"Over a thousand years of fighting and killing, splitting apart and coming together-the entire history of the Shinobi World was nothing but war and grudges. How could it not be gripping?"
"Hamura saw it all so clearly. Too bad he couldn't sway his older brother."
"Chakra was always a double-edged sword."
"The Sage of Six Paths wanted to use chakra to connect people's hearts and bridge their differences."
"But in the end, chakra became humanity's deadliest weapon for seizing power, waging war, slaughtering, and plundering."
Inside Konoha's Hokage Office, the three were overwhelmed by complicated emotions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly spoke. "At the end of the day, the Sage of Six Paths was never a foolish man."
"He saw the greed in people's hearts, understood that conflict was the norm, and knew that no peace could last forever."
"Yet even though he saw through it all, he still chose to stake everything on the future without hesitation."
Jiraiya's eyes filled with melancholy. "He wagered that human nature could turn toward goodness, that bonds could triumph over desire, and that someone in the future could end this fate."
"That was the kindness and greatness that defined his life."
Tsunade sighed softly and summed it up coldly. "His greatness was real. So was his stubbornness."
The scene on the Sky Screen slowly moved forward, following the aged Sage of Six Paths as he returned to Ninshu's Mountain Gate after a long absence.
Ninshu was now peaceful and stable, its disciples united in harmony. Asura oversaw everything and kept the entire sect in good order. The turmoil of brothers turning against each other with blades drawn was long gone.
As he gazed at the peaceful scene before him, a trace of comfort appeared in the Sage of Six Paths' clouded eyes.
Knowing his end