"Old man, what exactly do you mean by this?"
Jokichi stared fixedly at the Sage of Six Paths.
A pair of purple Rinnegan exuded a bone-chilling coldness.
The manipulation of visual prowess and chakra caused those concentric ripples to undulate like waves.
"Don't be so angry!"
Towards Jokichi's killing intent, the Sage of Six Paths turned a blind eye, revealing a kind smile.
"You still can't control the power inside your body very well. If you continue to release killing intent so recklessly, this inn is going to collapse."
Jokichi glanced at the slightly trembling building.
He took a deep breath and somewhat restrained his killing intent.
However, his eyes were just as cold as before.
"Give me an explanation. Otherwise, I won't let you off easily!"
People grow into different forms due to different experiences: strength, will, personality, good and evil.
That dreamscape that felt so real.
If someone's spiritual power was slightly weaker, unable to distinguish the authenticity of that dreamscape.
They would treat it as a real experience.
Thereby altering their personality and concepts.
In other words, the Sage of Six Paths' dream was brainwashing him.
Although, judging from the content of that dream, it was telling him to be kind to others and to guard against arrogance and rashness.
And although Jokichi himself was trying to become such a person.
But.
His own personality and will brooked no manipulation by others.
The Sage of Six Paths' action had already touched his bottom line.
If it weren't for the fact that he hadn't yet familiarized himself with his newly acquired power.
If he weren't unsure of what trump cards this old geezer who had existed for thousands of years had.
If this guy hadn't already died and merely existed in the world as a spirit form.
Jokichi would have smashed ninjutsu into his face long ago.
But even so.
If he couldn't provide a good explanation, Jokichi still wouldn't let it go.
Seemingly sensing Jokichi's thoughts, the Sage of Six Paths' expression also became somewhat grave.
He looked at Jokichi in silence.
After a long while, he looked up and sighed, thinking to himself: My self-righteous goodwill has brought malice to this world again.
"When a person suddenly gains power, they become arrogant and overbearing."
The Sage of Six Paths looked quietly at Jokichi and spoke.
"If it were results gained through gradual hard work and training, it would be fine. But you suddenly experienced a power surge of tens of times over in just two days, which even you yourself find hard to control."
"Is that all you have to say?"
Jokichi interrupted the Sage of Six Paths.
His voice grew even colder, like the ice of the extreme north, making one's heart tremble.
The Sage of Six Paths looked up at him, his expression growing graver.
He knew that if he did not provide an explanation that satisfied him, a great battle between the two would be unavoidable.
Although he was not afraid.
But a battle between the two of them would leave this world devastated.
This was not what he desired.
After pondering for a long time, he finally spoke.
"I want to protect this world!"
With just one sentence, Jokichi completely withdrew his killing intent.
Compared to fake goodwill, he cared more about the other party's reason for taking action.
If the reason was acceptable to him, then it was nothing.
If not, they could only fight a battle as mortal enemies.
He accepted this reason from the Sage of Six Paths.
Regardless of what kind of person he specifically was, his actions were indeed protecting this world.
He had not lied.
Of course, he could accept this reason not because he hadn't lied.
But because Jokichi himself did not want anyone destroying the world.
Compared to a devastated earth, he preferred the beautiful scenery he had witnessed along the way.
Aside from those inherently evil existences.
No one wishes for the place they live to be a wasteland.
However.
"I'll remember what happened this time. If something similar happens again, I absolutely won't let you off!"
Jokichi still didn't show the Sage of Six Paths a good attitude.
The Sage of Six Paths didn't mind, smiling kindly.
"This was indeed my mistake. Since I chose to observe, I should have placed more trust in the people of the world."
Once a person suddenly gained power, their ego would inflate.
Leading to blind arrogance, doing all sorts of unimaginable things, until their personality became twisted, resulting in disasters.
Although the Sage of Six Paths had died long ago.
He had always been silently observing this world in spirit form.
Cases similar to the above were ubiquitous.
His mother, his son Indra.
In recent times, the closest example was Uchiha Itachi.
Suddenly awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan.
This powerful force made him feel omnipotent, wanting to solve and bear everything alone.
If he hadn't met Jokichi.
This world might have seen many, many more tragedies.
It was precisely because the Sage of Six Paths had witnessed too many such things.
That he chose to submit to the rules of death.
In his old age, he extracted the Ten-Tails, separated the Tailed Beasts, and died.
Doing so was, on one hand, to abide by natural laws.
On the other hand, it was due to the fear that if he lived too long, his mindset would also change.
He would become just like his mother.
Only at the moment of death can a person truly understand themselves.
The Sage of Six Paths did not want to eventually become the kind of person he hated.
"There is one thing I am very puzzled about."
Jokichi looked at the Sage of Six Paths strangely.
"Since you were worried I would become a destroyer of the world, why didn't you stop me before I grew up?"
Judging from the Sage of Six Paths' earlier words.
He had always been watching over this world from the shadows.
But since he was worried about him, why didn't he stop his growth?
If it were himself.
He would definitely kill the other party before they grew up, or use other methods to limit their growth.
Not just him, in the anime as well.
He also sat by and watched Obito and Madara grow up.
He even allowed them to release his sealed mother, Kaguya.
He clearly knew everything and had the ability to stop it before it happened.
Yet he took absolutely no action.
Only after the events unfolded did he distribute his power to future generations, letting them solve everything.
Hearing Jokichi's question, the Sage of Six Paths also sighed deeply.
"A person only grows through experience. No matter how much adults worry about their children, they cannot do everything for them. At most, they can offer guidance."
"This world belongs to the people of the current era."
"No matter how much I wish for a beautiful world, I am dead after all. I do not belong to this world. It can only be protected by those living in the present."
"No, no, no."
Jokichi shook his head slightly.
"What I mean is, since you worried that I, having grown to this stage, would destroy the world. Why didn't you nip the threat in the bud beforehand?"
The Sage of Six Paths smiled lightly and asked in return.
"An eagle, in order to teach an eaglet to fly, will throw the eaglet, once it has reached a certain age, out of its nest on the cliff. If it cannot learn to fly before hitting the ground, it will fall to its death. Would the eagle refuse to teach it to fly out of fear that the eaglet might fall to its death?"
"The same applies to humans. When a child grows up, they might walk an evil path, but they might also become a great person. Would parents stop a child from growing up just because they might walk a crooked path when they grow up?"