Six Paths Sage, or rather, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, had practically taken his own life.
Back then, after sealing the "Divine Tree," he noticed a new possibility in his son, Asura. So he split the Ten-Tails' power inside his own body into nine parts, sealing the Ten-Tails' outer shell in the moon.
Note that normally, a Ten-Tails Jinchūriki doesn't die after losing its Tailed Beast; they're left in a state so weak they seem dead, unable to move for months, but they don't actually die—on the condition that the Gedo Statue still retains considerable vitality.
But in Hagoromo's case, while extracting the Tailed Beasts, he also sealed the Gedo Statue to prevent the Ten-Tails from reviving. That was what caused him to grow old and die—a very "avant-garde" style of suicide.
As for that so-called new possibility: in short, he chose to believe in everyone's strength—believing that unity through love was the real power and the future.
Thus, he willingly sacrificed himself, hoping his son could guide humanity toward peace.
In ancient times, the conceptual "thought-level" was primitive; everyone was still groping in the dark. Rare patches of peace were either created by Kaguya, who ate the Divine Tree's fruit and used her unrivaled power to "end the wars," or by Hagoromo himself founding Ninshū and "ending the wars."
Essentially, they were using great power to suppress all conflict.
Though it might look like peace on the surface, Hagoromo, who could connect people's hearts through chakra, knew better. So to open a new path, he chose to give his life.
Sadly, things went awry: the two sons quarreled endlessly, and the living world transformed Ninshū into ninjutsu, fighting without end.
Had he wholeheartedly believed in the "Child of Prophecy changes the world" from the start, he wouldn't have decided to entrust everything to his son's new path and give his life.
By the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, he pinned his hopes on Naruto, the "Child of the Prophecy," purely because there was no other option left.
As a deceased soul, his remaining power was limited—set aside to deal with the Ten-Tails' resurrection and prevent the Divine Tree's return. For anything else, he could only watch from the Pure Land as people twisted his painstakingly created Ninshū into something else.
If anyone claimed he didn't care about the living world, that would just be lying to himself. But about actually reincarnating, the Sage just gently shook his head. He was disappointed enough in humanity that he felt no urge to revive. And if he did come back, so what?
He didn't wish to "end the wars" by brute force again; the Ōtsutsuki's power was simply too great. Over-reliance on that kind of power could never lead to true peace.
It was better to wait, to see if humans could learn to understand one another and bond through love someday.
Given all he'd witnessed, he knew that clinging to fleeting hopes could lead only to greater disappointment.
"Once you defeat Kaguya, do you have any wishes for the future?" ×2
The Sage of Six Paths turned simultaneously toward Link and "First" Hashirama, asking them the exact same question.
"I dunno," Hashirama answered without hesitation, scratching the back of his head and laughing. "Now that I get to meet the Sage of Six Paths or whatever, it really feels like I'm dreaming!"
"I don't have any big plans for the future. Maybe my younger brother Tobirama has some, but as for me…"
"Honestly, ever since I was resurrected, I've been trying to figure out what I should be doing in this new era—but even now, all I've done is use my strength where it's needed."
"Maybe I'm just too dim-witted."
"But I do believe that someday, everyone can sit together for a drink without needing to threaten each other with power."
"I believe my village is working hard toward that goal, too."
He let out a hearty laugh, showing no trace of embarrassment at his own cluelessness. He had no doubts—once he'd decided on something, he committed wholeheartedly. In that sense, he and Naruto were indeed quite alike.
The Six Paths Sage didn't show much reaction. Over his long existence, he'd seen far too many "good" or "evil," "righteous" or "wicked" humans.
Everyone's personality and dream were shaped by their era and environment. A war-ravaged world inevitably gave rise to throngs of people longing for peace. Yet working hard for peace didn't guarantee a good outcome—it might not bring peace at all.
In the manga, even seeing Sasuke controlling the nine Tailed Beasts for his "revolution," Hagoromo stayed calm, saying: "So it's come to this after all."
Such was the perspective of someone who'd lived so long. Nothing was truly new to him.
(What about your answer?) he wondered. The old man's heart, usually unruffled, now held a bit of curiosity. He'd asked that question countless times before, but for once, there was something novel about this "strange kid"—someone who genuinely opened a new era. Hagoromo found himself slightly expectant.
"A wish for the future?" Link thought for a moment, then said frankly, "To keep getting stronger, settle anything that rubs me wrong, live together with my friends, then maybe explore other worlds and start a new adventure."
He'd never planned on roping the Sage of Six Paths into serving him or anything. That just wasn't realistic—and aside from preventing catastrophic threats, Hagoromo wouldn't bother taking a hand in worldly affairs.
(That's surprisingly plain.)
The Sage wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or not, but he still couldn't help asking, "And about peace—do you have any thoughts?"
"Peace—?" Link scratched his cheek with a finger. "Well, the kind of 'everyone truly understands one another' peace you imagine probably can't happen forever. Humans are the sort of beings who see each other through thick barriers—mental or material. Being misunderstood is what we humans are used to most."
He paused, recalling his friends and those elders who trusted him, and flashed a slight smile.
"Even so, the fact that people still try—trying to connect, to trust, to change—makes it all the more precious and beautiful."
"Maybe peace never actually comes. Maybe after an endless timeline, all our efforts are futile."
"But at least we've tried. We start with those around us, aiming to make the world look a bit better—who knows how far that can spread?"
"We do our best with our own lives, and maybe that helps us see the world a bit more pleasantly."
He locked eyes with the elderly figure across from him. "That's it."
He wasn't one for grand proclamations about "peace" or talk of sacrificing people for that lofty, intangible word. His path to strength was partly so he wouldn't be stepped on, and partly so that his own will could guide things to a best-case outcome.
(That's the will of me, Link.)
"Understood." Hagoromo nodded. On his tranquil face appeared a faint trace of a smile. "It's still a pretty ordinary, clichéd answer… But with your power, maybe you can actually accomplish it."
He watched as Link turned transparent, vanishing from that shared mental space, quietly reflecting:
(I'll keep my eye on you.)
~~~
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