Kaguya.
Guardian.
Sealed by her own sons.
And the rage hidden beneath this man's cold, indifferent attitude.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
From the beginning, he had wondered whether this man had some connection to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Now, it seemed he had guessed correctly.
Not only that, this man's relationship with Kaguya was far worse than Hikaru had imagined.
The way he acted made it seem as if there was a deep, irreconcilable hatred between them.
That made Hikaru even more certain of his earlier speculation.
He had always wondered whether Kaguya had attacked someone, which was why she feared other Ōtsutsuki coming to the shinobi world to find her.
He had received some confirmation from Ōtsutsuki Hamura before, but Hamura was a riddler. He never explained anything clearly.
Even when he did say something, it was only half an answer, forcing Hikaru to guess the rest himself.
But now, he could almost be certain.
He had not guessed wrong.
And the victim of Kaguya's old betrayal was standing right in front of him!
"But what exactly happened back then?"
Hikaru thought silently.
He knew this man had most likely mistaken him for Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
But he had no interest in correcting him.
Hikaru did not think explaining would be useful.
This man's almost crazed state had already proven that he completely believed his own judgment.
No matter what anyone else said, he might not listen.
Wasting words on someone like this was simply making trouble for himself.
Hikaru was indeed curious about what this man had gone through to become this miserable ghost-like existence.
After some thought, he decided to probe him.
Although this man looked ready to attack, there was still time.
With that in mind, Hikaru slightly raised his head and put on a proud expression.
Perhaps because he had played that Asakura persona so often, controlling this kind of expression now came naturally to him.
He looked at the monk indifferently and said calmly:
"I wondered who had entered my territory.
"I did not expect an old acquaintance.
"It seems your Karma performed very poorly."
Hikaru was imitating Ōtsutsuki Kaguya as he remembered her.
Although he knew the imitation was definitely not accurate, he did not care.
Since he already knew this man and Kaguya had a blood feud, he could use that point to disgust him while fishing for information.
Sure enough, the moment Hikaru said this, the monk's face turned even uglier.
That change in expression told Hikaru he had most likely guessed correctly.
And once the man opened his mouth, Hikaru became one hundred percent certain.
"Hmph. If not for you, damned traitor, how could I have fallen to this state?"
The monk gritted his teeth as he stared at Hikaru.
The fury in his eyes seemed to burn openly now.
"But fortunately, this man happened to pass through that place back then. At least I had the chance to capture him and implant Karma.
"Although this insect's body is so terrible it makes one despair, I am at least still free.
"As for you, your years inside the seal must have been very enjoyable."
"That is not something you need to worry about."
Hikaru looked at him coldly.
On the surface, he seemed completely unmoved.
In truth, Hikaru had not thought much about it at all.
This was the first time he discovered that these so-called Ōtsutsuki could also be so vicious with their words.
But so what?
He had already obtained the information he wanted.
No matter what this man said now, it was just noise to him.
As expected, Karma was exactly as he had imagined.
And this man was also exactly as he had guessed.
It was not that Karma itself had gone wrong.
It was that the person he chose had gone wrong!
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had indeed done something terrible.
Something resembling betrayal from below.
That was why this man, on the verge of death, had casually seized an unlucky victim.
Unfortunately, that victim's talent and physical quality were terribly poor.
Even Karma could not properly transform him.
As a result, this unfamiliar Ōtsutsuki could only wander through the world in this half-dead, ghost-like state.
He was probably waiting for a sufficiently good body to appear, so he could attempt true revival.
Thinking this, Hikaru felt he had a clearer understanding.
But he still did not dare relax.
Because he knew the Ōtsutsuki before him would definitely not be like Urashiki.
This man would not be so arrogant and careless that he gave Hikaru enormous openings.
In this man's view, Hikaru was Kaguya's vessel.
In other words, an enemy of the same level.
Coupled with a life-and-death hatred, this man would fight with everything he had.
He would not display any nonsense like manners or dignity.
But that was exactly what Hikaru needed.
In terms of raw power, Hikaru was definitely not an Ōtsutsuki's match.
The problem was that this man's condition was terrible.
That gave Hikaru a chance.
Of course, Hikaru would not rely solely on that.
The Ōtsutsuki were far too strange.
Who knew whether this man had some hidden killing move?
What if he was forced into desperation and paid an irreversible price to fully revive himself?
Then the battle would become even more unpredictable.
But so what?
Since Hikaru already knew that enemies like this awaited him in the future, meeting them earlier or later made little difference.
Five years ago, Hikaru had already mastered the ability to injure Ōtsutsuki.
Now, not only had his Jōgan reached the second stage, he also had six Truth-Seeking Orbs!
The Truth-Seeking Orb damaged in the previous battle had already recovered.
The resources Hikaru now held were beyond imagination.
These resources were also his capital for challenging Ōtsutsuki—and even taking the initiative to seek trouble with them!
Moreover, Hikaru needed this kind of battle.
He needed high-intensity combat to push himself forward, especially after five years without truly fighting.
With this thought, Hikaru's gaze became dangerous.
At the same time, the chakra throughout his body began boiling.
A devouring aura spread through the forest.
"Oh? Preparing to attack?"
The monk saw Hikaru's actions and revealed a savage smile.
But beneath that smile was a trace of vigilance.
"Perfect. I would like to see what ability you have now, after only knowing how to ambush others a thousand years ago!"
"You are nervous."
Hikaru looked at him calmly and shook his head.
"Nervousness is fatal.
"Perhaps you have already sensed your ending.
"But I am curious.
"What should I call you now?"
"You may call me Jigen for now.
"But later…"
The chakra inside the monk called Jigen erupted completely.
In an instant, sand and stone flew around them. He clenched his fist, his expression cold and detached.
"You may have the chance to address me by my true name—
"Isshiki."
…
Whether Jigen or Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, these names were completely unfamiliar to Hikaru.
But unfamiliarity would not affect Hikaru's will to fight.
With that thought, Hikaru moved first.
At their level, striking first was not necessarily a wise choice.
But Hikaru had always placed himself in the lower position.
He was confident he could deal with these people, but confidence did not mean forgetting the fundamental gap between them.
Strictly speaking, that gap was on another level.
The blue light in his eyes flickered wildly.
In an instant, the space around Hikaru and Jigen warped.
Jigen's face changed slightly.
Chakra burst from his body.
In Hikaru's vision, the strange markings on Jigen's body began pouring out even greater chakra.
Along with that chakra, a black rod suddenly appeared in Jigen's hand.
At the same time, those strange black lines spread across his face.
"His chakra has become stronger.
"Does this so-called Karma have different states too, like Orochimaru's curse mark?"
Hikaru immediately saw the strangeness of Jigen's current state.
As a shinobi, he still had to gather information continuously.
Without collecting and analyzing intelligence, a shinobi could never kill an enemy above his level.
There were no exceptions in the shinobi world.
At that moment, Jigen roared.
Dense blue chakra erupted from his body.
The space around him twisted slightly.
Blue chakra gathered around the black rod in his hand. With a swing, it surged toward Hikaru like a flood.
"Oh? He broke free from the spatial pressure."
Hikaru tilted his head slightly in surprise.
But there was no nervousness on his face.
He raised his right hand.
His index and middle fingers stood upright together.
Suddenly, vast chakra shot into the sky.
Red eye shadow quietly appeared on his face.
Clearly, he had entered Sage Mode!
Buzz!
With that suffocating chakra emerging, a wooden wall suddenly appeared before Hikaru.
These almost black wooden walls firmly blocked the chakra rushing toward him, denying it even the slightest chance to touch him.
"Hmph. You think simple spatial manipulation can trap me?
"You truly have regressed with age.
"Did being sealed by your sons for so long dull your mind?"
Jigen snorted coldly.
His tone was full of disdain.
But when he sensed Hikaru's chakra, he became more cautious.
"Natural energy.
"I did not expect you to gain something over the years.
"It seems the Ten-Tails gave you quite a few benefits.
"Even after it was split apart and the power left in your body became pitifully small, it still influenced you and allowed you to obtain its power."
"How do you know this natural energy was given to me by the Ten-Tails, and not something I obtained myself?"
Hikaru chuckled softly.
Then his chakra, surpassing his own normal limits, soared into the sky.
He had no intention of stopping.
"Yin–Yang Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Blue chakra containing Yin–Yang Release transformed into raging flames and swept outward.
In an instant, the entire forest continued to heat up under that terrifying wave.
The range of the inferno was almost unimaginable.
The scorching blaze instantly dyed the lush forest red.
Jigen's expression shifted.
This fire contained both Yin–Yang Release and senjutsu.
Neither was something he could endure.
Not merely Jigen's current body—even if Ōtsutsuki Isshiki himself were here, he would still have to avoid such an attack!
But he was powerful after all.
Even when facing such a troublesome and difficult situation, he remained calm.
Chakra surged wildly inside him.
The next moment, several black holes appeared around him.
With the help of these black holes and their distortions, none of Hikaru's flames touched his body.
This was also spatial manipulation.
This man's reaction and quality made even Hikaru marvel.
Moreover, these spaces were almost equivalent to isolation.
Even if Hikaru wanted to break through them, it would be difficult.
Because Hikaru believed this man had definitely prepared for everything to prevent a sudden attack.
"But I am no longer who I was before.
"Manipulating space may bring me trouble, but it also gives me an opportunity!"
As he thought this, Hikaru extended a finger.
Blue radiance gathered at his fingertip, as brilliant as the light flickering within his eyes.
At that moment, space became chaotic and twisted.
It was as if it had been separated from the world itself, causing fear to rise instinctively in the heart.
The blue light grew brighter and more striking.
That chaotic space solidified.
After several breaths, the glow in Hikaru's hand had gathered into a single point.
At that moment, the space around them seemed to return completely to calm.
Only Hikaru's fingertip looked as if ripples of water flowed across it.
Jigen naturally sensed something was wrong.
But he still maintained relative calm.
Even though the eyes of this man before him were far too strange, as someone with Ōtsutsuki memories, he knew how malleable and evolvable the Ōtsutsuki Byakugan could be.
He felt this man's eyes had likely mutated from Kaguya's, or perhaps evolved from them.
He did not know what abilities such eyes possessed.
But no matter what abilities they had, Jigen still had enough confidence.
After all, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki still possessed far more extreme methods.
Once those methods were used, he could be truly freed.
Hikaru did not know what Jigen was thinking.
When the power condensed to its limit, he decisively struck!
When facing spatial power, the best method was to use spatial power to counter it.
And that was exactly what Hikaru was doing.
"Jōgan: Piercing Authority Slash!"
…
Invisible power tore through the air.
The blue chakra, compressed to its limit, followed the movement of Hikaru's fingertip and stabbed toward Jigen like a blade!
That power vanished into space.
It seemed as if it had never existed.
Everything was so calm.
Yet when it reached the spatial defense Jigen had arranged, it was like a giant stone crashing into a lake!
Endless ripples spread.
The black spatial cracks quickly developed cracks of their own, impossibly fast.
As those cracks expanded, the mirror-like black spatial wormholes began to peel away, returning to normal space.
Everything was unbelievable.
Yet it truly happened before their eyes.
And as those wormholes shattered one after another, as real space was "repaired," Jigen's expression turned increasingly ugly.
When the power hidden in space pierced through the defense and truly reached Jigen's body, his face twisted horribly.
A hole appeared in his chest without warning.
Black fluid poured continuously from the wound.
The chakra inside his body quickly surged toward the hole, yet it could not repair the wound contaminated by space.
Cracks spread outward from the hole, using it as the center, rapidly crawling across his body.
Seeing the situation become more critical, Jigen suddenly gritted his teeth.
At that instant, an even more powerful chakra burst from his body!
"Ah!"
He let out a roar.
Amid that suffocating eruption of chakra, his body shot backward like a cannonball.
His body was incomparably tough.
Everything in his path—trees, boulders—was smashed apart.
Even a small mountain not far away could not withstand the impact of his body.
With a violent boom, half of that small mountain collapsed directly under the collision!
Smoke billowed.
Hikaru stood in place, frowning as he looked into the distance.
The chakra this man had erupted with just now had truly startled him.
Not only that, he had also noticed that this man's appearance had changed again.
"A horn has grown?"
Hikaru pondered silently.
This Jigen had already transformed twice in front of him.
The first time, black markings merely spread across his body, and his chakra rose sharply.
That state was something Hikaru could handle easily, just as he had shown earlier.
Even without using his full strength, Jōgan: Piercing Authority Slash had nearly pierced the man's heart!
But now, his chakra intensity had already surpassed Hikaru in Sage Mode.
Such an increase could only be described as terrifying.
And along with this change in chakra, his appearance had undergone a massive shift.
The most obvious sign was the horn growing from his forehead.
This form already carried some traits of the Ōtsutsuki.
More importantly, in Hikaru's Jōgan vision, he could see a phantom coiling behind this man!
That figure was arrogant and cold.
Its terrifying chakra was suffocating and frightening.
"That phantom must be the Ōtsutsuki Isshiki Jigen mentioned.
"It really does chill the heart."
Hikaru thought silently.
The next moment, his gaze flickered slightly.
"But with so much power pouring out, this man's body is breaking even faster.
"If this continues, he is dead!"
Hikaru could naturally see Jigen's current condition.
To put it bluntly, Jigen's body was already completely ruined.
The reason was simple.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's power was far too strong, while Jigen's talent and physical quality were far too weak.
Imagine a reservoir that could only hold a certain amount of water, yet an ocean's worth of water was forcibly poured into it.
The result was obvious.
It would be burst apart by that enormous force!
Although Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's chakra was currently trying to save Jigen's broken body, that effort was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
Unless the eruption of power was restrained, this man's only ending was destruction.
Even if the power stopped erupting, over time, his body would probably still fail.
Ōtsutsuki power was unimaginable.
Hikaru understood that deeply.
Especially because he himself was moving in the direction of the Ōtsutsuki.
"If I force this vessel to death right now, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's outcome probably won't be good either."
Hikaru thought silently.
His eyes grew increasingly dangerous.
Forcing an Ōtsutsuki to death—Hikaru did not know whether it was reliable.
But that did not stop him from trying.
This was valuable to him.
After all, he could gain a proper understanding of how this so-called Karma operated.
Besides, this battle had been one where he intended to go all out from the beginning.
Driving this Ōtsutsuki into a desperate situation was also part of the fight.
If he could truly force this man to death, although Hikaru would feel some regret, this would still be a safer battle overall.
"But I still have to be careful.
"I truly do not believe an enemy like this would have no trump card after being forced into a corner."
Hikaru remained as cautious as ever.
This person had never appeared in the original story Hikaru knew, but that did not mean he did not exist.
Most likely, he had not appeared in the part of the Naruto world Hikaru had seen.
He might very well appear later in the story.
Hikaru even needed to seriously consider whether someone from the same era as Kaguya, carrying such tremendous hatred, might be a final boss-level existence.
If he was careless against someone like this, he would be the one overturned.
Such a person would definitely have enough hidden methods to handle all sorts of trouble.
Naturally, Hikaru had to prepare fully.
But he absolutely believed one thing.
Even if this Ōtsutsuki Isshiki truly had a trump card that allowed him to revive, he definitely would not live long!
After all, if this man revived, he would have to use Jigen's current body as the vessel.
And this body was already so broken.
True resurrection would almost certainly erase it completely.
At that point, how much time could he possibly have left?
Even if it was not completely erased, what would happen if a lawnmower-sized body was fitted with a rocket engine and ignited?
"So as long as I handle this carefully enough…
"In the end, the one who dies will be you!"
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