Ch. 1161Tale of the Progenitors, Heaven Have Mercy
Chapter Summary
Key Plot Points and Events
- Uchiha Riu’s astonishing achievements become known throughout the Ōtsutsuki clan. He has consumed three Chakra Fruits, awakened the Rinne Tenseigan, mastered several powerful techniques and transformations, and advanced to a level that even Basara considers slightly superior to himself.
- The gods initially dismiss Riu as merely a human empowered by the traitorous Ryushiki. Basara corrects them, warning that Riu’s strength is not solely borrowed and that he possesses both divine-level power and human cunning.
- Basara reveals that Riu survived because Youtan Poluo intervened when Hannya King attempted to kill him. More importantly, he predicts that Riu will reach the level of the Progenitor Gods within eighty to one hundred years.
- In response, Basara declares full-scale war readiness across every space-time. He orders the Ōtsutsuki to train as though eighty years were eight thousand and to multiply their strength as much as possible.
- To motivate them, Basara reveals that the clan possesses fifty-six Chakra Fruits obtained during a previous campaign. He promises a Chakra Fruit and Immortal God status to whoever shows the greatest improvement over the next eighty years. The gods become fiercely enthusiastic.
- Yushiki questions why the entire clan must mobilize against one future Progenitor God when many Progenitor Gods supposedly exist across different space-times. Basara refuses to reveal the deeper plans of the Progenitor Gods, saying the truth will emerge in eighty years.
- As the meeting ends, Basara notices Tobi among the attendees and demands to know what he is. Urashiki admits that he brought Tobi, though he claims Tobi wandered into the meeting by himself.
- Tobi’s appearance reminds Basara of past disasters involving Kabuto Yakushi’s disguise and infiltration of Takamagahara. Suspicious and disturbed, Basara prepares to kill Urashiki.
- Just as Urashiki resigns himself to death, a tremendous divine power causes Takamagahara’s sky and earth to shake, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.
Character Developments
- Uchiha Riu: Established as an unprecedented human threat whose growth may soon rival the Progenitor Gods. His survival has apparently made him even more determined to grow stronger.
- Basara: Emerges as a serious strategist and leader. Rather than allowing the clan to become complacent under the protection of the Progenitor Gods, he uses the threat of Riu to force an unprecedented mobilization.
- Yushiki: Shows courage, skepticism, and political awareness by questioning Basara’s explanation. He recognizes that ordinary Ōtsutsuki may be pawns in a larger conflict.
- Urashiki: Remains terrified and desperate to avoid punishment. His anxiety suggests he may know more about the hidden situation than he openly admits.
- Tobi: Becomes the center of Basara’s suspicion. His unexplained presence and connection to Urashiki hint that he may be far more significant than a mere “plaything.”
- The Ōtsutsuki gods: Shift from overconfidence to intense fear and motivation after learning how quickly Riu may become a Progenitor God.
Significant Themes
- The danger of complacency: Even a powerful clan protected by Progenitor Gods can be threatened by a rapidly evolving outsider.
- Human ingenuity versus divine power: Riu is dangerous not only because of his strength but because he combines godlike abilities with human cunning.
- Power, ambition, and survival: Basara urges the clan to treat the coming decades as a life-or-death struggle, while the promise of Chakra Fruits turns survival into fierce competition.
- Secrecy and manipulation: The Progenitor Gods appear to be pursuing hidden objectives, leaving lower-ranking gods uncertain whether they are agents or expendable pieces.
- Fate and chess-piece imagery: Yushiki recognizes that the Ōtsutsuki may merely be pawns in a much larger cosmic game.
- Suspicion and mistaken identity: Basara’s memories of Kabuto’s infiltration make him distrustful of Urashiki and Tobi, creating tension around hidden identities.
Character Interactions
- Basara and the Ōtsutsuki gods: Basara challenges their complacency, explains Riu’s threat, and rallies them through both fear and promised rewards.
- Basara and Yushiki: Yushiki openly questions Basara’s plan. Although another god attempts to silence him, Basara permits the question and offers a deliberately incomplete answer.
- Basara and Urashiki: Basara grows increasingly suspicious of Urashiki, especially after discovering that Tobi accompanied him. Urashiki responds nervously and struggles to conceal his fear.
- Basara and Tobi: Basara directly confronts Tobi, sensing something abnormal and associating him with previous infiltration incidents.
- Urashiki and Tobi: Urashiki claims Tobi was left behind but followed on his own, suggesting that Tobi may possess independent motives or abilities.
- The gods and Uchiha Riu: Their attitude changes from mockery and confidence to alarm once Basara reveals how soon Riu may rival the Progenitor Gods.