Chapter 175: The Ōtsutsuki — Fifty Percent Unleashed
"Crap... I really grew horns…"
The moment Kitagawa Gen felt something sprouting on his head, he immediately realized something had gone very wrong.
He had mentally prepared for this. After all, in the Ōtsutsuki clan, the stronger one's power and the purer the bloodline, the more inevitable the emergence of horns.
He had been developing his bloodline for a while now, so reaching this point was only a matter of time. Still, seeing it happen for real gave him a headache.
As the rumbling chakra finally calmed, he raised one hand. In an instant, a Water Mirror formed in midair, revealing his reflection.
"…Well, damn. That's real."
Looking at his image, Gen fell into brief silence. Sure enough, he had grown a pair of horns.
Perhaps because they had only just formed, they weren't very large yet—and unlike Obito's, they didn't grow from the forehead.
"They're positioned more like traditional Ōtsutsuki horns... but wait—why do they look like something from that game I played before crossing over?"
After staring for a moment, he realized they resembled the Dragon Prince's horns from Fantasy Westward Journey, albeit in a different shape.
His emotions were mixed.
He was undeniably pleased. This meant he'd taken another major step forward in strength.
In this moment, his control over chakra had reached an entirely new peak.
His physical body had also become significantly stronger. His sensory perception was now accelerating rapidly—and, perhaps most exciting of all, the Planetary Chakra he had long dreamed of mastering was growing clearer and clearer in his mind.
Even more importantly, his bones had begun absorbing chakra at an increased rate.
"Maybe soon… I can actually complete All-Killing Ash Bones."
And that wasn't all—he could also feel chakra pooling intensely in his brow.
"Hard to say what exactly will emerge from there…"
All this was thrilling—but amid his excitement, he also felt a twinge of frustration.
Sure, he knew that in the world of shinobi, growing horns wasn't that strange. Even the Gold and Silver Brothers had them.
And true Ōtsutsuki members always had horns.
Even Madara and Obito, after absorbing the Ten Tails and undergoing their version of Ōtsutsuki transformation, had grown horns.
But still—
"I'm just… not used to it."
He reached up and touched his horns. They didn't feel bad, just… solid.
He figured if he applied a little pressure, he might be able to snap them off like Madara had.
But after some thought, he decided against it.
Because he'd discovered something very interesting.
"Wait… I think I can control them?"
With a thought and a light pulse of chakra, his horns vanished—completely, as if they had never existed.
"No way... that actually worked?"
Seeing his reflection return to its usual hornless self, Kitagawa Gen finally let out a long breath of relief.
His aura might have changed drastically, but at least his appearance hadn't.
"Still... this feels a lot like how Momoshiki transformed…"
He looked slightly conflicted. One question lingered in his mind:
Could other Ōtsutsuki do this too?
But he quickly shook his head.
Even if they could, they wouldn't.
Ōtsutsuki were proud beings. There's no way they would hide such a defining trait as their horns.
As so-called "higher beings," their pride wouldn't allow it.
But Gen was different.
He had no interest in walking around every day with a pair of horns on his head.
"…Though when I transform into 'Ōtsutsuki Genshiki,' the horns are necessary."
---
[Status]
[Name: Kitagawa Gen]
[Bloodline: Ōtsutsuki Clan (Development Level: 50%)]
[Dōjutsu: Tenseigan (Eye of the New Moon)]
[Special Ability: Source of the God Tree (Tier 4)]
[Special Techniques: Ice Release, Magnet Release, Dust Release, Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, Tenseigan Chakra Mode, Karma]
---
He glanced at the floating interface, eyebrow raised.
"So I really hit fifty percent. No wonder the horns came in."
He had sensed this change coming for a while now, but it hadn't fully materialized—until this moment.
He hadn't expected his transformation to be tied to reaching this exact development threshold. Now it made him wonder:
"If this is what fifty percent looks like… then what happens at one hundred?"
He had long suspected that his "blank template" bloodline carried limitless potential.
But walking this path step by step, he now truly grasped how insane that potential was.
"More importantly… I still have a lot left to collect."
By his estimate, he was still missing:
The Four-Tails and Five-Tails from Iwagakure
The Six-Tails from Kirigakure
The Two-Tails and Eight-Tails from Kumogakure
In addition, he still lacked the chakra of Indra and Ashura.
As for Kekkei Genkai fusion, he was still missing Storm Release.
"Although… Hiruko used Storm Release. I remember some of it. Maybe if I dig deeper, I can recreate it myself."
Muttering to himself, Kitagawa Gen lifted his gaze to the sky.
"And let's not forget... that giant eye on the moon is still waiting for me. This journey of mine—yeah, it's a long one."
But for Gen, that wasn't a bad thing.
The longer the path, the greater the potential.
He was now considering something. Once he finished collecting everything he needed, perhaps…
"Maybe I really can explore that so-called concept of 'transcending dimensions and surpassing life and death.'"
Aside from the changes in his bloodline, the source of his Divine Tree had also evolved.
Previously, it had only reached the third stage, but now it had advanced to the fourth. The influx of chakra from the One-Tail had clearly enhanced the Divine Tree's core.
And what this evolution granted Kitagawa Gen… was something that left even him unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"The Kāma…"
The Kāma—one of the Otsutsuki clan's divine arts—had an incredibly potent effect.
In essence, it was a compressed backup file of an Otsutsuki.
Anyone implanted with a Kāma would slowly begin to change as the data within "unfroze" over time. Once the process completed, their body would be completely reconstructed into an Otsutsuki vessel, and their original consciousness overwritten—resurrecting the original Otsutsuki in full.
In other words, this was the Otsutsuki clan's secret to immortality.
"But that doesn't mean accidents can't happen…"
Gen suddenly thought of Isshiki—the poor bastard. His intended vessel, Jigen, had a body far too fragile to endure full Otsutsuki transformation.
Even after managing to resurrect himself, Isshiki's lifespan was incredibly short.
In the end, Naruto and Kurama's Baryon Mode battered him to death, consuming what little life force he had left.
"Still, I guess it counts as a backup plan. And it's not the only benefit I got."
With the integration of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, the core of his Divine Tree had not only expanded in capacity—it also unlocked even more "Divine Wood Release" techniques.
"Looks like all that Wood Release research will finally pay off."
This transformation brought a massive power boost. Gen's strength had grown exponentially, and the range of abilities under his command widened once more.
He gently rubbed his eyes, noticing that their chakra absorption rate had increased again.
Maybe once they were fully saturated… a whole new power would awaken.
"The future... it's definitely on my side."
While Kitagawa Gen was silently marveling at his own growth, the surging chakra released during his transformation began to spill into the skies—spreading across the heavens like a rising tide.
—
Far away, deep in a remote, uninhabited corner of the ninja world, a monk-like figure suddenly froze.
His face twisted with disbelief before a sharp pain wracked his entire body.
In the next moment, his aura shifted—his gaze growing somber and heavy.
"Who… was that?"
—
Meanwhile, in the Land of Fields, where he was investigating the remnants of the Sound Village, Black Zetsu suddenly gasped.
His eyes snapped to the sky, trembling faintly.
"What's wrong, Blacky?"
White Zetsu, his other half, noticed the change and asked in concern.
But Black Zetsu didn't respond.
He just kept staring at the sky, and after a long moment, gritted his teeth and muttered:
"It's nothing. I just sensed something… ominous. Let's stay focused on the task at hand."
With that, he fell silent once more, sticking to the plan he had carefully laid out.
But that strange chakra in the air—fading now, yet bizarre and undeniable—left him deeply unsettled.
"Why… did he grow stronger again?"
Of course, no one could answer that question.
He could only take a deep breath and push the thought away.
"Handle what's in front of us. We will win."
—
At Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya sat in frustration before the Great Toad Sage.
"That's the situation, Great Sage. Also… could you maybe send me back already? I'm still an injured man, you know."
Of all the people from Konoha involved in the battle outside the village, Jiraiya had probably been the most unlucky.
He'd been caught in the crossfire after charging too deep into enemy lines. Even with Tsunade's help, he still needed to be hospitalized once the meeting ended.
But while he was wrapped in bandages, stewing over Nagato and not even in the mood to flirt with the nurses—bam, he was teleported straight to Mount Myōboku.
"Little Jiraiya… you know how dangerous things are right now. We had no choice,"
said Fukasaku apologetically.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. That guy is terrifying."
Jiraiya's eyes gleamed with a new idea as he nodded thoughtfully.
"He won't be easy to deal with. So, uh… could you tell us more about him? Anything useful?"
"Information, huh?"
"Yup. Also, remember that kid I told you about—Kitagawa Gen? His talent's off the charts. The village's already decided to back him with everything we've got. So…"
"I get what you're saying. It's just… he refused a summoning contract. Still, I'll see what I can do. As for information…"
The Great Toad Sage chuckled helplessly.
He didn't mind Jiraiya's request—but what truly intrigued him now was Gen himself.
At the same time, a flicker of doubt crept in.
Should he really reveal everything to an outsider?
Before he could finish that thought, a sudden surge of bizarre chakra swept through the sky.
His droopy eyes snapped wide open, crystal clear with alertness, and in the next moment, his own chakra erupted in resonance.
"Huh?"
Jiraiya had been waiting for the Sage's answer, but suddenly felt a tidal wave of chakra blast outward.
Before he could even react, he was sent flying—slamming hard into a wall behind him.
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