"You—your attack…"
Kaguya watched as the Ten-Tails suddenly suffered a heavy blow and instantly collapsed to the ground. She herself appeared somewhat dazed.
What exactly was going on—she could not quite make sense of it. She only felt as though time and space had collectively become dislocated.
Immediately afterward, the attack released by Kitagawa Gen erupted, finally crashing down heavily upon that unfortunate Ten-Tails!
This mode of attack seemed to exceed expectations somewhat.
"This counts as my unique ability—or rather, my dōjutsu."
Kitagawa Gen smiled casually, his gaze locking onto the Ten-Tails.
"It's not dead. Although it's been crippled, everything is still preserved fairly well. In that case, it's time to proceed to the next step of the plan."
Kitagawa Gen had come here precisely for this Ten-Tails, and dealing with it seemed far easier than he had imagined.
"It's truly inconceivable. The Ten-Tails isn't even as good as those Tailed Beasts. Although the Tailed Beasts need jinchūriki to exert their maximum power, at least they possess intelligence—whereas the Ten-Tails doesn't even have that."
"Do you even hear what you're saying?"
Kaguya could hardly keep herself together. Having been brought out for some time, she had come to understand certain aspects of this world, which made her speak with a headache-inducing tone.
"Even if the Tailed Beasts have intelligence, even if they cooperate with lower life forms and can exert a certain degree of power—can they really be compared to the Ten-Tails?"
"Not necessarily, right?"
Kitagawa Gen recalled the scene of Naruto and Killer B joining forces to deal with the Ten-Tails. Although it was brutal, they were still able to manage it to some extent.
"There is no luck involved—just like when lower life forms encounter us."
However, Kaguya merely shook her head again and spoke coldly.
"Under normal circumstances, lower life forms have absolutely no power to resist. This world is nothing more than a world forged by Hagoromo over a thousand years, built upon endless corpses and blood."
"Especially since this world has you, and you have inherited the legacy left behind by the endless living beings over these thousand years—otherwise…"
"Um, don't you think you might have some kind of misunderstanding about your precious son?"
"There is no misunderstanding at all. The fact that he was able to seal me proves that his thinking is meticulous—one could even say it is extremely cruel!"
"..."
"Moreover, he might…"
"Might what?"
Kitagawa Gen was somewhat puzzled. Why had Kaguya suddenly stopped speaking?
However, at this moment he had already landed in front of the Ten-Tails, and immediately opened a spatial gate.
"Roar—"
The Ten-Tails still tried to struggle, but Kitagawa Gen stepped on its head with one foot, making it completely unable to move.
At the same time, the spatial gate was rapidly absorbing it. Meanwhile, within Ame-no-Minaka, the source of the Divine Tree was also quietly undergoing changes. Only then did he ask in confusion, "What's wrong? Why did you stop talking?"
"It's nothing."
Kaguya fell silent for a moment before shaking her head somewhat laboriously.
Because she had suddenly realized why her precious son had been so firmly convinced that, through a thousand years of tempering, this world could usher in peace.
The answer was simple. He had likely foreseen the appearance of Kitagawa Gen, this mysterious Ōtsutsuki—and had also foreseen some truly terrifying things.
For example, his 'Divine Ascension Stairway'.
In a daze, Kaguya seemed to have "understood" why her two precious sons—both pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki—had chosen "death."
'Could it be that, in order to avoid a conflict with Kitagawa Gen's 'Divine Ascension Stairway,' they abandoned their physical bodies and chose to exist as spiritual forms?'
By entering the Pure Land in the form of spirits, they allowed Indra and Asura's conflict to run its course, expanding the scale of war to create conditions for Kitagawa Gen.
At the same time—
'They also allowed Zetsu's actions to proceed. He forged Hyūga-related artifacts and had no intention of releasing me, so those other forgeries might instead be meant to release me!'
Release Kaguya, encounter Kitagawa Gen—
'Hiss! Could it be that I was originally something Hagoromo and the others had already decided on—that I would become a sacrificial offering for Kitagawa Gen's 'Divine Ascension Stairway'?!'
At the thought of this possibility, Kaguya's face turned somewhat pale.
Although there was no concrete evidence, if things continued to develop in this direction, the likelihood of it being true was extremely high.
Kitagawa Gen looked easygoing, but his methods were cruel—especially his cruel methods toward the Ōtsutsuki.
And his "Divine Ascension Stairway" even let him obtain "Kekkei Mōra"—then this guy absolutely will not let any Ōtsutsuki go!
"Roar—"
Just as her thoughts grew more and more fearful, Isshiki's Ten-Tails was completely sucked into Kitagawa Gen's Ame-no-Minaka.
In the next instant, a shrill, miserable scream echoed throughout the entire space!
Along with the screams, there were also bursts of sounds that seemed like devouring, making those already shrill screams even more miserable.
"Damn it…"
Kaguya's face turned even paler. She had already been thinking about terrifying things, and the sound made her feel that all of this was an omen of her future!
"Hey, not bad—so you can still struggle?"
What was even more terrifying was that Kitagawa Gen could actually laugh and speak at length even while hearing such shrill sounds.
"But that's good. The more you struggle, the happier I'll be—because the more you struggle, the more it shows you've got vitality!"
"..."
Kaguya's face turned even whiter. The more it struggled, the happier he was?
As expected of an Ōtsutsuki raised by Hagoromo—one who had adapted to this cold-blooded and brutally tragic shinobi world!
"Keep struggling. Your energy will ultimately become a part of me."
Kitagawa Gen nodded. Although this kind of devouring looked miserable, in reality it was not that bloody.
The Ten-Tails was a beast, but it was also a Divine Tree, and their devouring likewise proceeded according to "energy devouring."
Kitagawa Gen's source of the Divine Tree was different to begin with, and it had also obtained so many of his "resources"—especially now that he had cut off the source of the Divine Tree's supply to him.
This made his source of the Divine Tree even more immense, and even more terrifying; dealing with a heavily injured Ten-Tails was simply effortless.
"Recover properly. There's still another Ten-Tails waiting for you—I'm counting on your fruit."
Listening to the shrill, miserable screams coming from within the spatial passage, Kitagawa Gen happily closed the spatial gate.
Right now, he truly looked forward to the moment when those Ōtsutsuki saw his Kekkei Mōra—perhaps even a higher-level Kekkei Mōra.
Would they go mad with "delight" in their hearts?
'But before that, I still need to obtain the remains of Ōtsutsuki Shibai. Fortunately, I've already locked onto the location—I just need to spend some time.'
Kitagawa Gen muttered to himself, then smiled toward Kaguya inside his body.
"Let's go and see that Ōtsutsuki Shibai. Although he's already dead, there are quite a few legends about him—maybe he can still give me a hand."
"..."
Kaguya did not answer. At this moment, she was still immersed in her own thoughts, and this silence made Kitagawa Gen puzzled.
"Hey, what's wrong with you again?"
"..."
That voice snapped Kaguya back to her senses. She felt the astonishing aura radiating from Kitagawa Gen.
Looking at this vast, empty space where the Ten-Tails was no longer present, and at the miserable screams of the Ten-Tails still echoing in her mind, it took quite a while before she let out a faint sigh.
"Hagoromo… you're even more cold-blooded and brutal than I imagined!"
"?"
"I admit it—I've completely lost."
"..."
Kitagawa Gen felt Kaguya's chakra in confusion. He truly could not figure out what this woman was thinking about again.
However, he had guessed one thing correctly: the three Ōtsutsuki were indeed already somewhat losing their minds.
Although they had not yet encountered him, the power capable of breaking through the seal of Ame-no-Minaka had made them infer that what "Ōtsutsuki Genshiki" was most likely using was the power of "Kekkei Mōra"!
And that alone was enough to send countless thoughts racing through their minds.
'Kekkei Mōra is not an ordinary thing.'
This elevation of life level was even more enticing than simply obtaining power.
And the "Divine Ascension Stairway" seemed to possess both—what that implied was self-evident.
'If that's true, then the value of the 'Divine Ascension Stairway' is far too great—far too important.'
However, thinking this far, the three of them all stopped, because they did not dare to continue thinking any further.
The matter was of great importance; even they had to verify it carefully.
"Maybe it's a mistaken feeling. There are still many things that need to be confirmed."
After quite a while, Isshiki finally spoke in a low voice. His words made Urashiki and Momoshiki nod along as well.
"Indeed, there are many things that need to be confirmed again."
"..."
Seeing how nonchalant the two of them looked, Isshiki knew he had basically spoken in vain.
Still, he did not mind it. Instead, he focused even more intently on the battle situation before them.
"Hmph. Kitagawa Gen has probably already discovered our existence. Otherwise, he could have gone all out—but he deliberately hasn't, not even once."
"Indeed, this guy also doesn't seem to know what he's waiting for."
Momoshiki gave Isshiki a deep look, then shifted his gaze to their "vessels."
"It's like he's deliberately dangling our 'vessels'—he neither strikes hard nor leaves. What exactly is his objective?"
"Could it be the Ten-Tails that this group collected?"
Urashiki pondered for a moment and seemed to arrive at an answer.
"Since he's already discovered us, he's probably also realized that continuously taking action would accelerate our release. But he's also worried that if we are released faster, it would disrupt this group's plans."
"So he's dragging things out, waiting for the Ten-Tails to be released. Clearly, his objective is also the Ten-Tails."
Isshiki realized something as well, but the moment the Ten-Tails was mentioned, his fists clenched again.
His had been "robbed at home" by Ōtsutsuki Genshiki—his Ten-Tails was gone.
And what worried him even more wasn't just the Ten-Tails, but the remains of Ōtsutsuki Shibai hidden in the deepest part of that space of his!
Given the personality of that madman Ōtsutsuki Genshiki, once he found it, who knew what kind of messed-up things would happen.
'That lunatic—he wouldn't be thinking of using that lord's remains to make some kind of 'Divine Ascension Stairway,' would he?'
Although, in his view, doing so wouldn't necessarily be a problem, the key point was that all of this originally belonged to him!
'Damn it. Because of his own ideas, this Kitagawa Gen has indirectly helped Ōtsutsuki Genshiki.'
At the thought that Ōtsutsuki Genshiki was indirectly benefiting, each of them felt extremely displeased.
After all, they had not yet been revived, so naturally they were unable to stop Ōtsutsuki Genshiki from attacking Isshiki's Ame-no-Minaka.
Of course, even if they were revived and rushed over, whether they could actually win was another matter entirely!
"Huh? Why is Kitagawa Gen's aura becoming more and more strange?"
Suddenly, Urashiki looked at Kitagawa Gen with some confusion and spoke.
"Just now his aura suddenly weakened, which I found a bit odd. But now his aura is starting to grow stronger continuously—this is really strange."
"Could this be what they call an 'evolver'?"
Urashiki raised an eyebrow, and an equally strange expression appeared on Isshiki's face.
"This is really odd. Why is the aura of the Divine Tree on this guy growing stronger and stronger? What's going on here?"
They would not misjudge the aura of the Divine Tree—after all, they themselves had planted countless Divine Trees.
But the fact that the aura on Kitagawa Gen was becoming heavier and stronger made them all feel puzzled.
No matter what, though, this seemed to further prove the judgment of "Ōtsutsuki Genshiki." This guy truly possessed inconceivable energy!
Once devoured, this would absolutely be an important step on the "Divine Ascension Stairway."
"Damn it—how is this guy also continuously getting stronger?"
The three of them—Obito and the others—also sensed the difference in the Kitagawa Gen before them. An inconceivable aura kept gathering and brewing around him.
This power grew stronger and stronger, increasingly awe-inspiring, leaving all three of them with faces full of disbelief.
"Damn it—could it be that he's also continuously 'evolving'?"
Suddenly, Obito realized something and spoke in disbelief.
Those words immediately made Nagato and Kimimaro's expressions turn somewhat dazed.
Nagato had naturally experienced the so-called "call of power"; the power within his body constantly urged him to keep fighting.
As for Kimimaro, although he did not fully understand what "evolution" meant, he also knew that through battle one could continuously release one's power.
But just how far Kitagawa Gen had reached, they did not know—because Kitagawa Gen was simply too strong.
So strong that it somewhat exceeded their imagination.
This time, they had intended to temper themselves through Kitagawa Gen in this battle, and also wanted to see where this guy's "evolution" limit lay.
Now it seemed that they were about to witness that limit—but the situation also appeared to have become even more complicated!
'It's the power obtained by the source of the Divine Tree devouring the Ten-Tails, feeding back onto the clone.'
Even the expression on Kitagawa Gen's Divine Tree clone was rather strange, as if he himself had not anticipated this scene.
But as the chakra within his body grew more and more turbulent, Kitagawa Gen's body suddenly began to float gently upward.
In the next instant, countless trees burst forth from the ground around him, and a layer of deep azure radiance appeared over his body without him even realizing it.
That radiance burned like blazing flames, and the pure chakra aura was suffocating.
And behind him, three Truth-Seeking Orbs quietly condensed and began to orbit around him!
"This is… the power that Ōtsutsuki Genshiki once used?"
The three of them recognized it immediately. The golden sword condensed from the Truth-Seeking Orbs was something they could never forget.
And at this moment, a terrifying conjecture arose in their minds—
"Has Kitagawa Gen already reached the end of 'evolution'?"
Yet Kitagawa Gen's aura continued to grow stronger and stronger—an aura so overwhelming and so despair-inducing.
Buzz—
In the next instant, at the very moment this aura condensed to its extreme, the surging chakra erupted violently!
That roaring chakra instantly turned the sky bright as day, and the vast chakra at that moment seemed to spread toward the entire shinobi world.
The three of them—Obito and the others—were knocked to the ground by this terrifying chakra. Staring blankly at Kitagawa Gen flying in the air, they clenched their fists at that moment.
"So this… is a true 'evolver'?"
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