At that time, Seiji had not yet awakened the memories of his previous life, so he had no idea what it meant to awaken Ōtsutsuki blood.
Meanwhile, in an unknown temple somewhere in the shinobi world, a young man who looked like a monk sat in meditation.
He wore a white haori, his hair gathered high with a long braid trailing down his back. A Roman numeral Ⅳ was tattooed beneath his left eye, and a black marking sat on his chin. A red band circled his neck, and red wristbands wrapped his wrists. His fingernails were black, a red belt tied around his waist, and red earrings hung from his ears.
The monk's name was Jigen.
He was a remnant of an ancient era from a thousand years ago—an age even more distant than the time of Ninshū.
Long ago, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki came to this planet as partners, intending to plant the Divine Tree. By the rules of their clan, one of them was meant to be offered as a sacrifice to the tree.
Isshiki was slightly stronger than Kaguya. And to an Ōtsutsuki, strength was authority.
So Kaguya was chosen as the sacrifice.
But Kaguya refused to accept her fate.
On the eve of the sacrifice, she launched a desperate surprise attack, causing the ritual to fail and leaving Isshiki grievously injured—wounds so severe they were difficult to recover from.
At that moment, the monk Jigen happened to be passing through the area.
Seeing a thread of survival, Isshiki used his ocular technique, Sukunahikona, shrinking himself and forcing his way into Jigen's body.
Thus, Isshiki gained a chance to live.
After recovering a little, he gradually took control of Jigen, turning him into a puppet—and eventually branded the Karma seal onto Jigen's body.
…
…
…
Just as Seiji awakened the Corpse Bone Pulse and released a strange aura, Jigen—who was meditating in the temple—suddenly halted.
His body changed involuntarily.
Strange black markings spread across his skin and face: the early stage of the Karma.
"The aura of a newborn Ōtsutsuki…" a voice seemed to stir from within him, low and faintly excited. "After a thousand years, the bloodline of the Ōtsutsuki has appeared in this world again… though it is still extremely thin!"
That faint yet pure aura jolted Ōtsutsuki Isshiki awake from his long slumber.
"And this… is the stench of that wretched servant, Kaguya," Isshiki's voice continued, cold with hatred. "So it's her descendant."
"This is wonderful. A body carrying Ōtsutsuki blood—even the most basic kind—is usable for my resurrection."
Isshiki's emotions stirred.
Because of Karma, Jigen possessed an unnaturally long lifespan and served as Isshiki's vessel. But Isshiki's power was far too great for a native of the shinobi world. Jigen had been nothing more than an ordinary monk.
He could not withstand Isshiki's complete reincarnation.
He couldn't even endure Isshiki's power for long.
For years, Isshiki had been tormented by the same problem: no suitable vessel.
And now, a vessel had finally appeared.
A body with Ōtsutsuki blood. Even if weak, it still had a foundation.
And that weakness was precisely what made it ideal—low resistance, easy to overwrite, suitable for Isshiki's current state.
If it were a fully awakened Ōtsutsuki—like the Sage of Six Paths and his brother, or even Indra and Asura—Isshiki would have fled without hesitation.
The aura he sensed came from far to the east.
Jigen's body returned to normal. He rose slowly, expression calm, and stepped out of the temple—beginning his journey to find Seiji.
…
Back in the village, after driving away the two jōnin, Genji returned to Seiji's room with a complex expression.
Looking at his son lying unconscious on the floor, Genji's heart gradually hardened into resolve.
"I thought that in such harsh conditions, his body wouldn't be able to support an awakening," Genji thought. "I didn't expect his talent to be this high… It seems he was born to become a shinobi."
"Ugh…"
Seiji slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his aching head.
"Father… what happened to me?"
"If you're awake, then come sit," Genji said calmly, his voice steady, giving away no emotion.
Seiji pushed himself up, and the memories of what happened came rushing back. He walked over with effort and sat before Genji—his depleted chakra leaving him weak and uncomfortable.
"Can you still use the Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets from earlier?" Genji asked.
"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets?" Seiji repeated blankly. "What's that?"
"It's the ninjutsu you used to break the wall," Genji explained. "A technique that fires high-speed, penetrating bone bullets from your fingertips."
Seiji lowered his head awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, Father… I only remember bone spikes coming out of my fingers, and then… I fainted."
Genji wasn't surprised.
"A weak body, and a newly awakened Corpse Bone Pulse… that outcome is normal," he said. "But to instinctively trigger Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets the moment you awakened… your talent is far greater than mine."
He stood.
"That's enough for tonight. Go rest and recover your chakra. We'll talk about everything tomorrow."
"Yes, Father," Seiji answered respectfully, forcing down his urgency. Since Genji clearly understood what had happened, there was no need to rush.
As Genji left, Seiji lay back down, mind swirling.
"Corpse Bone Pulse… so that's the name of what my body produced?"
Unease and curiosity tangled together as his eyelids grew heavy.
Slowly, he drifted into sleep—falling into a deep slumber.
In this remote corner of the Land of Water, Seiji's sleeping body began to faintly glow with a divine light, releasing that strange aura once more.
Aside from Isshiki—who had sensed it—no one knew that a young boy in a nameless village, while awakening his kekkei genkai, had also triggered an initial atavism of his bloodline.
A newborn Ōtsutsuki had appeared in the shinobi world.