Yu Ye's Gift

After returning to Konoha, Lin Ye settled Yu Ye in the Uchiha compound, with Karin and Koyuki taking turns watching him, mainly through Sealing Jutsu. Yu Ye cooperated fully. Apart from sharing information about the Otsutsuki each day, he sat in the courtyard watching the flowers, the grass, and the people, like a curious child.

"So these are cherry blossoms... How beautiful." Yu Ye reached out to catch a falling petal. "On the Otsutsuki planet, there are only unchanging white buildings and the God Tree. There is no life like this, that withers and is reborn."

"Does it make you sad when the flowers fall?" Koyuki asked him.

"Yes," Yu Ye said. "But after the sadness, new flowers bloom. That cycle is beautiful."

Over several days of conversation, Lin Ye learned a great deal about the Otsutsuki:

Otsutsuki Yame, the leader of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, possessed the "Heavenly Eye," which surpassed the "Jōgan" and could control time and space.

The Twelve Guardians each wielded the ultimate power of one of twelve attributes-not just fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning, but also light, darkness, time, space, and others.

Otsutsuki technology far surpassed that of the Shinobi World. They had spacecraft capable of interstellar travel and weapons capable of destroying planets.

The Chakra Fruit was only one way the Otsutsuki increased their power. Their true strength came from their bloodline and training.

"So even without eating the fruit, we can grow stronger through training?" Lin Ye asked.

"Yes, but very slowly," Yu Ye said. "Your human lifespans are too short, while the Otsutsuki measure their training in millennia. However, you have something we lack-the power of the 'heart.' Emotions, willpower, bonds-all of these can unleash power beyond your limits. In the thousand years I've spent observing this planet, I've seen many humans unleash incredible strength in desperate situations. That is something the Otsutsuki do not have."

"Then what exactly is the 'Jōgan'?"

"The Jōgan is an evolution of the Rinnegan, but in a different direction," Yu Ye explained. "The Rinnegan represents 'creation and destruction,' while the Jōgan represents 'purification and transcendence.' Your Rinnegan has fused with Uchiha eye power and already contains the beginnings of the Jōgan. But to awaken it fully, you must meet three conditions. First, collect all the Uchiha eye power imprints, which your Wish System is already doing. Second, possess Otsutsuki blood. There are remnants of 'Kāma' inside you, and although they have been purified, your bloodline has already changed. Third, experience a transcendence of the 'heart'-in other words, the ultimate love and sacrifice."

"Ultimate love and sacrifice..." Lin Ye recalled Karin's slumber, Sasuke's blindness, Itachi's death, and Tea Granny's fading away. He had already experienced far too many sacrifices.

"It seems you've already met that condition." Yu Ye studied Lin Ye's expression. "Then only the final step remains: collecting all the eye power imprints. You need to fulfill every Uchiha's unfulfilled wish."

"There are still 886 left." Lin Ye smiled bitterly. "At my current pace, it'll take at least five years."

"I can help you speed things up," Yu Ye said. "I don't have much chakra left, but I can burn my life force to cast 'Time Acceleration' for you. Within my domain, time will flow more slowly. One day outside will be a year inside. You can use that accelerated time to fulfill the wishes quickly. But the cost will be a shorter life for me. I may only have another month to live."

"No." Lin Ye refused. "Trading your life for time isn't worth it."

"It is," Yu Ye said earnestly. "I've lived for over a thousand years, but only after coming to this planet did I truly feel alive. It would be my honor to die protecting this world. Besides, I won't die completely. My chakra will merge with your Rinnegan and help you awaken the Jōgan ahead of time. That way, I can keep watching this world in another form."

Lin Ye fell silent. He looked into Yu Ye's blue eyes and saw unwavering resolve.

"Why? We've only known each other for a few days. Why are you willing to go this far for us?"

"Because..." Yu Ye looked at the children playing outside the window. "I want to protect smiles like those. There are no smiles on the Otsutsuki planet. I longed for them for a thousand years, and finally found them here. So I want to protect them, even if I only have a month."

In the end, Lin Ye agreed. But not immediately. He needed to prepare and discuss it with the others.

The Five Kage held another emergency meeting. When Lin Ye reported everything he had learned, all five were shocked.

"An even greater threat..." Raikage A clenched his fists. "It just never ends!"

"But this time, we have time to prepare," Tsunade said. "And we have an ally." She looked at Yu Ye.

"I, Otsutsuki Yu Ye, formally request to join the Shinobi World Alliance." Yu Ye bowed. "I will use what remains of my life to help you grow stronger and fight against my kin."

"We accept," Mei Terumi said in her capacity as Mizukage. "But we need to ensure your loyalty."

"I will have Karin plant a variant of the 'Reverse Four Symbols Seal' inside me. If I betray you, I will die immediately," Yu Ye said.

"That won't be necessary," Gaara said. "I trust Lin Ye's judgment. Besides, your eyes are very clear."

The meeting reached a decision: they would establish the "Otsutsuki Countermeasures Special Unit," with Lin Ye as its commander and Yu Ye as its adviser. Each shinobi village would send elite members to join. Meanwhile, Yu Ye would begin casting "Time Acceleration" for Lin Ye, helping him fulfill the wishes and awaken the Jōgan as soon as possible.

The accelerated space was set up in the Uchiha Forbidden Grounds. Yu Ye used the last of his strength to create a time barrier, where one day outside equaled a year inside. Lin Ye entered with the scrolls containing the unfulfilled wishes and began his long journey.

Within the barrier, Lin Ye worked day and night to fulfill the wishes. Some were simple: delivering a letter or passing along a message. Others were complicated, requiring him to solve mysteries, fight battles, or change someone's fate. He met all kinds of Uchiha clan members and learned their stories, their regrets, and their hopes.

The hundredth wish belonged to an Uchiha Genin who had wanted to eat his mother's rice balls before he died. Lin Ye found his mother, who had remarried and started a new family, and passed on the wish. She wept, made rice balls, and placed them before her son's grave.

The two hundredth wish belonged to an Uchiha Jonin who had wanted to defeat Hatake Sakumo, Kakashi's late father. With Kakashi's help, Lin Ye used genjutsu to simulate a battle against Sakumo, allowing the Jonin's spirit to "win" once and fade away satisfied.

The three hundredth wish belonged to an elderly Uchiha who had wanted to see the Uchiha's future. Lin Ye showed him present-day Konoha, the rebuilt Uchiha compound, and the growth of Sasuke, Lin Ye, and the others. The old man shed tears and said, "This is enough."

One year, two years, three years... Time flew within the barrier. The number of wishes Lin Ye had fulfilled rose rapidly, and the tomoe patterns in his Rinnegan grew ever clearer. The awakening of the Jōgan was close at hand.

Outside, meanwhile, a month had passed.