Chapter 278 – Kaguya: Too Cruel… Urashiki: Don't Come Any Closer!
"Ōtsutsuki Genshiki…"
Kaguya ignored the name Kitagawa Gen entirely, her lips softly repeating the other name—the one that belonged to her clan.
Her cold eyes glowed faintly, filled with silent tension. Her chakra surged like an ocean about to break its dam, as though she was waiting for the instant the seal opened—ready to strike the moment he set her free.
Gen could only sigh inwardly.
She's still too haunted by them… by the Ōtsutsuki.
He raised his hand casually, his tone almost teasing.
"No need to be so tense. Honestly, I think we could have a proper conversation instead."
"Conversation?"
Kaguya's brow furrowed, her tone sharp and glacial.
"I don't see anything left for us to talk about."
"Then how will you know that—unless you try?"
Gen's chakra projection descended slowly to the sealed ground. Though the space trembled under the goddess's vast power, he remained perfectly composed.
The massive Tenseigan linked to his chakra helped stabilize his form; even Kaguya's killing intent could not shake it.
"And I did say," he added lightly, "that I go by another name—Kitagawa Gen."
"Kitagawa Gen…"
Kaguya's frown deepened. The name sounded… human. Ordinary.
"A name from the lower world?" she asked coldly. "You've fallen so far as to give yourself such a title?"
"No," Gen said with an easy smile. "That's the name I was born with in this world. Ōtsutsuki Genshiki was only given to me later—after I awakened my bloodline."
Kaguya's expression flickered.
"Awakened your bloodline?"
"More accurately," Gen continued calmly, "I grew up here. In this world."
That statement stunned her.
"Grew up… here?"
The great goddess of the moon was momentarily speechless.
An Ōtsutsuki—born and raised in the shinobi world? Impossible.
But Ōtsutsuki never lied. They were too proud to stoop to such deception.
"Yes," Gen said softly, his tone reflective.
"I was raised on stories of the Sage of Six Paths—of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. I grew up hearing his name like a legend."
"Impossible…" Kaguya whispered.
Gen's smile didn't waver. He had tricked enough gods to act convincingly now.
"For a long time, I thought I was just an ordinary man," he said, his voice gentle.
"Until one day, my chakra began to change—and along with it came knowledge. Memories. A name that wasn't mine."
"Ōtsutsuki Genshiki…" she murmured.
He nodded.
"Exactly. That's when I realized who I really was."
Kaguya's eyes narrowed.
"And what are you trying to prove by telling me this? What is your goal?"
"I told you," he said quietly. "We can talk. But first, I need to know your stance."
His voice hardened slightly.
"That will decide whether I have to kill you… or find another way to deal with you."
Her chakra flared instantly, fury in her gaze.
"Kill me?"
"If I meant to, I wouldn't be talking this long," Gen said evenly. "When I kill, I don't waste words."
He let that hang in the air, then smiled faintly.
"Besides… you probably know the two Ōtsutsuki I've already taken care of."
That made her blink.
"Who?"
Gen's grin deepened. His chakra shimmered—and two spectral figures appeared beside him.
Kaguya's pupils constricted.
Those faces. Those auras.
Isshiki. Urashiki.
The air grew heavy. Even through chakra projection, she could feel their remnants—one as a fading brand of karma, the other as a condensed core of divine energy.
"Isshiki… and Urashiki…"
"That's right," Gen said. "Those were the names they gave me, too."
"What happened to them?"
"Isshiki tried to resurrect himself through a host. I beat him before his time ran out. He's nothing but a Karma mark now—barely clinging to existence."
"…"
"As for Urashiki…"
Gen chuckled lightly.
"He fared worse. His chakra became a divine pill, his body I kept for research… and he, too, is sealed as a Karma."
Kaguya froze.
Both of them?
Isshiki—the one she had once ambushed in terror, knowing his death would bring vengeance upon her.
Urashiki—the hunter sent to track her down.
And this man had defeated them both.
"That's impossible…" she whispered.
"You're lying."
"You really think so?"
Gen's tone was calm, but his eyes gleamed.
"I have no reason to deceive you. You're powerful—but not invincible. If I wanted you dead, I could find a way."
And she could feel it. That quiet, unshakable confidence that only someone who had walked through gods and lived could have.
Kaguya's expression tightened.
"And you thank my sons for this power?"
"In a way," Gen said simply. "Without Hagoromo spreading chakra across the world, none of this would've been possible. Without Indra and Ashura's endless feud, that power never would've evolved this far."
He explained the thousand-year cycle—the rise of chakra, the wars, the reincarnations, the emergence of shinobi arts.
Kaguya listened in silence, her face unreadable.
"You've been gone for a thousand years," Gen said softly.
"For you, that may feel like nothing. But for the rest of us… it was everything."
She lowered her gaze for a moment.
"So much has changed," she murmured. "I never imagined such chaos could unfold while I slept."
Then her tone darkened.
"And yet, Hagoromo claimed he sought peace… sealing me, binding my will—and even condemning Indra and Ashura to repeat their suffering forever."
Her voice dripped with quiet rage.
"He called me cruel. But what he did was far worse. A thousand years of war—millions dead—unending pain. Even I would not have been so merciless."
Gen blinked. He hadn't expected that interpretation.
"Though," Kaguya continued coldly, "he succeeded in one thing. Those 'lower beings' grew stronger. They learned to fight, to endure. Their hatred became their strength."
She met his gaze again, her tone cutting.
"But if your story is true, the real anomaly here… is you. The Ōtsutsuki who should never have been reborn."
Gen gave a small laugh.
"Believe what you want. I've learned what I needed."
He turned away slightly, his expression calm.
"You can rest easy—I don't intend to kill you. Not yet. Your sons still linger, and I need your knowledge."
"My… help?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Yes. You have experience I don't. And I could use that."
Kaguya fell silent, uncertain.
"You said you wanted to see them again, didn't you? Hagoromo. Hamura."
Her breath caught.
"Or," Gen added quietly, "would you rather I turn you into another pill—like Urashiki?"
Her chakra stirred dangerously, but he pressed on.
"Think of it this way—we're natural allies. Both standing outside the Ōtsutsuki's design. But that only works… if you open your mind."
"You don't have to trust me now," he said gently. "You'll have time to decide."
"I won't break your seal. But I will take some of your chakra with me."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"That way, you'll be able to see through it—to observe the world again. To see whether I'm lying."
He turned, already fading, his voice echoing softly through the sealed void.
"And who knows… maybe your wisdom will help me grow a new tree."
Kaguya's lips parted, a trace of disbelief in her eyes.
"This child…" she whispered.
---
In the Pure Land
High above, in the tranquil void of the Pure Land, two ancient souls watched the entire exchange through the reflection of the seal.
Hagoromo and Hamura said nothing for a long while.
Finally, Hamura broke the silence.
"Brother… do you think this is wise?"
His expression, usually light-hearted, was grave now.
"Mother's will was absolute once. Her convictions unshakable."
Hagoromo exhaled slowly.
"I don't know. Gen has touched something far beyond our sight."
He looked down at the shimmering image—of Gen speaking calmly to their mother.
"He's not trying to destroy her… He's trying to change her."
Hamura frowned deeply.
"To break Mother's faith itself? That's… impossible."
"If it were easy," Hagoromo murmured, "we would never have fought that war."
He watched silently for a moment longer, his ancient eyes full of both caution and reluctant hope.
"For now," he said quietly, "we wait."
The Sage of Six Paths—Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki—was silent for a long time, lost in thought, unsure what to feel as he watched the image flicker across the heavens.
At his side, his younger brother Hamura finally broke the quiet.
"So… we just watch?"
Hagoromo blinked, startled by how casual his brother sounded.
"What else can we do?" Hamura continued with a shrug. "Go down there and warn him?"
"That's…"
"Come on, brother," Hamura said, tilting his head. "Mother's still sealed. And even if she wasn't—you really think that boy would be afraid of her?"
Hagoromo sighed heavily.
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
Hamura chuckled softly, arms crossed.
"Then maybe we should just watch and see what happens. I admit—it's not the most responsible choice…"
He glanced up at the celestial screen again, where Gen stood calmly before their mother's divine prison.
"But I want to see it. I want to see how far that child can go. And whether Mother… can truly change."
Hagoromo pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You really have no sense of caution, do you?"
Hamura just smiled.
"Didn't you once say we should trust the power of the next generation? Isn't that what you always preached?"
"…"
"Or," Hamura added slyly, eyes glinting, "was Mother right about you after all?"
"…"
Hagoromo's eyes twitched.
"You really are—"
"Go on, say it," Hamura grinned.
"—Shut up!"
Hagoromo snapped, cutting him off and glaring skyward again.
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, his shoulders relaxed slightly, and a quiet smile tugged at his lips.
"Still… maybe you're right."
Because deep down, he wanted to see it too.
To see what Gen would do—
and whether the impossible could finally be changed.
---
Meanwhile – Akatsuki Base
In the depths of the Akatsuki's underground lair, Isshiki Ōtsutsuki sat cross-legged, eyes closed, his vast chakra pulsing rhythmically.
He had been working tirelessly for hours, pouring his strength into the Karma mark he had left behind.
"Still nothing…" he muttered irritably.
"Is the resonance buried too deep? Has he fallen into complete dormancy?"
Frustration flickered across his face. Even for him, this kind of long-distance chakra communication was difficult.
And then—
"Hm?"
His expression changed. A faint signal rippled through his senses.
"Finally… a response?"
His eyes snapped open, the ripple of power flashing gold.
"Urashiki! At last!"
Following the faint pulse, Isshiki wove his chakra into a bridge—a shimmering tunnel of energy that connected two fading Ōtsutsuki essences across dimensions.
In an instant, their consciousnesses linked, materializing in a hazy, dreamlike realm.
As Isshiki's form began to take shape, he smiled faintly.
"Urashiki. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
He barely got the words out before the other figure—pale, disoriented, and very much panicked—looked up.
Urashiki's eyes widened in sheer terror.
His entire body stiffened—then he actually backed away.
"I–Isshiki!?"
"You—You stay away from me!"
Isshiki froze.
For a full second, he just… blinked.
"…"
The proud god of the Ōtsutsuki clan, the terror of countless worlds, could only stare as his supposed comrade-in-arms—once a fellow divine being—literally screamed and ran backward in fright.
His face twitched.
"What… what is wrong with you?"
But Urashiki only pointed at him, shaking like a leaf.
"No, no, no! You're bad luck! Every time you show up, someone dies! Don't bring your curse near me!"
Isshiki's expression went completely blank.
Even for an immortal being, there were moments when words failed—and this was one of them.
"…You have got to be kidding me."
The great Isshiki Ōtsutsuki could only stand there, utterly speechless, as his fellow god panicked like a frightened rabbit.