Sage!

"Sensei." The word was a chorus, uttered by each of them as they bowed in unison, respect inherent in their posture.

Kai nodded, an acknowledgment of their greeting and their readiness. "The war is here. I hope you are all ready."

They straightened, a mix of determination and solemnity in their eyes. Naruto stepped forward, the energy around him almost palpable in its intensity. "We've been ready," he said, his voice a testament to the growth he had undergone under Kai's tutelage.

With a thought, Kai nodded. "Good." He then turned to Sasuke and Naruto, "Come with me." The duo shared a look, a silent conversation passing between them, and followed Kai towards the lake in the dimension. As they arrived, the colossal turtle-like creature, Isobu, surfaced with a splash that whispered of ancient power, acknowledging Kai with a nod of its huge head before submerging once more.

The trio sat at the edge of the serene lake, the calm water reflecting the tumultuous thoughts racing through Naruto and Sasuke's minds. "What is this about, Kai-sensei?" Naruto asked, his voice betraying a hint of the usual exuberance that seemed to perpetually dance around him.

"It is time to uncover the weird chakra you two have," Kai said, his voice steady and sure. His eyes held depths of knowledge that seemed almost out of place in the natural world.

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged puzzled glances, not understanding what Kai meant, but before they could question him, Kai extended his hand. A gentle touch was all it took, and suddenly the world shifted, the scenery melting away to reveal an entirely different dimension.

The Sage of the Six Paths stood before each of them in separate, but identical, vast expanses that seemed to stretch into infinity. The old man was a portrait of serenity, his eyes closed as if in perpetual contemplation. His robes were an ethereal weave of light and shadow, a cascade of fabrics that held the semblance of the cosmos, embroidered with symbols that whispered tales of the ancient world.

His face was lined with the wisdom of ages, each wrinkle a story of the years he had witnessed. The horns that protruded from his head were not threatening but rather regal, a crown given by nature itself. His palms were open, and from them radiated the gentle glow of chakra, illuminating the dimension with a warm light that felt like the dawn of creation.

Naruto and Sasuke, each in their separate yet identical audiences with the Sage, felt a profound peace in his presence, a quietude that belied the war raging in their home dimension.

But to the utter surprise of the old man, suddenly both dimensions melted and merged. The two old men merged into one, Sasuke and Naruto appeared sitting side by side, with Kai sitting behind them, looking at the old man. "No need to hide. Say what you have to say openly," Kai stated plainly, his voice firm but not unkind.

The Sage looked at Kai, taken aback by the unforeseen fusion and the presence of a man capable of such feats. His eyes, which had seen the rise and fall of countless ages, now reflected a glimmer of uncertainty. "My lifespan is limited, and I had to make sure these reincarnations are the ones I should bestow my power upon," he explained, his voice resonant with the weariness of eons.

Kai nodded slightly, indicating for the Sage to proceed with his explanation. With a resigned sigh that seemed to echo the very passage of time, the Sage began his tale.

"In the beginning," the Sage started, his voice steady as if reciting a well-known legend, "there was only the primordial chaos and the energy that permeated all things—chakra. My mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, came from a faraway place seeking the God Tree, the source of all chakra on this world. Consuming the fruit of this tree, she became the progenitor of chakra and gained unfathomable power."

Sasuke and Naruto listened, their eyes wide, absorbing every word as the history of their world was unveiled to them.

Kai's gaze was steady as the Sage unraveled the mysteries of their world. "Her terror was immense, an insatiable hunger for power that knew no bounds," the Sage continued, his voice dipping with the gravity of the memory. "As my mother's might grew, so did her madness, leading her to turn against those she once loved."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "She turned on her own children?"

"Yes," the Sage affirmed. "Her thirst for power blinded her to the ties of family and love. My brother and I, we had no choice but to confront her." The Sage's voice carried the weight of the sorrow of that confrontation, the pain of battling one's own flesh and blood.

Sasuke leaned forward, his tactical mind seeking knowledge. "How did you manage to seal such a powerful being?"

"It was a battle that scorched the heavens and shattered the earth," the Sage said, closing his eyes as if the mere recollection could unleash the horrors of that time. "We combined our strengths and sealed her within me, making me the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails."

Kai observed silently, knowing the importance of these revelations to his students. They needed to grasp the magnitude of the powers they were dealing with.

The Sage's eyes fluttered open, and in them flickered the images of the cataclysmic battle. "But such power was never meant to be held by one. Upon my death, I chose to divide it, creating the nine tailed beasts, each a single aspect of that formidable chakra."

Naruto's fists clenched with empathy for the beasts he knew so personally, "So, they weren't just monsters..."

"No, Naruto," the Sage replied gently. "They were born of my hope that the chakra be used for peace. Each beast with a name, a personality, a purpose."

The dialogue had taken a turn towards the emotional, but Kai's face remained as composed as ever, a mask hiding the storm that might have raged beneath.

"Kai-sensei," Sasuke started, "How does this relate to us?"

Kai nodded to the Sage, giving him the cue to explain further. "You both are the reincarnations of my sons, Indra and Ashura. The cycle of hatred and war you carry has been a constant through the ages. My hope," the Sage paused, glancing at Kai, then back at the young men, "is that you will finally end this cycle."

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