Start with a Zanpakuto and build the strongest Mist Village.

Chapter 233 Otsutsuki Isshiki and the Distorted Nagato

From the death of the Fourth Hokage until the Pain era, the ninja world was in a state of lack of 'high-end combat power' and a generational gap.

The Gundam era has not yet arrived, and the tattoo era is still a long way off. A large group of so-called ninja clan members are already considered the strongest in this era by playing with some so-called secret techniques.

Add to that some scientific research and study of tailed beast chakra, and this is the magnanimity of the strong in this era.

However, there are also some monsters lurking in the shadows, possessing the power to destroy everything.

Besides the immortals of the three holy lands, the Six Paths Immortals in the Pure Land of the Underworld are also one.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, who was sealed on the moon, is another example.

And this last person was the seemingly ordinary, flamboyant monk who had previously locked eyes with Ye.

Tsui-ken!

Or rather, Otsutsuki Ichishiki!

This seemingly somewhat flamboyant young monk, who is highly respected by countless monks of the Fire Temple, has actually been traveling in this world for a thousand years. He is the mastermind behind the 'Kara' organization and a member of the Otsutsuki clan who descended to Earth with Kaguya Otsutsuki!

That is, in the lava underground of the Land of Hot Water, Yoru saw through the memories of the evil god Kakin that the Otsutsuki had wiped out countless natives of Earth with a wave of his hand!

In ancient times, thousands of years ago, Otsutsuki Isshiki and his guardian Otsutsuki Kaguya traveled to Earth to plant the Divine Tree in order to cultivate the Ten-Tails into a Divine Tree and make it bear fruit.

After clearing out the natives, as planned, Otsutsuki Isshiki prepared to sacrifice Kaguya, who was of lower status, to the Ten-Tails.

At the crucial moment when the sacrifice was about to take place, Kaguya Otsutsuki suddenly turned against Isshiki and launched an attack on him!

Caught completely off guard, Isshiki was ambushed by Kaguya and suffered a near-fatal injury. He was forced to use his eye technique to parasitize a passing young monk.

And this monk was none other than the white-robed monk from before, Cixian!

Under normal circumstances, even without consuming the Chakra Fruit, the Otsutsuki clan would still be at least at the Six Paths level, which is a difference in life level.

Isshiki, as a 'noble,' 'protected,' or 'high-ranking member' of the Otsutsuki clan, must have eaten a Devil Fruit, but not the 'high-quality Chakra Fruit' of Earth.

Whether it was during the night within the memories of the evil god Jakin, or in the original work when his fighting power was reduced to less than one-tenth, his battles with Naruto and Sasuke fully demonstrated the strength of this Otsutsuki.

Without a doubt, even though Jigen is still in a parasitic state and the injuries caused by Kaguya are unlikely to heal for a thousand years, his strength still exceeds the current capacity of the ninja world to withstand.

If he were pushed too far, even at night, it wouldn't be possible to say that he could be easily defeated.

When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. If he and Yi Shi were to fight to the death, Old Bi Deng in the Pure Land of the Underworld would certainly not stand idly by.

"You guys stay here for now, I'll go take care of things a bit."

After giving a brief instruction, Ye disappeared from the spot.

Mei Terumi and Yekura exchanged a glance, and without the slightest hesitation, they pulled up Hikari, who was still in a daze, and returned to their temporary lodging.

At the same time, Mei Terumi took out a scroll, from which she extracted several azure crystals and placed them around the room.

"Is it necessary to be so cautious?" Ye Cang said in a low voice. "With that guy's power, there shouldn't be anyone in this world who can threaten him."

"some."

Mei Terumi shook her head, her beautiful eyes never having looked so serious.

The fact that Ye showed such a solemn expression meant that she already had some guesses about the monk's identity.

If nothing unexpected happens, that guy... should be Yoru's long-standing hypothetical enemy, the biggest threat to the ninja world, the chakra rulers who roam the universe and devour planets.

Otsutsuki!

……

The space rippled, and Night's figure appeared silently outside the Temple of Fire.

A gentle breeze rustled through the forest leaves. Jigen, who seemed to have anticipated that Minazuki Yoru would follow, stood quietly in place and did not leave immediately.

Sensing the distorted space, he narrowed his gaze slightly, glanced back, and then looked away.

"You did notice something."

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have been able to detect your presence, but I have seen you with my own eyes after all."

Ye spoke calmly, following Cixian's gaze to look at the magnificent Fire Temple in front of him: "The evil god Jiajin, hidden beneath the land of the Land of Hot Water, allowed me to glimpse your purpose and power. I never expected that a thousand years later, I would actually be able to encounter you, and in this manner at that."

“The Land of Hot Springs…” Jigen frowned slightly, as if searching for something in his long memories. After a moment, a hint of indifferent disdain appeared on his face: “That inferior creature knows how to prolong its life.”

"Your current attitude isn't much better than that guy's."

"Provocation won't work on me."

Ci Xian's eyes were calm, like an ancient well that had never been disturbed.

He has lived in this world for a thousand years. The betrayal a thousand years ago caused him to lose most of the information he had accumulated during the process of devouring chakra fruits.

For a long time, he was unable to accumulate enough chakra to activate a complete 'Karma' to achieve reincarnation and resurrection.

But it was precisely during this thousand-year period of recuperation that he, who had already shown his talent, learned many things.

For example, planning.

For example, patience and forbearance.

He has lived in Jigen's body for thousands of years, witnessing the entire history of the ninja world from its birth to the present. He has enough patience and confidence to wait for the complete arrival of his own era.

How could a few words possibly shake his heart, which had been tempered for thousands of years?

“I can sense the special power within you, and I can also see the path you are walking. It is completely different from the Otsutsuki clan, yet incredibly similar to it.”

Jigen looked at Mizuki Yoru in front of him: "The offspring of that traitor will not allow you to continue down this path."

"So do you think he'll let you go, you bastard who's going to kill his own mother?" Night chuckled. "I prefer talking to smart people. Otsutsuki, I think you're a smart person."

"...What do you want to do?"

There is indeed a huge gap in strength between the two sides, but if the 'wedge' is completely unfrozen, the offensive and defensive dynamics between the two will shift instantly.

However, once the 'wedge' on Jigen's body is thawed, it means that his life will enter a countdown phase, which is something that Ichishiki cannot accept.

He is open to negotiation.

His millennia of dormancy made him realize that if the Otsutsuki clan blindly clung to their so-called arrogance as beings of the heavens, they would ultimately suffer a crushing defeat.

Moreover, the other party was not a lowly being; Minazuki Yoru, who possessed soul power, was, in a sense, an existence on par with him.

"I need information about the Otsutsuki clan, and as payment," Mizuki Yoru's gaze lingered briefly on Isshiki's hand. "You came to the Fire Temple because of that kid's chakra, right? No, to be precise, you came to inspect whether that kid with a lot of Nine-Tails chakra could become your new vessel."

"You guy..."

Otsutsuki Isshiki raised his eyebrows with Jigen's leather cloak and asked in a deep voice, "How can someone who has not inherited any power of the Otsutsuki bloodline have this level of understanding of the Otsutsuki?"

"In a thousand years, has your progress amounted to nothing more than this frail body?"

"You quick-witted brat!"

After a verbal exchange, neither of them made a move.

Both of them were well aware of the principle that when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits, and in addition, they were both very unhappy with the guy in the Yellow Springs Pure Land, so they tacitly hit it off.

"If you can truly help me cultivate a physical body strong enough to support my 'Wedge,' then I can provide you with all the information you desire." Jigen raised his head and said arrogantly, "This includes the secret to my ability to extend my life for a thousand years!"

"Boring stuff." Mizuki Yoru scoffed. "The continuation of life is nothing but the lowest of things. Immortality is worthless to me."

"An arrogant fellow..."

Cixian gave a low hum, but did not refute it.

At their level, life has long since become meaningless. Whether it's the data-driven form of the Otsutsuki clan, the infinite rebirth using the 'Karma' seal, or the spiritual origin of Minazuki Yoru, both have transcended the concepts of 'physical body' and 'life'.

Under these circumstances, Cixian did not intend to complete the transaction using such low-value items.

"what do you want."

"The method of raising the Ten-Tails!"

"You...you're also coveting the power of this world?!" Jigen squinted, scanning Minazuki Yoru up and down, and sneered, "The Ten-Tails' seed can only be activated by the bloodline of the Otsutsuki clan. Even if you obtain the Ten-Tails, it's useless...wait, you want to..."

"Interesting. As the master of souls, you actually have such terrifying ideas. Aren't you worried that your subordinates will betray you?"

"There is no such thing as betrayal, because there has never been loyalty."

Night spoke indifferently.

Since spreading the power of death in this world, he has never considered how loyal those who wield the power of death are to him.

As for those under his command, apart from the Kirigakure's core followers, the Shinigami of Seireitei only submitted to him for various reasons.

Just like the Sage of Six Paths back then.

Does he spread chakra so that those who possess chakra will pledge allegiance to him?

It's just to cultivate strength so that it can be harvested more easily!

"That's really ambitious."

Seeing Minazuki Yoru openly displaying his boundless ambition, even Jigen, who had been lurking in this world for a thousand years, couldn't help but admire the magnanimity of Minazuki Yoru.

Once such a person fully matures, he would be an outstanding individual even within the Otsutsuki clan.

Jigen gazed at the night for a long time before slowly speaking: "I can give you the method to cultivate the Ten-Tails, but only if you can truly provide me with a vessel capable of withstanding my 'Karma'!"

The Ten-Tails is a key tool for the Otsutsuki clan to plunder various universes. By harnessing the Ten-Tails' power, they devour life forms on different planets to create chakra fruits. After eating these chakra fruits, the Otsutsuki clan members either use them for alchemy to extend their lifespan or enhance their strength.

However, for the Ten-Tails to truly transform from a 'Tailed Beast' into a 'Divine Tree' capable of producing chakra fruits, an Otsutsuki is needed as a sacrifice.

Of course, if it were as he guessed that Minazuki Yoru had in mind, Minazuki Yoru wouldn't have directly activated the Ten-Tails. Instead, he would have 'modified' it, transforming it from the God of the Heavenly Eye, who devoured life and condensed chakra, into a soul-devouring monster unique to him.

However, none of this mattered to Cixian; what he cared about more was his path to resurrection!

His chakra was so powerful that Jigen's body and natural energy cultivation simply could not withstand it, making him unsuitable as a 'vessel' for his reincarnation.

If Minazuki Yoru can truly find a vessel capable of bearing his 'Karma' to revive him and restore him to his peak condition, then what's wrong with giving Minazuki Yoru this little Ten-Tails?

At his peak, Otsutsuki Isshiki possessed the confidence to sweep away everything!

Just like when he first descended upon Earth and swept away these natives, as long as he can return to his peak, Otsutsuki Isshiki will be able to control the entire situation.

What are Kaguya's descendants, what are soul masters, what are immortals of holy lands? To him in his prime, they are nothing but trifles!

"rest assured."

Mizuki took out a deep blue crystal from her bosom and tossed it to Jigen.

"I will contact you when I find a suitable guy, and please prepare everything in advance."

"It's a word."

With a casual glance at Mizuki Yoru, Cigen also conjured a special black rod and tossed it to Yoru.

Then, a pitch-black spatial cavity suddenly appeared behind him, swallowing his figure.

Night took the black rod, sensing the special chakra it contained. His eyes flashed, and after lingering for a moment in the space where it dissipated, his figure also disappeared from the spot...

The country of rain, the village hidden in the rain.

Hiruko slowly walked out of the operating room, looking at Konan who was pacing anxiously in front of the door, and a very confident smile appeared on her face.

"Don't worry, the leader's physical condition has recovered very well. In fact, because of this injury, he has even fused with the cells of the First Hokage better."

"The current leader will only be stronger than before!"

"Is it healed?" Konan breathed a sigh of relief, loosened the paper flowers she was clutching, and went into the operating room without looking back, leaving Hiruko scratching the bandage on her lip in embarrassment.

But before Hiruko could leave, Konan's voice suddenly rose from the operating room behind him.

"Hiruko! Hiruko! What's wrong with Nagato?!"

"Beiliuhu!"

Upon hearing the call, Hiruko was startled and quickly stepped into the room.

But the scene that came into view made him freeze in place.

Nagato, who had already recovered, was now sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed, his face rosy, his hair blood red, and his aura strong.

But his body...

However, countless branches and fleshy buds emerged, looking like arms, densely covering his entire body!

Chapter 234 The darkness and fear in people's hearts will become the source of my power to transform from mortal to immortal!

Seeing the tree buds covering Nagato's body, Hiruko immediately froze on the spot.