Natsuro stood before the towering God Tree, pondering for a moment before walking up to the trunk and placing his hand upon it.
"Heh… it's useless. You're too late if you're trying to stop the chakra from flowing into my mother's body," Black Zetsu sneered darkly upon seeing Natsuro's action.
Black Zetsu naturally believed Natsuro was trying to interrupt Kaguya's resurrection, but the chakra had already gathered in sufficient quantity. Even if Natsuro could sever the connection, it would no longer matter.
However, Natsuro ignored him. He slowly closed his eyes, feeling the chakra of countless living beings flowing within the tree—and then, he smiled.
As expected, this branch of the God Tree closest to Kaguya acted like a conduit, connecting all things in existence. The chakra of every living being was contained within.
And that, was exactly what he wanted. Through this chakra, he intended to perceive the very essence of each life.
Black Zetsu watched this scene with a pensive expression, a growing sense of unease gnawing at him. Still, just as Natsuro couldn't stop Kaguya's resurrection, Black Zetsu had no way of stopping Natsuro from doing what he was doing.
All he could do now was keep hypnotizing himself into believing that once his mother, Kaguya, was resurrected, she would erase all obstacles. Even Natsuro would be nothing more than a bug trying to block a carriage.
Yet… that ominous feeling only grew stronger.
Truthfully, Natsuro was also hesitating inside. Before Kaguya's resurrection was complete, there was still one thing he could do.
And if he did it, it would serve as a fallback, giving him a failsafe for the final battle against Kaguya. But whether or not to use that fallback was what he was struggling with.
He wanted to break through his final barrier under Kaguya's pressure, but...
He had to consider: What if he failed? This time, Kaguya likely wouldn't spare any part of humanity—she'd turn everyone into White Zetsu.
If it came to that, then even if the Sage of Six Paths were reincarnated, it might not be enough to change the outcome.
Natsuro thought about another question—if he did defeat Kaguya, would he still be able to meet the Sage of Six Paths?
After all, the Sage's power had been left behind for the purpose of sealing Kaguya, not for someone who had already defeated her.
What's more, that power was originally meant for the reincarnations of Asura and Indra.
So if he waited until after the battle to seek out the Sage, the Sage probably wouldn't grant him the power. And Natsuro didn't want to see a future where such vast chakra remained unused.
Reflecting on his hesitation, he gave himself a self-deprecating chuckle. "At this point, what am I even hesitating for?"
Then, without Black Zetsu noticing, Natsuro did something for the first time, he handed over control of his body to his secondary soul. His main soul, meanwhile, used Yin Release to enter a place of utter stillness.
In that space, everything seemed to vanish. Only chaos remained.
"You came, just as I expected…Natsuro Shindōkawa." A voice rang in Natsuro's ears.
"Yeah… it's been a while, Sage of Six Paths," Natsuro said, turning toward the elderly man who was suddenly there—sitting cross-legged atop nine Truth-Seeking Orbs, floating calmly in the void.
"This should be our first time meeting properly," said the Sage as he opened his eyes.
"No… back at Mount Myōboku, even though I wasn't conscious then, I could still feel you observing me," Natsuro replied.
"Haha… such sharp perception," the Sage said, his gaze resting especially on the mark on Natsuro's forehead with a sigh of awe.
Indeed, Natsuro already understood the true nature of that mark.
It wasn't anything mystical, just a symbol that naturally appeared when one walked the path of nature. In the future, anyone who reached deep enough into that path would develop the same mark.
Just like how Sage Mode gives eye markings, the Mark of Nature was the emblem of the natural path.
"At that time, I was simply curious. I never expected someone in this era to tread the path of nature, and certainly didn't think you would make it this far," the Sage admitted.
"Truth be told, I didn't think I would either," Natsuro said honestly.
"Hahaha." The Sage laughed heartily, then said, "But it's good. Your presence might bring new possibilities to the shinobi world. At the very least…"
He looked up at the dim sky and said, "Your suspicions may be right. Other than my mother… there are others watching this world."
The Sage of Six Paths understood well... chakra had limits. Even after spreading it to all humans, he didn't believe anyone could surpass him.
So for mankind, walking only the chakra path and trying to oppose beings like his mother… was too much.
But Natsuro's existence showed him another possibility.
The Sage was also grateful that when his mother devoured the God Tree's fruit, the Tree hadn't consumed all of the world's natural energy. If it had, not only would Sage Mode be gone, but Natsuro's path would never have existed either.
Without Sage Mode, the Sage of Six Paths wasn't even sure if he could have sealed his mother in the first place.
Looking back, the Sage could only conclude, perhaps this world's final act of resistance was to preserve that last bit of hope.
He turned to Natsuro again."I understand why you've come. And I'm not unwilling to give you power."
"But?" Natsuro raised an eyebrow, was there a condition?
"But I hope you'll try not to use it," the Sage said seriously. "You've already found your own path. Don't abandon it when the pressure mounts."
"Of course. I never planned to rely on your power, just wanted a fallback." Natsuro responded casually.
"Is that so…" The Sage nodded in satisfaction. Then he added, "I have one more request. If possible, could you share this power with the reincarnations of my two sons? Their long-standing feud finally ended in this lifetime."
The Sage smiled. He had been watching Naruto and Sasuke all along and was well aware of everything they'd been through.
He had initially assumed that this generation's Asura and Indra would, like Hashirama and Madara, inevitably clash in a final battle.
But unexpectedly… once Sasuke found his true path, their age-old feud was over.
Because when Sasuke accepted his own journey, even the chakra of Indra within him did the same. There was no longer any reason to fight Asura.
And the one most responsible for this turning point—was, of course, Natsuro. The Sage looked at him with genuine warmth.
"Do you mean Naruto and Sasuke?" Natsuro asked, already knowing the answer.
The Sage nodded. "Sasuke Uchiha carries the reincarnation of my elder son, Indra. Naruto Uzumaki bears the reincarnation of my younger son, Asura."
Then the Sage shared his story with Natsuro, how he once chose Asura as the successor to Ninshū and gave him all his power.
This time, the Sage wanted to split his power, giving Yin Release to Sasuke and Yang Release to Naruto.
But upon hearing this, Natsuro shook his head... "I don't think you should divide it into Yin and Yang. Just split it evenly between them."
"Why?" the Sage asked.
"Because splitting it like that might create two Six Paths–level shinobi in the short term," Natsuro explained, "but once they've used up your power, they'll return to their original level."
"Also, I never intended for Naruto and Sasuke to fully accept your power. They have their own paths. In my view, your power should be a reference point for them, nothing more."
"If you divide it into Yin and Yang, you'll be leaving them with a fatal weakness, and that's something I don't want to see."
"In that case, consider this carefully," the Sage said seriously. "When my mother's kin come to invade this world in the future, if Naruto and Sasuke haven't reached greater heights, they may not be able to help you."
He understood Natsuro' s logic—this choice was for Naruto and Sasuke's sake. But it came with consequences.
But the Sage of Six Paths also understood just how difficult this path would be. Even with his own power as a reference, it would be extremely hard for Naruto and Sasuke to grow to the Six Paths level. The more likely outcome was that they'd remain stuck just below that threshold for the rest of their lives.
"Heh, it's fine. In fact, I kinda hope they do make it," Natsuro said with a smile. "Otherwise, if I really do defeat Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, wouldn't life get a little too boring afterward?"
"Hm." The Sage looked at Natsuro and, understanding his mindset, nodded.
Truth be told, the Sage didn't believe those beings from beyond the stars would be stronger than his mother. And even if they were…
Would Natsuro stay stagnant?
The Sage glanced at Natsuro again and couldn't help but smile.
So what was there to worry about?
Since Natsuro was willing to shoulder everything alone, the Sage had nothing more to say.
Truthfully, because the Sage had focused so much on Naruto and Sasuke, he actually trusted Natsuro even more than most.
"In that case, step forward," the Sage said solemnly.
Natsuro nodded and walked up to him. He wasn't worried that the Sage might try anything, he had his own countermeasures, whereas the Sage didn't.
Even for the Sage of Six Paths, without a physical body, his power was severely limited. Natsuro, on the other hand, still had his body—and if the Sage tried anything, Natsuro's secondary soul could take control and show him exactly what it meant to be dangerous with a body.
Not that the Sage had any reason to harm him anyway.
So, as Natsuro approached, the Sage looked at the boy—who wasn't even eighteen yet. Through Naruto and Sasuke's perspectives, he had watched Natsuro's journey. He knew just how powerful this young man had become.
Luck, intellect, strength, and courage—Natsuro lacked none of them. So perhaps… it was inevitable that he would make it this far.
Though from a total power perspective, he still fell slightly short of the Sage, when it came to Yin Release alone, Natsuro's mastery might already rival his own.
So go on—create a story that belongs to you, young man.
Without further hesitation, the Sage placed his palm against Natsuro's.
In that instant, the dim, lightless world was suddenly bathed in blinding radiance as power surged through the space. It was the power of the Six Paths level, and not just an entry-level version.
The Sage of Six Paths was undeniably among the strongest of all time at that level, so naturally, his inheritance was incredibly powerful.
Natsuro could feel the flood of Yin and Yang chakra being passed into him, and he couldn't help but marvel internally, this really was the legendary Sage of Six Paths. If he were still alive, he'd be an insurmountable force.
But as the Sage himself said, his power still didn't surpass that of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. So… was he really about to fight Kaguya?
Then another issue arose. He also remembered that in the original story, the Sage said Six Paths Madara's power had already exceeded his own…
But that's easy to explain: after absorbing the God Tree, Six Paths Madara's overall stats might indeed rival or exceed Kaguya's in certain areas.
However, raw power alone doesn't determine true strength. You also need to factor in versatility—ninjutsu, dōjutsu, technique, and so on.
While Six Paths Madara was indeed a monster, he barely had time to fully develop his abilities at that level. So in terms of actual performance, he hadn't yet reached his full potential.
In contrast, the Six Paths versions of Naruto and Sasuke were wildly overpowered. Naruto had sheer elemental power—and while that alone might not have been enough, he had Sasuke beside him, who possessed incredibly rare and unique abilities.
Together, they completely overwhelmed Madara.
If either of them had faced Six Paths Madara alone, it would've been a difficult battle. But the two of them together? Total domination.
You could only say that Madara had terrible luck.
The transfer of the Sage's power didn't last long.
Natsuro looked at the sun and moon symbols now etched into the palms of his hands, feeling the overwhelming chakra surging within him.
Power of the Sage of Six Paths, had finally been unlocked!
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