Chapter 187: Pledge Your Loyalty
The elder stared at the scattered remains of his fellow Otsutsuki, his heart thundering in his chest. He remained rooted in place not out of courage or defiance, but because escape was impossible.
From the moment this black-haired youth manifested, the entire space had been sealed by some invisible force.
More terrifying still, the chakra flowing through his veins had become sluggish and unresponsive. He could barely mobilize his own energy reserves, completely unable to draw even a fraction of power from the surrounding environment.
It was inconceivable.
He had devoured five God Tree fruits. He had ruled this star sector for tens of thousands of years. He was the undisputed ancient sovereign of this interstellar feeding ground.
Yet this anomaly before him possessed barely detectable chakra fluctuations, while wielding abilities completely beyond comprehension.
Every secret technique and killing move of the Otsutsuki had proven utterly useless against him.
And he didn't even need hand seals or jutsu formations. A single glance, a single thought, and his clansmen were crushed into nothing.
He was like the natural predator of the Otsutsuki clan.
Only now did complete understanding dawn on the elder. That scout who'd miraculously escaped had been deliberately released as bait.
Against an existence like this, how could that low-ranking clan member who'd never even consumed a God Tree fruit possibly escape?
The elder stared at the youth whose presence felt deep as an abyss. His earlier composure from sitting at the head position had completely evaporated.
Ten thousand thoughts flashed frantically through his mind. He had survived millennia of conquest, devoured five God Tree fruits, finally clawed his way into the Elder Council to become true master of this star sector.
How could he... how could he die so simply in this remote region of space, erased without a sound like those lowly servants?
As Yu approached step by step, as his clansmen fell one by one, cold sweat began forming on the elder's forehead.
Think! Think faster! There must be a way out!
He stared fixedly at that approaching figure, his mind racing at unprecedented speed.
Direct confrontation meant certain death. Escape was impossible. The only path to survival might be—
"Wait! Please wait!"
Just as Yu's fingertip twitched, the elder's voice tore out, cracking from the strain of suppressing his terror.
"With power such as yours, why must you eliminate such... insignificant creatures as us?"
He carefully chose his words, terrified of offending the existence before him.
Ten thousand years of pride completely crushed, he bent his back that had never before bowed to anyone, prostrating himself deeply on the ground.
Like an old dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy.
"The Otsutsuki clan rules countless star sectors, controlling resources and secrets beyond your imagination. As a member of the Elder Council, I know numerous core secrets—including the weaknesses and abilities of other Otsutsuki families, even... the ancient secrets of those most ancient existences in the 'Supreme Council.'"
He cautiously raised his eyes, trying to catch some flicker in Yu's deep black gaze while fearfully glancing at the scattered corpses around them.
"There must be a misunderstanding between us! Those fools who acted on their own authority angered you. You and I only meet for the first time today..."
"I am willing to become your most loyal servant, offering everything I know. A living Otsutsuki elder swearing allegiance must be more valuable than a cold corpse, wouldn't you agree?"
Uchiha Yu's footsteps stopped.
He stood in silence, looking down at the groveling figure at his feet.
The elder held his breath, his surrounding chakra completely frozen.
He already stood at the edge of fate's abyss. Life and death rested entirely on a single thought.
Those brief seconds of silence felt like centuries passing.
Finally, the man's voice sounded.
"Continue."
Those three words came like a pardon, slightly loosening the taut string of the elder's heart.
He didn't dare show the slightest negligence, immediately laying out the arguments he'd prepared:
"Your strength is unfathomable. Perhaps killing these ordinary nobles matters little. But if I perish here, the Elder Council will notice immediately."
He raised his eyes slightly, lowering his voice further with deliberate gravity. "Every elder must report regularly to the Supreme Council. If I fail to return on schedule, the Supreme Council will certainly activate the highest level investigation protocol. What arrives then will not be as simple as one or two elders..."
He deliberately paused, letting the threat and warning in his words fully settle.
"Those slumbering ancient existences possess strength far beyond what I can match. If they are disturbed, even with your abilities, dealing with them would prove... troublesome."
Seeing that Uchiha Yu didn't interrupt, his heart settled slightly as he continued offering chips:
"Keeping me alive provides you with all the intelligence you need, and allows me to stabilize the Elder Council on your behalf, buying you precious preparation time. This should be far more valuable to you than another useless corpse."
He lowered himself further, adding a final point:
"After all... a living puppet is more cost-effective than alarming the entire Otsutsuki clan."
The elder remained prostrate on the ground, maintaining the most humble posture.
Everything that could be said had been said. This was the only lifeline he could conceive.
The moment this monster slaughtered so many nobles, the situation was destined to spiral out of control. These nobles weren't insignificant lower-ranked clan members—each death would shake their respective families.
With so many simultaneously losing contact, the Supreme Council and major families would never sit idle.
This star sector would soon draw intense scrutiny.
When that happened, this monster would face the Otsutsuki clan's true wrath.
And what he needed to do now was endure, survive, and wait for an opportunity to escape.
After a brief silence,
Yu's hand gently settled atop the elder's head.
In that instant, the elder's entire body convulsed violently, an ominous premonition washing over him like ice water.
He instinctively tried to struggle free, only to discover with horror that his chakra had completely frozen. He couldn't even tremble a fingertip.
Then, a bone-chillingly cold force brutally pierced into his consciousness.
He clearly felt his memories being violently pried open and examined—from the trembling ecstasy of first devouring a God Tree fruit, to millennia of scheming within the Elder Council; from the brilliant civilizations he'd personally annihilated, to those forbidden topics deep in the Supreme Council that he didn't dare even think about...
Everything lay exposed before the other.
"No..." He forced out a hoarse voice with difficulty, unable to stop the flood of memories being seized.
Most terrifying was that even his deepest buried secrets were revealed—privately hoarded God Tree fruits, covertly cultivated forces, even his covetous designs on the Supreme Council's core seat—all exposed completely.
This sensation of having his consciousness thoroughly dissected felt more desperate than death itself.
After an unknown length of time, that hand finally left his head.
The elder collapsed limply on the ground, gasping desperately, as though just dragged back from an endless abyss.
He raised his head, meeting Uchiha Yu's eternally calm black eyes.
"I don't like liars."
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