This guy...
Hearing Chiba's words that practically said, "Isn't it time to lay our cards on the table?" the Sage of Six Paths narrowed his eyes slightly, pursed his lips, and slowly furrowed his brow, but said nothing.
And yes, the reason Chiba had brought up killing Uchiha Nobuhiko—using one knife to kill another—was ultimately Kushina. In the end, the subject was still Kushina.
Moreover, the Sage of Six Paths before him, or rather, the World Will, had already admitted that it indeed intended to eliminate Uchiha Nobuhiko. Given the current situation, Uchiha Nobuhiko's death had likely been orchestrated by the World Will.
Normally, with Chiba, an outsider, still around, Uchiha Nobuhiko, as the suppressive force and hunter against outsiders, should not have been removed before the outsider had been dealt with.
After all, even if Uchiha Nobuhiko could not hunt Chiba down, he could still restrain him, preventing this outsider from acting without restraint and ultimately creating a situation beyond the World Will's control.
Yet now, the World Will seemed unconcerned by Uchiha Nobuhiko's death. It was not particularly surprised by Chiba's current strength either. Judging by their earlier exchange, it had come thoroughly prepared and showed no sign of being at a disadvantage. Uchiha Nobuhiko was clearly no longer the World Will's bargaining chip.
Or rather, the World Will still had something in its hands capable of restraining him.
And after turning it over in his mind, the only possible bargaining chip was Kushina.
First of all, Kushina was undoubtedly the person Chiba was most wary of right now. Hirohiko and Yukina had already been rescued. Though they had not fully revived, their soul forms were under his protection, so in a sense, there was no longer any need to worry about them.
But he could not even