As Kazuki continued to 'train' Kaguya, he thought about the origin of the recent 'rewards' he had obtained.
First—Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
The coin associated with him had dropped together with the Hyūga clan's, indicating that this ancestor of the Byakugan had already arrived in the ninja world—possibly even residing in Konoha right now.
But what truly intrigued Kazuki was this:
After a millennium, Hamura's current mindset and values seemed to differ noticeably from those of the Sage of Six Paths.
The fact that Uchiha Madara was able to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path from the moon was solid proof.
Hamura had originally led his entire clan to migrate to the moon specifically to guard the Demonic Statue.
If he genuinely hadn't wanted Madara to succeed, then perhaps the Shura of the Shinobi World really had awakened the Rinnegan right before death and, filled with resentment, passed on into the Pure Land unwillingly...
And that, too, was one of the great tragedies of the ninja world:
Even its most exceptional mortals still lived under the whims or lingering will of a handful of great figures.
This planet, just like the Hyūga branch family, had always been like a caged bird—imprisoned by one Ōtsutsuki after another…
The only cure was supreme strength.
"Hamura's wavering stance might be something I can exploit…"
"And my original plan has worked out too. Ōtsutsuki Isshiki has really started manipulating the Kage from the hidden villages. This is exactly the development I was hoping for."
Kazuki's eyes gleamed.
The reason he'd spared the Third Raikage, Ōnoki, Hanzō, and the others…
was precisely to see if they could help him track Isshiki's movements.
And if they couldn't?
For someone like Kazuki now, eliminating them again wouldn't be difficult at all.
He had kept them alive for two reasons:
One, as living surveillance tools.
Two, because brute force alone wasn't enough to finalize a final bond with each village. He needed their minds to lower their guard—before delivering the next blow.
And once Kazuki obtained the special talent tied to the Child of Fortune—a gift related to Gaia's consciousness…
The representatives of the hidden villages became even more critical.
After all, the precondition for unlocking Gaia's Blessing was that the final bonds with the other hidden villages had to be completed first.
Kazuki had secretly helped Isshiki seize control over the Kage of each village.
Although it appeared as if they had become puppets under Isshiki's command, Kazuki had previously implanted genjutsu in their minds, allowing a sliver of clarity to remain in their consciousness.
Thanks to that, the Kage of each village could clearly witness what Isshiki was doing and what commands he was issuing.
And through that, they would see—
just how powerless mortals truly were when faced with the Ōtsutsuki.
"These so-called 'chains of hatred that cannot be severed'… they're nothing more than internal strife within the ninja world. The Ōtsutsuki, on the other hand, are an existential threat—one that could wipe out our entire race."
"Those Kage I once defeated… once they realize the cold cruelty of the Ōtsutsuki, they'll be able to contrast it with the mercy I showed them when I spared their lives. And once they also learn of the fact that I sealed myself away for the sake of the ninja world..."
"If they don't come to support me—this world's only remaining match for the Ōtsutsuki—then who else could they possibly rely on?"
"When that time comes, it will also mark the completion of the final bonds..."
"Ōtsutsuki Isshiki... go ahead and make full use of those shinobi from the hidden villages. Don't hold back…"
Kazuki beamed a wide, glowing smile as he gently wiped the sweat from Kaguya's forehead and gave her a big thumbs-up.
"You've been working hard, Kaguya!"
Basking in that moment, Kaguya gave him a sweet smile and clumsily mimicked Kazuki's pose, raising her own youthful thumbs-up.
"I'll do my best, Kazuki-kun!"
Kazuki nodded cheerfully, his eyes narrowing into a grin, and whispered silently in his heart: 'You'd better work hard too, Isshiki-kun…'
...
Several months later.
Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage, Ōnoki, Hanzō…
These former village leaders and once-famed powerhouses of the shinobi world now stood off to the side like lifeless puppets, their eyes clouded and vacant.
Yet deep within their consciousness, thanks to the ocular powers Kazuki had implanted in advance, they could still hear and see Isshiki's actions and words—only, they were powerless to break free.
But there were exceptions...
Take Rasa, for example—he was completely trapped within Isshiki's control, unable to escape at all.
"These mortals are still struggling against my control... As expected, this vessel can barely contain any significant power unless I activate the Kāma state,"
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki tapped his fingers against the desk, lost in thought.
After successfully seizing control of each village's Kage, his original plan was to swiftly subjugate the rest of the upper ranks across the major Hidden Villages in one fell swoop.
But he soon realized—it was impossible.
Even those already under control, like Ōnoki and the others, occasionally showed signs of slipping free. Only Rasa of Sunagakure remained obedient and quiet.
Under these circumstances, expanding the number of people under his control risked the most critical pieces—the Kage themselves—breaking free, which could compromise his entire disposable army.
"Kumogakure and Iwagakure… their thirst for vengeance against Uchiha Kazuki runs deep.
If word got out that Uchiha Kazuki had been sealed away, a war could be easily stirred, and no one beneath them would question it."
Isshiki propped both feet up on the Raikage's desk, lazily glancing over at the Third Raikage.
"Your son desperately wants revenge for the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki. He'll end up being my biggest supporter."
"And that son of yours, constantly going on about some 'Will of Stone,' preaching how one shouldn't abandon resistance just because Uchiha Kazuki is powerful... It's honestly touching."
He turned his gaze to Ōnoki, then shook his head.
"A strong will does have its merits, but lacking self-awareness is simply pathetic. All it does is turn you into someone else's pawn."
"Compared to the rest of you, Uchiha Kazuki is quite an extraordinary mortal… but his heart is still too soft—he'll never achieve anything great."
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki slowly rose to his feet, pacing in front of the paralyzed Kage as he muttered to himself: "Why didn't he kill you all? Most likely because he feared he might fail to seal that woman Kaguya completely... so he wanted to leave behind some resistance in the shinobi world."
"Not just you. Even the Second Hokage, whom he resurrected, was likely a safeguard in case he lost control. That kind of self-sacrificing spirit for the sake of a single planet—"
Isshiki let out a cold laugh.
"—is downright foolish."
"To possess mortal form yet rival divine talent, and still fight on behalf of insects… it makes me sick."
"If he'd focused on completing himself, thinking like a true Ōtsutsuki and seeking power above all else, then I might've been wary of him."
"But with this weakling mindset, he's only bound himself with countless chains!"
Staring at the unresponsive Kage, Isshiki shook his head in disinterest and let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
With his disposition, why was he even talking this much to a bunch of puppets?
Clearly, he'd been lurking in the shadows for too long…
For over a millennium, a noble member of the main Ōtsutsuki clan had been forced to live like a wandering monk. Now that Isshiki had finally returned to the spotlight, he couldn't help but talk too much.
"Kumogakure and Iwagakure are easy to handle. But Sunagakure still has a meddlesome kunoichi causing trouble…"
"She's clever. She knows they can't possibly match Konohagakure in strength. Even after I leaked intel about Uchiha Kazuki's disappearance, she kept persuading the other shinobi to give up their fantasies, claiming it's just another attempt to feign weakness before a strike."
With a flick of Isshiki's finger, a red gleam flashed in Rasa's eyes, and he began to move on his own.
"Since she's got a brain, let her die for it."
"Didn't Sunagakure want to surrender? Then let their pro-surrender leader sacrifice herself to appease Konohagakure's fury. She can scout out Konoha's current state for me while she's at it."
The kunoichi Isshiki referred to—was Pakura.
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