Land of Waterfalls, headquarters of the Shinobi Alliance.
The Five Kage Summit convened once again, signaling the end of the war. But this time, the gathering was far larger. Not only were the leaders of each village present, several Jinchūriki had joined as well. And sitting at the head of the table was Kazuyama Gekkō.
"So you're saying that besides Uchiha Madara, there are actually other enemies in the ninja world?"
"They just haven't been revived yet?"
"And there are even enemies beyond this world?"
Minato Namikaze spoke in disbelief, unable to hide the shock on his face.
A moment ago, Kazuyama had once again explained his situation. He laid out the full story of the Rikudō Sennin, the origins of the ninja world, and how the Tailed Beasts came into existence. Every piece of it was enough to shatter the worldview of everyone present.
"So we've just been fighting each other like idiots all these years?"
"If it weren't for that bastard Kazuyama, we might've ended up as nothing but someone else's pawns..."
"Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous."
Kazekage Rasa spoke while laughing, but his laughter was filled with both mockery and helplessness. This war had taught him many things—chief among them, that true power had no need for village structures. A single individual could throw the entire ninja world into chaos.
"Kazekage-sama is right..."
"At this point, we really are no different from a bunch of fools."
"But Kazuyama, aside from the Tailed Beasts backing you up, who else can prove what you said?"
Ōnoki looked as though he had aged years in an instant. It wasn't his body—it was his mindset collapsing into true old age.
Kazuyama didn't hesitate.
"What? Want me to call out that Six Paths old man so an old man can meet another old man?"
That shut Ōnoki up immediately. There was simply no way to argue with that.
"Alright, enough, Kazuyama."
"No, really, there are things I can't explain clearly—I'm not good with words. Hey, Old Man Six Paths! Come out and greet everyone!"
The Sage of the Six Paths had never truly died. Even without a body, his soul remained. With Madara Uchiha's death, Kazuyama's first step was complete. As for convincing everyone else—that wasn't something he ever planned to worry about.
"Ah, I knew this day would come."
"When I entrusted everything to you, I expected it."
"I'll explain the rest."
A deep, weighty voice echoed through the room. Before anyone could react, a white silhouette appeared beside Kazuyama. It was the Sage of the Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki.
"I am Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the one you call the Sage of the Six Paths."
"Old man?"
"Old man!?"
Before the village leaders could respond, another group spoke up. The Jinchūriki stepped forward—except their voices had changed. Gaara's voice turned sharply high; Killer Bee's rumbled like distant thunder. It was their Tailed Beasts speaking through them.
"Oh? Are you all doing well, my children?"
The Sage immediately recognized them, his expression softening into a gentle smile.
He then spent over an hour explaining everything from beginning to end. By the time he finished, Kazuyama had already fallen asleep.
"So you chose Kazuyama because his abilities can help this world avoid the coming crisis?"
"Exactly. His Crystal Release and Transparent Escape Technique have completely surpassed the realm of ninjutsu. They're on the same level as mine. With that power, he can influence the entire world."
Minato, the Sage, and everyone present turned to look at Kazuyama—sound asleep and snoring. Instantly, they all felt a headache coming on.
Why is it that the stronger someone is these days, the more unreliable they are?
"Wake up, you idiot!"
Unable to stand it any longer, the Sage slammed a fist onto Kazuyama's head, forcibly waking him.
Thud.
"Ow! Who the hell hit me? Old man Six Paths, are you asking for a beating?"
"You believe I won't smack you right in front of Chōmei and the others? I'll embarrass you so badly you won't show your face again!"
Sage of Six Paths: I... give up.
Kazuyama opened his eyes to find everyone staring at him, but he didn't react. He simply asked, "You told them everything?"
"Yes, everything is explained. Now it's your turn. What do you plan to do?"
Kazuyama understood perfectly—help the entire ninja world. And he already had his own plan.
"After that last battle, I've gotten a solid grasp of my current strength."
"And now I understand why you think my Crystal Release and Transparent Escape Technique can help."
"For what comes next, old man, you'll have to stick with me for a bit longer."
"Because if we want to arm the whole world, I'll need your help."
Kazuyama did have a plan—but it wasn't something he could do alone. Not only was the scale enormous, he also couldn't pinpoint everything precisely. Only the Sage—now a soul who could oversee the entire world—could assist him.
"Oh? You already have a plan? Let's hear it."
Kazuyama stood, sweeping his gaze across the room. The Five Kage, Yahiko, Konan, Mifune, and the Jinchūriki all watched him closely.
"Honestly, if I could, I wouldn't take this job."
"But you heard what the old man said—the Ōtsutsuki clan are aliens. One day, they might come looking for trouble."
"To stop that, I intend to infuse my power into every corner of this world."
"Using Crystal Release and Transparent Escape Technique as the foundation, I'll disguise the entire planet."
"That way, those aliens lose their coordinates. Even if they want to come, without coordinates, they won't find us."
His explanation was simple and direct, yet everyone looked bewildered and stunned. Only the Sage showed a hint of approval.
"Didn't get it? No way. You're village leaders. And you—Jinchūriki."
"Something this simple, and you don't understand?"
"Have you all been living for nothing?"
With that, Kazuyama disappeared from their sight—though his voice lingered. Seeing this, everyone finally began to understand, one by one.