"Sasuke," Naruto asked, perplexed, "are there... really a lot of members in the Ōtsutsuki clan?"
It was a question Sasuke didn't quite know how to answer. Logically, the Ōtsutsuki clan should have many members, but contact between them might be infrequent. After all, activities like planting a God Tree often take hundreds or even thousands of years. They spent eons traveling across the entire universe, searching for planets teeming with life suitable for cultivating a God Tree. They might not even find a single inhabited planet within an entire galaxy, not to mention the vastness of galaxy clusters beyond that. The universe is practically boundless; coordinating and contacting each other across such distances would be incredibly difficult.
So, while countless Ōtsutsuki might exist scattered throughout the cosmos, perhaps they didn't need to worry about all of them converging here... at least not yet. Sasuke could only reply with uncharacteristic uncertainty.
"Maybe... the number of Ōtsutsuki relevant to us isn't that large?"
Hearing this, Naruto felt something was strange. The Sasuke he knew was always incredibly confident, seemingly certain about everything. This was the first time Naruto sensed genuine doubt in him, an almost complete lack of his usual certainty.
This chaos! Naruto thought grimly. It seems far more terrifying than we imagined. It felt increasingly likely that no one in the shinobi world could escape its influence.
"Sasuke," Naruto declared with determination, "no matter what, we have to end this chaos! We need to return things to the peace we had before!"
Sasuke nodded. The chaos had to be stopped, regardless of the cost. It couldn't be allowed to continue unchecked.
Just then, a familiar, yet long-unheard voice echoed in Sasuke's mind:
[The Age of Chaos]
[Chaos has engulfed the era due to the Host. Host, please terminate the chaos and restore normalcy.]
[Reward: Chakra Sublimation]
The System's voice sounded again. Sasuke hadn't heard it for a very, very long time. Its unexpected return now carried a heavy implication: an enemy had appeared, someone so powerful that Sasuke might not be able to defeat them without finding a specific solution or strategy.
He reflected. Before, whether it was the Sage of Six Paths or Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki, none of them had been threatening enough to trigger a System quest. Sasuke's own strength had been sufficient to handle them without too much difficulty, so the System had remained silent.
But now! A quest had been issued. This signified a new, severe danger. Someone capable of truly threatening him had emerged.
Has some terrifyingly strong individual appeared because of this chaos? Sasuke wondered. Impossible! I've already fought all the renowned powerhouses in the shinobi world, and none possessed power that truly threatened me. What could this mean? Has some dreadful Ōtsutsuki appeared? One that I don't even know about? That would mean this Ōtsutsuki... is likely someone who didn't exist in the original story!
At that very moment, high atop a mountain somewhere near Iwagakure, the Village Hidden by Rocks, two figures materialized. The clothes they wore were unmistakably Ōtsutsuki attire, yet their garments possessed an ancient quality, far older than those worn by the likes of Kinshiki or Momoshiki. It was unclear which distant era of the Ōtsutsuki they belonged to, but they were clearly beings connected to the shinobi world's history.
One of these Ōtsutsuki, however, wasn't exactly an unknown figure from outside the original narrative. On the contrary, he had been mentioned, a presence known within the established lore. He was Ōtsutsuki Shibai – a legendary figure who, according to Amado's research, had achieved the clan's ultimate goal. In his millennia-long process of consuming Chakra Fruits, he could be said to have become a god in the truest sense. He eventually died of unknown causes, leaving his physical body behind. Amado's studies suggested Shibai might have transcended their reality entirely, abandoning his physical form, which he no longer greatly relied upon, to enter another dimension, continuing his pursuit of godhood on a different plane.
And this Ōtsutsuki Shibai, brought back by the temporal chaos, now stood beside another.
"This sensation..." Shibai murmured, looking around. "It seems some unknown power of time has affected us?"
The other Ōtsutsuki spoke, a flicker of excitement crossing his ancient features. "How interesting... that someone exists who can influence even us with the power of time? Beings at our level shouldn't normally be affected by time. For this to happen..." His eyes glinted. "It means someone exists who could potentially rival us. Perhaps the key to achieving true, ultimate godhood lies here!"
He then turned his gaze upon Shibai. "Shibai, you don't quite seem like the Shibai I remember."
Shibai immediately lowered his head, addressing the Ōtsutsuki before him with profound respect. "Lord Koshiki! In the millennia since you departed, I followed in your footsteps, using the resources you left, and finally grew to a state approaching godhood!"
Koshiki! Ōtsutsuki Koshiki! Perhaps even Amado hadn't realized: the Ōtsutsuki Shibai he identified as the 'closest to a god' was merely the guardian of another Ōtsutsuki. The one Shibai guarded, Ōtsutsuki Koshiki, was the one who had truly transcended everything and become a god – so powerful he had left this dimension directly, physical body and all.
Now, Koshiki had returned. Although his power was currently somewhat suppressed by the constraints of this dimension, as a god who surpassed Shibai, capable of dimensional ascension with his body intact, his true power was even more terrifying.
"Not bad," Koshiki acknowledged Shibai's report. "It seems you didn't waste the things I left for you."
Shibai nodded gratefully. "If not for the Chakra Fruits Lord Koshiki bestowed upon me, I would never have grown so rapidly. However," he added humbly, "compared to you, Lord Koshiki, I still have a long, long way to go!"
The difference was stark: Koshiki could traverse dimensions with his physical body, while Shibai had been forced to abandon his. Even this seemingly subtle distinction highlighted the immense gap in their power.
(And Ōtsutsuki Koshiki's descendant! It was none other than Urashiki! Urashiki, who had inherited a portion of Koshiki's formidable power – enough to potentially cultivate a God Tree alone and even manipulate time to some extent. He possessed the innate talent and ability to become an exceptionally powerful Ōtsutsuki, but unfortunately, Urashiki was too foolish and ultimately wasted the legacy Koshiki had left behind.)
"Lord Koshiki," Shibai continued, "this world seems to have undergone astonishing changes due to the influence of this chaotic time! I wonder who is responsible for bringing us here!" He straightened slightly. "I shall go find this individual immediately!"
"No," Koshiki waved a hand dismissively. "Let's observe first. This world seems quite interesting."
"Yes..." Shibai bowed his head again. Since Lord Koshiki wasn't in a hurry, then observing for a while was acceptable.
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