the ti. Once everything is over, we'll talk all you want."
With that, he tried to move past Sasuke, heading for the Divine Tree.
But a devastating purple arrow shot toward him.
"You don't get to decide that, Naruto."
Sasuke clapped his hands together.
Hagoromo Gensou's Sage Mode activated.
His fully armored Susanoo drew its bow once more, another arrow forming, ready to strike.
(End of Chapter)
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