Facing the crowd's pleas, the Sage of Six Paths did not look at them.
He raised his head, asking Gento with a hint of inquiry:
"To preserve energy, my soul has been slumbering in the Pure Land all these years, only awakening when I sense a significant change in the seals or the shinobi world."
"So, before answering your question, could you show me the shinobi world of today?"
Behind him, the group of Hamura's descendants breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that the Sage of Six Paths did not immediately agree.
Gento hesitated for a moment, but still nodded and said:
"Of course."
"Let us go."
The phantom of the Sage of Six Paths drifted to Gento's side, and Mirai also trotted over to keep up.
Stepping through the space-time passage, the view suddenly opened up.
Sunshine, blue skies, white clouds, rolling hills, and green plains were a stark contrast to the desolate, gray-white scenery on the moon.
The phantom of the Sage of Six Paths took a deep breath.
Though he no longer had lungs to breathe with, this action seemed to allow him to feel the atmosphere of the shinobi world.
Gento then used the Flying Thunder God to return to the Hidden Gento Village.
The Hidden Gento Village of today was no longer what it used to be.
Originally, Cerulean Harbor was the second most prosperous port city in the Land of Hot Water.
With the Hidden Gento Village established here and operating for many years, the prosperity of Cerulean Harbor was completely incomparable to the past.
Add to that the fact that Gento was now the Feudal Lord of the Land of Hot Water.
The entirety of Cerulean Harbor had long since leaped past the original Feudal Lord Mansion, becoming a bustling city that ranked among the top in the entire shinobi world.
The Sage of Six Paths raised his eyes to look.
He saw the crowds coming and going on the streets, their faces free of fear, filled only with business and contentment.
He saw the shinobi on the training grounds sweating profusely, their eyes free of numbness, containing only determination and hope.
He saw the children sitting properly in the Ninja Academy, staring out the window at the passing shinobi with eyes full of envy and yearning.
"You have governed this place well."
The Sage of Six Paths' voice carried a hint of approval.
Evidently, he was quite approving of the current Hidden Gento Village.
Gento smiled. Suddenly, his expression stirred, and he spoke:
"Do you wish to see the reincarnations of your two sons?"
The phantom of the Sage of Six Paths shook slightly.
Then, he slowly nodded.
Gento led him through the streets of Cerulean Harbor to the edge of an open training ground.
In the distance, Kakashi was leaning lazily against a tree, holding a copy of "Make-Out Paradise" in his hands, occasionally raising his head to offer a few pointers.
In front of him, three youths were practicing team coordination.
Neji Hyuga stood at the very front with his Byakugan activated, his Gentle Fist stance meticulous.
Behind him, Naruto and Sasuke were coordinating to cast ninjutsu.
"Naruto, you cannot use your ninjutsu like that, or else it will be very difficult for me to coordinate with you!"
Sasuke frowned.
"Noisy! It is already very good that I can do this much!"
Naruto refused to submit verbally, but still quickly made adjustments.
The Sage of Six Paths' gaze fell upon Naruto and Sasuke, not wavering for a while.
Because of Gento's influence, Naruto and Sasuke's growth had already deviated from the original work.
Therefore, in the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, the blonde youth's eyes were filled with pure sunshine.
Although the other black-haired youth was aloof on the surface, there was not the slightest hatred in the depths of his heart either.
The two were bickering, though they still cooperated to complete the training exercises requested by Kakashi.
The Sage of Six Paths could not help but speak, a trace of gratification in his voice:
"Good!"
He watched for a while, then turned around and looked at Gento.
The initially hesitant look finally faded, replaced by a sense of relief after experiencing the vicissitudes of life.
"If you are allowed to sacrifice Toneri, how much certainty do you have in successfully resisting the descent of the Otsutsuki clan?"
Gento did not overstate his confidence.
He pondered for a moment and replied truthfully:
"After obtaining the Divine Tree Fruit, I will unify the entire shinobi world as fast as possible, concentrating all our power to deal with the future Otsutsuki."
"I dare not say we will win one hundred percent, but I will do my utmost!"
The Sage of Six Paths looked at him, then smiled with relief.
"In that case, I shall trouble you then."
"Go."
The phantom of the Sage of Six Paths gradually faded.
"I will no longer interfere with the shinobi world in any way."
"My soul will continue to slumber in the Pure Land. When you need me, awaken me again."
Gento was overjoyed upon hearing this, and immediately bowed respectfully.
The phantom of the Sage of Six Paths took one last look at Naruto and Sasuke in the distance, and then vanished.
Gento took Mirai and passed through the space-time passage once again, returning to the moon.
Under the gray-white sky, in front of the settlement of Hamura's clan, those descendants were already arrayed in battle formation.
Seeing that the phantom of the Sage of Six Paths did not return with Gento, they understood everything in an instant.
"The Sage of Six Paths has not returned..."
An elder muttered, his voice filled with despair.
One of Hamura's descendants grit his teeth, his eyes full of madness.
"We cannot allow Toneri to be taken away! Activate the Giant Tenseigan!"
Several elders exchanged glances, determination flashing in their eyes.
They turned and ran toward the depths of the settlement, where the Byakugan left behind by generations of ancestors over hundreds of years were enshrined.
They gathered these eyes together, embedding them into a massive spherical device: the Giant Tenseigan.
This was not only the ultimate weapon and energy core of Hamura's clan, but also their final trump card.
The Giant Tenseigan lit up, its blinding white light like a small sun, illuminating the gray-white sky to a brilliant glare.
Terrifying chakra fluctuations spread from it, making the entire moon tremble.
"Foolish."
Gento shook his head, his Rinnegan slowly spinning in his eye sockets.
He did not give the opponents a chance to strike.
With a thought, the Rinnegan dojutsu erupted.
The chakra condensing on the Giant Tenseigan suddenly fell into chaos, and a massive gravitational force ripped it from the device, sending it flying toward Gento.
Several of Hamura's descendants who were controlling it suffered a backlash, spitting up blood as they collapsed to the ground.
The Giant Tenseigan landed in Gento's hands.
The white light gradually converged, turning into a normal-sized transparent sphere, with countless Byakugan faintly floating inside.
Gento sized it up, an involuntary look of satisfaction appearing on his face.
"This thing is not bad. It is mine now."
"Damn you! Give it back to us!"
An elder struggled to climb up and roared.
Gento ignored them and walked straight toward Toneri, who was hiding behind the crowd.
Toneri wanted to flee, but Gento grabbed him by the back of his collar, hoisting him into midair.
Several elders and the middle-aged man blocked Gento, attempting to stop him.
Gento waved his hand, the repulsive force of his Rinnegan sweeping them aside.
Gento held Toneri and turned, preparing to leave.
Behind him, Hamura's descendants who lay collapsed on the ground glared at him with eyes full of hatred.
An elder's voice came from behind, spoken through gritted teeth:
"Just you wait... we will definitely take our revenge on you!"
Another also chimed in:
"That's right! Sooner or later, we will find you too! We will kill you! Revenge for Toneri!"
Gento's figure, which had just been preparing to leave, suddenly paused.
He slowly turned around and looked at Hamura's descendants who were still cursing, his face devoid of expression.
He shook his head helplessly.
Inbreeding had ruined their brains.
They didn't even understand the principle that revenge requires patience, actually uttering "we will take revenge" right to his face.
The last person who had threatened him like this, Danzo, was already dead to the point that not even ashes remained.
Amid the terrified gazes of the crowd, he let out a sigh:
"Haa… I originally planned to let you off, but you just had to shout about revenge. Why bother?"
He paused, his voice suddenly turning icy:
"It seems I cannot leave you alive."
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