Chapter 436: The Key to Removing the Chakra Mark of the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor
Then, more than a decade later, during the events of Boruto, the Ōtsutsuki clan descended.
Could it be that the Six Paths-level Yin-Yang Release chakra within Naruto and Sasuke had continuously transmitted a "harvestable" signal to the Ōtsutsuki clan?
Was that why members of the Ōtsutsuki clan arrived on the shinobi planet within just a few years?
Li Yao believed that was very likely.
As for why Naruto and Sasuke didn't seem aware of being watched by the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor—why they acted as if nothing was wrong—Li Yao had a theory.
It had to do with how their Six Paths chakra wasn't something they had cultivated themselves.
Just like how Madara and Obito gained Six Paths-level chakra by becoming Ten Tails Jinchūriki—neither of them sensed the gaze of the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor.
Even Li Yao's Obito clone, after becoming the Ten Tails' jinchūriki and mastering the Truth-Seeking Orbs, couldn't sense that gaze either.
Only those who reached Six Paths-level chakra through their own chakra and effort could sense the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor's attention—and realize they had been branded.
"So here's the real question."
"If the Sage of Six Paths knew giving Naruto and Sasuke Yin-Yang Release would draw the Ōtsutsuki clan, why didn't he retrieve that power after Kaguya was sealed?"
Li Yao found this strange.
The Sage had to know that granting them Six Paths Yin-Yang Release would draw the Ōtsutsuki clan back to Earth.
That the shinobi world would once again be in crisis.
That the God Tree could be planted again.
That this could very likely lead to the end of the world.
So why didn't the Sage retrieve Naruto and Sasuke's Yin-Yang Release afterward?
Was it intentional?
Or was he unable to reclaim it?
Or perhaps he tried, but they retained the power anyway?
Question after question surfaced. Li Yao couldn't figure out the deeper reason.
"Forget it, none of that matters now."
Li Yao shook his head and pulled his thoughts back. The fate of the shinobi world wasn't his concern.
What he needed to focus on now was figuring out how the Sage of Six Paths removed the chakra mark of the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor.
First, it required discarding the physical body.
Chakra is formed by combining physical and spiritual energy.
And when chakra is generated, it simultaneously strengthens and affects both body and soul.
Which meant both the body's energy and the spirit's energy likely carried the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor's mark.
To remove the chakra mark, one must remove it from both physical and spiritual energy.
Discarding the body removes the physical half—half the mark is gone.
Shedding the body was easy. The soul could survive.
But the soul couldn't be discarded. So how could one remove the mark from the spiritual energy?
Li Yao furrowed his brow in deep thought.
"The Pure Land!"
He thought of that unique soul realm.
After discarding his body, the Sage of Six Paths remained in the Pure Land, never reappearing in the living world for over a thousand years.
He only showed up during the Fourth Great Ninja War by using the residual chakra in Madara's lower body.
The Pure Land had to be a critical factor.
"The Pure Land… 'Pure'… Could it be…"
Li Yao's eyes suddenly lit up. The key might be in the word "pure."
Could the Pure Land purify the chakra mark of the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor from the soul? Was that why the Sage never left?
Or maybe the Pure Land could block the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor's ability to sense the Sage?
Either way—
Li Yao was now certain: the Pure Land was a key factor in removing the chakra mark.
"That must be it!"
He was getting excited.
"Then… was the Pure Land always there, or did the Sage create it?"
"That's also crucial."
Li Yao's brow furrowed again.
If the Pure Land had always existed, all Li Yao had to do was discard his body, let his soul ascend, and be purified. With his Six Paths-level soul, he wouldn't need to fear the Sage's interference.
But if the Pure Land had been created by the Sage, and Li Yao discarded his body and entered it—he'd be at the Sage's mercy. A lamb in a wolf's den.
Until he understood the true nature of the Pure Land, Li Yao couldn't recklessly discard his body.
He dug through every memory he had of the Pure Land from his past life.
After a while, his head hurt.
The original series never clarified who created the Pure Land.
Initially, Li Yao believed the Sage had created it, for three reasons.
First, the Sage could freely enter and exit the Pure Land. He even dragged Naruto's soul in and bestowed Six Paths power upon Naruto and Sasuke inside.
Second, the Sage's two sons were able to reincarnate continuously, while others couldn't—indicating he had great control over the Pure Land.
Lastly, the Rinnegan could connect to the Pure Land, draw out souls for resurrection, and absorb them.
And the Rinnegan was the Sage's most iconic feature.
Putting all this together, it was highly likely that the Pure Land had been created by the Sage.
Li Yao even boldly guessed that the Pure Land was a soul dimension created by the Sage using the Rinnegan's soul-related abilities.
Following this line of thought, he continued pondering.
"If that's true… could I also enhance my soul through the Rinnegan's abilities and create my own Pure Land to purify the chakra mark from my soul?"
"If that's possible… then my next priority should be strengthening my soul."
"Yes—enhancing the soul is the way forward!"
The more Li Yao thought about it, the more convinced he became.
Abandoning the body was easy—as long as the soul remained.
But abandoning the soul? Impossible.
So the only way to erase the Progenitor's chakra mark from the soul was to strengthen his soul.
Just like how, after strengthening his soul before, Li Yao was able to erase the will remnants of Madara and Black Zetsu from his soul.
"Right!"
"Will remnants!"
Li Yao's eyes lit up. He suddenly realized—the mark the Progenitor left in his soul must be in the form of will remnants.
So as long as he removed the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor's will from his soul, he'd no longer be locatable by the clan.
That way, if he hid in the Pure Land—or in his own Kamui space—he wouldn't need to fear their pursuit.
In that case, he wouldn't even need to create a new Pure Land to escape the Progenitor's gaze.
"Perfect Transformation Jutsu!"
The corners of Li Yao's mouth couldn't help but curl into a smile.
He hadn't expected that the "Perfect Transformation Jutsu" he'd been working on since arriving in the Naruto world would turn out to be the key to survival.
The step in its development involving erasing will remnants from the soul—would become the very thing that allowed him to shake off the Ōtsutsuki Progenitor's attention.
He could only say... how perfect!
(END CHAPTER)
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