Chapter 225: The Identity of Ōtsutsuki Genshiki!
"Hmph, brat, did you see that?"
Konoha, ANBU Base
Senju Tobirama looked noticeably better. Rarely did a smile appear on his normally cold face.
"Your guess is completely wrong. How could it be Ashura being jealous of Indra? Even the Sage of Six Paths left something for us!"
These days had been tormenting him.
The tensions between the Senju and Uchiha, combined with Gen's recent words, kept pushing at him.
He had been preparing to sift through the clan archives to create a kind of "historical record." Fortunately, he finally found it.
"This was buried too deep… truly hard to find."
Tsunade muttered a complaint from the side, and Senju Hashirama nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. It's strange—who would take it and bury underground?"
"Doesn't matter who did it. At least we found it."
For Tobirama, the important thing wasn't who did it—it was the existence of the relic that mattered.
"And it requires special chakra to read, just like the Uchiha's. That proves it's genuine."
"Something like this actually exists?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi studied it curiously, while Kakashi and Jiraiya were equally astonished.
Only Yamato and Naruto, who had accompanied the group, looked utterly puzzled. They had no idea what any of this meant.
Sasuke, however, snorted lightly. He had been pondering why the Sage of Six Paths seemed to favor his clan—but that thought evaporated as quickly as it appeared.
"Hey, do you know what that is?"
Naruto tugged at Sasuke's sleeve and whispered. Sasuke merely snorted again.
"Idiot. Not the time for that. I'll tell you later."
"Tch."
Naruto muttered quietly and let it go. Despite sometimes being excitable under his parents' guidance, he was overall doing fine.
"This meeting has two purposes," Tobirama said, surveying the group.
"One is to check the information on this relic. The other is to conduct an Edo Tensei. The list is ready; we can finally give it a proper trial run."
"No problem with Edo Tensei. I have some ideas myself," Gen spoke, examining the "project" he had also contributed to. Then he paused, puzzled.
"Strange… why is your relic just a piece of bark? Could it be…"
"Nonsense! This thing has over a thousand years of history!"
Tobirama was excited but not blinded by it. Using bark as a token seemed absurd, but Gen's expression—like he suspected a forgery—was more infuriating.
"And it requires chakra to read, so it can't be faked. Aside from that, the relic being bark makes it plausible that it was lost."
"Can you even read the information on it? You're Edo Tensei."
Gen's reminder went ignored, and Tobirama shook his head.
"We can't fully see it—the bodies are too weak. That's why we need to test the new Edo Tensei."
Hashirama and Tobirama hadn't switched bodies; there was no suitable vessel, and at this point, Konoha didn't need them to fight. Tobirama was frustrated.
"Though it's still hard to find a vessel that can hold our power, at least we can see more than before. The current information we can access is far too limited."
"Sensei, what did you see?"
Hiruzen asked curiously, while Tsunade's expression turned serious.
"Like the Uchiha, the beginning is all legendary stories. But there's one crucial piece of information—we now know the name of the Rabbit Goddess."
"Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
Hashirama and Tobirama's faces grew grim. Everyone present shifted their gaze.
The Rabbit Goddess was a legendary figure—someone who could destroy the world. And now a being with the same surname appeared.
"No wonder they're so strong!"
Jiraiya exhaled, realization dawning.
"No wonder the Great Toad Sage reacted so strongly when he heard the name Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
"So… could these two be related?"
Kakashi muttered. Sensing a wrong line of thought, Gen quickly interrupted.
"Their relationship doesn't matter. What matters is that the appearance of such a being is only trouble."
"Exactly. Nothing but trouble!"
Tobirama nodded solemnly.
"Sharing a surname with the Rabbit Goddess… and targeting the Tailed Beasts. Our stance is already determined."
Hashirama sighed. Everyone fell into a deathly silence.
Gen and Tobirama had investigated myths, thinking some of it might be exaggerated. But considering they already had the Rinnegan, they checked—and discovered something they never wanted to believe.
"The Rabbit Goddess…"
According to legend, she sought to destroy the ninja world, and only the Sage of Six Paths could stop her and establish the current world. Now, a being as terrifying as the Rabbit Goddess had appeared.
What could they do?
"That kid with the Rinnegan… could he—"
Even with grim faces, Gen felt awkward, as if he were "playing a part."
Hashirama curiously asked, but Tobirama shook his head dismissively.
"Enough. That Rinnegan kid is our enemy, and he's under Gen's control."
Tobirama's words made everyone turn their eyes to Gen.
He had decisively beaten Nagato—and with stability.
Three years ago, the same. Three years later, still the same.
No matter how Nagato struggled, even with the Rinnegan, he was no match.
And Gen's innate talent was obvious to all. His absurdity was undeniable.
"Could it be… that Gen is the key?"
Hashirama spoke, and everyone nodded. Jiraiya even sighed.
"No wonder he didn't bother with Mount Myoboku, even disdaining the Toad Clan. The Great Toad Sage gave his all, yet Gen 'saw' it all himself."
"Gen's talent is unparalleled. Whether Earth Release or Wood Release, he handles it with ease."
Kakashi nodded. Sasuke followed suit.
"His will is unshakable. No matter how harsh the training, he perseveres and succeeds."
"And despite such achievements, he hasn't lost his original intent."
Hiruzen summarized.
"Gen is truly unique and the most likely one to face Ōtsutsuki Genshiki!"
Though they had long suspected it, this was the first time they openly said it.
Gen's record was terrifying. Even Naruto and Sasuke nodded in agreement—though extreme, he seemed genuinely reliable.
Gen, however, felt awkward. "Am I just being set up to fight myself?"
"Uh… can we not talk about this?"
Gen thought for a moment before speaking.
"Does the bark say anything else?"
"Just that Ashura should face Indra with a heart of peace, to bring about harmony."
Tsunade, while still reflective, quickly snapped back to attention.
"As for the rest, I can't see it—probably like Sasuke and Kakashi. My power is insufficient."
"That's why we need Edo Tensei. We need a way to restore our abilities."
Tobirama glanced at his older brother.
"It's not just to see more information—it's to prepare for the future. The enemy is far too dangerous!"
"Tch."
Senju Hashirama let out a soft snort, saying nothing this time. Gen, however, rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Did it only say to advise your ancestors to approach Indra with a heart of peace? Nothing else?"
"No."
"Then… could it be that Ashura's jealousy of Indra is what sparked the war? Otherwise, why did the Sage of Six Paths advise Ashura and not Indra?"
"…."
"Also, Indra's token is a stone monument, while Ashura's is just a piece of bark. Isn't that a kind of favoritism?"
"Hss…"
Silence fell over everyone present. The three Senju exchanged glances—could it really be interpreted this way? But thinking carefully… it might actually make sense.
For a brief moment, Tobirama regretted it.
Regretted digging up this relic. Regretted being too weak to rip that brat's mouth off!
Sasuke, meanwhile, couldn't help but smirk at the side. But then Gen spoke again.
"I have another idea for the Edo Tensei: summon Sasuke's parents."
"Huh?"
Sasuke froze. Tobirama's fists clenched tighter. But Gen remained completely unfazed.
"Sasuke killed Uchiha Itachi; it's only right to report to the departed souls. Beyond that, consider it a home visit. I also have a few things I need to discuss with his parents."
As he spoke, Gen's eyes swept over Sasuke, a faint smile curling his lips.
"After all, restoring Uchiha glory is a responsibility Sasuke cannot avoid!"
Sasuke's face instantly darkened. Now he finally understood what this bastard was planning.
At the same time, Gen suddenly looked up at the sky. Something strange flickered in his gaze.
---
Meanwhile, in Konoha, the Akatsuki had gathered under Obito's leadership.
"You all already know the plan for this mission."
Obito raised his head toward the moon, speaking calmly.
"I need you to make a big commotion. Only then can we draw Kitagawa Gen here. Don't worry about your survival—you are all Edo Tensei!"
"Tch… pulling this kind of stunt."
Sasori shook his head but didn't mind. Kakuzu, however, looked somewhat displeased.
"Even though we're Edo Tensei… facing that guy won't be easy, right?"
"I don't mind. After all, the Hyūga clan… hehehe...I'm more than happy to get involved."
Kurosuki Raiga gazed toward the Hyūga lands, a faint smile on his lips. Even Biwa Juzo nodded in agreement.
"The Hyūga are Konoha's main fighting force against Kirigakure.
"Another battle?"
Only Uchiha Itachi shook his head gently. This was far from the situation he wished to face.
"Alright, enough chatter."
Obito glanced at Black Zetsu beside him. Seeing the nod, he took a deep breath.
"Move out. This is our key opportunity!"
With that, Obito quietly vanished, heading to locate the Senju relic. Yet his eyes couldn't help drifting to the moon. Something about tonight's moonlight felt… off.
---
Elsewhere, a monk-like figure also raised his gaze to the bright moon. He closed his eyes for a long moment before snapping them open suddenly.
"Not far from here… different from before, but seems to be a vessel even better than Jigen."
---