Chapter 238: The Exposed Purpose
Faced with Jigen's invitation, Uchiha Dali merely gave a slight smile. "There must be some kind of condition, right? Since you're inviting me—someone who was originally your enemy—to join you."
"You're very smart."
Jigen didn't hide his intentions. "I want to carve my 'Kāma' onto you. I can sense a perfect compatibility from you, meaning you are the perfect 'vessel.'"
"I don't understand what you're talking about, but from the sound of it, it doesn't seem like there's any benefit for me."
Uchiha Dali looked completely unconcerned, spreading his hands as if nothing could faze him.
"By becoming my vessel, you would gain all of my power. Even if, in the future, I absorb a Chakra Fruit and undergo another evolution, your strength would grow in sync with mine."
Perhaps worried that Uchiha Dali still didn't understand, Jigen immediately added, "This body of mine can no longer support me in completing my plan. Without me, you can't continue nurturing the Ten-Tails until it becomes a Divine Tree."
"So, this would be a win–win partnership."
He looked at Uchiha Dali with anticipation.
Uchiha Madara, standing to the side, was slightly moved upon hearing this.
But at the moment, he said nothing, simply crossing his arms and watching Uchiha Dali without revealing any emotion.
The latter smiled faintly. "From the sound of it, I don't see how this benefits me."
"Let's go over what you just said. Your body can't support you in completing your plan. Does that mean this body of yours is on the verge of collapse? Did I get that right?"
"Since your body is failing, if you want to keep nurturing the Ten-Tails, you'll need a new body to serve as your container. And this 'vessel' you mentioned refers to exactly that, doesn't it? You said without you we can't raise the Ten-Tails—meaning only you can do it—which matches what I've already deduced."
"So, you need a new body, and you say I'm your vessel—your container. In other words, this so-called 'Kāma' is actually tied to yourself; you want to take over my body as your own."
"Am I right?"
Uchiha Dali looked at him with a faint, knowing smile.
It was the truth.
Seeing his plan exposed, Jigen's attitude instantly turned cold.
He stared at Uchiha Dali without expression. "So you're saying you neither want to join my ranks nor become my vessel."
"That's right. So, are you going to make a move?"
"If the two of you joined forces, you could probably beat me quite easily."
Uchiha Dali spoke in a deliberately light tone, glancing at Uchiha Madara with a half-smile.
Then he turned to him and asked, "You haven't become this guy's vessel too, have you?"
Madara stayed silent.
Jigen, surprisingly, didn't attack right away.
Instead, he replied casually to Uchiha Dali's earlier words. "Even so, we don't necessarily have to be enemies."
"Because my goal and your ideals aren't in conflict. We could be friends."
"Are you kidding me?"
Uchiha Dali gave him a sidelong glance. "To turn the Ten-Tails into a Divine Tree, it needs to absorb massive amounts of chakra. Everyone on this planet is your target."
"You think I'm too stupid to know that?"
He exposed another secret.
But Jigen didn't get angry. Instead, he patiently explained, "Actually, you've misunderstood."
"The method you're talking about does exist, but growing a Divine Tree doesn't necessarily require that approach. There are other ways to make it grow rapidly."
"The Ten-Tails is still in its juvenile stage. Once it grows, I will offer myself as nourishment for it to mature quickly."
"As long as it has my chakra, it can rapidly produce a Chakra Fruit without having to slowly devour the world's energy."
"That way, we won't have to destroy the existing world to get what we want. And after sacrificing myself, thanks to the existence of a vessel, I won't truly die—I can be reincarnated and revived through the Kāma."
"That's my plan."
Jigen laid out the plan he had long since formed for Uchiha Dali and Uchiha Madara.
Right now, he was banking on absolute sincerity to move Uchiha Dali.
If Dali agreed to become his vessel, his safety would be guaranteed.
"You've told me so many of your secrets—aren't you worried I might use them against you?"
Uchiha Dali looked at him at ease, though admittedly a little curious.
One had to admit, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's thinking was rather unique.
After founding Kara, he just dumped all his secrets and plans onto the members without keeping a shred of mysterious boss aura.
"As I said, without me, you can't nurture the Ten-Tails or make the Divine Tree bear fruit quickly."
"So even if you know these secrets, would you really kill me?"
Jigen's face was full of confidence.
Madara still said nothing, quietly listening from the side.
Dali chuckled. "This thing only needs to be fed chakra to grow quickly, right?"
He pointed to the small Ten-Tails not far away.
At the moment, it was still baring its teeth and clawing at them with a roar, but unable to break free from the barrier.
"In other words, with or without you, you're not as indispensable as you claim."
"So, Madara, how about the two of us join forces to take this guy out first, and then settle our own score afterward?"
He half-jokingly suggested to Madara.
In truth, his words struck right at Madara's thoughts.
Right now, Madara was indeed thinking exactly that.
If they killed Jigen—the Ōtsutsuki Isshiki behind him—they wouldn't have to be subject to his whims or guard against him anymore, and they could take the Ten-Tails for themselves.
After all, compared to Uchiha Dali, the far more powerful Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was the real threat.
However, Madara wasn't so easily baited. He also worried Dali might be trying to use him, so he remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Jigen also showed little reaction, calmly explaining, "Killing me would be the stupidest thing you could do."
"Because the real enemies aren't me. Other Ōtsutsuki will arrive sooner or later, and if you don't help me complete my plan quickly, you won't have enough power to face them when the time comes."
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