Chapter 377: Completion of the Ōtsutsuki Bloodline
"The aura of Hagoromo Gengetsu has been intensifying recently."
Standing before the Dragon Vein, the Sage of Six Paths looked at Hagoromo Gengetsu in the distance with a mix of confusion and apprehension, unable to fathom why the other's power continued to grow.
Both at the Six Paths level, the Sage of Six Paths understood well the difficulty of increasing strength at this stage. Any improvement usually took decades, yet Hagoromo Gengetsu had grown stronger in a very short period, beyond his comprehension.
And he wasn't the only one puzzled. Even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, who had seen much in her time, couldn't understand it.
In her eyes, the current Hagoromo Gengetsu was almost unmatched among the Ōtsutsuki, save for the legendary Ōtsutsuki God who had not appeared for thousands of years. Few could rival him now.
Could Earth's humans have something special about them? Just as different planets produced Divine Tree fruits of varying quality, the Ōtsutsuki had originally chosen Earth for its far superior conditions compared to other planets. Planting the Divine Tree here was certain to produce the highest quality fruit.
This was why Kaguya had chosen to betray her clan and consume the fruit—its benefits far outweighed a lifetime of servitude.
If the Divine Tree on Earth was special, then perhaps the life forms here were extraordinary as well. Kaguya recalled the unique chakra in Hagoromo's body during their battle long ago, a chakra different from the usual Sage chakra. And now, looking at Hagoromo Gengetsu...
Kaguya cast a deep glance at him before turning her attention back to her son, Hagoromo.
The Sage of Six Paths also shifted his gaze back to his mother. Their eyes met without hostility, something rare and almost unheard of in the past. Here, in this place and time, they could finally talk, even if briefly.
"Hagoromo..."
"Mother..."
Hagoromo Gengetsu glanced at the mother and son speaking not far away, choosing not to disturb them. He continued studying the Dragon Vein and working on his system tasks.
As he progressed further in his system tasks, gaining more Ōtsutsuki bloodline with each one, his power had grown from insignificant at first to a level that now drew the attention of both the Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Hagoromo Gengetsu didn't hide his increasing strength. In his current state, there was no need to feign weakness. It was better to intimidate Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths to prevent them from harboring unnecessary thoughts.
Now, his system tasks had reached the Fourth Great Ninja War. With Uchiha Obito already sealed, Hagoromo Gengetsu had to actively seek out trouble with Uchiha Madara during the "Fourth Ninja War."
Judging by the progress, the final battle with Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was near.
Hagoromo Gengetsu checked his system and then looked at the Dragon Vein before him. While his system tasks advanced quickly, his research on the Dragon Vein had lagged behind, as he was still unable to control its time-space traversal.
According to the Sage of Six Paths' research, the true Dragon Vein wasn't just the one before them but rather the sum of all parallel worlds. It was like a colossal dragon connecting one parallel world to another, with each world being a segment of its body, linking all parallel worlds together.
No one knew where the Dragon Vein originated or how it formed. Even beings as powerful as those at the Six Paths level couldn't travel through time and space so easily or frequently.
Hagoromo Gengetsu's group's previous pattern of returning after a single traversal had been disrupted, and it was likely they would continue to traverse further along the Dragon Vein. Perhaps they would return to their original world once the loop was closed, but no one could guarantee that such a long journey through many worlds wouldn't encounter any accidents.
This was why Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths had not yet departed. Although Hagoromo Gengetsu was somewhat concerned, he was not in a hurry. Strength was always the ultimate guarantee.
Now, with the system tasks nearing completion... No! His clone had just finished its work. The final moment had arrived.
[Ultimate Task: Fourth Great Ninja War—Seal Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!]
[The host who has defeated Uchiha Madara will join Team 7 in sealing Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!]
[This is the system's final task! Good luck, host! Complete your passionate journey in the world of Naruto!]
Hagoromo Gengetsu had no time to reflect on the system that had been with him for so long, now nearing its end. The reward for completing the penultimate task, defeating Uchiha Madara, had already been given. It was, once again, the Ōtsutsuki bloodline.
However, it was this final piece of the puzzle that completed the already thick Ōtsutsuki bloodline within Hagoromo Gengetsu, bringing it to a full 100%.
In an instant, Hagoromo Gengetsu's aura exploded. The sky above cracked open, and the nearby Dragon Vein roared and trembled, retreating in fear. Fortunately, this overwhelming aura appeared quickly and vanished just as fast.
Hagoromo Gengetsu swiftly suppressed it, and in the following moments, he felt his already Six Paths-level body continue to evolve rapidly.
Every Ōtsutsuki with pure blood would eventually reach the Six Paths level over time. Now, Hagoromo Gengetsu's body contained the purest Ōtsutsuki blood.
Without hesitation, he activated the full potential of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, pushing himself to evolve to an even higher level.
"Hagoromo Gengetsu... has grown stronger again!"
"No! This time is different! The feeling I'm getting is much greater than those Ōtsutsuki who consumed the Divine Tree's refined pills."
The enormous commotion caused by Hagoromo Gengetsu naturally drew the immediate attention of the Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. The two exchanged a look of shock and disbelief as they watched Hagoromo Gengetsu's sudden and intense power surge, which greatly increased the pressure they felt.
The Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki glanced at each other, ultimately shaking their heads. They couldn't stop Hagoromo Gengetsu's inexplicable power growth. Now, all they could hope for was that, after his power increased, he could successfully control the Dragon Vein, giving them a better chance to return to their respective worlds.
Soon, Hagoromo Gengetsu's aura gradually stabilized. Along with the activation of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, an immense ocular power surged into his eyes, transforming his purple Rinnegan into a more powerful golden Rinnegan and awakening a new ocular technique.
Hagoromo Gengetsu slowly opened his eyes, golden whirlpools rippling within them.
At this moment, with both talent and physique reaching their highest standards, he raised his head, looking at the Dragon Vein that had fled far away in fear. Calmly, he said to the two beside him, "Let's go, it's time to settle this once and for all."