"That's not it. Rather, before that, I have a question I want to ask you."
After giving it some thought, Chiba narrowed his eyes slightly. The smile on his face faded a little as he spoke in a rather serious tone.
Yet, faintly, it seemed he intended to avoid a direct confrontation with the Sage of Six Paths.
"What question?"
In response to Chiba's words, the Sage of Six Paths fell silent for a moment. It was as if he had thought things over for quite some time, or perhaps as if he were receiving some sort of information, before he finally spoke.
"Regarding Uchiha Nobuhiko, for the past dozen or so years since the Nine-Tails' Rampage, you've been waiting, haven't you? Waiting for me to get rid of Uchiha Nobuhiko. Ideally, for us to take each other down with us. Am I right?"
Hearing the Sage of Six Paths' response, Chiba did not waste words and went straight to the point.
"That's right."
The Sage of Six Paths answered Chiba's blunt words just as directly.
That bluntness and decisiveness seemed to peel away a layer of pretense. The heaviness on both their faces eased at once.
It seemed there was no need to beat around the bush.
At that moment, the same thought arose in both their minds, along with that vast Will.
"So why?"
At the same time, seemingly more relaxed, Chiba asked this.
"Don't you understand?"
The Sage of Six Paths smiled, carrying the distinct implication of, Are you really going to pretend not to know?
"I understand, but I'm not certain."
Chiba answered with complete honesty. He even looked like someone humbly seeking guidance.
There was also a sense of, I'm not pretending to be stupid—I really am stupid.
Of course, there was even more of,