"Sasuke," Naruto began, still reeling, "I can't believe even someone like the Sage of Six Paths was affected by the chaos and brought to this world!"
Naruto had just recovered physically, but his mind was still struggling to process the dizzying sequence of events. The thought that the legendary Sage of Six Paths himself could be pulled into this new era by the strange phenomenon felt unreal.
He noticed Sasuke's expression was incredibly grave, setting off alarm bells. Even if the Sage of Six Paths had arrived due to the chaos, that shouldn't be such a dire issue for Sasuke, right? This was the man who had faced Kaguya Ōtsutsuki head-on. How could he possibly seem troubled by the Sage's presence? Seeing Sasuke's look, Naruto felt an instinctive dread creep in.
"Sasuke... what's wrong?"
Sasuke turned to Naruto, letting out a soft sigh. "Naruto, something might have happened with Indra and Madara!"
"Happened?" Naruto echoed, confused. "Weren't those two doing fine just before? Once they understood this chaos was bringing people here, they were actually being quite cooperative. What suddenly changed?"
"Are those two... up to something again?" Naruto asked, his brow furrowed. He couldn't speak for Indra, but Madara definitely wasn't the type to just sit quietly and behave. Remembering the Fourth Shinobi World War, if Madara decided to stir up trouble, it would be a monumental headache. It wasn't about fear, but Madara's capabilities meant any scheme he hatched would cause immense problems.
"If they were just planning some scheme, that wouldn't be the main worry!" Sasuke stated grimly, deciding it was time Naruto knew about this era's threat. "What worries me is that an organization called Kara might have recruited them!"
"Kara?" Naruto repeated, the name unfamiliar. Before he could ask, Sasuke began explaining.
"In this era, there's an organization similar to the Akatsuki. It's called Kara. And just like the Akatsuki, they harbor their own ambitions. Kara's goal is to replant the God Tree and use its power so all their members can transcend, becoming beings comparable to gods!"
Beings comparable to gods... that's Kara's objective? Naruto thought. In that sense, the Akatsuki's original goal seemed considerably nobler. At least they claimed to strive for world peace, while Kara merely pursued selfish desires. The two weren't even comparable. But noble or not, the existence of such an organization was deeply troubling. Naruto couldn't understand why this era also had to contend with such a group.
"How does this Kara compare to the old Akatsuki?" Naruto asked, remembering that members of the original Akatsuki should also be present in this era due to the chaos. He had thought they only needed to watch out for Akatsuki; now Kara was added to the mix, amplifying his unease.
Sasuke looked at Naruto and continued, "A key difference between Kara and the Akatsuki lies in this era's development of Scientific Ninja Tools. Kara commands what is essentially the most cutting-edge technology in that field. Its members have all undergone modifications. They possess powerful scientific tools, making them opponents ordinary shinobi stand no chance against."
Sasuke's gaze sharpened. "And during my time in Sunagakure, I already encountered an Akatsuki member brought here by the chaos!"
Naruto looked up sharply.
"Deidara!" Sasuke confirmed. "He had already been modified with Scientific Ninja Tools. His combat power was significantly enhanced!"
Naruto was stunned. "Are you saying... Kara members have already connected with Akatsuki members...?"
"Exactly," Sasuke nodded gravely. "What's even more concerning is the possibility of the entire Akatsuki undergoing these modifications, drastically boosting their power. At the same time, Indra and Madara have apparently been taken by Kara. It's highly likely they will also undergo modification with Scientific Ninja Tools. Judging by Deidara's case..."
He paused, letting the implication sink in. "If those two truly accept these enhancements, their power could become terrifyingly strong! It's impossible to even imagine how strong."
Even Sasuke couldn't accurately predict the outcome; his knowledge of Scientific Ninja Tools was limited. However, he inwardly noted that even such tools didn't fundamentally worry him. His own 'Deity Gates' ability could even strip away the inherent functions of objects themselves, rendering scientific weaponry potentially useless against him.
Naruto voiced the core fear, "Sasuke, are you worried that if Indra and Madara get modified by Kara and become stronger, they'll... do something else?"
Sasuke nodded. "If they truly obtain greater power, they'll be even less likely to remain passive! My guess is, once they adapt, their first priorities will shift. For Indra, it would likely be seeking out Ashura for another battle, aiming for victory. Afterwards, who knows? He might pursue even greater power and commit terrifying acts. As for Madara," Sasuke scoffed, "no need to guess. Since he has encountered Kara, he definitely knows about the God Tree now. Madara will undoubtedly target it. Only by controlling that power can he achieve his true ambitions."
Naruto felt a chill. "Kara, the Akatsuki, Indra, Madara... thinking about it, their combined lineup is already quite formidable! If they're all enhanced by Scientific Ninja Tools, it's hard to predict how powerful they'll become. In this already chaotic situation, these uncertainties just make everything even more problematic."
Even Sasuke couldn't help but sigh at the escalating complexity.
"Sasuke," Naruto tried to find a silver lining, "try not to worry too much. We now have the Sage of Six Paths and his brother, Ōtsutsuki Hamura, here in Konoha. Surely they won't be like Indra and Madara! We've gained two allies, after all!" And incredibly powerful ones at that.
But Sasuke looked even more troubled. "That's precisely the problem, Naruto. Think about it. If even the Sage of Six Paths was brought here by this chaos... then couldn't more people be brought to this era?"
Naruto froze for several seconds, then his eyes widened in sudden realization. "Sasuke... are you saying... Ōtsutsuki Kaguya might also...?"
"Yes!" Sasuke confirmed, his voice low and intense. "And possibly an unsealed Kaguya... and perhaps even... more Ōtsutsuki brought here by the chaos!"
More... Ōtsutsuki! If that happened, things would spiral completely out of control.
"Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki, Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya..." Sasuke listed grimly, "and perhaps even other... Ōtsutsuki."
Numerous Ōtsutsuki gathered together in this era... under such circumstances... did the shinobi world truly stand a chance?
"Other Ōtsutsuki..." Naruto echoed, stunned. He paused. "Are there really that many Ōtsutsuki?"
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