Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

"Ten Tails?!"

Kawaki, unfamiliar with the history of the Fourth Great Ninja War, didn't fully grasp the significance of the Ten Tails. However, Naruto's expression immediately turned serious at the mention of those words as he stood in the corridor.

Naruto quickly asked Kurama, "Nine Tails, can you sense the presence of the Ten Tails?"

"Hmm..." Kurama took a moment before responding, "There's definitely a trace of Ten Tails' energy, but it's not the one we encountered before. Nor is it a fragment of that one."

"Really?" Naruto muttered, nodding silently. If it wasn't the same Ten Tails from the war, at least he didn't have to worry about it being a medium for Kaguya's resurrection—for now.

Still cautious, Naruto entered Sage Mode and used his heightened sensory abilities to analyze the chakra of the small creature Kirito called "Little Leopard."

Hum! The moment Naruto connected his senses to the living room, an immense natural energy body struck him like a tidal wave, momentarily taking his breath away.

"Huh..." Naruto exhaled deeply, retreating from Sage Mode. He turned to Kurama and said, "This energy... It's definitely the Ten Tails, but much smaller than the one we fought before."

Kurama's tone was stern. "Don't get complacent. Remember, the original Ten Tails was fully grown. This one might be small now, but it could rapidly mature into its true form. If it goes berserk, the consequences will be catastrophic."

Kurama's words brought back memories of the war. Even the incomplete Ten Tails summoned by Obito had grown quickly into a monstrous threat capable of reshaping the world.

Naruto glanced back into the living room, watching Little Leopard resting lazily on Kirito's lap. It yawned and flicked its tail, looking more like a house pet than a destructive force.

"But this one… It's hard to connect it to the terrifying creature we fought," Naruto muttered.

"Haha! So soft and cute!" Himawari giggled as she hugged Little Leopard tightly, nuzzling her face against its thick, fluffy fur.

The sight was almost surreal. No one would have guessed that the seemingly harmless creature in Himawari's arms could become a "nuclear bomb" capable of leveling Konoha and the ninja world.

It seems I made the right choice to give Little Leopard a makeover, Kirito thought to himself. After mastering the Yin-Yang Release techniques of the Six Paths, he had deliberately reshaped Little Leopard's appearance to make it cuter in its reduced form. The change served a purpose: trust and reduced vigilance.

Kawaki leaned his head against his hand, watching Himawari dote on Little Leopard. "This is supposed to be the Ten Tails? It doesn't match any of the descriptions I've read."

Though Kawaki didn't know the full extent of the Ten Tails' power, he understood its purpose. It was a tool used by the Ōtsutsuki to drain the life force of entire planets and produce the Chakra Fruit.

The disconnect between the image he'd formed in his mind and the small, fluffy creature before him left Kawaki momentarily speechless.

At that moment, Hinata appeared, descending the stairs after finishing some chores. She noticed Himawari cuddling Little Leopard and asked, "Himawari, I'm going out to buy groceries. Want to come with me?"

"Yes!" Himawari reluctantly handed Little Leopard back to Kirito, patting it gently. "I'll play with you when I get back!"

Little Leopard yawned lazily in response, its body going limp on Kirito's lap as it swished its tail lightly. Himawari hesitated for a moment—clearly wanting to take it with her—but decided against it, knowing Kirito and Little Leopard couldn't leave the house so easily.

Once Hinata and Himawari had left, Naruto finally stepped into the living room. His chakra presence was unmistakable to Kirito, as was the vast reservoir of Kurama's chakra within him. Kirito had been aware of Naruto's presence the entire time.

Kirito didn't mind Naruto's cautious surveillance. After all, this wasn't his ninja world, and Naruto wasn't his friend from the past. Instead, Naruto was the Hokage who had led the Allied Shinobi Forces to victory in the Fourth Great Ninja War. Given the circumstances, it was only natural for him to treat Kirito, a walking "nuclear weapon," with extreme caution.

Still, Kirito smiled warmly. "Your daughter is adorable. And very polite."

"Hahaha! Thanks for saying that," Naruto replied, his fatherly pride evident.

"Seventh Hokage!" Kawaki greeted.

Naruto sat across from Kirito and said, "Boruto and Kawaki are good kids too… but it's unfortunate."

"You're talking about the Karma, aren't you?" Kirito said, immediately understanding Naruto's concern.

"Exactly," Naruto admitted. "Do you have any idea how to remove it? And can Ishiki appear near Kawaki at any time?"

Kirito thought for a moment before answering. "Once a Karma is engraved, the transformation it initiates is irreversible. Even if the Karma is removed, the decompressed Ōtsutsuki data will remain in the host forever."

Naruto and Kawaki exchanged glances. "So… you're saying the Karma can be removed?" Naruto asked eagerly.

Kirito nodded. "Yes, there are two methods:

"First, in Kawaki's case, Ishiki has two vessels—Jigen and Kawaki. If Ishiki reincarnates in Jigen, the Karma in Kawaki will disappear. This is a safeguard to prevent two versions of the same Ōtsutsuki from existing simultaneously. Of course, if Kawaki were to allow himself to be engraved with a new Karma, the cycle would begin again."

"That's out of the question," Kawaki muttered, staring at the Karma in his palm. The thought of enduring that hellish process again was unbearable.

He then asked, "What about Boruto? Momoshiki only implanted a Karma in him."

"Yes," Naruto added, his gaze fixed on Kirito. "What about Boruto?"

Kirito continued, "In Boruto's case, there's only one vessel. Because of the Karma mark, Momoshiki's soul is tethered to Boruto. As the Karma unfurls, Momoshiki's soul will take over Boruto's consciousness.

"To save Boruto, you must destroy Momoshiki's soul. If the soul is eliminated, Boruto will retain control of his body, even if the Karma fully manifests."

Kirito finished speaking and sipped his now-cold tea. Naruto leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

"So that's how it is..." Naruto muttered. He was relieved to have Kirito's insights. Without him, finding a solution to save both Boruto and Kawaki might have been impossible—or too late.

Judging by the current state of their Karma, Kawaki's was over 80% unfurled, and Boruto's was nearly 70%, even with intentional control. Time was of the essence.

Naruto's gamble in allowing Kirito to stay in Konoha was paying off. Only someone like him—a fellow Ōtsutsuki—could provide such direct and vital solutions.

Now, Naruto's next task was to devise a strategy to implement these methods and protect his sons.

(End of Chapter)