"What?!" the Nine-Tails exclaimed in complete disbelief, its ancient voice carrying a note of shock that was rarely heard from such a legendary creature. "How could it possibly be that someone modified the stone tablet left by the Sage of Six Paths?"
The implications of such an act were staggering to contemplate. Just to decipher and understand the contents inscribed on this ancient artifact required extremely powerful ocular abilities that were possessed by only a handful of individuals throughout history.
To actually modify these sacred contents would require not only tremendous pupil power, but also intimate knowledge of the ancient writing systems and sealing techniques used by the Sage of Six Paths himself. The only person who might theoretically possess such capabilities would be the elder son, who had inherited the Rinnegan and its associated powers directly from his father.
"Indeed, among all the individuals we know of so far, apart from the Sage of Six Paths who originally created this stone tablet, the only person who could have potentially modified its contents would be his elder son," Minato agreed thoughtfully.
"But that possibility seems unlikely, because there would be no logical reason for him to undertake such an elaborate deception."
Minato continued his analysis with the methodical approach that had made him such an effective strategist. This stone tablet had most likely been left by the Sage of Six Paths as a form of guidance or admonishment for his elder son, who had been struggling with feelings of resentment and jealousy over his father's choice of successor.
Therefore, even if the elder son had rejected or disagreed with the advice contained on the tablet, there would have been no practical reason for him to expend enormous effort modifying its contents rather than simply ignoring it entirely.
"But the stone tablet we just examined clearly stated that Kaguya Otsutsuki gave birth to two children, and the Sage of Six Paths was only one of them," the Nine-Tails pointed out with growing interest in this mystery.
"Are you suggesting that the Sage of Six Paths' sibling might have been responsible for modifying the contents of the stone tablet?"
"That's certainly one possibility worth considering," Minato replied carefully. "Although it's widely accepted that exceptionally strong pupil power is required to decipher the tablet's contents, that doesn't necessarily mean there aren't other methods or techniques that we're simply unaware of."
Minato's voice carried the tone of someone who understood that the world contained many secrets and hidden knowledge that remained beyond current understanding. "Everything in this world operates like a complex puzzle in itself."
"But there is rarely just one correct answer to any given puzzle."
The Nine-Tails found itself unable to dispute Minato's reasoning, because from its perspective as someone who had lived through the era of the Sage of Six Paths, the content described on the stone tablet was indeed deeply troubling and inconsistent with everything it knew about that legendary figure.
"However, it's no longer particularly important to determine whether the contents of the stone tablet have been modified, or to identify who might have been responsible for such modifications," Minato continued with practical focus.
"What I'm truly concerned about is understanding why such a person would want to alter the tablet in the first place."
"What could they possibly hope to achieve through such an elaborate and long-term deception?"
Minato acknowledged that he was unable to fully solve this ancient mystery with the limited information currently available to him. The events in question had occurred thousands of years ago, and most of the relevant evidence had been lost to time.
"What I can say with certainty is that whoever modified the contents of the stone tablet possessed knowledge and capabilities that were no less impressive than those of the Sage of Six Paths himself," Minato observed.
Anyone who could understand and formulate something as complex as the Infinite Tsukuyomi technique was definitely not an ordinary individual. The level of expertise required to conceive such an ultimate genjutsu spoke to abilities that approached the divine.
But thousands of years had passed since those ancient times, and there was no practical benefit to be gained from worrying about the identity of someone who was almost certainly long dead. After all, even someone as extraordinarily powerful as the Sage of Six Paths had been unable to resist the inevitable erosion of time.
"Haha, I have to admit that I'm genuinely impressed by your analytical abilities," the Nine-Tails said with something approaching admiration in its ancient voice.
"If you and the old man Six Paths had been born in the same era, I think you two might have become close friends and allies."
"It's not that no one has ever tried to understand his ideas and philosophy, but you've managed to reach these conclusions with remarkably little information to work with."
"I'm truly impressed by your capabilities."
The Nine-Tails spoke with genuine respect, drawing upon its vast experience of observing powerful ninja throughout history. It had survived from the time of the Sage of Six Paths and had witnessed countless legendary warriors rise and fall over the centuries.
Even among all those remarkable individuals, Minato's strength and intelligence could be considered truly exceptional.
But more importantly, no one else had ever analyzed the mysteries left over from that ancient era with such depth and insight.
"Really? That's quite an honor coming from you," Minato replied with a meaningful smile, genuinely pleased by the Nine-Tails' assessment.
He had always felt a strong intellectual curiosity about the legendary ancestor of all ninja, though his interest was focused less on the Sage of Six Paths' incredible power and more on his underlying philosophy and motivations.
What the Sage of Six Paths had hoped to accomplish was remarkably similar to the goals that Minato, Jiraiya, and others had dedicated their lives to pursuing.
However, this task had proven to be unexpectedly difficult throughout history. From thousands of years ago to the present day, it seemed that human beings in any era had struggled to achieve the kind of mutual understanding and lasting peace that the Sage of Six Paths had envisioned.
Returning his attention to the present situation, Minato looked directly at Sasuke and spoke with gravity that carried the weight of destiny itself.
"The outcome of this war, the future of all ninja, and whether the world will be saved or destroyed—all of these things may very well depend on you and your generation."
"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke asked, his eyes narrowing as he tried to understand the full implications of Minato's statement.
"Hehe," Minato replied with a faint smile that carried both sadness and hope. "It seems that I'm getting old as well."
Once upon a time, when Minato had been young and inexperienced, his own predecessors and mentors had spoken similar words to him. They had placed their faith in his potential and trusted him to carry forward their hopes for the future.
He had not disappointed those expectations, rising to prominence during the Third Ninja World War and successfully protecting his village through countless challenges and threats.
Now, almost forty years had passed since his birth, and he found himself in the position of the older generation, passing responsibility and hope to those who would come after him.
The era of ninja was about to undergo another massive transformation, one that would fundamentally alter the structure of their world.
Minato firmly believed that the younger generations of Konoha—ninja like Naruto, Sasuke, and their contemporaries—would be able to distinguish themselves during this period of change and guide the world toward a better future.
This was the true essence of the Will of Fire: the protective spirit that would never be extinguished in the heart of every Konoha ninja, passed down from one generation to the next like an eternal flame.
Meanwhile, in a vast underground cavern hidden deep beneath the earth's surface, the Outer Path Demon Statue sat in meditation upon a massive lotus throne. Enormous tree-like appendages extended from its grotesque body and burrowed deep into the surrounding stone, drawing power from sources that mortal beings could not comprehend.
"Lord Madara, with the combined power of these 100,000 White Zetsu soldiers, we should be able to effectively resist the united forces of the ninja alliance," Black Zetsu reported as he surveyed the incredible army that had been assembled.
His gaze swept across the edge of the massive tree trunk network, taking in the scope of their military preparation.
Directly below the demon statue, stretching throughout the vast underground chamber, an enormous number of White Zetsu stood in perfect formation like a huge army awaiting orders. Their pale forms created an unsettling sight that spoke to the artificial nature of their creation and their absolute obedience to their master's will.
"The Ninja Alliance is nothing more than a disorganized mob," Madara said with casual dismissal, his voice carrying the arrogance of someone who viewed entire nations as insignificant obstacles.
In his perspective, the alliance that the five great ninja villages had worked so hard to forge was merely a gathering of ants that had banded together out of desperation.
"The only real obstacle we face is that particular individual," he continued, his tone shifting to acknowledge a genuine threat.
As he spoke these words, Madara turned his attention toward the masked figure standing in the shadows behind him.
"What are your intentions moving forward?" Madara asked with cool indifference.
Obito had originally served as a chess piece in Madara's elaborate plans for resurrection and control over Nagato. Now that circumstances had changed so dramatically and Madara had successfully returned to life, Obito's usefulness to the overall strategy had diminished considerably.
Under his distinctive spiral mask, Obito's eyes carried a darkness that spoke to years of accumulated pain and twisted purpose.
"Of course, my goal remains the same—to put an end to this false and corrupt world," he replied, his voice carrying the conviction of someone who had committed completely to a path of destruction.
"Haha, excellent," Madara said with apparent satisfaction at this response.
"With your particular abilities, you should be able to locate the remaining jinchūriki, shouldn't you?"
Minato had anticipated Madara's strategy and had taken steps to protect the jinchūriki well in advance of the conflict. Except for Gaara, who served as the vessel for the One-Tailed Shukaku, even the extensive White Zetsu surveillance network had been unable to locate any traces of the Six-Tails or Seven-Tails jinchūriki.
"What exactly are you suggesting?" Obito asked, his masked features revealing nothing of his thoughts.
"There's no alternative approach available to us," Madara explained with strategic pragmatism. "Your former teacher is indeed a formidable opponent who thinks several steps ahead. Even though I currently hold the Third Hokage hostage, Minato probably won't surrender unconditionally to save him."
"Therefore, if it becomes necessary, I will become a jinchūriki myself and eliminate him as a threat before proceeding with the final phase of our plan."
The prospect of Madara gaining access to the power of multiple Tailed Beasts was terrifying to contemplate, but they currently lacked sufficient resources to complete their objectives. At minimum, they would need the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts to awaken the true form of the Outer Path Demon Statue.
"I will provide you with a portion of the White Zetsu army," Madara continued, outlining his tactical approach. "When I lead the reanimated forces against the ninja alliance on the primary battlefield, I expect you to act swiftly to secure the remaining jinchūriki."
Having delivered these instructions, Madara turned his attention to Black Zetsu and inquired about another crucial aspect of their preparation.
"How is the intelligence compilation progressing?"
"The process is essentially complete," Black Zetsu reported with satisfaction.
In order to use the Edo Tensei technique to control numerous legendary warriors from throughout ninja history, it was essential to possess comprehensive combat information about each individual. Only by understanding their fighting styles, preferred techniques, and tactical approaches could their reanimated forms be utilized to their full potential.
Madara nodded with approval and allowed himself a grim smile as he contemplated the overwhelming force they had assembled.
"If that's the case, then let us begin our preparations for war!"
The final phase of his centuries-long plan was about to commence, and soon the world would witness the true meaning of absolute power.