174. Mysterious Figurine

As the artificial sun within the moon gradually dimmed, night descended upon the land of the Otsutsuki clan.

In the black sky, floating islands lit up one by one like twinkling stars, adding a unique color to the otherwise monotonous scenery.

In Otsutsuki Akemi's palace...

"Whoosh... whoosh..."

With the bedroom doors quietly closed by a dark puppet, Uchiha Gin, who was resting on the enormous bed, slowly opened his eyes.

He sensed that the puppet’s chakra was still stationed at the door and a spark of cunning flashed in his gaze.

Hidden beneath the blankets, he discreetly formed a hand sign.

A greenish-blue branch sprouted from his body and transformed into a clone that looked exactly like him.

“This should do it…”

Having set up the wooden clone, Uchiha Gin pondered how to escape the heavily monitored room. Forcing his way out could alarm his watchers.

In hindsight, he regretted not learning the puppet arts from his Uncle Ancestor; it would have made navigating this puppet-laden domain much easier.

"Sigh~ Can’t exactly use my Sharingan to hypnotize a puppet, can I?”

As he mulled over ideas, he noticed the dark shadow on the floor and slapped his forehead. "How could I forget something so crucial!"

His Sharingan eyes took on a crimson hue, and the three spinning tomoe gradually morphed into a powerful and dark aura. He closed his eyes, focusing on the power hidden within them—a force imbued with both regret and love, left behind by Uchiha Igaku.

When he opened them again, one eye had transformed into his own Mangekyo, devoid of tomoe, while the other held a unique triangular symbol, adorned with a single black dot.

With this power, the aura grew denser.

"Just as I thought, the aura from the Eternal Mangekyo is much stronger."

Feeling the powerful chakra of the Eternal Mangekyo, Uchiha Gin activated a technique gifted to him by Uchiha Igaku: Spectre.


This ocular power allowed him to create a shadow clone with a simple consciousness, capable of espionage and assassination. It also let him control shadows, which could aid in stealth and even turn into weapons to surprise enemies at critical moments.

“Time to make my escape using Spectre's abilities!”

Though this was his first time using such an advanced Mangekyo Sharingan technique, Uchiha Gin’s experience with various ocular powers made mastering this simple task effortless.

After a few trials, he could skillfully manipulate the shadows.

As he focused, a shadow beneath his feet expanded and enveloped him like a gaping abyss, swallowing him whole.

The eerie sight did not faze him—in fact, he felt a thrill of excitement.

This technique, Shadow Rift, allowed the creation of a shadow space. In the physical world, he could travel through this shadow dimension as long as his chakra held up.

Back when Uchiha Igaku used this technique in his youth, its distance and duration were severely limited due to his age and declining strength.

"Impressive... I never expected Spectre could open a realm like this."

As Uchiha Gin roamed through the black-and-white world, he marveled at the surroundings, nearly identical to the real world but devoid of color. In this realm, he alone remained in color.

Wandering through Otsutsuki Akemi's palace, he inspected the black-and-white puppet guards.

Curious, he tested whether he could influence the real world from within this realm. Holding the shadow of a guard’s head, he twisted it slightly.

“Crunch!”

Back in the real world, the two puppet guards stood motionless by the palace doors.

But suddenly, one guard’s yellow eyes flickered before it crumpled, lifeless, to the ground.

"It worked!"

Uchiha Gin was both amazed and excited. He hadn’t expected the shadow realm to impact the real world so directly.

However, before he could celebrate, an overwhelming fatigue hit him, draining his chakra rapidly. He steadied himself, shocked by the sudden weakness.

“Damn, no wonder Grandpa never used this ability—it's practically lethal.”

After regaining some of his chakra, Uchiha Gin sighed. This technique was powerful but costly, so he decided to save it as a last resort.

Exiting the shadow realm in a secluded area, he returned to the real world and breathed in the fresh air.

"Much better—like coming up from the underworld."

Unbeknownst to him, only beings like the Spectre clone or someone who had merged with it could survive in the shadow realm without losing their sanity.

Regular humans would be driven mad in moments.

“Now, onto the castle…”

Uchiha Gin looked at the distant castle, leapt up, and after several powerful jumps across floating islands, reached the grand structure.

Gazing up at the imposing palace, he smirked.

With a slight squint, he slipped back into the shadow realm and entered the palace undetected.

"Compared to this, my room is a pigsty," he mused, marveling at the grandiose decor.

But as he explored the palace, he grew puzzled. “Where are the Tenseigan?”

After scouring the castle’s many layers, Uchiha Gin found no trace of the legendary Tenseigan, so he ventured to the final observatory at the castle’s peak, hoping to find something worthwhile.

There, he found an unexpected sight—a cluttered room littered with clothes, leftover food, and towering piles of books.

The room seemed lived-in, as though its resident was a recluse.

Curious, Uchiha Gin moved deeper into the observatory.

Near a window, he spotted a life-sized figurine—a stunning creation, crafted with meticulous detail.

The figure had the signature pale complexion of the Otsutsuki, with a small mouth, crescent-shaped brows, and eyes devoid of emotion.

Though hidden beneath a long robe, her figure was undeniably exquisite, with curves that hinted at a fantasy crafted by its creator.

"Tsk. The owner of this room has good taste; I’d love to exchange notes with them someday."

The more he looked at the figurine, the more familiar it seemed.

Try as he might, he couldn’t place where he’d seen it before.

“Ah, surely the owner won’t mind if I just touch it once?”

After a moment of hesitation, he reached out, his sinful fingers grazed the figurine’s chest.

"Ahhh.. "

---




Ōtsutsuki Tsukihime, the current leader of the Ōtsutsuki clan, had shown extraordinary talent since childhood.

By the age of ten, she could defeat all adults in her clan.

At fifteen, when the previous clan leader passed away, she was unexpectedly pushed into the position thanks to her strength.

Initially, lacking experience in governance, Tsukihime relied on the guidance of elders.


Over time, she realized that managing the clan didn’t actually require her direct involvement.

So, she handed over administrative duties to the elders, retreating to the clan patriarch’s palace to enjoy a laid-back life.

She spent her days training, eating, and reading, only leaving her palace if someone dared to challenge her.

Years went by in this comfortable lifestyle, with servants bringing her delicious food and endless books to read.


In this peaceful environment, Tsukihime’s desire to venture out dwindled; she would often laze around in the observatory, daydreaming in contentment.

Today was yet another leisurely day.

After a night of reading, she awoke in the evening, feeling hungry.

She ordered her puppet to bring her some fried chicken and fries, specifying, “No ketchup, only spicy sauce.”

As the puppet left to fetch her order, Tsukihime, feeling sticky, stripped off her clothes, leaving them on the floor for the puppet to clean up.

Yawning in her underwear, Tsukihime lazily flipped through a romantic story, a faint glimmer of yearning in her usually cold eyes.

Just as she got lost in a romantic reverie, her puppet arrived with her food.

"Hmm, just this one bite. If I don't eat it for a day, I will feel uncomfortable all over."

When the puppet closed the door, she ran over in hurry.

Without a hint of decorum, she grabbed the chicken and fries, devouring them messily and without any hint of ladylike restraint.

Her wild eating style contrasted sharply with her icy beauty, creating an oddly charming effect.

After devouring the last bite, she wiped her mouth with her arm, rubbing her now slightly rounded belly.

"Haah, I feel alive."

Noticing the greasy sensation on her hands, she reluctantly headed to the bath while taking off her underwear, muttering, “I hate bathing!”


Ōtsutsuki Tsukihime, stripped down and transformed herself into a little white rabbit, sat in the expansive bath, her face twisted in discomfort. As the warm water flowed over her skin, she couldn’t help but feel a shiver of unease—she was terrified of water, like a rabbit, feeling utterly powerless as soon as she touched it.

Forcing herself to endure the discomfort, she managed to wash off the greasy sweat clinging to her skin.

Quickly shaking her white fur, the she darted out of the bathroom, her damp white fur trailing behind her.

Alone, she moved to the window in the observatory to let the breeze dry her off.

“Ahhhh…”

As the gentle wind from outside brushed against her, she felt utterly refreshed, as if a giant hand were soothing her. She couldn’t help but let out a satisfied sigh

"Aahh... "

“Impressive! Even with sound effects—this is true Ōtsutsuki craftsmanship.”