Chapter 272: The Rubik's Cube, Leading the Kage with an Ōtsutsuki
While the world outside was embroiled in a cataclysmic battle, the night in Konoha remained as quiet and peaceful as ever.
When Kinoshita Genichi returned home, Shizune and Uzumaki Ina were busy in the kitchen. Tsunade and Pakura were sitting and chatting idly.
"Are the kids asleep?" Genichi asked Tsunade.
Tsunade nodded. "Shizune and Ina put them to bed before we got back. Go on, go see them."
There were four children in total. The eldest, Kinoshita Chisato, was nearly eleven. The youngest, Marin, Shizune's daughter born in Konoha Year 63, had just turned two.
"I'll go check on them," Genichi said, heading towards the bedrooms.
Chisato and Aoba shared a room, and Karin and Marin shared another, each with bunk beds.
Genichi looked in on his sons first. Aoba had kicked off his blanket and was sleeping on his stomach, just like when he was a baby. Shaking his head with a private smile, Genichi pulled the blanket back over him and gave his little bottom a gentle pat. Aoba grumbled softly in his sleep but didn't wake.
However, as Genichi was about to leave, Chisato stirred, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. "Dad."
"Is the mission over?"
Genichi turned back and walked over, ruffling his son's hair. "Yes, it's over," he whispered with a smile. "And it went perfectly. Go back to sleep now."
Chisato nodded, but just as he was about to lie down, he paused and grinned. "Dad, I mastered Ice Release today."
Genichi immediately gave him a thumbs-up. "That's my boy. I'll give you a gift tomorrow."
Chisato's eyes lit up. "Is it a ninjutsu scroll?"
"You'll see tomorrow," Genichi said with a knowing smile. "Get some sleep. You'll see it when you wake up."
Chisato nodded and obediently lay back down.
After leaving his sons' room, Genichi went to his daughters'. Karin was fast asleep on the top bunk, completely dead to the world. Two-year-old Marin was curled up in an adorable little ball. Genichi leaned down and kissed her cheek before quietly slipping out of the room.
A late-night meal was ready. Genichi sat down across from Tsunade, and the group of big eaters began to dig in. After such a long and busy day, they were all famished. Shizune and Ina were kept busy refilling their bowls.
Once they had eaten their fill, Tsunade let out a satisfied burp and said lazily, "Ina, your cooking is getting better and better!"
"I made this," Shizune whispered.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Tsunade's face, but she waved it off. "It's all the same!"
Uzumaki Ina giggled, covering her mouth.
Tsunade quickly changed the subject, turning to Genichi. "Genichi, when do you plan on dealing with the threat on the moon?"
Genichi, having finished his meal, wiped his mouth. "Let Naruto and the others handle it."
Pakura looked slightly worried. "Won't it be too dangerous on the moon? If something goes wrong, it won't be easy for us to send reinforcements from here."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had all performed exceptionally well this time, surpassing many of the Kage. But it was natural to worry about the younger generation, especially on a battlefield as remote as the moon. The Ōtsutsuki there possessed a giant Tenseigan and didn't seem weak.
Tsunade, however, was more confident. "Pakura, you're overthinking it. The moon might be dangerous, but the people there can't be stronger than a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. Besides, with Sasuke's dōjutsu, they can at least ensure their safety."
At the mention of dōjutsu, Tsunade's curiosity was piqued. "Genichi, what exactly is that dōjutsu of Naruto's? Even Uchiha Madara seemed wary of it."
Pakura recalled the situation. "It seemed to be some kind of damage transference?"
Genichi nodded. "It's related to fate. It allows him to link the destinies of designated targets, forcing them to share any damage."
Ina gasped. "Fate? That's incredible!"
Tsunade's eyes widened in understanding. "No wonder Madara's invisible Limbo clone didn't dare finish Naruto off, even though it had the power to. That makes sense."
Indeed, it wouldn't have been difficult for a Limbo clone to kill Naruto. But because of the dōjutsu, even with his superior resilience, Madara couldn't risk it. And as for Sasuke, his Amenotejikara was more than enough to put him in an invincible position against a single Limbo clone.
They chatted for a while longer before Tsunade got up to wash up for the night. Ina and Shizune began clearing the table. Genichi quietly pulled Pakura along and slipped into another bathroom. After Ina and Shizune finished their chores, they too were pulled in for another round of "washing up."
It was a long and strenuous night.
The next morning, Genichi was up early as usual. He hadn't forgotten the promise he made to his son, and he didn't intend to break it.
When Chisato finished washing up and trotted over to the dining table, Genichi, who was already seated, pointed with his finger. "There. Your gift."
Chisato's head snapped around. Suspended in the air was a cube, entirely black, but upon closer inspection, it was covered in intricate, dark red patterns.
"This… Dad, what is it? Some kind of ninja tool?" Chisato asked after examining it for a moment.
Just then, Karin and Aoba, having finished their morning routines, gathered around, staring curiously at the floating cube.
"What is this thing?" Aoba asked.
Before Genichi could explain, Karin reached out and touched it. The moment her finger made contact, the cube reacted. With a mechanical click, it rapidly unfolded and collapsed, landing in her hand like a piece of cloth.
Karin gasped as the strange material suddenly liquefied, flowing over her hand and up her arm, quickly enveloping her entire body.
The other three children watched in stunned silence until Karin was covered from the neck down in a form-fitting suit of black armor.
"So cool!" Aoba exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. He wanted one too. He didn't know what it did, but it looked awesome.
Chisato's eyes were wide as well. It was incredibly cool, but his sister had gotten to it first. He should have just grabbed it. Annoyed with himself, he didn't demand it back but instead asked urgently, "Karin, how is it? Does it do anything special?"
Karin was still a bit dazed. Hearing her brother's voice, she looked down at herself. "I feel… a lot stronger. And also…" she trailed off. "My reflexes… it feels like a faint electric current is stimulating and activating my cells."
Chisato's eyes lit up. "Like Kakashi-sensei's Chidori Body Flicker, or the Hidden Cloud's Lightning Release Chakra Mode?"
Karin nodded, but before she could speak, a slightly robotic voice sounded out. "Young Mistress, Lightning Release cell activation is merely my most basic function. In addition, I provide electromagnetic field-based physical enhancement and Sage Mode assistance…"
"Are you the one talking?" Karin cried out.
Chisato and Aoba stared with wide eyes.
"Yes, Lady Karin," the armor replied. "You may call me Cube. It is the name Lord Genichi gave me upon my creation."
The three children turned in unison to look at Genichi.
He smiled. "Cube is… a special kind of artificial human I created using Yin–Yang Release, similar to Tobi and the other White Zetsu you've seen. Of course, Cube is far more powerful."
Chisato swallowed hard. "An artificial human… Dad, have you started creating people with Yin–Yang Release?"
At eleven years old and having recently joined a Root experimental class, combined with the access he had to the family's vast library of scrolls, Chisato knew a great deal.
"Not quite, strictly speaking," Genichi chuckled. "Cube doesn't have a soul yet. Its consciousness comes from two parts: a genetic program I designed, and a portion of my own spiritual will."
Comparing Cube to a White Zetsu wasn't entirely accurate. It was more akin to Black Zetsu. However, Genichi had weakened the influence of his own will and added more complex genetic programming. If anything, Cube was a super-enhanced version of the rock golem he had created for Might Guy to play with years ago.
Cube's consciousness wasn't an independent personality like Black Zetsu's, but it was far more intelligent than the golem. It could, for example, proactively protect the children and flexibly use the abilities in its programming, which included three main categories: Lightning Release, Magnet Release, and Sage Mode. It could also actively absorb and store knowledge. Of course, by infusing it with a part of his will, Genichi had also endowed it with the vast knowledge he himself possessed. This made Cube a capable, if not particularly clever, teacher.
The creation of Cube wasn't just a sudden whim. Like the rock golem, it was a further experiment in using Yin–Yang Release to create life. Cube wasn't truly alive, but it was incredibly close. It was even possible that, over time, it could evolve a personality of its own and become a true person.
After hearing their father's explanation, the three children gasped in unison. "Amazing!"
Chisato looked at Genichi with pleading eyes.
Genichi smiled. "Cube!"
"Yes, Lord Genichi!" Cube responded. It detached itself from Karin, reformed into its cube shape, and floated in front of Chisato. "Master Chisato, as per Lord Genichi's command, you are my primary master."
A wide grin spread across Chisato's face.
Karin watched with longing. She wanted one too. She looked at her father. Aoba, equally envious, also turned his hopeful gaze on Genichi.
Genichi spread his hands. "This is a reward for Chisato mastering Ice Release. Karin, Aoba, if you two can achieve something like your brother, Dad will prepare gifts for you as well."
"Will it be a Cube too?" Aoba asked eagerly.
"Cube is one of a kind," Genichi smiled, "but your gifts will be just as good."
Aoba pumped his fist, filled with new motivation. "I'll work hard, Dad!"
Karin, as the older sister, wouldn't be outdone. "Me too!" Of course, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as she watched her brother interacting with Cube.
Genichi nodded with a smile. He was very satisfied with his three older children. Chisato had been self-disciplined from a young age, awakening a three-tomoe Mirror Eye first, then the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai at six, and mastering Kyōka Suigetsu at ten. Now, at eleven, he had mastered Ice Release, his fourth Kekkei Genkai. Karin had awakened her three-tomoe Mirror Eye at four, mastered the Adamantine Sealing Chains at eight, and inherited her mother Ina's mind-control Kekkei Genkai at nine. The slightly younger Aoba had also awakened his Mirror Eye at four and mastered Magnet Release at seven, allowing him to control iron sand and gold dust.
As for the youngest, Marin, she hadn't shown any abilities yet.
Beyond their Kekkei Genkai, all three children possessed enormous chakra reserves. In a sense, they all had a version of Genichi's own Sage Body. With a father like Genichi and mothers who were all Kekkei Genkai users, Chisato and his siblings were destined for greatness. Whether they could reach Genichi's current heights, however, remained to be seen. But Genichi himself had full confidence in his eldest son. With his sharp mind, disciplined work ethic, and the incredible foundation he'd been given, reaching the level of the Sage of Six Paths was not an impossible dream.
Before breakfast was even ready, the three kids were chattering excitedly around Cube. Genichi left them to their own space, sitting at the table and reviewing a genetic sequencing report compiled by Kabuto.
A little while later, Tsunade and the others returned from walking the youngest, and saw the three children gathered around a talking cube.
"Eh? What's this?" Tsunade and the others were intrigued.
Little Marin was the most curious. She wriggled out of her mother Shizune's arms and toddled on her short legs towards her brothers, calling out, "Onii-chan!"
Chisato quickly bent down and scooped her up. Marin stared at Cube and reached out to grab it. Cube proactively lowered itself and shrank in size. Marin, not at all scared, grabbed it.
"Hello, Lady Marin. I am Cube," its voice emanated.
The little girl was startled and dropped it, shrinking back into her brother's arms, though her eyes remained fixed on the floating object.
Chisato and the others couldn't help but laugh.
"Cube, can you turn into someone like us?" Chisato asked.
"Of course, Master Chisato," Cube replied. Before their eyes, it liquefied into a black mass, then reformed into a small humanoid figure the size of a doll, with red eyes and a black body covered in dark red patterns.
Little Marin squirmed, reaching out a small hand to touch it. Cube extended its own hand in response, and they held hands. This time, Marin didn't feel cold metal; Cube's hand felt just like a real person's.
"Hello, Lady Marin!" Cube greeted again.
Marin's eyes went wide. "You know me?"
Cube nodded. "Of course. Lord Genichi endowed me with that information when he created me."
"Daddy~" Marin looked at Genichi. "Daddy, can Cube play with me?"
Genichi smiled. "Well, you'll have to ask your brother Chisato. Cube is his partner."
So, Marin turned her big, hopeful eyes to her eldest brother. "Onii-chan~"
Chisato scratched his head and smiled. "Cube is my training partner. How about when I'm not training or on a mission, I'll let him play with you?"
Marin nodded happily. "Thank you, Onii-chan!"
"I want to play too!" Karin and Aoba immediately chimed in.
Chisato gave them a helpless smile. "You two should just work hard and have Dad make one for each of you!"
Tsunade and the others, who were seeing Cube for the first time, had gotten the details from Genichi while the siblings were talking and were now looking at it with great curiosity.
"Genichi, can Cube fight on its own?" Tsunade asked.
Before Genichi could answer, Cube spoke up. "Lady Tsunade, I am capable of independent combat. I can absorb natural energy to generate chakra. However, while I possess a combat mode and have mastered abilities such as Lightning Release and the Kekkei Mōra of Magnet Release, I lack true intellect and am therefore not very flexible. My abilities are best utilized in a supportive role."
The women were all astonished.
"He certainly doesn't sound like he lacks intellect," Pakura commented.
"Lady Pakura, my intellect comes from Lord Genichi," Cube stated.
"That's how it is for now," Genichi said. "Whether it can evolve beyond that in the future, I don't know."
Cube responded, "I will do my best, Lord Genichi. I hope I will not disappoint you."
Genichi raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Good. I look forward to that day."
Breakfast was even livelier than usual with the addition of a special new family member. Karin, Aoba, and little Marin ordered Cube around, and its deadpan, serious delivery of every statement, even jokes, brought waves of laughter from everyone.
After breakfast, Chisato, Karin, and Aoba left for the Academy. Chisato left Cube behind to play with his little sister. Shizune stayed home to look after her daughter, while Genichi, Tsunade, and Uzumaki Ina headed to the Hokage Tower.
In the large conference room, the past Hokage and the current Kage of Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning were all assembled.
Once everyone was seated, Genichi began. "The intelligence is mostly clear. However, it is not good news."
The hearts of the Raikage and Tsuchikage sank. If it wasn't good news, it was probably even worse for them. Over the years, the villages had formed an alliance to deal with the threat of Madara, linked by teleportation platforms. This, combined with Konoha's experimental classes siphoning off talented individuals, had shifted the balance of power. Although these geniuses officially belonged to their home villages, their loyalty to Konoha, and specifically to Genichi, ran deep. On the surface, the villages remained independent, but in reality, they had been heavily infiltrated. If things continued this way, the very existence of separate shinobi villages would become obsolete. They had hoped that defeating Madara would allow them to restore the old order, but now it seemed impossible.
Mei Terumi and Pakura were unconcerned; their villages had already begun to merge, even sharing commissioned missions.
Genichi ignored the changing expressions of Kitsuchi and Darui and continued. "Our previous intelligence stated that the White Zetsu were created by Uchiha Madara using the First Hokage's cells and the Gedo Mazo. We can now confirm that the White Zetsu we've seen, as well as the hundred thousand hidden deep underground, are actually products of the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was grim. "You mean to say they were once people who were caught in that genjutsu?"
Genichi nodded.
The faces in the room turned pale, and sweat beaded on several foreheads.
"So the so-called 'Eye of the Moon Plan' was a trap, just as we thought," Tsunade scoffed.
"Was the one who set this trap the man you suspected, the one called Black Zetsu?" Tobirama Senju asked.
Genichi nodded slightly. "It was him. However, our previous theories about his identity were incorrect. Or rather, our theories about the identity of the being sealed on the moon were incorrect."
Pakura was stunned. "Isn't the consciousness of the Ten-Tails sealed on the moon?"
Genichi shook his head. "No. It is a woman named Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. She is the mother of the Sage of Six Paths!"
A wave of shock rippled through the room.
"Wait, Lord Genichi," Darui interjected. "I recall you saying that the moon itself was a seal created by the Sage of Six Paths using the power of his Rinnegan?"
"That part is correct," Genichi affirmed. "Ōtsutsuki Kaguya was sealed away by the Sage of Six Paths—or more accurately, by the Sage and his brother together."
The Kage exchanged bewildered glances. A son sealing his own mother? It was unthinkable.
"Why?" Hashirama Senju asked, his brow furrowed. "Was it related to the Ten-Tails?"
Genichi nodded. "As sharp as ever, Lord First. Yes, it was directly related to the Ten-Tails. Ōtsutsuki Kaguya consumed the fruit of the God Tree and gained the Rinne Sharingan, the origin of both the Rinnegan and the Sharingan. She gave birth to two sons: Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, who would become the Sage of Six Paths, and Ōtsutsuki Hamura, the ancestor of the Hyuga clan and the Ōtsutsuki clan of the moon."
"But before that, Kaguya had once cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, using it to end the wars of a thousand years ago. She released some of the people, but others were used as nutrients for the God Tree. She continued to sacrifice living people to the tree, allowing it to absorb their life force to gain power. These people became the White Zetsu."
"The Sage and his brother disagreed with this method and went to war with their mother. Together, they sealed Ōtsutsuki Kaguya away, creating the moon in the process. As for the God Tree—the Ten-Tails—the Sage sealed it within his own body, becoming the first Jinchuriki. But on his deathbed, he divided the Ten-Tails' chakra, creating the nine Tailed Beasts."
"So, Black Zetsu is the will of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya," Tsunade concluded, "manipulating events from the shadows, even tricking Madara into believing he had created him?"
"Precisely," Genichi confirmed. "Regarding the war between Kaguya and her sons, Lord Fifth, I believe you can verify this with the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku."
Minato Namikaze nodded. "Understood. I will have Jiraiya-sensei confirm it."
"However," Genichi continued, "the crucial issue now is not the war between Kaguya and her sons, but Kaguya's origin. She is not of this world. Neither is the God Tree."
The room fell silent.
"Lord Genichi, what do you mean by that?" Kitsuchi asked urgently.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Genichi said flatly. "They come from somewhere else, beyond the stars. In other words, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya is an alien. The God Tree was planted in our world by the Ōtsutsuki clan to absorb natural energy and harvest its fruit."
"Lord Tsuchikage, you are well aware of the vast, uninhabited wastelands to the west of the continent, are you not?"
Kitsuchi nodded, his voice grave. "So, that was caused by the God Tree?"
"Correct," Genichi said. "The God Tree absorbs the very life force of the planet, leaving the land barren and uninhabitable. The Ōtsutsuki clan travels from planet to planet, searching for suitable worlds to plant these trees. This means Kaguya is not the only one… and they typically operate in pairs. Though I don't know what happened between them, it is certain that another Ōtsutsuki is hiding somewhere in our world. His name is Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, and he also possesses a Ten-Tails. And sooner or later, the Ōtsutsuki from the stars will come to harvest their fruit."
Minato's expression was grim. "This means that the threat of Kaguya is not the most terrifying one. The most terrifying threat is the alien race, the Ōtsutsuki!"
"Exactly," Genichi affirmed. "You must understand, consuming the God Tree's fruit grants not only immense power but also a vastly extended lifespan. The Ōtsutsuki use this to plunder the life of entire planets, all in the hope of attaining godhood!"
Godhood.
At that word, the hearts of Tsunade and all the Kage grew heavy. Uchiha Madara alone had been a terrifying foe. Above him was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, and beyond her was an entire clan of beings just as powerful.
Seeing their somber expressions, Genichi pressed his point. "Therefore, we must concentrate all our power to face this crisis brought on by an alien civilization. We must cultivate more geniuses, raise more powerful shinobi to face the Ōtsutsuki invasion. You saw it for yourselves. Just by becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Madara gained a form of immortality. Kaguya has remained alive despite being sealed for a thousand years. The Ōtsutsuki will not abandon the God Tree's fruit, and they will certainly not spare our world!"
"To the Ōtsutsuki clan, our world is merely their orchard. And we… are merely the nutrients in the soil."
(End of Chapter)
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