Chapter 18: The Second Indra Otsutsuki

Chapter 18: The Second Indra Otsutsuki

Izayoi, who had just struck gold with a new ability, didn’t rush to examine the changes brought by Sage’s Eye (Crimson). First, he cleared his mind and focused on healing Uchiha Sasuke.

Looking at Sasuke’s darkened eye sockets—a testament to restless nights—Izayoi’s gaze softened with pity. The ninja world was full of tragic orphans, but few had fallen from such heights as Sasuke. Those who’d once known happiness before losing everything were rare. Izayoi could think of two: Nagato and Uchiha Sasuke. Yet compared to Nagato, who had the support of Yahiko and Konan—and even Jiraiya—Sasuke’s fate was grimmer. Orchestrated by Itachi, Sasuke’s path had been one of endless vengeance or, after discovering the truth, fleeting rebellion crushed by the very person he trusted. Later, he’d spend years gathering intel on the Ōtsutsuki Clan, rarely returning home to atone.

If Izayoi didn’t alter Sasuke’s fate, it would spiral into something darker than the original timeline. After all, in that path, Sasuke had been the Academy’s top graduate before Izayoi. Now, Izayoi held that title, with Hinata Hyuga as second. Sasuke would battle for third place, only to watch helplessly as Naruto Uzumaki—the class clown—surged past him.

“Should I lend him a hand?” Izayoi mused.

At that moment, Sasuke stirred awake, his eyes bloodshot. Seeing his opponent’s fatigue, Izayoi decided, “You’re in no condition to keep going. Rest and return when you’ve recovered.”

Sasuke said nothing, sitting up to examine his healed chest—now scarred by a thin line. Memories of their fight replayed: his taijutsu, his ninjutsu—both hopelessly outmatched. Izayoi’s seamless attacks, his unshakable footwork, even the green glow of medical chakra when he’d opened his eyes…

Frustration welled up. “I lost,” Sasuke admitted, not unkindly. Unlike Naruto, who’d once raged at defeat, Sasuke accepted it. The match had been unrestricted, but releasing a jutsu mid-fight was reckless.

“I got lucky,” Izayoi shrugged, genuinely praising him. “I thought I was the only one in class with all five chakra natures. You’ve got skill, Uchiha genius.” He stood, offering a hand. “I’ll admit—today’s win was a bit unfair. Let’s fight again someday.”

Sasuke, surprised by Izayoi’s lack of arrogance, felt warmth stir in his chest. Recognized for the first time, he smiled faintly—the first since waking—and took Izayoi’s hand. “Next time, I won’t lose.”

Izayoi pulled him up, raising two fingers in a mock challenge. “You’ll have to train harder. I’m not holding back.”

“Just wait,” Sasuke shot back, determination blazing as they formed a reconciliation seal.

The scene reflected in a crystal ball across the village. Watching, Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed his pipe and smiled. “New leaves are beginning to sprout.”

At his most fragile, Sasuke might have crumbled. But Hiruzen, who’d vowed to protect Sasuke after Itachi’s plea—and to ensure Itachi’s spy mission succeeded—would never abandon him. Anbu shadows had been tracking Sasuke since he left the Academy with Izayoi.

Thankfully, Izayoi had kept his thoughts private, avoiding the Yamanaka’s mind-reading techniques. Hiruzen knew Izayoi well; this generation’s prodigy had already outshone Naruto, the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, and heirs like Sasuke and Hinata. A master of Shadow Clones and Wind Release, he’d trained daily with Hinata in abandoned grounds.

Commoners like Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and even the unknown Kabuto had risen without kekkei genkai. Izayoi, though not exceptional, was promising—a potential elite jōnin if nurtured. Hiruzen had marked him early.

After parting ways, Izayoi summoned his invisible light screen. At the top, Otsutsuki Bloodline (Crimson) now glowed, replacing Kage-Level Potential with Sage’s Eye (Crimson). No obvious changes yet, but Izayoi sensed the shift within.

This Sage’s Eye wasn’t the true Rinne Sharingan—it was Indra Otsutsuki’s legacy, a fragment of Hagoromo’s Yin Release chakra and spiritual energy. Unlike Indra’s reincarnation, this was pure Yin power, untainted by another’s will. While others needed recognition or growth to awaken it, Izayoi would rise like Indra himself—swiftly, powerfully.

In the coming years, his spiritual energy and Yin chakra would skyrocket.

“I guess I’m the second Indra now,” he thought, smirking. If he could see Indra’s traits, he’d find no Uchiha bloodline—only a high-tier Otsutsuki lineage, granting infinite dojutsu power without eye transplants.

Even the Sharingan’s hand seals were unnecessary. Izayoi’s crimson bloodline was the peak. Beyond crimson lay the impossible—otherwise, Indra’s reincarnation wouldn’t need fusion to awaken Rinnegan.

Now, Izayoi was Indra reborn. To become Hagoromo or Hamura, he’d need to ascend further. But for now, the second Indra was enough.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end