Uchiha Retsu stared at the white broken horn in his hand, its surface marked with faint wood-like patterns. A trace of hesitation flickered in his eyes.
"Retsu?"
Kikyo stepped out, her bow slung across her back. As she passed by him, she noticed he was still staring at the object in his hand. Curious, she walked over and asked,
"You've been looking at that for a while. What exactly is it?"
"This…"
Retsu came back to his senses. His fingers traced the rough fracture at the base of the horn, his tone turning complicated.
"This is a piece that broke off from the horn of the one who killed me… Uchiha Madara."
That's right.
He was absolutely certain.
This was the strange, jagged horn that had grown from Madara's forehead after he became the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki—his Six Paths form.
He had only discovered it a few days ago while idly inspecting the sealed space created by the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing he used before dying in the Naruto world. Among the debris sealed within, this piece had been hidden.
He didn't even know how it ended up there.
His best guess was that when Might Guy, using the Eight Gates, heavily injured Madara, the horn broke off and fell to the ground—only to be swept into the sealing along with the surrounding rubble.
Kikyo's eyes lit up with curiosity. She leaned closer, carefully examining the horn.
Its material didn't resemble that of a demon, dragon, or even a beast. Instead, it looked more like white carved wood—one end sharp and curved, the other clearly broken from a powerful impact.
"Does it have anything special about it?" she asked.
She couldn't sense any demonic aura or evil energy from it.
If anything, it gave off a faint sense of vitality.
"It contains the power of the Uchiha clan's ancestor… Ōtsutsuki Indra," Retsu explained.
"This might be the key to me becoming stronger."
Thanks to the peculiar nature of the sealing technique, when he obtained the horn, he realized that Madara's chakra still remained inside it.
From what he knew—
Madara was the reincarnation of Indra, meaning his chakra carried Indra's power.
"Is it dangerous?" Kikyo noticed the hesitation in his eyes. She gently took his hand, her voice filled with concern.
"Not dangerous," Retsu said, holding her hand in return. Warmth spread through his fingers as he smiled reassuringly.
"I just don't know what will happen if I merge this power into my body. That's why I'm hesitating."
He already had Hashirama's cells within him.
And Hashirama was the reincarnation of Asura.
Now, he also possessed Madara's chakra.
Which meant—
If he successfully fused it, he would hold both Indra and Asura's power.
According to the Naruto world's rules, combining those two would give rise to Six Paths power… and awaken the Rinnegan.
Everything sounded perfect.
But there was one problem.
His Sharingan was not an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
The only reason he could use his current Mangekyō without going blind was because of Hashirama's cells.
He didn't know if skipping the Eternal Mangekyō stage and directly merging these two powers—
Would successfully awaken the Rinnegan.
And if it failed, that was one thing.
What worried him more was something worse.
If he forcibly awakened the Rinnegan, but lacked sufficient ocular power—
It might end up like a normal Mangekyō: used once… and gone blind.
And if that happened—
Even Hashirama's cells wouldn't be enough to restore it.
He wouldn't just lose his Mangekyō—
He might lose his sight entirely.
"That's too risky," Kikyo said firmly, tightening her grip on his hand.
"Then don't try it. You're already strong enough."
Retsu looked into her clear eyes.
His fingers tightened around the broken horn.
Ever since severely injuring Naraku last time, his presence had completely vanished.
Even Kagura and Kanna had disappeared.
He couldn't even sense the Flying Thunder God marks he had left on them.
Either the marks had been erased—
Or they were too far away.
As for Naraku—
His mark had already disappeared when he reconstructed his body.
From what Retsu knew of the story, if nothing had drastically changed—
Naraku was most likely hiding within Mount Hakurei's barrier, using the power of Saint Hakushin to rebuild himself.
That place…
Was a turning point in Kikyo's fate.
The moment she transformed from a "resentful clay vessel sustained by souls" into a "saintly priestess who sacrificed herself."
And also the beginning of her tragedy.
Even though this Kikyo had already changed her fate—revived, stronger than ever—
Fate itself was unpredictable.
He couldn't risk losing her again.
After Mount Hakurei, the power levels of both Naraku and Inuyasha's group would surge.
The final battle was approaching.
He needed more power.
Power to protect her.
Power to break her fate free from the Shikon Jewel's curse.
And besides—
As an Uchiha, the desire for greater strength was instinct.
Once he reached that conclusion—
His hesitation vanished.
Retsu pulled Kikyo into a tight embrace, her scent filling his senses. His voice was firm, unwavering.
"No. I've decided."
"I need this power."
"I need to become stronger—to protect you, and to completely free your fate from that damned Shikon Jewel."
"Retsu, you—mm!"
Before she could finish, he kissed her.
Kikyo felt the resolve and care in that kiss. The words she wanted to say melted away as her body relaxed, gently returning his affection.
After a long moment, their lips parted. Their foreheads touched, breaths intertwined.
Retsu brushed her hair softly, looking into her eyes.
"Don't worry. I won't act recklessly. If anything goes wrong, I'll stop immediately."
"I'll stay with you," Kikyo said quietly.
She knew she couldn't change his mind.
Her gaze was steady.
"Alright." Retsu smiled, his eyes filled with warmth.
"With you here, I feel a lot more confident."
After a brief moment of quiet intimacy, Retsu straightened, his expression turning serious.
"No time to waste. Let's begin now."
"Now?" Kikyo blinked. "What do you need me to do?"
"Nothing. Just stay nearby and guard me," he said gently.
"Make sure no one—human or demon—interrupts."
"Don't worry. I know the method. I just haven't tried it before, so I'm a bit nervous."
"And even if it works, there won't be any drastic changes at first."
"Wait."
Kikyo suddenly turned and hurried to the shrine altar.
She bowed reverently in prayer.
Then—
Retsu felt her spiritual power surge.
A barrier instantly spread out, enveloping the entire shrine.
To ensure absolute safety, she had completely sealed off the shrine from the outside world.
After that, Kikyo took up a katana and fastened it at her waist, her bow still on her back.
Only then did she return to his side.
"I'm ready."
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