I, Konoha’s Sage of Life-Chapter 414: Kaguya — I, the Will of the Ōtsutsuki

Chapter 414: Chapter 414: Kaguya — I, the Will of the Ōtsutsuki
A violet radiance spread out from the Tenseigan behind him.
"Old man, I’d advise you not to gamble away the last bit of your life like this. That thing can’t kill me, and I have no hostile intentions. At the very least... the damage you inflicted by tearing each other apart is far greater than anything I alone could do."
Kyoichi glanced around.
Devastation everywhere.
The Moon, having just endured a massive battle, was now riddled with craters and scars. Even the palace bore unrepaired damage—
The old man no longer had the strength to restore it.
In truth, he was barely clinging to life. If he hadn’t been so close, Kyoichi wouldn’t have sensed his presence at all—he would only have detected Toneri near the Tenseigan.
If Kyoichi had truly overlooked him, he would have paid a steep price just now.
Of course...
Given the old man’s condition, at most he could manage a single sneak attack. He simply didn’t have the power left to take a life.
"The Rinnegan... isn’t yours, is it?"
Standing beside the Tenseigan, the old man’s perception seemed to recover somewhat. As a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan—
Even as part of the branch family, he could, with the aid of the Tenseigan, sense things far beyond ordinary beings.
"You carry only a faint trace of Ōtsutsuki blood. You couldn’t possibly awaken the Rinnegan, and it doesn’t harmonize with your body."
The old man spoke calmly.
Though he was drawing more breath in than out, his mind was still clear. And at that moment, a peculiar chakra seemed to be surging within the Tenseigan.
Kyoichi flicked his gaze toward it, instantly understanding the man’s intent.
He wanted to die together with him.
"I’d advise you not to act rashly. You know I possess a space–time ninjutsu that allows instant movement. Even if you self-destruct the Tenseigan, you wouldn’t pose a threat to me. Instead, you’d be killing the last remaining descendant of your clan."
"Ah..." The old man hesitated, then said, "If the last of my clan is to be exploited by others, it would be better for him to die."
"That’s... fair enough."
Kyoichi nodded in agreement.
From those words, he could tell that despite all their madness, the Ōtsutsuki still clung to the belief of protecting the shinobi world—though the branch family and the main family interpreted that duty very differently.
The main family sought to protect the shinobi world and humanity.
The branch family, however, leaned toward destroying humanity and creating an entirely new world.
That ideological divide had led to this mutual annihilation—both sides wiped out.
A war with no victor.
Kyoichi sighed inwardly, then looked toward Toneri.
"Rest assured. I mean you no harm. In fact, I sensed disturbances here and borrowed a pair of eyes to come take a look. I never expected things to have turned out like this."
"Borrowed...?"
The old man was stunned.
The Rinnegan...
Could be borrowed?
You people in the shinobi world really play fast and loose!
He stood there dumbfounded for several seconds before asking, "Then the original owner of those Rinnegan—"
"They weren’t the original owner’s either. It’s a long story, but in short, a senior once created the Rinnegan and tried to use someone else to cast Rinne Rebirth and revive himself. In the end, it backfired."
Kyoichi explained.
The old man paused, then slowly nodded.
That was indeed possible.
He had seen records of Rinne Rebirth within the clan.
It was a resurrection technique tied to the Rinnegan, terrifying in one crucial aspect—
It could revive more than one person.
If that man’s plan had succeeded, the consequences would have been unimaginable. And by then, the Ōtsutsuki clan would no longer have had the strength to restrain such a threat.
At that thought, regret welled up in his heart.
If not for this internal conflict, perhaps they could have kept such enemies in check.
Still...
At least the plan had failed.
"Then you are...?"
"My name is Kanda Kyoichi. I’m barely considered a descendant of the Senju, and the Senju themselves descend from the Sage of Six Paths."
"I see. Our lineage... we descend from Hamura."
The old man introduced himself.
He believed that anyone who had reached the Moon must already understand the grudges and history of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
"Our lineage split into two factions..."
He went on at length, recounting the enmity between the branch and main families.
Speaking of such matters before an outsider wasn’t ideal. But at this moment, aside from him, only the infant Toneri remained—and the man before him was extraordinarily powerful.
To be honest...
Even at his peak, the old man doubted he could have won.
Kyoichi listened quietly.
After a long while, he, in turn, recounted everything that had happened in the shinobi world, sparing no detail.
The old man was stunned.
Though blind, Kyoichi could still sense the man’s regret and confusion.
Several seconds passed.
"The branch family... was wrong," the old man said bitterly.
He could tell Kyoichi wasn’t lying—what he described matched closely with what they had observed.
The branch family had advocated destroying the shinobi world and remaking it, but it seemed...
Life in the shinobi world wasn’t so bad after all.
Everything was now developing in an orderly, peaceful direction. Even if they interfered, they couldn’t improve it. And the sealed being was a creation of the Rinnegan’s original owner.
That made everything fall into place.
"Who can really say," Kyoichi replied.
"Toneri... I leave him to you."
The old man looked toward the child.
Kyoichi nodded gently.
Ōtsutsuki Toneri was undeniably a genius. If the Ōtsutsuki ever truly returned one day, Toneri would be an indispensable force.
The old man finally relaxed, slumping where he stood.
After a long while, he struggled to his feet and used his final strength to take the two Tenseigan into his hands.
"Like this, you can seal me together with them," he said.
Kyoichi nodded once more.
Bringing the Tenseigan back to the shinobi world would at least preserve them as a reserve of power. Leaving them on the Moon would only feed extraterrestrials.
Just as he was about to speak, a voice suddenly echoed by his ear.
"Child, your crisis is far from over."
A woman’s voice.
Kyoichi’s heart stirred.
There was only one woman here.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki... is that you?
He knew perfectly well, but feigned ignorance, looking around. At that moment, the old man—having removed the two Tenseigan—finally expired. Even Ōtsutsuki blood had its limits.
"Who’s there?"
"I am the will derived from the Ōtsutsuki clan—the final line of defense guarding the shinobi world. Child, the shinobi world now stands on the brink of crisis."
"Oh?"
"You possess the Rinnegan. You should know of the Gedo Statue. That thing’s true form is the God Tree—and the God Tree is not a product of this world... that was what Hamura said."
Kyoichi pondered briefly, then asked another question.
"And then?"
"Hamura-sama said that Ōtsutsuki Kaguya may still have companions—others of her kind. Those beings will descend upon the shinobi world at some point in the future because of the God Tree. Our clan guarded this place not only to protect the world, but also to watch the outside."
The woman spoke at length.
"I wish I could help you, but I am powerless."
"Gather the nine tailed beasts, and you will gain power that surpasses all..."
Her voice gradually weakened.
"It’s a pity that doing so would release you. Otherwise, obtaining the Ten-Tails’ power would indeed be enough to oppose them."
"Ah!!"