Chapter 272: Kazuki’s Possession Problem

"I can see the sincerity in your eyes... I just hope... you're not lying to me."

Kazuki gazed deeply at Kaguya and spoke softly.

"Even though you just attacked me," Kazuki said, "out of respect for a predecessor who once fought for the shinobi world, I'm willing to try and understand the fear you felt back then."

"It's just… I suspect Ancestor Indra didn't tell me everything."

Kazuki gently loosened the bindings on Kaguya as he looked into her eyes.

"I need to know more—about you, the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hamura, and that man… Ōtsutsuki Isshiki."

"As the Rabbit Goddess who once protected the shinobi world, you'll help me, won't you?"

Kaguya's gaze flickered for a moment at the phrase 'protecting the shinobi world', but in the end, she nodded.

There was no helping it.

After all, her role now wasn't that of an apocalypse-bringing witch, but a goddess who safeguards the shinobi world!

"Ask me anything. I'll tell you everything I know..." Kaguya sat beside Kazuki and spoke softly.

Kazuki gave a silent nod.

It was finally time to learn the truth about the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hamura…

And the origins of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki—along with the truth behind the mysterious tree-planting clan known as the Ōtsutsuki.

...

Konohagakure

Forest of Death

"I came here to save Kazuki."

"Indeed, Kazuki is facing great danger right now, but it's all because he chose to seal the greatest evil source of the shinobi world—the Sage of Six Paths. He's now sealed himself inside the Blackwater Nine-Dragon Coffin, submerged beneath the seas of the Land of Water…"

Senju Tobirama addressed everyone in a heavy tone: "It's true—I've been inside Kazuki all along. But his talents have nothing to do with me. Everything he achieved came from his own efforts and his powerful dōjutsu."

"His Mangekyō Sharingan allows him to copy bloodline limits and even other people's ocular techniques. Although I've studied the cells of my brother, sister-in-law, and many great shinobi of this world—Kazuki's power has nothing to do with me."

"Back when tensions were rising between the Uchiha Clan and the village, Kazuki initially sought to summon Uchiha Izuna through a self-developed forbidden technique…"

At this point, Tobirama noticeably frowned, as if recalling something unpleasant, and began speaking faster: "But that bastard never showed up. Instead, my soul was the one that ended up inside Kazuki."

"At first, we didn't get along. But over time, I came to respect Kazuki's Will of Fire. Eventually, we became perfect partners—exchanging Senju and Uchiha power between us."

Tobirama's voice deepened with conviction: "That's how I obtained the Sharingan. And with Senju power, Kazuki gained the ability to almost endlessly use ocular techniques. Step by step, he mastered every single bloodline limit and rose to where he is today."

"But what's truly tragic... is that once he had finally inherited the bloodlines of the Sage's descendants, he was targeted!"

Tobirama clenched his fists slowly, the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes burning with fury: "The Sage's chakra forcibly tried to possess Kazuki—attempting to steal his body! It used that nonsense prophecy from Mount Myōboku as bait, trying to lull Kazuki into lowering his guard!"

"If you don't believe me, go ask those so-called sages yourselves!"

"They all saw that something was wrong with Kazuki, yet not a single one dared speak up! All of them, spineless cowards!"

"Even the tailed beasts were better! The Three-Tails and the Six-Tails were willing to fight alongside the shinobi world for peace, to resist the Sage of Six Paths, and to reconcile with their jinchūriki…"

Suddenly, Tobirama's eyes lit up.

"That's right—we can summon the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki! The Nine-Tails has interacted with Kazuki. If the Three-Tails and Six-Tails could sense the truth, then surely the Nine-Tails can too...!"

The shinobi of Konoha all began to hesitate further.

Tobirama spoke with absolute conviction, and the sorrow and anger he conveyed over Kazuki's fate felt even more intense than Shisui's.

Even dragging the Nine-Tails into it—it couldn't possibly all be an act, could it?

"Everyone," Tobirama continued, his voice full of empathy, "I understand your sorrow and anger over Kazuki's sudden disappearance."

"I feel the same."

"We had agreed to seal the Sage of Six Paths together. But in the end… because of some stupid joke I once made, Kazuki used the power leaking from the Sage to resurrect me."

"It was during that time that I awakened my Mangekyō Sharingan."

Senju Tobirama turned to face Uchiha Yashiro—the man who had just tried to kill him—and suddenly summoned the cursed flames of Wakatsuki, speaking in a deep, resonant voice: "I possess two Mangekyō techniques. One is called Ame-no-Iwato—a technique that shields against ninjutsu. It's what allowed me to save Monkey when he was targeted by the Shinigami. But what I really want to use it for... is to stop Kazuki from being possessed by the Sage of Six Paths' chakra!"

"The other is Wakatsuki, a technique that ignites chakra. I intended to burn that bastard invading Kazuki's body to ashes!"

Tobirama locked eyes with Yashiro—Mangekyō against Mangekyō.

Behind him, countless Sharingan belonging to members of the Uchiha Clan flickered in the shadows, including Shisui's.

At that moment, none of the Uchiha spoke aloud—but in their hearts, most of them had already begun to believe in him.

The emotional language of the Sharingan may have been overly sentimental… but it was the most Uchiha way to see the truth.

"If I were going to seal the Sage of Six Paths together with Kazuki, I'd feel at ease…"

Tobirama clenched his fists tightly and shouted with anger: "But Kazuki went to face that thing alone. I can't accept that!"

"We need to rally Konoha's greatest strength—pool our wisdom—and find a way to counter the Sage of Six Paths!"

"There's no time to waste. I need to revive my brother and sister-in-law—immediately—with overwhelming force!"

His words only made his case more convincing.

As jōnin, everyone had heard the infamous Tobirama jokes. They knew: the only two people in the entire village who could keep this lawless forbidden-jutsu master in check… were those two.

Hiruko suddenly stood up and shouted back at Tobirama: "In the Root, we have cultivated Hashirama cells. After condensing their vitality, they can be used as sacrifices to bring them back via Edo Tensei!"

Tobirama gave Hiruko an appreciative look and praised him loudly: "Good!"

But Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted before the moment could go further.

He stepped forward.

With a solemn expression, Hiruzen said: "Sensei… I also know how to perform Edo Tensei."

"How about this—allow me to perform the summoning of Hashirama-sama and Mito-sama. Otherwise, if everything you just said turns out to be a lie, and you hold both of those Edo Tensei bodies... wouldn't that make you invincible in the shinobi world?"

"Please forgive my caution!"

Hiruzen had made up his mind.

If Tobirama was truly innocent, then the worst had already happened.

Since he had hit rock bottom, there was nowhere to go but up—so it was only rational to act with caution one last time.

Tobirama nodded with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "My beloved student… how cautious of you. Very well—let's do it your way."

Moments later—

Hiruko retrieved a batch of Hashirama Cells that had been refined by Root.

Hiruzen took a deep breath.

He had never imagined this day would come—where he would willingly resort to such a vile jutsu, disturbing the peaceful slumber of two great souls in the Pure Land...

But there was no other choice.

To ensure nothing went wrong, he had to do it himself!

The earth was covered in black sealing marks. The Hashirama Cell constructs, brimming with life force, were wrapped in the sinister taint of the Impure World Reincarnation and struggled into humanoid form!

Meanwhile, in the Pure Land...

The Sage of Six Paths, who had been observing the seas near the Land of Water, suddenly felt a shift.

Someone was attempting to summon his treasured remnants—his warriors.

Parting the veil of the Pure Land, the Sage gazed down at Hiruzen as he performed the ritual, his eyes soon shifting to Tobirama nearby. He fell into silent contemplation.

The Impure World Reincarnation technique was, in essence, a summoning ritual that tethered souls from the Pure Land.

If the Sage of Six Paths did not approve, then no one in today's shinobi world—regardless of who they were—could forcibly drag a soul out of the Pure Land.

Previously, the Sage had turned a blind eye, or rather, had allowed it to happen in the name of non-interference with the natural development of the shinobi world.

But ever since Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had been summoned from the moon and sealed beneath the sea by Kazuki...

Souls in the Pure Land who still possessed combat potential could no longer be released at will.

"This ninja named Senju Tobirama… he was revived by that Uchiha, Kazuki—the one who sealed away my mother…"

The Sage of Six Paths stared at the soul of Hashirama, scanning his memories, and murmured: "This reincarnation of Asura's chakra… is also Senju Tobirama's elder brother. So they're gathering the power of the entire shinobi world to seal Mother once again?"

The Sage nodded in approval.

If all the shinobi could unite with a common enemy and seal away Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, then this planet might truly have a better future…

"Let me give you a little help—think of it as an insurance policy," the Sage said to himself as he swung his staff and infused a strand of chakra into Hashirama's soul.

"This way, Hashirama can wield power close to what he had in life, and I'll be able to contact him quickly if anything goes wrong…"

With that—

The Sage allowed the souls of Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito to follow the summoning of the Impure World Reincarnation and return to the shinobi world.

He himself turned his gaze once more to the sea surface near the Land of Water. After a moment, he slowly closed his eyes.

Because he had underestimated the toxicity of the Ten Tails, even hiding within the Pure Land, the Sage of Six Paths needed to enter a deep sleep to recover his strength...

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