"The so-called mystery of time and space... so this is what it really is."

Standing atop a cliff, Kazuki cradled Karasuki in his hands and murmured softly.

Time could truly be considered the most enigmatic existence of all...

The reason Kazuki let Momoshiki and Urashiki go was because, when he pierced their hearts, he had already covertly injected a vast amount of chakra into their bodies...

The two of them were already under Kazuki's surveillance, completely unaware of it.

Isshiki was no exception either.

Rather than killing those three Ōtsutsuki, who were now incapable of stirring up any meaningful chaos—

By sparing them, even if their plea for reinforcements might draw more Ōtsutsuki pursuit faster, Kazuki could still obtain intelligence on his future enemies the moment they arrived...

Intelligence was simply too important! Weighing the pros and cons, the trade-off was well worth it...

And by combining what Urashiki, Momoshiki, Isshiki, Kaguya, and Karasuki had said about time and space, Kazuki had more or less grasped the temporal laws governing this universe.

First: Any being that invades from an alternate dimension will be marked by the native space-time. One day, without exception, they will be forcibly ejected and cast into the chaotic current of time.

This repatriation is irreversible and extremely dangerous—even the Ōtsutsuki cannot resist it.

So, trying to become a time smuggler was simply not viable.

Second, every substance within spacetime possesses a unique signature. When an intruder plunders material or energy from an alternate dimension, they will face violent resistance the moment they attempt to return to their original timeline.

The more they take, the stronger the spatial-temporal backlash becomes.

This resistance can only be mitigated using precious spacetime energy—and the cost of doing so often exceeds the value of what was taken. As a result, this kind of cross-dimensional chakra theft proves to be extremely inefficient.

And even spacetime energy alone isn't enough—what's also required is a treasured artifact like Karasuki to serve as an escort.

These two iron laws make it clear: energy between dimensions has no real value for circulation, unless there's a rare, outrageous scenario like Momoshiki and Urashiki.

However, while this may be true in theory, for Kazuki, the situation was fundamentally different!

Once everyone in the shinobi world came to understand the painstaking efforts Kazuki had made for its sake, even the shinobi from other hidden villages had no choice but to admit—Kazuki possessed a love for the world that no one else could match.

Objectively speaking, Kazuki had indeed killed many of their people.

But in truth, it was something he had done out of necessity. All of it was for the sake of ensuring Kaguya's seal remained secure...

Even if they wouldn't say it out loud, the Kage of each village had to admit deep down: if Kazuki hadn't crushed their strength, they absolutely would've tried to break open the seal—because their hearts would only feel at ease after seeing Kazuki dead...

There was no helping it. That's just the kind of environment the shinobi world fostered.

And after being used as puppets in turn by Ōtsutsuki Isshiki and Uchiha Madara through genjutsu, the Kage from each village finally came to a genuine realization—

Among those with power beyond mortals, Kazuki was the only one who truly treated them as human beings.

The Third Raikage, Hanzō, and Ōnoki were even given the title 'The Three Surviving Shinobi' by Kazuki himself, who urged them to keep training and never abandon the convictions in their hearts.

Uchiha Madara and Isshiki, by contrast, never saw them as people at all. Their methods were nothing but crude brainwashing and control—treating others as disposable pawns and cannon fodder.

Even after they had been assimilated by the Ōtsutsuki Clan, Kazuki still offered them a gentle way out. Even if it meant draining all of the shinobi world's natural energy, he was willing to open up an alternate dimension where the shinobi could survive.

It was the kind of gentleness that could move a kunoichi to tears on the spot.

As the entire story unfolded, the shinobi of each village began to change—from doubting Kazuki, to understanding Kazuki, to supporting Kazuki!

And thus—

The three special talents—'Calamity of Wind', 'Rage of Thunder', and 'Destruction of Stone'—were awakened in succession!

Fierce winds, roaring thunder, and the unyielding earth, just like the vast sea, had now all entered into an unbreakable contract with Kazuki.

The shinobi world as it existed now had essentially become Kazuki's domain. Wherever natural energy flowed, it responded to Kazuki's command.

Another of his special talents, [Final Bond (Konoha Shinobi)], had now evolved—after completing the final bonds with the other villages—into [Final Bond (Shinobi World)].

Once this bond was complete, Kazuki would permanently gain double the target's chakra, enhanced bloodline purity, soul strength, and all other fundamental attributes.

This was also why Kazuki wanted everyone in the shinobi world to push themselves to become stronger.

By linking to the entire shinobi world, Kazuki would earn a reward that was twice the combined effort and resources poured into the shinobi by the Sage of Six Paths and Ōtsutsuki Hamura.

After that war, even the last of the Sage and Hamura's gold had been completely drained by Kazuki.

What remained in the shinobi world that could still spark any anticipation in Kazuki was the reward granted by the special talent [Child of Destiny] after the completion of [Final Bond (Shinobi World)]: [Blessing of Gaia's Will]!

"…Wait, the final reward has changed?"

A flicker of surprise flashed in Kazuki's mind. The final bond that had once only encompassed 'Konoha Shinobi' had now expanded to include "All of the Shinobi World"—and the original reward, Blessing of Gaia's Will, had shifted to something new: [Gaia's Divine Selection]...

Blessing had become Divine Selection? The implication behind them made Kazuki wary.

"Gaia's Will… Even Kaguya had only heard whispers about this authority—it far surpassed the power of an average Ōtsutsuki."

The phrase 'Divine Selection' reminded Kazuki of a certain man from another dimension—a being known as the Emperor, incomparably powerful, yet bound to a golden throne in order to safeguard all humanity.

The Emperor did not love anyone individually, and yet he loved all of mankind.

That was why he refused to leave his throne—because his presence alone kept the chaos gods suppressed.

"I wonder what form Gaia's Will would take, if granted as power…"

Kazuki analyzed calmly, "Logically speaking, a planet's protective will should aim to choose someone who can guard it in turn."

"But if gaining supreme power means giving up my freedom—being chained to this planet like an earthbound spirit—then such power isn't worth having."

Indeed, the Emperor's boundless love was worthy of reverence.

But Kazuki's focus was on himself.

If he truly became a guardian spirit tied to the shinobi world just to protect it... then it would be no different from wearing the mask of the Will of Fire for so long that he'd forgotten to ever take it off.

"The entire shinobi world... aside from the feedback I receive as these ninja continue to grow stronger, there's almost nothing left here that can further enhance me."

"The cards left in my hand—aside from the unfinished Divine Selection of Gaia's Will, and the potential feedback I'll gain once these shinobi mature—are limited to the natural energy of this world, and a single activation of the Gate of Death without cost…"

Kazuki recalled what he had said to Black Zetsu—that framework of power levels from one to seven, using Kaguya as the reference point.

It hadn't been an exaggeration.

Especially when considering what Isshiki had mentioned—using the corpse of Ōtsutsuki Shibai, that so-called 'god', as bait to urge the higher-ups to send reinforcements quickly...

In that case, the pursuers dispatched would certainly be overwhelming in strength.

It would be like discovering the corpse of a Kage from one of the great villages lying outside—whoever came to seize it would be, at minimum, on the level of current Kage, Jinchūriki, or elite jōnin.

Just a few trump cards wouldn't be enough. Kazuki knew that.

"The corpse of Ōtsutsuki Shibai... is undeniably a high-value asset. But it's also unimaginably dangerous. The Ōtsutsuki's very nature is one of constant possession and devouring. Anyone who reached the level of divinity must be approached with the utmost caution."

"To touch it recklessly might result in unexpected disaster... Even in the original timeline, mortals still dared to study that shell under seemingly 'safe' conditions. But that doesn't make it safe."

"The corpse of Ōtsutsuki Shibai absolutely needs to be secured and researched... But before that, I need to strengthen myself as much as possible. Ideally, I'd gain the protection of Gaia's Will first."

---

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

---