Chapter 238: Meeting

"I really didn't expect you'd actually be here."

Within a dimensional space, Tao Shi entered slowly, accompanied by Jin Shi.

Although the dimensional space was dim, it didn't hinder Tao Shi's sight; gazing at the massive Ten-Tails and the dark silhouette perched atop its head, he let out a cold laugh.

"Your transformation is truly drastic; I'm curious—what kind of person could have beaten you into this state?"

"No matter how much I change, I'm still me."

Yi Shi's voice rang melodiously, and the next moment his figure rose slowly from the top of the Ten-Tails' head, then gently descended from the sky.

When he appeared before Tao Shi and Jin Shi, the two saw exactly what Yi Shi looked like now!

He still retained Obito's appearance without a complete change, but his aura now fully manifested an Otsutsuki state.

"Moreover, this world is even more dangerous than you imagined; otherwise, would you think I'd become like this?"

Yi Shi's words surprised Tao Shi; although he doesn't like Yi Shi, he can't deny how terrifying Yi Shi's power truly is.

Moreover, Yi Shi is an extremely proud individual, steadily working step by step toward becoming the Otsutsuki God.

Someone like that saying such words—how could it not leave Tao Shi stunned?

"Hmm, even after using the Wedge to achieve complete consumption, you still wouldn't change your appearance; seems you're frightened."

Though his mind was full of astonishment, Tao Shi's mouth wasn't that stubborn; he deliberately showed a playful expression.

"I'm curious—what kind of person did you encounter that makes you so fearful?"

"It's not exactly fear; I just don't want to attract too much attention for now."

Yi Shi looked at Tao Shi indifferently; he knew what Tao Shi was probably thinking, but he didn't care.

He is a rational person, and likewise not someone who can't accept defeat; losing is losing, and he would never deny that.

After losing, he would never babble about this or that, nor dwell on how terrible his prior condition was.

For him, all he needs to do is revenge—to reclaim what he lost, and nothing more!

"After all, the entire shinobi world now belongs to that guy, and that guy has truly reached a level equal to ours.

Not only him, but there are at least one or two others around him of comparable strength; it's always wise to be cautious."

"The one who controls this world—was it that Uchiha Haori?"

Listening to that, Tao Shi instantly understood something, which matched part of the information he had already gathered.

However, he was genuinely surprised and stunned—the guy could make Yi Shi so cautious?

Moreover, that guy also had an Otsutsuki by his side, which truly seemed unbelievable to Tao Shi.

He is a born Otsutsuki, long accustomed to looking down on all other lives, and naturally knows that those ants aspiring to become towering giants is virtually impossible.

Yet in this damned place, three people have reached similar circumstances, which made Tao Shi actually frown.

"Whose Wedge?"

He asked softly, but Yi Shi shook his head.

"It's not the Wedge. If it were the Wedge, I might not think too much, but they each came here step by step on their own.

Whether by shortcuts or other means, at least they've arrived at this point.

Such talent, such perseverance—'incredible' is the only word I can use; I find no other term."

Reaching this point by their own strength?

Tao Shi furrowed his brows even deeper, wondering how many such talents exist in this damned place, whether the planet's inhabitants are absurdly gifted?

Yet at the same time, a surge of heat rose within him!

A planet of such highly gifted lives, if one could completely devour them and turn them into Divine Fruit, then—

At the thought, a flash lit Tao Shi's Byakugan; the ascension of Otsutsuki is too hard, and its demand for life essence is exceedingly high!

The stronger the individual, the higher the quality of life essence they contain, and the fruits condensed from that essence become stronger.

But soon, Tao Shi suppressed his emotions; to do this, the preparations required are far from ordinary, not just a few.

He must not only deal with those three newly arisen Otsutsuki, but also address the Ten-Tails issue.

"Interested in the planet's lifeforms?"

Tao Shi's shifting thoughts didn't escape Yi Shi's eyes; he knew what Tao Shi was thinking almost instantly, causing him to gently shake his head.

Indeed, this world is far higher in quality than others, due to the Otsutsuki bloodline flowing within and the centuries-long wars that have scarred its people.

As for the true situation, Yi Shi knows better; after all, he's survived in this world for a thousand years!

Moreover, Yi Shi considers this world his own; how could he ever give it to others?

Nevertheless, he now needs Tao Shi's help.

He doesn't quite understand why that Uchiha Haori lacks Otsutsuki inheritance yet can still wield such great power.

Even he finds it hard to bear; even with a better body now, he must still be cautious.

And besides that Uchiha Haori, there are two others who have also completed a transcendence of the life tier.

It's hard to say, but they likely possess similar abilities, so Yi Shi must be even more vigilant.

"Now I need you to help me."

Thinking that, Yi Shi spoke directly.

"Encountering such Otsutsuki, and they're not ours, what trouble and danger they bring needs no further explanation.

Their numbers aren't small; if it were just one, I could handle it alone, but there are three, so I must resort to other means."

"No need for you to elaborate; I'll do the same."

Tao Shi replied indifferently, then turned slightly to look at Jin Shi.

"But you just said there are three over there, while we only have two; did you count Jin Shi as well?"

"Not Jin Shi."

Yi Shi shook his head; although Jin Shi's strength is decent, that guy is merely a 'Guardian'.

The guardian's duty is to protect the protected one, while also bearing the fate of being devoured by the Ten Tails; such people, as proud Otsutsuki, are generally not taken seriously by them.

The reason Isshiki is so deeply impressed by Kaguya is not only because he was ambushed, but also because he actually lost to a guardian!

The sternness inside the Otsutsuki is unimaginable; such humiliation he will surely avenge no matter what.

"It's not Kinshiki; who is it then?"

Momoshiki raised an eyebrow, he spoke doubtfully, while Isshiki didn't beat around the bush and spoke calmly.

"Urashiki, calculate the time; he should also be arriving soon, and there's something I need to tell you."

"Speak."

"When Urashiki was killed, that Uchiha Haori seemingly hadn't even reached the Otsutsuki level yet!"

Upon hearing these words, Momoshiki, who originally had some disdain, had his expression completely change——

What exactly is the Reincarnation Eye? This question has been troubling Neji.

He used to not understand many things, but he did know one thing: the Uchiha's eyes can evolve.

This isn't considered a secret within the Hyuga Clan, yet the Hyuga Clan, which also belongs to the eye-technique clan, lacks this ability.

The Byakugan is innate to them; they don't need much operation to use its power.

This counts as a "first-mover advantage," but the problem lies precisely here—that they seem to have little room for improvement.

The only thing worth celebrating is that their Byakugan can be used with the Gentle Fist; this also counts as a decent power.

With the passage of time, or rather as Yuzhi, Hikari, and Shisui rose, the Hyuga gradually realized that the Uchiha's eyes are not merely as simple as the Three Tomoe.

If it were only the Three Tomoe, the Byakugan combined with their strong Gentle Fist could still cope, but once the Sharingan evolves further, they would truly have no chance!

"Why is this so?"

This question has long troubled the Hyuga clan members; their eyes and the Gentle Fist paired with them are indeed strong, yet they also seem to be shackled by them.

Even if later Yuzhi, representing the Leaf Village, offered them the "Yang Release Training Technique," this in some sense enhanced their abilities.

But they still seem unable to escape this vicious circle; even if Neji became Yuzhi's disciple, it's largely the same.

This also gave Neji a "Thought Steel Seal"; he had always thought the Byakugan had no advanced form.

But now it's different; after hearing Yuzhi's words, he finally understood: the Byakugan, like the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, also has an advanced form.

"Moreover, is it a one-time evolution to the ultimate form, becoming a Reincarnation Eye that can rival the Rinnegan?"

But as for how the Reincarnation Eye actually is, whether it's formidable, he has no concept at all in his mind; he can only form a comparison by imagining Yuzhi's power.

But the problem lies in

Yuzhi hasn't used many moves so far; even if he really fought, most of what could be sensed would be that constant rumbling and the earth violently trembling.

It's as if the apocalypse had descended, but exactly how, nobody can really say.

"Maybe I can also become like that!"

Neji couldn't help but secretly ponder this; however, when he saw Yuzhi suddenly transform into a god-like state,

and guided a pillar-like flow of chakra into his body, especially after it sank into his eyes, an indescribable feeling instantly arose.

Although this feeling wasn't severe at first, it also made Neji feel as if his eyes had undergone a change.

Moreover, accompanying this change, he felt as if his whole body had been drawn into it.

But for now, this feeling isn't particularly severe.

However, when the next day arrived, as he was preparing to train, he suddenly couldn't bear it.

Under Naruto's astonished gaze, Neji let out a painful scream, then his body curled up like a shrimp ball and collapsed in a heap on the ground.

The screams continued nonstop from his room, instantly scaring Naruto.

And such commotion, as expected, drew Yuzhi and the others over.

Looking at Neji receiving treatment from Kido, Yuzhi furrowed his brows and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Teacher, my eyes and my body both hurt!"

Neji struggled to suppress his voice, but that painful appearance could not be concealed no matter what.

Bean-sized cold sweat kept streaming from his forehead, and his whole body kept trembling.

"Sir, his condition is somewhat special."

Kido raised his head to look at Yuzhi, thought for a moment, then spoke.

"There is a power active inside him that is causing his cells to rapidly die and then be repaired throughout his body."

"Although these powers are concentrated in his eyes, they also affect his whole body; I also find it hard to judge this situation."

"Is that so?"

Yuzhi furrowed his brows, his eyes instantly turned into Rinnegan, and then he seriously assessed Neji's current state.

After some observation, combined with what Kido said, Yuzhi basically could form a judgment.

But this judgment somewhat made Yuzhi's expression odd, because simply put, the Reincarnation Eye's chakra seems to look down on Neji, so it is remodeling him!

"There's also this way of doing it?"

This situation left Yuzhi somewhat speechless; although the result isn't too bad, for Neji it's nevertheless too tormenting.

What the Reincarnation Eye's chakra is doing now is constantly activating and elevating Neji's bloodline power.

The power of bloodline is truly too important in this bloodline-centric world.

Yuzhi actually also knows that Neji's bloodline power is probably still lacking a bit.

After all, he is not an Otsutsuki retainer; that retainer, whom even Urashiki acknowledges as a clansman, has an imaginable bloodline strength.

Besides that, Neji's basic conditions are also relatively poor.

He is not like Nagato, who, although not a Six Paths Suffocation descendant, others have extraordinarily strong physiques and astonishing vitality—even the Rinnegan can't drain him.

On the contrary, the Rinnegan can instead nurture his power, allowing him, after leaving the Rinnegan, to even achieve better development!

Even to the point that now Yuzhi has heard that, after obtaining the Byakugan, he seems to rely on his own power to cause the Byakugan to undergo some changes as well.

"Could it be that Nagato can still produce something like a Pure Eye?"

"As for Nagato, Yuzhi isn't that concerned, but he still knows some basic information."

"Nagato has such an extraordinary physique, even that unfathomable talent; compared to him, Neji, the only one of the Twelve Little Strong who died in the original, really seems inadequate."

"Even if Yuzhi keeps having him strengthen himself, the bloodline barrier can truly block countless people!"

"Fortunately, Yuzhi has him constantly temper his physique; otherwise, now it wouldn't be the Reincarnation Eye despising him, but rather adjusting his condition."

"But instead, it erupts all at once, blasting Neji to death!"

"Look at those Big Bucket Trees on the moon; this is the clearest example."

"Just, with such gentle power between me and Hikari, there's actually such self-awareness and self-positioning?"

"Yuzhi tilted his head in puzzlement, but at this moment Neji spoke up."

"Teacher I... I'm fine."

"Neji's speech is now a bit fragmented; he's really in pain to the point of being unbearable."

"When he just learned that the Hyuga clan's Byakugan also has an advanced form, he felt joy from the bottom of his heart, and his teacher also began helping him with it."

"As a result, he didn't expect things to turn out like this; it makes him feel very bad, but seeing hope, he doesn't want to give up just like that."

"The opportunity to grasp his own fate has been placed before him; no matter what, he doesn't want to give up!"

"But soon, another wave of pain struck, this pain seeming to make his whole body collapse."

"But this time he didn't cry out in pain; instead, he gritted his teeth, tightly gripping the edges of the operating table with both hands, using his willpower to withstand the pain of body and spirit."

"\"If you want to shout, just shout; there's no need to hold it in. \""

"Seeing this, Yuzhi lightly shook his head, then spoke."

"\"Although painful, this isn't entirely bad for you. \""

"\"What are you saying? \""

"Hikari hearing Yuzhi's words, she couldn't help but frown slightly; Madara Uchiha, who had been observing all along, also looked over in confusion."

"\"Neji this little devil is in so much pain, yet Yuzhi actually says it's not bad? \""

"\"Don't look at me like that; this really isn't bad. \""

"Yuzhi shook his head, he extended his hand, his fingertips bursting with chakra light, then lightly pointed at Neji's forehead, after which he slowly said."

"\"You have already received the approval of the Reincarnation Eye's chakra; as long as you endure this, you will gain extraordinary power. \""

"\"Everything now is more like a test; hang in there, Neji. \""

——

"\"What on earth is wrong with Neji? \""

"In another room of the Feather Village Temple, Hikari looked at Yuzhi with a puzzled expression, and Madara Uchiha was the same at this moment."

"Neji's room has been cleared out, leaving only the medical ninja Kabuto inside; at this moment Neji has eased a little, but Yuzhi is merely suppressing it temporarily."

"Before long, that extreme pain will resurface, so Kabuto also needs to stay there to observe."

"And Naruto this kid is also sensible; although he worries about Neji's condition, he knows better that what he should do now is not to cause trouble."

"He has already gone to find Sasuke; I have to say this kid, although sometimes mischievous, knows when to act appropriately."

"After casually finding a seat, Yuzhi tapped the table, thought for a moment, then spoke."

"\"Neji's condition is indeed bad, but this time it's not just the simple pain one imagines; he is undergoing a transformation, a transformation from his bloodline. \""

"\"A transformation? Just like when we first did it? \""

"Hikari still clearly remembers how they used bloodline limits to enhance their own bloodlines back then; hearing Yuzhi say this, she immediately understood."

"\"Is it the Reincarnation Eye's chakra that is remodeling his body? \""

"\"That's right; although I've held him to high standards these years for this very moment, but. \""

"Yuzhi shook his head helplessly, then continued speaking."

"\"His bloodline strength is still a bit lacking; not everyone can be like Nagato, even if it's just chakra, these powers are not something ordinary people can bear. \""

"I really don't know whether Madara Uchiha is just lucky or what; clearly he could find someone like Obito as a successor, yet he also found someone like Nagato with extraordinary talent."

"Of course, his ability to judge people is still poor; otherwise he wouldn't have taken Obito as his successor."

"\"Shut up! \""

"Madara Uchiha was right there; hearing this, he couldn't hold back."

"\"Whether it's Obito or Nagato, they're nothing but my pawns; you keep spouting nonsense and I won't let this go! \""

"\"Watch your speech; I am the Hokage. \""

"Yuzhi raised his finger indifferently, then lightly shook it."

"\"Even though you've left the Leaf Village, the First Hokage never declared you a rogue ninja; in terms of duty, you are still a Leaf ninja. \""

"\"So please maintain respect for the Hokage; this is the quality a Leaf ninja should have. \""

"\". \""

"Madara Uchiha's fists clenched somewhat; he really couldn't stand Yuzhi this guy, and Hikari beside them also didn't want them to keep arguing, so she directly asked."

"\"So those chakra are remodeling Neji's cells, thereby enhancing his bloodline? No wonder it's so painful. \""

"\"This is also unavoidable, after all those eyes\""

"Yuzhi also shook his head; the Reincarnation Eye gives no time to adapt, jumping straight from the lowest to the highest."

"Anyone in this situation would find it hard to bear; that's probably why these eyes are so hard to inherit."

"\"Forget it, let's not talk about this; I'll keep an eye on Neji here, and now I need to tell you something. \""

"\"Hmm, what else is there? \""

"Seeing Yuzhi actively change the topic, Hikari and Madara Uchiha became a bit more serious."

"\"Last night, I met the Sage of Six Paths. \""

Yuzhi whispered, but noticing Hikari's furrowed brow, he immediately spoke again.

"He entered my dream, so we met and discussed some matters."

Yuzhi gave no concealment at all; he recounted everything that happened last night, which he really should have said earlier.

He just didn't expect the incident with Ningci, which delayed him a bit, but fortunately Ningci's side, though painful, isn't a big problem.

Now he can properly talk about last night's situation.

As Yuzhi spoke, Hikari and Ban's expressions grew increasingly solemn.

The Sage of Six Paths actually went into Yuzhi's dream to meet him; although saying this sounds absurd, considering the other's identity.

It seemed this all became reasonable, and the Sage of Six Paths' message was extremely terrifying.

Years ago, the Datongmu that Yuzhi eliminated seems to be returning, and moreover two Datongmu have already entered the ninja world!

Such a situation is indeed serious, and what they didn't expect is that Yuzhi still intends to continue the final battle.

To be honest, Ban has a headache; although Yuzhi's idea is correct, the ninja world indeed needs to handle war while stabilizing development.

But now everyone has arrived, and you still want to do this—aren't you being excessive?

Moreover, now that everyone is already here, you're still inside the Moon—doesn't that look contemptuous?

In addition, as Yuzhi spoke, something even more jaw‑dropping appeared to them.

"The Goddess of the Rabbit, the Sage of Six Paths' mother, is her conflict with the Sage of Six Paths actually due to differing philosophies?"

"Now, the Sage of Six Paths, seeking more power to confront external crises, plans to negotiate with the Goddess of the Rabbit?"

Hikari didn't react much to the news, but it left Ban dizzy.

He could be considered a victim of Princess Kaguya; even though in this world he wasn't possessed, seeing the 'Future Fragment' made him feel uneasy!

Moreover, he had long accepted the Thought Steel Seal that 'everything is the Sage of Six Paths' design', and now hearing this makes him even more unsettled.

"Could it be that all of us are someone else's pawns?"

He shouted this in great resentment, but soon he was too embarrassed to speak.

Others treat him as a pawn; how could he not have treated Obito and Changmen as pawns?

Lack of strength, no wonder the others…

"So now, what should we do?"

Compared to Ban's irritation, Hikari is more concerned about the current situation; she looked at Yuzhi and asked softly.

"Should we go back now, after all those guys are quite restless."

"When Ningci is settled enough, we'll go back."

Yuzhi gave a direct answer, then his gaze turned to Ban.

"I think, during the time we've been on the Moon, the Wood Clone left in Leaf Village has probably already discussed many issues.

Then after we return, you can also prepare to launch the final war."

"Isn't this a bit risky? I think I understand."

Ban furrowed his brow; before finishing his sentence, he seemed to think of something.

"You mean, draw out all those guys at once?"

"Exactly, we need to draw them out."

Yuzhi nodded, recalling from the original work what those Datongmu would do after arriving and speculating on their current inactivity; he formed a rough idea.

"They're currently inactive, probably waiting and looking for a chance.

I once eliminated Pu Shi, defeated Yi Shi; even if they're arrogant, they'll temper a bit, and now those people are likely with Yi Shi."

"Of course, another possibility is that they're investigating the tailed beasts; the Ten-Tails is key to consolidating the Divine Tree, and the tree's fruit is their source of advancement."

"They won't let go of this power, and since they bear ill will toward us, they'll inevitably act, so…"

"Rather than passively waiting for them to act, it's better to proactively expose a flaw and let them surface on their own."

Hikari glanced at Yuzhi, added a sentence, and Ban immediately took over the discussion.

"In that case, we can seize the initiative and proactively deal with them; this seems like a good plan!"

Although their strength is at this level, we must hold the initiative ourselves; otherwise, letting the enemy run rampant would cost a heavy price even if we could handle them.

The price isn't you, but those around you will suffer.

The Datongmu's might needs no words; Yuzhi naturally cannot let them hide in shadows and must force them out!

Thus we must create some chaos, only by drawing their attention to the direction Yuzhi points can everything truly be safe.

"So, go back and prepare well; we have a lot to be busy with."

Yuzhi smiled, then looked at Ban.

"Although time is a bit rushed, I still want to ask: how well have you mastered natural chakra?"

"I can suppress them; that kid's pouch has no hidden items, and I think all I lack now is practice time."

Ban said directly, his learning ability is extremely high, and since he can suppress these forces, controlling them isn't a big issue.

However, that's only control; to master and better wield these forces, he needs more time for training and cultivation.

Although time is tight, his shortage is also time, yet he still appears confident.

After all, having reached this point, the Ten-Tails within him can continuously generate Nature's Power, allowing him to experiment anytime, anywhere.

He believes that with his own ability, he can harness and even fully learn to use these powers!

"That's good."

Yuzhi nodded, then his gaze turned outward.

"This time, let's really get moving!"

——

"Big brother, are you sure you want to do this?"

Inside the dimensional space within the moon, Hamura oddly looked at his older brother Hagoromo, and for a moment he was also speechless.

He was somewhat confused about the situation; his older brother had gone to meet Yuzhi, and then he made a shocking decision.

He wants to take me to see our mother!

To be honest, Hamura's head is still buzzing; he doesn't know what his older brother actually said when he went to meet Yuzhi.

Or rather, what exactly did Yuzhi say to his older brother?

He had only gone to warn Yuzhi, but the Otsutsuki had already come knocking, and yet everything changed in an instant?

"Hmm, of course."

Hagoromo nodded, turned his head to look at his younger brother, saw his bewildered expression, and then smiled.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing; actually, this time meeting that brat Yuzhi, I really gained a lot."

"Eh"

Hamura blinked, his face full of curiosity, and Hagoromo didn't hide anything.

"I founded the Ninja Sect in the Ninja World, teaching all beings to use chakra, with the purpose of letting everyone understand and tolerate each other through the power of chakra

But here I have discovered that I have utterly failed to do so; I have never considered the problem from my mother's perspective, nor have I ever communicated effectively with her."

"So, do you now want to make amends?"

Hearing those words, Hagoromo instantly understood a lot.

"It's not really making amends, that brat Yuzhi said; we and our mother are actually more like a mother and child holding a grudge."

Hagoromo gave a wry smile and shook his head; he reached out, and in an instant the space trembled.

"Mother wants to prove herself right in her own way, while we yearn to prove all of this in our way.

Now perhaps we can finally have a good talk, after all so much time has passed, after all

our enemies are coming one after another!"

As the words fell, an intangible black hole appeared before them; Hagoromo looked at the black hole before him, his eyes showing complexity, but soon he became resolute.

His figure swayed slightly, and soon his whole body entered the black hole; Hamura watched from behind, and after a while he smiled and followed.

Behind the black hole lay a strange dimensional space, and at the center of this space floated a white-haired woman in midair.

Around her, transparent energy like glass was in motion, but at this moment she seemed to sense something, and a pair of white eyes turned toward the Hagoromo brothers.

"Long time no see."

Hagoromo took a deep breath, then he and Hamura slowly spoke up.

"Mother!"