The Otsutsuki Clan was a truly mysterious group and the strongest existence within the ninja world.
Even in the original story, whether it was Naruto or his son, the enemies they faced were merely Otsutsuki clan members sent out to gather Chakra. The real decision-makers simply waited within the clan for the Chakra to be delivered back to them.
But as the Otsutsuki Clan took control of more and more planets across the universe, they occasionally sent powerful core members to personally plant Divine Trees.
Otsutsuki Ryūshiki was one of them. In terms of power, he stood above Otsutsuki Momoshiki and Otsutsuki Urashiki. According to Momoshiki, Ryūshiki had the potential to evolve to the third stage after consuming a third Divine Tree Fruit, making him a rare genius among their kind. He was also Urashiki's superior.
If not for the fact that Ryūshiki was obsessed with Kaguya, he could have completed his evolution and descended upon Earth, bringing destruction. But instead, in an effort to prove himself, he foolishly sent Kaguya the coordinates to his location.
Now, after seeing Kaguya's reaction, he knew he had no chance anymore. His intelligence finally caught up with him—if he couldn't win her heart, he would make her recognize his power.
Unlike Momoshiki, who was only a pseudo-second-stage Otsutsuki, Ryūshiki had truly consumed two Chakra Fruits. As his terrifying Chakra condensed into two blood-red swords in his hands, his entire aura shifted drastically.
The pathetic air of unrequited love vanished in an instant, replaced by an overwhelming presence strong enough to tear through space itself.
Each Otsutsuki was born with a unique power. Momoshiki had Takami-Musubi and Inukami-Takeru, abilities related to Chakra lifeforms. Isshiki could shrink and enlarge objects. Urashiki had time reversal.
Ryūshiki's power seemed to manifest in his ability to solidify Chakra into weapons.
"Momoshiki once said that Ryūshiki's ability allows him to forge pure destructive power into weapons, wielding them as extensions of his own body. Combined with his exceptional physical strength, he's one of the most talented Otsutsuki of this generation."
As the dark red twin swords appeared in Ryūshiki's hands, Kaguya suddenly remembered something and spoke to Hyuga Hitoshi.
That being said, there was no trace of concern in her eyes.
Kaguya never believed that the man who could win her over would be weaker than an Otsutsuki prodigy. Just from Hyuga Hitoshi's steady heartbeat and composed expression, she could tell—he saw Ryūshiki as an opponent, not a threat.
"If you know I'm a genius, then why have you always ignored me?"
Ryūshiki was momentarily stunned after hearing Kaguya's words. Then, with a glimmer of hope, he finally voiced his long-standing question.
He had always known he was exceptional. Even the arrogant Momoshiki had acknowledged his talent. So why wouldn't Kaguya accept him?
He simply couldn't understand it.
Kaguya, however, remained silent. Instead, she simply turned to look at Hyuga Hitoshi's face, then glanced at Ryūshiki, and lightly shook her head.
She said nothing, yet somehow, she said everything.
Based on what Hyuga Hitoshi knew about Kaguya, her reaction wasn't just about looks. After all, she valued a man's inner qualities more than his appearance. But to Ryūshiki, her gesture couldn't have been more obvious.
"I never thought you'd be as shallow as those other women in the clan!"
Feeling like his face had been disrespected, Ryūshiki was furious. This time, he swore he wouldn't hold back for Kaguya's sake. He would kill the man beside her, then prove to her that looks didn't define a man's status!
*Swish—*
"Domain Expansion!"
A low murmur escaped Ryūshiki's lips.
His twin swords radiated a thick, bloody aura, filled with resentment. In the next moment, that same energy surged toward Hyuga Hitoshi and Kaguya.
Momoshiki's evaluation of Ryūshiki had been spot on. As the only Otsutsuki capable of channeling immense power into weapons, he was also the most brutal in Divine Tree cultivation. One look at the dead planet beneath his feet compared to Earth was enough to know that something horrific had happened here.
Hyuga Hitoshi's eyes glowed faintly as if he could see the past through the dying core of the planet. He saw the brutal Ryūshiki drenching his twin swords in the blood of countless lives. He could see the unwilling spirits clinging to the weapons, still bound by their hatred and pain.
As Ryūshiki swung his swords faster and faster, more and more spirits began to materialize around Hyuga Hitoshi. Their twisted faces made it clear—they had suffered immensely before death.
"This… is the power of souls."
The spirits around them had fully taken form. Their presence constantly weighed down those trapped inside the domain, and even Uchiha Madara was affected.
After a brief moment of thought, he unleashed his ocular power, attempting to use the Rinnegan to purge the spirits. But against the Otsutsuki's power, the Rinnegan—so formidable against ninja—was almost useless. Forget destroying them; he couldn't even push them back.
It made sense, though.
Even though Madara had awakened the Rinnegan, compared to the eyes of Otsutsuki clan members who had consumed Chakra Fruits, his was nothing more than a knockoff. It was no surprise that against a true Tomoe Rinnegan, its power would be so limited.
In the grand hierarchy of eyes, not all were created equal.
"No way. Either a single Rinnegan doesn't have much effect, or his eyes are stronger than mine."
Uchiha Madara sighed slightly, a trace of bitterness flashing in his eyes.
He had to admit, in this new shinobi world, every opponent he encountered was stronger than the last. It made him feel like he had wasted his past life, trapped in his own narrow view of the world.
"Hah! There are plenty of people in the Otsutsuki clan who possess the Rinnegan. Let me tell you, you lowly creatures, your inferior Rinnegan is nothing. Even the high-level ones in my clan wouldn't be able to kill these souls!"
Otsutsuki Ryūshiki spoke proudly.
"As a reward for amusing me, I'll grant you the honor of becoming new spirits in my domain. Consider it a gift from the Otsutsuki to mere insects like you!"
Moreover—
"Weaklings like you, who can't even withstand the aura of my domain, aren't worthy of my personal attention."
As a proud genius of the Otsutsuki clan, Ryūshiki had poured all his energy into forging his twin blades, exhausting his chakra in the process. These weapons weren't just a part of him—they embodied all his abilities. The domain formed by the souls bound to these blades was merely one of their many powers.
But against these insignificant pests, using such power was already more respect than they deserved. He also wanted Kaguya to witness his strength and regret her choices.
Keeping his composure, Ryūshiki continued to stare at the man who was still holding his goddess in his arms. But something felt off. His words didn't seem to affect the man at all.
In fact… was that guy smiling?
"Soul power, huh?"
Hyuga Hitoshi chuckled, first touching the corner of his eye, then glancing at the golden Tenseigan illusion behind him.
"Oh well, since you Otsutsuki think so highly of yourselves, I suppose it's only fair for me to draw my sword. And if I want to transcend dimensions like your so-called gods, I should start using powers from other dimensions as well."
He reached out his hand, and an old-fashioned sword hilt fell into his palm as he made the motion to unsheath it.
At first glance, the sword was nothing special. Its blade carried an ancient aura, but aside from that, it seemed completely ordinary.
And yet, this unremarkable thing was the very weapon Hyuga Hitoshi had obtained when he made the right choice and established the Sun God Kingdom—a gift from his golden cheat ability that allowed him to break through dimensions.
In another dimension, this sword had an equally ordinary name. Or perhaps, it was more of a title.
Asauchi.
But aside from its name, the category of this blade was even more interesting.
"A Zanpakutō that hasn't been released yet."
And—
Holding the Asauchi, a notebook surfaced in Hyuga Hitoshi's mind. The contents weren't important—after all, he had practiced everything in there countless times already. But the title on the cover was quite amusing.
"Zanpakutō, plus the essence of Kenpachi's swordsmanship."
At first glance, these two things seemed plain. But in truth, aside from his monstrous physique, they were the greatest treasures Hyuga Hitoshi had gained from his cheat ability.
Before his Golden Wheel Tenseigan had absorbed the power of the Shinigami, this was his ultimate technique against soul-based beings. It had even been his planned gift for the Sage of Six Paths. However, after his Tenseigan evolved, he realized it could already destroy souls on its own, so he never had the chance to use it.
But now, just as Otsutsuki Ryūshiki had said, the souls he controlled had already been refined by his Rinnegan. They couldn't be taken by another Rinnegan user. Hyuga Hitoshi tested his Tenseigan a little and found that while it could use its revival ability to free these souls, the process was painfully slow.
Perhaps it was because he had never absorbed a Chakra Fruit. In this area, the Tenseigan's power was still a bit lacking.
But that wasn't a big problem. He would find a way to make up for these weaknesses on this planet. In return, he would fulfill the wishes of these souls by completely eliminating Otsutsuki Ryūshiki. Afterward, he would use his Tenseigan's power to restore the planet's fragile core and bring it back to life. It might take a while, but that was still better than letting the planet die completely.
"You… you've got to be joking."
As Hyuga Hitoshi unsheathed his sword, already planning how to revive this planet and turn it into a second shinobi world, Otsutsuki Ryūshiki's expression darkened.
What kind of joke was this?
Just now, watching Hyuga Hitoshi's serious stance, he had instinctively tensed up, gripping his twin blades tightly and preparing for an intense battle.
But after all that buildup… this guy pulled out *that*?
He first glanced at his own bloodstained weapons, forged from Chakra Fruits and his own life essence—twin blades of destruction. Then, he looked at the plain old katana in Hyuga Hitoshi's hand.
In that moment, Otsutsuki Ryūshiki felt deeply insulted.
And it wasn't just him—Uchiha Madara, watching from the side, also felt like the great Sun God Hitoshi was deliberately messing with his opponent, trying to mentally break him before the fight even started.
But—
"The power of a weapon doesn't come from the weapon itself, but from the one who wields it."
Hyuga Hitoshi said seriously.
"Just like a certain legendary sword that only a chosen hero can draw. But even if he never drew the sword, he would still be strong enough to be admired by all. A weapon becomes famous because of its wielder's strength."
"They complement each other. But in the end, it is always the warrior who controls the weapon. Just like now…"
Hitoshi wrapped one arm around Kaguya's waist while gripping his sword with the other. With a swift strike, he slashed at a raging spirit that charged toward him.
Swish—
In the next moment, the seemingly effortless attack bizarrely cut through the spirit's body. It was as if the blade had encountered its natural enemy, causing the spirit to let out an ugly scream before shattering into countless fragments. As if triggering a chain reaction, the slash continued forward, forming a blade wave that extended into the distance.
Boom!
The ordinary-looking Zanpakuto didn't need any special moves to completely erase the spirit. The shockwave from the attack even tore through Otsutsuki Ryushiki's entire domain, much like a balloon filled with some mysterious substance suddenly being popped—its contents spilling out uncontrollably.
With just a single strike, the eerie domain formed by the spirits instantly collapsed!
At this moment, Otsutsuki Ryushiki felt a chill run down his spine. His eyes were filled with doubt and disbelief in his own strength.
H-He was telling the truth?!
So… does that mean he was wrong all along? Was the idea that "a weapon's power depends on the wielder, not the weapon itself" actually correct?
It was as if his entire belief system crumbled in an instant. Ryushiki stared wide-eyed as the simple sword destroyed his spirit-based domain. His gaze kept shifting between his own blood-red twin blades and Hyuga Hitoshi's plain-looking katana, his expression dark and uncertain.
No… No!
It must be the sword! Something is wrong with that sword!
After all, he was one of the rare geniuses of the Otsutsuki clan, acknowledged by Momoshiki and on the verge of reaching the third stage of power. His faith wavered only for a moment before he snapped back to reality. Without hesitation, he gripped his twin blades tightly and charged straight at Hyuga Hitoshi, determined to fight to the end.
Meanwhile, Kaguya sensibly climbed out of Hitoshi's embrace, giving him room to move freely.
Of course, she knew that the man she recognized as her partner was an absolute powerhouse. Even while holding her, he could still defeat Otsutsuki Ryushiki. The real reason she moved away was that the Divine Tree's fruit in the distance was nearing full maturity. She planned to use this time to pluck the fruit, so that after her husband finished off Ryushiki, she could offer it to him.
As a traditional woman, Kaguya's understanding of her role was unquestionable—so long as the man was stronger than her. Otherwise, she would waste no time taking control instead.
Being one of the Otsutsuki clan's members sent to Earth to cultivate the Divine Tree, Kaguya knew that the tree's essence was the Ten-Tails itself. Now that the fruit was ripening, if Ryushiki were to fall, the Divine Tree would instinctively protect him by transforming into the Ten-Tails. And as someone who was both a living chakra fruit and an Otsutsuki with the Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan, Kaguya was uniquely suited to deal with the Divine Tree turning into the Ten-Tails.
"Only one of us is walking away from this alive today!"
With his twin blades flashing, Otsutsuki Ryushiki roared in fury.
"The winner gets both Kaguya and the chakra fruit!"
His words felt oddly reminiscent of the final battle between Sasuke and Naruto in the original story. Back then, the deal had been that the winner would become Hokage, while the loser would marry Sakura—an ironic twist in hindsight. Thankfully, in this timeline, Sakura had changed her mind. Instead of chasing after Sasuke, she set her sights on Sasuke's father, which could at least be considered a form of personal growth.
"I never thought even within the Otsutsuki clan, there would be someone this childish."
Hyuga Hitoshi clicked his tongue in amusement but wasted no time in making his move. Using the training notes of the original Kenpachi as a foundation and Ryushiki as a living sharpening stone, Hitoshi refined his swordsmanship. In no time, the two fighters became blurs, exchanging blows at incredible speeds.
Uchiha Madara, watching from the sidelines, was thoroughly entertained.
This was the first time he had truly witnessed Hyuga Hitoshi in action. He couldn't say for sure about other areas, but when it came to swordsmanship, Hitoshi was undoubtedly ahead of him.
Of course, Madara had no idea that Hitoshi was using pure sword techniques from the first Kenpachi of the Soul Society—a world where swordsmanship was the foundation of everything. And his opponent was an Otsutsuki warrior who had refined his sword skills over a thousand years, using the resources of an entire universe.
But to Madara's surprise, the battle didn't turn into the prolonged duel he had expected.
With Hitoshi's incredible learning ability, once he fully grasped Kenpachi's techniques and adapted to Ryushiki's fighting style, the Otsutsuki warrior was no longer qualified as a worthy opponent.
"It's over."
With a sharp glint in his eyes, Hyuga Hitoshi suddenly activated Tenseigan Chakra Mode. But he didn't stop there. Facing an Otsutsuki genius, Hitoshi rarely took fights seriously—but this time, he wanted to test his full strength.
Tenseigan Chakra Mode was only the foundation. When his Golden Wheel Tenseigan began absorbing Solar Sage Energy, he naturally entered Solar Sage Mode as well, merging the two. A blazing aura spread outward, and Ryushiki's already stunned expression twisted into sheer terror, as if he had seen something truly horrifying.
Right… Momoshiki had mentioned something about Solar Sage Energy before. Even the Otsutsuki clan feared that kind of power.
But Hitoshi's growing power was only the beginning.
When he activated a modified version of the Eight Gates that allowed for continuous bursts of energy, the space around him began to collapse. Even though he hadn't even unlocked his Shikai yet, he felt as if he could tear through reality itself.
"Come at me!"
The overwhelming strength made Hitoshi's eyes shine with excitement. The mere pressure from his voice alone sent shivers down Ryushiki's spine.
For the first time, Ryushiki truly realized the gap between them.
"No way! Why would someone this strong even be here?! Why didn't Shibai erase threats like you before leaving?! And what were the elders of the sixth stage doing?!"
He couldn't accept Hitoshi's current level of power. He rambled on about things that made no sense.
Hitoshi didn't fully understand what he was talking about, but one thing was clear—Ryushiki was afraid. He was terrified.
He wanted to run.
The so-called genius Momoshiki had praised… was this all he had?
Run!
If he didn't, he would die!
But could he really escape from such a powerful opponent?
No, he couldn't.
Wait!
Isshiki suddenly turned his head and saw Uchiha Madara, who was also too shocked to react.
That's right! This guy was that man's subordinate. He probably wouldn't attack his own people, right?
This was his only chance!
Swish!
At the brink of life and death, his speed reached its peak as if he had broken through all his limits. In an instant, the dragon-styled fighter appeared before Madara, shoved his twin blades into his hands like a madman, and then—boom—his entire body exploded into a cloud of blood.
At that moment, Uchiha Madara clearly felt something new inside his body. A look of realization appeared on his face.
So this is what Obito meant when he said the era of ninjas was over.
This is what he meant!
(End of Chapter)
---------------------------------------
You can read 10 chapters ahead on patre on
patr eon.com/JYouyi