Chapter 18: The Second Indra ōtsutsuki

  Having hit the jackpot, Izayoi didn't immediately rush to experience the changes brought by the Sage Eyes. He first cleared his thoughts and focused on healing Sasuke Uchiha. Looking at Sasuke, whose eyes had dark circles beneath them, clearly indicating he hadn't been well these past days, Izayoi felt a pang of pity.

  The world of Naruto wasn't short on orphans with tragic fates, but Izayoi could only recall two who had known a happy family before losing everything: one was Nagato, and the other was Sasuke Uchiha. Yet, compared to Nagato, who had Yahiko, Konan, and Jiraiya, Sasuke Uchiha, whose path was meticulously arranged by Itachi, undoubtedly had a more miserable fate. From beginning to end, he was either walking the path of revenge or, upon learning the truth, had his revolutionary ideas instantly suppressed by the only companion he truly acknowledged. Afterward, for the sake of atonement, he spent years wandering the shinobi world gathering intelligence on the ōtsutsuki cn, rarely returning home even once.

  If Izayoi didn't alter Sasuke Uchiha's destiny, then this Sasuke would end up even worse off than in the original story. After all, before graduation in canon, Sasuke Uchiha was the most popur Chief Student in school. But now, Izayoi held the title of Chief Student, Hinata was second, and Sasuke could only compete for third pce. After graduation, he was destined to suffer continuous setbacks, watching helplessly as the dead-st Naruto Uzumaki surpassed him at an incredible speed.

  Should I lend him a hand? Izayoi wondered inwardly.

  Just then, Sasuke Uchiha, who had been knocked unconscious, began to stir and woke up. Looking at Sasuke's bloodshot eyes, Izayoi made up his mind. He said, "Your condition is terrible right now. Go back and rest for a while. Come find me again when you've fully recovered."

  Sasuke Uchiha didn't speak immediately. He sat up, looking down at his chest where the wound had healed, leaving only a faint scar. His mind couldn't help but repy the battle they just had. Whether it was Taijutsu or Ninjutsu, he was completely outmatched by Izayoi. That seamless barrage of attacks, the stable footing required to support such attack speed – they were on entirely different levels. Moreover, this scar, and the green light he saw upon opening his eyes... it seemed Izayoi had also mastered medical ninjutsu.

  Thinking of all this, Sasuke Uchiha suddenly felt a wave of crushing defeat.

  "I lost." Sasuke Uchiha wasn't someone who couldn't accept defeat gracefully. Much like Naruto's earlier sentiment, he didn't actually dislike Izayoi. Although it was a no-rules duel, unleashing ninjutsu so suddenly as he did was dangerous. Therefore, Sasuke straightforwardly acknowledged his defeat.

  "I only won by luck," Izayoi patted Sasuke Uchiha's shoulder and praised him sincerely, "You're quite strong too. I thought I was the only one in css who had mastered elemental ninjutsu, but I didn't expect you to know it as well. Truly worthy of being called a genius of the Uchiha cn."

  After speaking, Izayoi stood up and extended his hand towards Sasuke. "I had the advantage today. Let's fight again next time."

  Gazing at Izayoi, who showed no arrogance and instead offered praise, Sasuke Uchiha suddenly felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Being acknowledged, he finally revealed his first genuine smile since waking up. He grasped Izayoi's hand and grinned back, "Next time, I won't lose!"

  Izayoi pulled Sasuke to his feet, then extended his index and middle fingers towards him. "You'll have to train hard then. I'm very strong, you know."

  "Just you wait!" Sasuke replied, full of fighting spirit, and completed the Seal of Reconciliation with Izayoi.

  This scene was reflected upon the surface of a transparent crystal ball. Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi, taking a puff from his smoking pipe and exhaling smoke, couldn't help but reveal a gratified smile. "The new leaves are beginning to sprout," he remarked.

  At this moment, Sasuke Uchiha was in his most vulnerable phase. To prevent him from attempting suicide, to fulfill his promise to Itachi to look after Sasuke, and also to ensure Itachi could continue acting as a spy with peace of mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never simply ignore Sasuke. ANBU members were already secretly watching Sasuke Uchiha from unseen locations. The moment the two boys left the Ninja Academy heading for the deserted training ground, the information reached Hiruzen's ears immediately.

  Fortunately, Izayoi hadn't been muttering to himself earlier, and when he was stunned, he had kept his head lowered, avoiding any overly exaggerated or bizarre behavior. Otherwise, what might have awaited him could have been the Yamanaka cn's Mind Reading Technique.

  Hiruzen Sarutobi was no stranger to Izayoi. This generation of students was particurly special, with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and the heirs of major ninja cns all in the same css. Izayoi, who had surpassed them all to become Chief Student, had long since entered Hiruzen's notice. Through a year of observation, he had also discovered Izayoi had already mastered the Shadow Clone Technique and low-level Wind Release, and frequently trained with the Hyūga Cn's Main Family heiress at the deserted training ground.

  Every era produced outstanding commoner geniuses, like Orochimaru, Minato Namikaze, and the lesser-known Kabuto Yakushi... In fact, even Kakashi Hatake could be considered a type of commoner genius, as he possessed no innate Bloodline Limit. Compared to these historical figures, Izayoi wasn't particurly unique, perhaps not even the absolute best among them. However, his talent was more than sufficient to warrant special cultivation. If nurtured properly, he would at least become a versatile Jonin in the future. If he managed to master a forbidden technique, he might even become an elite Jonin, an ace combatant. Therefore, Izayoi had been on Hiruzen's observation list for quite some time.

  ...

  After parting ways with Sasuke Uchiha, Izayoi summoned the light screen visible only to himself while walking home. In the trait list, the top entry, ōtsutsuki Bloodline (Red), was now followed not by the Gold-rank Beyond Kage Aptitude, but by Sage Eyes (Red).

  The appearance of this trait hadn't yet brought about any obvious changes in Izayoi. However, he was absolutely certain that unknown transformations were currently taking pce within his body. The Sage Eyes were different from the true Sage Eyes, the Rinnegan. They were Indra ōtsutsuki's exclusive trait, representing the inherited Yin Release chakra and spiritual energy from Hagoromo ōtsutsuki – the ultimate manifestation of Yin Power. Crucially, this trait wasn't Indra's chakra itself. This meant Izayoi had received pure Yin Power derived from Hagoromo, untainted by Indra's will or consciousness.

  Unlike reincarnations who needed acknowledgment or had to gradually awaken this power through growth and talent, Izayoi didn't need to. He expected his strength, specifically his spiritual energy and Yin Release chakra, to increase rapidly, just like Indra ōtsutsuki himself.

  'I guess I can call myself the second Indra ōtsutsuki now,' Izayoi chuckled inwardly.

  If he could see Indra ōtsutsuki's own talent traits, Izayoi was quite sure they wouldn't include Uchiha Bloodline, but rather a high-rank ōtsutsuki Bloodline. It was this bloodline that granted Indra the constitution to possess seemingly infinite ocur power without needing eye transpnts. Thinking about his own ability to perform Five Element Release techniques without hand seals, Izayoi didn't even need to guess; Indra ōtsutsuki's ōtsutsuki Bloodline rank must certainly have been Red level as well.

  As for ranks above Red, that should be impossible. Otherwise, Indra's chakra reincarnates wouldn't need to combine Ashura's power to awaken the Rinnegan; they could have evolved it directly from the Sharingan, just like Hagoromo ōtsutsuki did.

  Currently, Izayoi was equivalent to a second Indra ōtsutsuki. Only by upgrading his ōtsutsuki Bloodline to an even higher rank could he potentially become a second Hagoromo ōtsutsuki or Hamura ōtsutsuki.