Naruto: Tales of Ashihara
The Shinden Saga – Arc 4: The Otsutsuki War
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Chapter 170 – Absolute and Serenity
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Five days after the end of the fierce battle between gods and ninjas that opposed Naruto Uzumaki to Yamitsuki Otsutsuki, the Kage council of the Shinobi Union comes together in a summit in the land of Wind, without their savior.
At this summit, the Kazekage, hosting the meeting, is present with his son Shinki. The Mizukage came with his champion Takeshi Minamoto, who played a crucial role in the victory of the Union against Yasona Otsutsuki. They are the only two Kage who could attend this meeting in person.
As the Hokage (and his duplicate) still didn't wake up, Konoha is instead represented by his students Izuna Uchiha and Inoue Yamanaka. The Raikage, whose leg injury is still causing issues, sent his advisor Y Kaho and his daughter Aoki Yotsuki. The Tsuchikage, who was fully healed by Oshio's power before entering battle, is absent for a totally different reason. Her husband Daisuke is present on her behalf.
For anyone other than Izuna and Inoue, barely any information about the battles in Konoha and on the moon could be confirmed. Only some words of mouth could reach ears in other lands. Freshly opening the conversation after formal greetings, Gaara mentions the most confusing rumor.
"How odd is it that from the battle we all thought would be his last, Naruto came back in a pair?" he purposefully words it in a way that reflects the general incomprehension of the situation.
"I see rumors spread faster than the planning of this summit." says Izuna, ready to explain this before being interrupted by Y, who meticulously planned the discussion.
"Let's take things in order." she says. "We all heard about the case of Lord Hokage, but not about the conflicts with other members of the Shinden. Konoha probably also would like to learn how things went in Iwa, right?"
"Indeed. Let us first tell you about what happened in our village then." Inoue suggests, approved by Y with a simple nod. "You must have been informed as it happened that our troops were blocked by the whole Otsutsuki clan at the gate of Konoha, and that two members of the Shinden were present, though only one of them was supervising the clan."
"Yes we know that Naobi Otsutsuki saved some trouble for Yasona, and that Tokubei Otsutsuki took Sasuke Uchiha on personally." says Y to speed up the conversation. "You can jump directly to the detailed outcomes of events. Sasuke Uchiha is alive, but what became of his opponent?"
"Yes, umm…" Inoue resumes, a bit troubled by the improved leadership of the Raikage's advisor. "Tokubei was earlier described as a personal threat and mystery to solve by Sasuke. He was defeated, but not killed. He's currently sealed in the moon. According to Sasuke, he was spared for intel."
"So should we assume that Sasuke intends to unseal that man in the future?" Chojuro asks, curious about what would become of the satellite in this case.
"More importantly, could Tokubei Otsutsuki break out by himself?" Gaara adds a question.
"My father didn't explain his plan…" Izuna answers the first question before the second. "About the seal, as he explained to me, a physical phenomenon that is taking place inside the moon prevents it from breaking. Basically, it is collapsing onto itself, and the only thing keeping it in shape is Tokubei. He has no choice but to stay there to prevent a complete implosion of the moon on himself. As long as he does so, he's unable to set free. Only my father should be able to undo the jutsu, without the need of a substitute."
"A substitute?" Gaara asks aloud.
"Without Sasuke's help, Tokubei could technically get out with the assistance of a person from the outside who would take his place." Izuna explains and reassures the Kazekage. "But it would require that other person to have a Rinnegan as well, and this prison is atrociously harrowing. I'm certain that not even Tokubei's son would help him in that. Or rather, Tokubei wouldn't inflict that to him."
By this statement, the council understands that Izuna must know more about Tokubei's son, whom he briefly fought. But no further questions are asked, as they all choose to leave it to Sasuke. Now that this parenthesis is closed, Inoue gets back to Konoha's main events.
"Now about the rest of the clan… You must have heard that Naobi Otsutsuki killed herself." she says, which causes a light reaction out of Takeshi, unsettled by the choice of Saki's godmother. Inoue goes on. "She reportedly forfeited her life to save the Dragon Sage in an unknown turn of events. But judging from her last words, she must have been aware at that time already of how it was all gonna end. Before disappearing, she passed leadership of the clan on to another individual, who isn't a Shinden."
"So who is that new leader? Anyone we should be cautious about?" asks Y.
"Fureya Otsutsuki, the wife of Tokubei." Izuna answers. "She's powerful, but not nearly as much as the Shinden. My mother Sakura could match her in battle on her own. Also, she's not a threat to us I think. She seems to have elected that any involvement of her clan on Earth would be prohibited for now. They were all transported back to their world anyway."
Hearing this, Takeshi swallows his saliva and blankly gazes at Sojobo's figure that only he sees in the room. He heard this from Izuna before the meeting, but that the whole clan was forced back home explains why Saki didn't come back to him, and why Rihei Otsu disappeared as well. Chojuro, noticing the troubled face of his ninja, misinterprets it and discusses the case of Naobi.
"So she killed herself to save the Dragon Sage, but she already knew it wouldn't change the outcome?" he thinks aloud. "Sounds really unlikely that someone who's lived so long would give up her life like that."
"It is pure love." answers Gaara, thoughtfully, getting everyone's attention. "Pure selfish love. Even if it wouldn't save her lover, she wouldn't let him leave her. It seems that our assumptions about the connection to life that these beings have are simply wrong. After all, Mizukage, you saw the god of destruction let himself die as well."
"This was different, Kazekage." Chojuro replies. "It was more like assisted suicide. And still, I feel like Naobi can't be gone forever."
To this comment, Izuna and Inoue nod in agreement, which doesn't go unnoticed. In Konoha, they witnessed the goddess of creation displaying power and wisdom that makes even the threats of the 4th war sound like training. She had control over life and reality like no one else. She sure must be aware of how important she is, and wouldn't end her existence in such a way. Similar thoughts cross Takeshi's mind, who's extending this interrogation to the case of Hyakki. Is he really even gone? If so, why does he still feel his presence creeping on him constantly?
"Then what about the Dragon Sage?" Shinki suddenly breaks everyone's flow of thought with this question. "If it really happened as you say, Naobi Otsutsuki sacrificed herself to save him, which means he lost or even died but came back. Is he really gone now?"
"Umm… I found the Hokage's battlefield freshly after the fight ended." Izuna tries to answer. "And that was hours after Naobi's death… Something must have happened on the moon beforehand that led to her sacrifice. In her own words, it's likely that both Hokage-sensei and Yamitsuki were about to die. The fight just continued until the true end just before I reached it."
"And so what did you find?" Shinki asks. "I still didn't catch what led us to confirm his death."
"I only found Hokage-sensei right after he passed out. No trace left of Yamitsuki."
"He must be dead." Chojuro confidently says. "The fact alone that our world still exists proves it. All the remains of celestials turn to dust within minutes after their death. That's why Izuna couldn't find his body… This also means that the Hokage killed him, and is now marked with the stigmata that Naobi talked about."
This comment leads to a silence and slow gazes toward Takeshi, who's also known to carry such a hidden mark. At the same time, the tale of Izuna seems incomplete to the representatives of other villages.
"What's with that multiple body rumor then?" Daisuke asks about what they heard regarding Naruto.
"Good question." Y ensures the mediation of the discussion. "Izuna Uchiha, you may tell us all you know about the outcome and consequences of the Dragon Sage's fight now."
"Well… That multiple body thing is likely what led Hokage-sensei to victory." Izuna starts. "He has secretly developed a new cloning jutsu that lets him multiply himself entirely into two independent yet connected selves that share everything except physical form."
"Hmm… This sounds like an impossible upgrade to Narui's fission clones…" Y thinks aloud. "This explains how the Hokage could ensure victory then. He likely died multiple times before finally winning…"
"But he wasn't the only person fighting the Dragon Sage, right?" Aoki asks suddenly, troubled to hear no comments about an acquaintance of hers. "What about the others? Are there casualties?"
"We have only a few injured in Konoha." Inoue first answers. "Against the Dragon Sage, Toneri Otsutsuki died in battle."
"And what about Boruto?" Aoki exclaims, deciding to be more direct.
"He is fine, but still recovering in Konoha." Inoue reassures her before Izuna completes with more consequential details on his case.
"It may be related to Toneri's death, but Boruto's powers seemingly underwent improvements during the fight. It's pretty clear to me that I'm not on par with him anymore." he explains, looking at Takeshi who used to be a rival for the Hyuga, and thinking about how they could still keep up.
"Miss Kaho, I don't think we'll get any clearer information on the Dragon Sage's case until Lord Hokage's return." Inoue interrupts the ongoing topic to get her own sought answers. "Shouldn't we focus more on what most of you witnessed in Iwa? Are there casualties?"
"… You're right, Miss Inoue." Y respectfully answers. "Overall, the victims of these 3 days of conflict were not on the battlefields. We could report over 60 thousand deaths, almost all accidentally or directly caused by the chaos and eruptions that happened all over the world and were supposedly the Dragon Sage's doing. Nearly 90% of these casualties were in the Eastern continent and the archipelago land of Redaku, both on the other side of the globe. We will consider sending help when the Hokage returns. On the battlefield, we count less than a hundred casualties in total, despite drafting thousands. Yasona Otsutsuki did not intend to make victims at any point, apparently. She aimed for supremacy, not a blood bath."
"May I step in to lead the discussion now?" Daisuke stands up and asks, knowing that the topic now is the village he represents. "I apologize again for the absence of my wife. As you know, I am representing a grieving nation. So while I'm here, I'd like to ask you all to pay respect to the late 3rd Tsuchikage."
Following this statement, the two Kage in the room stand up, hold their hats down and begin a minute of silence. Indeed, Iwa is now grieving the loss of their hero Onoki. For this council, he will be remembered as the longest running Kage of all time. For Gaara in particular, he was a friend, and in some way a mentor. He has fought the toughest battle of his life by that man's side.
At the moment, the silence and the context of the council brings him back years ago when he first met the 3rd Tsuchikage. At the time, he felt hostile, arrogant, scarred by a life of conflict with other nations. As it turned out, despite his past, Onoki ended up becoming possibly the second most important actor in the formation of the alliance and then union, right after Naruto.
After this silence, Daisuke goes on to express the speech and demands of his wife.
"Thank you all… I will mainly address Konoha now. First, as Miss Kaho said, the battle resulted in only a few deaths caused by accidents on the battlefield. Yasona Otsutsuki had no intention to make victims as she had in mind to save as many subordinates as possible. She wanted to take over the world like she took over Iwa. Thankfully, with the efforts of the Union, we were freed. Kurotsuchi claimed the village back and she is the one who eliminated the invader."
After a short silence to let everyone absorb the fact that Kurotsuchi is now a god killer, just like Boruto, Naruto, Sasuke and Takeshi, Daisuke goes on with an important demand.
"However, the help of the Union couldn't have reached us if it wasn't for the help of Yamanaka Fuyuko." he says, to Inoue's surprise. "This man, apparently seeking to go back to Konoha's prison after being forcibly freed by a goddess, has found Kurotsuchi and spent weeks planning our escape thanks to his abilities. And without his help, we wouldn't have made it to the battlefield."
Inoue looks at Izuna confusingly and thinks. Konoha did notice that prisoners went missing, but they sure wouldn't have suspected this story. She assumes the goddess to be Naobi, but why would she free Fuyuko? And why would Fuyuko, once free, just seek to get back in his cell? To Izuna, it is good news, as it means that despite his former intent to kill Takeshi and status as a Kakumei member, Fuyuko was still willing to help the Union.
"Regarding this individual, Kurotsuchi has a demand." Daisuke says, now looking at the students of the Hokage. "Fuyuko is currently voluntarily being held in Iwa, waiting to be transferred to Konoha. Would it be possible that, instead of returning him to prison, he is hosted as a shinobi in Iwa?"
"What?" Inoue says, as surprised as everyone else. "You mean to give him a conditional pardon?"
"I'm trying to use light words, but that's basically what Kurotsuchi asked." Daisuke answers. "She and him have developed a strategic understanding while cooperating. His actions show no negative intent toward the Union or even his former enemies at all. And he will be much more useful as a shinobi than in a cell. Takeshi Minamoto can be considered a witness for this."
Everyone looks at Takeshi, who is the one who enabled cooperation with Fuyuko on the battlefield. Of course, Daisuke must be referring to the tengu that Takeshi gave to the Yamanaka, but the ninja in black doesn't want to discuss that. To side with Iwa, he just nods in agreement, getting the attention away from him.
"My mother, the leader of the Yamanaka clan, has also expressed similar ideas previously…" Inoue answers. "So I understand the demand, but I guess we will have to wait for Lord Hokage's decision."
The blue samurai gently nods, satisfied with this hopeful answer. In the meantime, Izuna is seeing the discussion converge to a topic that most people in the room seem to enjoy avoiding. Willing to force this discussion in his way, he brings it up.
"I'd like to get more details on what happened in Iwa now." he asks, making everybody instantly understand what he wants. "Miss Kaho mentioned that the Raikage's absence was due to a broken leg. Facing this kind of injury, I would assume that my help or my mother's would be asked, but it wasn't mentioned. How is Kumo dealing with this then? More generally, how did the Union come to defeat Yasona Otsutsuki? Not that I doubt our power, but a core element of the original plan was that our success against her depended on Konoha's presence."
Well aware of who's case is to be discussed now, all the people in the room look at Takeshi, who is considered responsible for the involvement of any third party. The Minamoto looks at Izuna, waiting to confirm what he first heard from Sakitsuki. Siding with his friend, he makes it the topic of the discussion.
"Oshio Uchiha was the key." he frankly says. "When I found reinforcement in Iwa, along with Fuyuko Yamanaka, we knew that even all together, our chances of winning were still weak. So we sought help from Oshio. He was the only one able to match Yasona's power, and is the reason why fatal injuries, including the Raikage's broken leg, didn't turn into casualties."
Hearing this, Aoki feels shameful and angry at Takeshi's choice of words. Everyone in the room seems embarrassed, but not Izuna.
"Isn't this great news?" he says enthusiastically. "Oshio and Fuyuko have agreed to help the Union, and led us to victory. They asked nothing in return. None of them even attempted to escape afterwards. Doesn't it pave the way for a future redemption?"
To his disappointment, Izuna doesn't feel his energy reflected by the others. On the contrary, they all look down or away. Some of them even embarrassingly tap their fingers on the table.
"Am I missing something?" the Uchiha asks.
"This is something that we would have liked to discuss with Naruto, and not with you." Gaara says hesitatingly while everybody else still stays silent.
As clueless as Izuna at first, Inoue quickly analyzes the room and, without using any of her abilities, takes one wild yet correct guess.
"They want to execute Oshio."
The reactions of the Kage and their assistants, and the empathetic stare of Takeshi confirm it. At first, Izuna is only left speechless by how sudden this suggestion arose. After almost a minute of silence, taking the lack of protest as agreement from the room, he blows out.
"How did you come to this? Is that really the next thing that comes to your mind after he saved all your lives? Is that the thanks he gets?"
"He carelessly stepped into battle, directly causing Lord Raikage's injury." Shinki, the Kazekage's son, gets involved first to argue with the prisoner's brother. "He is dangerous."
Izuna is just startled and disgusted by this statement. The Kazekage, and everyone else in the room, just waits for Shinki to go ahead and speak more. Even though he took a very provocative tone, he knows the reasons for this decision and is expected to share them. So the prodigy of Suna goes ahead and speaks freely.
"According to Takeshi, Oshio didn't even need help to break containment. He could get out of that volcano anytime he wanted to. Even without his eyes, his power is too much to be kept in a cell."
"So is mine!" Izuna argues, starting to raise his tone. "Compared to you, … I mean compared to the elites, my father, Oshio or me, are on a different level. Which is why we are such valuable assets to the Union. Oshio is like me and my dad. He is an asset, not a threat. And he could be much more helpful on our side than jailed or gone."
"Izuna, …" Gaara says, unsatisfied by the arguments of his son. "I am against the suggestion of the council. But it's not only about his power."
"I have some answers to provide on this point, since I represent the nation that hosts him." Daisuke says, getting all the attention to him. "I hate to say this, because Sasuke is a friend of mine, but I am only reporting for Iwa… After analysis, it turns out that Oshio Uchiha is too expensive to be kept alive. The only reason this section of the prison is still being maintained is because he is there. This is funded only by tax money, which we partly receive from the higher ups of the land who took shelter in Iwa after Kakumei killed the Daimyo. From the beginning, they were already upset to learn that their money was used to sustain this man."
"This can't be serious! You can't make this about money." Izuna exclaims, now visibly angry. "If that's the case, then releasing him would solve the problem. It won't cost a dime to these oligarchs! How selfish and insecure are you? You really dare to say this in the same meeting where you ask for Fuyuko's pardon?"
"Fuyuko Yamanaka's case is different." Daisuke answers sadly before being cut off by Shinki who comes back in.
"This wasn't agreed upon either. The case of Fuyuko is up to the Hokage and Tsuchikage's choice. Oshio's isn't. Death sentence is what he deserved in the first place."
Hearing this direct bait, Inoue gasps while Izuna holds himself back, clenching his fist. Annoyed by the growing tension and the lack of transparency, Y Kaho takes back the leadership of this council and explains the truth.
"Izuna Uchiha. There are many motives that led to this idea, and those mentioned are honestly the least reasonable." she waits for calm and tells everything. "What Sir Daisuke didn't mention is that Iwa did expect Oshio's containment to be affordable and even to have a return on investment. Their scientific department has been publicly studying his white rods. Besides the fact they couldn't get any good results from this research, it turns out the power of these rods is limited and fading now. If they were still working as expected, Why isn't Lord Raikage here? Why are there still wounded ninjas recovering from the battle in Iwa? You know that if Oshio had full control of his Rinnegan, he could have totally healed all injuries."
Hearing this, Izuna reaches below his gauntlet and grabs the piece of white rod he's been keeping since he escaped Hikari. To his surprise, he really finds it fragile and slowly decomposing, but most importantly empty of energy. He can't sense the presence of his brother through it anymore, and didn't even notice it earlier. Seeing him realize the unfortunate reason for this change, Y goes on.
"There is no mystery about this downgrade. Oshio warned us himself. He is losing his nature, and Momoshiki Otsutsuki is taking over. He is still capable of using these rods, but doing it further would mean submitting. This is not about maintaining Oshio, but stopping Momoshiki."
"But my father is looking for a solution!" Izuna yells, now unarguably able to understand the concern. "He will stop Momoshiki! Even if it's too late, they defeated him once. Why wouldn't they be able to stop him again?"
"It is clear, even according to Oshio, that Momoshiki would come back stronger if he succeeds." Y answers. "And even omitting this detail, you know that we can't take the risk of letting him run free even for an instant. Even given the condition, I know you can tell it wouldn't be right."
Izuna looks around and sees all the other Kage sadly agreeing. None of them is optimistic about Sasuke's quest. At this point, Sasuke himself is probably losing hope as well. Refusing to listen, Izuna's anger just grows as he tightens his hold on the white rod piece in his palm. But before going on, he is calmed by the voice of Inoue calling his name.
When he turns around to look at her, he catches sight of his reflection in her eyes. There he sees his awakened eternal eyes, unleashed by the emotion. Ashamed, he looks down and hides his Dojutsu. After a short gaze toward Takeshi, who seems to maintain neutrality, Izuna hurriedly walks out of the room with only one intention in mind. To talk about this with Oshio directly.
After this exit, the room goes quiet, in relief and awkwardness. Inoue, left alone to represent Konoha, feels empathy towards her boyfriend's dilemma. Even though he left, she continues the debate to confront the Kage with the harsh truth, in Oshio's defense.
"If I may speak some words in the name of Konoha, as the substitute for Lord Hokage at this council… Since the actions of Kakumei, some undeniable changes have happened. And as a result, the Shinobi Union is doing much better."
"What do you mean by that?" Aoki questions, offended by the idea that the former enemy of the Union could have been to their profit.
"I mean that since the nations can no longer be treated purely as the properties of the feudal families, the influence of the Kage has grown to such an extent that implementing collaborations between each other and protecting our lands has become way easier. The voices of the Kage are proving themselves to be better for the future of the Union and its inhabitants than the Daimyo order ever was."
"So are you saying Kakumei was right to destroy villages and families?" Shinki argues to support Aoki.
"I do not, and I don't believe that you understand it that way either." the Yamanaka calmly claps back. "What I mean is simply that their target, aside from Lord Hokage and Sasuke Uchiha, have always and only been the feudal order. If we cut it down to this, we can't deny that they got close to victory. The only territory that the feudal families still have full control over now is Shin no Kuni and this is only after Kakumei's fall. Since then, Oshio Uchiha's goal has been reached without his involvement, following the murders of the Water feudal heir and the Daimyo of Lightning."
Takeshi crosses gaze with Inoue, and then with Chojuro, at that moment. What Inoue just mentioned just brought back memories from several years ago, when he first met Sakitsuki, defeated Hideo Kotobuki, and when Karasu Komori died. Alerted, Chojuro catches on to let Inoue follow.
"Kakumei has indeed seemingly won, since we the Kage are now a couple years away from claiming control of our lands." says the Mizukage. "Might makes right, as Oshio Uchiha intended. But this doesn't answer Shinki and Aoki's questions, Inoue Yamanaka."
"Right. What I mean to say is that if Oshio is put in the tutelage of Sasuke Uchiha in Lord Hokage's village, then he will have no enemies left." Inoue explains. "And as proven by his intervention against Yasona Otsutsuki, he is a valuable and benevolent ally. Someone on the level of Boruto, Takeshi and Izuna can only be welcome, and worth saving by all reasonable means. Had you suggested his execution to Lord Hokage directly, he would have categorically refused without a doubt."
Hearing this, Y Kaho, monitoring the council, slowly nods as there is no reason to disagree with these words. Aoki and Shinki stare at each other, lacking answers. Daisuke, embarrassed to side with those who want to take down Sasuke's son, looks down shamefully. The Kazekage, bugged by the behavior of his son, speaks to conclude this discussion.
"Everyone here is aware of this." he says, now taking a position on Inoue's side. "This isn't Naruto's way. He wouldn't approve of this. And neither do I. Even without a decision taken by this council, if Iwa refuses to keep Oshio, then he would ultimately become the responsibility of his parents, Sakura and Sasuke Uchiha. But it is worth discussing the threat of Momoshiki's return. Sasuke will certainly act wisely, so I believe we should let him decide Oshio's fate. Inoue, you can reassure Izuna. Without Naruto's or my agreement, no execution will happen."
After this, Chojuro thinks and quietly agrees. He assumes that Kurotsuchi and Darui would have done so as well, since all the Kage undoubtedly trust Naruto, especially now that he proved everyone wrong and has elevated himself to a newer level. Y hurries to lead the meeting again, ensuring its proper conclusion.
Takeshi Minamoto, not sensing Izuna's chakra anywhere near this village anymore, figures out that his friend already left, supposedly to see either his parents or his brother. Not minding the background noise of Tentoki sharing his thoughts about the discussion in his mind, the ninja in black focuses on the Daitengu's presence, as to find an answer within his knowledge of the future. Sojobo, with a simple gaze, lets his heir guess what will happen to the young Rinnegan wielder he once shared a village with.
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A few hours later only, Izuna is face to face with his brother over the volcano pit where he is imprisoned. After a Susanoo flight through the lands of Wind and Earth to calm down, he lets his mind out by telling all about the Kage's discussion to Oshio. The prisoner quietly listens as he learns of a plan to dispose of him, but shows no reaction, as opposed to the visible frustration of Izuna.
"Aren't you gonna say anything?" the younger one exclaims. "It's about you. You can stand up for yourself!"
"The Shinobi Union owes me nothing." the leader of Kakumei answers calmly. "I only fought against the Otsutsuki goddess because your friend Takeshi and Fuyuko asked me to. And I couldn't even defeat her. I was only lucky to survive."
"Don't belittle yourself." Izuna argues. "I know you did that consciously. Don't pretend to be on any other side than ours. Iwa could be freed thanks to you and Fuyuko. Why is he getting a pardon and you aren't?"
"I am the ruler of Kakumei, Izuna." Oshio remains calm. "If keeping me here only costs money to those who pay the taxes, my enemies, then wanting me dead makes perfect sense. But they won't have to do anything anyway. The Kage are right on one thing. My time is short."
"I know…" Izuna sadly says, as he pulls out the decomposing empty white rod. "But I know you are reducing your power consciously. Because you're still fighting. Our father will find a way."
To this blind hope, Oshio only answers with a gesture that says more than any words could. He raises his left hand and lifts the seal to show the eye in his palm. Izuna is horrified to discover the orange taint of this eye, singular to Momoshiki's version of this Dojutsu, also carried in his palms.
"I am not fighting, Izuna. I am doing the only thing I can to still hold him back." the possessed Uchiha reveals. "My survival is not the matter anymore. It is only about whether or not you are willing to fight Momoshiki again."
"But… you have to trust Sasuke…" Izuna says, hopelessly.
"I've thought of that. But I can tell he doesn't trust himself about it either. He refuses to give up, but I know he found answers already. Just not the ones he expected. I even asked the goddess of creation."
"The goddess of… What do you mean?" Izuna asks, surprised to hear about Naobi here.
"She knew about my situation, so she came to visit." Oshio replies. "It turns out that not all jutsu have a weakness. Sometimes, the only answer is the Absolute Spirit. Only it can bypass the abilities of the Dragon Sage or the goddess of creation. This reincarnation curse that was cast on me is the same. Humans were never meant to survive it… Honestly, when she came to me, I expected her to spare me the trouble of living, but all she could do is let me be free to choose for myself."
From this ambiguous statement, Izuna only hears the last part. Oshio claimed to be unable to let himself die back when he fought him. But now, he is able and willing to finish himself off. Feeling at threat when he sees his brother stand up, he tries to make him hear reason in vain.
"Wait, you don't mean it? I'm coming here to tell you that the Kage want you dead, and this is your answer? Can't you think of another way?"
"I had all the time I needed to think." Oshio says after leaving his father's cape lying on his bed bunk, now standing centimeters away from the bars of his cell. "In the end, I saw all I had to. The war against gods that I foretold has come to be."
"… But we didn't lose. Naruto-sensei proved you wrong." Izuna answers hesitatingly.
"Naruto Uzumaki has surprised me indeed. He almost made me think his path, Serenity, is the right one. But it can't be all. You will find out. The Hokage will find out. This war isn't over. This isn't the sole path, but the answer doesn't lie in only the power of Taikyo, the Absolute Spirit, either. Even Naobi wasn't right. I see it now. True universal peace can only be reached and ensured by concealing both paths. Sincerity and Absolute. It is the only way."
Izuna is left speechless by these speculations that hold no meaning to him. He's startled back to focus when the door to Oshio's cell suddenly erupts away, easily broken by the prisoner who slowly flies out and toward his brother. Left agape, Izuna only listens to the terrible kind words of Oshio.
"Thank you for what you did for Minoka and Fuyuko. If it wasn't for you, they couldn't have gotten second chances. You make it easier for me to go in peace. But I still have regrets. I regret having lost Kawaki. What your friend Boruto says is true. Kawaki is still alive and he has to be saved. Never forget that we only have one true enemy."
"Wha-… What are you asking of me? To fulfill your last wishes?" Izuna angrily says, too troubled to even step back as his brother slowly comes closer.
"I am asking that you honor our cause. You're free to ignore my demands, but there is one thing I can't let you refuse. It is to save my land. The people of Hikari, and all of Shin no Kuni, are paying for my deeds. I tried to bring to them a new prosperity, lost when Momoshiki settled there. But my defeat only left their land to become property of the feudal families. I demand that you free them."
Izuna stays quiet, surprised to learn about this perspective. He heard that the ruler of Hikari, even though she was chosen by Oshio, is reporting and working for the feudal order, but he had no idea about any ownership or pressured control at all. Seeing that his brother is now fully serious, Oshio gives his honest farewell.
"Izuna… give my apologies to our father. Tell him that he still has to win the battle I lost. He can defeat Momoshiki… Give my farewell to our mother. Tell her and our sister that I wish I could have known them better."
"What are you saying? I'm not gonna let you do anything." Izuna yells as he gets in a fight stance. "I'm warning you, I'm stronger than you now!"
"Stopping me won't save me." Oshio simply says with his hand raised. "Izuna. My only farewell to you, is a personal wish. I wish that you stay true to your nindo. Don't let your mind deceive you. You have never betrayed yourself. The second chance you offered to Minoka is worth more than anything she did before. You didn't waste her life. You saved it. You need to honor our cause, Izuna. And you can only do so as Hokage. Follow Sincerity, the path of your sensei, and find the concealment with Absolute. Only so will you achieve the peace we all seek. Izuna, keep fighting for what's right, and become the Hokage you dream to be."
After this solemn farewell that fills Izuna's mind with hope and sorrow, Oshio lifts two fingers that land on his brother's forehead, as a gentle sign of affection, and ultimate farewell.
With this gesture, he casts an illusion that traps Izuna, letting these last words resonate in his soul. As he loses consciousness and plunges into a dream, Izuna sees everything being swallowed by the red flames of his brother, bringing arson to the volcano's pit. Behind this fire, the image of Oshio disappears.
The hold on his life is broken, and so Oshio Uchiha can deliver himself from his tyrant. After this final apology and farewell, he concludes the story of Kakumei, leaving his hope for a peaceful epilogue to his younger brother.
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End of Chapter 170 – Next Chapter: Oshio's Legacy