Chapter 364: Akatsuki
Kaguya's most valuable asset was the intelligence she held as the exiled princess of the Otsutsuki branch family. Although much of this information was centuries out of date, it retained immense value as a reference, and Ye Wen diligently extracted every detail from her.
Mid conversation, both Ye Wen and Kaguya sensed an approaching presence. Ye Wen gestured to Kaguya, indicating he would let her handle it alone. The arrival was none other than Kaguya's second son, Hamura Otsutsuki.
Though Hamura and Hagoromo had sealed Kaguya together, they had since parted ways one remained in the Shinobi World to establish the path of ninshu, while the other took to the moon to watch over Kaguya's prison and the husk of the Ten Tails.
"Mother," Hamura greeted her, his expression conflicted. Kaguya may have shown cruelty to the inhabitants of the Shinobi World, but she had always doted on her two sons. And while Hamura and Hagoromo had eventually turned against her to protect humanity, they both bore the burden of having sealed their mother away for a thousand years. To say Kaguya held no resentment would be impossible.
Initially, Kaguya wanted to attack, but seeing her son's aged form reduced to a mere spiritual projection her anger melted. She could not bring herself to harm him. Although Hamura and Hagoromo shared her pure Otsutsuki lineage, they lacked the Otsutsuki technology from their home star, Takamagahara. Without it, their lifespans were nowhere near as prolonged as those of modern Otsutsuki.
Yet even as spirits, Ye Wen could see the extraordinary talents of the two brothers. Both had reached Six Paths level power through sheer potential and dedication. With proper training, they might have achieved eternal godhood, but without guidance, they had charted new paths, each exploring different aspects of soul mastery. Their choice to abandon physical strength allowed them to develop dangerous spiritual abilities, arguably even deadlier than they had been when they first sealed Kaguya.
In the original story, even in Naruto's time, a single dose of Hamura's power just a fraction of his spiritual Yin and Yang energy had been enough to seal Kaguya once again. This underscored the vast power Hamura had amassed over the millennium.
Hamura, having refined his Otsutsuki chakra, had hoped that, through generations of descendants, someone would arise with a pure enough bloodline to reawaken the Tenseigan, a technique Ye Wen regarded as a unique and potent manifestation of spiritual force. And so, ultimately, mother and son reconciled.
With Hamura's endorsement, Kaguya as an ally, and a powerful claim over the lunar Otsutsuki's legacy, Ye Wen soon gained control of their remaining resources on the moon. His dominance marked the beginning of the Shinobi World's transformation, as the vast Hanhai sailed in and established its first footholds. Thus began the Shinobi World's transition into a new era, later remembered as the Holy Divine Era.
But for the native Shinobi, this change was foreboding. In their feudal society, such celestial phenomena were seen as harbingers of great calamities.
Amegakure, Land of Rain
Tonight, the rain soaked skies above the Land of Rain were mysteriously clear, revealing a blackened night sky. Standing atop the tallest building in Amegakure, a figure in a black cloak adorned with red clouds gazed at the crimson ringed moon.
"What is this? Do you know anything about it, Black Zetsu?" asked Uchiha Obito, his tone thoughtful.
The moon, once familiar, was now wrapped in an eerie crimson halo with ten golden rings. Even its usually gentle light had shifted to a menacing red a clear omen.
"I don't know," came Black Zetsu's low response, his form writhing on a piece of nearby metal. "But I'm as intrigued as you are. Whatever that ring is on the moon, it's nothing I've encountered before."
"Hmm." Their exchange ended, and they fell silent, each lost in thought. The moon held a pivotal role in their future plans, and whatever change had occurred threatened to disrupt everything.
Suddenly, a faint light glimmered on the ring Zetsu wore.
"Looks like Nagato's starting to feel unsettled as well," said Black Zetsu.
"Keep him steady for now," Obito replied calmly. "Meanwhile, let's push the tailed beast capture plan forward. Konoha's making unpredictable moves lately, and I'd rather not be caught off guard."
"Understood," Zetsu replied, vanishing to attend a meeting.
Left alone in the rain, Obito sat brooding, his gaze still fixed on the blood red moon. The hollow sound of the falling rain seemed to echo his sentiments.
"Rin… Just wait a little longer. Soon, I'll create a world where you still exist."
The blood moon's appearance stirred unrest throughout the Shinobi World. The entire era seemed on the verge of upheaval.
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