"Sixty-eight percent? It actually rose that much?"
Looking at his own panel, Kitagawa Gen himself was a little surprised.
For three years he had been studying. He had done some side missions, but those had all been minor skirmishes.
No exclusive missions, nothing special—his progress had indeed not been fast.
Though he had reinforced himself from other directions—for instance, deepening his understanding and study of Yin Release and Yang Release.
Like putting serious work into that "Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack," as well as merging kekkei genkai and even attempting experimental fusion development of the Kekkei Mora.
All of this had brought him huge improvements to his immediate combat strength, but as for pure bloodline development, there hadn't been much.
"But now things are better. The absorption of the God Tree's Source is truly outrageous, but…"
Lifting his head, gazing at the colossal tree that could only be described as "covering the sky and blotting out the sun," Kitagawa Gen finally nodded.
The benefits this thing had brought him were not few either!
"The tailed beasts' special powers, huh?"
Turning it over in his mind, in the next instant a peculiar power surfaced over his body.
Golden chakra spread across his whole form, making him look identical to Naruto's future "Nine-Tails Chakra Mode"!
At the same time, he raised his hand, and in an instant, one chakra sphere after another appeared in his palm.
One sphere shimmered with blue-black luster, another intertwined white and black, while the others each bore different colors.
These were all condensations of tailed beast power. At this moment, he seemed entirely capable of wielding these powers infused with tailed beast traits!
"Not bad. From now on, I'll have more attack methods to 'switch numbers' with."
Ōtsutsuki Genshiki's body had somewhat limited offensive methods—there really hadn't been much he could do about it.
The strength itself was never an issue, but it was always the same "Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion," paired with his "Ōtsutsuki" might in combat.
Even though he now had the "Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion," that was his trump card, and he needed to fill in with other methods.
And now with these applications of tailed beast power, he had more means of attack, and even more special effects.
That point in particular left him deeply satisfied!
"Besides that, my ocular techniques' power and control have also grown significantly."
He lightly clenched his fist, his eyes turning into a brilliant azure radiance. Almost at once, everything around him warped and twisted.
The yellow sand on the ground began to flow strangely, as if freed from normal gravity, with up, down, left, and right constantly reversing.
And as Kitagawa Gen kept increasing the pressure, the sand seemed to sense a peculiar gravitational pull.
In an instant, they spread grain by grain, laying themselves out flat and neatly before him!
"Very nice."
Such precision of control brought a smile to Kitagawa Gen's face.
"Even if the range isn't very wide, as long as the distance is close…"
Even a true Ōtsutsuki, if careless enough to be caught in this, would meet a dead end!
The improvements brought by the God Tree's Source were gratifying, and those from bloodline development were in no way weaker.
Apart from the steady strengthening of his basic abilities as an "Ōtsutsuki," even his bone absorption seemed to have begun slowing down.
"Only… has this ability really not been 'hatched' by the Kekkei Mora?"
Kitagawa Gen hesitated at this, but in any case, even if he hadn't reached the level of "All-Killing Ash Bones."
At his current stage, with his bones combined with his Ōtsutsuki foundation, his body's durability had already reached a terrifying level.
He now understood why Jigen, after activating the "Kāma," could directly crush Susanoo with a single kick.
Because the physical strength of the Ōtsutsuki body was simply too monstrous.
"I'll find a chance later to test it on Uchiha Madara, and afterward, on Uchiha Itachi."
Kitagawa Gen lifted his head toward the colossal bud beside the giant tree, as if waiting to bloom, feeling it continuously absorb power.
Sensing its resonance with the eye at the center of his brow, Kitagawa Gen suddenly had a thought.
"If I wanted, could I also use the Infinite Tsukuyomi in the future?"
"But next, I need to focus on the Kekkei Mora…"
"And those Ōtsutsuki!"
...
"Are you finally looking for Uchiha's stone tablet?"
Late at night, under the striking moonlight.
Inside Konohagakure, Black Zetsu quietly peeked out, observing the village's movements.
Noticing especially that someone from the Uchiha side was searching for something, he couldn't help but let out a breath of relief.
Over these three years, he had delivered many things to Kitagawa Gen, all to guide him and strengthen him further.
But this guy—
"He's learned plenty, yet rarely bothers with exploration. Are you just waiting for me to lay the answers right in front of you?!"
Black Zetsu was close to losing his composure, but there was nothing he could do except keep pondering how to guide Kitagawa Gen further.
Now that people within the Uchiha clan were searching—particularly near the Naka Shrine—that truly made him happy.
"But why not go himself? Wouldn't such secrets be better kept under his sole control?"
Black Zetsu couldn't figure out what Kitagawa Gen was thinking, but he didn't care to dwell on it either.
The fact was, he had already gone there. At least that gave Black Zetsu a sliver of hope!
After all, no plan ever keeps up with real changes.
"So next, I'll also need to find a way to make him uncover the Senju clan's secrets."
Black Zetsu muttered inwardly, then slowly sank into the ground, heading toward the Hyūga clan.
This time, besides checking on the things he had prepared and Kitagawa Gen's progress, he also needed to observe the Hyūga's movements!
"That Kaguya Kimimaro really is a damn nuisance."
Of course, Black Zetsu knew exactly what Kimimaro's problem was—after all, he was constructed from Kaguya's chakra!
All these years, he had been stabilizing Kimimaro's condition, but that was only enough to keep him alive.
"It's just that Uchiha Madara's new body is almost finished. If I don't act soon, it'll be a problem…"
Black Zetsu was frustrated to death. Even if he didn't want to, he had to make some necessary preparations.
"In truth, even if Kimimaro recovers, he could never be a match for Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
Black Zetsu knew it all too well. Kimimaro's talent was extraordinary—he had awakened such a power.
But he also knew exactly where that power's ceiling lay. Gaining the Byakugan merely balanced that force.
To truly reach the upper limit? That was nothing but a dream!
"Forget it. Since you want it, I'll help you with the investigation. Besides—"
Black Zetsu suddenly realized something. He had always suspected that Kitagawa Gen might be someone from the moon.
So—
"Couldn't I make use of that somehow?"
With that thought, Black Zetsu fell into silence.
For him now, as long as he could save his mother, any means were acceptable!
...
"Morning. You two sure are early."
The next day, at Konohagakure's gate.
Kitagawa Gen, Kakashi, and Jiraiya strolled up to the meeting point. Sasuke was fine, but Naruto was barely holding it together.
"You're too slow! Kakashi-sensei and Gen, fine—they're chronic latecomers—but Pervy Sage, you too?!"
"Hey, we're not late yet. What's the rush?"
Jiraiya couldn't care less. Even though Minato and Kushina were inside Naruto, he was still the sensei!
"Besides, Takigakure isn't anything special. We've been there already. Nothing interesting."
"True."
Kitagawa Gen stroked his chin, nodding.
"That place is really pretty ordinary. The village isn't as big as Konoha, the people aren't as many, and last time we went it wasn't exactly pleasant."
"Not pleasant because you ran into Akatsuki?"
Kakashi flipped open a book, asking casually.
"Meeting them certainly doesn't count as a pleasant memory."
"Pretty much. And this time we can't even gather the same people as before."
Kitagawa Gen shrugged, then sighed.
"After all, last time we even had the Fourth Raikage along."
"…"
Kakashi and Jiraiya almost stumbled. Looking at Kitagawa Gen's regretful expression, their minds nearly blanked.
That guy—the Fourth Raikage—wasn't he the one you killed?
"You're really putting on a cat-weeping-for-the-mouse act of false pity here, huh?"
Jiraiya spoke with a headache, but Kitagawa Gen straightened seriously.
"No. I just think it's a shame the shinobi world lost someone that durable. But back then, since he didn't trust me, I guess he had it coming."
"Didn't trust you? That's not right. Weren't you always leaving Flying Thunder God seals on him? If he didn't trust you, how was that wrong?"
"Exactly because he read people too well. And wasn't that something the Hokage hinted at? Didn't he say—"
"Stop. Don't say more. Don't you see Naruto and Sasuke are right here?"
"And for the record, 'cat crying for the mouse' doesn't mean false pity. It means the cat pressed its tear glands while eating the mouse."
"…"
Jiraiya was too annoyed to speak.
"Well then…"
Fortunately, Kakashi spoke up in time, sparing Jiraiya from further embarrassment.
"Sasuke, how's your search for that stone tablet going?"
"Still not found, but that also has to do with the Second Hokage's intentions."
Hearing Kakashi call on him, Sasuke was a little disappointed he couldn't keep watching Kitagawa Gen bicker with Jiraiya, but he quickly adjusted and replied.
"Because it's a secret mission, we didn't even mobilize ANBU. We're doing it all on our own. And it's not just the Naka Shrine—there are stone tablets in other places too, so…"
"Wiping them all out at once, huh. That really is his style."
Kitagawa Gen nodded. Senju Tobirama was always meticulous in everything, never willing to leave a single opening.
And since even Senju Hashirama himself didn't "remember" whether the Senju clan had anything hidden, Tobirama would surely be cautious, trusting only his elder brother's memory to a point.
"Doesn't matter. By the time we return, the results should be clear. Let's get ready to set off."
"Huh? No Sakura?"
Naruto, hearing it was time to depart, asked curiously.
But noticing Sasuke's glance, he pursed his lips.
Sakura was technically still part of their team, but unfortunately, she had already fallen quite far behind.
Even if she was still officially attached to the squad, there were some missions it really wasn't suitable to bring her along for anymore.
"All right, let's go."
Kitagawa Gen shook his head, then after a moment's thought, added a reminder.
"There's a reason Sakura isn't coming. Every time Kakashi-sensei, Pervy Sage, and I go out, we always run into all sorts of trouble."
"???"
Kakashi and Jiraiya froze in their tracks. The trouble was because of them?
Wait—are we the unlucky stars?
"So, to be safe, the team has to stay lean and strong."
"…"
"And always be ready to run into Akatsuki."
"…"
"After all, with Kakashi-sensei and Pervy Sage around, the odds of meeting them are really high!"
"…"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Kitagawa Gen's eyelid twitched. He understood at once.
[New Side Quest Acquired]
[Three years. Do you know what I've been through these three years?]
[Crush the invading enemies and let them know what you've endured these three years.]
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