Iori gently placed the Imperial Seal of the Realm in his bosom, burned incense, bathed, and purified his mind and body in preparation for the upcoming ascension ceremony.
As the magic circle was activated, Iori closed his eyes, and his mind gradually sank into the abyss of consciousness, slowly moving towards the depths of the human subconscious sea, guided by the ritual.
The commencement of the ceremony seemed to have stirred some mysterious power within the universe.
The sky above Konoha, which had been clear and sunny, suddenly became covered with dark clouds. The sky turned as if ink had been spilled on it, heavy and gloomy, foreshadowing the impending storm.
The wind began to howl, like an angry beast sweeping across the land, stirring up dust and fallen leaves that swirled and danced in the air.
Immediately afterwards, a bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, like a sword mark, illuminating the entire heavens.
The dazzling light instantly dispelled the surrounding darkness, only to be swallowed up by it again in the blink of an eye.
Thunder followed closely behind, booming like the wrath of a god, shaking heaven and earth, and conveying the majesty of the deity.
The roar of thunder echoed through the clouds, accompanied by the howling of the wind, as if the gods had discovered that someone was spying on their authority and were warning those mortals who dared to challenge divine power.
Raindrops began to fall, starting as a few scattered drops, but soon turned into a downpour. The raindrops pounded the ground violently, splashing up water droplets, and the whole world was enveloped in rain.
Shisui and Tsunade stood not far away, their eyes revealing doubt and wariness.
They keenly sensed the sudden change in the weather and felt a sense of foreboding, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was.
They could only increase their vigilance to prevent anyone from interfering with Iori's seclusion.
Although Iori didn't tell them explicitly, she did let them know that she had important things to do and couldn't be disturbed.
He instructed them not to tell anyone else; he could only completely trust the two of them.
As Iori delved deeper into his subconscious, he felt a pull, and after a moment's thought, he followed the pull.
He arrived at an ancient door, carved with strange patterns. He hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out and pushed the door open to enter.
Inside the door was a dimly lit space, filled with an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.
As Iori stepped inside, he discovered a puddle of water beneath his feet, its surface reflecting a faint light that cast his shadow.
He looked around curiously, but there was no one there, only the sound of footsteps echoing in the air.
"Nice to meet you, young man. I have been observing you for a long time since you arrived here."
A voice suddenly came from the darkness, and as the voice became clearer, a figure emerged from the darkness.
He floated in mid-air, with two horns on his head, brown hair, and wearing a white robe with six black Tomoe- shaped patterns on his chest.
Several black spheres radiating terrifying chakra sat beneath his feet, slowly rotating and exuding a chilling power.
A black staff floats beside him, its ends shaped like the sun and the moon, and he seems to share the same origin as the black sphere.
[This attire and imposing presence should be Otsutsuki Hagoromo of Sage of Six Paths. The black sphere at his feet is probably Truth-Seeking Orb, and the staff beside him is likely the Sage's Staff.]
As Iori thought to himself, just as he was about to speak, the Sage of Six Paths spoke first, "That's right, I am Otsutsuki Hagoromo, also known as the Sage of Six Paths."
Upon hearing this, Iori felt a slight sense of unease. "You can read minds?"
The Sage of Six Paths gently shook his head. "This is a special place. Your every word and action will be reflected here. I brought you here to confirm one thing: whether or not we should form an alliance."
"An alliance?" Iori frowned slightly, asking with some confusion.
"Yes, the covenant. After I came into contact with your world, I was chosen by the Ninja World to become the natural representative of the Ninja World, which is what you call Gaia."
"I need to ascertain your thoughts before deciding whether to support your conquest of the heavens in the future."
The Sage of Six Paths spoke earnestly.
Iori frowned, somewhat displeased, and said, "If you think I'm not suitable, will you stop me from becoming Alaya?"
"No, as agreed, I will not interfere with your becoming Alaya. This only determines whether I choose to support you in the future or wait and see what happens."
"If you don't find out now, this place will no longer be effective for you once you become Alaya."
The Sage of Six Paths explained, "If you choose to refuse, that's fine too. I will also decide my attitude based on your future words and actions, but the observation period will be very long."
Iori thought about it for a moment. She didn't have much conflict with the Sage of Six Paths, and she didn't have any intention of killing Otsutsuki Kaguya either. They could form a united front.
"May I ask you something?" Iori asked.
Will you protect humanity and help it grow?
"Of course." [It's the truth, though there's a selfish motive, but it's harmless.]
"Would you destroy nature and devastate the planet's ecosystem?"
"It depends on the situation, but as long as it doesn't reach the worst-case scenario, I still favor sustainable development." [This is the truth; humanity is more important than nature, but he is willing to sacrifice some interests to protect nature for the sake of the future.]
The Sage of Six Paths, observing the feedback from the room, nodded. "While not the best situation, it's acceptable. So Uchiha Iori, I propose an alliance with you."
"Nature will support your plunder of the heavens, and the energy you gain in the heavens will be distributed to all things in the world according to your contribution."
He raised his hand and continued, "So, can you accept the alliance?"
After thinking it over, Iori realized that she was not at a disadvantage in this alliance, so she extended her hand and gave the Sage of Sage of Six Paths a high five to indicate her acceptance.
"Therefore, the alliance is established. Remember, you must not break the alliance," the Sage of Six Paths said after lowering his hand.
"Now that the alliance is complete, I will continue the ceremony." Iori said, preparing to leave as things were finished.
"Wait a minute, as an ally, please accept this. Consider it my apology and a token of my sincerity. I am very sorry for suddenly interrupting your ceremony and questioning you."
The Sage of Six Paths called out to Iori. He stretched out his hand, his palm gathering his special chakra. He poured the chakra into a specially made container and then handed it to Iori.
"This contains my special chakra. If you absorb it all, it will immediately awaken your Rinnegan. Whether you use it and how you use it is up to you."
Iori reached out and took the container. His fingers gently touched the surface of the container, sensing the chakra in his hand. His Sharingan began to stir, as if he had been summoned by something.
He pondered for a moment, then took out a small amount of chakra from the container and absorbed it. As the chakra information was replenished, Iori's Sharingan began to evolve into the Rinnegan.