Chapter 169 – Conversation
"No way... the Rinnegan? How can you possibly possess it? You don't carry a single drop of Ōtsutsuki blood, and yet you can switch eyes as you please," Indra said, clearly shocked.
How could an outsider wield the Rinnegan? And more than that, the power radiating from those eyes… it surpassed even his father's.
A red Rinnegan—something not even his father had ever obtained.
"This one, huh? If you really want to know, I'll tell you... but only if you answer one condition: tell me where your real eye is," Hatake Yusuke said, staring straight into Indra's eyes.
"...What are you really after?" Indra asked with a serious tone.
"My goal?" Yusuke didn't answer right away.
He looked down, then lifted his face with a faint, almost lonely smile. "I'm someone filled with contradictions... I enjoy battle."
His voice was soft, like he was diving into his own thoughts. The usually playful and relaxed look on his face was now shadowed by a deep solitude.
"I long for a battle where I can go all out—where I leave nothing behind. But... this world is far too dangerous. One moment of carelessness, and I might lose those I care about. There are too many unknowns lurking in the dark. That's why... I have no choice but to keep growing stronger."
He looked Indra in the eye, gaze clear and resolute.
"And you really are powerful," Indra said, genuine.
"Not enough. Far from it. I won't let anyone I love get hurt. Even the smallest threat... I'll crush it before it's even born."
For the first time, Hatake Yusuke spoke from the heart.
His power had grown immensely. Even he didn't know his limits. The Indra in front of him... hadn't even pushed him to use ten percent of his strength.
For a moment, he wondered if he was already unbeatable.
But then he remembered the Ōtsutsuki Clan—those who would surely come one day—and buried that thought deep.
There were still forces in this world he didn't fully understand. In the shadows, someone like Ōtsutsuki Isshiki might still be hiding. He couldn't afford to take anything lightly.
If even Black Zetsu could seal someone of his level, then Isshiki, a Main Clan member, would definitely have far more terrifying methods.
He wasn't going to gamble. He wouldn't risk Tsunade's life—or anyone else's.
That's why... he had to become the sole supreme being—unrivaled above heaven and earth.
Being invincible meant walking alone. But if solitude was the price to protect everything... then so be it.
As long as his loved ones were safe, he feared nothing.
"To protect, huh..." Indra murmured.
His thoughts drifted to his younger brother—Ashura. The first time he awakened his dojutsu was to protect him.
Ashura, the soft and clingy little brother who had always stayed by his side, was the only person he truly cared for besides their father.
And yet... in the end, they died never truly reconciling.
Far away, Uchiha Sasuke paused his training. A strange unease stirred in his chest. He gazed toward the horizon.
"...Naruto."
He whispered.
At the same moment, Uzumaki Naruto felt it too. He looked in the same direction.
"Sasuke... hang in there. Once you've fulfilled your dream, I'll bring you home."
He spoke with unwavering conviction.
— — —
"Alright, I'll tell you. But only under two conditions: answer my two questions, and defeat me," Indra declared.
"Defeat you? That's far too easy, Indra. Do you seriously believe your Susanoo or your Rinnegan can bypass my Infinity?" Yusuke replied with a faint smirk.
He had deliberately deactivated Infinity moments earlier. He knew—Indra couldn't harm him, not even with divine weapons.
"But fine. I'm a little bored myself. Let's make it interesting. If you can withstand this one technique... I'll answer your question."
Yusuke smiled again.
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue."
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."
"Hollow Technique: Purple."
Behind Yusuke, two massive energy spheres—one blue, one red—began spinning slowly before merging into a single, dense purple orb.
He launched it toward Indra.
"Susanoo!"
Indra immediately summoned his full Rinnegan power, activating Sage Mode to boost his defense.
But the moment Susanoo's sword clashed with the sphere...
The blade began to unravel, piece by piece.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The blue sphere surged forward, obliterating everything in its path.
As the dust and debris cleared, Indra stood—one arm severed.
He stared at the man in front of him, one hand in his pocket, smiling calmly...
And finally, he understood the difference in their strength.
"...So this is what true sadness feels like?"
Indra thought. To possess such overwhelming power, yet have no worthy opponent... how utterly lonely. Just like their father once was.
"Not bad... you actually managed to survive that," Yusuke said casually.
He knew—Indra had summoned a massive entity using his Rinnegan at the last second to act as a shield. But even that creature had perished with the blast. Though he survived, Indra's chakra reserves were nearly drained.
Yusuke dispelled his barrier.
"So? What do you want to know?" he asked, walking forward. Time chakra gathered in his hand, instantly healing Indra's injuries.
"This time-based energy... it's even stronger than Father's," Indra thought silently.
"That eye of yours... what exactly is it? You don't have any Ōtsutsuki blood. How could you awaken the Rinnegan? Even for a descendant, it's not that simple."
"My Rinnegan came from your father—Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo. Gifted directly by the Sage of Six Paths. As for the other one... it belonged to your uncle—Ōtsutsuki Hamura," Yusuke said plainly.
"...Uncle?" Indra frowned.
He vaguely remembered that name from his childhood, mentioned by his father, but he'd never thought much of it.
What confused him wasn't just the origins—but the sheer power. Yusuke's dojutsu was on a level beyond even Hagoromo.
And more importantly... he wielded it like he was born with it.
"I see... so you have a way of absorbing Rinnegan power and strengthening your own eye, don't you?" Indra guessed.
"You could say that," Yusuke smiled faintly.
But Indra could tell—this man's power didn't just come from Rinnegan. There was something deeper... something terrifying hiding beneath.
"Alright. I understand. I have one last question. If you answer it... I'll tell you where my Rinnegan is."
Yusuke smiled. "You want to know about Ashura, don't you?"
"Yes... who's the one behind all this? What was their purpose?" Indra demanded, voice filled with anger and regret.
"His name is Black Zetsu. You could say... he's your uncle too. He was born from the will of your grandmother—Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
"...Impossible! Father never told me anything about that! About our grandmother—or any of this!"
"Ōtsutsuki Kaguya was the incarnation of the God Tree. She once tried to absorb all life energy from this world. Your father and uncle stopped her. And from her lingering will, Black Zetsu was born.
Your father sealed the God Tree—Jūbi—on the moon, while dividing its chakra into the Nine Tailed Beasts using Yin-Yang Release. To bring Kaguya back, the Ten Tails must be revived... and for that, the Rinnegan is required.
And the only one capable of awakening the Rinnegan... was you.
You and Ashura... you were nothing more than pieces on a much larger board."
Yusuke looked calmly at Indra.
"All of this... was orchestrated from the start."
"...So it's all true?" Indra stood in silence, stunned by the truth that had just been unveiled.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Join my Patreon here:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ Enjoy 85+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon
🌙 Note: Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no updates tomorrow. Regular uploads resume as usual on Monday.
Join now and dive deeper into the story—weeks ahead of public release!
Thank you for your amazing support 💖
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —