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Naruto didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stared at the floating Sage, then gave a slow smirk, confident and dangerous.
"You noticed that, huh?"
"I felt it the moment your soul entered this body," Hagoromo continued. "Your presenceā¦ It's like a raging sea, locked inside a golden cage. Your chakra is unlike any I've ever seen."
"Well," Naruto said, stepping forward, arms still crossed. "I'm not exactly your average ninja. Not anymore."
The Sage's eyes glinted with interest.
"I see many forces moving within youāpowers that don't belong to this worldā¦ something ancient andā¦ draconic."
Naruto didn't deny it. Instead, he reached behind his neck and cracked it with a lazy stretch.
"I'm just built different, old man."
Hagoromo's gaze turned thoughtful.
"You carry the essence of many worlds. A soul touched by countless forcesā¦ both divine and forbidden."
"You make it sound poetic," Naruto replied casually, tilting his head. "I just do what I want."
The Sage gave another soft laugh.
"And yetā¦ there is still the fire of this world inside you. The Uzumaki blood. The will of the shinobi. Despite being from beyond, you walk this path as if it were your own."
Naruto shrugged. "This world interests me. A lot. More than you might think."
"And what is it that you seek?" The Sage asked.
Naruto paused for a moment. He didn't answer right away. He glanced up, his eyes calm yet thoughtful. There was no mischief, no arroganceāonly silence. His eyes reflected a mind that had seen far too much for his age.
He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head up slightly, staring into the glow above them. Then, softly, he spoke.
"For nowā¦ I seek power and balance."
Those words dropped like heavy stones into still water.
Hagoromo's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Power and balance," He repeated, more to himself than anyone else. "An unusual pair. Few desire both at once."
He leaned forward, intrigued. "Elaborate. What do you mean by that, Naruto?"
Naruto let out a slow breath and gave a tired smile. "Since you already see me for what I am, this will be easier."
He turned to face Hagoromo fully.
"I am not from this world, old man. Not completely. I was born here, yesā¦ but my soul? My soul comes from a place far beyond this planet. A world so advanced in technology, in knowledge, in warfare, that even youāSage of Six Pathsāwould not be able to imagine it."
Hagoromo's eyes narrowed, not out of distrust, but astonishment.
"I know who you are," Naruto continued. "I know about your brother, Hamura. I know about your mother, Kaguya Åtsutsuki. I know about the Ten Tails. I even know what really happened during your final battle with her."
Hagoromo remained silent, absorbing every word.
Naruto smirked faintly. "To be honest, if I followed my instincts from my old lifeā¦ I would have devoured you."
He paused. "Devoured you to absorb your divine chakraā¦ to make your essence a part of mine."
The air grew heavier.
Hagoromo didn't flinch. He was neither afraid nor angry. Instead, he asked, "Why didn't you?"
Naruto's smirk vanished. His face grew sincere. "Because you're Kurama's father."
That one sentence changed the atmosphere completely.
Naruto lowered his head, his voice now softer. "Even if I'm called a villain in some circlesā¦ I value my friends. I protect them. I cherish them."
A warm smile stretched across Hagoromo's lips.
"Then you are truly Kurama's friend," He said gently.
Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeahā¦ we've been through a lot together. That fox is a pain, but he's my pain."
Then, the seriousness returned.
"I look at the world right nowāthe Ninja Worldāand all I see is chaos. Division. Distrust. Everyone is fighting to protect their own little corner, their own village, their own clan. But no one is looking at the bigger picture."
He clenched his fists slowly. "If they stay scatteredā¦ if they stay brokenā¦ they won't survive what's coming. My goalāmy priorityāis to bring them together. Into one piece."
Hagoromo tilted his head. "To unite the worldā¦"
"Yes," Naruto confirmed. "Only then can we solve the problems of tomorrow."
The old Sage's eyes sharpened. "And yetā¦ your dream sounds dangerously close to my mother's. She, too, wanted peace. She, too, wanted unity. But she used fear. Control. Oppression."
He paused and looked Naruto straight in the eye. "How can you be certain that power won't corrupt you? That your heart will remain pure?"
Naruto shrugged, almost lazily.
"I already possess power far beyond what you can imagine, old man," He said calmly. "Even with all your might, you wouldn't be able to match me at my peak. And yetā¦ here I am. Talking with you. I don't kill indiscriminately."
He raised his hands, fingers spread.
"I could turn the five great nations to dust if I put some real effortā¦ but I didn't."
The Sage watched him, listening closely.
"I have limits," Naruto added. "Bottom lines. I don't cross them. But the danger isn't me."
His eyes turned colder. "The real threat is the Åtsutsuki Clan."
Hagoromo frowned deeply.
"I always suspectedā¦ My mother, she was never cruel in the beginning. She loved us. Protected us. But sometimesā¦ I caught her staring at the sky. Her eyes filled with fear. I never understood why."
Naruto nodded slowly. "She was scared. Not of humansā¦ but of what was coming. You see, Kaguya didn't just come here for fun."
He looked Hagoromo in the eyes, his voice heavy.
"She wasn't evil. She was a mother. And a mother's love is vastālike the ocean. Sometimes it pushes her to do things that others may not understand. Things that seem cruel, but are born of desperation."
Hagoromo grew quiet. Deep in thought. His eyes were no longer looking at Narutoā¦ they were staring into memory, the memories of the past.
"ā¦She did always tell us to stay away from the stars," he whispered. "That the skies above were dangerous."
Naruto stepped forward, placing a hand on his hip.
"She was trying to protect you and Hamura," He said. "She gave up everything to keep you safe. Her fear made her cold. It twisted her. But in the endā¦ all she wanted was to protect her sons."
There was silence.
Hagoromo looked down, sorrow in his eyes. "ā¦I never thought of it that way."
Naruto gave him a moment before continuing.
"I already have the chakra of Ashura inside me. Your youngest son. His willā¦ It's strong."
Hagoromo smiled faintly.
"If I gather Indra's chakra tooā¦ then I will be closest to your own power. Sage of Six Paths."
The Sage raised an eyebrow.
Naruto grinned. "And if you combine that with my magic, my battle experience, and everything I brought from my worldā¦ I don't fear the Åtsutsuki. I'm ready to destroy them."
He looked deadly serious now.
There was no joke in his voice.Ā
"I will burn their entire clan to ashes if they try to touch this world again."
Hagoromo was quiet for a long moment. Then, softly, he asked.
"Why?"
Naruto blinked. "Why?"
"Yes," Hagoromo said, voice gentle. "Why go so far? Why risk so much? What truly drives you?"
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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