"You're courting death!"
Facing Eida's insults, Isshiki was instantly enraged.
He grabbed Eida's neck with one hand, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He'd already been thoroughly beaten by Sasuke outside, harboring a bellyful of anger. Now, upon returning, he had to endure insults from a lowly artificial human subordinate.
How could Isshiki tolerate this?
He couldn't defeat Six Paths Sasuke, but he couldn't handle a mere artificial human pawn like Eida?
"If you dare, just kill me!"
Eida, her neck gripped by Isshiki, felt a twinge of fear but gritted her teeth and chose to resist.
As a member of the Otsutsuki Clan, Eida had previously been terrified of Isshiki. But things were different now. After witnessing Isshiki's crushing defeats twice, nearly killed by Six Paths Sasuke, her fear of him was no longer as strong.
She wasn't foolish either. She'd seen through Isshiki's true nature—a coward hiding behind the Otsutsuki's radiance!
Setting aside the Otsutsuki race's blessings and absolute power, this man's resolve and conviction might not even match an ordinary ninja's, perhaps even lower than Otsutsuki Kinshiki's!
Facing someone like this, the more you feared, the more tyrannical they'd become. But as long as you still had value and dared to stand up to them, their limits were lower than you'd imagine.
"You—!"
Isshiki was furious, tightening his grip on Eida's neck.
Eida immediately struggled to breathe, her face flushed, unable to speak, nearly suffocating. But it lasted less than half a minute before Isshiki suddenly released his grip, freeing her.
"Cough cough cough—!"
Eida, nearly suffocated, collapsed to the ground, coughing in pain.
"I'll forgive your transgression. But if there's a next time, I'll definitely kill you!" Isshiki threatened with a scowl, still trying to assert dominance.
Of course, he wasn't relenting out of regret—fear had overcome his anger. He couldn't bear to kill Eida.
Eida was currently his most important trump card and asset. Both her Senrigan for monitoring the entire map and Omnipotence for manipulating it were among Isshiki's advantages over Sasuke. If these were lost, he'd have no chance of defeating Sasuke.
Moreover, if Isshiki killed Eida, what if Omnipotence stopped functioning with her death? He didn't dare gamble. He no longer had the leeway or cost for mistakes.
Besides, if Eida truly died by his hand, Daemon would surely hunt him down relentlessly!
Didn't she just say Sasuke nearly killed Daemon? That meant Daemon was still alive.
With Sasuke's cunning and despicable nature, he'd surely find ways to use Daemon against him. If Eida remained alive and in his control, he could somewhat restrain Daemon, making him hesitate. If Eida died, with Six Paths Sasuke already unmatched, adding a Daemon who could reflect any attack at any time—how could he compete?
Isshiki didn't even dare imagine such despair!
After coughing violently for a while, Eida slowly recovered. She knew her gamble was right. This ferocious yet cowardly Isshiki lacked the guts to kill her and still wanted to exploit her.
(Compared to the resolve of Uchiha Sasuke and the others, he's truly pathetic!) Eida unconsciously compared and scorned him in her heart.
"Tell me, how's Daemon now?" Isshiki began probing for information.
He didn't dare go to Sasuke's location to confirm the situation himself. He could only keep spying through Eida.
(You still dare ask about my brother?) Eida cursed inwardly but still answered: "He's alive, being treated by that ninja named Orochimaru…"
"Orochimaru! Damn it, he's always ruining my plans!"
"I shouldn't have sent that bastard as a spy—truly infuriating!" Isshiki grew angrier.
If he hadn't sent that bastard Orochimaru, he might not have been tricked into acting, let alone nearly dying at Sasuke's hands.
"And you!"
"Uchiha Sasuke's plan to revive the Juubi was just a ruse. That bastard only wanted to lure me in!"
"You couldn't see that?"
Helpless, Isshiki vented his anger on Eida, blaming her for not seeing through Sasuke's deception, causing him to fall into a trap and be caught off-guard by Six Paths Sasuke.
"I'm only responsible for reporting everything I see to you, and I didn't know it was the enemy's conspiracy."
"Deciding whether it's a trap or not is up to you alone!" Eida retorted firmly and honestly.
She only relayed what she saw with Senrigan to Isshiki.
Asking her to spy and also uncover the schemes in the cunning, despicable Hidden Face Sasuke's heart was too much for her.
"You…" Isshiki's killing intent flared again, but he suppressed it once more.
"Fine, fine, you're something! I'll let it slide this time."
"What about my brother Daemon? He's still in that Uchiha's hands! His life could be in danger anytime!" Eida pressed.
Isshiki's face showed displeasure, but he still soothed: "Daemon is very useful; Uchiha Sasuke won't kill him too quickly."
"I know you're worried about your brother."
"Relax! If the right opportunity arises, I'll take your brother back."
"And after I defeat Uchiha Sasuke, successfully plant the God Tree, and obtain its fruit, you and your brother will have all your wishes granted and become the new rulers of this planet!"
Isshiki offered sweet promises as needed, though he currently had no clue how to defeat Six Paths Sasuke. But to appease Eida and keep using her, he had to coax her. As long as she remained in his grasp, he still had certain advantages, and Daemon's threat would be greatly reduced.
"I understand."
Eida nodded in agreement, but her heart clearly planted seeds of doubt toward Isshiki.
A boss who easily threw Daemon as a sacrificial shield—did you really think he'd share joys and sorrows with his subordinates?
Once everything was over, if Isshiki didn't discard his subordinates like trash, that'd be generous. Moreover, Eida realized that in Isshiki's eyes, artificial humans like them might not even qualify as subordinates—just tools to be discarded anytime.
The only reason he still tolerated her was her usefulness.
"Tell me, where are Uchiha Sasuke and the others now?"
"They're on their way to Kumogakure."
Isshiki frowned, asking: "Kumogakure? What's his plan? What's he doing next?"
Unfortunately, he lacked Genjutsu; otherwise, he could've crudely extracted information from Eida's mind.
"I don't know."
"They didn't talk. Maybe they know about my ability and are deliberately hiding their plans." Eida lied.
She clenched her fingers, her heart tense, but her face remained calm. She didn't tell Isshiki about Kotoamatsukami or Sasuke's next plan to attack Iwagakure.
Previously, she submitted to Isshiki's intimidation partly out of fear of death and partly to protect her brother. But now, since Isshiki threw Daemon as a sacrifice, she no longer had reason to fully obey him.
She didn't know if hiding this would help Sasuke's side win. In short, she now didn't want to see Isshiki succeed.
"No verbal communication?"
"That damned Uchiha Sasuke must know about Senrigan's effects."
"Was it that bastard Amado who told him?"
"Damn it, so damn infuriating!" Isshiki was furious, wanting to strangle the traitor Amado immediately.
If not for that traitor, he wouldn't have lost Kawaki, nor would the subsequent series of incidents have occurred. He wouldn't have needed to provoke Konoha, could've perfectly used Kawaki to revive, then destroyed the entire ninja world, replanted the God Tree, and completed his mission.
Unfortunately, it had all happened; no amount of regret mattered. Not knowing Sasuke and the others' next plans and movements, even if he did, he didn't dare confirm if it was another trap. And if he did nothing, it meant waiting for Sasuke and the others to come again.
This trapped and anxious state made Isshiki extremely uncomfortable, like a thorn in his throat. He wanted to destroy everything around him to vent his anger.
"Do you have any way to defeat that bastard?" Isshiki instinctively asked Eida.
Though it wasn't ideal, as it could diminish his authority as a boss, he was clearly out of ideas.
"No." Eida refused firmly.
Her Senrigan only monitored the entire map, not true omniscience. If she were truly omniscient, she'd guarantee she'd be the first to find a way to kill Isshiki!
Besides, even if there were a way, she wouldn't easily tell Isshiki.
"Fine, you can rest."
Isshiki irritably dismissed Eida. He hadn't expected a lowly artificial human to offer good advice.
Facing Six Paths Sasuke's combat power, aside from an equivalent Six Paths-level force, almost all other schemes and tricks were useless. Even the most likely effective hostage threat didn't work—Isshiki was nearly despairing.
Unless he could find another Six Paths-level combat force? But in the entire ninja world, where else was there such power he could use?
Oh! The disobedient Daemon was one, but sadly, he'd handed him to the enemy.
(Damn it, am I just waiting for death, for Uchiha Sasuke to come and crush me to dust again?)
(No, I can't accept this! Unless…)
Various thoughts clashed in Isshiki's mind, but they ultimately settled on the maddest method!
The entire ninja world actually had one terrifying Six Paths-level combat force, also from the Otsutsuki Clan, like him.
Otsutsuki Kaguya, the sealed one!
The daughter of the branch family, sent to him by the main family!
And the culprit who backstabbed and nearly killed him!
No doubt, the mad thought in Isshiki's mind was to release Kaguya to fight for him and join him in defeating the formidable enemy, Sasuke!
With his absolute power, plus Kaguya, who, after eating the chakra fruit, was nearly immortal, there was a high chance they could defeat Six Paths Sasuke!
Moreover, the previous perfect Juubi body, the Gedō Mazō containing Otsutsuki genes, was still inside Kaguya. If it could be extracted and given to the baby Juubi, the baby could skip its infancy, no longer needing to devour an Otsutsuki sacrifice, directly rooting into the earth and starting to grow and absorb!
The benefits were immense!
However, Isshiki hadn't forgotten the blood feud with Kaguya!
If asked who he most wanted to kill now, it was undoubtedly Sasuke. But for the thousand years prior, his top target was, without question, Kaguya, who attacked him from behind!
If Kaguya hadn't backstabbed him, he'd have long succeeded in planting the God Tree, obtaining the chakra fruit, and perfectly returned to report. He wouldn't have needed to suffer and survive on this remote planet for so long…
It could be said that all his current suffering stemmed from Kaguya. Isshiki naturally wanted to crush her to ashes!
Unfortunately, Kaguya, having eaten the chakra fruit, was, in a sense, fused with this planet. Unless he could destroy the entire planet, he couldn't kill her—only seal her…
This was why Isshiki hadn't dared seek revenge on Kaguya for years.
Kaguya, originally sealed on the moon, could be fully unsealed with Isshiki's power. But once the seal broke, she'd likely keep hunting him, while he couldn't fully kill her. So he'd naturally lose and could only avoid her.
But now, the situation was different. Without another Six Paths-level combat force, Isshiki couldn't think of any way to defeat Six Paths Sasuke. The only possibility was seeking help from Otsutsuki Kaguya.
(What to do? Should I take the risk and release Kaguya?)
(But once she's released, she'll surely find every way to kill me!)
(No, no, no, there's still a chance to ease tensions.)
(As long as I promise to forget her past betrayal and let her help me defeat Uchiha Sasuke, replant the God Tree, and obtain the chakra fruit. As long as the fruit can be brought back to the main family, all sins could be forgiven…)
(But the secret order from the main family to kill this branch family daughter during the mission—I can't defy that either!)
(And her blood feud for backstabbing me… Wait… I can persuade her first, reach a peace agreement.)
(With her intelligence, I could likely trick her! After using her to defeat Sasuke, obtain the Gedō Mazō, and plant the chakra fruit, then find a way to kill her!)
(Or return to the main family first, report Kaguya's betrayal, and let them keep hunting her!)
(Alright, alright, let's do it!)
Isshiki's expression shifted rapidly—pale to dark, back and forth; fear and hatred in his heart clashed and conflicted.
On one hand, he wanted to kill Kaguya for revenge; on the other, he desperately wanted to use her power to complete his mission and defeat Sasuke.
This mad hatred and confusion nearly drove him insane. But ultimately, fear of death and failure made Isshiki suppress his hatred for Kaguya, resolving to unseal and release Kaguya, the ultimate weapon of mass destruction!
Even in the worst-case scenario, if he couldn't reach a peace agreement with Kaguya, he was confident she'd fight Sasuke and the others to reclaim her chakra. Then, he could wait for them to gravely injure each other, and he'd still profit!
(By the way, isn't Kaguya sealed in her own dimension now? How do I find its coordinates?)
(Oh! I still need to rely on Senrigan!)
Having made his decision, Isshiki no longer hesitated, pouncing on Eida with a wicked grin.
(Otsutsuki Kaguya and Uchiha Sasuke, this time I'll make you all pay dearly!)