It was obvious that something was wrong.
The clan members arranged to capture Uzumaki Naruto and Ōtsutsuki Urashiki this time were indeed extremely powerful when acting together. Their combined combat power was formidable enough to suppress most enemies in the universe. However, when judged individually, none of them could truly compare to Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki.
As the head of the Ōtsutsuki clan, Ōtsutsuki Hitoshi noticed the problem at a glance.
"When these people participated in the clan trials, I personally evaluated them," Hitoshi roared, glaring at Ōtsutsuki Tatsushiki. "Do you want me to personally list out their individual comprehensive combat strength for you?!"
His voice echoed throughout the Patriarch's Hall.
At these words, Tatsushiki suddenly realized the issue.
That's right.
Individually, these people were indeed lacking.
"This… what is going on?" Tatsushiki muttered, cold sweat forming on his back. "Why would the elder arrange it like this… could it be—"
His pupils shrank abruptly, as if he had thought of something terrifying.
Ōtsutsuki Hitoshi held the list in one hand while placing the other behind his back. He let out a long sigh and said in a heavy voice, "I hope I am overthinking this. I also hope that these clansmen can cooperate perfectly. If they truly work together, then victory should not be a problem."
But even as he said that, unease lingered deep in his heart.
...
Somewhere in a distant star field.
Naruto and Urashiki had just completed their second successful hunt.
Another planet lay dead beneath them.
The Divine Tree had been harvested, its chakra fruit split evenly between the two, just as before. Naruto, as usual, absorbed the Ōtsutsuki bloodline power directly.
"Ah… such powerful energy!"
Naruto closed his eyes, carefully sensing the surging Ōtsutsuki bloodline power flowing through his body. His chakra became even more condensed, his presence more terrifying.
After consuming half of the chakra fruit, Urashiki looked at Naruto once more.
At this moment, the pressure Naruto gave off was overwhelming.
In theory, Urashiki himself was also growing stronger continuously. Yet the stronger he became, the more clearly he could feel how absurd Naruto's growth was—far surpassing his own.
This wasn't just a difference in chakra quantity.
It was a difference in bloodline.
Urashiki subconsciously calmed his breathing. Aside from chakra reserves, the true gap between them lay in Naruto's continuous absorption of pure Ōtsutsuki bloodline power.
From this perspective, devouring the bloodline of the clan truly was the fastest way to evolve.
The thought stirred something in Urashiki's heart.
Naruto opened his eyes and noticed Urashiki staring at him.
"What are you looking at?" Naruto asked coldly.
Urashiki smiled faintly. "I'm looking at how strong you've become, Naruto. You're getting stronger at an astonishing pace. If Momoshiki were to stand in front of you now, you could probably defeat him in two or three moves."
Naruto stretched his shoulders and smiled calmly. "If Momoshiki were my goal, I wouldn't need to work this hard. Defeating the God of Ōtsutsuki—that's my real objective."
Then he glanced at Urashiki.
"Have you finished eating?"
Urashiki nodded.
Naruto took out his remaining half of the chakra fruit and said, "Then it's my turn."
Without hesitation, he swallowed it whole.
The instant the chakra fruit entered his body, Naruto's entire form erupted with violent chakra fluctuations. The horns of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline on his head extended further, and his body began undergoing another drastic transformation.
"Ahhhhh—!"
Naruto clenched his teeth, veins bulging across his arms and neck. Pain rippled through every cell in his body.
Urashiki stood nearby, watching carefully.
After all, Naruto was not a pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki. Absorbing a chakra fruit was far more difficult for him than for true clan members.
If not for the Divine Tree fused within his body acting as a stabilizing foundation, he would never be able to withstand such an overwhelming amount of chakra. Moreover, to control this power the way the Ōtsutsuki did, Naruto had to continuously absorb their bloodline to maintain balance.
After a long, agonizing process, the violent fluctuations finally calmed.
Naruto exhaled deeply.
The chakra fruit had been fully digested.
"Congratulations," Urashiki said sincerely. "You've become stronger again."
Naruto flexed his fingers and said lightly, "Let's move. It's time to go to the next location."
Urashiki smiled and followed behind him.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the same star field.
Ōtsutsuki Ishiki—captain of the arrest squad—had arrived after several continuous space-time jumps.
"Yes, the chakra signal originated from this direction," Ishiki said, narrowing his eyes.
Every guardian and protected member sent out by the Ōtsutsuki clan carried a positioning device. This allowed them to transmit information back to the clan and maintain contact with nearby companions.
It was precisely because of this system that Urashiki could always accurately locate other Ōtsutsuki members harvesting chakra.
However, the system also had a fatal weakness.
If Urashiki could locate others, then others could locate him as well.
To avoid being tracked, Urashiki sealed these devices every time he discovered one, isolating all chakra signals. He would then leave behind a shadow clone and immediately withdraw.
Once the shadow clone detected the approaching enemy, it would dispel itself instantly, allowing Urashiki—far away—to receive the information at once.
Through this method, Urashiki discovered something surprising.
The ninjutsu developed by earthlings… was extremely practical.
"Damn it!"
Ishiki clenched his fists tightly.
He had already missed them twice.
If this continued, how was he supposed to report back to the Second Elder? He absolutely did not want to be demoted into a guardian—destined to eventually become nourishment for the Divine Tree.
Just as he was pondering, one of his subordinates, Ōtsutsuki Yamamoto, spoke up.
"Captain, why don't we split up and search along the star trajectories of this region? Once we find them, we immediately mark the location and contact each other."
Before Ishiki could respond, another clansman objected.
"No!" Yamamoto immediately said. "The opponent is extremely strong. When all ten of us act together, we're not afraid. But once we separate, the risks increase significantly."
Ōtsutsuki Ono nodded in agreement. "Exactly. That's why ten of us were dispatched in the first place."
However, Ōtsutsuki Watanabe scoffed, placing his hands on his waist.
"What are you afraid of? They're just low-level creatures. Which one of us is weak? Otherwise, why would the Second Elder choose us?"
Several clan members who hadn't spoken yet nodded arrogantly.
Long-term domination of the universe had made the Ōtsutsuki clan—especially the main family—extremely arrogant.
After weighing the pros and cons, Ishiki finally raised his hand.
"Enough."
He looked around at everyone.
"We must complete the mission. The final chakra signal was emitted in this star field. Therefore, we must expand the search area."
Yamamoto opened his mouth to object again, but Ishiki raised his hand, silencing him.
"Yamamoto, I know what you're going to say. I understand your concerns. But if we don't act quickly, all of us will end up feeding the Divine Tree."
He took a deep breath.
"So we'll split up—but with one rule. Once anyone discovers them, do not engage. Immediately mark the location and notify the others."
"There are ten of us. We'll divide into four groups."
Then Ishiki said something shocking.
"I am the captain. I will operate alone."
Yamamoto's eyes widened. "Captain, that's too dangerous! If something happens—"
"I won't fight them," Ishiki said calmly. "Don't worry about me. Focus on your own safety."
Yamamoto hesitated, but Ishiki's tone turned firm.
"I am the captain. If something goes wrong, I'll take responsibility. Follow orders."
With no other choice, Yamamoto fell silent.
Soon after, the ten Ōtsutsuki clansmen split into four groups and began searching across the vast star field.
Unbeknownst to them—
Naruto and Urashiki were already watching.
And the hunt was about to become far more bloody.
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