Shaking her head, Satsuki brought her thoughts back on track.
The terror of the Ōtsutsuki clan's existence in the Naruto world can be summed up in one sentence: the entire main storyline and all major events in the Naruto anime are essentially the result of internal conflicts among this family and its descendants.
Yet while brushing her hair, Satsuki responded in an emotionless tone, "Unfortunately, I already knew about my background two years ago. It seems that back then, you hadn't yet regained the ability to observe the outside world. Still, you did have some use—you provided me with my name."
Although she had clearly heard what the system said in her consciousness, the girl whose true name was Satsuki Ōtsutsuki remained utterly unmoved.
Her indifferent response turned the anticipation the system had built up before revealing the truth into a powerless feeling—like punching the air.
Satsuki combed her hair unhurriedly. Only when every strand was impeccably smooth did she slowly gather it behind her head.
A peerless beauty, with hair like a waterfall.
Though it was merely plain long hair, the red flame-like vermilion mark on her forehead added a finishing touch that would leave even the most critical observer speechless with admiration.
Perhaps the only regret was the ever-present coldness and pride in her expression, as if nothing before her was worth mentioning.
"I was wondering how long you'd hide this body's name from me."
Satsuki put down the ivory comb and stepped into a small pavilion to change her underclothes. Two maids stood respectfully on either side of the entrance screen, heads lowered. Each held a sleeve of a black robe embroidered with golden cranes, and slowly draped the luxurious garment over Satsuki's shoulders.
Satsuki extended her arms, and the two maids deftly dressed her without a word, quietly retreating once the task was done. Throughout the entire process, not a single sound escaped them.
Not even the sound of breathing.
"Host, your puppet control skills are becoming more refined. With your talent, if you tried just a bit harder..."
"You've said this many times before. I already have a plan for improving my strength. If you have something to say, I suggest you take another approach." Passing through the screen, Satsuki sat quietly on a soft couch, reclining slightly and resting her cheek against one hand, while controlling another male puppet in a kimono to set up an easel in front of her.
This had become her recent routine: using a puppet modeled after herself to paint her own portrait.
While this exercise did offer some benefit in refining puppet control, the system viewed it as a waste of this body's talent.
But Satsuki had her own plans and ideas. She simply carried on at her own steady pace.
To act as both the painter and the subject was a rare experience.
Still, she spared part of her attention to speak to the system: "But today, I do want to discuss another issue with you."
"Before that, let me ask you something first." As Satsuki precisely guided the puppet painter in composing the picture, she spoke calmly in her mind, "You said this body is from the Ōtsutsuki 'branch family'. So how much do you know about the 'main family' of the Ōtsutsuki?"
"Aside from your lineage, I know absolutely nothing," the system returned to its usual tight-lipped self.
Satsuki chuckled lightly. "Actually, you should've noticed—I already figured out this body's background long ago. Even though some of its memories are missing, the Ōtsutsuki clan crest and the distinctive white eyes seen everywhere are obvious clues. Not to mention, I even went there. Although the outcome wasn't ideal."
Resting her head on one hand, Satsuki spoke casually, "The reason you deliberately brought up that information earlier was just to remind me of what kind of enemies I might face in the future, wasn't it?"
The system remained silent, which in itself was proof that this mysterious presence in Satsuki's mind didn't know as little about the world as it claimed—saying it knew nothing beyond her background.
Indeed, as a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan, Satsuki possessed the strongest bloodline in this world.
But the system's main quest was to "become the strongest across all worlds."
To achieve that goal, it was inevitable she would have to face the Ōtsutsuki main family sooner or later.
This also meant that her enemies would likewise possess the Ōtsutsuki bloodline.
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, Momoshiki, Kinshiki—though they were portrayed poorly in the Boruto anime, any one of them possessed terrifying power capable of sweeping across today's shinobi world. Not to mention the Ōtsutsuki clan behind them—an overwhelmingly destructive force that even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, after consuming the chakra fruit, had to fear.
As Satsuki's thoughts wavered, the puppet she was using to paint paused briefly before resuming its fluid movements.
When Lin's consciousness first awoke, this was the result she had already anticipated.
As a descendant of the traitor who monopolized the God Tree's fruit—Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—she only needed to think a bit to realize what her relationship with the Ōtsutsuki main family would be.
But Satsuki wasn't in a hurry. She knew the value of her current body. The real question now was where the system stood and how it would weigh its choices.
After a while, the system finally spoke: "I've encountered many hosts. You aren't the most talented among them, but you're the one I find hardest to understand. So—what is it you want to talk about?"
"It seems we've finally reached a rare moment of agreement."
The puppet was progressing quickly and had already begun coloring. Satsuki shifted slightly, stretching her stiff body.
Talk about what? Of course—the topic was how to become stronger.
In the Naruto world, a standard system of power levels had long been established.
However, in Satsuki's own view, she divided everyone in the Naruto world into four categories—and then, the Ōtsutsuki clan.
The first type: people with neither talent nor a special bloodline.
For such individuals, the peak of their power in a lifetime might only be slightly above chunin, but still not elite jonin. Examples include Konoha's teachers or gate guards. The manga representative would be Iruka—became a genin at 11, a chunin at 16, then nothing more.
The second type: those with talent but no special bloodline.
The limit for this type is peak Kage-level. Represented by figures like Sakumo Hatake, late-stage Kakashi, the Third and Fourth Hokage, and even Hanzo of the Salamander. All were prodigies who broke the limits of ordinary humans and reached the pinnacle of the shinobi world through raw talent.
But such talent was even rarer than those with special bloodlines. Each one was a once-in-a-generation figure. Most talented people without bloodlines never made it past jonin or elite jonin—examples being Asuma Sarutobi, Guy without opening the Eight Gates, and a few minor but notable side characters.
The third type: those with special bloodlines but no talent. This type was actually quite common.
The Kaguya clan, Yuki clan, Hozuki clan, Uchiha clan, Hyūga clan... Look at them. Either extinct, on the verge of extinction, or reduced to just a few members. And those few survivors were always the rare ones who had both bloodline and talent—like Kimimaro of the Kaguya, Itachi Uchiha, and Hyūga... well, never mind Hyūga—Caged Bird gave them a second to shine.
Those who died in the background lore were what Satsuki defined as people with special bloodlines but no talent. Their upper limit of power was even lower than the second type. Though their abilities might be balanced, they rarely surpassed jonin. A random Kage-level fighter could wipe out a group of them with ease.
The fourth type of individual is the one who truly has a chance to reach the pinnacle of this world.
They must not only possess peerless talent, but also be backed by an unmatched bloodline and, on top of that, undergo an almost unrepeatable stroke of fortune. Only then could they possibly break through the limits of Kage-level and reach a truly legendary realm—the Super Kage-level.
Such individuals, even after scouring her memories, Satsuki found none.
Might Guy in his Eight Gates Released Formation did indeed reach Super Kage-level briefly, earning the title of the man who nearly kicked the story to its end. But that was a suicidal move, not his regular state, so Satsuki didn't consider him a true Super Kage-level powerhouse.
These four types of people essentially accounted for 99% of the population and the paths to strength in this world.
Yet all of them, when faced with the Ōtsutsuki clan, were little more than cannon fodder.
This world had always relied solely on the descendants of the alien Ōtsutsuki clan who remained in the Naruto world.
It must be said—this cruel truth is the tragedy of the entire shinobi world.
One could count the characters who managed to break through Kage-level and reach Super Kage-level or even the Six Paths level: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Hamura Ōtsutsuki, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, Asura, Indra, Toneri Ōtsutsuki, and Hashirama Senju as the reincarnation of Asura's chakra. Obito with the Ten-Tails became Six Paths-level. Madara Uchiha, the reincarnation of Indra. Naruto Uzumaki as Asura's reincarnation. Sasuke Uchiha as Indra's reincarnation.
Even Boruto Uzumaki, often criticized as the protagonist of Boruto, though not Asura's reincarnation, had purer Ōtsutsuki blood than Naruto and even awakened the Jougan—a bloodline power outside the existing shinobi framework.
So, true powerhouses in the Naruto world were already predetermined. Only those with Ōtsutsuki blood were eligible to compete at the very top.
And the most despairing part wasn't just this.
It was that only by reaching this level could one even have a slight chance to resist the pursuit and eradication by the Ōtsutsuki main family.
If one were to follow the conventional power progression of this world, the visible limit was the Six Paths level. But in the eyes of the Ōtsutsuki main family: mere Six Paths? Not even worth mentioning.
That's why Satsuki would not follow this world's path to strength. Doing so would lock her mindset, leading her to a dead end after reaching the Six Paths level, until the day she was eventually killed by a member of the main family.
She wouldn't rely on the world's protagonists for help either, but she would use everything she could to seize that nearly impossible chance at defying fate.
No matter how powerful the enemy.
In her past life, or now in her new female form, she would never yield.
Her thoughts surged with intensity, but her demeanor remained calm as ever. To the system in her mind, she returned to that original question:
"What is true strength, really?"
And as Satsuki uttered those words, whether by coincidence or not, the puppet artist she controlled just happened to apply two strokes of silver-white paint over the eyes in her portrait.