Natsuhiko's words were calm and unhurried, but to Otsutsuki Isshiki they sounded like naked provocation.
Isshiki admitted he had fallen a step behind. Natsuhiko's previous performance had been far too bizarre.
On paper, their overall strength should have been evenly matched, with Isshiki holding a slight advantage. Yet against this man, he found himself strangely helpless.
The feeling was deeply frustrating. Natsuhiko's versatility was simply too complete.
Whether in taijutsu or in the application of ninjutsu, he stood at the very peak. Even though his body had not yet fully reached the level of Kekkei Mōra, Isshiki could tell it was only one step away.
To put it bluntly, this body was only a single step short of becoming a true Otsutsuki. The sight made Isshiki's eyes burn with envy.
If he could obtain this body, his revival would allow him to reach the absolute peak of his power without any lifespan issues.
He had already noticed that Natsuhiko carried no Karma. He guessed that Otsutsuki Kaguya had directly descended her own chakra, continuously resonating with and nurturing this body. Once it met her standards, her will would seize it and she would become fully revived.
The method was similar to Karma—essentially borrowing some of its properties—but it required the caster to still be alive.
Otsutsuki Kaguya was clearly still alive. She had only been sealed, not killed. This was one of the reasons for Isshiki's deep-seated anger. Back then, he had been given no time to choose at all.
"Using the chakra within those mutated eyes of yours to form a special combat mode?"
Isshiki's tone grew icy. He slightly raised his head and spoke coldly.
"Do you really think this state is enough to deal with me? I have to say, your arrogance knows no bounds. Since you wish to die, I'll grant your wish!"
As his words fell, overwhelming power erupted from within Otsutsuki Isshiki. The black rod forged from Yin-Yang Release rose high in his hand.
Chakra gathered madly at his palm before he swung the rod down toward Natsuhiko with full force.
"Rest in peace. Repent for your ignorance and arrogance!"
The moment the black rod descended, a violent wave of power surged toward Natsuhiko. The sheer force seemed capable of destroying everything in existence. Even space itself trembled violently.
Faced with such a savage attack, Natsuhiko clenched his teeth and instantly brought five Truth-Seeking Orbs in front of him. One transformed into a ninja blade.
Every ounce of power in his body erupted— Tailed Beast chakra, senjutsu, Jōgan power, and Yin-Yang Release all surged at once.
The instant the black rod was about to strike, Natsuhiko swung his own blade. Equal power exploded from his hand.
"Yin-Yang Release: Konohanasakuyahime!"
The silver-haired woman's silhouette reappeared behind him. The ultimate blade clashed directly with the black rod.
In that instant, an indescribable destructive force burst forth between them. Under the clash of two immense chakra powers, chaotic colors appeared in the sky.
The vast earth roared beneath the impact. The spreading shockwave had not yet fully dissipated.
The already devastated ground sank another several dozen meters. Countless fragments in the distance floated upward strangely, as though gravity itself had reversed.
Natsuhiko gritted his teeth and held the black rod at bay. He felt an overwhelming pressure. Anyone else in his position would have felt utterly insignificant.
He had once thought the original story's claim that Otsutsuki Toneri could slice the moon in half with a single strike was ridiculous. That kind of power was world-ending. Did that mean Toneri possessed strength on the level of Otsutsuki Kaguya?
With such power, why bother crashing the moon into the shinobi world? He could have simply destroyed everything directly.
Now, however, Natsuhiko realized he had been too naive. This world truly possessed world-ending power. The man before him clearly wielded it.
Such terrifying strength could achieve apocalyptic results. It seemed even Natsuhiko himself could do the same if he used his power without any restraint.
Boom! Boom! Rumble!
While Natsuhiko continued resisting the violent force, the invisible shockwave had already spread outward.
Starting from their battlefield, the power raced westward toward the Land of Wind and eastward toward the Land of Fire.
The earth trembled violently. Dust filled the sky. Countless deep, winding canyons appeared, stretching as though they would reach the ends of the earth.
At that moment, Natsuhiko felt he could no longer withstand the pressure. His eyes shifted slightly. A black hole appeared behind him.
Without hesitation, he stepped through space. When he reappeared, he was already several dozen kilometers away from the battlefield.
Even from this distance, he could clearly see what had happened. The central region of the Land of Rivers had been completely destroyed.
This level of power… truly worthy of an Otsutsuki.
Or rather, this was what a fully serious Otsutsuki should be capable of.
His battle with Otsutsuki Urashiki had also caused unimaginable destruction, but Urashiki had never fought seriously. Natsuhiko had not given him the chance to do so. The situation now was completely different. The power Isshiki displayed was worthy of the title "celestial being."
"Still, I'm not doing too badly either. I'm only one step away from reaching that limit."
Natsuhiko thought calmly. He quickly turned around.
Not far behind him, a black hole appeared in space. Otsutsuki Isshiki stepped out of it.
He looked completely unharmed. His expression remained as cold and despair-inducing as ever.
"It seems this state of yours still has some merit. In that case, I can play with you properly.
I'll make you understand what it means to wish you were dead!"
---
What it felt like to wish one were dead—Natsuhiko had never experienced it before, nor had he ever thought he would.
But now, facing the man behind him, he was no longer so sure. This fully revived Otsutsuki Isshiki completely demonstrated what "divine power" truly meant.
In the short span of a few minutes after his revival, Natsuhiko had been completely suppressed.
It had been a very long time since he had been on the receiving end of such treatment. He had always been the one suppressing others.
Now the roles were reversed, and Natsuhiko found himself with few options. Fortunately, he still possessed the power to kill an Otsutsuki, which prevented Isshiki from becoming too reckless.
Even so, Natsuhiko felt like a child holding a knife while facing a fully grown adult.
The feeling was deeply unpleasant, yet he could still endure it. The scale of their battle inevitably continued to expand.
Boom!
Thunder roared across the sky. The heavens and earth had been ravaged far too severely by their fight. Both the chakra environment and the climate and terrain had undergone fundamental changes.
The once-clear weather was now covered in dark, oppressive clouds.
Rain had begun to fall silently, as though weeping for the fate of this region.
Bang!
A muffled sound rang out in the sky. A blue and a white streak of chakra collided violently.
The two ghostly figures separated upon contact, but the energy waves from their clash continued to spread wildly.
Natsuhiko hovered in midair. The rain had completely soaked him, yet he did not use chakra to evaporate it.
Every bit of his chakra had to be conserved and used only at the most critical moments. Even with his strong recovery speed, he could not afford to be careless.
Especially when facing an Otsutsuki, every detail could prove decisive.
"It seems you've turned into a fleeing rat this time."
Otsutsuki Isshiki also floated in the air, staring at Natsuhiko with cold contempt.
"Even in this state, you can still pose a fatal threat to me. After all, the power you wield is still terrifying.
But right now, you're nothing more than an ant holding a deadly weapon. You simply cannot drive that weapon into my heart.
If this is all you have, then I'm truly disappointed. At this level, you can't even entertain me!"
"Entertain you?"
Natsuhiko raised an eyebrow. Even clay figures had some fire in them. He acknowledged Isshiki's strength, but the man had not completely crushed him.
Natsuhiko knew Isshiki was trying to provoke him into making mistakes in offense and defense.
The fact that he resorted to such tactics proved how troublesome Natsuhiko was. Even if he was not Isshiki's equal, he was far from easy to deal with.
"Your performance doesn't quite match the strength of your words.
I admit you're powerful, but dealing with me cleanly doesn't seem so simple either.
Besides, space has already recovered. Do you still think you can act as freely as before?"
As he spoke, chakra boiled once more inside Natsuhiko. The chakra in his eyes spun rapidly. Those deep blue eyes looked utterly menacing.
Space around them grew extremely strange once again. This time, the space surrounding them became even more elusive and difficult to control.
After obtaining the Space Control ability and gaining sufficient proficiency, Natsuhiko had spent a long time thinking about more effective ways to use it.
He had developed a new technique that maximized the power's efficiency while staying within the limits of his current strength.
After years of practice, he could now use it proficiently.
However, the technique had one drawback: it required Natsuhiko to go all out.
Once activated, his condition would be affected to some degree. It was not an exaggeration to call this technique his trump card.
Natsuhiko hesitated for a moment, but he knew that if he continued dragging the fight out, his situation would not improve.
In that case, why not go all in? If this move failed to deal a fatal blow to Otsutsuki Isshiki, then Natsuhiko only had one choice left.
He would use his spatial control to escape far away and avoid being hunted.
"If worst comes to worst, I'll run to the moon. Didn't Hamura show himself on the moon? Isn't his tombstone there too?
If Isshiki goes up there and destroys his grave, I don't believe he won't come out!"
With that thought, Natsuhiko did not hesitate. He raised one hand in a hand seal posture.
At the same moment, the space around them grew even stranger.
Isshiki frowned. He had already sensed that something was wrong. Through his Byakugan, the spatial fluctuations around them had become uncontrollable.
These fluctuations resonated strangely with the chakra in Natsuhiko's eyes.
The resonance felt profound, and it also gave him a faint sense of danger.
He did not know what Natsuhiko was planning, but he knew it would not be anything simple.
He had no intention of standing still and watching. Especially after acknowledging how terrifying Natsuhiko's power was, he would not make that mistake.
Chakra surged through his entire body. In the next second, he appeared beside Natsuhiko and swung his black rod down with violent force.
"Hm?"
At that moment, strange fluctuations suddenly appeared in the surrounding space. The space resonated and twisted in an unbelievable way, acting directly upon him.
In the next instant, the distance between him and Natsuhiko was inexplicably pulled apart. His black rod struck empty air.
Natsuhiko remained floating in the distance. He did not appear to have moved at all. This sight made Isshiki's expression darken.
His Byakugan swept the area. He was almost certain that Natsuhiko had not moved.
The one who had been moved… was himself.
"Space has been completely taken over?"
Isshiki's brows furrowed tightly. He now understood how troublesome the situation had become.
Space had been seized—not in an ordinary way, but truly and completely dominated by one person's power.
Such control was terrifying. To put it bluntly, the space they currently occupied now belonged entirely to Natsuhiko.
Isshiki did not know how Natsuhiko had achieved this, nor did he understand what had just happened.
But he knew that if he did not find a way to escape this space quickly, he would become extremely passive.
He also felt deeply frustrated. He could not understand what had happened over the past thousand years for Kaguya to obtain such powerful abilities.
Nor could he comprehend how Kaguya's vessel had received so much training to create the man before him.
But he knew that even if this kid's strength was inferior to his own, he had to treat him seriously.
Because in certain aspects and meanings, this kid had already reached the same height as him.
"Hmph!"
With that thought, Isshiki snorted coldly and smashed his black rod into the empty air.
This time, he intended to repeat his earlier method of directly shattering space to free himself from the restraint. The situation now was far more dangerous than before.
However, the moment he acted, Yin-Yang Release light suddenly erupted beside him without warning.
Natsuhiko's figure appeared and launched a fierce attack on Isshiki.
"So fast?"
Isshiki's expression grew strange. His Byakugan could still sense another Natsuhiko standing not far away.
This situation left him momentarily confused, especially when he realized that the figure standing there was also Natsuhiko's true body.
"Was the one attacking me a clone?"
Before he could investigate further, identical attacks appeared from all four directions at once.
There was no warning, no prior perception. They came in an extremely strange manner. Faced with attacks that gave no indication, Isshiki felt a rare moment of bewilderment.
Without time to think, his figure spun rapidly. The black rod in his hand began dancing at high speed.
His taijutsu was extremely strong and his speed was suffocating. For a moment, he managed to block all of Natsuhiko's attacks.
Even so, he felt slightly fatigued after doing so. Defending at such high intensity and range was no easy task.
Just as he prepared to stop and look for a chance to counterattack, Natsuhiko's figure appeared again and attacked once more.
Isshiki's brows furrowed even deeper. He was forced to defend once more.
As he defended, countless attacks from Natsuhiko appeared from all directions—front, back, left, and right—almost simultaneously.
They came without pause, wave after wave, with overwhelming pressure that gave him no chance to breathe.
Isshiki continued blocking. His pure white eyes took in the entire area without any blind spots.
His violent chakra erupted like a volcano. White chakra light wrapped around his body as the black rod completely parried every attack from any direction.
Yet the longer he defended, the more exhausted he became. Being trapped in a space controlled by someone else with no chance to break free was extremely dangerous for him.
Most importantly, Natsuhiko's attack frequency was frightening. Isshiki could see that the attacks were not simultaneous—there was a fraction of a second between each one.
Even so, the attacks were extremely dangerous because the power behind them could absolutely kill him.
"Has his use of space reached this level? Truly astonishing."
Although Isshiki was extremely displeased internally—having gone from suppressing someone to being suppressed himself—he remained very calm.
He continued analyzing Natsuhiko's technique and had roughly figured it out.
At first glance, Natsuhiko's technique seemed mysterious, almost as if it involved time.
But that was not the case. It was purely control and mastery over space. He had completely turned the surrounding space into his own.
Then, using his control over space and his already high speed, he shuttled rapidly throughout the entire space, launching the strongest attacks from the most advantageous positions.
Under this extreme utilization of space, the person trapped inside had to face dozens of Natsuhiko attacking simultaneously from different directions.
Under such terrifying pressure, even Otsutsuki Isshiki felt overwhelmed.
He knew that the slightest mistake would seal his fate.
At the same time, he was very clear that while this attack frequency was terrifying, Natsuhiko's consumption was also enormous.
However, as an extremely proud individual, Isshiki had seen through Natsuhiko's weakness. He knew that if he simply continued defending, Natsuhiko would eventually run out of stamina.
But he had no intention of passively taking hits. He refused to be suppressed by his enemy's vessel in such a manner.
He also knew that continuing to defend like this would eventually cause problems. Natsuhiko's attack frequency was simply too high and too strong.
The slightest carelessness could result in injury or even death. He would not gamble on something like that.
Moreover, after defending for so long, he understood that even shrinking himself would not allow him to dodge these attacks.
Even if he used his Yin-Yang Release black rods combined with his dōjutsu to counterattack, he could not threaten Natsuhiko.
Those black rods would simply be transferred back through space and strike him instead.
Being unable to counterattack was unacceptable. Therefore, he had to remain calm while searching for a flaw in this spatial technique.
As an old-generation Otsutsuki and former guardian of Otsutsuki Kaguya, his combat ability was far beyond what someone like Urashiki could compare to.
He observed very carefully. Even while being suppressed so badly by Natsuhiko, he still devoted enough attention to probing.
Gradually, he began to perceive the threads of this space. Since he already possessed strong spatial control himself, he could detect the clues even while being beaten down.
Natsuhiko's technique essentially used his eyes to resonate with space, then turned the entire space into his private property.
The simplest and most brutal way to resolve the current situation was to directly break this space.
But right now, he could not do so. Natsuhiko had been guarding against that move the entire time. Those relentless, non-stop attacks were precisely meant to prevent him from breaking free.
Furthermore, the power required to shatter space was enormous. Even the powerful Otsutsuki Isshiki was unwilling to do so lightly.
Therefore, his only remaining option was a more technical approach—destroying the chakra belonging to Natsuhiko that was hidden within the space.
Since Natsuhiko used that chakra to resonate with space, destroying the resonance would naturally break the current cage.
Isshiki's gaze sharpened. Suddenly, he clenched both hands. The black rod formed from Yin-Yang Release in his hands vanished.
Not only that, the terrifying chakra aura around his entire body rapidly disappeared until not even a trace could be sensed.
He even slowly closed his eyes and simply hovered quietly in midair, making no attempt to defend.
Even when attacks from all directions came toward him, he showed no reaction whatsoever.
In the next moment, spatial fluctuations appeared on his body. The instant the "Natsuhikos" were about to strike him, his chakra aura had completely vanished.
If one closed their eyes, they would not be able to sense his existence at all. He had perfectly merged with his surroundings.
Natsuhiko's attacks arrived as expected, but a strange scene unfolded.
All the attacks heading toward him twisted the moment they were about to hit his body, causing them to pass right beside him.
The terrifying power streams, deflected and redirected, crashed into the ground below with thunderous roars.
Seeing this, Natsuhiko's expression changed slightly. He knew his technique had been broken.
Every ninjutsu had its weaknesses. True perfection was impossible.
The words of Uchiha Itachi suddenly surfaced in Natsuhiko's mind. Although he did not particularly like that kid, he had to admit the words were correct.
Natsuhiko's control over space had its own weaknesses, and there were quite a few of them. The most fatal was the burden on his own body.
The second was someone seeing through his technique and countering it to the point of complete neutralization.
What Otsutsuki Isshiki had done was see through the technique and then control it.
This outcome was difficult for Natsuhiko to accept, especially since he was already nearing his limit.
Still, he did not give up. He continued fighting to regain control over space. He knew this was his last chance. If he failed, he would have no choice but to run.
"I have to say, you really are impressive."
At that moment, Otsutsuki Isshiki spoke.
His voice sounded somewhat tired. Blocking Natsuhiko's relentless attacks while also searching for the flaw in the technique had not been easy for him.
Now that Natsuhiko was still stubbornly resisting and trying to seize back control of space, Isshiki naturally had to resist as well.
But in his view, everything was already over. Dealing with Natsuhiko in his current weakened state was only a matter of time.
"Pushing me to this extent with your level of strength makes you the first to ever do so.
Even the top experts within the clan could not achieve this. If you had fully descended, you would have had a real chance of defeating me.
I don't know why you chose not to descend—perhaps this body's will is resisting you, or perhaps you simply cannot do it.
But none of that matters anymore. Because you're already dead, Kaguya."
As he spoke, Isshiki's eyes flashed. His right eye—yellow with eight spokes in the center—suddenly erupted with violent chakra.
In an instant, extremely dense black cubes appeared throughout the entire space.
The moment these cubes manifested, Natsuhiko felt his chakra circulation become extremely sluggish.
Not only that, even his perception began to malfunction.
Isshiki had used this technique before, but Natsuhiko had simply transferred it away through space. Now he had no choice but to face it directly.
"It's over, Kaguya."
Isshiki's expression turned cruel. He slightly raised his right hand, and the black cubes immediately emitted red light.
"Pay the price for what you did back then. Do you know how long I've waited for this moment? Over a thousand years.
If you hadn't come out this time, I might not have had this chance. But now, you must die!"
"That's not necessarily true."
Watching the black cubes moving toward him, Natsuhiko took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
The situation was indeed extremely critical, but Natsuhiko had no intention of giving up.
Although he did not know why Hagoromo and Hamura had yet to appear, he knew that in desperate times, it was better to rely on himself than on others.
For some reason, this battle had strangely ignited a sense of excitement within him. It felt as though his very soul enjoyed this kind of fight.
Still, he remained rational. While he wanted to test himself further, he was also prepared to retreat at any moment.
What he needed to do now was squeeze out every last bit of his potential and see just how far he could go.
With that thought, the deep blue in Natsuhiko's eyes flickered rapidly. He raised his right hand high.
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, a beam of light descended from the sky and accurately landed on Natsuhiko's body.
This was the power of the Tenseigan. Although this power had never been particularly compatible with him, at this critical moment, it could definitely help.
As expected, with the descent of this light, Natsuhiko's overall fatigue eased slightly.
Moreover, he felt something very special.
The light rapidly flowed into every part of his body. It did not even require him to change his chakra circulation pattern—the power simply integrated itself completely.
"What is this…?"
Natsuhiko wondered. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation. Along with the arrival of this power, he felt his eyes becoming abnormally hot.
He had experienced this sensation before. He knew it was the prelude to his eyes evolving.
"Damn it, why now of all times?"
Not only that, the power also rapidly permeated every direction within his body and was ultimately absorbed by his system.
This left Natsuhiko somewhat stunned. Especially when the system interface suddenly appeared on his retina without warning, he felt dizzy.
...
Name: Senju Natsuhiko
Gender: Male
Birthday: Konoha Year 34, March 24
Level: Kage-level (System evaluation without using any abilities) (Chakra reserves abnormally vast)
Dōjutsu: Jōgan (Third Stage)
Bloodline Development: Advanced (Senju Secret Arts, Intermediate Yang Release Secret Arts), Kekkei Tōta (Unnamed), Second Kekkei Tōta (Unnamed), Advanced Shikotsumyaku, Intermediate Yin Release Secret Arts, Yin-Yang Release (Can improve alongside Yin and Yang Release)
Jinchūriki: Nine-Tails (Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Six-Tails, Eight-Tails) (Advanced)
Seed: None
Fruit: Origin Power, Ultimate Byakugan Power
Mission: Become the True Big Boss of the Shinobi World (Unique) (100%), Ten-Tails Jinchūriki (Optional) (Already possesses Nine-Tails, Eight-Tails, Six-Tails, Three-Tails. Mutual fusion progress 50%, Overall fusion progress not activated)
...
Completed?
The two seeds he had been waiting for had finally been completed. Not only that, his eyes had also completed their evolution?
This situation left Natsuhiko completely unsure of what to do. He should probably be happy—after all, the things he had been anticipating had finally arrived. How could he not be happy?
But right now, he also felt somewhat suffocated. Because once his eyes completed their evolution, they would enter a recovery period.
He had essentially lost the possibility of continuing to fight Otsutsuki Urashiki. The only thing he could do was run away immediately.
He felt frustrated. Why couldn't these powers have completed earlier? Then he wouldn't be in such a sorry state.
But sometimes, things simply did not go as one wished.
Besides, he understood that without such a fierce battle, his eyes' proficiency would not have increased so quickly.
And because of this great battle, his body had been developed more thoroughly, allowing him to better absorb the Tenseigan's chakra. That was what allowed these seeds to complete their transformation in an instant.
"It seems even the heavens want me to retreat?"
Natsuhiko thought. Since things had reached this point, he had no better options.
A gentleman's revenge could wait ten years. Although Natsuhiko preferred to settle scores immediately, the current situation did not allow it. He had no choice.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Natsuhiko looked around strangely. He noticed that everything around him seemed to have been frozen.
Otsutsuki Isshiki remained in his previous posture. The red light on the surrounding black cubes was still dazzling.
But now they stood like sculptures, completely motionless.
Not only that, even the smoke and dust in the sky seemed frozen. It felt as though time itself had been locked.
"It seems I acted too early. You haven't reached your limit yet."
Just as Natsuhiko was marveling at the changes around him, a voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. Natsuhiko immediately understood what was happening.
"Not too late. If you two hadn't come, I really might have run."
Natsuhiko spoke slowly. As he spoke, he slowly turned around.
Behind him, two elderly men dressed in white were quietly floating in the air.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura. Natsuhiko did not even need to look to know it was these two who had arrived.
Given the current situation, only these two had the ability to do something like this.
The moment he saw them, Natsuhiko felt a slight sense of relief. At least for now, he was safe.
These two were the most terrifying people in the shinobi world. Whether in strength or in thinking ability, they stood at the very top.
If they had remained in the shinobi world, Natsuhiko was certain that even if these Otsutsuki arrived, it would not have mattered.
But they had chosen to nurture the shinobi world instead. Although their methods were somewhat cruel, the overall results had been quite good.
Facing these two, even though Natsuhiko's heart was filled with dissatisfaction and his tone was not particularly polite, he still remained very restrained.
"Regardless, thank you both for saving me."
"Child, I can sense the dissatisfaction in your heart. Perhaps from your perspective, our actions are indeed hard to accept."
Hagoromo did not mind Natsuhiko's small attitude. His tone was peaceful and slow, even carrying a kind feeling.
He did not specify which of his actions Natsuhiko was dissatisfied with—perhaps his handling of the shinobi world, or perhaps the fact that he had only appeared now.
But clearly, he did not care about these things. A smile even appeared on his face.
"Besides, you've also gained unimaginable benefits, haven't you?
I can sense it—your bloodline is boiling, and your eyes have completed their final evolution. Everything about you is developing in a positive direction.
Things must be viewed from both sides. We cannot focus only on the present. We should look toward the future.
I believe you understand this. Otherwise, you wouldn't have implemented so many measures in your village that benefit the entire shinobi world."
Hagoromo paused there. Natsuhiko also nodded slightly.
He had to admit that Hagoromo's words aligned with some of his own thoughts. Preparing for danger in times of peace and focusing on the future had always been deeply ingrained in Natsuhiko's soul.
Therefore, he had to acknowledge that Hagoromo was correct, even if he was currently feeling extremely frustrated.
"Then, what happens next?"
With that thought, Natsuhiko shook his head slightly and sighed.
"Since you two have appeared, does that mean I can finally rest properly? With you here, I don't need to keep messing around with everything."
"No. The next stage is still your main stage."
Hamura spoke this time. His expression was as kind and calm as the last time they met.
"The shinobi world is your shinobi world. It belongs to you shinobi.
We who have already entered the river of history will not easily appear again if it means breaking the laws of nature.
Moreover, we believe in you. We believe you can handle everything. Don't you have confidence in yourself?"
"You're planning to have me continue facing this Otsutsuki Isshiki?"
Natsuhiko frowned. He suddenly wondered if these two had gone senile. How could he possibly face that man in his current condition?
"Not just him. It's every possible Otsutsuki that might come to the shinobi world in the future."
Hagoromo shook his head slightly and smiled.
"The shinobi world is your shinobi world. Hamura has already said it— the future still depends on you.
As for this man, you can deal with him easily. You only need to wait until you've fully completed your transformation."
Completed his transformation?
Natsuhiko was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. Then he seemed to understand something.
"You mean…"
"Correct. Time here is stopped relative to the outside world.
You can complete all the transformations you need here. Once your transformation is complete, that will be the moment you make your move against him!
Don't disappoint us, child."
At this point, Natsuhiko understood exactly what these two meant.
They intended for him to use this time-frozen period to properly improve his strength.
For them, time had become something they could manipulate at will—similar in some ways to how he controlled space.
However, his control over space still relied on his Jōgan, while their control over space and time was likely something they had comprehended on their own.
This was an essential difference from Natsuhiko, and it was something he greatly envied. It was also the path he would walk in the future.
Although Natsuhiko sighed internally, he still nodded seriously.
"I understand. I'll do it as quickly as possible. Where are you two going? Are you leaving here?"
"Of course we're leaving. After all, we truly no longer belong to the shinobi world."
Hagoromo revealed an even brighter smile. Both his and Hamura's figures began to distort slightly.
Clearly, spatial power was at work, yet strangely, Natsuhiko could not sense any spatial fluctuations at all.
People like this had probably already completely fused spatial power with themselves.
"The future of the shinobi world belongs to you, to all living beings of the shinobi world. You are the ones who will shape the future.
Work hard, child. Believe in yourself, and believe in the entire shinobi world!"
As their words fell, Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura completely disappeared from sight.
Their words were few, but Natsuhiko could feel the expectation within them, along with a very subtle warning.
Both of them had repeatedly emphasized one concept: the shinobi world did not belong only to him, but to all living beings of the shinobi world.
Clearly, these two were expressing their dissatisfaction with Natsuhiko's current actions.
After all, the last time they met, Hamura had already spoken to him and expressed many of his views and expectations for the shinobi world's future.
But this time, Natsuhiko had still proactively provoked an Otsutsuki and had turned the entire Land of Rivers into its current state.
This was something no one could easily accept.
However, Natsuhiko did not care about these matters right now. He could tell that although these two were slightly dissatisfied, they were not overly fixated on it.
Since that was the case, why should he continue to dwell on it?
With that thought, Natsuhiko simply focused his gaze on himself, particularly on the two powers that had just been condensed.
He did not know what these two powers truly meant, but he was very clear that they were powers capable of bringing him tremendous transformation.
He slightly extended his hand. In an instant, a milky-white orb of light and a gray orb of light appeared in his palms.
These two orbs emitted strange pulsations. The pulsations made Natsuhiko feel as though his bloodline itself was becoming increasingly active.
After pondering for a moment, Natsuhiko first merged the milky-white orb into his body.
In an instant, the milky-white orb directly entered Natsuhiko's eyes. Clearly, this was the Ultimate Byakugan Power.
When this power entered his eyes, Natsuhiko felt as though his eyes and his entire being had become even more harmonious.
The Jōgan was indeed unique to him, but there had always been one crucial problem: the power of his Jōgan had been extracted from the Byakugan.
Power extracted from elsewhere had entered Natsuhiko's body. Moreover, as a descendant of the Senju clan, he should not have possessed such a dōjutsu to begin with.
No matter how strong the system's power was, there would always be some issues with compatibility. After all, this power was not originally his.
But this Ultimate Byakugan Power had modified the areas where compatibility with Natsuhiko's body was problematic and made these eyes even more suited to him.
This change represented a tremendous improvement for Natsuhiko. As this power continued to integrate, he felt his control over his eyes growing stronger and stronger.
Even though his eyes had only just completed their evolution, at this moment he felt that these eyes were perfectly in tune with him.
He barely needed any adaptation period. He felt he could already fully master the power of these eyes.
"This feeling is truly wonderful… and also far too unbelievable!"
Natsuhiko quietly savored the sensation. Although he knew that fully and meticulously releasing the power of these eyes would still require a great deal of training.
But Natsuhiko believed that with his current level of control over these eyes, there would be no problems.
He slightly raised his head and looked at Otsutsuki Isshiki, who was still frozen in midair. Suddenly, a wicked thought was born in his mind.
Since this man had already been restrained by the power of the Six Paths Sage, why not take this opportunity to kill him directly?
However, the thought had barely surfaced before he shook his head and abandoned it.
He was not a good person. He would not feel that taking advantage of someone's vulnerability was inappropriate.
But after being suppressed so badly by this man earlier, he naturally had other thoughts.
If he could fight this man to such an extent with his previous strength, then after completing his transformation and having enough time to adapt to these powers, how could he possibly fail to deal with him?
With that thought, Natsuhiko's desire to act immediately faded somewhat, though it did not completely disappear.
He still needed to make a judgment based on his final improvement. He was a rational person and would never abandon his advantage for some vague impulse.
Shaking his head lightly, Natsuhiko turned his gaze to the other fruit.
This power was the Origin Power. According to Natsuhiko, it should be the original power of an Otsutsuki.
Natsuhiko was genuinely curious what kind of effect an Otsutsuki's Origin Power would produce. Could it help him condense a Kekkei Mōra?
If so, Natsuhiko would be extremely happy.
But even if it did not, he knew he should not be too disappointed. After all, no one could say for certain what the true use of this power was.
Once the intense sensation in his eyes had subsided, Natsuhiko unhesitatingly merged this power into his body as well.
In an instant, Natsuhiko felt the power within his body begin to churn violently. This was something he had not anticipated.
This churning made his entire body feel extremely uncomfortable. He felt as though the power inside him had become a raging flame that was constantly burning him.
He could clearly feel that every type of chakra attribute within his body was beginning to melt—even his senjutsu chakra was no exception.
These chakra were immensely vast. Their ignition caused Natsuhiko tremendous pain. Yet at the same time as the pain, he also noticed something.
"These chakra are being completely refined and recast, ultimately adapting to the current me… or even to a higher level of Otsutsuki power?"
Although the refining and recasting of these chakra was extremely torturous, this recasting also showed Natsuhiko its necessity.
Natsuhiko had never obtained higher-level chakra seeds. Perhaps advanced-level chakra seeds were already the limit for the shinobi world.
Using such power had not caused him many problems. But as he continued to improve, everything would no longer be so simple.
This recasting was beneficial for Natsuhiko. It could greatly increase the potential of his power.
At the same time, Natsuhiko also encountered another problem—the same issue he had with his eyes.
All of his power came from seeds. Although these powers now completely belonged to him, some of them were not originally born from within himself.
With the help of the Origin Power, these powers were being thoroughly refined and adapted to Natsuhiko's body.
This refining was also refining Natsuhiko's own body, because the burning of chakra was not only burning the chakra itself.
It was also burning and tempering Natsuhiko's body.
"Although this feeling is extremely unpleasant, it is still a tremendous improvement no matter how you look at it. All I can do right now is endure."
Natsuhiko gritted his teeth and endured. The process was extremely painful—perhaps the most painful thing Natsuhiko had ever experienced.
Even when he had used the "fragment of Ashura's power" back then, it had not been this intensely painful.
To prevent himself from passing out from the pain, Natsuhiko knew he had to do something.
With that thought, his mind focused on the only mission he had possessed since obtaining the system.
The sudden completion of this mission was something Natsuhiko had truly not expected.
Because even he did not know how this mission had been counted as completed.
Could it be because his battle with Otsutsuki Isshiki had drawn the attention of Hagoromo and Hamura?
Regardless of how the mission had been completed, Natsuhiko knew that the most important thing right now was claiming the mission reward.
Natsuhiko was genuinely curious what kind of reward this mission, which had accompanied him for over twenty years, would be, and what he could obtain from it.
With that thought, Natsuhiko unhesitatingly selected the "Complete Mission" option.
At that moment, a vast amount of information began flooding into Natsuhiko's mind.
In that instant, Natsuhiko seemed to understand what these things were.
This information recorded the life experiences and insights of certain individuals, including Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Hamura.
This information was an invaluable treasure that would drive countless people mad.
At that moment, Natsuhiko seemed to forget the pain. He forgot everything else.
He was completely immersed in the sea of information within his mind, immersed in these endless insights.
Time seemed to lose all meaning. Natsuhiko could no longer feel its passage.
The sensation of pain had already disappeared from his body. As he continued to gain insights, strange changes began to appear in his body as well.
The powers that had been fermenting within his body began to emit an unprecedented charm.
They continuously intermingled, intertwined, and even began to fuse.
Unfortunately, Natsuhiko did not notice any of this. He remained focused on comprehending the experiences and insights of the Six Paths Sage brothers.
As he continued to delve deeper, a strange sense of vicissitude appeared on his body. The connection between time and space continuously intertwined within him.
He did not know how much time had passed. Suddenly, Natsuhiko snapped his eyes open. The deep blue light within them was still dazzling.
But at this moment, that light appeared somewhat restrained, yet even more captivating.
It seemed that if one looked closely, their soul would melt into this brilliant deep blue.
"This feeling… is truly wondrous."
Natsuhiko murmured to himself. His current sensation was extremely peculiar. It felt as though he could vaguely understand the world around him.
Even many things in the world around him seemed to be faintly within his grasp.
He knew that much of this feeling came from the Six Paths Sage brothers.
But he had to admit that through their experiences and insights, Natsuhiko had also converted a portion of it into his own power.
Although the conversion was not much, Natsuhiko believed that with the passage of time, he would definitely obtain more and master more.
"Besides that, it seems I've also obtained what I wanted."
He slightly lowered his head and felt the changes in his body. Suddenly, he seemed somewhat surprised.
At this moment, the power within his body had completely fused together. There was no longer any distinction between them.
Whether it was the five basic chakra natures or Yin-Yang Release, it was all the same.
Even senjutsu had now perfectly and tightly integrated with Natsuhiko's chakra. This ultimate power had been completely mastered by him.
Natsuhiko had never expected that he would obtain all of this power in such a manner. It left him somewhat speechless.
But no matter how speechless he felt, Natsuhiko also knew that he had now completely stood at the summit.
The taste of power was so sweet, and so desirable.
"However, after obtaining power, one must also possess a mindset that matches that power. Otherwise, one will eventually become a slave to power. That is something I will absolutely not allow!"
Controlling power and being controlled by power were two completely different things. Natsuhiko was a domineering person, but he was also a reasonable one.
He knew very well what kind of ending awaited those who were controlled by power.
Only by mastering power, only by dominating these powers, only by being the master of these powers would he not lose himself.
His gaze shifted slightly. Soon, Natsuhiko locked onto Otsutsuki Isshiki, who was still isolated by time.
Previously, Natsuhiko had thought Hagoromo had frozen the time of the entire world. But clearly, he had been wrong.
After absorbing so many insights and information, Natsuhiko understood that what Hagoromo had done was alter the flow of time in the area around him.
He had allowed Natsuhiko to experience an extremely long period of time within a specific temporal domain.
Although this did not seem as impressive as freezing the entire world, achieving this was still incredibly difficult.
At the very least, Natsuhiko felt that he could not do it at present.
"However… the power of time…"
A slight smile appeared on Natsuhiko's lips. In the next moment, the time around him suddenly changed. In an instant, the flow of time had once again synchronized with the outside world.
The evolution of the second stage of his eyes had granted him the ability to control space, while the third stage had granted him the ability to manipulate time.
Even though he had not trained it at all, these eyes were his—completely and utterly his from the inside out.
Combined with the insights of the Six Paths Sage brothers, he could also relatively easily control and break certain temporal trajectories.
The temporal domain was broken. The frozen time began moving once more. What rushed toward him was the frenzied Otsutsuki Isshiki.
And the massive black cube emitting red chakra light that was smashing toward him.
"No feeling of chakra being sealed. No feeling of perception being restricted. It seems everything has returned to normal."
Natsuhiko thought. In the next moment, nine Truth-Seeking Orbs suddenly appeared behind him.
He had not activated Jōgan chakra mode, but the third stage of the Jōgan already allowed him to easily control Truth-Seeking Orbs.
Moreover, his bloodline had already reached its absolute peak. He believed that even without relying on the Tenseigan, he could condense his own Truth-Seeking Orbs.
But right now, he had no need to do so. His most important task was dealing with the trouble before him.
Under Natsuhiko's control, the nine Truth-Seeking Orbs were instantly coated in a layer of deep blue chakra before shooting out in all directions like cannonballs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, ear-piercing explosions continuously rang out in midair.
The black cubes summoned by Otsutsuki Isshiki were as fragile as tofu under the attacks of the Truth-Seeking Orbs.
Black fragments continuously rained down onto the ground. Some even turned directly into powder, scattered by the chakra-formed gale.
Natsuhiko stood quietly in place. Everything he had done seemed effortless. Yet this attitude completely stunned Otsutsuki Isshiki.
He could not understand what was happening at all. Nor could he comprehend how the man who had seemed so helpless just moments ago could suddenly erupt with such terrifying power.
For Otsutsuki Isshiki, all of these changes had occurred in the blink of an eye. After that instant, he was shocked to discover that everything seemed to have changed.
The man before him had, in this moment, completely completed the transformation of his bloodline.
Just a second ago, this man's bloodline had already been extremely dense—only one step away from returning to the embrace of the Otsutsuki.
But that single step was like a heavenly chasm. Almost no one could truly cross it.
Yet Kaguya's vessel had done it. Whether it was through some method Kaguya had used or because the vessel itself possessed sufficient capacity, everything was already beyond belief.
Especially when he sensed the dense Kekkei Mōra power emanating from this man, he knew the level of trouble had far exceeded his imagination.
This kid had already been troublesome enough before. Now, he could only be described as even more terrifying.
"You…"
Isshiki opened his mouth, but for a moment he did not know what to say.
"Surprised? Surprised by my current condition?"
Natsuhiko looked at Isshiki's expression and immediately guessed what he was thinking.
"What exactly is going on with you? Why… why are you…"
Isshiki's expression turned somewhat ferocious. He stared fixedly at Natsuhiko because he truly could not understand any of this.
"Actually, there's something you've been wrong about from the very beginning."
Natsuhiko spoke calmly. He slightly raised his hand. The nine Truth-Seeking Orbs had already returned to his side, and one of them quietly landed in his palm.
This Truth-Seeking Orb was extremely obedient in Natsuhiko's hand. Through the stimulation of chakra, it rapidly transformed into a ninja blade.
Gripping the blade in his hand, the deep blue in Natsuhiko's eyes flickered once more. A vast torrent of chakra completely enveloped him.
At that moment, Natsuhiko clearly felt the immense power of life and destruction intertwining as it madly spread throughout his body.
Space itself seemed to tremble under the fluctuations of this power. Immediately afterward, a beam of light shot straight into the sky from his body.
This was a light formed from chakra. The beam transformed into a pillar of light that pierced through the clouds, carrying an aura that seemed to tear through the sky as it surged upward. Its power seemed capable of splitting the world itself.
The dark clouds in the sky were scattered by this power. The sun's radiance finally shone through the clouds and fell directly upon Natsuhiko.
Bathed in sunlight, Natsuhiko looked sacred at that moment.
The trembling of space grew increasingly intense. But now it was not the trembling of collapse—it was another form of vibration, as though cheering and rejoicing.
From the distant horizon came the faint sound of singing. The song was ethereal and hard to trace, yet it was undeniably real.
Whether it was caused by the friction between chakra and air or whether the heavens and earth themselves were praising Natsuhiko's breakthrough at this moment, no one knew.
The deep blue chakra wrapping around his body gradually grew dimmer. Sacred and vast energy began surging within him.
The God Robe of the Hokage that had been on his body slowly disappeared, replaced by a snow-white long robe that carried an indescribable immortal aura.
His short silver hair rapidly grew at that moment, eventually becoming long flowing hair that fluttered behind him.
"So this is the so-called Otsutsuki mode… or rather, the Six Paths Sage mode?"
Natsuhiko thought. He knew he had activated the third stage of his Jōgan chakra mode.
But at this moment, his bloodline and his strength had completely surpassed their limits, causing his chakra mode to undergo a qualitative change as well.
Gripping the ninja blade in his hand, Natsuhiko's gaze once again fell upon Otsutsuki Isshiki. Suddenly, a smile appeared on his lips.
"Actually, you've always thought I was Kaguya's vessel, haven't you?
But unfortunately, I am not. I am myself. My name is Senju Natsuhiko."
As he spoke, Natsuhiko slightly raised the ninja blade. Extreme chakra rippled across it.
Besides granting him complete Truth-Seeking Orbs and the power to control time, the third stage of the Jōgan had also granted him a technique adapted to the power of time.
"Otsutsuki Kaguya is still sealed right now. I am not her. But unfortunately, this world is my world. How could I allow anyone to act as they please?
Rest in peace, Otsutsuki Isshiki. I will remember you.
Divine: Void Severing Slash!"
---
Konoha Year 63. Natsuhiko stood quietly atop the Hokage Rock. His gaze fell upon the bustling streets of Konoha below. His expression was natural and serene.
Three years had passed in the blink of an eye. In truth, for the current him, time itself no longer held much meaning.
He had already mastered the power of time. This mastery had given him a better understanding of his own lifespan.
Although he knew that no matter how well he understood and mastered it, he would always lack one thing—insight gained between life and death.
However, Natsuhiko did not dwell on this defect. After all, he still possessed the insights and experiences obtained from the unique mission.
He had no need to deliberately throw himself into life-and-death crises just to pursue such things.
Besides, his current strength had already firmly established him at the very pinnacle of the shinobi world.
Three years ago, with a single swing of his Void Severing Slash, Otsutsuki Isshiki had not even been given the chance to leave behind a new Karma in this world.
He had been completely severed from the source of time by Natsuhiko, cutting off all possibility of life.
This battle had long since attracted more than enough attention. After all, causing such terrifying destruction in the Land of Rivers was difficult to ignore.
This attention had also put the entire shinobi world on alert. This was already the second time this Fifth Hokage had caused such a large-scale battle.
And this time seemed even more terrifying than before. Previously, the destruction had been limited to the area around Konoha Village and the range had not been particularly wide.
But this time, an entire country had been wiped out—not simply conquered, but essentially erased from the map.
Such a terrifying scene had naturally alerted every village except Kirigakure. They all wanted to understand what had happened.
But Natsuhiko had given them no answers. Hamura and Hagoromo had emphasized more than once that the shinobi world still needed tempering.
Natsuhiko's actions had indeed disrupted their plans. Since that was the case, Natsuhiko could not be bothered to continue playing along.
Although Uchiha Madara could no longer follow their arrangements, Natsuhiko still had Obito and Nagato who could cooperate well.
Three years ago, right after Natsuhiko eliminated Otsutsuki Isshiki, Nagato had quietly passed the intelligence to him. After that, they had begun their operations.
These actions had left many villages unable to cope. Their Jinchūriki lived in constant fear.
They could not figure out where these people had suddenly appeared from, nor did they understand the purpose behind capturing Tailed Beasts.
But these individuals had genuinely become public enemies of the shinobi world. The entire shinobi world had even begun trending toward unification because of them.
All of this was within Natsuhiko's plans. However, he no longer asked for the Tailed Beast chakra that Nagato had quietly brought back.
After eliminating Otsutsuki Isshiki, Natsuhiko had also obtained an unexpected harvest.
He had discovered that a living Ten-Tails had been hidden within one of Otsutsuki Isshiki's alternate dimensions.
This discovery had made Natsuhiko lose interest in obtaining the other Tailed Beasts' chakra. After all, all Tailed Beast chakra originally came from the Ten-Tails.
"However, this farce should also come to an end. Otsutsuki Momoshiki and Otsutsuki Kinshiki will arrive in the shinobi world soon."
Thinking this, Natsuhiko slightly raised his head and looked toward the sky. In an instant, the Tenseigan hidden within the moon resonated with him.
Through this resonance, he could clearly see many things within the cosmic galaxy.
The arrival of more Otsutsuki was indeed a good thing for Natsuhiko. Since the shinobi world could no longer rely on Otsutsuki Kaguya for tempering, it naturally needed new opponents.
These two would serve as those opponents. They were also extremely proud and arrogant individuals. Otherwise, in the original timeline, they would not have been defeated by Naruto and Sasuke after the latter had lost their external power.
With such personalities, combined with Natsuhiko working behind the scenes, he truly did not believe the shinobi world would fail to receive sufficient tempering.
"Hokage-sama."
At that moment, two voices suddenly sounded behind Natsuhiko. He did not even need to turn around to know that Sora and Renge had arrived.
The two of them walked up to his side. Before they could speak, Natsuhiko directly interrupted them.
"We're not in the office right now. There's no need to be so formal."
Natsuhiko smiled slightly before asking.
"Have the First Hokage, Second Hokage, and Uchiha Madara returned?"
"Yes, Natsuhiko."
Sora glanced at Renge before nodding with a smile.
Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Uchiha Madara currently spent most of their time on the moon.
Their research on Otsutsuki Urashiki had reached a very good stage. Additionally, on the moon they could properly train their Yin-Yang Release.
Therefore, aside from the time three years ago when Natsuhiko's summoning of Tenseigan power had alarmed them and caused them to rush down, they had basically remained up there.
According to them, the three of them were individuals who should not have existed in this world to begin with. Therefore, staying away from the public eye was only natural.
Although Natsuhiko found their reasoning somewhat amusing, he had not refused. Besides, traveling between the shinobi world and the moon was not difficult. They could do as they pleased.
Besides the three of them on the moon, Uzumaki Mito had also gone up. However, Mito still frequently returned to Konoha to help reinforce the barriers.
As for Sakumo Hatake and Rin Nohara, they had not chosen to leave. One was a member of Natsuhiko's Shadow Guard, while the other had become a backbone member of the Medical Department. They naturally would not leave easily.
Moreover, as time passed, Rin had grown up. At the very least, she no longer looked as awkward as before.
Natsuhiko was genuinely looking forward to seeing what kind of expression Obito would have when he saw her.
The revival of these two, along with Minato Namikaze's return and his position overseeing the Anbu, had the greatest impact on Kakashi.
After leaving the Anbu, Kakashi had begun to let loose. He now increasingly resembled his original-timeline self.
His students were Sasuke and Naruto. The only difference was that Sakura's position had been taken by Karin.
The three of them had developed very well. Although Kakashi appeared unreliable, his strength was far greater than in the original timeline.
Under his guidance, these three children—who did not carry as much deep-seated hatred and had received a good education—had all performed exceptionally well.
They were now all chūnin. If the jōnin exams were not so strictly controlled, they might have already become jōnin.
Aside from them, the other young shinobi had also developed in their own ways. It could be said that Konoha's future looked very bright.
The reason Hashirama and the other two had returned this time was very simple—Uchiha Madara could no longer tolerate the current situation.
He wanted to fully revive and reclaim his Rinnegan.
Natsuhiko had not stopped this. Three years ago, he had already spoken with Nagato and informed him that those Rinnegan did not belong to him.
At first, Nagato had not dared to believe it. But when Natsuhiko demonstrated his power in front of Nagato and told him many ancient truths, then specifically gave him one or two years to calm down, Nagato had finally let go of his grudge. After all, for him, peace was the most important thing.
Uchiha Madara's return now to revive and reclaim his Rinnegan could be said to be perfectly timed. Once he revived, it would be another good thing for Konoha.
Natsuhiko slightly raised his head and looked at the sun in the sky. The sun was very bright at this moment, hanging high in the heavens.
Just like Natsuhiko himself right now—standing proudly at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
Recalling his journey from crossing over, entering the Anbu, becoming Anbu Captain, Anbu Commander, and finally becoming Hokage.
Recalling how he had once been chased by others, then chased others in turn, until finally he could eliminate Otsutsuki.
The smile at the corner of his lips grew even brighter. He stretched lazily and suddenly asked in a somewhat lazy tone.
"Renge, Sora. Are you ready?"
Natsuhiko's voice was very gentle. It sounded natural and harmonious, as though one were bathing in a cool breeze.
"Ready to face the great change in the shinobi world? Ready to face the new era of the shinobi world?"
Upon hearing Natsuhiko's words, Sora and Renge instinctively looked at each other. Then, both of them smiled at the same time.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
...
TL/N: Thank you for reading Naruto: I'm Destined to Be Konoha's Fifth Hokage. I'm grateful you stayed with Natsuhiko's journey until the end. I understand the ending may not have met everyone's expectations, but I sincerely hope you enjoyed the story overall!