Faced with Jigen's blatant mockery, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo didn't rush to deny it.
What Jigen said wasn't wrong. At this stage, the situation was indeed unfavorable for him. Whether it was the Ten-Tails Obito or Yuki Yoru, both were extremely troublesome opponents.
Yet Hagoromo's face showed not the slightest trace of worry—only complete composure.
That very demeanor made Jigen frown.
Could it be… that his opponent truly held a hidden trump card he was unaware of?
Back when Kaguya had grievously wounded him, Jigen had spent a long time recovering. Because of this, although he had witnessed the infighting within Kaguya's family and later Hagoromo's actions, his understanding of the true depth of it all was rather shallow.
During that period, Hagoromo had spread chakra throughout the shinobi world, dispersing his own power across the lands. Jigen knew of this and understood its purpose well.
It was nothing more than the gathering and dispersal of chakra, a method to break through one's own limits, to reach his mother's realm even while the Progenitor of Chakra herself remained sealed.
For that goal, Hagoromo had spread chakra and endured for a thousand years.
But in the end, it was Yuki Yoru who reaped the fruits of that plan.
Now, in today's shinobi world, there were hardly any who still used chakra. Even a stray dog on the roadside could already wield spiritual power
In other words, Yuki Yoru's rise had completely shattered Hagoromo's grand design.
And yet, in such a situation, Hagoromo remained utterly confident. Where did that confidence come from?
Under his constant surveillance of the shinobi world, the only possible answer was… the Pure Land.
"So those souls… that's where your confidence lies, isn't it?"
Jigen's sudden words made Hagoromo's gaze darken instantly.
"A thousand years of lurking in the shinobi world has indeed let you uncover many secrets," Hagoromo's face turned slightly cold. "But unfortunately for you… it seems you don't have the strength to continue keeping them."
"Is that so."
Jigen's expression remained calm.
"So, you intend to fight me. Well, it's only natural—you are Kaguya's son. No matter what lofty deeds you've done, between you and me, it can only be life or death."
Under Hagoromo's steady gaze, the corner of Jigen's lips curved upward as he whispered:
"You seem very certain of yourself."
Hagoromo replied indifferently:
"I'll give you two choices. One: submit. Two…" He paused. "But I doubt someone who has lurked in the shinobi world for thousands of years would willingly choose the second option."
"How amusing. That wretched woman Kaguya's offspring actually dares speak with such boldness. Should I praise you for it?" Jigen sneered, a flicker of irritation in his eyes.
"You even brought your brother and a toad along… it seems you're convinced you've got me cornered, son of Kaguya."
"To deal with a parasite, yes… perhaps this much effort is a little excessive."
At first, he had believed his opponent to be an unparalleled being—after all, even his own mother had needed to resort to "ambush" to overcome this man. No amount of caution seemed too much. Even if it meant risking discovery by Obito and the others, it had felt worthwhile.
But upon confirming Isshiki Ōtsutsuki's actual condition, Hagoromo realized perhaps he had overestimated things.
He had no desire to waste further words. Hagoromo was already eager to study firsthand the true difference between a pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki and beings like themselves.
But before he could make his move, Jigen suddenly struck first—without warning.
Clang!
Several black rods materialized out of nowhere, thrusting viciously toward the three figures before him. In but an instant, they were upon them.
Gamamaru's body was instantly pinned to the ground. Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo's brows furrowed slightly, and an overwhelming surge of chakra erupted across his body, forcefully shattering the black rods that pierced him.
"Interesting… so weak, and yet able to slip past my Rinnegan."
Hagoromo crushed one of the rods in his hand.
"What kind of ability is this?"
Jigen sneered coldly. His eyes suddenly locked on the position of the Sage of Six Paths, and a blazing torrent of flames roared forth, engulfing his figure in an instant.
The next moment, Jigen's palm clenched at the air, and countless black rods formed of Yin–Yang Release rained down like a storm, fiercely striking toward the Sage.
"No chakra reaction… and no spatial fluctuation… It seems I underestimated you."
Faced with the incoming assault, the Sage of Six Paths showed no panic. With calm words, his Six Paths staff struck the air.
In an instant, the Truth-Seeking Orbs surrounding him spread out, blocking every single Yin–Yang black rod—and even halting the searing flames.
At the very same moment, the figure of Ōtsutsuki Hamura beside him vanished without a trace.
A flicker of tension flashed through Jigen's eyes as he unleashed another barrage of black rods, sealing every path of escape in the surrounding space.
Hamura was forced to reappear—but his expression was utterly indifferent. Chakra surged into his hands, and his body spun violently.
"Rotation!"
Under the radiance of chakra, every black rod of Yin–Yang Release was deflected. And as the Rotation ended, his figure was already at Jigen's front.
"Eight Trigrams Formation · Void Break!"
A simple technique—nothing more than the basic application of Gentle Fist that every member of the Hyūga clan knew.
Yet in Hamura's hands at this moment, that strike carried the force to shatter mountains and tear the sky.
Chakra gathered in his palm, and with a single instant strike, the palm wind blasted forward. Black markings spread across Jigen's body, while a massive block of Yin–Yang particles materialized before him.
Boom!!
The palm wind roared. The Yin–Yang construct—its strength rivaling that of Truth-Seeking Orbs—was driven full of cracks under that palm, the imprint of the strike deeply etched into it, its might overwhelming.
If that palm had landed directly on him, without question, he would have been forced into immediate reincarnation!
"What a vexing nuisance…"
Jigen muttered under his breath. From the looks of things, today he would likely be forced to reincarnate.
With the strength of this vessel, even handling Ōtsutsuki Hamura alone was a struggle—let alone while also facing Gamamaru's power and Hagoromo's presence.
But once he reincarnated, all the Kārma marks he had implanted in other vessels would be rendered useless. Which meant he had to find the most suitable target from among his current vessels.
Would it be Uchiha Madara, who was still battling?
Or the freshly captured Toneri…?
Whichever he chose, one thing was certain: before leaving, he would punish these so-called descendants of Kaguya properly.
"Daikokuten!"
Jigen's voice echoed coldly in his heart. From the heavens came the sound of rupturing space, and massive black cubes—formed through Yin–Yang Release—descended one after another like forbidden weapons of the world, crashing down toward Hamura.
Hamura's face remained expressionless. He did not rely on his uncanny, terrifying speed to evade. Instead, he advanced toward the falling cubes, his seemingly delicate palm striking out against them.
BOOM!!
Jigen's eyes narrowed sharply. This technique—he knew it all too well. Back then, that wretch had used this very palm strike to ambush him, allowing the Ten-Tails to devour him.
And now, before him, her son had inherited his mother's taijutsu power and unleashed it in battle!
Even Jigen, usually calm and still as a placid lake, could not help but feel ripples within his heart. His black pupils flared, pouring out ocular power as more and more black cubes descended in a furious storm, trying to crush this son of Kaguya completely.
But his opponent was simply too fast. The cubes fell with unpredictable force, yet not a single one could touch him. Instead, Hamura counterattacked freely, leaving heavy imprints upon the very cubes themselves.
Seemingly tired of toying with the black boxes, Ōtsutsuki Hamura raised one hand. Within his pure white eyes, a starlike radiance flickered, while chakra surged wildly throughout his body.
"Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!"
With calm words, his raised hand sliced diagonally down. Brilliant golden light erupted from his fingertips, instantly expanding into a blade of light capable of annihilating the heavens themselves.
The might of this strike was in no way inferior to Toneri's full power when empowered by the Giant Tenseigan!
"Daikokuten!!"
Jigen roared, clasping his hands together. Towering layers of massive black cubes materialized, straining to block the incoming golden blade.
But just then, a quiet murmur came from behind him. Jigen's pupils contracted in shock.
"Right now… you're far too weak."
Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo had appeared silently at his back, the Six Paths staff in his hand driving straight for Jigen's heart.
The strike left no room to evade.
Before he could even release the second stage of his Kāma, Jigen's heart was pierced through by the Six Paths staff!
The irresistible power of the Six Paths surged through his body, and in that instant, the outcome of the battle was sealed.
"It's over, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki."
The Sage of Six Paths spoke evenly:
"To be honest, I'm surprised. Your strength doesn't compare at all to your talent for hiding."
Jigen coughed blood, yet a mocking smile twisted across his face.
"Your family is truly amusing—you all love ambushes. That wretch Kaguya did it to me back then… and now her son does the same."
"Empty words are all you have left."
Hagoromo remained unmoved. Verbal taunts and insults had long since lost their effect on him, ever since his journeys across the shinobi world.
The Six Paths power within his body flowed through the staff, entering Jigen's body, probing deeply into the secrets of pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki.
As Kaguya's son, after sealing away his own mother, Hagoromo had entered a period of rapid growth in power. Though he could not yet compare with his mother, through encounters with the "Great Toad" and his wanderings across the world, he had come to understand the source of her ancient fears.
The Ōtsutsuki Main Family.
His mother had rebelled and seized her power. Such betrayal was destined to bring retribution from the main clan. That was why she had been willing to go so far as to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi and create the White Zetsu army.
Thus, the Sage of Six Paths entered the Pure Land. Beyond secretly maintaining control from the underworld, he also used his once-vast chakra to veil the shinobi world's presence within the universe, preventing discovery by the Ōtsutsuki main family.
But defense was only one part of it—naturally, Hagoromo's heart also burned with curiosity about his enemies.
And today, he would finally glimpse the true secrets of the Ōtsutsuki clan!
As the power of the Six Paths continuously poured into Jigen's body, his form gradually became paralyzed, unable to move at all. His life force drained away, his flesh slipping out of his control. Yet, on Jigen's face, there lingered a mocking smile.
"So that's it… you bastard who sealed your own mother away—you're trying to pry into the true secrets of the Ōtsutsuki. No wonder you've made such a grand move today."
"But how pitiful… this power, this special force that you yourself should have been able to grasp—yes, the very one that exists within your body—you will never touch it without guidance from the Ōtsutsuki main family!"
"What a shame, mongrel offspring of that whore Kaguya."
With those words, as Hagoromo's face darkened, the black markings across Jigen's body rapidly receded. In only moments, they vanished completely, as though they had been washed clean.
This sight made Gamamaru furrow his brow deeply, and Hamura stepped forward.
"How is it, elder brother?"
"…."
The Sage of Six Paths stood in silence, frowning, continuously channeling the power of the Six Paths within him, desperately searching this body for any trace.
But no matter how he searched, every vestige of Ōtsutsuki power seemed utterly erased—vanished without a trace. What lay before him looked no different than an ordinary human corpse.
"This is impossible…" Hagoromo muttered in disbelief. "Even in death, he shouldn't be erased this completely."
"Could it have been just a clone?" Gamamaru wondered, still frowning.
"But no… this was him. Without question."
The Sage of Six Paths said nothing further. With a gesture, he wrapped Jigen's corpse in Truth-Seeking Orbs, then turned his gaze deeper into the Ōtsutsuki space.
"Go. Search this place!"
Meanwhile…
Beyond Kirigakure, above the vast ocean—
In the midst of his battle with Orochimaru, Uchiha Madara suddenly felt something. His hands rose high, and a black chakra sphere formed in his palms, floating toward Orochimaru.
Seeing this, Orochimaru's heart jolted, and he quickly leapt back. The surrounding sea roared as countless rocks from the seabed were dragged toward the black sphere, merging into it.
When the gravitational pull of Chibaku Tensei finally subsided, Orochimaru's figure reappeared.
But before him—there was no longer any trace of Madara.
"He… retreated?" Orochimaru frowned, puzzled. But why? Clearly, the advantage was his… so why suddenly withdraw?
"Because something went wrong with his body."
A cold, detached voice echoed in Orochimaru's mind, making him stiffen, clutching his white serpent tightly.
The next instant, a surge of blood-red spiritual power erupted from within his body. That power condensed before his eyes—into a blood-red eye.
It was none other than Uchiha Hikari, in her Vollständig form!