Chapter 266 – The Cold Calculus of the Sage? Gathering of Powers
"Ōtsutsuki Urashiki… he's arrived?"
On the road to the Land of Water, Kitagawa Gen's mind stirred restlessly.
Truth be told, he wasn't surprised. After all, he had already thrown the entire shinobi world into chaos—"chickens flying, dogs jumping" was no exaggeration.
And with Isshiki's White Kāma flaring, that surge of Ōtsutsuki chakra had been sharp and undeniable. Gen felt it as clearly as if it were in his own body.
"According to the records, the Ōtsutsuki arrived later… but if they're showing up early now, it must be because Kaguya drew them in."
The clan's perception of each other's power was keen. A single burst of chakra could summon distant kin like moths to flame.
Normally, a Kāma would be hard to detect. But a White Kāma? That was pure, untempered power, radiating like a beacon.
Gen smirked to himself.
"So this time, them showing up early is Isshiki's fault. Not mine."
Conveniently ignoring the fact that his own chakra breakthroughs—before he obtained Amenominaka—might have played a part.
Still, he didn't see it as bad news. Quite the opposite, his blood ran hot with anticipation.
He'd fought plenty of strong foes, but not a true Ōtsutsuki—not yet.
"My development isn't complete… but this is a good chance to test myself. Especially against Urashiki, whose weaknesses I know."
---
"Gen, are you saying Obito's plan is really to… what? Kill everyone? Or trap them all in some genjutsu-dream world?"
Senju Hashirama couldn't hold back his question.
"Hmph. Typical Uchiha madness," Senju Tobirama spat. "The same extremism as Madara!"
Gen tilted his head, shooting Tobirama a look.
"Hard to say. He revealed too little. But I suspect most of his ideas come from the Stone Tablet."
Hashirama frowned, recalling.
"Madara did mention something like that… another path, aside from uniting the shinobi world. But I never—"
"You never cared, right?!" Tobirama snapped, face twisted with disbelief.
"Brother, how could you be so careless?! What idiocy did you let slide back then?"
Hashirama shrugged. "I didn't have the Sharingan. I didn't care. I had Konoha."
"You—!"
Seeing the brothers about to bicker again, Gen stepped in with a helpless smile.
"Alright, alright. It doesn't matter. Once Sasuke's eyes are dealt with, the truth will come out."
Tobirama snorted, but restrained himself. Hashirama only pressed his lips together.
Gen tapped his chin.
"Still… has it ever occurred to you that maybe the Sage of Six Paths didn't care much for Asura?"
Both brothers froze. Hashirama slapped his forehead.
"Not this again. He never said that."
"Really? Other clans got tablets, and you two got… bark carvings?" Gen teased, eyes glittering.
"And according to Madara, the tablet recorded a way to 'save the world.' But your tree-bark message only said, 'Play nice with Indra…'"
Tobirama snapped, face darkening.
"Enough! Sometimes the favored child doesn't need instructions!"
"And if anything, the Sage was in the wrong," he continued heatedly. "Why let Indra and Asura fight for centuries unchecked?"
Hashirama winced. "That… isn't something we should say aloud, right?"
But Tobirama pressed on, voice low and sharp.
"What if he did it deliberately? Think about it. Indra, Asura… their wars tempered the shinobi world. A thousand years of bloodshed forged iron wills, refined chakra control, and birthed the courage to face gods like Shenshiki!"
His eyes blazed with conviction.
"And now—Gen, a genius standing at the pinnacle, has stepped into this so-called 'evolution'… Isn't that exactly what the Sage intended? Cold, cruel, but necessary."
Even Hashirama faltered. The logic was disturbingly solid.
Gen, on the other hand, could only gape.
"Why does this sound so familiar…? No, no, I never said this! This is all that old devil Tobirama twisting things again!"
Nervously, he muttered:
"Careful. Talk like that can get you killed. The older someone is, the pettier they are. Just look at the Third Hokage. The Sage lived a thousand years—his pettiness must be legendary."
"Bah, they say he's been dead for centuries," Tobirama scoffed. Yet even he cast a wary glance around.
Hashirama sighed. "We're older than the 'little monkey' Sarutobi… does that make us worse?"
But Tobirama's voice softened slightly.
"Regardless… I don't think he was wrong. Without those battles, we would never have grown. Sometimes cold-blooded methods are the truest form of love."
His fists clenched. His eyes shone.
"The Sage of Six Paths wasn't merciless—he was resolute. And if I am to live again, I must learn from that resolve."
Hashirama's mouth hung open. He couldn't even argue—Tobirama's twisted logic held too much weight.
Gen, meanwhile, glanced nervously at the sky. "Please, don't let lightning strike us down for this slander…"
---
But before he could reflect further, realization struck him.
Urashiki had descended.
And worse—Gen was about to swap into his other "account." Which meant Tobirama's mad theory about forced evolution was about to look awfully accurate.
---
Meanwhile, unrest spread across the Land of Water.
The Six-Tails Jinchūriki—an obvious Akatsuki target.
The Three-Tails was one thing: its host was the Mizukage, still surrounded by layers of protection. But the Six-Tails? Not a Kage. Not even within Kirigakure's walls. Vulnerable prey.
"Up ahead," Kisame muttered, his small squad cloaked in mist. "The brat wants to flee the Land of Water. But where could he run? Allied nations would turn him away. Enemies would kill him. Even small nations won't take a beast like him."
"Pathetic," murmured Jūzō Biwa, shaking his head. "If you want to escape, do it early."
"Exactly," Raiga sneered. "No resolve, no courage—just another trapped rat."
Jūzō suddenly frowned. "And what of the Fourth Mizukage? He still carries the Three-Tails. Mishandling him could spell disaster."
Kisame shrugged. "Someone else's problem. Our mission is the Six-Tails, nothing more."
"And besides… our pay isn't great. You two are already dead men. Why waste effort?"
"You should join us in death," Jūzō muttered coldly. Raiga's eyes gleamed with malice.
"Yes… become an Edo Tensei corpse with us. Then you'll never worry about dying again."
Kisame only chuckled darkly. "Focus on the mission. We need to move fast. That chakra surge earlier… I don't like it."
The other two nodded. Even without recognizing its Ōtsutsuki origin, that chakra had set their instincts on edge.
---
Elsewhere, another group moved through the mist.
Orochimaru's squad—seven shadows slipping through the fog.
At the lead, Kimimaro's veins bulged as his Byakugan flared.
"Byakugan—activate!"
The town ahead unfolded in his sight, every detail laid bare.
"Convenient," Suigetsu muttered, lips curled in a sour smile. "Those eyes really are the best for recon."
"Anything?" Kidōmaru asked sharply, though his eyes flickered with a hint of disdain.
Sakon's lips curled. "With Byakugan, we should know everything."
Jirōbō and Tayuya glanced over as well. All four had trained under Orochimaru's eye, nurtured carefully—but nowhere near the way Kimimaro had been.
Jealousy simmered under their respect. This mission was their chance to prove themselves.
Kimimaro closed his Byakugan and spoke flatly.
"He's there. In the town. And others are already closing in."
The Four bristled, frowning.
"Enemies? Allies?" Suigetsu asked warily.
Kidōmaru shrugged. "Doesn't matter."
Tayuya smirked. "Enemy or friend, we'll deal with them."
Sakon chuckled coldly. "We'll handle this. Stay here, Kimimaro."
Jirōbō nodded in agreement.
"The Six-Tails is ours."
Before anyone could stop them, the Four Sound shinobi vanished into the fog, streaking toward the town like hungry predators.
Three years of training had honed them into blades. This was their chance to prove it.
Kimimaro only watched, veins still throbbing at his temples.
"Fools."
Suigetsu scowled at the four Sound shinobi rushing ahead, then leaned toward Jūgo with a mutter.
"We're just letting them go? Charging in like that… they're going to get themselves killed."
Before Jūgo could answer, Kimimaro's calm voice cut in.
"That's their choice. Lord Orochimaru has no use for the weak. Let them prove their worth. We'll focus on our own mission."
With that, Kimimaro strode forward into the fog. Jūgo gave Suigetsu's shoulder a firm pat and followed.
Suigetsu was left alone, sighing with exasperation.
"Damn it… feels like something's going to blow up tonight."
And he wasn't wrong.
Elsewhere, Mei Terumī and her squad were already closing in.
"Whoever unleashed that chakra surge… they're headed this way," Ao said grimly, Byakugan activated as his gaze swept the mist-shrouded horizon.
His expression darkened further.
"Not just them. Several others with powerful chakra signatures are converging here. And Utakata is among them. This could get ugly."
"Utakata…" Mei frowned. She hadn't expected the situation to tangle itself so quickly.
After a moment's thought, she bit her lip, then produced a scroll. Breaking its seal, she pulled free a kunai etched with a strange, intricate formula.
"Is that—?"
Chōjūrō's eyes widened. Then recognition struck him.
"A Flying Thunder God kunai? From… the Fifth Hokage?"
"Not officially Hokage yet," Mei corrected softly, "but close enough."
She tightened her grip on the blade, her voice low but firm.
"He told me—if true danger ever came, I could use this to summon him. And tonight's trouble… qualifies."
Her faith in Kitagawa Gen was absolute. The memory of their battle, his strength, his conviction—none of it had faded from her heart.
She whispered to herself, more prayer than thought:
"As long as he's here… everything will be alright."
Then aloud, her tone sharpened:
"Let's move. We can't waste time."
---
High above, another pair of eyes watched.
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki floated in the night sky, gaze sweeping over the lands below.
At first his expression was curious, but then it twisted into a delighted grin.
"Byakugan… scattered traces of the Ten-Tails… and a failed Kāma of Isshiki's."
His voice dripped with amusement, his laughter echoing in the void.
"What a fascinating little world this is turning out to be…"