The Sage of Six Paths' Choice

Minamoto Takuya knew that if the Sage of Six Paths truly did not care about the survival of all living beings in the Shinobi World, then using that as leverage would be utterly powerless.

Fortunately, the Sage of Six Paths cared deeply about the continued existence of the Shinobi World.

A thousand years ago, it was precisely to protect this land that he had joined forces with his younger brother, Ōtsutsuki Hamura, to seal away their mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki.

That sense of responsibility was a shackle he could never cast aside.

That was precisely why Minamoto Takuya had dared to come here!

He had already accurately predicted that the Sage of Six Paths would never dare use the power he had accumulated over countless centuries.

He could not bear the cost.

Even so, Minamoto Takuya had not relaxed in the slightest.

His Time Return Command was already poised to activate.

If the Sage of Six Paths truly chose to gamble everything, preferring mutual destruction over handing his power to him, Minamoto Takuya was prepared to fight him here with everything he had.

If he won, everything would end;

If he was temporarily outmatched, he could calmly use Time Return Command to retreat into the Time-Space Hole and instantly revive on the other side.

This was Minamoto Takuya's greatest bargaining chip: the gulf between life and death.

He was a living being, his power surging like running water. Even if it was exhausted, it could be replenished in a very short time.

The Sage of Six Paths, meanwhile, was ultimately only a powerful soul lingering in this world. His chakra was like water without a source; every bit he spent vanished forever, and replenishing it fully would take far too long.

This was a battle of attrition with a predetermined outcome.