Muren Uchiha's consciousness slowly faded. Before it vanished completely, he was still turning over Kazuyama's final words in his mind.
Why did Madara Uchiha choose him? Yeah… why him? If not for Madara, he probably would've died early on, just like Ao. And maybe none of this mess afterward would've ever happened.
Ever since Madara picked him, he'd never had a smooth day. He'd been fighting Kazuyama nonstop, always on the losing end. The organization he worked so hard to build had been nearly wiped out.
Sigh… in the next life, he never wanted to meet Kazuyama again. That man was poisonous...
"...That's it? He's dead already?"
"That fast?"
Everyone stared at the dust that had once been Muren Uchiha, eyes wide in disbelief. Minato Namikaze could scarcely believe it. After all, they'd struggled mightily to subdue this very Muren Uchiha. Yet Kazuyama dispatched him in mere moments?
Such a gulf in power couldn't help but fill them with dread.
Kazuyama glanced at him, sighed softly, then adopted an air of unrivaled superiority as he began to boast:
"What else did you expect?"
"Ah, only a brother could handle this."
"Though I hate to admit it, you're absolutely the top ninja in Ninja World—unbeatable!"
Everyone: ....Damn, what a shameless bastard!
Yet they couldn't deny that Kazuyama's power seemed to have reached a level beyond their grasp.
"Kid, have you already reached that tier?"
"Or have you met the old man?"
Suddenly, Kushina spoke—but her voice wasn't the feminine tone they knew. Instead, it was a slightly rough, masculine timbre.
This jarring contrast drew everyone's attention. After all, a beautiful woman speaking with a man's voice was genuinely hard to accept.
The most shocked was Minato Namikaze. He'd already grabbed Kushina, now asking with genuine concern:
"Kushina, what's wrong with you?"
"Let go, you idiot! I'm not Kushina—I'm your Nine-Tails Grandpa!"
Minato Namikaze: ?. ?
The Nine-Tails?
Everyone present knew Kushina was the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, but no one expected the Nine-Tails itself to suddenly speak up. The others froze in surprise.
"Oh, Kurama, looks like you and Kushina get along pretty well?"
"Doesn't it feel great not being chained up anymore?"
Kurama: ....Damn it, you little brat!
Kazuyama's mouth was more memorable than his actual strength—no wonder, it was just too much.
Kurama forced down his irritation and pressed on:
"I sensed it the moment you moved. That kind of power."
"And those patterns on your hands—you've met the old man of the Six Paths, haven't you?"
"Chōmei, come out and talk!"
Kurama couldn't stand Kazuyama's mocking gaze any longer. This brat clearly didn't hold the Nine-Tails in any regard. But he desperately needed to know the truth, so he had no choice but to call Chōmei out as well.
In his view, if Kazuyama had truly met the old man Six Paths, then Chōmei within him would surely see it too.
As his words fell, golden chakra instantly surged over Kazuyama's body. Gathering atop his head, it swiftly took the form of the Seven-Tails Chōmei—though this Seven-Tails was quite small.
"Oh, isn't this the Nine-Tails? What's up?"
"Got something to ask me? Oh my, how embarrassing. Back in the day, you were so aloof—you'd rather fight than talk when you saw the rest of us tailed beasts."
"What's gotten into you today? Suddenly polite?"
Kurama: .....Damn it!
Everyone: .....Ah, no wonder Kazuyama became the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki... I think I get it now....
This guy and his tail beast were cut from the same cloth. One word from either could choke a person to death.
Chōmei: ?. ? Could it be... he's the one who corrupted me?
Kazuyama: Heh heh heh, Chōmei, stop pretending. You've always been like this!
"Chōmei, are you looking for a beating?!"
"You know what I mean! Spill it! Is it what I think?"
Watching Kurama's face twist into near-madness, Chōmei nearly burst out laughing but managed to nod. Driving Kurama mad was already a victory in his book—an incredibly satisfying one.
Seeing Chōmei nod, a flicker of memory passed through Kurama's eyes.
"So you really did meet that old man from the Six Paths."
"Hmph. That bastard actually sought you out. But then again, it makes sense. Among those I've encountered, aside from Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, you're the only one."
"In fact, your rank surpasses both of them. It's just your character that leaves something to be desired!"
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Kurama vanished, leaving Kushina standing before the others, her expression utterly bewildered.
Clearly, Kurama's words had stunned her. And she wasn't the only one—everyone else looked just as shocked.
What had they just heard? The Sage of Six Paths? That was the Rikudō Sennin himself.
Their gazes immediately shifted to Kazuyama.
Had this kid actually met the Sage?
Feeling the puzzled stares, Kazuyama remained utterly composed.
"Everyone, the war is over. Our enemies have been utterly annihilated. With that, the Ninja World is finally safe."
"As for what the Nine-Tails just said... well, it's true."
It's true...
Which meant—it was real.
A collective "Holy shit" echoed silently in their minds. Even the Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki fell quiet.
The legend of the Rikudō Sennin was known throughout the entire Ninja World. As leaders of their respective villages, they knew it well—Kumogakure even possessed his treasured ninja tools.
"No wonder your power is so terrifying—you could even take down Madara Uchiha."
"But I don't understand why the Rikudō Sennin would choose you..."
Ōnoki voiced what everyone else had been thinking. It wasn't that they doubted Kazuyama—it was simply, why him?
Hearing Ōnoki's words, Kazuyama's mouth twitched violently.
"Old man Ōnoki, what do you mean by that?"
"Why couldn't he have chosen me?"
"Not me? Did he choose you instead?"
"Old man meets old man? Both teary-eyed?"
Pfft—
Just moments ago, everyone was pondering the Sage of Six Paths, only to be abruptly amused by Kazuyama's retort. Yet no one could refute it. If the Sage were alive today, he'd be thousands of years old—definitely an old man.
And Ōnoki… well, he was definitely an old man too.