Chapter 106 — The Two Paths of the Otsutsuki
The wind of Roran's ruins blew softly as the last traces of battle faded into silence. Dust shimmered in the orange sunlight, and Akira stood between Naruto and Sasuke, his expression calm but distant — as if his mind was elsewhere.
He finally broke the silence.
"Let me teleport you both back," Akira said, his tone quiet yet firm. "You should save your chakra, especially you, Sasuke. Going back to your original time will take just as much chakra as it took to come here."
Sasuke nodded slightly, understanding. "Yeah, you're right," he said, his eyes narrowing with calculation. "I can feel the distortion in space already. The pull of time is getting stronger."
As he prepared his hand seals, Naruto suddenly spoke up. "Wait—"
Sasuke stopped and looked at him. "What is it, Naruto?"
Naruto hesitated, scratching the back of his head with a puzzled look. "I was just thinking… that Otsutsuki we fought and Akira's father—they're both Otsutsuki, right? But their chakra felt completely different."
Sasuke frowned. "Different? What do you mean?"
Naruto tried to find the words. "It's… hard to explain. It's like… when that Mitsutsuki guy attacked, his chakra felt heavy, dark — like it wanted to destroy everything. But Akira's father…" He looked down at his hands, trying to describe what he felt. "It was the opposite. His chakra was warm — it felt like something divine, like light. It wasn't killing the Otsutsuki… it was cleansing him."
For a moment, both Sasuke and Akira were silent.
Akira finally asked softly, "Gentle? What did you see, Naruto?"
Naruto looked thoughtful. "It's like both of them — that Otsutsuki and your father — were two sides of the same coin. One like a demon, the other like a god. And that Mitsutsuki guy called you 'an old relic's offspring.' The way he said it… it sounded like he'd killed many of those 'old relics' before — maybe the old Otsutsuki. And the souls of those he destroyed were calling to you for help."
The air grew heavier as Naruto's words sank in.
Sasuke crossed his arms, his tone analytical but grim. "That might not be just a guess. I've read ancient records when I was traveling through different worlds… there were mentions of two kinds of Otsutsuki — or rather, one original race that later… changed."
Naruto blinked. "Changed?"
Sasuke nodded. "The old Otsutsuki clan didn't hunt planets or consume life force. They were guardians — beings who used their power to heal and nurture life. Their dōjutsu weren't made for killing; they were meant for creation and preservation. It's said their home planet was alive — not just a world, but a sentient being filled with infinite life energy. Their chakra flowed like breath, pure and harmonious."
Akira's golden eyes flickered softly. "A living planet…" he murmured.
Sasuke continued, "But one day, that planet was attacked by something — an ancient demonic entity from another realm. The battle nearly destroyed their world. Many of the old Otsutsuki perished, and those who survived were… changed. Corrupted by that demonic power. Over generations, that corruption spread, and they lost their original nature. The ones we know now — the ones we fight — are the descendants of those who were twisted."
Naruto's eyes widened. "So the Otsutsuki we know now… aren't the real Otsutsuki?"
"Not exactly," Sasuke said. "They carry the same blood, but not the same soul. The people of other worlds still call the ancient ones the 'Old Otsutsuki', but that's just a title. Their true name was lost — forgotten by time itself."
Akira was silent, his expression unreadable. Then he spoke quietly, his voice almost lost to the wind. "So that's why Father said the new ones aren't truly Otsutsuki… and why that Mitsutsuki called me an 'old relic's offspring.'"
Naruto turned to him. "Akira… does that mean your father is one of the originals?"
Akira looked at his hand — at the faint glow of the moon-shaped earrings. "Maybe," he said softly. "Or maybe he's something even older."
The silence that followed was deep and heavy, carrying a weight none of them could describe.