Chapter 122: The Unsolvable Art of "Predicting the Future"

The Sage of Six Paths could foresee the future. Since he had taken action, it meant that such a future had truly come to pass.

Orochimaru remained calm, unmoved, and looked toward the few Ten-Tails creatures marching in formation. “You tell me about the future—aren’t you afraid I’ll change it?”

The Sage of Six Paths laughed heartily. “No, I won’t. Everything I do now, including the words I speak to you, is part of the future I foresaw from the past. The causes of today give rise to the effects of tomorrow.”

He seemed delighted and continued, “In fact, the Shinju clan was originally destined for extinction. It was I who altered their future.”

“Oh?” Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. “Because of the Shinju’s power?”

“That’s right!” The Sage smiled. “The power of the Shinju is rare. The strongest Rinnegan of the Ōtsutsuki clan is imbued with that very power. If they knew the Shinju had come to Earth and that Earth held the ability to mass-produce Rinnegan and Jinchūriki, what do you think they would do?”

Orochimaru’s expression remained blank. “They would destroy Earth as soon as possible.”

“Hahaha!” The Sage threw his head back and laughed, then his expression grew cold and stern. “Exactly—they will destroy Earth!”

Suddenly, a hint of regret crossed his face as he shook his head. “Orochimaru, you are only the second opponent on Earth I have ever acknowledged.”

The first was his mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. But at that time, the Sage of Six Paths had just awakened his will to grow stronger and was no match for Kaguya, so he recognized her as his first adversary.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have truly qualified.

The second was Orochimaru.

During the thousands of years he spent in slumber and cultivation, only Orochimaru had caught his attention.

After a moment of silence, Orochimaru asked, “What is your reason for doing all of this? Back on Earth, didn’t you say I would one day unify the universe? Were you trying to flatter me then?”

When the Sage of Six Paths first appeared, he did not oppose Orochimaru. Instead, he even gifted him the mounts—the White Snake Sage and the Slug Sage—and killed three invading Ōtsutsuki clan members.

By all accounts, he was on Orochimaru’s side.

The Sage laughed loudly and controlled an Ōtsutsuki body with his genjutsu, throwing a punch at Orochimaru. “I wasn’t lying. Back then, I indeed saw a future where you unified the universe. But I also saw that you would kill me, sacrificing the entire Earth!”

“From the very beginning, you never intended to spare my life, especially after learning I could foresee the future.”

As the Sage’s fist came hurtling toward him, Orochimaru drew a piece of gray bone from his palm and shoved it directly into the Ōtsutsuki body under the Sage’s control. He nodded. “I indeed never planned to spare you.”

The ability to see into the future was terrifying. If given the chance to kill the Sage of Six Paths, Orochimaru would stop at nothing.

“That’s right.”

The Ōtsutsuki body under the Sage’s control dissolved into gray dust, scattered by the wind. The Sage’s final words echoed in the air, “By altering the future back then, we have this conversation now. Because of this conversation, you will eventually fail.

Orochimaru, your entire life has been under my control. Are you afraid? Hahaha…”

Accompanied by laughter, the Ōtsutsuki body completely turned to dust and was carried away by the wind, leaving only the Sage’s words lingering in the void.

Orochimaru stood there, expressionless, his thoughts unknown. After a long while, he finally turned and left.

...

In a lifeless planet somewhere in the cosmos, the Sage of Six Paths sat cross-legged with Sasuke and Naruto. The Sage had his eyes closed, meditating, while Naruto tended to the blind Sasuke.

“Sasuke, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you survive!” Naruto encouraged him.

Sasuke scoffed and turned his head away, showing no gratitude. Deep down, he planned to find a chance to die, not wanting to be a burden to Naruto.

Suddenly, the Sage’s body stiffened. He opened his eyes and smiled.

“The first step of the plan is complete. It’s time to begin the second.”

He looked at Naruto and Sasuke.

Feeling the Sage’s gaze, Naruto immediately stepped in front of Sasuke, his face darkening. “What do you want to do?”

Having endured the destruction of Konoha by Orochimaru, Naruto had grown mature. He no longer shouted blindly but held a calm and calculated mindset.

At least now, he would not act recklessly.

The Sage stood and approached them. Naruto tensed as if facing an enemy.

“Don’t be afraid, my child.”

The Sage came beside Naruto and, under his wary gaze, reached out to gently touch his cheek.

Naruto tried to pull away but resisted, enduring the touch.

“You, the younger brother, have finally surpassed your older brother once,” the Sage said.

Naruto did not understand but kept his expression steady, choosing not to ask.

Suddenly, tears welled in the Sage’s eyes. His hand lingered on Naruto’s cheek.

“You’ve worked hard,” he choked out.

Then, he looked at blind Sasuke, his tear-filled eyes filled with remorse. “I’m sorry.”

He stepped forward to reach for Sasuke’s cheek, but the usually obedient Naruto intervened, using his body to shield Sasuke and stared directly at the Sage.

The Sage was clearly taken aback. He met Naruto’s tearful gaze and finally gave a bitter smile.

“You should be wary of me,” he said, stepping back and bowing his head in thought.

After a short while, the Sage lifted his head. The tears were gone, replaced by a calm, cold indifference, as if the previous moment had not been him.

“Naruto, Sasuke, I have a mission for you.”

Naruto did not refuse but said, “Tell us.”

Refusal was impossible, at least not now.

The Sage turned and faced a star system. At its center was a honeycomb-shaped planet, glittering with multicolored lights, dazzling to behold.

“I want you to go to the Trade Center. Start there and subdue a few races.”

Naruto looked toward the honeycomb planet, puzzled. “Trade Center?”

The Sage explained, “It’s the universe’s trade hub, where only the strongest races transact. The Ōtsutsuki clan isn’t welcome there.

You can think of it as the universe’s black market.”

Most of the cosmos was ruled by the Ōtsutsuki clan, but many territories had not submitted—some who had pledged allegiance were not truly loyal.

Therefore, many who opposed the Ōtsutsuki gathered there, and the black market was born.

Here, they exchanged resources, sold intelligence, and conspired to resist the Ōtsutsuki.

“I can go alone. Sasuke is too weak; he’d only be a liability,” Naruto said, worried about Sasuke facing danger.

The Sage turned to blind Sasuke and smiled faintly. “Sasuke is not weak.”

He pointed at Sasuke, pouring invisible energy into his empty eye sockets. Sasuke screamed loudly.

“Ah!” The pain seemed unbearable.

Watching Sasuke clutch his eyes and howl, Naruto’s expression changed. He wanted to help ease his pain but was helpless. Angrily, he demanded, “What did you do to Sasuke?!”

The Sage remained silent. After a while, Sasuke stopped screaming. Though still blind, he could now “see” objects.

At that moment, the Sage spoke: “I awakened the eyes in Sasuke’s soul. Vision is not limited to the physical body; the soul’s eyes are even stronger.”

Naruto could not see Sasuke’s soul, but Sasuke’s spiritual eyes—the Mangekyō Sharingan—were wide open, “watching” Naruto. It was a unique and surreal experience.