He let those behind the scenes manipulate the board, let Hara lurk in the shadows, let turmoil sweep through the shinobi world, and let Naruto and Sasuke grow amid the upheaval and find a way out.
But deep down, he already understood all too clearly.
From the moment the Sky Screen descended, falsehood became reality, and someone impersonated a god-
The shinobi world was no longer his to control.
The unchanging chessboard of fate had long since been overturned and reset by the mysterious figure behind the scenes.
Everyone, including him, the god of the shinobi world, had become a pawn for someone else to move at will.
News of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's final demise swept through the entire shinobi world like a gale.
The ninja and leaders of every village were plunged into utter terror and shock.
When Isshiki was alive, everyone's fear had a discernible basis.
He was hampered by injuries, had people he feared, and pursued a clear goal. His fighting style was brutal and straightforward. Powerful as he was, they could still work out ways to counter him.
But Otsutsuki Hara, who had appeared out of nowhere, shattered everything they thought they knew.
No one could sense her presence. No one could determine her purpose.
Every strike meant certain death. A touch from her All-Killing Ash Bones meant annihilation. No counter, no counter, and still no counter.
Throughout the shinobi world, from the Kage-level leaders of the Five Great Hidden Villages down to ordinary rank-and-file ninja, everyone felt a chill deep within and harbored a profound fear of the utterly mysterious Hara.
Yet however terrified they were, they could do nothing.
They could not find her, catch her, defend against her, or fight her.
All they could do was lie low, remain on guard, and passively await