Images surged in like a tide.
They saw Earth thousands of years ago: Ōtsutsuki Isshiki and Kaguya descended, the God Tree grew, and humanity knelt in terror. Then they saw a red-haired woman-Uzumaki Oriyuki. She stood by the sea, gazing up at the stars, golden light flowing through her eyes.
"Lord Isshiki, are you truly going to take this path?" Zhixue asked.
Before her, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki stood with his back to her, his voice low. "This is my mission, Zhixue. Devour this planet, evolve, then return to the clan and become an elder. This is the destiny of all Otsutsuki."
"What about the lives on this planet? They have a right to survive, too."
"Inferior creatures, no different from ants," Isshiki said, but there was uncertainty in his voice.
The scene shifted. Oriyuki and Isshiki stood on a mountaintop, and she placed her hand against his chest. "I've seen it through my foresight. If you continue down this path, you will die here, betrayed by your companion and sealed away by the life on this planet. But if you change and leave behind hope, perhaps... a thousand years from now, a wild card will appear and end the Otsutsuki's cycle of plunder."
"A wild card?"
"Someone from beyond this world, carrying a system that collects unfulfilled wishes, who will turn the Uchiha's curse into power and your legacy into a weapon," Zhixue said. "He will come to the Eye of the Whirlpool and see all of this. Lord Isshiki, please. Leave behind some hope."
Isshiki remained silent for a long time. He turned and gently embraced Zhixue. "I will leave behind the Legacy System, but the Kāma selection process must continue, or the clan will notice. The observer, Zero, will carry out the program, but if that wild card appears and passes the trials, the system will be transferred to him. This is... the only thing I can do."
"Thank you." Zhixue smiled, but tears filled her eyes. "I will use my life to strengthen this sanctuary's Sealing, allowing my clansmen's souls to rest here as they await his arrival."
The scene shifted again. Zhixue stood at the center of the Eye of the Whirlpool, forming hand seals as she poured her life force into the sanctuary's core. Her body gradually became transparent, dissolving into countless motes of light that sank into every piece of jade in the palace. In her final moment, she looked into the void, as though she could see Lin Ye and the others across time.
"Guardian of the future, if you are seeing this memory, it means Lord Isshiki failed, while you succeeded. Do not hate him. He was a pitiable man, trapped between duty and emotion. I have left behind the Eye of Prophecy. It can show you glimpses of the future, but remember, the future is not set in stone. Every choice creates a new branch. Also, beware of Momoshiki Otsutsuki. He is a pure predator, without a shred of mercy. The advance force he dispatched has already reached this planet. Their targets are the Eye of the Whirlpool and the Legacy System. Leave this place quickly and go to the Senju Clan's Cave of Myriad Forms. The key to fighting the Otsutsuki lies there..."
The vision cut off abruptly.
The Crystal Ball's light faded, and it became transparent again. But a drop of red liquid had appeared at its center—Zhixue's bloody tear, imbued with the power of foresight.
"So Isshiki left behind a system to fight his own clan because he fell in love with a human woman?" Naruto murmured. "That's... that's just..."
"Love can change someone, even an Otsutsuki," Sakura said softly.
"But the price was Zhixue's life." Karin wiped away her tears. "She used herself to strengthen the sanctuary and let her clansmen's souls rest in peace. Lord Ye, we have to take the Eye of Prophecy and leave immediately. Lady Zhixue said the advance force is already here."
"Right." Lin Ye reached out and carefully lifted the Crystal Ball. The instant he touched it, a flood of information surged into his mind—glimpses of the future Zhixue had left behind:
Glimpse one: Momoshiki Otsutsuki's advance force, led by two Otsutsuki, Kinshiki and Urashiki, was making its way through the thick fog and would arrive within half an hour.
Glimpse two: Deep within the Senju Clan's Cave of Myriad Forms, a complete Otsutsuki corpse lay sealed away. The corpse contained an "antibody" that could counter the Otsutsuki.
Glimpse three: Three years later, the Otsutsuki Fleet would descend, but conflict would erupt within its ranks, and some Otsutsuki would defect and ally themselves with Earth.
Glimpse four: There was a chance of restoring Sasuke's sight in the Cave of Myriad Forms.
Glimpse five: At some point, Lin Ye himself would face a choice—sacrifice himself to Sealing Momoshiki away, or use another method at an unknown cost.
There was too much information. Lin Ye felt as though his head would split. Fighting through the pain, he handed the Crystal Ball to Karin. "Keep this safe. It's an important item. Now we-"
Before he could finish, the palace shook violently.
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