Naruto fell silent.
Sasuke was equally silent.
Because the moment the Sage of the Six Paths uttered the words, "But she is my mother," he had made his stance crystal clear. He wasn't there to save the world; he was there simply as a son to save his mother, regardless of the unforgivable atrocities she had committed.
Observing the reactions of the two protagonists, Allen couldn't help but let out a playful smirk. "See? This is the adult world, only positions, no right or wrong. Hagoromo isn't 'wrong' for choosing to save his mother; no matter how much disaster and death Kaguya brought upon this world, she is his indisputable biological mother. But by that same token, am I wrong for wanting to kill her? Setting aside the benefits her death would bring to this world, her past deeds alone would be enough to merit ten thousand deaths by the legal standards of most lands."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Sasuke looked up, questioning him impatiently.
"Nothing much. I just want to tell you: learn to think with your own brain. Don't believe everything people tell you, and certainly don't assume you're always standing on the side of justice. One last thing, if you don't want to become my enemies, and you don't want to die here, please leave now. Because next, the entire Land of Iron will become a battlefield. If things go south, even that moon above might fall, causing unimaginable destruction."
Having said his piece, Allen ignored Naruto and "Loser-ke" entirely. Brandishing his two duplicated Sulfuras Swords, he slowly closed in on the enemy.
Unlike the immortal Kaguya, while Hagoromo possessed an incredibly powerful Sage Body, he would die instantly if vital organs like his heart or brain sustained heavy damage. Yet, he possessed a fighting will that far surpassed Kaguya's, specifically, the resolve to face death head-on.
Without a doubt, this was a true powerhouse, both in strength and ideology.
"Ten-Tails Coffin Seal!"
Without a moment's hesitation, the first thing the Sage of the Six Paths did was absorb the God Tree along with his mother into his own body. In doing so, he gained all their powers, including the Rinne Sharingan, as well as a much more abundant supply of chakra.
"A wise choice! It seems you are the prey I've been waiting for! Come, show me your strength to your heart's content. Let us enjoy the thrill and pleasure of battle together."
The words had barely left his lips when Allen used spatial ninjutsu to burst into close range, swinging the Sulfuras Sword in a vicious thrust.
Clang!
Hagoromo swung his shakujo staff to parry the blow. Although the artifact's strike left a significant notch in the staff, it did not snap.
"Yin-Yang Seal! Six Paths – Chibaku Tensei!"
Hagoromo clearly didn't want to engage Allen in a protracted duel. He immediately unleashed the purportedly strongest sealing technique, intending to create a gravitational center that would hurl this troublesome visitor into outer space.
While spatial ninjutsu combined with the Flying Raijin Technique offered a chance to escape, if he were thrown far enough, even the markings of the Flying Raijin would lose their effectiveness.
"Naive! You think I'll be caught so easily?"
Allen expanded his massive, sensory-type En. He flickered through the area at speeds invisible to the naked eye, effortlessly leaping away from the rising mass of boulders.
"Bansho Ten'in!"
Seeing that Chibaku Tensei had failed to capture the target, Hagoromo activated the Rinnegan's ability again, attempting to pull his opponent in and pin him down.
But in the next second...
Allen used the acceleration generated by the gravitational pull to close the distance with a flicker, thrusting the Sulfuras Sword forward.
Though the Sage of the Six Paths intended to block the strike with his staff again, for some reason, the blade turned ethereal and passed straight through the staff. It re-materialized an instant later, carving a terrifying, bone-deep wound into his side.
Because the blade radiated staggering heat, the flesh around the wound was instantly charred to a dark brown, emitting a pungent smell of burning.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
The intense pain forced a scream from the Sage of the Six Paths. But he reacted quickly, flinging several Truth-Seeker Orbs to force Allen back while using chakra to repair the damage.
Unfortunately, the recovery speed of a Sage Body was much slower than Kaguya's; even after several seconds, the wound had not fully closed. The cauterized portions of the injury significantly hindered his regeneration speed.
"Hehe, with reaction speeds like yours, you actually dared to use Bansho Ten'in on me? Should I praise your courage or mock your stupidity? Now, with such a heavy injury, how much longer do you think you can last?" Allen slowly circled his opponent, brandishing the dual Sulfuras Swords that radiated intense heat and flame into the air.
Against an opponent who also mastered Yin-Yang Release, most ninjutsu became useless; the battle reverted to a fundamental contest of Taijutsu. Simply put, it came down to basic attributes like speed, strength, and reflexes, and experience in close-quarters combat.
Was the Sage of the Six Paths experienced in melee?
The answer was a resounding no. He had only ever fought one "real" battle in his life: the fight to seal Kaguya after their falling out. Most of his time thereafter was spent spreading his ideology and distributing chakra and its medium to the disciples of Ninshū.
Could one gain experience fighting someone like Kaguya?
Hardly. Those weaker than her were simply crushed, while those stronger could easily overwhelm her in turn.
Sensing Allen's incredibly rich combat experience and technique, the anger on Hagoromo's face vanished, replaced by a complex emotion difficult to describe.
After a full minute, he spoke tentatively, "Are the people of your world all as strong as you?"
"No. As far as humans go, I am the strongest," Allen answered without a second thought.
"The strongest? No wonder..." Hagoromo nodded thoughtfully. "Then what is your objective? What is your purpose in coming to this world? Is it to plunder this planet's natural energy, just like my mother?"
"I have no objective, and no ulterior motives. In truth, my arrival in this world was the result of an accident. If you're trying to figure out my origins or if there is an army of greedy conquerors behind me, you needn't bother. I am merely a traveler passing through; I won't stay in this world for long. Now, enough talk. With the next strike, I will use my full power. Don't blink, or you'll miss the highlight."
With that, Allen suddenly blew a whistle.
Before the Sage of the Six Paths could react, three silver giant wolves lunged from completely different angles.
"Not good!"
Hagoromo clearly hadn't expected his opponent to summon pets to aid in the fight. Caught off guard, he was tackled to the ground by Lupos II's Susanoo.
On the other side, Allen keenly seized this fleeting opportunity. His entire being vanished from the spot, turning into a streak of red light.