How Kurama Leads Naruto Astray

Urashiki narrowed his eyes. 

"So, they figured it out… But how?" 

Sasuke and Naruto were both stunned. "What do you mean?" 

"Ōtsutsuki Isshiki!" Kurama gritted his teeth. "He came to this planet at the same time as Kaguya!" 

"Isshiki and Kaguya's relationship was just like Momoshiki and Kinshiki in the future. Kaguya was Isshiki's guardian, while Isshiki was the one being protected." 

This was how the Ōtsutsuki clan operated. Whenever they arrived on a planet to plant a God Tree, they worked in pairs—one as the guardian, the other as the chosen one. 

The chosen one would plant the God Tree, while the guardian would be sacrificed as nourishment for it. The chosen one would then wait for the tree to fully mature before devouring it, and the cycle would continue. 

Their ultimate goal—becoming gods. 

(This lore comes from Boruto.) 

Thousands of years ago, Isshiki and Kaguya arrived on this planet. Isshiki planted the God Tree and was supposed to guard it. But when he least expected it, Kaguya suddenly betrayed him. She severely wounded Isshiki and fed him to the God Tree—the Ten Tails. Then, she waited for the tree to fully grow so she could absorb its power and become the legendary Rabbit Goddess.

That's right. The Chakra Fruit is formed when the Divine Tree absorbs all the energy of an entire planet along with an Otsutsuki... and then produces a "pill." 

The Otsutsuki rely on this "pill" to keep getting stronger until they eventually become gods. 

But what Kaguya didn't know was that the moment Isshiki was being consumed, he used his ability to shrink and escaped. On the verge of death, he happened to come across Jigen, took over his body, and survived. 

Hearing Kurama's story, Naruto and Sasuke were completely dumbfounded. 

What kind of crazy fantasy setting was this? 

Back in the Sage of Six Paths era, Kaguya's story had already shaken them. But now, hearing this new version, which was even more shocking, felt like a bomb going off in their heads. 

Hiss—ha— 

Their scalps were tingling!!! 

That was the most accurate way to describe what they were feeling. 

Urashiki's expression grew darker as Kurama continued, and by the end, his face showed something that had never appeared before—pure shock. 

Yes, Urashiki was stunned. 

"You damn fox… how do you know all this?" 

And so clearly, too? 

Even the Otsutsuki clan didn't know the full story of Isshiki and Kaguya. All they knew was that Kaguya betrayed the clan and wounded Isshiki, but they had never considered that there was more to it. 

"Why do you care how I know?" Kurama sneered, locking eyes with Urashiki. "But I can say for sure—right now, Isshiki, or rather Jigen, is hiding somewhere on your body in his shrunken form." 

"The reason your jutsu contained natural energy during the earlier fight was because Jigen was helping you. And since Jigen carries Isshiki's Kāma, he can directly use the Otsutsuki clan's techniques." 

"It's just like how Naruto can weave signs while Jiraiya casts a jutsu. You… you borrowed Isshiki's power to use Heavenly Beads Purple Dragon—Dragon Palace and Heavenly Beads Purple Sphere—Jade Box, didn't you?" 

That last "didn't you?" was spoken with absolute confidence. Kurama believed in his judgment and his own eyes. 

There was no way Urashiki himself was that powerful. 

Silence. The entire battlefield fell into complete stillness. 

Naruto and Sasuke stared at Kurama and Urashiki in shock. Kurama looked completely sure of himself, while Urashiki's expression kept changing. 

After about half a minute of silence, Urashiki suddenly chuckled and glanced at his shoulder. 

"Hey, you planning to keep hiding?" 

The answer was obvious now. 

Under the gazes of Naruto, Sasuke, and Kurama, the fabric on Urashiki's shoulder suddenly shifted. Then, a tiny figure, no bigger than a fingernail, crawled out from under his clothes. 

Isshiki shot a glance at Urashiki and said flatly, "You were too obvious." 

With that, he jumped off Urashiki's shoulder, his body expanding as he did. In moments, he had grown to the size of a full-grown man, floating beside Urashiki. 

Jigen… or rather, Isshiki, turned his icy gaze toward Kurama, a hint of curiosity flickering in his eyes. 

"When you were born, I was already in hiding. I'm certain that no one in the entire ninja world knows of my existence. So how do you know?" 

"Did my future self do something?" 

Just as he finished speaking, a black space-time portal opened next to Kurama. 

A massive rift, as large as Kurama himself, appeared out of thin air, drawing everyone's attention. 

The next second, a fully grown Sasuke stepped out of it, his Complete Susano'o activated.

Susanoo spread its wings and soared beside Kurama. 

Adult Sasuke looked at Isshiki, his purple Tomoe Rinnegan glowing eerily. "Isshiki, you finally showed up." 

Isshiki narrowed his eyes. "This power…" 

Then, he gave Urashiki a strange look—like he was looking at a dead man. 

Urashiki frowned. "What's with that look? You think you can beat me with just this guy?" 

Isshiki let out a cold laugh without answering. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Adult Sasuke. "I see… So that's how you obtained this power. That's why you know about me. You came from the future just for this moment. Your real target isn't Urashiki, is it?" 

Adult Sasuke chuckled. "Who knows?" 

Isshiki scanned the battlefield—Uzumaki Naruto, who possessed the power of the Six Paths but hadn't fully reached his peak; Uchiha Sasuke, also wielding the Six Paths' power yet not at full strength; Kurama, who had a complete grasp of the Six Paths' power but hadn't mastered it entirely; and finally… 

An adult Uchiha Sasuke, whose Six Paths' power was incomplete but possessed the full strength of the Otsutsuki clan. 

"What an interesting lineup." Isshiki suddenly smirked, activating his Byakugan, his eyes filled with killing intent. "This isn't the right place for our battle. Let's move to another space—you wouldn't want to drag others into this, would you?" 

"For once, we agree." The killing intent in Adult Sasuke's eyes surged. 

In the scorching desert, the clash of their murderous auras made the whole world feel cold, as if even the sun had dimmed. 

Black portals opened behind both of them. Their battlefield was elsewhere. 

Before leaving, Isshiki spoke casually, "Urashiki, that guy isn't easy to deal with. I can't use my full power right now. You handle these three yourself." 

"Tch." Urashiki clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Don't underestimate me." 

Isshiki shot him a glance. 

You seriously don't know how weak you are? 

But he didn't say it out loud. Instead, he simply warned, "If you can't win, just run. Don't cause me trouble." 

"They can't follow me into that space anyway. Even if I lose, I won't be your problem." Urashiki's golden Rinnegan began to glow. 

Isshiki… 

He let out a knowing chuckle. 

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