Chapter 252 – The Path of "Evolution"
"Kitagawa Gen?"
Not only Madara, but everyone else also saw Gen's arrival.
Obito frowned deeply. Gen showing up here caught him off guard—yet, strangely, it stirred a thrill in his chest.
It wasn't that he believed Gen could win. Far from it—before the Ten-Tails was summoned, Obito didn't think anyone in the world could stand against Ōtsutsuki Genshiki.
"Gen is strong, sure… he even mastered Yin–Yang Release. But…"
To Obito, Gen was still doomed. What he wanted most now wasn't Gen's victory—it was to see Gen crushed, humiliated, to suffer just as he had.
After all, his own defeat had been too brutal. Watching Gen share the same fate would at least soothe the sting.
"He's here?"
Deep underground, Black Zetsu tracked every movement above. The sight of Gen striding into the battlefield made him stiffen, then scowl.
"So they really plan to confront Ōtsutsuki Genshiki head-on? Hmph… have the great villages finally run out of patience?"
To Zetsu, this had taken far too long. Ōtsutsuki Gen had been targeting Jinchūriki one after another—any reasonable Kage should have acted sooner. And with the "Senju relics" pointing toward the significance of the Ōtsutsuki name, the villages couldn't possibly remain ignorant.
What Zetsu feared most was that since Ōtsutsuki Genshiki hadn't yet struck at a major village, they might delude themselves into thinking his rampage was someone else's problem.
"Good… good."
At least someone had come. Zetsu sighed in relief as he drifted closer toward Madara's location.
"Let him test Ōtsutsuki Genshiki's strength first. Makes our job easier."
Within Obito's mindscape, however, Isshiki narrowed his eyes, studying Gen from afar.
"That man… feels strange."
Even across the dimensional barrier of Kamui, his instincts screamed. There was something wrong about that figure approaching through the night.
"He gives off the scent of the God Tree. Damn this warped space—I can't get a clear read."
Isshiki's perception was razor-sharp, but Kamui existed half-detached from the world. He could only sense fragments, not the full picture.
Meanwhile, Gen's God Tree clone finally stepped into the presence of "Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
The two faced each other. For a moment, bizarrely, silence—and a hint of awkwardness—settled between them.
"I didn't expect this world to still have someone like you."
At last, the real Gen (Genshiki) broke the stillness.
"I thought this world was nothing but madness—sheep without purpose, waiting for the slaughter. And yet, there's you."
"I don't follow."
The clone, masking its nature, spoke with a "grave" expression, even as his true self communicated silently in the background.
"But you—you've been attacking the villages, targeting the Tailed Beasts. What is your goal?"
"I'm only reclaiming what already belongs to me."
Genshiki's eyes gleamed with amusement, his tone full of interest.
"You're different from the other lower creatures. But… even you don't grasp the real truth of this world."
Truth, my ass!
In Obito's mind, Isshiki nearly exploded with outrage.
His fellow clansman's so-called "truth" was nothing but lies—a convenient excuse to devour his own kin. Shameless beyond measure!
But he held his tongue. His Kāma wasn't fully released; reckless words could doom him.
Instead, his curiosity toward Gen only deepened.
"To pique that madman's interest… could it be…?"
The God Tree clone shook his head, gaze sharpening.
"I don't care what truth you claim. All I know is that you're too dangerous for this world."
"Oh? So you mean to fight me?"
Genshiki's voice brimmed with curiosity now.
"Or is this about justice—are you here to chase some noble victory?"
His aura shifted, intent clear. The clone responded instantly, Yin–Yang Release converging in his hands. A pitch-black dagger formed, and Sage Mode flared across his body.
"Remember this."
Genshiki's voice cut the night. His eyes flicked toward Obito, frozen and unable to move.
"History is nothing but the victors rewriting justice. If I win…"
Vmm—!
The Truth-Seeking Orbs lengthened into a blade, scything downward.
The sheer force tore the land apart, carving a canyon into the earth. The swing wasn't even aimed at the clone, but straight at Obito's position.
"…then I am justice."
Obito knew he wouldn't die here—but still, watching that cataclysm race toward him sent a tremor through his chest.
He didn't understand. But Isshiki did. His eyes narrowed in realization.
"…That was meant for me."
Clang—!
The moment Gen's blade descended, the clone surged forward. His black dagger met the golden strike head-on.
The clash rang like thunder, the ground splintering, stones ripping upward only to freeze midair, caught in unseen currents.
"Impressive. You truly are walking the path of 'evolution.'"
"Ōtsutsuki Genshiki" chuckled, his voice echoing.
"But this… is far from enough."
His power surged. With a sudden shift, his blade lashed out again. The air itself cracked with a sonic boom, though the distance was no more than a breath.
The clone didn't yield. His dagger flared with Yin–Yang Release, clashing against the strike.
BOOM—!
The impact sent shockwaves tearing across the land, fracturing the earth in all directions.
"To complete evolution," Genshiki's voice pressed on, calm even as blades locked, "you must surpass your limits. Gamble everything—and seize it."
"Show me how far you've come. Show me if you can keep walking forward."
Their chakra surged, growing wilder, brighter, heavier.
Clang—!
Clang—!
Clang—!
Blow after blow rang out, the two figures moving so fast they blurred into dozens of afterimages, weaving and clashing like an army locked in combat.
Each strike warped space, toppled mountains, reduced the earth beneath them to rubble. The once-barren range now burned like a furnace, flames rising from shattered rock.
In an instant, the battlefield had become a vision of hell.
"What… what kind of battle is this?"
From afar, Jiraiya, Ōnoki, and the others could only watch, dumbstruck. Each flicker of movement ripped mountains apart, each shockwave collapsing valleys.
This was no human battle.
"Looks like… only Konoha has someone who can stand against Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
Ōnoki whispered at last, bitter awe in his tone.
Deidara's eyes, however, gleamed with curiosity.
"But he said 'evolution.' What did he mean by that?"
"I don't know," Jiraiya admitted, shaking his head. "But Gen has always been… different."
He brought his hands together, forming seals. If things spiraled out of control, he would summon Fukasaku and Shima. Against Ōtsutsuki Genshiki, every precaution mattered.
If the worst comes… even if it costs me my life, I'll make sure Gen survives.
"…So this is the true power of my predecessor?"
While Jiraiya made his preparations, Sasuke's eyes blazed with feverish intensity. His voice slipped into a low whisper.
This trip to Iwagakure had shaken him to the core. He once thought killing his brother Itachi was proof of his growth—proof that he had stepped into true power.
But now… compared to Kitagawa Gen and the forces arrayed here, Itachi seemed like nothing more than a roadside obstacle.
He was still far, far behind.
"Che… have I really been left this far in the dust?"
Even Naruto's gaze grew complicated. Yet unlike Sasuke's frustration, resolve soon steadied his expression.
Having someone to chase was better than wandering without direction. And for Naruto, that goal had always been Gen.
"Unbelievable…"
Inside Naruto's heart, even Minato and Kushina had fallen silent. This battle was beyond anything they had ever known.
Kitagawa Gen… to think he's this strong.
Closer to the battlefield, Obito swallowed hard.
While the clash raged, he had used Kamui to pull the mangled remains of Madara—just a severed head now—and Black Zetsu into safety.
His fists trembled as disbelief mixed with bitterness.
Why? Why are they so strong? And what does he mean by… evolution?
"Stronger than expected, no doubt," Black Zetsu muttered, still clutching Madara's head, his expression stunned. Then he exhaled in resignation.
"But I doubt even he can truly match Ōtsutsuki Genshiki. That monster hasn't even fought seriously yet…"
"I'm more curious about this 'evolution' he spoke of," Madara rasped, his lone eye fixed on the distant clash.
That word cut into him more than the battle itself. Desire gnawed at his heart—he longed to fight, to test himself again.
But above that desire was a sharper, deeper question:
What is so unique about Kitagawa Gen, that even someone as proud as an Ōtsutsuki would acknowledge him?
"…I don't know."
Black Zetsu shook his head, troubled. For once, even he couldn't see through it.
Could it be…? Has this so-called descendant of Hamura already stepped onto a path beyond imagination?
"Evolution…"
Within Obito's mind, Isshiki's voice echoed, low and grim. His gaze had grown sharp with thought.
He knew Ōtsutsuki Genshiki was a madman chasing the "Divine Ascension"—the devouring of one's own kin to transcend. Everything he did, every move he made, was with a purpose.
And that word—evolution—
"…Could it mean that?"
A chilling possibility struck Isshiki, dark and heavy.
But before he could follow the thought further, the horizon erupted.
Once more, a golden radiance burst forth, flooding the night with blinding brilliance.
And with it came a surge of power far more terrifying than before.