"Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
Kaguya directly ignored the second name and silently mouthed the name that belonged to the Ōtsutsuki.
Her cold gaze and her power coiled and ready to strike seemed to be waiting for the instant Kitagawa Gen released that seal—so she could launch an attack immediately.
Seeing this, Kitagawa Gen could only shake his head. It seemed the influence of the Ōtsutsuki on her was still far too great.
"There's no need to be so wary. Honestly, I think we can have a proper talk."
"Talk?"
Kaguya frowned, her voice still as cold as ever.
"I don't think there's anything left for us to talk about."
"If we don't talk, how would you know whether there's any need to?"
Kitagawa Gen controlled his chakra clone and slowly descended to the ground. Although Kaguya's chakra continued to ripple violently around him,
its impact on him was not as severe as he had imagined. With the assistance of the Giant Tenseigan, he could keep this body stable.
"And besides, didn't I say I have another name—Kitagawa Gen?"
"Kitagawa Gen?"
Kaguya raised an eyebrow. That name was entirely different from Ōtsutsuki—even…
"A name of a lower lifeform? You would actually set aside your pride and give yourself a name like that?"
"No. To be precise, ever since I came to this world, I've always been called Kitagawa Gen."
Kitagawa Gen smiled and shook his head as he looked at Kaguya seriously.
"But only after I awakened my bloodline power was I 'granted' the name Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
Awakened bloodline power?
Hearing that, Kaguya's expression turned strange. She didn't understand what Kitagawa Gen meant.
"Or to put it more accurately—I grew up in this world."
Still wearing the same smile, Kitagawa Gen stopped before Kaguya and spoke slowly.
"And I grew up listening to stories of the Sage of Six Paths—stories of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo."
"Grew up in this world? You?"
Kaguya was incredulous, and for the moment she didn't know what to say.
The Ōtsutsuki were born proud, far too disdainful to use lies to deceive anyone.
Hearing him speak like this truly made it difficult for Kaguya to judge him for a moment.
How could there still be Ōtsutsuki appearing in this world?
"Yes. I really did grow up in this world."
Kitagawa Gen showed a look of emotion. Maybe it was because he had lied to so many Ōtsutsuki—his acting was more than just natural.
"I once thought I was an ordinary person, until one day I suddenly felt something wrong with my chakra."
"After that, a flood of information surfaced in me. Only then did I realize I wasn't ordinary, and I was given another name."
"Ōtsutsuki Genshiki?"
Kaguya frowned as she spoke, still full of doubt.
"What exactly are you trying to say? Or what is your goal?"
"I said we could talk. But before that, I need to understand your stance."
Kitagawa Gen shook his head slightly and spoke with a smile.
"That will determine whether I kill you or choose another way to communicate with you."
"Kill me?"
Kaguya's gaze sharpened, and the chakra that had begun to settle surged violently again.
"There's no need to react like that. If I truly intended to act, I would never waste time talking."
Kitagawa Gen remained calm, as if he hadn't noticed Kaguya's triggered state.
"Whether it's other people or the Ōtsutsuki, you might even know the two Ōtsutsuki I dealt with."
"Who?"
Kaguya's gaze grew vigilant, but Kitagawa Gen only smiled.
His chakra rippled slightly, and two chakra projections appeared beside him.
Kaguya glanced at them, and her heart immediately sank. These two projections were clearly Isshiki and Urashiki.
Of course, Isshiki's state was somewhat off, but she could see the Kāma—and it was already close to 'complete resurrection.'
"Isshiki? And Urashiki?"
"That's right. That's how they introduced themselves."
"Then they—"
"Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was forced into resurrection by me, but he had only a few days left to live. Now he has turned back into a Kāma."
"…"
"As for the other one—Ōtsutsuki Urashiki—his situation is even worse."
"…"
"His energy turned into a 'pill,' I kept his body, and he himself is now also a Kāma."
"…"
Kaguya's eyes widened. She knew both of them.
Someone she had once been tasked to protect—and who was also the source of her fear.
Because she knew that her sneak attack back then had not killed Isshiki. Whether Isshiki returned for revenge or served as a beacon, she would never be able to escape being hunted by her own clan. That was the reason she had begun preparing.
As for Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, he had clearly come to hunt her. That guy had already possessed overwhelming strength a thousand years ago.
But…
Both of them were taken care of by this Ōtsutsuki Genshiki standing in front of her?
And Urashiki was even refined into a pill, with his body preserved?
How was that possible?!
Was he really that strong?
What in the world was going on?!
"You—"
Kaguya froze for a long time before asking in disbelief.
"Do you even understand what you're saying? And do you know what the consequences would be if you really did this?"
"You still refuse to believe it?"
Kitagawa Gen didn't mind. He gently shook his head and spoke.
"I have no reason to lie to you. You're strong, but if I truly wanted to deal with you, it wouldn't be impossible."
Kitagawa Gen wasn't joking. Kaguya's 'bloodline development level' was indeed higher than his.
But strictly speaking, not by much—because he could sense where Kaguya's 'upper limit' was.
He simply hadn't reached that level yet, especially since—
"When I dealt with Urashiki, I was far weaker than I am now. And I'm not Isshiki, so don't doubt my words."
Kitagawa Gen remained calm and confident. He had always been an 'information source,' after all.
"And to be honest, I should thank your sons for all of this."
"Hamura and Hagoromo?"
The moment Kaguya heard anything about her sons, her expression darkened again, but Kitagawa Gen continued speaking calmly.
"Relax. They're in the Pure Land. They went there on their own, and strictly speaking, I didn't even meet them—let alone fight them."
"Didn't… meet or fight them?"
Kaguya was incredulous, while Kitagawa Gen nodded.
"That's right. Think about it carefully—did I ever say I fought them? Did I ever say they were killed?"
"…"
Kaguya thought back and suddenly realized, speechless, that he truly hadn't said any of that.
He had only used vague wording to steer her thoughts in that direction.
Or rather, the moment she saw this man, she had instinctively started thinking in that direction.
But why would he need to thank Hagoromo and Hamura?
"The abilities I have now are mainly because of them—or more precisely, because of the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo."
Sensing what Kaguya was thinking, Kitagawa Gen spoke in a faint tone.
"If he hadn't passed chakra on to the world, it would have been almost impossible for it to possess such power."
"And if it hadn't been for the conflict between Indra and Asura—conflict that continued for a thousand years—there wouldn't be someone like me now."
Knowing how much information she lacked, Kitagawa Gen simply gave a brief, objective outline of the major events of the past millennium.
He wasn't at all afraid of exposing himself. Whether Kaguya could leave or not now depended entirely on whether he wanted her to.
That meant he had no fear of anything he told this 'ancestor of the shinobi world' being heard by anyone else.
'Besides, the Sage of Six Paths and his brother were aware of my existence, and neither of them reacted. That alone said everything.'
'Still… no reaction even now?'
Kitagawa Gen was somewhat curious. After all, this place was their seal.
Everything he had done—and even his conversation with Kaguya—was something they could hear.
The fact that neither of them reacted meant only one thing: they, too, were curious about what he intended to do. Or rather—whatever he intended to do was something they would struggle to stop.
"So that's how it is…"
When he finished explaining the general events of the past thousand years, Kaguya appeared somewhat dazed.
"To think that so much happened during the millennium I was sealed…"
"That's right."
Kitagawa Gen nodded and let out a soft sigh.
"A thousand years might not mean much to you—but for everyone else, it's a different story."
"How ironic."
Moments later, Kaguya returned to herself. Her expression shifted back to its usual cold indifference.
"Not only did he seal me, he didn't even spare Indra and Asura. Truly worthy of him."
"?"
Kitagawa Gen froze. He didn't recall steering the conversation in that direction.
"And he claimed he wanted to protect everyone—yet in the end, the method he chose was even more cruel than mine."
However, before Kitagawa Gen could speak, Kaguya continued coldly.
"A thousand years of war… I can't even imagine how many would die, or how many would suffer endless pain. But even I have to admit how ruthless he was."
"…"
"But that thousand-year war tempered the will of these lower lifeforms, nurtured their ferocity and resolve, and gave them countless combat skills."
"…"
"It's just that he can't be considered the victor. If what you say is true, the greatest variable exists only in you—an Ōtsutsuki who appeared again for reasons unknown."
"…"
Kitagawa Gen was momentarily speechless. He hadn't exaggerated anything at all—so how had she still reached this conclusion?
If he hadn't read the 'original story,' he might have suspected that the Sage of Six Paths really had thought this way.
And he also noticed the wording used by this Rabbit Goddess—clearly, she still hadn't completely believed him.
But that was normal.
Even if she looked naïve on the surface, there was no way she would fully trust an outsider Ōtsutsuki.
"Your assumptions are a bit extreme in my opinion—but think what you want. I've already gotten what I needed."
Kitagawa Gen gave a calm shake of his head. He had confirmed this Rabbit Goddess's attitude.
So now, he could proceed to the next step.
"You can relax now. I won't kill you. After all, your two sons are still around. Besides, I need your help."
"Help?"
Kaguya frowned slightly, and Kitagawa Gen spoke directly.
"That's right. There are some things where I need your experience."
"Help…"
Kaguya's eyes opened slightly. She was trying to figure out what he needed her help with, but Kitagawa Gen didn't wait for her.
"Yes. And aside from that, I believe you can demonstrate your value."
"You're trying to—"
"Don't you long to see your two children? Do you want to stay sealed in here forever?"
"…"
"Or do you want me, for the sake of this world, to refine you into a 'pill' like Urashiki and turn you into my nourishment?"
At that point, Kitagawa Gen paused. Looking at the silent Kaguya, he shifted his tone and continued speaking.
"In a certain sense, we could be natural allies—but only if you change your way of thinking."
"Of course, I also know you still don't trust me, but that doesn't matter."
"I won't forcefully undo this seal, but I can take a portion of your chakra out with me."
"That way, through that chakra, you can take a proper look at this world again."
"And you can also see for yourself whether what I said is true."
At that point, Kitagawa Gen stopped wasting words.
Seeing the silent Kaguya, he couldn't help muttering inwardly.
'And you can also use your experience to help me plant the tree properly.'
...
"This child, honestly…"
In the Pure Land, the Sage of Six Paths and his brother quietly watched the scene reflected in the sky and eventually sighed together.
Kitagawa Gen had guessed right—the two brothers had indeed noticed something was wrong long ago.
They truly hadn't expected Kitagawa Gen to advance so quickly, or that he would locate their mother's seal so soon.
And more importantly—that he actually went inside?
To be honest, in that moment they were stunned. They knew their mother's power all too well.
But at the same time, they also knew just how terrifying Kitagawa Gen was.
They really had been afraid that this kid might recklessly treat their mother as "prey" and finish her off.
But now it seemed Kitagawa Gen was calmer than they expected—and he had ideas they had never even considered.
"Big Brother… do you really think this is reliable?"
After a long moment, even the usually playful Hamura had grown solemn.
"Mother was absolutely firm back then."
"I don't know."
The Sage of Six Paths looked helpless as well. Kitagawa Gen had truly stepped on their "bottom line" this time.
However, the consequences that this "bottom line" was leading to did not seem to match anything they had imagined.
"Back then, sealing Mother was, in a sense, because her ideals and will conflicted with ours. But Gen…"
"He seems intent on forcibly overturning Mother's perception."
Hamura understood what his brother meant, and the Sage of Six Paths could only nod helplessly.
"Yes… and how could that be easy?"
If it were easy, such a great war would never have happened back then.
But now that things had reached this point, even he felt lost.
"Why don't we observe a little longer…"
As the Sage of Six Paths struggled with uncertainty, Hamura finally spoke after a moment's thought, surprising his brother.
"Just watch?"
"What else can we do? Go warn him?"
"This—"
"Mother hasn't come out anyway. And even if she did, he wouldn't be afraid."
"That's exactly what worries me."
"In that case, why don't we see what he intends to do?"
Hamura paused there, then turned back toward the image reflected in the sky.
"To be honest, I know this isn't ideal. But I really want to see just how far that child can go—and whether Mother will change."
"You really are too carefree…"
The Sage of Six Paths rubbed his brow, still deep in thought, while Hamura laughed.
"Aren't you the one who said we should believe in the strength of the next generation? Don't you want to see what Mother will ultimately become?"
"I—"
The Sage of Six Paths was at a loss for words. But at that moment, Hamura's expression suddenly turned strange.
"Or… was Mother right?"
"…"
"You actually are that kind of—"
"Shut your mouth!"
The Sage of Six Paths cut off his brother harshly, then looked up at the sky as well.
It took him quite a while before he finally shook his head.
Deep down… maybe he wanted to see too.
...
In the shinobi world, inside the Akatsuki base.
Isshiki kept using his power to search for and awaken Urashiki's Kāma. Ever since he sensed it, he had been working tirelessly.
"Why is there still no response? Is he sleeping too deeply?"
But no matter how long he tried, nothing happened. Even he was starting to feel frustrated.
"Hm?"
Just as irritation rose, he suddenly sensed something.
"Urashiki responded?!"
He immediately brightened, and followed the response to quickly establish a chakra pathway.
In an instant, his chakra intertwined with Urashiki's faint chakra.
Their consciousness slowly entered a shared, illusory space.
"Urashiki, it's been a long ti—"
As their forms gradually materialized, Isshiki greeted him of his own accord.
But before he could finish, the previously dazed Urashiki's face twisted in horror.
He recoiled on instinct, stumbling backward, and then shouted in terror: "Isshiki?! It's you?! Don't come any closer!!"
"…"
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's expression froze completely in that moment.
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---