Chapter 104: The Eccentric Behavior of Isshiki Otsutsuki

Because the Divine Tree only bears fruit once every thousand years, the higher-ups of the Otsutsuki clan did not immediately perceive Kaguya’s act of betrayal. Nevertheless, the Otsutsuki would inevitably discover this treachery sooner or later.

“The logic here is simple: when regular contact is interrupted and the Divine Tree’s fruit is not delivered within the stipulated time, even the most foolish person would realize that something has gone wrong with those dispatched to cultivate the Divine Tree,” Naruto said, spreading his hands. “If it were up to me, the moment regular communication broke down, I’d send people to investigate, even if it was just a change in the usual person reporting to me.”

“Not to mention, I’d establish routine patrols to guard against unforeseen incidents. Thousands of years is a long time—people are bound to change. Cultivating the Divine Tree concerns our clan’s ultimate strategic goal; one can never be too cautious.”

“You’re right. That’s precisely what Kaguya thought at the time,” Itachi replied. “When the Otsutsuki clan finally noticed something was wrong, whether to ascertain the situation or execute the traitor, they would certainly dispatch exceedingly formidable warriors.”

Kaguya was merely an ordinary clan member who happened to consume the fruit by chance; how could she possibly contend with those professional warriors? Moreover, the Otsutsuki would surely have trained a special force precisely to prevent such occurrences. Once those kinsmen arrived, Kaguya’s only fate would be death.

Kaguya undoubtedly did not wish to die. If she did, she wouldn’t have attacked Isshiki Otsutsuki in the first place, even if she could be resurrected through Karma.

First, Kaguya opted for a delaying tactic. Every so often, she orchestrated offerings from the people of the Shinobi World to the Divine Tree, supplying a portion of chakra to the Otsutsuki homeworld in this manner, thus buying herself as much time as possible before her betrayal was discovered.

At the same time, she cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, allowing the Divine Tree to absorb the spiritual essence of the people freely, thereby creating a vast army of living weapons—White Zetsu. These White Zetsu were her powerful tools to combat the warriors the Otsutsuki higher-ups would send to apprehend her.

Before long, Hagoromo discovered the truth and began to vehemently oppose these offerings to the Divine Tree.

Hagoromo and Hamura felt no particular attachment to the Otsutsuki homeworld. Born in the Shinobi World amidst the prayers of its people, the brothers had formed deep emotional bonds with humanity as they grew.

To protect humankind, they repeatedly pleaded with Kaguya to cease the offerings. They even proposed that she could train humans into brave warriors to help her resist attacks from the Otsutsuki homeworld.

When Kaguya saw that her children could not understand her painstaking intentions, nor grasp the terror of the Otsutsuki homeworld, she was filled with disappointment. She decided then to reclaim the chakra divided between her two sons.

Thus, Hagoromo and Hamura joined forces, wielding their Sage Staffs, and engaged their mother Kaguya in a breathtaking battle.

Sensing Kaguya’s peril, the Divine Tree transformed into the Ten-Tails to protect her. The battle between the three was ferocious and relentless, raging back and forth for many months.

The overwhelming power unleashed during their clash battered the environment, shattering mountains, shaking the earth, and plunging the world into unimaginable calamity.

At long last, after a prolonged and harrowing struggle, Hagoromo and Hamura’s strength surpassed Kaguya’s. United in will, they utilized Yin-Yang Release to perform the legendary Chibaku Tensei.

Stones from the earth rose as if summoned by an unseen force, gathering in the sky to envelop Kaguya, forming a massive spherical boulder.

This sphere then soared into the unreachable heavens, ultimately becoming the moon. At the same time, Hagoromo quietly sealed the hollow shell of the Ten-Tails, now void of power, onto the freshly formed moon.

Afterward, Hagoromo dissolved the Infinite Tsukuyomi that had enshrouded humanity, freeing those who had been trapped by the Divine Tree and tormented by endless nightmares.

Reflecting deeply on these events, Hagoromo concluded that the Ten-Tails, with its immense chakra, was a ticking time bomb, ever poised to devastate the world. Resolute, he absorbed the Ten-Tails’ chakra into himself and split it into nine Tailed Beasts.

In doing so, he effectively weakened the Ten-Tails’ terrifying power. He then devoted himself to nurturing the nine beasts, fostering their trust in humans and their willingness to aid them.

Hamura assumed the responsibility of guarding the Gedo Statue, leading a contingent of Otsutsuki to settle upon the moon. From that time onward, the Sage of Six Paths became the founding ancestor of all shinobi, and his legendary tale began to spread throughout the world.

“When we last exchanged information, Kurama told me that the Akatsuki is collecting Tailed Beasts, apparently to resurrect some especially terrifying creature,” Naruto added after listening to Itachi’s account. “From the looks of it, could they be planning to bring back the Ten-Tails? Or even to cultivate a new Divine Tree?”

“No, I don’t think the Akatsuki understands things that thoroughly,” Itachi replied with a slight frown. “The secrets of the Divine Tree and the Ten-Tails are known only to the inner circle of my former organization. As you mentioned, its leader is Isshiki Otsutsuki, and only he knows the whole story. All the Akatsuki members are native to the Shinobi World; they likely have no idea about these deeper truths.”

“Then why would they resurrect the Ten-Tails? Is it some kind of group suicide mission?” Naruto couldn’t help but chuckle at his own thought.

To him, the Akatsuki had always seemed like a group of antisocial extremists, but now they appeared almost like a troupe of comic actors.

Itachi shrugged helplessly. “Perhaps they’ve been completely misled by some die-hard loyalist to Kaguya Otsutsuki. These people naively believe that by returning to the ancient era, they can achieve their so-called ‘world peace.’

“Frankly, I’ve always thought that trying to use terror to bring about world peace is utterly foolish.”

Itachi likely did not realize that, had Naruto not appeared, he himself might have ended up making the same foolish mistake.

“By the way, how did Isshiki Otsutsuki survive? Not only has he lived until now, but he even managed to form an organization and stir up chaos in the world,” Naruto asked, blinking in curiosity.

What Itachi was about to reveal was intelligence he had painstakingly uncovered.

After escaping the Ten-Tails’ jaws, Isshiki was gravely wounded and left with half his body destroyed. On the brink of death, he was chanced upon by a monk named Jigen.

But Isshiki, being so weak, lacked the strength to implant a Karma into Jigen. So instead, he used a secret technique, "Sukunahikona," to shrink his own body and entered Jigen through his ear.

Isshiki survived by parasitizing Jigen, absorbing his nutrients and gradually taking over his body. Before long, Isshiki dominated Jigen’s mind, speaking with his voice and controlling his actions entirely.

He then imprinted his own data into Jigen as a Karma, seeking to resurrect himself through Jigen’s body. Jigen became a living puppet, his own thoughts and consciousness erased.

It was only by possessing Otsutsuki power that Jigen managed to survive for thousands of years. Once in full control, Isshiki began plotting his own resurrection and planned to cultivate the Divine Tree and harvest its fruit again in the Shinobi World.

Isshiki’s aim was to atone for his failures with the fruit and return to his homeworld, resuming his former life. But it seems that, centuries ago, some unforeseen event forced Isshiki to alter his plans.

He had originally intended to remain dormant, repeatedly reincarnating over millennia while slowly advancing his scheme.

Yet, for reasons unknown, he suddenly began seeking out powerful bloodlines and immense strength, as if preparing for a war against some mysterious, unknown foe.