The colossal amount of energy Yūshin devoured had surpassed his capacity for control. Rather than feeling like he'd swallowed an ocean of chakra, it was as if his entire being was dissolving within it.
Controlling world-tier energy was inherently difficult. Just look at Kaguya and Obito. The former, a pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki, would occasionally "revert" and lose control, manifesting the berserk Ten-Tails "Rabbit" form even after consuming the Chakra Fruit. The latter, upon becoming the new Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, simply couldn't handle its power at all.
The Chakra Fruit Yūshin had swallowed was even more potent. This Divine Tree hadn't just absorbed the foundational energy of five vast alternate dimensions; it had also consumed the chakra of numerous Ōtsutsuki and their collections. That made this power exponentially harder to master.
There was another point. The Divine Tree was the Divine Tree. The Chakra Fruit was the Chakra Fruit. While the fruit was the concentrated essence of the tree's gathered power, it wasn't the tree's entire power.
Even after losing its fruit, the Divine Tree remained a massive entity of energy.
So, after absorbing the Chakra Fruit and stepping into the realm of the Six Paths—even though that power was already slipping from his control—the first thing Yūshin did was press his palm against the tree's trunk.
The Divine Tree, planted in the Beginning World, began to wither before his eyes.
Needless to say, Yūshin intended to absorb its remaining power. He was already stuffed, but in the spirit of not wasting good food, he wasn't about to leave the tree's leftovers behind.
Within seconds, the Divine Tree withered completely.
The sheer, concentrated mass of that power threatened to break him immediately.
Yūshin had been modified by the Divine Tree, a "Divine Tree-man." He could adapt to and wield the Chakra Fruit's power better than a regular Ōtsutsuki, a kind of innate "synchronization." But both his body and his spirit had limits.
Chakra was a composite energy of physical and spiritual essence. Absorbing such a massive amount strained his body and battered his mind.
He felt like he'd barely managed to wrestle about seventy percent under control. The rest? He couldn't swallow another bite.
It was like the barrel in Pascal's water pressure experiment. Taking in any more energy now felt like pouring another cup of water into the thin tube on top. One more drop, and he'd burst.
"Enough. Can't be too greedy."
Failing to fully control this power was expected. Yūshin gave up on further "evolution" and turned to dealing with the excess. What he couldn't digest, he'd have to spit out.
That had always been part of the plan.
But rather than a messy expulsion, absorbing the Chakra Fruit had granted him an additional ability. A better way to handle the runaway energy.
He opened his palms. Energy coalesced. Then, infant-fist-sized, blood-red pearls began to form one by one. Clearly, this was derived from some energy originally belonging to Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki.
This wasn't some "egg-laying technique." It was more like "alchemy."
Yūshin consciously controlled the number, finally condensing the remaining uncontrollable power into nine pearls.
Only after discarding this portion did the raging power within him settle. Power you could control was power that truly belonged to you.
Now, nine Truth-Seeking Balls floated behind him—a hallmark of Six Paths power.
Form followed thought. Yūshin merely made a grasping motion, and one of the orbs instantly transformed into a Sage's staff.
His eyes. Within his sockets, the base pattern of the Rinnegan was overlaid with nine tomoe. The pinnacle of ocular power: the Rinne-Sharingan.
And unlike a typical Rinne-Sharingan, while the six outer tomoe on Yūshin's eyes were evenly distributed, the three central tomoe formed a simple geometric triangle, reminiscent of a Mangekyō pattern.
All the ocular power he'd harvested from the many Ōtsutsuki he'd slain had been fused and sublimated under the catalysis of the Chakra Fruit's energy.
Well, not all of it. He'd deliberately preserved some other abilities…
Yūshin blinked. The Rinne-Sharingan faded, replaced by a pair of perfectly ordinary-looking Uchiha Mangekyō Sharingan.
He blinked again. His eyes returned to their original, perfectly mundane appearance.
He clenched his fist, feeling the power of the Six Paths coursing through him. It seemed everything was within his grasp.
"Can't go around with these orbs floating behind me all the time, can I?"
Fortunately, it was all under control. With a wave of his hand, the staff dissipated and the Truth-Seeking Balls vanished.
He looked at the withered Divine Tree. Years of cultivation had borne fruit. Years of scheming had come to fruition. He should have been feeling elated.
Instead, his emotions were a tangled, indescribable mess.
All his reflections ultimately condensed into a single, soft sigh.
Space rippled. Yūshin stepped away. The next moment, he appeared in an alternate space filled with both emptiness and a peculiar, tangible spiritual texture.
He materialized behind an old man seated in the void.
"Teacher Sage. You've been watching for a thousand years. Aren't your eyes dry?"
The abrupt voice made the Sage of the Six Paths—or more accurately, his chakra manifestation—jolt violently.
Startle a man, you scare him to death. Startle a ghost, you scare it to death too.
The Sage had been sitting quietly, hidden perfectly for a millennium. Having someone suddenly speak up behind him would startle even an immortal.
The Sage turned. His usually impassive face finally showed an expression of sheer disbelief.
I've been guarding this world for a thousand years, and you ask me if my eyes are dry?
"…They are."
Well, they were.
"Teacher Sage, I assume you've realized by now. My true name is Yūshin, a shinobi originally from this era. Our meeting in that distant time… was an accident, a journey I never intended."
The Sage nodded. "I only grasped the full picture when you left this era, and when you returned."
To be honest, for a long time, Yūshin hadn't been worth the Sage's attention. Not until Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki appeared in the Shinobi World and Yūshin vanished and reappeared. After that, the Sage couldn't not pay attention.
"You're a bit slow on the uptake, Teacher. Or is the view from here not so clear?"
Yūshin had thought he'd attract the Sage's notice when he was active around Hashirama or Madara. Seems he'd overestimated his own importance.
"You… have you become a new Sage?"
This was what the Sage found most unbelievable. On one hand, he sensed changes in Yūshin. On the other, while not every Six Paths-level being could detect his presence, those who could were undoubtedly at that level.
"Yes, Teacher Sage. Beyond this world, I obtained the power to reach the Six Paths."
The Sage fell silent for a long moment, then accepted it. Thinking about it, Yūshin's ascension wasn't that surprising. Even ignoring the thousand years Yūshin had experienced, just look at how many Ōtsutsuki he'd killed in the Shinobi World over the years. The man was on a "one-way path."
"A good thing. This world needs your strength. I'm sure you've sensed the world-shaking conspiracy brewing within it…"
"Ahem, Teacher Sage, you'd best not place your hopes on me. Ever considered that I might be part of that conspiracy?"
"You…"
"Just a joke."
For the current Yūshin, such "jokes" weren't funny at all. The Sage didn't laugh. He was just left startled and uneasy.
"But I haven't decided how to approach that conspiracy yet. So, I suggest you handle it according to your own plans, Teacher. You've watched over this world for a thousand years. In this final stage, the saying 'relying on others is worse than relying on yourself' holds true."
When it came to world-ending crises, the Sage had only ever truly believed in Ashura and Indra. It was best, Yūshin thought, to let him keep that faith.
"Yūshin. Do you have other intentions?"
By sheer intuition, the Sage knew someone like Yūshin would be far more professional at world-ending schemes than his own mother.
"Hard to say. Today, I just came to say hello. That's all. A thousand years have passed. Finding someone to share this moment with isn't easy."
"You seem to have lived quite serenely, Teacher. That puts me at ease… Farewell for now. We'll surely meet again."
Without waiting for a response, Yūshin vanished. He really had just come to say hello.
The Sage's hopes had never rested on Yūshin. Trying to change that now was too late.
"I…"
The Sage swallowed his words. He was, after all, dead. Lacking the means to directly interfere with the real world, he could only listen when faced with Yūshin.
Yūshin had no desire to destroy the world. That was too psychotic. He just felt that after the Sage's millennia of detached oversight, it was time for the old man to be put on edge.
Yūshin returned to his own dimension.
He approached the slumbering Nine-Tails, pried its jaws open, and fed it one of the blood-red pearls.
It felt surreal, somehow. The "Tailed Beast Keeper" couldn't forget his original duty.
The pearl went down. The Nine-Tails' "ferocious" aura instantly intensified. Its body visibly swelled several sizes. Its orange-red fur deepened to a darker crimson.
This Nine-Tails was originally "0.75" of the whole. Now, it was roughly "1.1."
The energy boost wasn't huge for the Nine-Tails—it was the most unique among the beasts. But it didn't matter if the "medicine" or "hormones" weren't super effective on it. The other Tailed Beasts would be different.
Next, using Yin-Yang Release and a special sealing technique, Yūshin further reinforced the Nine-Tails' independent consciousness, making it extremely difficult to damage or dominate.
His original plan was to make contact with the Tailed Beasts during the Akatsuki's collection efforts. He'd changed his mind.
He realized that for him now, finding the beasts and their Jinchūriki was effortless. No need to rely on the Akatsuki's intel or manpower.
Besides, he had time to kill.
So, after feeding the Nine-Tails, he swung by Konoha and fed the Three-Tails. Then, for the first time in years, he headed to Sunagakure.
Sunagakure was still struggling, living on grit and sand as usual.
Last time, he needed to gather intel first to find the Jinchūriki. This time was different. He went straight to the host, infiltrated the seal, and met the One-Tail, Shukaku.
"Tch. You again…"
"Less talk. Just eat."
Yūshin was like a flash mob. Feed and leave. No conversation, no explanation. In and out.
Sunagakure. Iwagakure. Takigakure. Kumogakure. Kirigakure. A full circuit took almost no time at all.
After a thousand years of life, the Tailed Beasts finally had a proper feast.
All nine were strengthened.
Of course, if certain behind-the-scenes masterminds succeeded in their ultimate plan, this feast would be their last supper.
…
Orochimaru had no interest in destroying Konoha. But he realized he still needed Uchiha.
He needed to study the changes in himself, especially the Sharingan part, requiring Uchiha as subjects. In short, even if he didn't need vessels for the Living Corpse Reincarnation, he still needed Uchiha as research material.
After much thought, he decided to abandon forceful methods for temptation. Steal instead of snatch. Orochimaru couldn't articulate why, but he knew something deep inside held a profound wariness towards certain elements in Konoha.
He hadn't felt this before his memory loss. But now, his subconscious constantly screamed warnings. So, he followed his instincts, opting for subtlety over brute force when targeting the Leaf.
If Orochimaru just needed disposable Uchiha test subjects, then anyone would do. But driven by a mutual resonance of resentment, Uchiha Sasuke—who had gone from the clan head's son to the brother of an S-rank traitor—was a perfect mark.
Thus, a person's destiny… well, a person's destiny is mostly shaped by their character.
Uchiha Sasuke would still learn under Orochimaru. And he would still form his own team.
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