"Elder Biluò, did you say you caught an intruder?"
Inside a palace even more majestic than the one Gin currently resided in, Ōtsutsuki Biluò—who had been all smiles just moments ago—was now drenched in cold sweat. Her chubby body trembled as she knelt before the shadowy figure seated high above, who had just spoken.
She struggled to suppress the fear in her heart and replied in a flattering tone, "Reporting to the clan head, I did catch a stranger, but he's just a powerless young man."
Even when facing the terrifying clan leader, Biluò—who had taken quite a liking to the so-called "eighteen-year-old"—still dared to speak up for him.
"I don't care whether they're male or female, young or old. If they came from Earth… they must not remain."
The figure on the high platform slowly turned. Her pale-white eyes, as cold as the moon, stared at the quivering Biluò below, pronouncing Gin's fate with icy indifference.
Despite her fear, Biluò gritted her teeth. Desire ultimately triumphed. With a heavy thud, she slammed her thick forehead to the ground and shouted:
"Clan head! He's a man! A strong, healthy man!"
Biluò summoned every ounce of courage in her body to plead with urgency in her voice.
"So what? It's not like our clan lacks men."
The clan leader remained unmoved by Biluò's emphatic kowtowing. She didn't even lift her eyelids and turned away coldly.
"Clan head! The few men we have left are too old—they're completely incapable of fulfilling their reproductive duties!"
When the clan leader mentioned the other male members, a look of disappointment crossed Biluò's eyes. She bowed even lower and answered with extreme respect.
"Then gouge out their eyes and replace them."
Gazing at the blue Earth far in the distance, the current head of the Ōtsutsuki clan made this declaration with icy detachment, condemning the fate of the elders who had served the clan for decades. In her view, men were nothing more than tools.
Upon hearing such a cruel decree, Biluò's heart tightened. Cold sweat dripped from her forehead and pooled on the polished tiles beneath.
"Clan head… how long has it been since you've stepped outside?"
Thinking of the clan's few remaining frail elders, Biluò—determined not to see the clan perish—raised her head, locked her beady white eyes on the expressionless leader, and boldly asked.
"What do you mean by that?"
The figure on the platform frowned slightly at the sudden question. Though a bit puzzled, she wasn't angry.
She had secluded herself for decades—surely nothing that significant had happened in the clan during her absence… right?
"Clan head… it's been over ten years since we've had a single healthy newborn!"
With no hope of survival anyway, Biluò decided to lay everything on the table—for the future of the Ōtsutsuki clan and for the well-being of her sisters.
She stood up slowly and began explaining the current state of the clan, one word at a time, to the out-of-touch leader.
A thousand years ago, during the great war, most members of the branch family sacrificed themselves to awaken the Tenseigan.
Though they triumphed over the stubborn main branch, the branch family suffered massive losses—especially in terms of population, which dropped to less than 20%.
To deal with the crisis, the then-leader of the branch family promoted childbirth. Women who had multiple children were given honorary titles like "Glorious Mother" for five children, and "Heroic Mother" for ten.
The moon was swept up in a pink wave of baby-making fever. For a time, it seemed to work.
But after a few generations of leaders, they realized something troubling—after an initial population boom, growth stagnated.
Then came even worse problems.
"Over 90% of newborns now die at birth. Of the surviving 10%, 70% are deformed."
Seeing that the clan leader wasn't getting angry and even seemed thoughtful, Biluò grew bolder and continued.
"This is all because of our breeding policies. In the early generations, there wasn't much close blood relation between couples, so the kids were healthy. But by the third generation, the rate of stillbirths and deformities began to skyrocket."
Ōtsutsuki members live far longer than any humans on Earth, thanks to the moon's peaceful environment and their pure bloodline. No outsider blood had been introduced, which made them resilient—but also more genetically vulnerable over time.
"What about the men? Don't tell me…"
"There are barely any left, Clan Head! Just a handful!"
Biluò nearly burst into tears. Since the clan head's seclusion decades ago, she had shown no interest in internal affairs, only reacting when something involved Earth.
"It's gotten that bad…?"
Hearing the crisis firsthand, the clan leader's expression finally changed. Though she usually left administration to the elders, it was clear now the clan was on the verge of extinction. It was time for her to take action.
"Elder Biluò, do you have a suggestion?"
That's right. She was good at fighting, but clueless when it came to governance—so she always deferred to her elders.
"Clan Head, this must be fate! That young man from Earth—he's our hope for revival!"
Seeing her chance, Biluò straightened her back and spoke confidently to the now-attentive leader.
"But the books say people from Earth are filthy, and only fire can purify their souls."
The clan leader tilted her head, recalling the doctrine from old texts.
"Oh please! Clan Head, this is no time to be clinging to those outdated books!"
"Hmph. Books are treasure troves of wisdom and beauty!"
"Well, you already live in a golden palace, and as for beauty… she's locked up in my chambers. Clan Head, I beg you—open your eyes to reality!"
Biluò pleaded passionately. She truly didn't want the Ōtsutsuki clan to perish on her watch. Plus… that handsome young man really looked useful.
"So your suggestion is?"
The clan head, unable to find a proper rebuttal, finally gave in. Now wasn't the time for pride. As the saying goes—listen to advice, eat your fill.
"Ahem, my proposal is that the clan's women… mate with that young man from Earth to produce a new, healthy generation. Then the next generation can continue reproducing with suitable members of our clan…"
Biluò's eyes glowed red with excitement. She wiped drool from the corner of her mouth and declared her plan with righteous conviction.
"How many women are left in the clan?"
Though still hesitant about involving outsiders, the clan head decided to gather all the facts.
"Sixty-six, including yourself."
Biluò rattled off the numbers like she'd memorized them.
"There are eight males left, but they're all elderly."
All of them were old and useless in every practical sense.
"And without newborns, their vitality is too low."
"It's gotten this bad…?"
The clan leader's calm face finally showed urgency. The thought of the Ōtsutsuki legacy dying out during her reign made her clench her delicate fists.
No—she wouldn't allow that shame!
"Very well! Elder Biluò, you will take full charge of this matter."
"Understood, Clan Head! I'll draft a detailed plan and submit it for your review!"
Overjoyed, Biluò bounced off the ground like a rubber ball, smiling ear to ear as she respectfully bowed.
"Make it quick."
The clan leader returned to her usual cold demeanor, waving dismissively. Now that someone was handling things, all she had to do was say yes or no.
"Your subordinate takes her leave~"
Biluò skipped away, her bulky frame moving with surprising agility.
"Hehehe, the handsome young man is safe!"
Standing on a barely-holding-together airship, Biluò's face was flushed with joy. After so many years, she finally found a suitable specimen—she wasn't going to miss this chance.
"But… would it be too presumptuous if I claimed him for myself first? Hmm, second place is fine too!"
Calculating furiously, her tiny green eyes flickered with scheming light.
"As for those old geezers… well, the Tenseigan still isn't complete. Let them contribute one final time to the clan!"
Her expression darkened as she murmured, having already decided the fate of the elders who had once done so much for the clan.
Meanwhile, in Biluò's palace, Gin sat in a massive dining hall. A dozen short servants placed fragrant dishes on the enormous table before him.
Several graceful figures danced stiffly in the space beside the table.
Two long-haired maids in kimonos respectfully placed utensils before him.
"Wow~ not bad at all!"
He picked up a bite and found the food surprisingly tasty—though it felt… standardized. Like premium prepackaged meals.
"Keep the music going! Keep dancing!"
Not worried about being poisoned, Gin devoured the food like a beast. He hadn't eaten or drunk since arriving on the moon almost a full day ago.
"Great service. I'll definitely visit again!"
Stuffed to the brim, he leaned back as a maid handed him a toothpick. With an air of smug satisfaction, he cleaned his teeth leisurely.
"Big palace… kinda lacking in life though."
Despite all the bustling servants around, his super-keen senses told him he was the only one in the building with a real life force.
"Mind if I go for a stroll?"
Gin stood up, hoping to stretch his legs and explore.
"Gin-dono, please don't wander. Lady Biluò instructed me to guide you personally."
Before he could take a step, a black figure blocked his path.
A masked man with lifeless yellow eyes and a frigid voice spoke from behind his veil.
So that terrifying woman was named Biluò… fate sure loves irony.
"Guest follows host, I suppose. Lead the way."
Gin shrugged, playing nice. He signaled for the puppet to guide him.
"Gin-dono, if you have questions, feel free to ask. I know far more than any human ever could."
The puppet walked ahead, even offering to chat.
Tch. Not bad! If he'd known Ōtsutsuki puppets were this smart, he would've asked his uncle for puppet jutsu! Those sand users back home can't even compare!
"So, uh... how big is the moon?"
Gin raised an eyebrow and smirked.
As an Uchiha, he hated pretentious know-it-alls. Let's see this puppet try to fake it!
"Approximately 3.79 million square kilometers."
Without hesitation, the puppet answered.
Whoa—he actually knew that?! Was he bluffing?
Though shocked, Gin kept a composed face like it was all a test.
Not satisfied, he asked again.
"Who's your master?"
"My master is Ōtsutsuki Biluò, an elder of the Ōtsutsuki clan, responsible for all internal affairs."
No hesitation. Clear answer.
Wait, this was allowed?
Or maybe it wasn't considered classified?
Seeing how easily the puppet gave up info, Gin's eyes lit up with mischief and he fired another shot.
"Where is the Tenseigan located?"
"The Tenseigan is locat— beep beep beep beep"
The puppet's eyes briefly flashed blue, and its response cut to unintelligible static.
"Tch! I knew it—no way a high-end AI wouldn't have security protocols!"
(End of Chapter)
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