Speaking of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, he was truly an unlucky fellow.
His story… is a long one.
Roughly a thousand years ago, he came to the shinobi world alongside Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. Their purpose was to cultivate the Ten-Tails into a God Tree and harvest its Chakra Fruit.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had planned to sacrifice the lower-ranked Kaguya to the Ten-Tails.
However, at the critical moment of the ritual, Isshiki was betrayed by Kaguya, his own subordinate, and was offered up as the sacrifice instead.
Barely surviving by using a technique with his eye, he escaped from the Ten-Tails' maw and parasitized a human named Genji, living on in secrecy for a millennium.
In the resurrection plan he devised after a thousand years, just as he was about to succeed, he was once again betrayed, this time by his "subordinates," Amado and Koji Kashin.
To add insult to injury, he was ultimately outwitted by his chosen "vessel," a mere child named Kawaki, and reportedly met his final demise.
In summary, Isshiki's life was riddled with tragedy.
As a member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan ranked higher than Kaguya herself, one could only imagine Black Zetsu's reaction if he found out that Isshiki was still alive…
Uchiha Madara, Black Zetsu, and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. Iust the thought of it was interesting.
But the real question was: where was Genji, the human Isshiki had parasitized?
To be honest, even Hui didn't know.
However, that didn't matter. All he needed to do was let Black Zetsu know that another Ōtsutsuki Isshiki existed in the shinobi world.
As for how to inform him? That was simple.
Hui would have one of his Shadow Avatars pose as a member of the "Kara" organization and accidentally leak information about Isshiki to Black Zetsu.
Even if the "Kara" organization didn't yet exist at this point, it wouldn't matter.
As far as Hui was concerned, if he willed Kara into existence, then Kara would exist.
In conclusion, Mochizuki Hui's Shadow Avatar was determined to play the role of Isshiki's subordinate.
"A mysterious figure? Let's see how mysterious they truly are," Madara said coldly.
After Hui's explanation, Madara's heart grew heavy.
As Hui had pointed out, the fact that this "mysterious figure" had led him here so precisely indicated that his movements had already been exposed.
Though he didn't believe himself to be a pawn in someone else's game, Hui's words somehow rang true.
Hui, meanwhile, remained unfazed. He had already said what needed to be said.
"Well, I've said enough. You can continue waiting for the power of Shinra Bansho and I'll return to Konoha."
As Hui spoke, a faint smile appeared on his lips. He thought of the people in Konoha, his friends, his family, his lover.
This expression caused a flicker of emotion in Madara's eyes, stirring memories of the past.
However, most of those memories were from before the founding of Konoha. The events following the village's establishment hadn't left a favorable impression on him.
In fact, Madara suddenly felt the urge to ask Hui about his views on peace. In this younger generation of Konoha, he saw a possibility different from Hashirama Senju.
Hui seemed like a mix of both him and Hashirama. Compared to Hashirama, Hui was colder, and compared to himself, Hui was brighter.
This made Madara curious about what Hui would do next. Yet his pride wouldn't allow him to voice such thoughts.
Hui, unaware of Madara's thoughts, had no intention of prolonging their conversation. Since Madara didn't plan to cause chaos, Hui saw no reason to kill him.
Madara's future plans no longer mattered.
Whether it was decades later or just a few more years, Hui was confident he could crush even Madara even with Rinnegan.
Unless, of course, it was Sage of Six Paths Madara.
But even then, with a decade or so, Hui believed he'd have nothing to fear.
So, if Madara wanted to bide his time for Shinra Bansho, he'd let him.
Besides, wouldn't it be better to expose Black Zetsu now and let Madara pit his wits against him? Why waste time discussing peace?
"This meeting was unexpected, but the outcome isn't too bad. Until we meet again, Uchiha Madara."
Hui spoke as he prepared to leave but paused, suddenly looking Madara up and down.
At his age, Madara's body was no longer as upright, his hair streaked with gray, and his once-handsome face had grown haggard.
"Although it feels a bit unfair, it's better to ensure you live longer so I can personally witness the power of this Shinra Bansho," Hui said.
Madara furrowed his brows, confused.
The next moment, the mysterious patterns in Hui's eyes shifted subtly.
Madara's eyes widened, his pupils contracting as he raised his arms, sensing vitality coursing through him. His skin seemed firmer, his strength rejuvenated.
"What is this…?" he asked, astonished.
"My eyes possess the ability to bestow and strip away life," Hui explained with a smile, "Just now, I granted you some life force."
"Life force!"
Madara was utterly shocked. This power was…
To grant or strip away life—was this not the ability to control life and death?
Life and death, opposing forces… united as one…
In that instant, countless thoughts raced through Madara's mind, leaving him unsettled.
"So, as I said, living for a thousand years in this shinobi world isn't absurd. If I desire, not only can I live for a thousand years, but I can ensure others do too, including you," Hui said.
With that, Hui turned to leave.
But he paused once more, speaking without turning back:
"Though you're a rogue ninja from Konoha, you're also one of its founders. And besides your battle with Hashirama, you haven't truly harmed the village.
"So, if you encounter trouble with this 'figure' or your body starts failing you… feel free to reach out to me."
After a brief pause, Hui turned his head slightly and added, his voice filled with confidence:
"Actually, I have another interpretation of the phrase 'Two opposing forces, united as one, will give birth to the infinite truths of the universe—Shinra Bansho.'
"To me, it doesn't matter what these opposing forces are—whether they're Yin and Yang, life and death, or something else entirely.
Because…"
Hui raised his head slightly, gazing at the sky, his confidence like a blazing light.
"I am the All-Encompassing Creation. I am the future of this shinobi world. I am its light!
"The Sage of Six Paths' legacy is not the limit of my aspirations.
"Why follow his path? Given time, I will surpass him!"
With that, Hui's body erupted in a burst of silvery chakra. In the blink of an eye, he vanished like a streak of silver lightning into the distance.
Madara stood there for a long time, watching Hui's retreating figure glowing faintly as it disappeared.
This young Konoha ninja had left him with too many surprises, too much information, and too much shock today.
"Given time, I will surpass the Sage of Six Paths…"
Madara murmured Hui's words, standing motionless for what felt like an eternity.
join my patreon for 115+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL