On the Red Line, Susanoo and the Ten-Tails—two colossal beings—clashed violently, their impacts sending tidal waves surging across the seas below.
Imu grew increasingly uneasy as the fight dragged on. At first, he had assumed that with the power of the person inside him combined with the Ten-Tails, defeating Kaito would be more than easy. But the reality was far different from what he had imagined.
From the very start of the battle until now, he had been the one on the receiving end. His attacks barely left a scratch on Susanoo.
Even though Imu's current state made him practically immortal, his energy was not infinite. If the fight continued like this, he risked exhausting himself and falling into hibernation—a fate no different from death.
Compared to him, Kaito seemed utterly at ease. Controlling Susanoo, he struck the Ten-Tails over and over again, carving into it as though it were nothing more than meat laid out on a cutting board.
Finally, Imu could not hold back anymore. He called out to the being inside him:
"Hey! What the hell is going on? Why am I the one getting completely overpowered!?"
"Heh… finally remembered me, did you? The Ten-Tails' power is indeed immense, but you are not of my clan. You could never wield its true strength."
"Damn it! Don't you realize I can't keep this up for long? The Ten-Tails' backlash is getting stronger. If it breaks free, the one who ends up as food won't be Uchiha Kaito—it'll be me! Do you have a way or not!?"
"Of course. Just release my seal, even temporarily. A mere Uchiha Kaito would be no challenge at all."
"..."
Imu's brows furrowed tightly. That method was far too risky. He couldn't guarantee he would be able to reclaim control of his body after lifting the seal.
As he hesitated, Susanoo's blade came down once more, splitting the Ten-Tails in half again.
Imu grunted in pain. Black veins connecting him to the Ten-Tails ruptured in several places, and this time, they didn't regenerate along with the beast's body.
A wave of dizziness swept over him. His body staggered, and when his gaze landed on Kaito standing atop Susanoo's head, a sudden surge of rage welled up inside him.
Gritting his teeth, he shouted:
"Fine then! Show me the true power of the Ten-Tails!!!"
"A wise choice."
In Imu's spiritual world, a pale-skinned figure in white robes hovered in the air, encased in a dome shaped like a straw hat.
Suddenly, the barrier around him shattered into countless points of light and dissolved. A twisted smile spread across his face, and then his form burst into white radiance, flooding the entire spiritual space.
Outside, Imu's body shuddered violently. The black hue covering him faded into pure white, his form now eerily resembling Kaito's own Ōtsutsuki transformation.
But most striking of all were his eyes—his sclera turned crimson, and within them four concentric rings of black ripples formed, transforming them into a pair of red Rinnegan.
Kaito's expression hardened. For the first time, Imu's presence stirred a sense of danger in him.
Imu looked down at his transformed body, then suddenly threw back his head in manic laughter.
"Hahahahaha! This sensation… this reality… it's incredible!"
After a while, he turned his gaze toward Kaito.
"Tell me, junior… I've never heard of you in my clan. And your surname—surely you are not truly an Uchiha, are you?"
Kaito studied the unfamiliar figure before him and replied calmly:
"So you're saying I should bear the name Ōtsutsuki instead?"
"What's this? You don't like the name? Could it be… you're a traitorous guardian too?"
"I'm no one's guardian. I come from the Uchiha clan."
"Still denying it? Hah, what a dishonest junior you are. Well, it doesn't matter. Soon, you'll just be food for the Ten-Tails anyway."
"You're still as arrogant as ever."
"Don't compare me to him. He was just a native. If it weren't for that so-called Heavenly King, I wouldn't have been trapped in his spiritual world for so long."
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
"Who exactly are you?"
"Heheh… I am Ōtsutsuki Reishiki. Perhaps you've never heard my name, but you surely know that of my master—Ōtsutsuki Shibai!"
"Ōtsutsuki Shibai?!"
Kaito's eyes widened. That name truly shocked him. Ōtsutsuki Shibai—the one who had devoured more God Tree fruits than any other, hailed as the God of the Ōtsutsuki clan. His abilities had surpassed human comprehension.
From what the manga recorded, Ōtsutsuki Shibai was supposedly dead, leaving only a corpse behind. But it was also possible that he had evolved to the ultimate extreme, shedding his physical body and traveling to other worlds.
And now this man—who claimed to be Ōtsutsuki Reishiki—was his guardian? And from his own words, he had even betrayed Shibai?
Reishiki seemed almost proud of his betrayal. Standing atop the Ten-Tails, he declared smugly:
"My master consumed too many God Tree fruits back then. His body was on the verge of collapse. I took the chance to deliver the finishing blow. What I didn't expect was for his body to transform into this Ten-Tails. I can feel it… the energy inside this beast is far beyond that of any other Ten-Tails. If I can devour its fruit, I'll gain power beyond imagination!"
Kaito glanced again at the Ten-Tails under Reishiki's feet. It truly was different—most Ten-Tails were white, but this one was pitch black from head to toe.
But another question still gnawed at him. How had Ōtsutsuki Reishiki crossed over into the world of One Piece? And why was he trapped inside Imu's body?
Taking advantage of Reishiki's self-indulgent boasting, Kaito voiced his doubts aloud.
Reishiki didn't bother hiding anything.
"My master had already evolved the ability to traverse dimensions. The moment his body became the Ten-Tails, a dimensional rift opened and pulled me into this world. But this Ten-Tails bore great hostility toward me. Just subduing it nearly drained all my energy, forcing me to lodge temporarily inside this human named Imu."
"And yet, I see you didn't manage to seize full control of his body."
Reishiki snorted coldly, then extended his hand. A tiny straw hat appeared in his palm.
Glaring at it with clenched teeth, he spat:
"It's all because of this damned thing! Imu calls it the Heavenly King. If not for it, I never would have been trapped in this native's body!"
Kaito hadn't expected one of the Ancient Weapons—the Heavenly King—to turn out to be nothing more than a small straw hat. He couldn't help but wonder if it had any connection to the one Luffy wore.
But there was no time for idle thoughts. The sudden appearance of Ōtsutsuki Reishiki had thrown everything into chaos. If Kaito didn't take this fight seriously, he truly risked becoming food for the Ten-Tails.
...
I recommend checking out my new fanfic about the Dying System (Getting Killed Makes You Stronger)!