Ōtsutsuki Isshiki felt like his mind was buzzing.
His worst nightmare had finally come true!
Watching Ōtsutsuki Urashiki retreating step by step, his face full of wariness, distrust, and even a mix of fear and anger, Isshiki gritted his teeth in frustration. He couldn't understand how the Ōtsutsuki clan had produced someone like Gen-shiki!
Crazy was one thing, but slandering others everywhere? Clearly aiming to devour him, and yet dragging him into unrelated matters whenever possible?
Ōtsutsuki Gen-shiki, where is your conscience?!
"Don't look at me like that. Things aren't what you think."
Isshiki's face was full of pain as he struggled to control his emotions and spoke.
"That guy Gen-shiki is a lunatic, I..."
"A lunatic? That's true!"
Urashiki, recalling how he was beaten to a pulp by Kitagawa Minamoto, utterly defeated and left in misery, was filled with resentment even amidst his pain.
"But he said all his ideals came from you. He claimed he would carry your will and step onto the so-called 'Divine Ascension Stairway.' Do you dare say you're innocent?!"
"I am innocent! Look at me now—how am I any different from you?"
"Hmph, Gen-shiki said that you did it too!"
"..."
"You killed Kaguya, devoured the fruit, and now you're like this just to evade our investigation and pursuit!"
"..."
"I really didn't expect this, Isshiki. You're so ruthless. Even more surprising is that you broke free from the clan's rules and unleashed Gen-shiki's ambitions!"
"..."
At this moment, Isshiki felt like his fists had completely hardened.
He hadn't said or done anything. It was all Gen-shiki—Gen-shiki, that lunatic! He was clearly the victim, so why did he end up being the biggest scapegoat?
"Stop spouting nonsense! I didn't do anything!"
Isshiki couldn't hold back anymore. He loudly interrupted Urashiki and rubbed his temples before explaining.
"It's all Gen-shiki. He's gone mad; he's making things up and framing me. I'm innocent!"
"Innocent?"
Urashiki sneered, still looking at Isshiki with extreme caution as he spoke in a low voice.
"Then where is Kaguya?"
"She's sealed away."
Isshiki replied helplessly, but Urashiki burst out laughing upon hearing this.
"Sealed? Sealed by you? I think it's more than just sealed—she was killed by you, wasn't she? Not even given a chance to become a Kāma!"
"I didn't! She was sealed by others!"
"And the fruit?"
"The fruit was..."
"Who nurtured the fruit?"
"..."
"Don't tell me she attacked you, used you as a sacrifice, and finally consumed the fruit herself?"
"..."
Seeing Urashiki's expression of "Do you think I'm an idiot?" Isshiki fell silent.
He was truly at a loss now. These were the facts, but he realized that saying them out loud sounded exactly like the nonsense Gen-shiki had been spreading. No one would believe him!
Isshiki was bewildered. He couldn't understand what had happened to this world—why was telling the truth no longer credible? Instead, Gen-shiki's absurd claims were believed by everyone?
Even Isshiki himself had to admit, if he were in their shoes, he'd probably believe Gen-shiki more readily.
"Regardless of what you think, Gen-shiki's actions have nothing to do with me."
Isshiki took a deep breath, feeling his fists growing harder and harder.
But he still needed to explain. Urashiki, despite being an idiot, was a natural ally. And Gen-shiki was far too difficult to handle—Isshiki had to find someone to cooperate with!
"I'm a victim too. That guy has already confronted me, even forcing me to revive on a worthless host, only to have to transfer my Kāma again!"
"Hmph."
Urashiki snorted coldly, his wary gaze seeming to say, "Keep making things up."
"Moreover, if I were really like him, would your Kāma have escaped?"
Isshiki had no choice but to resort to "threats."
"You've just begun engraving yours, while my host can already unlock the 'second stage.' And both of our hosts are in the same organization!"
"Hiss..."
Urashiki sucked in a breath of cold air, his expression resembling someone who had just escaped a tiger's den, only to fall into a wolf's lair.
"And stop thinking about irrelevant things. Right now, we have a common enemy."
Isshiki sighed and continued speaking.
"Besides, I've been away for a thousand years. The ones searching for me and Kaguya wouldn't just be you, right?"
"Hmm..."
Urashiki nodded thoughtfully. This point was undeniable.
"There's also Momoshiki and Kinshiki."
"Exactly. When they arrive, even if you don't trust me, you won't be able to escape from the three of them."
Although Isshiki found this situation humiliating, he had no choice but to say it to clear his name.
"Once everything is resolved, I'll return with you under your supervision. As long as we reach the clan's domain..."
"Won't the truth of my words be revealed?"
The Ōtsutsuki clan's domain lay beyond the stars, boasting not only immense power but also unimaginable "technology." With such technology, lies would have nowhere to hide!
"Fine... I'll tentatively believe you."
Although Urashiki still didn't trust Isshiki deep down, he had no other choice at this point. After all, compared to Isshiki, he hated Gen-shiki even more.
That lunatic not only beat him to this state but also "refined" him—this grudge had to be settled no matter what!
As for Isshiki...
As long as he remained cautious and waited for Momoshiki and Kinshiki to arrive, the crisis would naturally be resolved.
"Then let's talk about Gen-shiki."
Thinking of this, Urashiki, though still keeping his distance, relaxed slightly.
"What's the deal with that guy? Why is he so strong?"
"The reason is simple. He embraced the unique aspects of this world."
Isshiki didn't hide anything, speaking solemnly.
"This world is complex. The people here can utilize Chakra."
"They're just inferior beings who can use Chakra, nothing special."
Urashiki interrupted with disdain, but Isshiki ignored him and continued.
"Although their lives span merely a few decades, the battles they experience in that short time exceed what we accumulate over thousands of years."
"What?"
Urashiki frowned, and Isshiki continued with a hint of emotion.
"It seems someone deliberately orchestrated wars over the past thousand years. Battles erupted constantly, so they've been trained from birth."
"From birth?"
"Yes. Some even entered battlefields as children, fighting their entire lives. Their combat experience and techniques have been continuously passed down, refined, and preserved until today."
"And Gen-shiki learned from them?"
Urashiki's expression grew increasingly grave. A thousand years of continuous warfare and bloodshed. The accumulation of such experience and battle techniques, constantly inherited and perfected...
The thought alone was terrifying!
The Ōtsutsuki lived long lives and possessed naturally overwhelming power. Even when facing resistance from natives during planetary harvests, they could easily crush all opposition.
Combat held no challenge for them. There was no need to accumulate battle experience or refine combat techniques. Their bloodline powers were sufficient!
But now, there emerged someone who had learned a thousand years' worth of battle experience, refined and improved combat techniques, and possessed the Ōtsutsuki bloodline...
"Which bastard guided this thousand-year bloodbath and created such a thing?"
Urashiki had realized the severity of the situation and couldn't help but curse.
"And it all benefited that lunatic Gen-shiki. What rotten luck!"
"That's why I said our interests align."
Isshiki didn't refute Urashiki's complaints. He simply looked at him and stepped forward.
"Now, can we cooperate?"
"Hmm."
Urashiki nodded, but when he saw Isshiki suddenly approaching, he instinctively took a step back!
"..."
"..."
This single step plunged them both into silence.
Urashiki felt awkward, but his eyes remained vigilant.
Isshiki maintained a blank expression and said nothing.
But at that moment, his fists had truly, completely hardened.
"Your parents were actually the Fourth Hokage and his wife?"
On the streets of Konohagakure, Sasuke looked incredulously at Naruto, who was sporting a black eye, then turned to Kitagawa Minamoto, who was leaning against a tree with a casual air.
"Senior, is this true?!"
"Oh? You didn't know?"
Minamoto looked at Sasuke with mild surprise.
"Has no one ever told you?"
"No, never."
Sasuke shook his head in confusion, then glared fiercely at Naruto.
"You bastard, why didn't you ever mention this?!"
"You never asked."
Naruto rubbed his black eye before replying with frustration.
"Besides, Grandpa Third and Pervy Sage told me not to talk about it. You know I have that stinky fox inside me, so..."
Although his parents' Chakra within him had been awakened long ago, this was indeed Konoha's highest-level secret. Even if he hadn't always hidden it from Sasuke, he wouldn't have been so explicit about it.
But now that Minato Namikaze and his wife had been summoned, Naruto couldn't pretend ignorance and had to find an excuse to cover up.
"Alright, you know Naruto's situation. Some things need to remain confidential."
Minamoto, naturally perceiving Naruto's awkwardness, decided to help him out. Sasuke nodded obediently.
"I understand, Senior. It's just hard to believe."
"What's hard to believe?"
"The Fourth Hokage was so impressive, but Naruto..."
"Hey! Bastard, what are you implying?"
"My meaning is clear. Apart from your hair color, what resemblance is there?"
"You jerk!"
"The son of a Hokage turns out to be a dead-last idiot—truly unbelievable."
With just a few casual remarks, Sasuke had provoked Naruto, and the two began bickering again.
Minamoto watched with amusement. Truly worthy of being brothers whose Chakra had been reincarnated through the ages—a couple of words were all it took to set them against each other.
"But this is actually quite nice."
Minamoto thought idly, his hands behind his head. He had already resolved the Edo Tensei issue and hadn't paid much attention to the aftermath.
After all, he had gone to the moon to address the most troublesome problem. But now, it seemed everything was proceeding smoothly.
"Kakashi and his father, Sakumo Hatake, have reconciled. Rin Nohara is still adjusting, and the Namikaze couple had the easiest transition..."
The Chakra that the couple had left in Naruto's body allowed them to seamlessly connect with the present. This saved everyone a lot of trouble, especially Naruto.
There would be no sense of disconnection, and the emotional bond formed over those three years wouldn't be lost.
Of course, it also saved Minamoto considerable effort!
"The more capable people there are, the better I can slack off..."
Minamoto had long decided that he would be Konoha's "supreme emperor," and for that, he needed "capable ministers and fierce generals." Otherwise, who would handle affairs for him? Wouldn't he end up like the "Third Hokage"?
The more powerful individuals around, the more comfortable his life would be!
But soon, he seemed to recall something and turned to the two who were still "verbally sparring."
"You two, hold on a moment. Sasuke, how's your eye situation now?"
"Idiot."
Sasuke shot Naruto a fierce glare before turning to Minamoto with immediate respect.
"Lady Tsunade says a simple eye transplant can be done anytime, but the specific procedure still needs to be worked out, so..."
"I see. I understand."
Hearing this, Minamoto could only nod. He still had a mission regarding Sasuke's eyes.
The eye issue was indeed complicated, given the limited information available.
But now, perhaps he could consult someone for advice...
"So you truly have integrated into this world, living alongside these people."
Just as he was pondering, a cold voice echoed in his mind—it was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!
Minamoto had promised to bring a portion of her Chakra outside, allowing her to observe this world properly.
Although she still didn't fully trust him, perhaps due to being sealed for too long, or maybe wanting to verify his claims, she ultimately decided to come out and see.
Her Chakra now resided within Minamoto's body, similar to Naruto's situation with the Nine-Tails.
However, this arrangement was entirely under Minamoto's control. He wouldn't burden himself with an "ancestral troublemaker."
"What's wrong with that? Humans are social creatures who need emotional connections."
Hearing the voice in his mind, Minamoto replied with a smile.
"Anyway, I have something to ask you. Do you know how to handle this boy's eyes?"
"With only half the power, you still need to ask me how to handle it?"
Kaguya remained cold, her gaze following Minamoto's line of sight, fixated on Sasuke and Naruto. After a while, she spoke icily.
"I wondered why they felt familiar. So that's it."
"Hmm?"
Minamoto was momentarily puzzled, but before he could speak, Kaguya's cold voice resonated again.
"It seems I underestimated Hagoromo's cruelty!"
"?"
"I originally thought that after Indra and Asura went to the Pure Land, only their descendants continued fighting."
"..."
"But I never imagined he wouldn't even give his own sons a chance to rest in the Pure Land, forcing them to continuously reincarnate and battle!"
"..."
"Hagoromo, you truly are ruthless!"
"Hiss..." ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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