Chapter 181: The Immune Cell Chosen by the Earth
"There's a lot of stuff, and it's complicated. Let's start with the simplest part first..."
Senju Tobirama pointed at Danzo's severed arm: "That guy Danzo transplanted big brother's cells in order to suppress and control the Sharingan in that arm."
"The principle is actually very simple. The Rinnegan appears when the powers of Asura and Indra are combined."
"Big brother's cells are Asura's power, but ordinary Sharingan are only a lower-tier form of Indra's bloodline. They don't contain Indra's chakra itself."
"Rather than saying that big brother's cells are suppressing these Sharingan, it's more accurate to say that these Sharingan are barely holding back big brother's cells."
"Without big brother's cells, these Sharingan wouldn't riot or anything."
"But without these Sharingan, big brother's cells would probably go berserk."
"As for why…"
"Because the two are inherently complementary, like…"
After finishing the part about Hashirama's cells and the Sharingan, Senju Tobirama continued: "I remember you told us two things before."
"Although one happened in the Land of Wind and the other in Konoha, with quite a bit of time between them, I still noticed the connection."
"That time in the Land of Wind, you said that big brother, as Asura's reincarnation, should've been like all the previous Asura reincarnations, needing everyone's strength to defeat Indra's reincarnation, but big brother was an exception."
"And big brother's cells have all sorts of miraculous effects."
"And in Konoha, you talked about the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo. As Kaguya's son, by normal logic, and judging from Indra and Asura later on, his bloodline should've been diluted, and his abilities should've been weaker by a level."
"But you said that aside from not eating chakra fruits like the Ōtsutsuki clan to gain immortality, the Sage of Six Paths surpassed all known Ōtsutsuki in every other ability."
Tobirama wasn't wrong. Shiromo really had said all that.
The Sage of Six Paths.
Dead for over a thousand years, yet he could still pop out during the Fourth Great Ninja War to pass on power.
After handing out power, he could even summon the past Kages from the Pure Land to help reverse-summon the main cast back.
He even let Indra and Asura's chakra keep reincarnating endlessly, inheriting karmic cycles and tangling with each other forever.
And Ōtsutsuki Isshiki?
Once his Kāma was gone and he died, that was real death.
He just completely dissipated.
The leftover power didn't carry any of his will or obsession, it was basically just a newbie gift pack for Kawaki and Code.
In the Boruto era, the combat power looked like it skyrocketed, but in reality the Ōtsutsuki that appeared, aside from that mysterious "Ōtsutsuki God", were all less impressive than the Sage of Six Paths.
The Sage of Six Paths showing up felt a bit like an isekai protagonist.
First of all, as a transmigrator, he had zero familial affection toward his own mother. After sealing Kaguya, he could casually go, "Let's just pretend I never had any of this."
Yet toward the tailed beasts he raised, he felt deeply indebted.
On the other hand, the local native Ōtsutsuki Hamura actually had feelings for Kaguya, and for that reason chose to go to the moon to accompany her.
Likewise, as a transmigrator, the Sage of Six Paths shared the same hobby as Shiromo.
Just like Shiromo named his abilities after various Stand names, or named the mode he gave Terumī Mei after Pokémon's "Primordial Sea," and so on.
The Sage of Six Paths also loved naming things, except what he liked before transmigrating seemed to be Journey to the West.
( Kōkinjō) Golden Canopy Rope, (Kohaku no Jōhei) Amber Purifying Pot, (Bashōsen) Banana Fan, (Benihisago) Crimson Gourd, Shichiseiken (Seven Star Sword).
Even a tailed beast that looked like a monkey had to be named Son Goku (Sun Wukong) , and its home was named the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.
A living volcano being named Mountain of Flowers and Fruit was just ridiculous.
While Shiromo was thinking about all this, Senju Tobirama had already finished speaking.
After that, he also mentioned something Shiromo had said back in the Land of Wind, that the ninja world was very special.
Other planets, after being drained by the Ōtsutsuki for chakra fruits, would be completely destroyed, but the ninja world wasn't.
Finally, Tobirama gave a conclusion, a bold hypothesis.
"Kaguya being 'blessed' by the people and giving birth to the Sage of Six Paths brothers might just be the wishful thinking of bystanders."
"The one who truly 'blessed' Kaguya wasn't the powerless populace, but this land itself."
"Kaguya, as an 'invader,' ate a fruit that contained the power of this land."
"So the Sage of Six Paths was actually an 'immune cell' created by this land to drive out the invader."
"That's why, even though both were Kaguya's sons, Ōtsutsuki Hamura didn't display any of those special powers."
"I think big brother might be the same kind of existence."
"That's why his cells, his very being, are so special."
"As for why… maybe it was because at that time, the fact that Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was still on this land was sensed?"
After laying out his hypothesis, Senju Tobirama looked at Shiromo, waiting for his evaluation.
Uh…
Shiromo felt that everything Tobirama said earlier made pretty good sense.
It was just that the last part, having Senju Hashirama deal with Isshiki, wasn't that a bit too much?
But thinking about it again, Isshiki back then was still in a weakened state, and the land itself probably didn't have any real consciousness.
Maybe it simply misjudged the "virus's" strength.
"Oh right, there's one more thing."
Tobirama glanced at Orochimaru beside him: "Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique also has some issues."
"Even if he gets sealed away, as long as his chakra and cells combine, he can revive unconditionally."
"This kind of reaction from the combination of two elements is exactly like Indra's chakra touching Asura's chakra to produce the Rinnegan, and draw out the Sage of Six Paths' power and soul."
"I've heard the whole process and the hypothesis. There aren't any major problems. So what's the conclusion? What should we do? Do you have an answer?"
Shiromo nodded slightly at Tobirama and asked.
"There is."
"According to the theory just now, the Sharingan are a product of the earth converting Ōtsutsuki power into native power."
"Then the primal natural energy that represents the land itself is the best key."
"Of course, ordinary senjutsu and natural energy won't be enough."
"Unless it's the Sage of Six Paths, or big brother while he was alive, only they might have a chance."
"Because they are the ones 'chosen by this land.'"
"But besides them…"
Tobirama pointed at Shiromo: "You should be able to do it too. The control you've shown over natural energy doesn't look like the land chose you, it looks like you actively mastered the land's power."
"So I need to get Nagato a stone too?"
Shiromo said while rubbing his chin.
"A stone?"
Tobirama looked confused. Then, without waiting for Shiromo to answer, he explained: "There's no need for anything that has to be maintained continuously. The Mangekyō Sharingan only needs to be unlocked once, it can be used forever. Now all that's missing is you."
"Oh right, I almost forgot, I still need someone who can absorb chakra."
As Tobirama said that, he stared straight at Shiromo, not looking like someone who had "almost forgotten" at all.
It was obvious he wanted Shiromo to go find Hikari to help out.
(End of this chapter)