Chapter 271: Transaction
Boom!
A massive fist shadow, like a meteorite crashing from the heavens, slammed into the ground, striking Uchiha Madara before he could withdraw.
In the next instant, he was smashed deep into the earth once more—his body driven further and further down under the sheer pressure.
This time, however, he wasn't alone.
Alongside him, a glob of black mud—Black Zetsu—was still impaled by the black staff formed through Yin-Yang Release.
"...Oh?"
Suspended in midair, Ryosuke raised an eyebrow as he observed Madara's falling figure.
His Byakugan pierced through layers of rock and earth, locking onto Madara's position with surgical precision.
It seemed… Black Zetsu's gambit had failed. He hadn't managed to seize Madara's body at the last moment, nor had he succeeded in transferring Otsutsuki Kaguya's sealed consciousness through Madara.
That much, Ryosuke hadn't expected.
But it didn't matter.
So long as Madara could borrow Kaguya's power, Ryosuke could use him as a vessel to uncover the Otsutsuki clan's secret techniques.
"Let's make a deal."
Suddenly, a calm but exhausted female voice echoed inside Ryosuke's mind.
"I know what you desire. I will no longer lend my power to Indra's reincarnation. If you wish to obtain the Otsutsuki clan's techniques… you'll have to trade with me."
Below, buried beneath rubble, Uchiha Madara glanced at the still-impaled Black Zetsu beside him with narrowed eyes.
Before he could voice his confusion, his body abruptly froze—locked in place by an unseen force.
His pupils widened.
No matter how he surged his chakra or strained his will, his body refused to move.
It was as though the very power restraining him came from within himself.
And before his eyes, the Yin-Yang Release—capable of sealing even Reincarnated bodies and Jinchūriki—failed to keep Black Zetsu pinned!
The resentful wail of the black sludge echoed eerily as it slowly began to slide along the black staff, inching toward Madara's body at an agonizingly slow pace.
Madara's instincts screamed. Sensing the incoming threat, he fought back with all his might—each struggle halting Zetsu's approach, pushing the sludge back moment by moment.
"Kaguya Ōtsutsuki?"
Ryosuke blinked once at the voice in his mind, but he'd already guessed the identity.
Looking up toward the sky, he could now clearly sense the distant presence on the moon—Kaguya's consciousness, sealed yet faintly stirring.
"You carry my blood within you. Though untainted, you are not Otsutsuki," the voice continued, flickering in and out like a weak signal.
Her tone revealed exhaustion—maintaining pressure on Madara across planetary distance while speaking taxed her greatly.
"I never claimed to be from the Otsutsuki clan," Ryosuke replied with a chuckle. "That misunderstanding came from your third son's imagination."
"It is troubling... Someone not of the Otsutsuki bloodline wielding Otsutsuki power so freely."
Kaguya's voice was faint, brittle.
"Your existence is… abrupt. As a descendant of the Hyuga, how do you know things even Hagoromo and Hamura never learned? The history of the Otsutsuki resides only in my memory. I revealed none of it after arriving on this planet."
"Could it be… your Byakugan can peer through time? That you've obtained these memories from the river of time itself?"
Her guess wasn't baseless.
In Otsutsuki history, there were indeed members who glimpsed the future—though that power had clear limitations.
If this boy had unlocked such foresight… then perhaps he'd seen the height of his future strength, and was using that vision to reach that peak ahead of schedule.
"If that were true, I'd have no reason to train or push beyond my limits."
Ryosuke shook his head lightly. "Ancestor, your imagination runs wild."
Could such a thing exist? If it did, it would be a bugged ability—one that would break the very logic of growth.
To inherit the future, to constantly glimpse ahead, to evolve without limit…
Impossible.
Still, hearing him call her "ancestor" left Kaguya speechless for a moment.
True enough, Ryosuke carried the Hyuga bloodline—her bloodline. He was, by every measure, her descendant.
"Then if you still recognize me as your ancestor…" her tone deepened, more urgent, "Help me escape this prison. I'll grant you whatever you desire once I'm free."
It was ironic.
Once hailed as a goddess, she now pleaded with humility.
The brief clash between Ryosuke and Madara had shaken her more than anything in millennia.
Madara had followed a path orchestrated by her third son, Black Zetsu—one that mirrored her own. And through the Sacred Tree, he had gained the qualifications to borrow her power.
But even then… Ryosuke had countered him with ease.
His mastery of power, his mysterious eyes she had never seen—everything about him confused and alarmed her.
His combat instincts alone outstripped hers.
Perhaps… her own blood had mutated after mingling with this planet's people, evolving through natural talent and adversity.
In any case, even without fully lending her strength to Madara, she sensed it clearly: even at her full power, this young man might not fear her.
"The power was passed down through your blood," Ryosuke answered calmly. "I won't reject that."
"I want you to break the seal, yes… but I won't allow you to interfere with this world like you did in the ancient past."
"I won't let my home become a dead planet because of you."
Kaguya hesitated, seemingly ready to explain herself.
But Ryosuke spoke again, voice resolute.
"If the Otsutsuki come again, I'll deal with them. That's my concern, not yours."
His eyes remained serene.
"I've surpassed my limits time and again. This world now connects to others. And with every reflection of a new system, my strength only multiplies."
"The Otsutsuki? I'll leave them behind soon enough. You of all people should know… I'm capable of that."
After a short pause, Ryosuke spoke tactfully.
"What's more, in a sense, many people on this planet carry your blood. They're your descendants."
"If this world becomes a dead star, none of them will survive."
Of course, knowing Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's temperament, Ryosuke didn't expect her to feel compassion for her lineage. Still, this gave her a convenient step down.
For someone like her—who once stood above all as a goddess—a step down was sometimes all they needed to consider compromise.
"You truly know far more than you should."
Kaguya remained silent for a long while before responding.
"Very well. I promise... I will no longer bring harm to this world."
In the end, she chose diplomacy.
Frankly, she had no better option. The resistance within Madara's body was stronger than expected, and without outside intervention, Black Zetsu likely couldn't perform the assimilation ritual.
Ryosuke was satisfied with her answer. Though he did not fear a battle with Kaguya, he knew that if their current power levels pclashed for real, the damage would be catastrophic.
Even just now, their brief battle—less than ten minutes—had already torn the land of the former Land of Water into ruins.
A true life-or-death fight could end with the complete destruction of the planet.
That was a consequence Ryosuke could not accept.
He still had loved ones in the Land of Rain.
"So... there's one issue left."
Ryosuke's gaze drifted downward to where Madara and Black Zetsu remained locked in stalemate.
"Will you descend through consciousness and be reborn in his body... or do you want me to unseal your original body from the moon?"
"If it's the latter, it may take time. I haven't discovered a viable method yet."
"Also, if the moon is destroyed during the unsealing process, I'd need to consider a substitute to ensure the planet's operation isn't compromised."
Kaguya sounded surprised.
"...You think it's possible to release me from the seal without relying on possession?"
If she could return in her own body, she'd much prefer that.
"Of course, I'm confident."
Ryosuke's tone was calm.
"But I'll need some help from you—such as teaching me the secret techniques of the Ōtsutsuki clan."
"What an interesting child."
Kaguya didn't question his claim. She had no better options anyway.
"Let's make a pact. One year. If you can free me within that time, I'll give you everything I know. How does that sound?"
Her tone was transactional now—sharp, yet uncertain.
"One year..."
Ryosuke nodded slowly.
"Then I'll aim for one year and do my best."
His answer was deliberately vague. He didn't know if he'd truly find the solution within a year. But, conveniently, that deadline coincided with another transformation—triggered by the progress bar in his mind.
Ever since his Byakugan had evolved into the Tenseigan, reaching the peak of what he remembered, Ryosuke wasn't sure what would come next.
Maybe... if he hadn't found a path forward by then, his eyes would give him the answer on their own.
Regardless, even if the deal fell through, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki would still have to rely on herself to break the seal.
Otherwise, with Black Zetsu's limited capabilities, she might be sealed for another millennium.
But this time, unlike the last thousand years, a prodigy like Ryosuke had emerged.
With space-time channels now connecting to other worlds, there was no guarantee this planet would still exist in another thousand years. She had no bargaining power left.
Ryosuke's offer gave her a graceful exit.
After living for so long, pride often outweighed even survival. He wasn't sure whether Kaguya was that kind of person, but it was better to avoid unnecessary conflict.
Observation Haki combined with the Tenseigan let him glimpse her intentions—and through Black Zetsu's memories, he learned the truth:
In raw ability, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki far surpassed Uchiha Madara.
But in real combat... she was weaker.
Ryosuke had no interest in fighting her.
Fighting a poorly trained wielder with overwhelming power still meant bullying a child with a sword—it proved nothing.
"So..."
With that settled, Ryosuke turned his focus back to Madara below.
"What will you do about him?"
"The moment I absorbed the fruit from the sacred tree, it harmonized with me."
Kaguya's voice was clearer now.
"No matter how gifted this Indra reincarnation is, without my permission, he can't draw a single drop of power from it."
"If I wish, I could strip him of his immortality. I wouldn't revert him to a mortal body, but I could take back everything else."
"Still, I've decided to let him live. Through his eyes... I want to observe today's world."
It wasn't possession.
It was observation—viewing the modern world through the sacred tree now residing within Madara's body.
So long as that tree existed, Kaguya's consciousness could remain awake.
Madara would be her temporary vessel—a custodian of sorts.
She had no need to explain that to Ryosuke.
"Then, how about doing me one more favor?"
Ryosuke's voice carried a smile.
"You've restricted Madara's abilities. In our fight, he was completely suppressed—he never had the chance to fight me as an equal."
"So... why not give him all your power and let him go all out against me?"
His tone was light, almost playful.
Kaguya paused.
"Once I'm unsealed, you can fight me instead."
Her tone became dry.
"Stop trying to bait new techniques out of me. I know what you're after."
"Your inhuman talent allows you to learn and replicate abilities mid-battle. Zetsu's memories have told me enough."
"You've already copied skills from countless enemies. You're not fooling anyone with that innocent request."
Ryosuke didn't even flinch at being seen through.
He chuckled.
"I just wanted a fight, that's all..."
When she didn't answer, he shrugged.
"Since you're unwilling, I won't push it."
It seemed this thousand-year-old ancestor hadn't gone soft with time.
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