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"Everyone."
Kaito's voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it instantly spread across the entire plain.
"I am the onmyōji, Uchiha Kaito."
"An onmyōji?"
"Uchiha??"
"What's he going to say?"
All the awakened yōkai, shinobi, and samurai—every living being on the plain—lifted their heads and focused their gaze on Kaito, who hovered in the sky.
Kaito's voice drifted like mist: "A thousand years ago, two celestial beings from beyond the stars—Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki—descended upon this land with the intent to plant the Divine Tree and plunder this planet's primordial energy."
"What? Is this a story?"
"Celestial beings? Sounds cool."
Unaware shinobi and samurai began whispering among themselves.
"The great onmyōji, Abe no Seimei, was the first to confront them, and the two sides were evenly matched," Kaito continued. "However, fearing the might of the Ōtsutsuki clan behind them, Seimei was forced to retreat and guard the Ryūmyaku, awaiting the right opportunity."
"Abe no Seimei? That legendary onmyōji?"
"I've heard stories about him!"
The shinobi and samurai still didn't fully believe Kaito's words, but the recently awakened great yōkai exchanged glances.
"So that's how it was… Seimei disappeared for this reason." The black wings behind the Great Tengu fluttered. "I wasn't wrong about him. Seimei always upheld righteousness!"
"Hmph." Shuten Dōji took a swig of sake, displeased. "That guy Seimei was always like this—trying to carry the weight of the world alone! What arrogance!"
"Oh my, is that a complaint directed at me?"
Golden energy seeped from the earth, swiftly coalescing into a human form.
"Seimei!"
The great yōkai were the first to notice the figure.
"It's been a long time, everyone."
Seimei, still clad in his black hat and white robes, smiled gently as he fanned himself.
"So you really aren't dead…" Shuten Dōji grinned. "You bastard!"
"Is that your successor, Seimei?" The Great Tengu pointed at Kaito with his war fan.
"Not quite a successor—just an interesting young friend." Seimei covered his mouth with his fan, eyes crinkling in amusement. "However…"
He lowered the fan and spoke solemnly: "He is the future I entrusted."
Kaito's voice continued to echo.
"Later, the two Ōtsutsuki planted the Divine Tree and began voraciously draining the planet's energy. As a result, vast stretches of land—now the Wind Country—turned into deserts."
"So that's why our Wind Country became a desert?! Damn those Ōtsutsuki!!" A young shinobi from Sunagakure couldn't help but stomp in anger.
"Idiot!" An older shinobi beside him smacked his head. "That's just a story, isn't it?"
"But…" The boy glared stubbornly. "Are you saying our Wind Country was always like this? That's so unfair!"
The older shinobi smiled bitterly. "Hah. This world was never fair to begin with."
"Perhaps… he's telling the truth."
A figure with a gourd on his back appeared before the Sunagakure shinobi.
"Kazekage-sama?"
"Gaara?"
The Sand shinobi, including Temari and Kankurō, stared in disbelief.
"Let's keep listening."
Gaara said nothing more, lifting his gaze toward Kaito.
"All the planet's powerful beings united to resist, but they couldn't defeat Kaguya and Isshiki, who wielded the Divine Tree's power."
Kaito's voice grew somber, as if the great war from a millennium ago was unfolding before everyone's eyes.
"Onmyōji, samurai, shrine maidens, monks, yōkai… In the end, many sacrificed themselves."
Kaito's gaze pierced the plain, spotting two groups approaching from the distance.
"Kaito-kun…"
The current shrine maiden of the Demon Country, Shion, emerged from the west with a group of samurai.
"Namu Amida Butsu."
Led by the Fire Temple's monk, Chiriku, a group of monks appeared from the east.
"Eventually, Seimei used Ryūmyaku to curse the Divine Tree, forcing it to produce a forbidden fruit." Kaito recounted the sealed truth. "Kaguya, tempted by the fruit's curse, betrayed Isshiki and consumed it alone. Because the Divine Tree converted the planet's energy into the Ōtsutsuki's unique power—chakra—the fruit was also called the Chakra Fruit."
"Chakra?!"
"Wait, he didn't mention shinobi among the resistance earlier…"
The shinobi were now torn between doubt and belief.
"Thus, Kaguya, having gained the Divine Tree's power, ruled the world. To counter the Ōtsutsuki clan's insatiable hunger for chakra, she spread it to create her own army. Even some yōkai who once resisted her accepted chakra, becoming summoning beasts. Under the world's blessings, she used divine power to bear two sons—Hagoromo and Hamura. Hagoromo is the Sage of Six Paths from shinobi legends."
The crowd erupted in murmurs.
But Kaito took a step forward, appearing instantly beneath the Pillar of Heaven, blocking Hagoromo and Hamura, who had suddenly manifested.
"Well? Did I say something wrong, Sage of Six Paths?"
The Sage, clad in white robes adorned with magatama and wielding a black staff, hovered with nine Truth-Seeking Balls orbiting behind him.
"Mother…"
Hagoromo and Hamura stared with complex expressions at Kaguya, who was pinned beneath the pillar, her form twisted into a demonic visage.
"You've finally arrived as well."
In a flash of golden light, Seimei appeared beside Kaito, leisurely fanning himself.
"Hagoromo, Hamura."
"Lord Seimei."
Hagoromo nodded at Seimei.
"No need for tension." He turned to Kaito. "To think you've accomplished this much… You are a remarkable successor."
"You flatter me."
Kaito bowed slightly, neither humble nor arrogant.
But Hagoromo turned toward the center of the sealing array, where his eldest son stood, and asked gravely:
"Is this your decision, Indra?"
"Heh."
Indra, his right eye still tightly shut, strained to maintain his ocular technique. A cold laugh escaped his lips.
"When will you understand, old man?" His voice was icy. "I'm not like Asura, your obedient little child. From the day you abandoned me, I ceased to be an Ōtsutsuki."
Red light flickered around him, his left eye blazing with crimson energy.
"I am Uchiha Indra!!!"
"Then I'll be Senju Asura!"
Asura suddenly popped up beside Indra, raising his hand in protest.
"Brother! You just ran off without warning! Leaving me to deal with the old man's wrath alone!"
"Asura, why are you here?" Indra shot him a cold glance, the red light in his eye forcing Asura back.
"Eh? What's the big deal?"
Asura retreated a few steps, then curiously examined the sealed Kaguya, clicking his tongue.
"So this is our grandmother? Damn, she looks rough."
Meanwhile, among the Konoha shinobi:
Hashirama shuddered, pointing at Asura. "For some reason, seeing that guy makes me inexplicably annoyed."
"Same here!" Naruto mirrored the shudder. "I just wanna punch him in the face! What's up with that?"
"Heh."
Madara and Sasuke smirked coldly in unison.