Chapter 411: Chakra Seeds

They sat in the center of their clansmen, their backs straight and their gazes fixed ahead. They remained utterly indifferent to the countless eyes upon them and the noisy discussions surrounding them, betraying not the slightest emotional fluctuation.

Only on the rarest occasions, in moments when no one was watching, did the clan's highest-ranking decision-makers exchange fleeting glances—so brief they were almost impossible to catch.

There was nothing bewildered in those gazes.

Instead, beneath the surface raged a storm of unprecedented proportions!

What the Heavenly Curtain had revealed was not entirely unfamiliar to them.

The ancient teachings and fragments of their origins—passed down orally among the clan's innermost circle and never committed to writing—matched certain images and words displayed by the Heavenly Curtain... with cruel precision!

Their Hyūga Clan truly was not native to the shinobi world.

That moon was not merely the clan's symbol. It represented their true... homeland and the mission entrusted to them!

They were a branch of the descendants of Hamura Ōtsutsuki—the lineage that had once remained in the lunar civilization, with their ancestors having later migrated to the earth for reasons lost to time.

Now, these supreme secrets concerning the very foundation of their clan—secrets that could attract endless covetous eyes and unimaginable disaster—had been laid bare before the entire shinobi world by the Heavenly Curtain in such a dramatic, yet eerily truthful, fashion!

Though their hearts thundered and their very souls trembled, they could neither acknowledge nor reveal a single word of it before outsiders. Nor could they allow even the slightest hint of abnormality to show.

The images within the Heavenly Curtain shifted as time quietly passed.

The scene changed from the devastated sealing valley to a comparatively peaceful and simple dwelling, one filled with the natural beauty of its surroundings.

It appeared to stand atop a mountain, shrouded in clouds and mist, with rare flowers and exotic plants scattered around it. From there, one could overlook the land below as life gradually returned to it.

This was where the Sage of Six Paths and Gamamaru had made their home.

There were no luxurious decorations within the dwelling—only tables and chairs fashioned from natural stone, along with several scrolls covered in ancient symbols and records concerning energy.

The Sage of Six Paths sat at the head of the room. The exhaustion and confusion left behind by the fierce battle had vanished from his face, replaced by the wisdom and composure of reflection—and the vigorous ambition of a pioneer.

Gamamaru sat respectfully below him. Deep doubts still lingered in the wise toad's eyes regarding the recent upheaval and the fusion of good and evil, but an even greater part of his attention was focused on the undertaking this new leader was about to begin.

After taking their seats and resting briefly, the Sage of Six Paths wasted no time on pleasantries and went straight to the point. His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable certainty.

"Gamamaru, I have not wasted these past years."

His gaze was clear, as though it could see through to the very essence of energy.

"I have uncovered... the secrets behind the origin of chakra, and I have also found a stable and safe method of passing it on to ordinary people."

"What?!"

Gamamaru's body jolted violently, his face instantly filled with utter shock and disbelief!

He abruptly raised his head, his round eyes fixed on the Sage of Six Paths.

"H-How is that possible?!" His voice rose with excitement. "Chakra... isn't that a forbidden power originating from the God Tree and the Ōtsutsuki Clan?"

"Ordinary humans have mortal bodies and no Ōtsutsuki bloodline. How could they possibly contain and cultivate such a domineering, fundamental form of energy? Forcing chakra into them would only cause their bodies to explode!"

As one who resonated deeply with natural energy, Gamamaru understood better than most the barriers and incompatibilities between different systems of energy.

He had personally experienced chakra's foreign and overwhelming nature.

The Sage of Six Paths was not angered by Gamamaru's doubts. Instead, a gentle and confident smile spread across his face as he nodded lightly.

"That's right. After years of dedicated research and repeated verification, I finally discovered the key—and found a viable path forward."

He paused before continuing, his voice calm and clear, as though stating a truth that had already been proven time and time again.

"The key lies in changing the vessel."

"Do you remember those humans Mother subjected to large-scale sacrifice through the God Tree?"

Gamamaru's expression sharpened as he nodded.

"Perhaps because they had not been sacrificed for long enough and the process was never fully completed, or perhaps because we stopped the God Tree in time and it became the Ten-Tails..."

There was both relief and curiosity in the Sage's voice.

"They... did not truly die. After I sealed the Ten-Tails, those people gradually awakened from a state resembling suspended animation or deep slumber. I found them one by one and rescued them."

His gaze grew focused, as though he had returned to the days of his original research.

"During their treatment, I was astonished to discover that their bodies had undergone a fundamental and unprecedented transformation!"

"Though weakened, they could now naturally contain and circulate chakra within their bodies, as though their bodies had already been altered and transformed into soil capable of sustaining chakra."

He looked toward Gamamaru and emphasized his point.

"I conducted comparative experiments. I tried implanting the same chakra seed into ordinary survivors who had never been sacrificed to the God Tree. Without exception, the chakra either failed to remain within their bodies or triggered severe rejection, sometimes even endangering their lives."

"Only those who had been sacrificed to the God Tree and somehow survived were capable of it!"

The shock in Gamamaru's eyes gradually gave way to contemplation. He seemed to have grasped something important, yet his brow furrowed even more deeply.

"Could it be... that only these fortunate individuals, whose bodies were transformed by the God Tree, can achieve this?"

"If that's the case, chakra's spread will be extremely limited. It can never become widespread throughout the world, much less serve as the foundation for an entirely new order."

There was deep regret in his voice. If this power could only create a handful of extraordinary individuals, its ability to elevate the world as a whole would remain limited.

"Originally, that was indeed the case." The Sage of Six Paths nodded, acknowledging Gamamaru's concern. Then his tone shifted, and a gleam of wisdom and innovation appeared in his eyes.

"However, after years of research, comparison, and analysis of the fundamental differences between those altered by the God Tree and ordinary humans—and by combining that knowledge with my own understanding of Yin–Yang Release and the nature of life itself..."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice taking on the force of a declaration.

"I discovered that I can replicate the principles and essential steps behind that seemingly miraculous transformation performed by the God Tree."

"!!"

Gamamaru's breath caught in his throat.

The Sage of Six Paths continued, explaining everything with clear logic.

"There is no need for the God Tree's brutal consumption and forced transformation. By using a gentler and more refined application of Yin–Yang Release, combined with the nourishment of natural energy, I can guide and subtly adjust an ordinary person's body, creating a 'seed space' within the core of their life force—a place capable of stably housing chakra."

He extended a finger. At its tip, a pure and gentle glimmer of chakra flickered like a firefly.