Kitagawa Gen's chakra spread into the starry sky, and in the unfathomable depths of that boundless firmament—
Two shadowy figures suddenly paused. Sensing something, they narrowed their eyes, peering into the distant void.
Closer, somewhere along a nearby river of stars, a pair of Byakugan also swept about in perplexity.
Across the shinobi world, everyone gazed up at the night. They could all feel that ripple of chakra.
"How strange… What on earth has been going on lately? What's happened to the moon?"
In Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others wore pained expressions.
They still hadn't gotten to the bottom of the moon's prior anomaly. They had thought the matter settled—only for it to flare up again?
Within Konoha, however, Black Zetsu looked especially shaken. Staring blankly at the sky, it could not help muttering under its breath.
"Mother… this chakra—it feels like Mother's."
In the Land of Rain, Nagato gazed into the stars, and Uchiha Obito likewise looked toward the moon through the hazy curtain of rain.
Even Orochimaru lifted his head. He licked the corner of his mouth, a strange smile curling onto his face.
"That chakra…"
In a cavern somewhere in the shinobi world, the Second Elder from the moon stared dazedly at the heavens. Beside him, Toneri tugged at his sleeve.
"Grand-uncle… is that—"
"Toneri, don't worry. It's fine."
The Second Elder snapped back to himself and immediately drew Toneri into the barrier he had prepared.
"And do not leave the barrier. We'll be discovered."
Following the Grand Elder's order, he had slipped away from the moon with Toneri amidst the chaos of battle.
Yet now he felt utterly lost, with no idea what to do next.
The shinobi world was entirely unfamiliar to him—and above their heads, a Tenseigan still watched.
Worst of all, he himself would not last more than a few years…
"Can that one truly prevail…? Does the Ōtsutsuki clan truly still have a future…?"
Some were despondent; others were fearful.
In a barren waste, a man in monk's robes stood in silence, gazing at the night sky for a long time.
"It seems that child has made another tremendous breakthrough."
In the Pure Land, the Sage of Six Paths and his younger brother watched the galaxies in wordless silence.
After a long while, the Sage finally shook his head and broke it.
"Hm?"
Hagoromo's brother, Hamura, started at that, then looked at his elder brother in disbelief.
"You know him?"
"Yes. I know him."
The Sage of Six Paths nodded. He withdrew his gaze, remaining seated cross-legged in midair.
"Strange as it is to say, I had never noticed anything peculiar about him before. He was always together with Indra and Asura—he was even a friend of Asura's."
"Together with those two?"
"That's right. Only a few years ago did I accidentally sense the boy's wonder—and at last understand what sets him apart."
Here, the Sage could not help but sigh.
"That child bears the same blood as we do—perhaps even more extraordinary. Maybe that is precisely why I failed to notice him."
"And right now… him?"
Hamura glanced at the sky, puzzled. "And, elder brother, what do you really think?"
"He's had another breakthrough—or rather, he's steadily probing the power in his bloodline."
The Sage of Six Paths smiled, then spoke in earnest.
"As for what I think, at first I was worried. But as time went on, I realized how unusual this child is."
"Oh?"
"His views differ from mine, but there is a distinct kindness in his heart."
Hamura listened in silence while the Sage went on, still smiling.
"Toward enemies, he's like the cold wind of winter; toward friends, he's like the bright sun of spring. He's no ordinary person—remarkable, an exceedingly special existence."
The Sage had once observed Kitagawa Gen; yet as Gen's strength grew, those observations became rarer.
Even so, he was certain what he had seen was not mistaken.
Above all, he can discern the good and evil in a person's heart. In his eyes, Kitagawa Gen acts from goodwill—isn't Naruto the same now?
Even Sasuke is changing his own fate.
"So, even if the methods differ and the thinking isn't the same, if the final result is good, I believe there's no problem."
The Sage concluded with a cheerful smile. Hamura seemed thoughtful, then joked a moment later: "Of course, it also has to do with the fact that we can't do anything to that brat, doesn't it?"
"Does it?"
The Sage tilted his head, then gave a breezy smile.
"Maybe. If that's how you see it, then so be it. But I'd rather place my faith in these children—Indra and Asura both trust him as well."
"Leave it to the later generations to resolve?"
Hamura smiled and shook his head. Suddenly he thought of something, and with a slightly odd look asked: "From the way you're talking, this child is quite something, isn't he?"
"He is indeed outstanding."
Hearing his younger brother, the Sage pondered for a moment; images rose in his mind.
For instance, as soon as this kid awakened his bloodline and took the surname "Ōtsutsuki," he stirred up a whole mess.
For instance, he came down with a heavy hand on a crowd of his own descendants.
For instance, he scared his old friend Gamamaru out of his wits.
And then there was the series of things he did to Indra and Asura—at that, the Sage's smile gradually faded.
"But his temperament is also downright vicious."
"…"
Hamura blinked. It was the first time he'd seen his elder brother's expression change like that.
"So in the end, we don't need to do anything?"
"Didn't you say we're powerless against this child?"
The Sage of Six Paths chuckled, then answered seriously.
"Since Mother hasn't emerged, we shouldn't move. And I'm willing to believe in the strength of those who come after us."
He paused, looked toward the sky, and a faint smile returned to his face.
"The feud between Indra and Asura may end in his hands. The change the world needs may also arrive through him."
"Even in an unknown and more frightening future, perhaps we'll still see his shadow."
"He is exceptional. He is a forerunner. He is an Ōtsutsuki unlike the rest."
An unusual Ōtsutsuki?
Hamura also lifted his head to the sky. After a moment, he nodded as well.
Perhaps so. The child truly is remarkable…
"But, elder brother."
After a long pause, Hamura looked at his elder brother in puzzlement, and the Sage of Six Paths glanced back at him, equally curious.
"What is it?"
"That child said the war between Indra and Asura was something you allowed to happen. Is that true?"
"…"
"That you used a thousand years, let blood stain the earth, and tempered them with the lives of countless beings—to prepare for the 'people from the heavens' to come. Is that right?"
"…"
"Are you really that cold-blooded and cruel?"
"…"
The Sage of Six Paths fell silent. He did not know how to answer.
Even for him, in that moment his hands curled into fists.
At the very time the two brothers were reunited, on the moon, Kitagawa Gen slowly opened his eyes.
He drew a deep breath, then swept a wary gaze around him.
"Looks like… it's fine."
Even while in the midst of his elevation, he kept a sharp watch on everything around him.
From the looks of it now, he had been overthinking.
Those two seemed merely curious about him, with no other move.
"Right—aside from when Ōtsutsuki Kaguya broke the seal and forced the Sage of Six Paths to stick his head out, they've never made any move at all."
Whether it was the assault by Momoshiki and Kinshiki, or the hard push by Urashiki and Isshiki—right up to that later, chaotic 'God Tree free-for-all'—those two stayed steady as old dogs, never once showing their faces. Their whole thing is 'trust the later generations'!
"Especially since, strictly speaking, I'm on their side—so they're even less likely to do anything to me."
Kitagawa Gen chuckled. He had suspected as much for a long time, but this time he could be fully certain.
"Still… after I slandered the Sage of Six Paths like that, he won't hold a grudge, will he?"
He blinked. Old men, at times, were the most grudging.
Take the Third Hokage—over one small matter, he kept it in mind forever…
Soon he stopped letting his thoughts run wild and focused on feeling this latest surge in himself.
"The bloodline development isn't small…"
Kitagawa Gen glanced at his status panel. Seeing his current development, he couldn't help but nod.
The further bloodline development progressed, the slower it became—but that was only natural.
What he could do even now felt frightening; yet even so, it was only 58% development. Which meant—
"My ceiling… is likely just as I guessed: not merely another Ōtsutsuki, but very possibly that so-called Ōtsutsuki God."
He had long had this suspicion; only now did he gradually feel that his idea was probably true.
He even wondered if he'd been conservative…
"Whatever comes next can wait. This boost is really not bad."
Shaking his head, Kitagawa Gen stopped overthinking. This time's gain, for him, was truly immense.
Before setting out, he had been at 52%. By using Naruto's Yang Release in combination with his current Tenseigan power, he surged in one go to 58%—already quite good.
At this moment, his control over chakra had reached an unbelievable level, and his body had grown even stronger.
The bones within him were drinking in chakra to saturation. He felt as if a casual punch could unleash inexhaustible force.
Those terrifying natural calamities… it seemed he could realize them with his own strength and chakra.
"Only, compared to the body, the greatest gain this time is still my eyes…"
The Tenseigan's power was targeted at his eyes to begin with—especially since, before this, his eyes had already reached saturation.
Kitagawa Gen couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips.
The third evolution! His eyes had finally reached their third evolution!
And at last he had obtained the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion he had longed for.
Undeniably, the Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion was already powerful, but compared to the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion… it still fell short by a good margin. After all, the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion was a force capable of cleaving the moon.
"With this technique, my killing power will only grow—and…"
And this time, Kitagawa Gen's gains were far from limited to that.
The power brewing at his brow was growing ever stronger; even he was curious what it would turn out to be.
What's more, thanks to the resonance with that colossal Tenseigan, he could already mobilize meteorites with greater ease.
He had also gained control over the "Hamura Golem"; in a sense, he had rounded out the Tenseigan's full suite of abilities.
"Not only that—the chakra of that colossal Tenseigan seems like it can act upon the 'Source of the God Tree' as well."
The "Source of the God Tree" was of paramount importance. In Kitagawa Gen's view, it was very likely the Ten-Tails—perhaps even…
"I recall that the true 'Zetsu' cultivated by the God Tree are no trivial things."
Kitagawa Gen's expression turned a little odd as well, though he couldn't be sure whether the thing in his memory was truly Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's real objective.
But he was certain of one thing: nurturing the "Source of the God Tree" would benefit his eyes—especially since his eyes had begun absorbing chakra again.
'Even after completing the third evolution they can still absorb it… looks like my eyes are far from their limit.'
He understood, of course, that above the normal ocular techniques he had obtained, there was something else called "Shinjutsu."
'Then next…'
He rose to his feet and formed a one-handed seal. In the next instant, a God Tree Clone appeared in silence.
Although the moon's interior had been damaged, Kitagawa Gen had no intention of giving up on this place—least of all on that colossal Tenseigan.
He still needed that eye's chakra to keep elevating himself, and beyond that he had to study and refine the lunar records.
These were treasures; studying them would only further his progress.
'From here on, besides the Tailed Beasts and the chakra of Indra and Asura, my main focus will be… nothing but Kekkei Mōra.'
'Perhaps only after the Kekkei Mōra fusion succeeds will I make a greater leap.'
He stretched lazily, feeling the vast chakra surging within him; gazing at the colossal Tenseigan before him, shimmering with flowing light, he smiled.
'This time's gain is substantial. If I process it properly, I can definitely push further.'
'That said, Ōtsutsuki Toneri ran pretty fast… no matter. In his current state he won't be stirring up any waves.'
'And I should head back. Being here alone really isn't my style.'
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