Chapter 85 (End of Chapter 85) (Part 4...)

Spring of the second year of the Imperial Peace Era.

The nation’s resources were tilted toward the research system led by Tobirama Senju on an unprecedented scale.

Inside the newly built "Tiangong Pavilion" deep within the palace, Tobirama Senju stood before a huge three-dimensional star map, watching the real-time updated resource flow chart, and gently tapped one of the ever-growing bands of light with his fingertip.

"Another 30% increase today," his deputy, Sunagakure's youngest engineering genius, reported softly, his voice filled with disbelief and shock.

Tobirama Senju did not turn around, his gaze still fixed on the star map: "His Majesty said that he would use the resources of the entire empire to pave the way for us."

This statement was made lightly, but only those who experienced it firsthand know its weight—ever since Yan Sheng forcibly unified the various forces at the conference, the entire empire's resource allocation has shown astonishing efficiency.

...

...

As the first rays of sunlight shone into the top-floor laboratory of the Tiangong Pavilion, the roar of large machinery could already be heard outside.

Several researchers selected from various regions are debugging newly arrived equipment, which comes from the top workshops of the original five great nations: the precision instruments of Sunagakure, the energy conduction devices of Kumogakure, the hydraulic forging machines of Kirigakure, the earth vein detectors of Iwagakure, the bioengineering equipment of Konoha, and so on.

"Report! Full-scale mining has begun on the chakra veins within Thunder City!"

"The first batch of black iron sent from Shuicheng has arrived at the port!"

"The sealing barrier at the border of Fire City has been completed, and we can begin high-risk experiments!"

Tobirama Senju strode through the corridor, where busy figures filled the laboratories on both sides. In the third laboratory, he stopped and watched as an elder from Sunagakure was debugging a new chakra conduction device.

"The energy loss rate has been reduced to three percent," the elder said without looking up, his fingers moving quickly among the complex runes. "We've replaced traditional chakra metals with meteorite iron, reducing costs by seventy percent."

Tobirama Senju nodded: "Continue to optimize. We need to complete the entire army's equipment replacement by the end of the year."

Continuing forward, a heated debate erupted from the fifth laboratory. A ninja from Kumogakure and a ninja from the Akimichi clan of Konoha were arguing over the formula for a new type of soldier ration pill.

"Adding lightning-attribute chakra conduction medium will overburden the soldiers!"

"But if we don't do it this way, we simply can't keep up with the energy consumption requirements of the new weapons!"

Tobirama Senju gently knocked on the doorframe: "Tani Akira, give your Expansion Technique data to Toukun for reference. Toukun, the plan to activate cell activity using Lightning Release needs to be re-evaluated."

The two then stopped arguing and began calculating the data.

This kind of cross-village cooperation, which was originally impossible, has now become the norm.

In the afternoon, Tobirama Senju arrived at the newest experimental field, a hundred meters underground. A practical test of space-time ninjutsu was being conducted there, and the surrounding walls were covered with a dense array of sealing techniques.

“The stability of the Flying Thunder God Mark has increased by forty percent.” A silver-haired boy, Tobirama Senju’s newest disciple, was recording data. “However, the problem of energy dissipation still needs to be solved for large-scale teleportation.”

Tobirama Senju carefully observed the data on spatial fluctuations: "Let's try using Yin-Yang Release as a buffer layer."

The Yin-Yang Escape technique was proposed by Yan Sheng.

"We've already tried it, but it requires a special physique from the Uzumaki clan to withstand it."

“Then develop a version that doesn’t require special physical abilities.” Tobirama Senju’s tone left no room for argument. “Resources will be plentiful. Just report what you need.”

As evening fell, the latest resource allocation table was delivered to Tobirama Senju. He quickly scanned the numbers on it:

Special metals: 10,000 tons per month

Rare medicinal materials: Varies, depending on the situation

Experimental Tailed Beast Chakra: Available at any time (mainly used for fusing Yin-Yang Release, something that neither Hashirama Senju nor Madara Uchiha could obtain; frankly, they didn't have it, not because they lacked the ability. However, it wasn't entirely unusable for them; they needed to cooperate to "create" Yin-Yang Release, but what they had on hand was far more convenient than "extracting" it from Tailed Beasts).

......

Behind these data lies the full support of the entire empire under Yan Sheng's iron-fisted rule. People who were once enemies are now forced to share their technological secrets for survival.

"Teacher, is such an investment really worthwhile?" the silver-haired disciple asked softly. "Many ministers are complaining that resources are being consumed too quickly."

Tobirama Senju looked out the window at the massive defensive fortifications under construction: "When the enemy comes from outer space, our only way to survive is to advance at all costs."

Night falls.

Tobirama Senju stood on the observation platform at the top of the Tenko-kaku (Heavenly Craft Pavilion), looking down at the brightly lit laboratories. Every second, new breakthroughs were being made here, yet he couldn't control his anxiety.

Summer of the second year of the Imperial Peace Era.

Inside a massive training ground built within the imperial palace, Yan Sheng was instructing the first batch of three hundred carefully selected elites. These promising talents from various regions and families were all holding their breath, awaiting the emperor's personal guidance.

"Today I will teach you a breathing technique." Yan Sheng's voice echoed in the empty training ground. "This is not a ninjutsu; let's just call it a taijutsu."

The reason he taught the breathing technique is related to Black Zetsu's true identity: Black Zetsu is essentially a creation of Kaguya Otsutsuki's will, and its form of existence is similar to Kaguya's.

Conventional ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu have limited effects on him, but breathing techniques are different. Although the principle is unclear, it has been proven that Black Zetsu is indeed afraid of his techniques that are integrated with breathing techniques.

“The Otsutsuki are different from the conventional opponents you’ve faced and are familiar with.” Yan Sheng’s gaze swept over everyone present. “Any technique will have limited effect on them.”

“Because the Otsutsuki clan’s power system is completely different from ours.” Yan Sheng raised his hand, a swirling ball of chakra appearing in his palm. “Ninjutsu is based on the transformation of chakra's form and nature, but breathing techniques…”

He took a deep breath, and the air in the entire training ground seemed to flow. Everyone present felt a strange resonance, as if the whole world was pulsating with the emperor's breath.

“Breathing techniques are directly connected to life itself.” Yan Sheng began to demonstrate. “Watch closely.”

His breathing rhythm suddenly changed, and a faint glow appeared around him. This was not the light of chakra, but a manifestation of a more fundamental life energy.

“Conventional ninjutsu works like this.” Yan Sheng casually formed hand seals, unleashing a Great Fireball Technique that slammed into a specially made target, leaving charred marks. “And the breathing technique…”

He took another deep breath, this time without forming any hand seals. He simply touched the target lightly with his hand, and the next second, the target split in two, the cut surface as smooth as a mirror.

"This is impossible!" the young man from the Hyuga clan exclaimed in shock. "You only touched it, there was almost no chakra flow, and you didn't use any 'force'!"

“First, I used ‘force.’ Second, it was precisely because there was no chakra flow that I was able to inflict effective damage on the Otsutsuki,” Yan Sheng explained. “The Otsutsuki can absorb chakra, but they cannot absorb the power of life origin.”

He began to explain the principles of breathing techniques in detail:

"The core of breathing techniques lies in rhythm. Everyone needs to find the breathing rhythm that suits them best, so that every cell in their body is in sync with the pulse of the world."

Soon, various breathing sounds of attempts filled the training ground, but most of them were chaotic and disorderly.

"Stop." Yan Sheng's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a cool spring, instantly extinguishing all the chaotic breathing in the training ground and making everyone stop.

He looked around at the elites selected from various clans, his gaze finally settling on an Uchiha clansman who was breathing heavily.

“That’s not how it works.” Yan Sheng walked up to him. “Breathing techniques are not simply about deep breathing; they are about using breathing to drive the flow of energy throughout the body.”

He gazed into the eyes of his younger clansman, which were slightly red from exertion, and softened his voice: "Your breathing is too rapid. Use something you are most familiar with as an example, imagine it as calm and powerful, like a volcano about to erupt."

Fire...? The Uchiha ninja froze, then a flash of understanding crossed his eyes. He closed his eyes, trying to regulate his breathing, the rise and fall of his chest gradually becoming deep and rhythmic.

He is a member of the Uchiha clan, a clansman who shares the same bloodline as His Majesty. He absolutely cannot embarrass His Majesty at such a crucial moment!

A faint, warm chakra began to flow through his meridians with his breath. Although it was still very raw, he had already grasped the basics.

Yan Sheng nodded slightly, then turned to another ninja from Kirigakure. This man's breathing was long and even, but lacked variation, like stagnant water.

"Your words... come from Kirigakure?" Yan Sheng's voice roused him from his daze. "Imagine your breath as the tide, rising and falling, continuous and unbroken. Your inner strength should surge with this rhythm, rather than remain stagnant."

The Hidden Mist ninja suddenly realized what was happening and immediately tried to adjust his breathing, which began to take on a unique rhythm.

For the entire morning, Yan Sheng moved among these carefully selected elites, patiently correcting everyone's breathing patterns.

This seemingly simplest and most basic training is far more difficult than any complex ninjutsu hand seals or taijutsu training. It requires practitioners to abandon years of chakra manipulation habits and pursue a more primal, life-giving rhythm of power. Many were already sweating, their mental exhaustion far surpassing their physical fatigue.

However, in the end, only a few people were able to even get close to the threshold.

Just as Yan Sheng was about to let everyone rest for a while, a soft, childish voice rang out from the edge of the training ground:

"Elder brother."

It was Yoriichi. He stood quietly to the side, as if blending into the background.

"Do you need me to demonstrate it to them?"

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating complex ripples in Yan Sheng's heart.

Looking into Yoriichi's clear, sincere eyes, an indescribable bitterness and jealousy, like vines buried deep in the ground, quietly coiled around his heart.

...

...

Not long ago, before deciding to pass on his breathing techniques, Yan Sheng's first student was Yoriichi. Even now, recalling that scene makes Yan Sheng feel a tightness in his chest.

He merely explained the basic principles of breathing techniques to Yoriichi—how to draw upon life energy through specific breathing rhythms, resonating it with the universe, thereby unleashing the full power of the body. Beyond that, he hadn't even had time to explain the key points and taboos of breathing techniques in detail; he had only just begun, yet Yoriichi's clear eyes already shone with a light of profound understanding.

The next moment, Yuan Zhou's aura suddenly changed. A natural, warm, and boundless life energy flowed naturally with his breathing, its rhythm flawless, as if he was born to breathe like this.

He even made several subtle adjustments without a teacher to make the flow of energy more efficient and more in line with his own characteristics.

Yan Sheng fell silent at that moment.

He stood before Yoriichi, looking at this eight-year-old child who had instantly reached a level in the realm of breathing techniques that many could not attain even after a lifetime of arduous training. That terrifying, despair-inducing talent was exactly the same as in his previous life, like a cruel mirror reflecting the chasm that he could never cross no matter how hard he tried.

The shadow that he had pursued his entire life in his previous life but could never reach, now loomed over him again in another form.

"Brother...?"

"Brother?"

Yoriichi's slightly puzzled call pulled Michiru back from that unpleasant memory. He came to his senses and found Yoriichi looking at him with concern.

Yan Sheng suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, his face remaining indifferent.

He didn't answer Yoriichi's question about whether a demonstration was needed, but instead slowly raised his hand. A scorching and powerful aura began to gather around him, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to heat up slightly.

Then, he unleashed a sword technique—the "Sun Breathing" technique, created by Yoriichi in his previous life.

The moves were wide and sweeping, and the intense heat waves swept across the entire training ground, as if a miniature sun had truly risen and danced there, its light dazzling and its heat oppressive.

Everyone present was mesmerized and awestruck by this unprecedented "swordsmanship" imbued with the power of the sun.

However, only Yan Sheng himself knew that the Sun Breathing he performed had the form but not the soul. He could imitate the trajectory of the moves and simulate the shape of the flames... but he could never replicate the essence of the Sun Breathing that originated from the depths of Yoriichi's soul.

Having delivered his final move, Yan Sheng exhaled and then withdrew from his stance.

Yoriichi's eyes were practically glowing at that moment, brighter and hotter than all the flames that Kokushi had simulated combined!

He watched it once, just once, and his body naturally memorized all the movements, instinctively adjusting his breathing to match them, as if these moves were already imprinted deep within his soul.

In his eyes, his elder brother was even more amazing! Because these moves were just perfect for him! So perfect that it was as if they were tailor-made for him! Every movement, every change of breath, made him feel incredibly comfortable and natural.

A tremendous, indescribable joy and sense of closeness filled Yoriichi's heart. He and his brother really got along well! They were brothers by nature, even without blood ties, they were closer than blood brothers.

Looking at Yoriichi's undisguised gaze filled with adoration and joy, Yan Sheng's complex emotions finally turned into a silent sigh.

He looked away, no longer gazing at the radiant little face, and addressed the entire audience calmly:

"Did you see that clearly? This is one form of applying breathing techniques in actual combat. Now, continue practicing."

In the following training sessions, some people gradually began to find their rhythm.

The first to break through was a ninja from Sunagakure, whose breathing suddenly became as sharp as a blade.

"Very good, this is the prototype of Breath of the Wind." Yan Sheng rarely gave such affirmation.

As time goes by, more and more people are beginning to grasp the essentials of breathing techniques.

—Unlike their previous lives, the ninjas now have a certain foundation.

Various colored breathing lights began to appear in the training ground. Although they were still very faint, they already showed infinite possibilities.

"Remember this feeling," Yan Sheng said at the end of the training. "When the Otsutsuki descend, this will be your most powerful weapon."

In a far corner of the universe, a planet covered in purple crystals floats silently.

This planet may seem ordinary, but its internal structure is extremely unique: it is composed of countless similar but independent dimensional spaces that are tightly stacked together like transparent thin sheets, forming the unique settlement of the Otsutsuki clan.

Within one of the overlapping spaces, an Otsutsuki clansman named Keishiki was floating in mid-air. His long silver hair moved without wind, and his skin was as pale as paper.

Unlike other races, the Otsutsuki do not need to sleep. Their so-called rest is simply closing their eyes and letting their chakra circulate within their bodies along a specific trajectory, while simultaneously sensing the energy fluctuations of various parallel worlds.

The entire space was filled with purple mist, and glowing crystalline plants grew on the ground. In the distance, the outline of a palace built of black boulders could be vaguely seen.

This is the private domain of the Jing clan—although from the outside it appears to share the same planet with the territories of other Otsutsuki clans, each clan member actually possesses a completely independent dimensional space, like countless parallel worlds forcibly compressed onto the same coordinate point.

Suddenly, Jing Shiki's calm face contorted. His brows furrowed, and his lips parted silently, as if he were enduring some immense pain. His previously steady chakra began to fluctuate violently, and tiny cracks appeared in the space around him.

"No...impossible..."

He suddenly opened his eyes, his Samsara Eyes flashing with disbelief.

Just now, he received a memory from a parallel world, in which he was killed by a lowly life form from a blue planet.

Fragments of memories flooded back like a tide: the excruciating pain of a cold blade piercing his chest, the emotionless gaze of the black-haired man, the strange power that could directly harm his very essence... In the final moments, he didn't even have a chance to use time reversal.

"Ugh!" Jing Shi clutched his forehead, the intense headache making it almost impossible for him to remain floating.

While this kind of memory sharing across parallel worlds can enhance overall strength, the pain of the moment of death will also be faithfully transmitted.

He calmed down, panting, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

As an elite member of the Otsutsuki clan capable of manipulating time and space, he never imagined that he would die in such a humiliating way in a parallel world.

"That planet..."

Jing Shi suddenly turned his head and looked in a certain direction. His gaze pierced through layers of spatial barriers, as if he could see directly the blue planet floating in the universe several light-years away.

"This seems to be the planet that Isshiki's group is in charge of."

He recalled the allocation records from thousands of years ago: Ōtsutsuki Isshiki and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya were sent to that remote star system to carry out the task of planting the Divine Tree. According to the plan, they should have reported their progress a thousand years ago.

Jing squinted, realizing the seriousness of the problem.

The main family has indeed been sending regular communication signals to Isshiki and Kaguya, but has never received a reply. This is rare, but it has happened before—sometimes due to spatial interference, and sometimes because silence is required for missions.

“It seems…” Jing muttered to himself, “There’s something wrong with this planet. Those two have most likely run into trouble.”

He lowered his legs, which he had been sitting cross-legged, and floated down from the air, landing on the glowing ground. As he moved, the space around him began to distort, and a pitch-black rift slowly unfolded before him.

He was heading to the true core area of ​​his family: the first overlapping space.

That place is where all important intelligence is gathered, and where the Otsutsuki elders hold their meetings. Every clansman who discovers anything unusual must go there to report immediately.

Jing Shi took one last look at the image of the black-haired man who killed him in his memory, imprinting that face deeply into the depths of his consciousness, before stepping into the spatial rift.

...

...

The spatial rift slowly closed in the core area of ​​the first overlapping space, where Ōtsutsuki Kageshiki stepped.

The scene here was completely different from his private space. The sky was a flowing vortex of stars, and under his feet was a smooth, mirror-like black crystal floor that reflected countless stars. Several towering stone pillars, wrapped with unknown runes and totems, stood tall, piercing the starry sky. At the top of each pillar floated a figure exuding a powerful aura—the elders of the Otsutsuki clan.

They come in various forms; some retain human shape, while others reveal some non-human characteristics, such as multiple eyes on their foreheads or wings of light extending from their backs... but without exception, they all exude a suffocatingly powerful aura.

Jing Shi's arrival drew attention, and several indifferent gazes fell upon him, as if a tangible pressure enveloped the surroundings.

"Jing Shi, what brings you to this important meeting place without being summoned?" A cold, emotionless voice came from the highest stone pillar. It was the Third Elder, whose eyes seemed to hold the rise and fall of nebulae.

Jing Shi bowed slightly, performing a simple greeting, and said respectfully, "Reporting to the elders, I have received the death memories from a parallel counterpart. He perished on the planet that Isshiki and Kaguya were in charge of—that azure life-bearing planet numbered T-009."

He spoke succinctly, and at the same time raised his hand, his fingertips shimmering with light, presenting the key fragments of that death memory, especially the strange power wielded by the black-haired man and the moment the blade pierced "his" chest, in the form of an illusion to the elders.

After a brief silence, a sneer came from the stone pillar to the side. It was the Fifth Elder, whose voice boomed like thunder: "Ridiculous! Although Yishi and Kaguya are not top-tier, they are not something that a mere inferior life form can contend with. Not to mention, your counterpart died such a wretched death."

Another figure, ethereal as if composed of mist, spoke slowly, his voice echoing: "Planet T-009... I remember it. Its energy rating isn't high, and its level of civilization is limited. The loss of contact with Yi Shi and the others might be due to being trapped by some cosmic phenomenon. As for the death of Jing Shi's counterpart... it's probably because the rules of that parallel world are special, or perhaps he was too careless and became contaminated with some cosmic toxins, resulting in a significant reduction in his strength."

Their words were filled with utter contempt for that blue planet and the life on it. They simply refused to believe that a world they considered a nursery and livestock pen could give birth to an existence capable of directly killing the Otsutsuki.

Jing listened quietly, his face showing no displeasure or rebuttal. Because deep down, he believed the same thing.

It's worth mentioning that the ability to receive the death memories of parallel world counterparts is a unique talent of Ōtsutsuki Kageshiki; other Ōtsutsuki do not possess it. This ability allowed him to understand many possibilities and also made him more convinced that he would not repeat the same mistake.

He attributed the death of his parallel world "self" entirely to the stupidity of that "self".

He won't end up like the other way around.

Finally, it was the Third Elder, who had spoken first, who made the decision: "Since Yishiki and Kaguya have been out of contact for a long time, and now such unusual news has appeared, we cannot completely ignore it. However, to mobilize a large force for a low-level planet would be an insult to the prestige of our race."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Jing Shi, who stood below with his head bowed: "Jing Shi, since you brought the news, you are in charge of handling it. You are authorized to dispatch a 'Purifier' team to planet T-009 to ascertain the whereabouts of Yi Shi and Kaguya, and to eliminate any potential 'stubborn problems.' If you encounter resistance..."

The Third Elder's voice was completely flat, as if he were talking about a trivial matter: "Erase them all."

"I will obey the elder's command." Jing Shi bowed and accepted the order, a cold and confident smile curving his lips.

A "Purifier" squad, consisting of three elite Otsutsuki warriors, plus himself, was, in his opinion, enough to sweep through countless star systems. Using it to deal with a small inhabited planet was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

He never even considered the possibility of failure. All he could think about was how to complete the mission efficiently, and perhaps he could also take this opportunity to explore the "strange ability" that could kill his parallel world self and make it his own.

He tore through space again, turned and left.

***

Winter of the tenth year of the Imperial Era of Peace.

The newly built star observation station of the empire was covered in snow. Tobirama Senju stood under the huge transparent dome, watching the snowflakes fluttering outside the window.

He had just finished communicating with Mito Uzumaki and confirmed that the twenty-eight "Spear of the Sky" orbital cannons orbiting the planet had completed their final commissioning.

"Twenty years earlier than expected." Yan Sheng's voice came from behind, his breath dissipating in the cold air.

“But we are ready.” Tobirama Senju turned around, his face displaying the calm confidence characteristic of a researcher. “All equipment has been optimized for the energy characteristics of the Otsutsuki.”

At that moment, a woman in white appeared gracefully.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—the current Holy Maiden of the Empire—her Rinnegan on her forehead flashed with a glint of light: "They've arrived. Four of them."

Ten years ago, Yan Sheng risked everything to break Kaguya's seal.

As he learned in the first world he traveled to, Kaguya's fundamental reason for betraying her main family was self-preservation. When Michikatsu demonstrated the potential to rival her main family and promised to face the threat together, the former goddess of the rabbit chose to cooperate.

"Let's begin," Yan Sheng ordered calmly.

Outer space.

Ōtsutsuki Kageshiki was hovering in the starry sky with three team members. Looking at the azure planet before him, a contemptuous sneer appeared on his face. Just as he was about to set off, a sudden change occurred.

Suddenly, countless points of light appeared in the previously empty space as twenty-eight railguns fired simultaneously. The beams they fired were not ordinary energy beams, but rather "Chakra Decomposition Rays" modified by Tobirama Senju under Kaguya's guidance, specifically designed to target the unique chakra energy fluctuation frequency of the Otsutsuki clan.

"What?!" Jing Shi's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly activated his Rinnegan for defense.

To his astonishment, these rays actually tracked and dodged!

One of the team members was horrified to discover that the surrounding spacetime was locked by some kind of force field—a space anchoring device that combined the Flying Thunder God technique with Otsutsuki technology.

Another team member tried to absorb the energy but screamed, "The energy structure is abnormal, we can't absorb it!"

This is one of Tobirama Senju's proudest inventions: mixing natural energy with chakra in a special ratio to form "toxic energy" that the Otsutsuki cannot directly absorb.

Jing Shi gritted his teeth as he watched the shield's energy rapidly deplete. He wanted to teleport directly to the planet's surface, but found that the entire planet was shrouded in an invisible barrier—the original space technology provided by Kaguya had been reverse-engineered into a defense system.

"Retreat!" Jing Shi roared unwillingly.

He glanced one last time at the blue planet, his eyes filled with shock and rage. It was no coincidence that these inferior life forms had developed such a targeted weapon.

Inside the Star Orbit Observatory, Kaguya sensed the hasty retreat of the Jing-style squad and frowned slightly: "They won't let this go. Next time, it might be elders."

Yan Sheng gazed at the gradually calming starry sky, his eyes deep: "Then let them come. Let them become our whetstone."

Tobirama Senju was already retrieving the battle data from earlier, preparing to further optimize the weapon system.

After all, the enemies that come later will only become more and more troublesome, and standing still is tantamount to waiting for death.

It was late autumn in the fifteenth year of the Imperial Calendar's Peace Era.

The blue planet, once ridiculed by Ōtsutsuki Keishi as a "nest of inferior life," has now been transformed into a steel fortress that even the Ōtsutsuki main family finds troublesome.

In low Earth orbit, thousands of artificial satellites form a dense defense network, their surfaces shimmering with a cold luster under the light as the flowing chakra runes gleam.

"Thirty-seventh intrusion attempt, recording begins."

Tobirama Senju stood in the expanded command center on the top floor of the "Tenko-kaku" (Heavenly Craft Pavilion), with dozens of light screens floating in front of him, displaying the battle situation in outer space in real time.

His voice remained calm as usual, but the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his inner excitement.

In the starry sky, the newly arrived Otsutsuki reinforcements—a squad of ten elite soldiers known as the "Punishers"—are engaged in an unprecedented and arduous battle.

The captain, who was in charge, attempted to freeze time and space, but found that the surrounding satellites simultaneously lit up with glowing light. Some kind of interference field based on the reverse analysis of the "Yomi-Hirasaka" principle was forcibly maintaining the stability of time and space.

Another team member conjured a giant black chakra rod, but it was precisely dissolved by the disintegration beam shot from the orbit.

"These ants, how could they possibly..." The Punisher captain was filled with shock and anger. Every attack they launched seemed to miss, while the Earth's counterattacks always hit their weaknesses precisely.

Over the past fifteen years, under Kaguya's unreserved guidance, the Empire's technology tree has grown at an astonishing rate, rapidly developing in a direction specifically designed to counter the Otsutsuki. From energy absorption jammers to bloodline tracking missiles, from spatial anchoring force fields to resonant waves specifically designed to disrupt the stability of Truth-Seeking Balls, the birth of each new weapon has made the Otsutsuki invasion even more difficult.

It's worth mentioning that this happened eight years ago.

In the northwestern desert of the empire, the first "bloodline detector" developed is undergoing a full-domain scanning test.

This was improved by Tobirama based on the family's bloodline sensing technology provided by Kaguya, and was designed to provide early warning of any Otsutsuki infiltrating Earth.

Suddenly, a very faint but unmistakable signal appeared on the main control screen.

"This, this is..." The researcher in charge of monitoring suddenly stood up, his face ashen.

The Otsutsuki have actually infiltrated Earth?!

Kaguya arrived after receiving the news, and upon confirming it was true, a terrifying killing intent erupted from the Rinnegan on her forehead.

“It’s Yi Shi…” Her beautiful face was contorted with anger and fear. “He’s still alive!”

Before she finished speaking, Kaguya tore through space and rushed there.

Deep in a desolate mountain range on the border of the empire, she found the hiding place, which relied on a natural cave and was equipped with multiple layers of concealment barriers.

The emaciated and dying Isshiki looked up at Kaguya, who was hurtling through the air. There was no surprise in his eyes, only deep-seated resentment and a hint of mockery.

"You've finally... discovered me, you traitor..."

When he was on the verge of death, he barely managed to preserve his core and survived by relying on the small part of his body that had split off.

For thousands of years, he witnessed Kaguya's sealing away, the rise of the Ninja Clan, and in the last ten years or so, filled with fear and anger, he watched as Kaguya helped these "inferior beings" arm themselves to fight against the main clan.

He intended to pass this information back, hoping that his family would send someone to clean house and rescue him.

What a pity... I didn't have time.

"This time, you won't have another chance." Kaguya's voice was icy cold.

Ichishiki tried to struggle, but his weakened state was meaningless against the well-prepared Kaguya. The force field enveloped him, completely annihilating his last core, leaving not even a speck of dust behind.

This time, Otsutsuki Isshiki is truly dead.

Summer, the twenty-third year of the Peace Era of the Imperial Calendar.

The struggle, which lasted for nearly a quarter of a century, changed the course of this planet's destiny.

The Ōtsutsuki clan's initial arrogant attitude, as if they could crush these insects on Earth with a flick of their wrist, was gradually replaced by suspicion and uncertainty as they suffered repeated losses.

They finally realized that the blue star field was no longer a nursery for anyone to harvest, but a steel fortress covered with deadly spikes.

The usual silence in the main council hall of the Otsutsuki clan was broken by a fierce argument.

"Enough!" The Fifth Elder, who sat atop the fifth stone pillar and exuded a tyrannical aura, suddenly stood up. His voice, like thunder, shook the entire space. "Continued investment, continuous losses! We have already paid too high a price for a low-level planet! This is no longer harvesting, but being leeched!"

Across from him, the Seventh Elder, shrouded in mist, spoke with a still ethereal voice, tinged with cold rationality: "Facts have proven that the cost of a forced breakthrough far outweighs the benefits. That planet, with the help of that traitor Kaguya, is armed to the teeth. More importantly, the power they possess, called 'Breathing Technique,' can directly harm our very essence. The fall of every member of our race is a permanent loss."

"Losses? Hahaha!" The Fifth Elder laughed wildly, his Samsara Eyes flashing with a fierce light. "Our Otsutsuki clan roams the starry seas with absolute power, not by haggling over gains and losses! If we let traitors and ants roam freely out of fear of losses, where is our clan's dignity? Where is our face? If we retreat today, will other clans follow suit in the future?"

His enormous hand slammed down on the stone pillar's railing, instantly cracking the seemingly indestructible star core stone: "We must destroy it completely at all costs, in the most violent way, to deter those insects and uphold the supreme authority of our race!"

The elders of the peace faction (or rather, the loss-cutting faction) remained silent, unable to refute the Fifth Elder's concerns about the loss of their authority. Meanwhile, the destruction faction, incited by the Fifth Elder, was filled with fervor.

Seeing the endless argument, the Fifth Elder's patience ran out, and he roared, "Since you are afraid of losses, then I will personally take action and show you how laughable those little tricks are in the face of absolute power!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure tore through space, directly traversing endless star fields, and rushing towards the blue planet that was already heavily guarded.

Earth, the Empire's highest early warning center.

The piercing alarm blared through the sky.

"An extremely high-intensity individual has been detected breaking through the outer defenses! Its energy level surpasses all previous records! It is forcibly breaking through the atmosphere!"

Yan Sheng and Yoriichi opened their eyes almost simultaneously—the two were currently in the training grounds of the imperial palace.

More than twenty years have passed, and the small, silent figure that followed behind has grown into a tall, upright young man with a commanding presence. His long black hair is simply tied back, and his clear eyes are brighter than the stars.

"Finally, someone decent has arrived." Yan Sheng slowly stood up, a cool and clear aura, like moonlight, flowing naturally around him.

Yoriichi followed closely behind, standing quietly beside him.

The next moment, their figures blurred simultaneously, transforming into streaks of light that shot straight into the sky.

Outer space.

With his overwhelming strength, the Fifth Elder smashed through layers of orbital defenses, crashing to the ground like a meteor. His target was the Empire's largest military base: the location of the research center led by Tobirama Senju.

"Kaguya! Traitor! And you damned ants! Come out and die!" The Fifth Elder's roar unleashed a terrifying shockwave, causing the buildings on the ground to tremble.

However, what responded to him was not the panic and chaos he had expected, but two completely different, yet equally dazzling lights.

A cold, aloof aura, like moonlight descending from the heavens, carried a chilling intent that could freeze the soul. Yan Sheng's figure appeared in the moonlight, his long sword flashing out—

Moon Breathing - Sixteenth Form - Moonbow - Lone Moon!

His body was later "purified" again by Kaguya of this world, and restored to the standard of a normal healthy person.

In an instant, countless enormous crescent-shaped blades with sharp edges, like crescent moon blades, emerged and covered the sky, accompanied by a thin mist and countless shattered moon shadows, completely enveloping the space around the Fifth Elder.

Another warm, powerful light, like the first rays of dawn tearing through the darkness, carried a purifying, all-consuming heat and vitality. Yoriichi's figure seemed to transform into the sun, his sword tracing perfect arcs—

Sun Breathing - Thirteenth Form...

The blazing sword energy did not travel straight, but instead drew countless refracted and leaping light trails in the air, as if it were repeatedly focused and reflected through countless invisible mirrors, ultimately attacking the Fifth Elder's core from all directions and from every incredible angle.

As the saying goes, the sun and the moon shine together.

Moonlight and sunlight, two completely opposite forces, merge together to form a perfect complement and amplification.

The icy moonlight restricted the Fifth Elder's movement and eroded his defenses; while the blazing sun flames, through the gaps opened by the moonlight, violently bombarded his body.

"No--!"

The Fifth Elder was filled with shock and rage. He frantically activated the power of his Rinnegan, attempting to distort spacetime, absorb energy, and deploy an absolute defense. However, the ever-changing nature of Moon Breathing made it difficult for him to lock onto the target, and the essential power of Sun Breathing prevented him from fully absorbing it. The intertwined light of the sun and moon seemed to form a natural domain, firmly suppressing all his struggles.

"boom!"

Finally, a towering pillar of light, combining the coolness of the moon with the heat of the sun, completely engulfed the Fifth Elder. His indestructible body shattered inch by inch in the light.

When the light faded, only Yan Sheng and Yoriichi, standing opposite each other, remained in the sky, along with a few ashes belonging to the Fifth Elder slowly drifting down.

Yoriichi's lips curled slightly as he turned to look at his brother, about to speak, but his pupils suddenly contracted—

Yan Sheng coughed up a mouthful of blood, but raised his hand to stop Yoriichi from moving forward: "Don't move."

—Although my body is no longer weak or sick, using the Sixteen Forms still puts too much strain on my body.

Yoriichi suddenly stopped.

The crimson bloodstain was casually wiped away with his thumb, and Yan Sheng swung his blade again. With this single strike, a powerful shockwave surged like an angry dragon, instantly spreading tens of thousands of meters away. Mountains crumbled in its path, reaching all the way to the coast, even causing the tides to reverse.

The soul essence that the Fifth Elder had attempted to escape from was thus completely annihilated.

The entire room was completely silent.

...

...

The main council chamber of the Otsutsuki clan.

The members of the Destruction faction, who were observing the battle through special means, fell silent, plunging into a deathly stillness.

The Fifth Elder, the radical leader who ranked among the top in the clan's combat power, was actually... was actually killed by two "lower life forms" working together, dying so thoroughly that not even a sliver of possibility of resurrection was left undone.

The Third Elder, seated at the head of the table, slowly closed his eyes. After a long while, he finally uttered a single sentence:

"Order all teams stationed outside the base to return home. All operations concerning Planet T-009 are suspended indefinitely."

This time, there were no dissenting voices.

The 30th year of the Imperial Calendar Peace Era.

Spring sunlight filtered through the lush cherry blossom trees, illuminating the tranquil courtyard of the imperial palace. Uchiha Kokusatsu stood under the eaves, gazing at the cherry trees he had planted himself, now bursting into a dazzling display of blossoms.

His posture remained as upright as a pine tree, his face stern, and time had left no trace on his face; he still looked like a young man in his early twenties.

Fifty-two years is a lifetime of trials and tribulations for most people, with graying temples. But for him and those closest to him, it brought no change.

—After Kaguya Otsutsuki fully integrated into the Empire and became an indispensable "Saintess" and Supreme Advisor, the first thing she did that concerned the long-term future was to fully activate the Otsutsuki bloodline within Yan Sheng.

The most obvious change was that his lifespan was greatly extended, and the aging process was almost frozen. His appearance was frozen at the moment when his bloodline was fully activated.

This was not a gift exclusively for Yen Sheng.

Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, Izuna Uchiha, Tobirama Senju, and even Yoriichi... all these beings who stood at the pinnacle of the Empire's power broke through the shackles of mortal lifespan through Kaguya's intervention.

For Kaguya, these powerful companions are the foundation of her strength to fight against her main family and to establish herself in this star field. She will never allow them to wither away with the passage of time.

This was a mutually beneficial arrangement: the strong gained more time to pursue their power and ideals, while Kaguya gained the strongest shield and the sharpest spear.

The thirty-fifth year of the Imperial Calendar's Peace Era.

The city's wide, clean streets were bustling with traffic and people.

The shadows of past wars and famines have long been swept into the dust of history, and the prosperity of the empire is evident in every corner. Rows of shops, a dazzling array of goods, and the peace and affluence that pervade people's faces together paint a picture of a peaceful and prosperous era.

The widespread availability of education is one of the most prominent features of this prosperous era.

Although not yet a mandatory obligation, the fees for schools at all levels established by the empire were extremely low, almost non-existent. For families who no longer worried about food and clothing and no longer relied entirely on manual labor due to technological advancements, sending their school-age children to school had become an extremely "worthwhile" investment—it freed up family labor by providing childcare and allowed children to systematically learn cultural knowledge, basic arithmetic, and even rudimentary physical and breathing techniques, thus securing a better future for them.

Therefore, every morning, the gates of various schools are always crowded with parents dropping off their children, bustling and full of life.

Inside a sizable government-run school, in a bright classroom, the teacher stood on the platform, recounting the founding history of the empire. The children below listened intently, their eyes wide with curiosity.

"...In conclusion, it was precisely through his unparalleled foresight, exceptional strength, and iron-fisted methods that His Majesty Uchiha Kokusatsu ended the centuries-long Warring States period, overcame all opposition, facilitated the integration of various races, established an unprecedented unified empire, and ushered in the peaceful era we live in today." The teacher's words were filled with admiration.

"It is worth mentioning that His Majesty Yan Sheng never married and had no children. He dedicated his entire life's energy and wisdom to creating and protecting this hard-won peace."

A child in the audience whispered, "No children? Then who will inherit the throne?"

The teacher did not answer the question, but continued, "On the road to Your Majesty's great achievements, there were three generals with the most outstanding merits. They were like the cornerstones of the empire, indispensable."

He wrote three names on the blackboard: Uchiha Masaki, Uchiha Uta, and Senju Yoriichi.

"Of these three lords, apart from Lord Uchiha Masaki who already had a family and many descendants," the teacher's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible emotion, "Lord Uchiha Uta and Lord Senju Yoriichi, like His Majesty, remained unmarried throughout their lives."

He explained in language the children could understand: "They dedicated their entire lives and their loyalty to His Majesty Yan Sheng, and to the great cause they each led that concerned the fate of the empire. Uchiha Shi-sama, who was in charge of intelligence and internal affairs, was like the shadow and vein of the empire; Senju Yoriichi, who always followed His Majesty, was His Majesty's most trusted sword and shield. Their names, along with His Majesty's great achievements, will be forever recorded in history."

The classroom fell silent; the children seemed to understand, but not quite.

The teacher took a sip of water to moisten his throat, then continued, "Alright, turn to the next page. We'll move on to Unit Two: The Otsutsuki Disaster..."

-----------------------

Author's Note: The main story is now complete! Thank you all for your continued support!

But don't leave yet! There's more content to come, supplementing the main story, such as hell, and what everyone plans to do next. After that, there will be independent side stories; please check the titles and purchase accordingly. [heart emoji]

Nobody knows Sun Breathing X better than me.

The saying "the person who knows you best is your enemy" applies here. [cat emoji]

There are many fictional elements about the Otsutsuki clan; please don't try to find historical accuracy, they're all made up by the author.

Hozuki, Hozuki, don't worry, I'll get the job eventually~