Hara's gaze was cold and clear, every word cutting straight to the truth.
"Besides, Indra's birth mother was Mother's personal maid back then."
"Deep down, Hagoromo could never fully come to terms with anything involving Mother. He would always fear the people and shadows left over from her past."
"Choosing Indra to inherit Ninshu would be tantamount to acknowledging Mother's will and rejecting his own actions back then."
"With his temperament, he would never allow that to happen."
"Hagoromo had fallen into obsession too. He only believed what he had already decided was true!"
White Zetsu understood in a flash and nodded repeatedly.
"So that's it! I finally understand!"
"Hagoromo seemed to be choosing the worthy and virtuous, but in reality, he was running from his own heart and his own shadow all along!"
After that brief moment of reflection, White Zetsu's expression darkened. His tone grew grave as he reported the latest crisis.
"But Hara, things have been getting more and more dangerous lately."
"The Sage of Six Paths has stopped spreading chakra as he did for so many years."
"He's been traveling all over the world these past few years. It looks like he's inspecting the land, but he's actually been secretly searching for you. He's already killed a large number of our White Zetsu hiding out there."
At those words, Hara's expression became deeply conflicted, and she spoke softly.
"I know."
"He's grown old."
"Hagoromo cannot escape the mortal cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death after all. He's different from me."
"I live forever, untouched by time, but his lifespan has already reached its end."
"He's searching everywhere, exhausting himself to find me, because he knows he has little time left."
"He probably wants to eliminate me before he dies, removing this threat once and for