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Takamagahara—the Ōtsutsuki homeworld.
A realm so vast, its territory dwarfed everything Kaguya had ever known.
The natural energy swirling in Takamagahara's atmosphere was so immense, it created a terrifying spatial barrier. Even if you knew the exact coordinates, no space-time jutsu could pierce straight through.
The only way in or out was the "Heavenly Gate Gorge"—a passage carved by powers that could split heaven and earth.
After leaving the sacred temple where she'd spent a hundred years, Kaguya followed Momoshiki and the others to the "Land of Rooted Isles," a planet neighboring Takamagahara. Once prosperous, it had been reduced to a dead world by the Ōtsutsuki invasion. Now, it served as a transit station for the Heavenly Gate Gorge, earning the nickname "Gate of Heaven."
Crossing the Heavenly Gate Gorge, they finally arrived at Takamagahara's origin point: Awokigahara.
Kaguya felt nothing upon returning to her clan's domain—no homesickness, no sense of belonging. All she felt was resignation to her fate.
"Someone will come for you soon and take you where you need to go," Kinshiki said coldly. He and Momoshiki departed, leaving Kaguya alone.
She sat motionless, waiting.
Three days later, a tall man with long, curved horns appeared before her.
He didn't bother with pleasantries.
"My name is Isshiki. From today on, I'm your partner. By birth, you're nobler. By strength, I'm stronger. So I'm the master—you're the servant. Got it?"
Kaguya said nothing.
Isshiki frowned.
"Any objections? If you think you're stronger, prove it. If not, stand up and accept your place."
Kaguya stood up in silence.
Isshiki's expression relaxed.
"That's better. I don't mind quiet types, but you need to know your place."
He turned away.
"Come with me."
Kaguya followed Isshiki deep into Awokigahara.
At its far end, a colossal pillar soared into the clouds.
Isshiki pointed.
"That's the Heavenly Pillar. It's inscribed with our clan's evolutionary chart. Use your Byakugan and take a good look."
Zzt! Kaguya activated her Byakugan, scanning the carvings.
The pillar was etched with a pyramid-like totem: nine horizontal lines, each lined with dots. The number of dots decreased from base to apex, with many dots connected by lines. Some dots remained unlit—including the very top.
Isshiki explained,
"Every lit dot represents a living member of our clan. Each horizontal line is a 'divine rank.' Those upper dots connected to lower ones? They're members who climbed from a lower rank."
"Your rank is 'basically' set at birth."
"The only way to change your rank is to consume a chakra fruit, become an immortal god, and then use the Divine Tree formed after eating the fruit to drain the land's power and evolve further."
"Every thousand years, our clan purges those at the pyramid's base. That pyramid originally had seventeen layers. Ten thousand years of survival-of-the-fittest whittled it down to seven. Our high power baseline is thanks to relentless genetic selection."
"But so far, no one has become the one true Supreme God. It's not something a single person can decide—your genetic level sets not just your lower limit, but your ceiling."
"Right now, the highest ranks belong to your father, King Suikone, plus King Shinnyaku and King Hannya."
"Those titles aren't personal—they're codenames passed down for ten thousand years. Your father is the seventh 'King Suikone.' Previous kings were eliminated, becoming evolutionary fodder for the new generation."
"As our genes keep refining, both our baseline and ceiling leap forward—until the Supreme God finally appears."
"That's our clan's evolutionary mission. Until the Supreme God is born, plunder and evolution never stop."
Kaguya listened, her face unreadable.
"Come on. We need to collect saplings."
Isshiki approached the Heavenly Pillar and bowed deeply.
Kaguya straightened her robes and knelt, hands resting on her knees, mirroring his reverence.
Isshiki spoke humbly,
"I, Isshiki of the main house, respectfully request the king's command—grant us Divine Tree saplings. May our king consent."
After a long silence, the Heavenly Pillar began to rotate.
From a swirling black vortex, two juvenile Ten-Tails descended onto the altar.
Isshiki's eyes widened.
Two…?
He quickly understood: Even in this ruthless clan, the king still showed special favor to his own daughter.
Leaving Awokigahara's center, heading toward the Heavenly Gate Gorge, Isshiki began to recount the Ōtsutsuki's rise.
"Ten thousand years ago, our clan was just one of many human tribes here. But we rose above ten thousand others."
"That turning point was our first 'Mokkachiryū' awakener—Ōtsutsuki Taito."
"Mokkachiryū transforms those who absorb too much earth vitality into Ten-Tails."
"Taito became the very first Ten-Tails. In its rampage, it devoured countless clan members, becoming the first Divine Tree and bearing the first fruit."
"The one who ate that fruit became the first King Suikone."
"With overwhelming power, the first King Suikone united all humans of Takamagahara—making our clan absolute rulers."
"The chakra fruit is a fusion of immense chakra and genetic factors. Its origin is the Ten-Tails."
"And every Ten-Tails requires a Mokkachiryū awakener to sacrifice themselves. So nearly every Ten-Tails was once a clan member—making them incredibly rare and precious."
Kaguya remained silent, her expression unchanged.
Suddenly, the sky erupted with thunder and lightning.
A colossal being, its body stretching beyond imagination, coiled through the clouds, dominating the heavens.
Whoosh!
A storm of overwhelming power swept across the land.
Even the proud Ōtsutsuki bowed their heads in awe.
A hundred miles away, Momoshiki leapt from Kinshiki's shoulder, and both knelt toward the source of the aura.
A thousand miles distant, a pale-skinned child with blue-white hair tied in a high ponytail, no eyebrows, a fishing rod over his shoulder and a basket at his waist, watched with longing eyes.
Urashiki, in his youth.
Kaguya shielded her face from the storm, her Byakugan focused on the celestial phenomenon.
"A dragon…?"
Isshiki's voice was reverent.
"That's Ryūshiki—one of our clan's five Higher Gods, and the pinnacle of our primordial power."
"Primordial means power from birth. Acquired—like power from chakra fruit—is gained later."
"Ryūshiki hasn't consumed a single chakra fruit. He reached a realm we might never touch, purely by talent."
"He's the most likely to become the Supreme God… if he chooses."
Isshiki glanced at Kaguya, who was still transfixed by the sky.
"Actually, Kaguya, you and Ryūshiki share a connection. You both belong to the 'Twelve Auspicious Signs.' A rare few clan members are chosen by auspicious power—not born in human form, but blessed by these signs."
"Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. Ryūshiki is the 'Dragon'; you are the 'Rabbit.'"
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the dragon plummeted from the sky.
"Ugh…!" The crushing pressure forced Isshiki to his knees. He instinctively tried to call on chakra, but his body wouldn't respond—as if chakra itself had been erased.
Then, in a blaze of golden light, a figure descended, radiating elegance and might.
Isshiki prostrated himself, trembling.
"Greetings, Lord Ryūshiki…!!"
Special Thanks:
October 23rd—Hane-ō dropped an explosive update, sending dopamine surging through my brain—Roll's heart is blooming, I can't stop!
Double Kamui yyds summoned Roll in Licker form—slurp, slurp!
Deep as the Sea Firefly Jade [ten deep feelings, always with me], Can't Go Back, Guilty Crown, Backup #1 promoted, Tianruo Shengyue, Educator Haibara Ai, Gamila of Horqin, Want to Be Roll's Husband, Art!, Qilin Peak's Qingwu Demon Emperor [capsules + love letters, you have a place here], Might Guy himself, and so many others—thank you all for your support!
Good night, everyone—mwah~!
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