Naruto: Konoha’s Trickster, Starting as the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki Chapter 773: Sage of the Six Paths

"Holy crap? Rikudō Sennin?"

"Holy crap? Old man?"

Kazuyama and Chōi yelled at the sa ti, man and beast equally stunned beyond belief.

The next second, Chōi broke away from Kazuyama's body and appeared beside him in full Tailed Beast form.

In the Heart World, he could manifest physically rather than as chakra.

"Long ti no see, Chōi."

"Seeing you brings joy."

The Rikudō Sennin gave a faint smile the mont he saw Chōi, his aged voice filled with the warmth of eting family.

Chōi flapped his wings, sending ripples across the water.

"It really is the Rikudō Sennin. Damn… this is insane!"

"But that just makes more confused—why did you want to see ?"

Though Kazuyama was shocked to et the Sage of Six Paths, his bigger question was why the Sage sought him out.

Everyone knew that although the Sage had died long ago, he continued to exist in the shinobi world through a form of will and power.

The figure before him now was a spiritual existence.

Even so, he clearly possessed a unique strength.

"You truly are extraordinary. Fewer and fewer people in this world even know of ."

"And you—you are neither Ashura's heir nor Indra's."

"In you, I even see traces of my mother. The sa solitary pride… yet also sothing different. There is love in your heart. I can feel it."

Rikudō Sennin—Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

And his mother was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

Kazuyama grew even more bewildered.

He looked like Kaguya? Impossible.

"Old man, you're joking, right? Kazuyama? Like her?"

"No way."

"They're nothing alike. I've never seen soone as sleazy, timid, and downright rotten as him."

Chōi voiced his own opinion imdiately. His perspective wasn't even close to the Sage's—there wasn't a single good quality, only terrible ones.

Kazuyama's face darkened instantly.

"Seriously, Chōi? You're exposing now?"

"How can you talk about your own brother like that? Want to seal you up? I think Kurama's binding thod was pretty effective!"

Man and beast imdiately fell into bickering.

The Rikudō Sennin simply watched silently, the curve of his lips revealing his amusent.

"Enough. Don't quarrel."

"Kazuyama, I sought you out because I have sothing to ask of you."

Huh? What the hell?

Seeing the Sage's suddenly serious expression, Kazuyama felt a heaviness settle over him. He didn't understand why the Sage of Six Paths would co to him specifically.

"I know you understand many things."

"About this old man. About my mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."

"And even the Senjutsu you now wield has reached a level nearing the pinnacle of this world."

"The reason I can et you is precisely because your Senjutsu unconsciously absorbs vast amounts of chakra. When I died, I scattered my entire chakra across this world."

"The chakra you've absorbed and refined contains my essence."

"And you've made contact with many Tailed Beasts, exchanging chakra with them. Through these connections, I was able to find you."

Kazuyama remained silent, listening quietly.

Beside him, Chōi curled up and lay low on the water.

"Your Senjutsu shows a different future."

"A path completely unlike the ones walked by my sons, Ashura and Indra. That is why I see traces of my mother in you."

"It made realize this world possesses a third possibility."

"Kazuyama, let ask you: if you were given the strength to confront my mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, what would you choose to do?"

Face Kaguya Ōtsutsuki? What kind of question was that?

Of course he'd take her down—

Wait. Kaguya couldn't be killed. She was immortal.

"Yes, she cannot be killed. Only sealed. And there is but one thod: the Six Paths: Earth Explosion Star."

"Then what are you asking for? Is there any option besides sealing?"

"Indeed, there is no other way."

See? No other way!

Kazuyama rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"My mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, acted only to prevent future threats."

"But her thods were unacceptable. That is why so many events unfolded afterward."

The Sage let out a faint sigh.

He knew his mother's past, but her thods had gone far beyond reason. Neither he nor his brother could accept them.

Thus, they had rebelled against her and sealed her away.

"Hey, Sage. Everything you're saying—I already know. How about telling sothing I don't?"

"Besides, I have no intention of reviving your mother. I won't hide anything from you—I'm a Jinchūriki myself. I've hidden the other Jinchūriki and the Tailed Beasts."

"So even if soone tries to co for them, I'm not afraid."

Kazuyama crossed his arms with overflowing confidence. He'd planned for years—there was no way he would fail now.

The Sage smiled gently and shook his head.

"You are confident, indeed. But Madara Uchiha has already obtained Ashura's chakra, which allowed him to awaken the Rinnegan."

"His strength now steps halfway into the Six Paths realm."

"How do you intend to deal with him?"

These words left Kazuyama montarily stunned.

Right. Even if he didn't fear Madara, defeating him outright was another matter entirely.

"That is why I ca to you. I wish to propose a trade."

"I can grant you my power to help you face Madara Uchiha. In exchange, you must agree to use your own strength to accomplish sothing for this world—sothing only you can do."

Sothing only he could do? What did that an?

"Your Kekkei Genkai—both Transparent Escape and Crystal Release—have changed under Sage Mode. Haven't you noticed?"

Kazuyama's expression gradually hardened. He had noticed.

Ever since he mastered Sage Mode on his own, his Transparent Escape Technique and Crystal Release had undergone subtle changes.

Not obvious, but as their wielder, he could feel it clearly.

What he didn't understand was why the Sage would be aware of this.

The words that followed made Kazuyama's eyes widen in disbelief as he stared at the Rikudō Sennin.