"Back then, which Ōtsutsuki came with you to the Land of Kengetsu?"
Why did Akira ask this question?
In the original timeline, when Sasuke had explored the space where Isshiki raised the Ten-Tails, he had once seen a very special altar there.
On the walls of that altar, in the form of totems, were carved the "horns" of every Ōtsutsuki who had ever arrived on Kaguya's land—namely, those who had set foot in the Land of Kengetsu.
There were three groups of horn totems.
The first group belonged to Momoshiki and Kinshiki.
The second group belonged to Isshiki and Kaguya.
The third group had been deliberately damaged.
However, one of the horns in that group could still barely be recognized—it clearly belonged to Urashiki.
The final horn in that group had been completely destroyed, beyond recognition.
It wasn't hard to imagine that the owner of that horn had been closely connected to Urashiki—most likely his partner.
The Takamagahara Ten Divine Ones, much like the former Akatsuki, operated in two-man teams.
Each team was divided into master and servant according to strength and status.
Kaguya had once been Isshiki's subordinate.
Kinshiki had been Momoshiki's.
Given Urashiki's displayed strength, it was hard to believe he could be the "master."
So that unknown Ōtsutsuki was, in all likelihood, his superior.
This was the conclusion Akira had reached based on available information.
As for the truth, it could only be confirmed through Urashiki himself.
Yet—
When Akira asked the question, Urashiki, who had been begging desperately for his life just moments ago, suddenly darkened.
"You'd better just kill me, Uchiha Akira."
He said it with absolute seriousness.
The calmness on his face was completely different from his earlier groveling.
Akira frowned.
Eyes didn't lie.
At a glance, he could tell that Urashiki had decided to die without revealing anything about that "master."
"Fine. At least you still have some backbone."
"But it doesn't matter if you won't talk."
"I'll search it myself."
Crack!
Akira's hand clamped down on Urashiki's skull.
—Human Path!
"A… ah… ah…"
Urashiki's Byakugan rolled upward like a dead fish's belly.
Painful moans escaped his throat.
Suddenly—
A razor-sharp red flash cut through his spiritual world.
In an instant, all life vanished from Urashiki's eyes.
He died on the spot.
"What?!" Akira's eyes snapped open.
Shock and disbelief filled his face.
He stared at Urashiki's corpse for a long time, unable to speak.
Madara frowned.
"What happened?"
Akira clenched his fist.
"His brain was tampered with by genjutsu."
"The moment someone tried to extract information, it triggered a self-destruct."
Obito said, "Isn't that manageable? Just reverse time, revive him, and break it."
Akira shook his head.
"It's useless."
"Obito, remember how I used Konan as an example before?"
"Umadara Flow can't restore mental damage caused by genjutsu."
"And this one is far stronger than what you once used on her."
"There's no saving him."
"He's completely ruined."
"Ruined beyond repair."
"He can't even become tree fertilizer anymore."
Akira gently placed Urashiki's body back onto the sea surface.
This sudden variable had disrupted his plans.
It seemed that the Ōtsutsuki clan truly deserved a certain level of respect.
Urashiki could no longer be used as fertilizer.
But Akira's principle with the Ōtsutsuki had always been—
If he didn't act, fine.
If he did, he would strip them clean.
His gaze dropped to Urashiki's eye sockets.
Setting strength aside…
Urashiki's eyes were extraordinary.
Eyes that could freely switch between Byakugan and two different Rinnegan forms.
Even among the Ōtsutsuki, they had to be extremely rare.
What a waste.
A pair of divine eyes, ruined by a weak owner.
"Urashiki. I'll take your eyes."
Akira crouched down and brushed his hand over the sockets.
The Byakugan that contained two Rinnegan powers was now in his possession.
He took out a cultivation vial, placed the eyeballs inside, and froze them in the Dōru Time Zone.
At this moment, Akira didn't yet know—
These eyes would one day become the foundation for his rise to supreme status among the Ōtsutsuki.
But that was for later.
"His body isn't very useful anymore."
"But no need to waste it. Keep it. It might be useful someday."
After freezing the corpse, Akira turned to Obito.
"Obito, do you still have the eyes collected during the Uchiha massacre?"
"Yes," Obito replied. "They're all stored in my Kamui space. I even set up a whole wall for them. Why? You want some?"
"No."
"Danzō… Shisui's right eye. You still have it, right?"
"Yes. But it was sealed before Danzō died. Its power is dormant."
Akira extended his hand.
Obito retrieved Shisui's right eye from Kamui and handed it over.
Akira grasped it.
Light flashed in his right eye.
—Severing Causality.
"Alright."
"I've cut off the causal seal."
"It's restored now."
He handed it back.
Obito stared at the rotating light in the sclera, astonished.
"You can do that?"
"Yes."
"Under Severing Causality, seals mean nothing."
"Akira, you should keep it."
"No."
"Shisui's eyes have similar abilities. One is enough for me."
"You keep this one."
After some back and forth, Obito stored it away again.
Akira sighed.
"Obito, if you were alive, things would be different."
"I could help you awaken the Eternal Mangekyō."
Obito was stunned.
"How? I don't even have a brother's eyes."
Akira smiled lightly.
"You and Shisui aren't brothers, but you're clan kin."
"I can reverse-cut causality and strengthen your blood relation to the level of siblings."
"Then his eyes could help you awaken it."
"That's ridiculous…"
"But I'm dead."
"Looks like I'm out of luck."
Akira smiled without answering.
In his heart, he thought:
Obito… maybe one day.
You and Uncle Madara will return to this world as living people.
Madara said, "We're done here. Go back?"
Akira turned and looked northwest, toward the horizon.
Complex emotions surged in his eyes.
"No."
"Since we're already here…"
"There's someone I still need to see."
So he still couldn't let go.
Madara and Obito both knew who he meant.
"Then go."
Akira took a step forward—
And a figure in black robes suddenly appeared on the sea, where Akira's back had just blocked the view.
The man wore a black cloak.
Short black hair.
About 180 centimeters tall.
On his face was a half-black, half-white mask, resembling a yin-yang visage.
No one knew when he had arrived.
No one knew how long he had been standing there.
He simply stood in silence.
From the eye holes of the yin-yang mask,
one black and one white—
two Six-Tomoe Rinnegan—
stared straight at Akira.
Suddenly—
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