Chapter 275 – Time to Meet Lady Kaguya
"Eighty-two percent development, huh?"
Gen stared at his system interface, a quiet smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
He had worked for years to get here—step by step, battle by battle. Now, he was closer than ever to unlocking the full potential of his Ōtsutsuki bloodline.
For a moment, a sense of satisfaction washed over him.
"All those years of effort finally paid off," he mused.
Of course, his "effort" often involved punching other people until they broke a sweat…
But still—work was work.
"This time's breakthrough isn't just physical," he muttered, running a hand over his chest as chakra pulsed beneath his skin.
"It's like… my perception of the world itself has changed."
Shaking his head, Gen began to carefully study the changes within his body.
"My control over chakra… it's become smoother—far beyond before. The fusion of the bloodlines inside me is finally stabilizing. And…"
He lifted his gaze, his eyes gleaming faintly with rippling blue and gold light.
Now, he could clearly see the nodes of space—the invisible seams connecting dimensions.
"Hmm… Is this Urashiki's spatial affinity manifesting?"
He frowned thoughtfully. The more he examined it, the more he realized it wasn't just space.
Even his control over time had become sharper—more responsive, almost intuitive.
The sensation reminded him of the changes he'd felt during his previous awakenings… except now, everything was stronger, purer, alive.
"If that's true," he whispered,
"then Urashiki's value just went up again."
His lips curved into a mischievous grin.
"A resource that keeps giving, huh?"
In his mind, the phrase formed naturally—"Sustainable exploitation."
Urashiki was a goldmine: his chakra boosted Gen's strength, his dōjutsu advanced Gen's mastery, and his body… well, his body could literally be used to grow another Divine Tree.
"A treasure indeed."
In truth, Urashiki wasn't the only one. Nearly every Ōtsutsuki could provide similar results.
But too much of a good thing could also backfire—even he knew that.
"No need to be greedy," he muttered. "What I have now is enough… for the next stage."
---
The Divine Tree Stirs
Lowering his gaze, Gen looked at the colossal Divine Tree beneath his feet.
Its roots coiled endlessly, drinking in chakra from the nine-tailed beasts he'd gathered earlier.
"It's entering a similar state as before… back when I nourished it with Kaguya's chakra."
But something was different this time.
The fusion of the nine chakra types—one from each beast—was causing a deeper, more complex transformation.
The energy wasn't just merging; it was reshaping the Tree from within.
"But the problem," Gen sighed, "is that it's too damn big."
His tree wasn't ordinary—it was already monstrous, having been cultivated by both Kaguya's and Isshiki's chakra.
Its scale was so massive that even now, it struggled to complete its metamorphosis.
And since the Tree continuously supplied Gen with power to fuel his evolution, it couldn't fully grow on its own.
"So it's stunted because I'm siphoning from it, huh?"
He chuckled.
"Nothing a little disconnection can't fix."
Once he stopped drawing its energy, the Divine Tree would finish its transformation in due time—and honestly, he didn't need it anymore right now.
After absorbing Urashiki's essence and Isshiki's White Kāma, his bloodline had already reached 82% activation.
"I can afford to wait," he said simply.
Gen's expression shifted into one of intrigue.
"Besides… this gives me a perfect window to test something."
He glanced toward the sealed body of Urashiki.
"I've been wondering… can an Ōtsutsuki's corpse—especially one that's carried a Kāma mark—still grow a Divine Tree?"
There was, as it happened, one person in history who might know the answer.
And Gen had been meaning to meet her for a long time.
"Perfect timing."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"Let's go have a chat with the Rabbit Goddess herself—Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."
---
Days Later – The Hokage's Office
A week passed.
Inside the Hokage's office, a council of Konoha's current and former elites gathered around a large table.
The air was heavy with discussion, the topic—catastrophic events at the Land of Water.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled tiredly, massaging his temples.
"If it weren't for you, Gen—and the others who acted alongside you—Akatsuki might've succeeded this time."
"Kirigakure's defenses were solid," Tobirama added, shaking his head. "But Akatsuki… they've become something else entirely."
Hashirama nodded in agreement, his tone grave.
"Especially those two Ōtsutsuki. If that… 'Genshiki' hadn't suppressed the other one so quickly, the entire Land of Water might've sunk beneath the sea."
"Wait, are you seriously thanking that man?" Tobirama shot his brother a sharp glare.
Hashirama spread his hands.
"I'm just saying—when I fought Madara, you remember how much damage we caused. If Genshiki hadn't ended it fast, we'd be rebuilding continents, not villages."
"Enough about that," Gen interrupted, cutting through their bickering before it escalated again.
"Let's focus on the next step—the Kage Summit, one month from now."
He leaned forward.
"So far, both Iwagakure and Kirigakure have agreed to attend. As hosts, Konoha should start preparations immediately."
After the mission, Mei Terumī herself had confirmed Kirigakure's attendance.
The month ahead would give her time to stabilize the battered Land of Water and select her delegation.
Both the Land of Earth and the Land of Water had suffered greatly from the recent battle's shockwaves—
but Iwagakure had it worst.
Their entire village had been leveled, and even with their famed "earth-style builders," reconstruction was slow and painful.
Kirigakure's situation was slightly better, though large portions of the Land of Water had been reshaped by the destructive clash.
The fragmented islands made relief efforts difficult.
They, too, needed that month to recover.
"Even if we haven't heard from Sunagakure yet," Gen said, rubbing his chin, "we should assume they'll send someone. Let's be ready for all five."
Jiraiya nodded.
Kakashi followed with a small smile.
"Agreed. We can't afford another disaster like the Chūnin Exams."
At the far end of the room, Koharu and Homura—now more figureheads than advisors—exchanged a glance before speaking up.
"If this is truly a summit of equals," Koharu began, "we must treat it as such. Full diplomatic courtesy. And…"
Homura continued the thought.
"We believe it's time the Fifth Hokage steps forward."
---
Gen blinked.
"...Wait. Me?"
"Of course." Tobirama folded his arms.
"You're already acting in that capacity. This meeting should make it official."
"In a month?" Gen raised a brow. "Isn't that a little rushed?"
"Rushed or not," Hiruzen said with a tired smile, "the decision's already unanimous."
Hashirama laughed heartily.
"Congratulations, Fifth Hokage. You've earned it."
Gen exhaled slowly, staring at the ceiling.
"Great. A promotion and an interdimensional goddess meeting in the same month."
He smirked.
"Busy schedule."
Homura Mitokado spoke first, his tone calm but deliberate.
"The other matters can wait. For instance, rebuilding the Hokage Rock—it's not something that can be rushed. But, Gen, it's time you started taking over the duties of Hokage."
"Is that so…"
Gen turned to glance out the window at the Hokage Rock, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and disbelief.
Everyone outside already addressed him as the Fifth Hokage.
Most of the villagers assumed the Third had passed away.
And now—ironically enough—it seemed he really was about to take the job for real.
He didn't oppose the idea. Konoha was, in many ways, his domain already.
Still, the thought of becoming the actual Hokage gave him a strange, almost surreal feeling.
"What's wrong? I thought you were always so confident."
Kakashi strolled over, draping an arm around Gen's shoulders just like old times, a teasing grin tugging at his mask.
"You don't look like the guy who once said he could run this village with one hand."
"Yeah," Jiraiya chuckled from the side, his tone carrying that familiar mix of warmth and mischief.
"Didn't I tell you? Being Hokage isn't easy… though unfortunately for you, it looks like there's no escape this time."
Gen smirked, the hesitation in his eyes fading.
"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I've got my own way of managing things."
He sat up straighter, confidence returning to his posture.
Politics? That was what Shikaku and Shikamaru were for.
Paperwork? He could always "rehire" the Third Hokage for that.
Root affairs? Tobirama could handle those in his sleep.
Medical issues? Tsunade.
And when it came to raw combat power, he had Naruto, Sasuke, Jiraiya, and Hashirama all ready to move.
He wasn't the Hokage—he was practically the Emperor Emeritus of Konoha.
"Honestly," he said with a faint grin, "I've got bigger things to think about."
"Oh?" Kakashi tilted his head. "Like what?"
Gen turned serious for a moment—then broke into a perfectly straight-faced question.
"The budget for my statue. How much are we allocating?"
"...What?"
"Come on, I'm younger than even the Fourth Hokage was when he took office. As Konoha's youngest Hokage, shouldn't we hire the best sculptor in the entire ninja world to do me justice?"
"..."
"I mean, imagine it—if it turns out ugly, both Konoha and I would lose face!"
The room fell completely silent.
He hadn't even officially taken the position yet, and the first thing on his mind was—statue aesthetics.
And not just any statue.
The world's best artisan for his personal monument.
The air grew still.
Finally, Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples as if trying to massage away the absurdity.
"I'll… see what I can do about the budget."
At this point, he didn't even want to argue anymore.
He was almost at retirement anyway—better to let the new generation handle the headaches.
---
But Gen wasn't done.
"Actually, there's one more thing," he said thoughtfully. "Since we're all here, I might as well bring it up."
"And what's that?" Tobirama asked, wary.
"Well, since most of the Hokage are already back… I think it's about time we woke up the Fourth."
"What?"
Everyone froze.
Then, comprehension dawned on their faces.
Jiraiya's eyes widened with sudden excitement.
"Wait—you mean, you've found a way?"
"Mm."
Gen nodded with a smile.
"Actually, I figured out the solution before the mission to the Land of Water. I was just missing a few critical materials. But that's no longer a problem."
"No longer a problem…?"
Hashirama looked genuinely impressed, while Tobirama leaned forward, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"You actually found a way to undo the Dead Demon Consuming Seal?"
"Not just that," Gen said, his grin widening.
"I think I can also help with Kakashi-sensei's father."
"...What?"
Even Kakashi was stunned speechless.
Everyone in the room knew about Konoha's secret Edo Tensei trials.
They'd tried to summon Sakumo Hatake first—but no matter what adjustments they made, the jutsu always failed.
That anomaly had halted their experiments altogether.
No one could explain it.
But apparently, Gen had been researching it all along.
"You… you found the reason?" Kakashi asked quietly, his voice almost trembling.
There was confusion there—but also something else.
A flicker of uncertainty.
Was he really ready to face his father again?
"I did."
Gen nodded firmly.
"After my last breakthrough, I can see this world differently now—almost from a higher perspective. Sakumo Hatake's soul isn't gone. It's trapped in the rift between the Pure Land and the living world."
"That's why Edo Tensei can't reach him," Gen continued.
"But me?"
A slow smile spread across his face.
"I can reach him."
He paused, the light in his eyes turning softer—almost nostalgic.
"And Sakumo-san isn't the only one there."
Kakashi's breath caught.
"Rin…?"
Gen's grin turned bright and unapologetically mischievous.
"I did promise Obito a surprise, didn't I?"
His voice dropped, calm yet resolute.
"And a ninja keeps his word. That's my ninja way."