Sasuke sighed and shook his head.

He didn't want to pass judgment on what Uchiha Itachi had once done… but if, in another timeline, his parents and brother could live ordinary lives, then for Sasuke that, too, was a kind of comfort.

After witnessing so many comparisons between the two timelines—

A deep and overwhelming sense of gratitude toward Kazuki rose in everyone's hearts.

It seemed that this shinobi world, whether within Konohagakure or beyond its borders, had all moved toward a better path because of Kazuki's existence…

"After that, Orochimaru defected, tried to tempt me with power, but was slain by my own hand…"

Sasuke continued telling the story: "…During this time, Jiraiya infiltrated Amegakure and was killed by Nagato. The rogue shinobi Hiruko was killed by Naruto and the others…"

"…During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Uchiha Obito became the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki, but unable to control the power inside him, he was seized upon by Black Zetsu, who possessed him and forced the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, resurrecting Uchiha Madara…"

"After Uchiha Madara cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he was struck from behind by Black Zetsu. Unable to control his chakra, he became the vessel for Kaguya's arrival, and perished."

"When Kaguya appeared, I and Naruto—revived with the aid of the Sage of Six Paths and bearing the powers of Yin and Yang as the reincarnations of Indra and Asura's chakra—joined forces to defeat her."

"After that, Naruto and I fought our battle of ideals, but in the end, we came to understand each other. The shinobi world entered a period of peace."

"Until the Ōtsutsuki clan appeared."

Uchiha Sasuke let out a weary sigh: "I followed the tools of the Ōtsutsuki, Urashiki and Momoshiki, here. I've never even seen this so-called Isshiki…"

"I'm deeply concerned now. If, as Kazuki feared, even stronger Ōtsutsuki come… does our world really stand a chance at victory?"

Sasuke turned his gaze toward the Sage of Six Paths.

"Tell me… aside from the power of Yin and Yang of the Six Paths, do you have any other way to fight against the stronger Ōtsutsuki?"

The Sage of Six Paths was silent.

What—did he think the Pure Land was limitless? To have even forged the power of the Six Paths Yin and Yang was already the Sage's most painstaking effort…

And everyone else remained silent as well.

The enormous revelation cast each of them into deep thought…

And all of them remembered Kazuki.

He had changed the world.

...

[Special Innate Talent: Child of Fortune completed!]—Your absorption rate of natural energy, chakra recovery speed, physical strength, and regenerative ability have all been greatly enhanced!

[Chosen of Gaia Consciousness] has entered standby activation state.

[Chosen of Gaia Consciousness]: Your existence has been recognized by the life of this planet, granting you the right to act as the spokesman of the planetary consciousness. You may initiate the inheritance ritual at any time.

Upon completion of the inheritance ritual, you will command all natural energy of the planet—tempest winds, raging thunder, the earth, the seas, and even the forces within its core.

Creatures belonging to this planet, when feeling positive emotions toward you, will increase the limits of how much planetary power you can bear.

—Notice—: When you obtain this authority, your range of activity and your thoughts will, with high probability, be restricted to this planet that is the source of Gaia's consciousness, making you its guardian.

"So, it's finally here?" A glint flashed in Kazuki's eyes. "Well done, Tobirama, Zetsu!"

Kazuki slowly exhaled a long breath.

It was just as he had guessed.

To accept a power born of such a collective consciousness naturally came with restraints.

Both his field of activity and his awareness would be confined to the planet.

Kazuki's gaze lingered on the side effects already anticipated in the explanatory entry, focusing especially on the three words "with high probability."

"So this Gaia Consciousness only activated after I completed the special talent of the Child of Fortune…"

"The source of this power lies in two parts: the faith of the planet's living beings and the planetary consciousness, and the planet itself. So rather than calling it a parasitic possession, it's more accurate to say that accepting this power inevitably leads to such a result."

"Once you accept the planet's fortune and strength, how could you possibly withdraw so easily? Just as the chakra of the Tailed Beasts carries consciousness, so too does a planet…"

Kazuki thought with a deep sigh: "Fortunately, I was already prepared for this…"

"Though I will protect this planet, that doesn't mean I have to be bound by its chain… To confine my thoughts solely to this world—no matter how powerful the force may be—would only be draining the potential of the future."

The technique that the Shinobi Alliance was researching.

On the surface, it looked as though Senju Tobirama, Indra, Uzumaki Mito, and others had created it together… but in truth, the core was still supervised by Kazuki himself.

There were two forces Kazuki intended to draw upon.

The first was the ossified remains of the god Ōtsutsuki, aimed at Kaguya herself. As a former Ten-Tails jinchūriki and a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan, as long as Kazuki lent her even a fraction of power, the resulting scale could rival nearly the entire Shinobi Alliance.

Moreover, there was also the specialized Heavy Particle Technique, born from Kurama's creativity and refined by Kazuki, designed specifically to strike down those Ōtsutsuki waiting to reincarnate.

The second was the planetary consciousness itself.

The original plan had been for Senju Tobirama to act as the filter counterpart against Kaguya.

But considering Tobirama's own limits, Kazuki made adjustments to the Kazuki Technique—based on soul imprints—so that every being participating in the technique, linking their chakra together, would serve as filters, allowing Kazuki to draw only the planet's strength while screening out its consciousness.

This way, Tobirama's burden would be greatly reduced.

And if he could also find a way to rally the collective will of the Shinobi Alliance to be even more resolute, then the effect of filtering the planetary consciousness would only improve!

Kazuki couldn't help but think—this final battle against Myōshiki and Ryōshiki was bound to ignite!

"Myōshiki will take the stage first, I can open the Gate of Death, then Ryōshiki's ambush…"

"A desperate rescue, a stronger enemy appearing and turning the tide, a last stand to the death…"

One keyword after another, one dramatic turning point after another surfaced in Kazuki's mind, slowly piecing together into a script brimming with hot-blooded fervor and tinged with tragedy.

"Oh? So you're ready as well?" At that moment, Kazuki felt a stirring within.

Inside him, Kaguya seemed to have grasped the Heavy Particle Technique, quietly testing its early activation, which caused faint leaks of chakra to seep out.

Now, Kaguya was glancing around with wary eyes, afraid Kazuki might notice.

"You never disappoint me, Kaguya…" Kazuki praised her sincerely.

"I knew you could do it! After this last war is over, perhaps we could even hold a grand—"

Kazuki cut off his own thoughts and shook his head.

As a cautious man, he forbade himself from raising any flags before stepping onto the battlefield.

...

Konohagakure.

Inside the conference hall.

The silence lingered.

Sasuke's tale from his Shippuden chronicle hung over the room like a vast barrier of silence, sealing the lips of everyone present and drawing them all into deep thought.

As the one who currently held the "inner workings" of Konoha, Sasuke had inherited the village's entire trove of intelligence, and he had vividly, in full detail, recounted the stories of each great hidden village.

Everyone was shaken to discover a single, glaring truth—

Wait, if not for Kazuki, had all of them really lived such miserable lives?

Uchiha Madara pondered that scene.

If he had become the Ten-Tails jinchūriki and cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, with his nature he would surely have unleashed that signature Uchiha laugh of his…

And if not laughing, then standing tall in the posture of a victor, speaking down to the defeated about the meaning of peace.

But at the very height of his triumph, Black Zetsu—the being he had always believed to be his own creation—would suddenly strike, piercing him straight through the chest.

Madara could hardly bear to imagine just how shocked he would have been at that moment—

And how pitiful and wretched.

A lifetime of restraint and scheming, only to end up as nothing more than a pawn within a Yin–Yang Release plan, weaving a wedding dress for another!

For the proud Uchiha Madara, that was utterly intolerable.

Especially since, in Madara's view, in Sasuke's timeline such an ending was clearly not the true one…

Though Sasuke and Naruto were both fine young men, the final power that defeated Kaguya had not been their own—it had been the Yin–Yang power of the Sage of Six Paths.

So when other Ōtsutsuki from beyond came to that world, what would their shinobi have left to rely on?

Those were enemies even Kazuki himself had to regard with caution!

Madara cast a glance at the Sage of Six Paths, whose brow was deeply furrowed, and let out a cold sneer without saying more.

Short-sighted as the Sage was—letting Indra and Asura's chakra treat the shinobi world as a chessboard for endless conflict—still, he had saved the planet from Kaguya's grasp…

In the end, perhaps merits and faults canceled one another out.

Beside him, Uchiha Izuna gave a shudder and shook his head in lingering fear.

Kazuki had not only saved the Uchiha clan—he had even saved his elder brother.

Such a debt of gratitude…

If not for Kazuki, the Uchiha clan, which had endured for a thousand years, would have been wiped out by none other than the chubby, gluttonous Uchiha Itachi standing before them…

How utterly absurd!

And Uchiha Madara, the Shura of the shinobi world—after struggling across two lifetimes, he hadn't even been granted the dignity of dying in battle, instead collapsing under the weight of conspiracy.

This was something Uchiha Izuna simply could not accept!

A world where their clan was annihilated, and his brother reduced to a clown… that truly was hell itself! At the thought, Izuna's eyes flared crimson.

---

I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. patreon.com/TitoVillar

---