This revelation from Shanks was even more shocking than the previous one, and the entire gathering fell into another uproar. Everyone looked at one another with expressions filled with disbelief; some frowned deeply while others simply stood frozen, trying to digest everything they had just heard. The amount of information being revealed tonight was simply too overwhelming.
Even the Kages, who had witnessed Kaguya's terrifying strength firsthand, still found it difficult to completely believe everything Shanks was saying. Seeing their reactions, Shanks remained completely calm before continuing.
"So, because the ritual was only half-completed—since only half of an Otsutsuki was offered to the Ten-Tails—the Chakra Fruit that Kaguya obtained was also incomplete. It wasn't a complete Chakra Fruit, and naturally, the harvest of this world was also left incomplete." He allowed those words to sink in before continuing.
"Later, after betraying Isshiki, Kaguya began fearing retaliation from the Otsutsuki Main Family. She knew that sooner or later they would discover what she had done, so she decided to prepare this world for that inevitable day. She attempted to strengthen the Earth itself, wanting this planet to possess enough power to fight against the Otsutsuki Clan when they eventually arrived."
Many people silently listened, and some nodded unconsciously. For the first time, Kaguya's actions seemed to possess some understandable reasoning behind them.
Shanks continued, "During that time, Kaguya gave birth to two sons: Hagoromo and Hamura. However, unlike Kaguya, both of them became attached to this world. They didn't wish to see humanity destroyed; they wanted to protect this planet instead."
Shanks then explained Kaguya's true intentions. "What Kaguya ultimately intended to do was cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi over the entire world. The moment that technique was successfully activated, every human being would have been trapped, and eventually, every one of them would have transformed into White Zetsu."
As he spoke, many people's expressions changed. They immediately recalled the white humanoid creatures that had appeared during the war. "You all fought against those white creatures during the battle. Those were White Zetsu. Had Infinite Tsukuyomi succeeded, every single human on this planet would have eventually become one of them."
A chilling silence filled the venue, as the audience finally understood just how horrifying the Infinite Tsukuyomi truly was. Fortunately, "Hagoromo and Hamura opposed their mother. They fought against Kaguya, and eventually, they succeeded in sealing her away."
Shanks slowly raised a hand toward the night sky. "The Moon that all of you see every night was created by Hagoromo. He is the one history remembers as the Sage of Six Paths. After sealing Kaguya, Hamura chose to remain on the Moon; he stayed there to guard the seal. Meanwhile, Hagoromo remained here on Earth, watched over mankind, and protected this world."
The audience quietly listened. Everything that had once been dismissed as ancient legends was now being explained as historical fact.
"The Sage of Six Paths then dealt with the Ten-Tails. He separated its chakra into nine different portions—those nine portions eventually became the nine Tailed Beasts. As for the body of the Ten-Tails, the empty husk, it was sealed inside the Moon." He paused briefly. "And because Kaguya had already merged with the Ten-Tails, she too remained sealed within the Moon."
Many people unconsciously looked upward. Their gazes settled upon the moon hanging peacefully in the night sky. Who would have imagined that such terrifying secrets had been hidden there all this time?
Shanks then continued. "There is one more thing all of you need to know: the lifespan of an Otsutsuki is extraordinarily long. They can easily live for nearly a thousand years, and even when that lifespan reaches its natural limit, they still don't truly die."
A wave of astonishment swept through the audience once more. "The same applies even to the Branch Family members that are sacrificed to the Ten-Tails. They aren't truly dead. They prepare beforehand; they leave behind something known as a Karma."
He allowed everyone a moment before explaining further. "You can think of a Karma as a complete blueprint of an Otsutsuki—a perfect record of their DNA. They imprint that blueprint onto another person. As time passes, the Karma gradually rewrites every aspect of that person's body. It completely overwrites their DNA; when the process finishes, the original Otsutsuki is completely reborn through that individual."
Shanks calmly continued. "An Otsutsuki usually places multiple Karma marks on different people. Among those vessels, at least one is almost guaranteed to possess sufficient compatibility, and once that happens, the Otsutsuki is resurrected."
Silence. Absolute silence. Everyone present stared at Shanks with widened eyes. Immortality—the ability to resurrect through another person's body—it sounded almost impossible. The atmosphere remained frozen for several long seconds before the entire venue erupted into discussion.
"Is this really true? Can someone actually resurrect like that? So, the Otsutsuki are practically immortal? If that's true, then how are we supposed to defeat them?"
Voices echoed throughout the gathering as fear, disbelief, confusion, and uncertainty rapidly spread among the audience. This time, however, Shanks didn't interrupt them. He simply stood there quietly, allowing everyone enough time to process what they had just learned.
Only after the discussions gradually subsided did he continue speaking. "Well, I understand why all of you have doubts. That reaction is only natural." He calmly looked across the crowd. "Which is precisely why, even though I knew about Madara's plan from the very beginning, I deliberately chose not to stop him."
Those words stunned everyone. Many people's eyes widened, and the Kages themselves looked at Shanks in disbelief. He had known all along?
Shanks continued before anyone could interrupt him. "I allowed Madara to continue carrying out his plan. I let him do exactly what he intended to do." The expressions of everyone present became increasingly complicated.
"If our objective had simply been to stop Madara, then the solution would have been extremely simple." He looked toward the Kages of the five great villages. "We could have taken every Tailed Beast away from all of you. Most of the Tailed Beasts were under the control of the major villages; if the Uzumaki Clan had gathered all of them, Madara's entire plan would have collapsed before it even truly began."
"He would never have been able to revive the Ten-Tails, he would never have become its Jinchuriki, and everything would have ended right there." Shanks paused, his voice remaining calm. "But we deliberately chose not to do that. And why did we not do so?"
Shanks let the question hang in the air for a brief moment before answering it himself. "The reason is simple: because we wanted Madara's plan to succeed. We wanted Madara to revive the Ten-Tails. We wanted him to successfully carry out the Infinite Tsukuyomi. We wanted Kaguya Otsutsuki to appear before the world."
His calm voice echoed throughout the silent field. "The woman who was defeated by Guy, Antares, and Benimaru was Kaguya Otsutsuki. I believe every one of you has already witnessed just how powerful she truly was."
He slowly looked across the gathered Kages. "You all know very well that if Kaguya had decided to attack your villages directly, none of you could have even scratched her. That is how overwhelming her strength was."
No one refuted his words. The battlefield from one month ago was still fresh in everyone's memory. Even after countless shinobi from every great village had gathered together, none of them had been capable of confronting Kaguya. Only the Uzumaki siblings had possessed the strength to fight her.
Shanks continued. "And yet, Kaguya herself feared other members of the Otsutsuki Clan. There are Otsutsuki who are even stronger than she was. The very fact that someone like Kaguya feared them should tell you everything about the threat we are facing."
He paused before speaking again. "Even Isshiki Otsutsuki, the one who arrived here together with Kaguya, was stronger than her."
Many people immediately frowned. If Isshiki was stronger, then how did Kaguya defeat him? It was the question silently lingering in everyone's mind.
Shanks answered it before anyone could ask. "Kaguya only succeeded because Isshiki lowered his guard. He never expected to be betrayed by his own partner. She attacked him while he was completely defenseless. Had Isshiki been prepared, the outcome would most likely have been entirely different."
Silence once again filled the gathering. Shanks then calmly continued. "There was another reason we allowed Madara's plan to continue: we didn't want to project ourselves as tyrants. We didn't want the world to believe that the Uzumaki Clan would simply interfere in everything because we possessed greater strength."
"If we had forcefully taken away every Tailed Beast before Madara acted, many of you would have viewed us as conquerors rather than protectors. So, we chose another path. We allowed reality itself to become the proof."
No one could deny that the demonstration had been convincing. After personally witnessing Madara and Kaguya, everyone finally understood the true scale of the threat. Shanks then looked across the entire audience before speaking in an authoritative tone.
"But now, that demonstration has been completed. So I hereby announce something to everyone gathered here." His voice remained calm, yet every word carried unquestionable authority. "From this day onward, all of the Tailed Beasts shall remain under the supervision of the Uzumaki Clan. They will no longer belong to any hidden village."
The declaration caused countless expressions to change. However, before anyone could react, Shanks continued. "There is only one exception: Naruto. He remains the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. So, for the time being, Konoha will continue to possess the Nine-Tails."
His gaze briefly shifted toward the Konoha delegation. "But once Naruto's life naturally comes to an end, the Nine-Tails will also be removed from Konoha. It will no longer remain under the control of any village."
Shanks spoke without the slightest trace of hesitation. "The Tailed Beasts are not merely powerful creatures. They are weapons. They are ticking bombs. They have been used repeatedly by nations to threaten one another, as military deterrents, and as weapons during war. That era ends today." The entire venue remained deathly silent.
At that moment, the Daimyo of the Land of Thunder slowly stood up. Although fear was clearly visible on his face, he still gathered enough courage to speak. "What if we refuse to hand over the Tailed Beasts? What if we disagree with your decision?"
Immediately, countless pairs of eyes turned toward him. Many secretly admired his courage; very few people dared to openly question Shanks after everything that had happened.
Shanks simply looked at him. His expression didn't change in the slightest—he neither became angry nor smiled. His voice remained perfectly calm.
"Well, you may satisfy your ego however you wish. You can convince yourself that I am requesting them from you. If that isn't enough, you may even go so far as to believe that the Uzukage personally begged you to hand over the Tailed Beasts. If that helps preserve your pride, then feel free to think so."
A few people lowered their heads after hearing those words. Then Shanks' tone became slightly colder. "Or, I can simply tell you the harsh reality: what I just said was never a request. It wasn't a proposal. It wasn't a negotiation. It was merely information—a fact. Nothing more."
His calm gaze swept across every Daimyo and every Kage present. "The decision has already been made."
The entire venue became eerily silent. No one doubted that he meant every single word. Shanks continued as though discussing an ordinary matter.
"Besides, the Tailed Beasts are currently reforming inside the dimension created by Kaguya. You have no means of reaching that place. Only we possess the ability to travel there. We will retrieve them ourselves."
"In fact, we are currently considering leaving the Tailed Beasts inside those dimensions permanently. They will remain separated from the rest of the world." He folded his hands behind his back before asking calmly, "Now then, does anyone else have another question? Or is there anyone else who wishes to raise an objection?"
Silence. The Daimyo of the Land of Thunder slowly sat back down. His face was pale, and he didn't utter another word. The front row remained completely quiet.
Whether they were Kages, Daimyos, or the highest-ranking officials of their respective nations, not a single person dared to voice their dissatisfaction anymore. They all understood one undeniable truth: the meeting being held tonight was never about asking for the world's approval. It was simply Shanks informing the rulers of the world about decisions that had already been made.