Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.

Prologue,

Part I: Beginning of the End

Ninshū...

Teachings of a time long past.

Wisdom lost amidst the centuries.

Legacy of a distant legend.

Hope for a better world.

Dreams of a naïve man...

That... and so much more.

A way of living. In harmony with ones self and with all others. In peace, and in mutual understanding. In tranquility, with all of creation. Unperturbed in mind, body, and soul.

Such were but a few examples of what ninshū was meant to inspire, in those who would choose to follow its path. Of what joy it could bring, to those who would live by its creeds.

And yet, as time passed, its meaning and purpose were slowly cast away. Its values and teachings perverted by the very people whom it had once nurtured and guided.

All that ninshū had once meant became lost to the passage of time. Lost to all but a single person.

The one who had once sought to spread said teachings throughout the world in order to bring peace and stability to mankind.

The one who had once been known as the Sage of the Six Paths.

The one whose name had become lost to even legend...

Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.

The one who had once been considered to be a god in all but name, and worshipped by people all across the world for his incredible deeds and benevolent teachings.

The one whose trust had been betrayed by the very people whom he had sought to educate and share his beliefs with.

The one whose love had been trampled upon by those whom he had cared for and strived to nurture and guide, just as a father would have done for his children.

The one who had put the happiness of mankind above his own, and who had relinquished his great power, becoming mortal for their sake.

The one who had chosen to die of old age, in order to see how those whom he held so dear would use his gift to better themselves and the world in his absence.

The one who, despite all of that, had refused to give up on the humans whom he held so dear, and continued to watch over them from beyond even death. With the hope that, one day, they would realize their folly and would thus change for the better...

He had almost lost count of the years gone by as he kept his ever constant vigil on humanity.

How long had it been since he had made his last sacrifice for them?

Centuries? A millennium?

That day was still so fresh in his mind, despite the countless years that had passed ever since.

And not only that memory, but many more seemed so recent, yet so distant at the same time, as if time had long lost its meaning to him.

For so long he had watched over mankind, just like a concerned father would have done for his growing children.

He had been so curious and excited to see how those whom he had taught so many things and went as far as to share a piece of himself with would live after he stopped holding their hands.

He had remained so hopeful for them.

They all had such a vast potential for greatness. He had seen it many times. Long ago he realized the wonderful things they could someday achieve if offered the proper guidance.

That was why he had strived to nurture and teach them. Why he had shared his ideals and beliefs with them.

Because he held them so dear...

Every human was like a child to him. And he was their father.

He loved them equally. He wanted for all of them to be happy. So much, that he had tried to bring them understanding.

For that was the key to everything else. With enough understanding, all became clear.

The impossible became possible.

Happiness could be attained.

Love could be shared...

He had given all to making it happen. Tried so hard to make such a thing possible.

Everything for their sake...

And he had succeeded.

He had managed to bring all people together.

Mankind as one.

Connected by fragments of his power.

Closer than ever.

With understanding and love.

He had been so glad for them...

So glad that he had decided to give them the last thing he could have offered them.

His hope.

His dreams for the future.

His legacy.

His life...

With such a parting gift, he had been sure that they would have everything they could ever need for the many years to come.

With his ideals and will passed on to them, he had been sure that they would end up achieving the greatness they had the potential for. The lasting peace that he had dreamt of...

But above all, he had wanted to see how they would make use of everything he had taught and given them, once he was no longer there to hold their hands.

Just like any father would have, he had wanted to see what would become of his children once they grew up.

How they would apply the philosophy of ninshū in their lives after he was no longer there to advise them at every step.

So he gave up the one thing that kept him bound to the material world.

The one thing that had once brought the humans in worship to him.

The one thing that had made him a god in all but name.

He gave up his vast power, and used it to create nine guardians to help guide humanity through the ages, if such a need ever arose.

And then...

He was no longer.

With most of his power relinquished, he no longer had the divinity... nor the immortality.

Yet, he didn't truly die either.

Even with most of his power gone, his spirit was still too powerful to be chained by the concepts of life and death.

So, instead of entering the afterlife, he ended up in a place between the two realms.

A place influenced by neither life, nor death... nor time.

A place from where he could continue to keep watch over his creation and over the humans that he held so dear.

A place from where he could see the great things that mankind was bound to achieve through his many teachings and philosophy.

A place where he didn't mind being, for it allowed him to do the one thing that he enjoyed most. Watching over the countless humans and observing their many exploits.

And that was what he did.

For the many years that came to pass, he began watching over mankind, excited and hopeful to see what they would do in his absence. Certain that they would achieve great things even without his constant presence in their lives.

And yet...

That did not happen...

None of that ever happened.

Instead of continuing to live in the peace and harmony he had worked so hard to bring for them, they quickly devolved into mindless chaos.

They twisted his teachings to suit their selfish needs.

Perverted his life philosophy.

Forsook his legacy.

Trampled upon his love...

They mutilated his ninshū and made a monstrosity out of it.

Something that had once been a means toward mutual understanding and love was turned into an abomination.

A tool for war.

Made not to mend and unite...

But to bring death and divide.

He witnessed everything that became of his legacy. Of his teachings and life philosophy.

The wars.

The death.

The misery...

He watched as the humans slaughtered each other for the simplest of reasons. For the tiniest of differences. And for the smallest of gains...

How they began to hate each other and use anything as an excuse to fuel their spite.

Even his two sons had not been an exempt from this madness. Caught up in the schemes of something that he had failed to foresee, they were easily turned against each other and made part of a feud that continued through the many ages.

It brought him great sorrow to witness all of it, yet he couldn't bring himself to hate them for what they did. He couldn't bring himself to forsake those for whom he had done so much.

Those for whom he had cared so much...

So he continued to watch over them, even though seeing their thoughtless and selfish actions pained him so greatly.

He could not let go of the hope that, one day, something might change. And that they would see the path they were heading towards, and finally turn back to reason.

Yet, the centuries passed and nothing changed.

Everything only became worse...

And so did his sorrow...

He spent years upon years watching and pondering, lost in thought as he tried to understand what had gone wrong.

Where had he gone wrong?

He pondered on that and many other things.

On his actions.

On their actions.

On everything...

How had it been possible for such a chaos to be spawned?

How had it been possible for mankind to fall so deep into sin that there seemed to be no way back for them?

The answer to all of that was painful to accept once it finally became clear to him.

Not because it meant that he had been wrong the entire time.

Not because it meant that all of his effort—all of his sacrifices—had been for naught.

Not because it meant that his dream had been nothing but a naïve wish, bound to be met with failure from the very beginning.

But because it meant that mankind could not change the way he had been hoping for it to... regardless of what he would have done to help them.

For how could that have been possible? Of them to willingly hold peace and stability as ideals?

When they had been born with flaw from the beginning...

It would be foolish of him to expect such a change when they were simply incapable of achieving it.

Such was their very nature. To both yearn for peace and crave for war at the same. A painful dichotomy.

And yet...

He could still not find it in his heart to give up on them.

To abandon his children?

He could not even fathom the thought.

There was still hope...

So then...

What could he do...?

What could he do to right everything that had become so wrong?

What could he do to mend the rift that had been tearing mankind apart for centuries?

What could he do to restore peace and stability, and make sure that it would not fail as it had done the first time?

For there was one simple thing that was certain to him now.

He could not stand idle anymore.

It had become too painful to watch how his dear children did such terrible things to each other.

How they hated each other for such meaningless and petty reasons.

How they killed each other using that monstrosity they named ninjutsu. The tool that was a constant reminder of how they had trampled upon his legacy.

He couldn't help but think that perhaps giving them such a gift might have been a mistake.

A great mistake...

Even now and they were still using it to massacre each other in another petty war...

It might have been that deceitful creature which orchestrated everything from the shadows, yet the fault was still mostly on their side.

After all, his mother's will had only done what it had been created to.

A futile attempt that was, but he could not fault it. He could not fault it, for it had merely seen the opportunity and had taken advantage of it.

It was his children's fault...

For letting themselves be tempted by it...

And yet...

He could still not find it in himself to be angry at them.

They had not known better at that time—even his own two sons—and they had been easily tricked as a result.

He had also failed to foresee such a possibility, so he too was partly at fault for the current outcome.

Another reason for him to intervene...

Another reason for him to stop watching and to do something, for this madness could not go on any longer.

Even though he now knew how naïve and impossible to achieve his dream had been, he could still not let go of his hope for humanity. There was still a way for him to restore peace and to bring back stability to his world.

Gifting part of his power to humans might have been a mistake, though it had been one that could easily be rectified. Even if they ended up not being exactly happy about it.

After all, there was something that he had learnt from his past mistakes. Something that his mother had apparently known as well, before her sorrowful descent into madness.

That in order for true peace to be possible, there had to be someone to actively guide the people.

And the more he thought about it, the more clear it became to him that it was the best choice.

It had to be, for there was no other...

He had failed once, but he would not fail for a second time.

He had learnt from both his and his mother's mistakes, and he was certain that he could achieve a lasting peace for humanity this time.

He just had to take away the one thing that no longer held any purpose with them. The gift that he shouldn't have so easily given to them in the first place.

Because one thing was very clear to him right now...

He had seen enough of this madness, and he could not bear to witness even one more second of it.

It was time to put an end to mankind's foolishness.

Once, and for all.

A boy with hair like the morning sun fell on a floating patch of sand that hastily formed beneath him, his blue eyes slowly closing as his weakened body was desperately fighting against the approaching embrace of death.

A boy with hair like the midnight sky fell on the rough soil below as the cold steel of a sharp blade was removed from his chest, his dark eyes slowly closing despite his futile wish to resist the impending death.

Their consciousnesses faded to darkness mere moments later, though only to awake in a strange yet somewhat familiar place.

A place filled with shallow water and a dim light.

A place where they felt both safe and uneasy.

A place where they were seemingly alone, yet not truly so...

The sound of a falling water droplet roused the two boys from their brief slumber. They slowly opened their eyes and glanced around in confusion.

"Where am I?" the boy with sun kissed hair quickly voiced his bewilderment. "Did I... die?"

The other youth remained silent, and he seemed to quickly make enough sense of his circumstances in order to grasp his current situation.

The two of them however could neither see nor hear each other, for they lacked the proper connection. Though they could see someone else accompanying them in the dimly lit place.

Someone whom they did not recognize, yet about whom they felt to be familiar with on an almost subconscious level.

It was an old man with greying hair, a tapered beard, and dressed in a white, simple robe that was adorned with a number of very familiar designs.

The aged figure was hovering above the shallow water. He slowly turned around to face the two youths, allowing them to properly take in his form before any further words could have left their mouths.

And once they did so, the surprise that followed from what they recognized became clear to be seen on their faces.

A pair of deep violet, ringed eyes gazed sadly at the boys who could only stare back in return as a single word left their parted mouths in the wake of their shock.

"Rinnegan...!"

A weary sigh escaped the aged man's lips in response as he rested his palms on his folded knees.

"These eyes were not supposed to be seen by the world for a second time..." he said as a note of dolor sept into his voice. "And yet, there they are, slowly tearing it apart just as I am speaking to you."

The image of a white haired man dressed in a similar white robe briefly flashed across the surface of the water beneath him, quickly reminding the two boys of what they have failed to prevent.

"Who are you, old man?" the youth with blond hair asked with some impatience after a few moments of silence.

The dark haired boy continued to remain silent, though his expression showed the same mixture of curiosity and impatience as his counterpart.

The grey haired figure smiled wistfully in response.

"I am he who shall restore peace and order," he uttered solemnly. "My name is Hagoromo, the founder of ninshū. Though to most, I am better known as the Sage of the Six Paths."

The blonde youth immediately gained a look of recognition on his face as he registered the aged man's words, though he still didn't seem to fully realize the circumstances of this encounter.

"What?! The Sage of Six Paths?!" the boy exclaimed. "The sage from the legends that Jiraiya-sensei and Nagato talked about?"

The Sage merely nodded in response.

"But why... why are you here?" the boy added after a moment of silence, prompting a barely visible frown to grace the old man's features.

The dark haired youth, on the other hand, just stared with slightly widened eyes at the aged man as understanding seemed to dawn upon him once he processed the revealed information.

"So you're here because we failed to stop him?" he queried shortly after regaining his composure.

Hagoromo shook his head in response, much to the boy's surprise.

"Close but not quite, descendant of Indra," he spoke, though only for the onyx eyed boy to hear. "Although, you are definitely more aware of what is transpiring as opposed to the descendant of my younger son."

The dark haired youth fell silent as he pondered on the new information.

Hagoromo simply continued to speak, this time for the both of them to hear.

"I am here because the whole of mankind had failed. I am here because I was left with no other choice. I am here because I cannot stand idle and watch anymore. I am here because the world has to be saved once again... this time from itself."

The two boys could almost feel the sorrow and disappointment lacing the aged man's words as he spoke to them, yet they weren't sure why it was so.

Neither of them knew what exactly the sage was talking about, though one of them seemed to have at least guessed the gist of what they were being told.

"Hn, then I suppose it's all over for us," the raven haired boy spoke with a dark note of amusement in his tone as he crossed his arms over his chest.

The other boy, however, seemed to be of another mind.

"Just what happened to you, gramps?" the blond youth asked, his voice holding an uncharacteristic melancholy to it. "I know how it feels to trust... and be let down, gramps... it' not the nicest feeling..." his blue eyes met the sage's violet ones as he added. "But you know? Things always get better, gramps! The pain of the past doesn't sting anymore!"

Hagoromo couldn't help but let another weary sigh escape his lips upon listening to the boy's heartfelt words.

"So much like my younger son..." the sage muttered wistfully as he looked at the slightly confused blond.

The boy spoke once more after a few seconds of silence.

"Look, gramps, I don't really understand what's going on, but there's one thing I know for sure," he began, his voice filled with determination. "That I have to do something about everything going on outside," he paused for a moment and clenched his fists. "Madara is really strong right now, and I don't have Kurama to help me anymore... But I'm sure we can do it if you help us, super gramps!"

Hearing that, Hagoromo shook his head for a second time at the two boys.

"No more fighting for you, my children... no more," the sage uttered somberly as he gripped the onyx shakujō hovering next to him. "The millennia old feud ends now. My mistake shall be made right, and the conflicts will be brought to an end. All conflicts... all of them..."

The two boys were struck silent by the dolor in the old man's words and could only watch as he slowly pointed his ebon staff at them.

"Now, go to sleep, my children, and wait... Wait, for when you will awake... the world will be at peace once more," Hagoromo added as his shakujō flashed white for a brief moment.

The blond youth looked like he wanted to protest what he had just been told, however, he wasn't able to utter anything as his eyelids quickly became heavy and fell shut in spite of his struggling.

The dark haired boy didn't seem to fight the compulsion to sleep, and he simply gave the sage one of his trademark smirks before his eyes closed shut as well.

However, before slumber could have completely overtaken them, the two boys heard one last thing being said by the aged man.

It was yet another somber utterance that made the sage's intentions clear as day to them.

"Anarchy... ends now."

The world had become torn apart by war.

It pained him even more to see the destruction from up so close.

The death...

The suffering...

It was the result of his inaction. Of his indecision.

He knew that all too well.

Such had been his weakness...

That he couldn't take action until the most dire point.

Just like in the past...

But that... was about to change.

All... was about to change.

Right... now.

By the roots of a colossal tree, on a ravaged battlefield, the fate of the world was about to be decided.

"All that the Sage of Six Paths did was to further the human paradox."

Between the one who had obtained the power of a god, and those few who remained to oppose the change that he wished to bring to the world.

"And even if bonds were established... All they learned was that true understanding was not possible."

But the question was...

"In any case, chakra only gives rise to conflict and false hope."

Did any of them truly know what the final outcome would be?

"We all know the reality all too well."

He did not.

"Even as we seek peace, we seek war. And this reality compels infinite suffering through the power known as chakra."

They did not.

"Power leads to the desire for war."

None of them did.

"And the lack of power leads to losing everything."

Though, there was one...

"I will build a new world that overcomes that!"

One who precisely knew...

How everything would come to be in the end.

"Through the Infinite Tsukuyomi, I will create a dream world without any abominable chakra!"

Why?

"I, who possess the most powerful chakra, shall lead it!—"

Because he was the one about to make it such.

"So close and yet so far from the truth you are, Madara..."

Four pairs of eyes widened at the sound of the foreign voice coming from everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time.

The remaining pair merely raised a curious brow in response.

"You condemn the existence of chakra whilst knowing so little of its nature."

The voice was aged by wisdom.

"You deny ninshū whilst knowing so little of what it can achieve."

Though it was also weighted by sorrow.

"Don't you find that to be foolish, my child?"

A sadness impossible to miss by any who might have listened.

"Hmph," Madara scoffed. "Why don't you show yourself, before starting to lecture me?"

"Ever so presumptuous..." the same pensive voice sounded once again. "Much like my older son."

The white haired man didn't seem to care, though, and even appeared to be ignoring it now.

The others, however...

"This voice..." came the surprised rasp from a pitch black entity latched onto a scarred man. "It can't be!"

It wanted to deny what was happening, but there was no mistaking the faint chakra that had just come forth with that voice.

"What't going on, Kakashi-sensei?" a girl with short, pink hair asked her teacher without taking her eyes away from the golden haired boy she was desperately trying to resuscitate.

As dim as it currently was, the creature could still clearly tell apart the unique signature from anything else.

"I'm not sure myself, Sakura," an older man with spiky, silvery hair voiced tentatively through the mask covering most of his face. "But that black thing clinging to Obito seems to know something."

Even after so many years, there was no way it could have forgotten the feeling of that man's terrifying chakra...

"Impossible!" the creature rasped in disbelief.

Why was he even here at this point?!

"His chakra..." Sakura muttered in confusion while staring at the boy lying motionless next to her kneeling form. "Naruto...?"

"What's happening to Naruto?" a young man with short, red hair and a gourd strapped to his back asked from a few feet away. He couldn't afford to take his eyes away from the enemy standing before him, but he was too concerned about his friend to not consider his state for a brief moment.

"I don't know..." the girl replied unsurely. "His chakra started going wild out of a sudden, but his heart is still—"

She didn't get to finish her sentence, as the boy whom she was desperately trying to heal suddenly attempted to stand up.

As soon as she got over her momentary shock of seeing her friend raise himself from death's door, the girl quickly ceased her resuscitation of the boy, and looked at him with almost disbelieving eyes.

His eyes were closed and his body still weakened, yet his chakra was as bright as ever. If not even brighter than she remember it to have been. And no matter how hard she tried to think about it, she couldn't find an explanation for what she was currently seeing.

From her point of view, Naruto was defying death...

Somewhere not too far away, another powerful chakra was amplifying itself and resonating with its counterpart. This one was much darker and colder than the one of the golden haired boy, though it was very unique in its own way.

And together, they were calling upon an even greater chakra. Like two halves of a whole that had been long separated, they were once more melding into one. And through their union, they were bringing back a chakra that shouldn't have been made to return in this world.

"Lord Madara, obliterate the boy now!" came the even more distressed rasp of the amorphous creature. It was so uncharacteristic of it to show such panic, yet these circumstances could not allow it to be calm.

Not when everything was about to go downhill!

Though, unfortunately for it, the one whom it was pleading to had no idea of what was about to come into being. Such was his hubris, that it left him momentary blinded with ignorance.

"Hmph, don't order me around, Black Zetsu," Madara replied dismissively while observing the blond child through his powerful dōjutsu.

The boy was truly stubborn, that he had to give him. Though, regardless of how much chakra he amassed, there was no way he could make any difference at this point.

He had already ascended. He had the power of a god now, and nothing could stop him at this point. Even less a boy who was so desperately clinging to his fading life, no matter what he might have tried to prolong his suffering.

"You arrogant fool!" Black Zetsu finally snapped at the older man. "He is trying to come back!"

Madara had to resist the urge to scoff at the creature's words. He couldn't understand what it was fretting so much about.

Yes, the boy had somehow defied his own death and was infusing an abnormal amount of chakra, but that was no issue. He would crush him for a second time, and then make sure that nobody was left to oppose the salvation that he was trying to bring forth to this failed world.

"Why are you so agitated?" the white haired man asked calmly while glancing at the distressed creature. "Even with that much chakra, he is still no match for me. Not that he could actually do anything significant in that state to begin with."

"I'm not talking about him!" Black Zetsu hissed angrily.

"Then what are you talking about, Black Zetsu?" Madara inquired, his eyes narrowing in suspicion at the creature's odd behavior. "What are you hiding from me?"

The creature internally cursed its poor choice of words. Though, it quickly reasoned that between being faced with a small impediment and losing everything, there was no real choice to be made.

A moment later, and the chakra radiating from the dying boy became so dense that it could be seen by everyone. It was a dazzling golden. Brilliant and life-giving.

The boy's eyes suddenly snapped open.

"No way..." Sakura whispered in disbelief once she caught a glimpse of her friend's eyes. "Sensei, look at Naruto's eyes!"

The silver haired man did as told and couldn't believe his own sight for a brief moment.

His student's eyes were no longer their usual vibrant blue, but a deep, striking violet adorned with several black concentric circles.

"The Rinnegan?!" Kakashi muttered with the same disbelief in his voice. "Just... just what is going on here?"

The next moment, everyone present watched how the unresponsive boy formed the ram seal with his hands, before his radiant chakra surged even further.

Several miles away, another unresponsive boy formed the same hand seal and his more sinister chakra surged as well.

As he watched the golden haired boy form a specific hand seal and begin molding his chakra in a very familiar way, Madara finally came to the conclusion that something of a significant gravity was about to occur.

So, he immediately took action, and willed two of the dark spheres hovering behind him to launch at an almost untraceable speed in the stubborn child's direction.

A blond man missing an arm immediately prepared to intercept the deadly orbs aimed to kill his son, and the silver haired man readied his ocular technique to assist his teacher if needed.

However, neither of them had to do anything, for much to everyone's shock, the rapidly incoming orbs were suddenly brought to a halt after traversing only halfway the distance, as though being held in place by an unseen force.

A mere moment later, a torrent of white chakra exploded in the exact place where the truth-seeking orbs had stopped, and those present were shocked even further by what came to follow next.

The previously invisible force holding the two orbs in place revealed itself to be the outline of two ethereal hands that were rapidly taking a seemingly solid shape.

And following the hands, an entire body quickly formed out of the thick blanket of chakra, shaping itself into a hovering form that eluded most of those present, save for only one.

Black Zetsu could still not believe its eyes...

It was an old man with greying hair, a wrinkled visage set into a stony expression, and piercing violet eyes that gazed upon the white haired man in front of him with equal sadness and reminiscence.

The apparition was clothed in a white robe adorned with symbols very similar to the ones present on the garment worn by the man who had unrightfully claimed power that did not belong to him.

The old man suddenly clenched his hands around the truth-seeking orbs he was holding, and the two masses of chakra immediately responded to his will and reformed themselves into an onyx staff not too unlike the one in the white haired man's possession.

However, there was a rather stark difference between the two.

The staff belonging to the old apparition was a complete one. Reflecting of his indisputable power.

Madara stared with widened eyes at the old figure hovering a short distance in front of him, his mind still reeling over the fact that his truth-seeking orbs had not only been touched and stopped by the old man, but also completely subjugated and assimilated.

The implications of such an occurrence were obvious to anyone who might have witnessed the feat in the first place.

It was a simple, cold, hard fact.

His entire power meant nothing to the entity that had appeared before him.

A truly chilling thought to entertain for one such as him.

"What...?" was the sole thing that Madara was able to voice through his shock.

Though he wasn't the only one experiencing such stupefaction.

Everyone other present, save for Black Zetsu were staring in disbelief at the aged man, their minds trying to comprehend the feat they had just witnessed him effortlessly achieve.

"Too late..." the pitch black creature rasped in defeat while glaring at its so-called master. "It's all over now..."

"On the contrary, Black Zetsu," the aged man uttered solemnly. "It all begins now."

The statement brought even more confusion to most of those present, and they could only wonder about who the old man might be.

For the amorphous creature, however, the words only served to fuel its bitterness.

"Why... Why are you even here?!" Black Zetsu snapped in uncharacteristic anger. "Haven't you decided to not intervene anymore in the affairs of these humans?!"

The aged man let out a tired sigh upon hearing that. "Please, be silent for a few moments, Black Zetsu," he spoke, before pointing his left palm in the creature's direction and launching a black rod at it.

The scarred man was unable to avoid the incoming projective and was easily impaled through his left arm as a result.

The power of the Outer Path quickly incapacitated the creature, and the scarred man also lost his consciousness and fell motionlessly on the ground.

"Obito!" the masked man with silver hair shouted the moment he noticed his childhood comrade fall unconscious, though he didn't get to voice his concern, as the old man spoke before he could have said anything.

"He shall be fine."

Kakashi looked at the hovering entity for a few moments, before nodding his head in compliance and relaxing his tensed muscles.

"As for you, my misguided child..." the old man began while shifting his attention on the still surprised Madara. "Know that power is more than merely capacity," he said while releasing his grip on the onyx staff, causing it to crumble away into nothingness. "It is the utilization of said capacity," and, as if reading the elder Uchiha's thoughts, the aged man added after a moment of silence. "Even if you had both your eyes, the result would have still been the same."

Upon hearing that last part, Madara gained an even more prominent look of resignation in his lone eye, and he no longer seemed to think about trying to oppose the stern entity.

A moment later, the old man clasped his hands together, causing the sun and moon marks on his palms to shine briefly with his unique power. The golden haired boy standing a short distance behind him quickly followed suit with the snake seal.

A cloud of smoke quickly blanketed the spot next to Naruto, and as soon as it dispersed, the figure of another boy with violet reflections in his eyes could be seen holding the same hand seal as his counterpart.

The pink haired girl immediately recognized the newly arrived dark haired boy, however, she refrained from doing or saying anything, as she was too overwhelmed by the old man's presence to even move a muscle.

"What incredible sage power!" the blond man lacking an arm remarked in awe as he tried to use his Sage Mode to appraise the aged man's power, though without much success. It was as if he was trying to measure something completely foreign to his mind.

What followed next, made it clear to even those who had been previously unaware of what the mysterious entity's intentions were.

Purple flames blossomed from the barren soil in front of the two unresponsive boys, and a mere moment later, the imposing sight of a towering head rose forth from the earth.

Most of those present immediately recognized the King of Hell for what it was, and even the two who were seeing it for the first time had an inkling of what was about to occur.

The ominous looking head opened its maw wide enough to easily swallow an average sized individual, and a moment later, the two boys started to mechanically walk toward the awaiting mouth.

By the time the two reached their destination, some of those who had been watching the proceedings in silent awe finally found it in themselves to voice their concerns about the two boys.

"Naruto!" the young man with short, red hair exclaimed while raising his hands in preparation to move his sand in his friend's aid.

He was quickly stopped by the silver haired man standing next to him, though, who placed a calming hand on the young man's shoulder and shook his head at him.

The gesture managed to dissuade him, and he resolved to continue watching for the time being.

The same could have not been said about the pink haired girl, however.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted, her emerald eyes looking in concern at her two teammates. "What are you doing to them?!" she demanded after briefly shifting her gaze upon the old-looking entity.

"Do not fret, my children," the aged man replied. "All answers shall come in due time."

As soon as he was done speaking, he hovered toward the opened mouth of the King of Hell and went within as well.

The answer seemed to satisfy most of those present, and they promptly decided to just wait and see what was going to happen for the time being.

The ominous head moved its maw in movements akin to chewing, and mere moments after, it opened its mouth wide for a second time.

And out of it, a familiar yet completely different person stepped out.

The garment was the same white robe adorned with esoteric symbols, and the eyes were the same rippling violet, though that was where the similarities ended.

The visage of their owner was no longer wrinkled, but handsome and chiseled.

A strong jaw and prominent eye ridges made his countenance seem even more stern to those who looked, and his lack of eyebrows only added to the general aspect of royalty that this new figure seemed to be projecting.

The tapering beard was gone and the man's hair was no longer greying, but a vivid brown.

But the most striking and important detail of them all was the simple fact that the man was no longer a specter.

He was now flesh and bones, living and breathing to behold the world that welcomed his presence like a weeping mother.

The giant head closed its maw in the young man's wake, and the King of Hell shortly disappeared back into purple flames a moment later, dismissed with a mere thought.

The brown haired man seemed to ignore the awed stares he was getting from three of those present and the apprehensive one from another, and simply walked at a measured pace toward the white haired man who had been watching everything that happened so far in composed silence.

Madara was the first to break the silence that had settled upon everyone present. "This incredible chakra..." he spoke to the approaching man, the epiphany from witnessing the resurrection of a legend still fresh in his mind. "You are the Sage of Six Paths, aren't you?"

The Sage stopped in front of the white haired man and gave him a small, wistful smile.

"Yes, that is the moniker most have known me by," he replied after a moment of thoughtful silence. "My actual name might elude you, however, as the tablet you have read had been tampered with on multiple occasions. Black Zetsu had truly feared me, and it had done everything possible to erase most knowledge about me."

The elder Uchiha looked shocked once again as soon as he registered the Sage's words.

"What are you talking about?" Madara asked, his eyes narrowing once he regained his composure.

"I'm talking about how you had been deceived from the very beginning, my child," the Sage voiced solemnly.

The Uchiha's patriarch's eyes narrowed even further, up to the point where he was giving the brown haired man a dangerous and almost hostile glare.

The Sage merely sighed deeply in response and reached with his power to the aggravated man standing before him.

A split second later, the world instantly changed for the both of them.

As Madara blinked, he quickly realized that he was no longer standing on the devastated battlefield, and that he now found himself in a very familiar place.

A place filled with motes of light that danced across the blue canvas of an atmosphere until they neared the surface of a still body of water. One that looked akin to a vast ocean, stretching as far as the eyes could see.

And beneath the clear liquid, the colossal form of nine beings could be seen. They were melded together and seemed to be caught in a deep slumber.

It was his mental world.

Though... he was not the sole occupant of it.

"Explain yourself, Sage," the pale haired man snarled when his eyes met those of the man standing before him.

The brown haired man gained a subtle, yet clearly discernible frown on his visage upon hearing that.

"You are no longer in any position to make demands, Madara," Hagoromo replied calmly, though his words and gaze carried a weight that quickly pierced through the Uchiha's ire. "You should know that I am having this conversation with you for your own sake, so please do not trample over my kindness."

Madara's anger seemed to deflate with every word that the Sage punctuated, and the normally composed man couldn't help but feel a little shaken when faced with such a presence.

It almost felt like one of the lectures that he used to receive from his father when he was but a young boy.

"I... understand," Madara spoke after a few moments of silence, his voice slightly subdued and his previous scowl softened.

A brief period of silence settled between the two legendary men, though it was quickly interrupted by Hagoromo when he let out a deep sigh.

Madara couldn't help but wonder about what could have saddened the Sage so much, however, his thoughts were cut short when the brown haired man addressed him once again.

"What do you know about the Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Hagoromo asked evenly.

Madara didn't have to think much before giving his answer. "That it is an Uchiha technique," he said. "One that brings eternal peace to the world."

"And what do you base that on?" the Sage further inquired.

"The stone tabled you had left behind," Madara replied as factually as before. "It's written on it."

Hagoromo let out another sigh.

"My child, has it ever occurred to you that what is written on my tablet might not be truly genuine?"

Madara's eyes narrowed at that. "Are you saying that someone had made changes to it?" he asked.

Hagoromo shook his head. "Not someone. Something," he corrected. "Black Zetsu."

Hearing the Sage's words prompted the white haired man to recall a particular moment from only minutes prior to their meeting

"Black Zetsu is my will made manifest," Madara argued, despite the fact that he could clearly remember how strange the creature had acted before the legendary man's return. "Your words make no sense, Sage."

"Are you truly certain of that?" Hagoromo asked, his even tone unchanged.

Madara gained a contemplative look as his thoughts went back to the moment when he had created Black Zetsu.

Moments later, the Uchiha patriarch glanced back at the Sage, "I created him..." he insisted.

Hearing that, Hagoromo merely tapped one of his feet lightly against the water's surface.

Madara looked in mild curiosity at the ripples that briefly accompanied the Sage's gesture, before his eyes widened in shock at the images that began to play across the ocean's surface.

Those were also scenes of Black Zetsu's creation, though they resembled nothing of what he might have been familiar with.

A fierce battle between two young men and a goddess. The grand sealing that took place in the aftermath of said confrontation. And the true birth of the entity known as Black Zetsu that followed after.

"Do you still believe the same now, my child?" Hagoromo asked once the last of the images faded from the water.

Madara seemed to be at a loss of words.

"But... How?" the man asked as he tried to overcome the shock of this revelation.

"Black Zetsu is an entity created for the sole purpose of aiding my mother's revival," Hagoromo explained. "It has existed for centuries longer than you, and is a master in the art of deceit. Are you truly so full of hubris as to think that you could have been an exempt from its schemes?"

Madara quickly fell silent as he began to think deeply about the Sage's question.

"And the Infinite Tsukuyomi is not something that confers peaceful dreams to those caught in it. It is not a technique that brings eternal peace to the world," Hagoromo added solemnly. "It is a technique to subjugate others. In order to amass enormous amounts of energy from those enslaved by it. Nothing more than a tool to aid my mother's revival."

Madara's grip on his onyx staff weakened as he became even more lost in his thoughts, and he only faintly registered what the Sage told him.

Though it was enough to finally bring a look of hopelessness in his ringed eyes. "My dream..." he muttered while staring at his reflected form in the water. "All for nothing..."

"No, my child," Hagoromo interjected, breaking the forlorn man out of his morose thoughts. "You had a noble intention at heart. One that would have brought salvation to this world had you gone on the right path about it."

Madara looked up at the solemn visage of the Sage. "But I hadn't..." he responded, his voice bitter and bereft.

Hagoromo took a step closer to the heavyhearted man and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "No, you had not..." he spoke. "But neither had I."

Madara gazed at the Sage in question, though he didn't get to say anything before the brown haired man elaborated.

"No being is truly exempt from mistake, my child," Hagoromo uttered pensively. "Not I," he made another brief pause as he lightly tapped his foot on the water's surface once more. "And not even my mother..."

Numerous images blossomed across the water once more, though this time they depicted events of an even greater importance.

"To believe otherwise would be foolish."

Events that showed how the early world was shaped into what it had become over the many centuries.

"However..."

Events that showed actions of a goddess upon the world and its inhabitants. Of her initial goodwill and eventual mistakes.

"With mistake comes experience."

Events that told pieces of a legend's story. Of how a man came to be revered as a benevolent god, and his many acts of kindness for the numerous people whom he cared for. Of his naivety and foolishness...

"And with experience comes wisdom."

As Madara watched the countless images forming and shifting across the glistening water, he began to realize what had made the Sage become so sorrowful.

It was the same thing that brought him disillusionment many years ago, and left in its wake a jaded shell.

Human nature...

"I too had wished for everyone to know peace," Hagoromo added. "I even achieved it, as you might know."

The surface of the ocean started to become clear once again.

"And yet..." he continued. "All I created easily came apart. Failed, due to my naivety."

The last image that lingered for a few more seconds was the one depicting countless people employing their chakra to battle against each other.

"So you see, my child..." Hagoromo concluded. "My mistake gave birth to the world as you know it."

As even the last of the images faded away from the water, Madara realized that in spite of the many stark differences between the two of them, he had enough in common with the Sage to understand what he was hinting at.

"Heh," Madara sounded with a faint smile forming on his lips. "You and me are more similar than I thought, Sage."

Hagoromo gave a smile of his own in response to the man's sincere words. "Yes, my child," he agreed, his voice wistful and reminiscent. "We are indeed much alike in many ways."

A brief, thoughtful silence followed the Sage's reply.

"So, I assume that you will first need the Jūbi, right?" Madara asked after several moments.

Hagoromo merely nodded in response.

The white haired man closed his eyes for a second, before giving the Sage a thoughtful gaze. "Are you sure that the world will be saved just by taking away all chakra?" he asked.

"Cleaning this world's slate is only the first step, Madara," Hagoromo explained. "I intend to closely guide mankind this time around. I shall watch over them, and make certain that nothing is left to mere chance anymore. There will be peace, my child. That I can assure you of."

Despite clearly hearing the conviction in the Sage's words, the Uchiha patriarch couldn't fully give up on his reluctance.

"How can you be so sure of that, Sage?" Madara asked again. "How can you be so sure that humanity won't disappoint you for a second time?"

The brown haired man gained a thoughtful look upon hearing the question, and he began pondering on his descendant's words.

He agreed with the fact that there was indeed a possibility for something to go wrong even this time around, however, there was nothing to be gained from entertaining such pessimistic thoughts.

Besides, his resolve was already set, and nothing under the sun and moon would stop him from what he was intending to achieve.

"I cannot," Hagoromo answered after a few moments of silence. "But unless I try, my child, I will never know. I have the hope that all shall be right in the end, and that is enough for me."

Madara seemed pleased hearing the response, and all previous reticence quickly left the man's features.

"Very well then, Sage," the legendary Uchiha spoke firmly. "I will leave my dream in your hands, and perhaps, this time, you will succeed where we had both failed so far."

Hagoromo smiled pensively at his descendant's words and placed his free hand to rest gently on the man's other shoulder.

Following that gesture, the white haired man offered the Sage a smile of his own, though it was different from any of his previous ones.

For the first time in many years, Uchiha Madara was showing a genuine smile to the world, looking as though he was finally feeling at peace.

A moment later, the Uchiha patriarch slowly closed his eyes as if embraced by an irresistible sleep, and the truth-seeking orbs and staff in his possession begin to rapidly crumble.

The Sage gently laid the slumbering man over the still surface of the water, and the countless motes of light surrounding them began to shine even more brightly.

Hagoromo took a moment to look at his descendant peaceful form, before he weaved the ram seal with his hands.

The submerged bijū were quickly roused from their slumber in response to the Sage's gesture, and they began to resurface one by one.

The first one to emerge from the ocean was a single-tailed, large tanuki made out of sand and covered with black markings all over his body.

"That was an awesome speech, old man!" the creature spoke in a high pitched tone as it looked at the Sage.

The second one to rise from the water was a huge feline made of blue and black flames, and possessing two tails.

"As always, you strive to bring out the good in people," the beast addressed the brown haired man as well, though in a distinctively feminine voice.

The third beast to resurface looked like a large turtle with a crab-like shell, spikes all over its body, and three shrimp-like tails.

"Even those gone too far are not truly lost to you..." the creature spoke in a rather timid manner.

The fourth one to rise from the depths appeared to be a huge monkey with green skin and red fur, as well as four tails.

"But that guy was a real piece of work," the beast commented while briefly glancing at the slumbering man next to the Sage.

The fifth bijū to appear above the water resembled a horse, though with a dolphin's head and five tails.

"Even so, father did not give up on him," the creature spoke in a more quiet and reserved fashion than its other siblings.

The sixth one to emerge looked like a large white, bipedal slug, with stubby arms and feet, as well as six tails.

"Just as in the past..." the creature spoke in a kind tone as it looked at its creator.

The seventh one to resurface resembled a blue, armored kabutomushi, possessing seven wings growing from the end of its abdomen, six out of which appeared to be insect wings, with the last one being an actual tail.

"Daddy always forgives everyone!" the insect-like bijū spoke in a chipper tone.

The eight tailed beast to rise above the water resembled a large ushi-oni with four long horns on its head, and eight cephalopod-like tails.

"Looks like even Madara wasn't as bad as we thought he was," the creature spoke while looking at its gathered siblings.

The last bijū to emerge from the ocean appeared to be a huge kitsune with orange fur and nine tails.

"Hmph," the tailed beast scoffed as its sibling's words, before muttering something almost intelligible under its breath. "I still hate him..."

Moments later, Hagoromo glanced up at the nine tailed beasts gathered around him as his onyx shakujō formed in his left hand, and called each tailed beast by their true names.

"Shukaku."

"Matatabi."

"Isobu."

"Son Gokū."

"Kokuō."

"Saiken."

"Chōmei."

"Gyūki."

"Kurama."

The Sage tapped his ceremonial staff against the surface of the water, causing its hooped end to twinkle softly as he addressed the tailed beasts once more, though this time in a more solemn tone.

Creations of his power...

"The time has come, my children."

All nine creatures adopted much more serious demeanors upon hearing those words be spoken.

They were his dear children as well.

"The prophecy might have not come to be..." the Sage continued, his voice heavy and almost burdened.

He wished he didn't have to do something like this.

"Though the hope for this world has yet to dwindle."

Yet... there was no other choice...

"Hence..." His visage reflected sorrow, though his eyes were unwavering.

He couldn't possibly allow... constructions of chakra...

To roam free in a world that would soon be deprived of it...

"I ask of you, my children," he said, his voice gentle and soft.

So... the least he could do...

"Are you prepared..."

Was to recall them within once more.

"To assist me one last time?" he asked, though it came out more as a plea.

That way... they would always...

Be a part of him...

"To save this world..." His words were heavy with resolve.

And he would carry them in memory...

For the rest of time...

"Now and for all?" the Sage ended with another soft tap of his staff as he sought the eyes of each tailed beast.

And beyond...

Less than a moment later, nine resolute voices answered in unison with a decisive "Yes!"

Hagoromo offered the gathered tailed beasts a melancholic smile in response, before placing his hands in the mirrored ram seal.

And following that...

Everything around them was cast in a brilliant white.

As soon as his consciousness returned its focus on the physical world, Hagoromo immediately reached out and took a hold of his descendant's falling form.

Paying very little mind to the four pairs of disbelieving eyes that were tracing his every movement, the Sage gently laid the man's weakened body next to his feet and made a prayer gesture with his free hand.

Madara was no longer clad in his garment made of chakra, and his exposed chest seemed to be rising and falling ever so slower with each passing moment.

His hair was no longer the purest of white, and was quickly fading to its usual black as the life slowly drained away from his body.

Yet, the man's visage showed no worry and looked almost peaceful. The faintest of smiles was tugging at his lips, showing genuine contentment at his fate, and his lone, dark eye no longer seemed to hold any bitterness or resentment to it.

Mustering his remaining strength, the descendant of Indra gazed at the Sage's kneeling form and mouthed a silent "Thank you..." as his vision began to rapidly darken.

Hagoromo brought his opened hand over the dying man's sole eye, and said his last words to him with a pensive smile.

"You may finally rest now, my child."

Then, the bright sun mark on his palm briefly shone with power, and Madara gave his final breath into the world, before passing away with a content smile on his face.

The Sage remained unmoving for a few more seconds as he made sure to personally guide the man's departed soul into the Pure World, before he slowly rose from his kneeling position as the body lying at his feet began to slowly sink into the ground.

The hooped end of his obsidian staff clinked softly in his left hand as he stood up, and his hair was no longer its deep, rich brown, but a white as pure, fresh snow.

A moment later, he turned around to face those who had been silently watching everything up to that moment, and gazed at them with solemn eyes.

"The same for you, my children. You are no longer in peril, so you may rest for the time being," Hagoromo voiced softly. "There is still one last thing to be done, though it is not something you should concern yourselves with. That weight is mine to carry. As responsibility for my own mistake."

Only a few moments had passed in the material world ever since the sudden intervention, and the four present had yet to recover from the shock of everything they had witnessed so far.

But the revelation was more than clear in their minds. They were looking at the Sage of the Six Paths. A figure of legend who had returned to the world and saved them all from certain doom.

The first to break the silence out of the four individuals was the man with spiky silver hair and a black mask covering half of his face.

"We are truly grateful for your help, Sage of the Six Paths. I actually dread to think what might have become of us had you not intervened when you did..." Kakashi paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "But could you tell us what's really going on? We are all still extremely confused about this sudden turn of events."

The curiosity of that question seemed to be mirrored on the faces of everyone present, though they didn't have to wait long for the Sage's response.

"The reason why I am here now, my children, is because I intend to restore peace in this troubled world," Hagoromo began solemnly. "I will mend the scars of the past and right the greatest wrong I have done to you all. I shall take back the chakra I have foolishly granted upon mankind countless years ago. The power that brought only ruin to this world over the past millennium."

The Sage's words were quickly met with surprise from all four individuals listening. Not only because of what message they entailed, but also due to the sheer conviction that they held.

The silver haired man and a younger, blonde one missing an arm seemed to understand the legendary figure's decision, and they merely shared a brief look, before responding with a somber nod.

The pink haired girl standing behind them seemed to be of a different mind, however.

"But what about the great things that we were able to achieve with the help of chakra? Like the advancement of medicine?" Sakura argued. "How will we deal with the severe injuries and diseases if you take that away from us? How will we be able to heal other people without chakra when most of our technology revolves around it somehow?"

The Sage simply smiled in return, and his expression softened as he shifted his gaze onto the distraught girl.

"Do not worry yourself about that, my child. I shall make sure to aid you all until the time you find ways to compensate for the loss of chakra," Hagoromo assured. "Everything shall be taken care of until civilization reaches its stability."

Sakura couldn't help but feel assured as she listened to the Sage's words. Her previous doubts were quickly dispelled, and she actually felt safe and at peace by simply being the recipient of the man's gentle gaze.

The red haired boy to the girl's left didn't seem to wish to comment anymore upon hearing the Sage's response to Sakura's concerns, and he merely continued to observe the proceedings in silence, just as he had been doing up to that point.

Seeing how no more questions were posed by the four present after almost one minute spent in complete silence, Hagoromo decided to proceed with the final step of his intervention.

"The spirits of the dead have been disturbed enough as it is. This abominable technique ends now!" the Sage uttered sternly as he looked at the blond man missing one of his arms, before tapping his staff lightly on the ground.

A soft chiming sound echoed through the nearby surroundings, and less than a moment later, a bright light enveloped the blond man as his reanimated body began to crumble and fall apart.

The soul trapped within was immediately released, and it rapidly ascended toward the heavens alongside three others in the far distance, leaving behind only a small pile of ash.

After offering another brief prayer for the departed souls, the Sage glanced at the scarred form of a white haired man, who was lying unconscious on the ground several feet away from him.

"What will happen to Obito?" Kakashi asked once he noticed where the Sage was looking.

"His time in this world is reaching its end as well," Hagoromo replied as he walked up to the man's downed form. "Without my mother's will clinging onto him, he would have passed away long ago."

Kakashi's eyes became downcast upon hearing that, but he seemed to understand that this was the end of the line for his old friend. So, he merely nodded in acceptance without saying anything else.

A moment later, Hagoromo crouched next to the scarred man's prone form and touched the black substance covering the left half of his body. He effortlessly absorbed the other half of Kurama contained within the creature, before willing the black rod impaling the man's left arm to dissolve.

As soon as the chakra receiver crumbled to nothingness, the parasitic creature clinging to the dying man's body immediately regained its consciousness and looked at the Sage with fear reflecting in its lone, violet eye.

Though, as soon as it came, the fear quickly drained away from Black Zetsu's featureless visage and was replaced with an uncharacteristic anger.

The creature's eye darted amongst the three individuals present, before its rasping voice suddenly broke the silence.

"You damned fools, look at what you have done!" Black Zetsu snapped impotently while glowering at the three shinobi. "Centuries of planning gone by in the blink of an eye, just because of your idiocy! Just because you lot were unable to behave properly like the obedient pets you were supposed to be!"

Hagoromo merely shook his head at the irate creature's behavior and reached with his free hand for its lone eye.

The creature didn't seem to notice the gesture as it was too busy raving at the three shinobi, who could only look at it in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"You've made him come back and ruin everything—!"

Black Zetsu didn't get to finish venting its frustrations, as the sun symbol on the Sage's right hand glowed once more with power, thus rendering it unconscious once again as its violet eye crumbled to ash.

Hagoromo looked at the unresponsive creature for the better part of the following minute as his rippling eyes became wistful and reminiscent.

The creature's mad raving briefly reminded him of times from a very distant past. Times during which his long departed mother had yet to fall into madness and become a despotic tyrant.

He still held her very dear. He still respected her greatly. Regardless of what happened in the past, his mother was still his mother, and he couldn't find it in himself to destroy something that was in essence a small piece of her.

Black Zetsu was his mother's will made manifest, and he just could not bring himself to erase such a precious thing from existence.

Another minute passed in complete silence as the Sage continued to gaze upon the unconscious creature while seemingly lost in his thoughts.

Suddenly, Hagoromo's eyes widened in realization as an idea made itself known in his mind.

He could purify Black Zetsu's will and refashion it into something akin to a memorabilia of his mother. He could use his own will to overwrite the creature's initial loyalties and make himself the recipient of its absolute obedience instead.

That way he could always carry with him a reminder of his dear mother.

Hagoromo smiled faintly at that thought and briefly released the ceremonial staff from his grip. The shakujō shifted horizontally and hovered behind him where it remained levitating as the Sage brought both of his arms over the black substance that composed Black Zetsu.

The sun and moon symbols shone in their dark and respectively bright colors as power capable of altering any and all aspects of the world was briefly unleashed by the legendary figure.

A split second later, the change was already done, and the Sage lowered his hands as the black substance shifted erratically across its host's body for a few moments, before it became completely still as the creature returned back to consciousness.

A sickly yellow eye snapped open and a jagged grin quickly followed suit, before a familiar sounding rasp came from the awakened creature.

"Hello... Father."

Hagoromo smiled wistfully at the creature. "Welcome back," he suddenly paused, realizing that he did not have a name for the creature yet. Though his pondering was brief, as he seemed to quickly come up with something fitting.

The Sage raised his left hand, as if to beckon. "You can return to me now... Alduin."

The creature immediately complied and began to detach itself from its dying host, slithering down the man's scarred body and pooling on the ground into a shifting puddle.

Moments later, Alduin was already creeping up its creator's garments and flowing inside his sleeve, where it seemed to make itself unknown to the world, save for the pair of yellow eyes that remained open to observe even the slightest of movements in its immediate surroundings.

Hagoromo raised himself from his crouching posture and made another praying gesture for the recently passed away man, before looking at the imposing sight of the God Tree that could be seen piercing the heavens.

A split second later, he vanished from his current spot as if he had never been there to begin with and reappeared several miles away in the distance, right at the base of the gigantic tree.

He gently placed both his hands on the trunk and briefly closed his eyes in concentration. Suddenly, the surface of the Shinju began to ripple and warp in response, and in less than a few seconds, the God Tree was absorbed within Hagoromo's being.

The Sage slowly opened his eyes and shifted his gaze upon the moon.

The celestial body seemed to shine brighter in response, and Hagoromo immediately began to levitate as he moved closer and closer toward it.

And once he was high enough to be able to gaze upon the world below with ease, he remained hovering in air and waited as his body was bathed in the pale moonlight.

A split second later, his violet eyes glowed with power and the skin of his forehead slowly began to part itself.

The Rinne Sharingan.

A divine eye that rippled with the power to reshape reality and everything within. To bend the aspects of existence itself and to twist the very fabric of the universe.

Such was the authority held by the Eye of God.

The eye whose crimson light had returned to the world for a third time...

Hagoromo remained hovering in the air for another minute, his three mismatched eyes staring unfocused at the planet beneath his feet as his mind became lost in thought for a brief while.

There was one last thing that he had to do before he could proceed to bring salvation upon the world. He had to offer his dear mother her much deserved closure...

The Sage gained a pensive look at that thought.

His mother had gone through enough suffering as it was. Some of it at his and his brother's hands, no less...

He could not allow her torment to continue any longer. It was time for her to finally rest.

And with that thought in mind, Hagoromo brought up his right hand and placed it over his navel. His palm instantly shone a brilliant white as he gently tugged away.

A vaguely humanoid shaped mass of energy was drawn out of him, clinging tightly to his opened palm.

The spirit of his mother...

Hagoromo gazed at it in silence for a few moments as a wistful smile made its way on his face.

"Mother..." the Sage voiced softly. "I hope you will find your peace of mind in the Pure World..."

He slowly brought his hand up and was about to release the soul, though he was unable to do such, as something rather peculiar interrupted him.

He felt a gentle tug at the fringe of his consciousness, an occurrence that reminded him of the tender caressing of a warm hand. His eyes slightly widened in surprise, though at the same time he couldn't help the faint smile that found its way on his lips.

Such a nostalgic feeling...

He glanced back at the spirit he was holding in his palm and his features softened even further.

A moment later, he allowed his consciousness to be pulled inwardly and promptly felt his perception of the world change as he was met with the very familiar sight of his inner world.

An endless ocean of heavenly blue, bathed in the brilliance of the countless reflected stars visible on the sky above. A breathtaking and awe-inspiring sight to anyone who might be seeing it for the first time, no doubt.

Even for Hagoromo himself, the scenery had still not lost its otherworldly allure and vivid symbolism, despite the many times he had beheld it over the years.

The glistening water rippled slightly as another figure manifested on its surface.

The Sage glanced at the woman of ethereal beauty standing only a few feet away from him and felt another wave of nostalgia wash over him.

An oval, delicate face framed by lustrous, cascading white hair. Flawless and pale skin to be glimpsed beneath the cover of a pristine, flowing robe. A dignified posture and noble countenance befitting only of a queen.

The Progenitor of Chakra. Princess of the Ōtsutsuki clan. Dear and beloved mother. Ōtsutsuki Kaguya...

Milky eyes bereft of any pupils stared back, drawing Hagoromo away from his brief reverie.

His mother was as beguiling and regal as he remembered her. Her ancestry and status were clear to anyone who might have gazed upon her impeccable form.

"Hello, mother," the Sage greeted politely. "Long time had passed since we have last seen each other."

His mother might have done some very unpleasant deeds in the past, yet she was still beloved family to him. The respect he held for her had not wavered in the least even after a millennium long departure.

Hagoromo's words were met with a brief silence by the regal woman, and he would have begun to wonder whether she had registered them in the first place, if not for what happened next.

Kaguya's dignified, almost impassive visage changed in the span of a few moments to that of a woman being on the verge of weeping, as though her entire world had crumbled apart in the blink of an eye.

It was something rather shocking to witness, especially to Hagoromo, who had never before seen such a sorrowful expression of pain on his mother's face. It affected him enough for it to be clearly reflected in his demeanor.

"Mother?" the Sage asked as he closed the distance between the two of them. "What happened? Is anything the matter?"

Kaguya silently gazed in her son's concerned eyes for a few moments, before slowly reaching with a hand to cup his face. "You are so much like him..." she whispered tearfully as she caressed his cheek.

Hagoromo seemed to be stunned silent by the woman's gesture as he simply stood there unmoving and watched the tears falling from her lily-white eyes.

He had never seen his mother express such emotion in the past.

The dignified princess who had always held herself with a calm and composed demeanor, regardless of the situation... to witness her in such a frail and vulnerable state... it felt almost surreal to him.

"Hagoromo... I am so sorry..." Kaguya managed to say between her pained sobs. "Forgive me, my son... please... please forgive me..." Her words coming out akin a desperate plea felt like a cold shower to the Sage.

He knew that his mother had kept away certain things of her past from him and his brother, though he had never imagined them to be of such a magnitude.

What could have happened to scar her such? He wasn't certain, though he understood one thing. Whatever it had been, it was what had pushed her down her path of madness and torment.

Though right now, in what seemed like a tearful moment of lucidity, she was desperately apologizing for her deeds in the past...

Mother...

Setting his thoughts aside for the moment, Hagoromo wrapped his arms around his mother's vulnerable frame and embraced her in a comforting hug. He felt her body briefly stiffen as if from shock, though she eventually seemed to relax in the warmth of his embrace.

Yet, her weeping was unceasing, and freshly spilled tears were staining the hem of his robe further are further.

It didn't take him long to realize the reason why. Not because he was a sage of wisdom beyond his years. But because he was a son. And the anguished woman in his arms was his dear mother.

"I forgive you," Hagoromo voiced softly, a hand finding its way through his mother's silvery tresses to caress her back. "Please be at ease, mother."

He had forgiven much, much worse. Most of which had never sought his forgiveness with such earnest and sincere motive, let alone to come from his mother herself. And if his intuition was to prove him right as well, then there was even more the reason to forgive her.

Hearing the soothing words of her son seemed to calm the distressed woman, as her sobs became muffled in the damp cloth where she had her face buried and the tears no longer streamed down her cheeks.

Moments later, Kaguya drew her face away from the hem of Hagoromo's robe and silently gazed in her son's violet eyes as a small, genuine smile of many emotions blossomed on her pale features.

"Thank you..." she eventually spoke, her voice still frail and barely above a whisper. "My dear and beloved son..."

The Sage smiled warmly in return, before unwrapping his arms from around his mother's frame as he used one of his sleeves to wipe the last of her tears off her delicate face.

The two of them continued to stare at each other in comfortable silence for a little longer, as neither of them had to use any words when they could read the other's emotions and thoughts in their eyes.

Though, after a minute or so, Hagoromo decided to voice the question that had been occupying his mind for the past few minutes.

A question that he hoped to receive an answer to.

"Mother, what happened to you?" the Sage asked, his voice firm yet warm with concern. "You have never spoken much to me or my brother about your past. What could have happened to make you go through such pain and suffering?"

Hesitation briefly flashed across Kaguya's face as she pondered on whether to answer her son's inquiry or not.

Even if she didn't tell him now, sooner or later he was bound to become involved in the affair... once those two would finally make their move.

But that aside, she was much aware of what her son was truly capable of. She was his mother, after all. She knew what he could achieve if he truly put his mind and heart to it, especially now that he had almost surpassed even her in power. She had a feeling of what he was attempting to do, and once he was to be done with it, even that person shouldn't be able to rise up to him anymore.

A glance at Hagoromo's resolute eyes was enough to drive away all the lingering conflict in the woman's mind.

Kaguya's visage quickly hardened with similar resolve, and in mere moments she appeared to regain her dignified composure and regal air from before.

The Sage smiled at the rapid shift in his mother's demeanor, though he didn't get to make any nostalgic comment on it, as the woman immediately opened her mouth to speak.

"Do you remember the words I spoke to you when you were still a little boy and you asked me about your father?"

Hagoromo looked contemplative for a moment. "I recall you told me that he was lost amidst the stars," he replied. "I hadn't fully understood what you meant, though I had the feeling that I shouldn't pry any further."

"Yes... and I was very thankful for that, my son, because I doubt that I would have been able to talk to you about him at that time," Kaguya voiced, taking a few moments to collect her thoughts. "However... I am now."

The Sage's eyes widened briefly in response to his mother's words. His mother had never before spoken so openly about her past. It was quite the novel experience for him, though he didn't make any comment to interrupt her.

"Your father was a wonderful person. I remember falling in love with him from the first moment we have met each other at the royal banquet in our clan's home world," the regal woman spoke fondly at the memory. "When he looked at me, and our gazes locked for that first time, I knew that he had to be the one. From then on, it all became akin to a sweet fantasy for me. One that I thought would never end..."

Kaguya sighed pensively as her eyes seemed to cloud with sorrow once more.

"You don't have to force yourself, if it's too painful for you to reminisce, mother," Hagoromo reasoned as he tried to comfort his mother.

"No, Hagoromo, it is alright," Kaguya replied after a brief pause with seemingly renewed resolve. "You need to know of this, my son. I have been too selfish of a mother for so long. It is time I told you the truth about my past."

Hearing that, the Sage relented. "Very well, mother."

The dignified woman smiled wistfully at her son as she resumed her tale. "There are people in our clan who value power over all else. They desire chakra and seek it at all cost..." she revealed. "One of these people was at odds with your father. He coveted your father's power, and eventually, decided to take it for himself..."

Hagoromo wasn't surprised to hear that about his clansmen, though he had a rather unpleasant feeling about what he thought might be coming next.

"I was with your father when that person, Momoshiki, suddenly ambushed us alongside his retainer, Kinshiki. Your father initially had the upper hand in their fight, but then..." Kaguya's voice faltered briefly toward the end, and she had to pause again for a moment to recompose herself.

A truth-seeking orb manifested behind Hagoromo, shaping itself into his ceremonial staff as the Sage continued to listen with undivided attention to his mother's story.

"Momoshiki ordered his companion to seize me. I was powerless to do anything at that time... All I could do was watch as your father was forced to submit in order to save me..." Kaguya spoke in a strained voice. "And then..."

The Ōtsutsuki princess seemed to be on the verge of crying again, though she managed to hold her tears back as the anger she felt at that memory proved to be much stronger.

Hagoromo remained silent while he listened, respectful of his mother's wish, though his expression looked as if it was carved from stone.

"He took away my beloved from me..." Kaguya hissed through clenched teeth as the intensity in her voice grew with every spoken word. "Momoshiki didn't just kill your father. He turned him into a chakra fruit and devoured him! He took him away from me forever, and I was unable to do anything but watch..." her voice trailed off at the end, and she seemed to become lost in thought for a while.

The Sage maintained his silence, yet his eyes reflected a genuine compassion for his mother's plight. He could easily tell the hatred and anger in her voice at the mentioning of that person, and he felt his own ire slowly rouse in turn.

"I thought about taking my life for a while after that, you know?" Kaguya suddenly spoke after brief period of silence, her voice bereft of most of its previous heat. "But then I found out that I was bearing twin children. Two sons... you... and your brother."

Hagoromo couldn't hold back his words anymore upon hearing that. "Mother..." he whispered, trying to comfort his mother as he placed a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

Kaguya smiled weakly in response. "I couldn't take my life knowing that. I saw a thread of my beloved in you two," she continued. "So I vowed to avenge your father one day instead. I decided to live for the sake of you two... and my retribution. I sought a Shinju and consumed its forbidden fruit of power. I didn't care about anything else at that time..."

Kaguya's gaze became downcast as she spoke the final words of her story. "After that... you know what came to be."

Hagoromo closed his eyes in an attempt to gather his thoughts and reign in the ire that was beginning to take shape in his heart.

He'd had his suspicions about what might have befallen his mother in the past that changed her in such a manner, yet he would have never imaged it to have been of such gravity.

The hatred she had latched onto over the years had compelled her lust for power, so she had tried to amass as much chakra as possible in preparation for her eventual confrontation with Momoshiki.

However... that never came to be, as in the process she had slowly drifted into a spiral of madness, one in which there was no color in the world.

Knowing that she would never be able to meet her beloved again had clearly taken too much of a toll on his mother's mind in the end...

Hagoromo's hand suddenly shot to the shakujō hovering to his left and gripped it with enough force for it to resound in the surroundings.

Kaguya's eyes widened at the gesture. She didn't think that her son would have such a strong reaction to her past, but seeing him so concerned about her wellbeing and angered at her plight brought her a pleasant feeling of warmth.

She was about to open her mouth and speak, though she didn't get the chance as her son was quick to voice his thoughts.

"The scales will be evened, mother. Momoshiki will be held accountable for his deed," Hagoromo declared, as if stating a fact and making a promise at the same time. "I will make sure of it."

Kaguya offered her son an apologetic smile, before embracing him in a loving hug. "I think it is time I finally moved on..." she whispered, unwrapping her arms from her son's frame.

Hagoromo didn't say anything in response, choosing to give his mother a smile that conveyed his emotions instead.

Kaguya's features softened even further upon seeing that.

She had the general picture of what her son was trying to achieve through his returning to the world, yet it didn't really surprise her. She knew that her son would go to any length if he truly wanted to accomplish something.

It was something that made her very proud of him.

"I leave the fate of our world in your hands, Hagoromo. I am sure that you will accomplish what you have set yourself to," Kaguya voiced as she gave one last smile to her son. "Farewell, my beloved son."

"Farewell, mother," Hagoromo returned the parting words, and a second later he felt his consciousness shift back to the outside world.

The Sage brought up his hand and gazed for a while longer at the soul resting in his palm. A wistful smile formed on his lips, and then he finally let go of the soul latched onto his palm.

The liberated spirit of his mother ascended to the afterlife in a bright flash of light.

Now he had another motive to do what he was about to do...

Hagoromo's mismatched eyes suddenly focused on the pale moon, prompting it to quickly turn a blood red in response to his will.

He slowly brought his hands together into the ram seal, and then the rippling pattern of his third eye became reflected upon the eerily glowing celestial body.