Aoba had never seen a true Ōtsutsuki in their original form.
Although there was technically one in the ninja world, they had lost their physical body and were now merely existing inside a human host.
The same applied to Kaguya.
If Aoba wanted a complete Ōtsutsuki genetic sequence, he would need to revive Kaguya.
The Ōtsutsuki clan seemed to possess a special ability, so long as their host body was suitable and their chakra reserves were sufficient, they could rapidly regenerate an entirely new Ōtsutsuki body.
However, unless it was the last resort, Aoba had no intention of using this method.
A fully revived Ōtsutsuki was far too dangerous.
One or two, maybe even three, Aoba could handle.
But what worried him was the possibility of them calling for reinforcements.
That was not something he could afford to deal with.
After gaining preliminary mastery over his new power, Aoba immediately joined the research efforts in the lab.
As he read through the latest research reports, a thought flickered through his mind, something important.
But he couldn't quite grasp it just yet.
Choosing to take a break, he left the lab to relax.
By this time, Konoha had received word from the front lines, Madara had surrendered.
The six-man team had already escorted him back to Konoha.
Naturally, Aoba would personally receive him.
Madara, despite his arrogance, had truly lost this time.
Both in terms of personal strength and village development, Konoha had outclassed him.
And since he had lost, there was no point in keeping up appearances.
What he wanted to know now was... What exactly was Aoba planning?
Aoba actually trusted Madara more than most other ninja because anyone who used chakra was, to some extent, influenced by the Sage of Six Paths.
But Madara? The Sage wanted nothing more than to personally strangle him to death.
Aoba stated mysteriously, "There are many parts to my plan. But the most important piece, I've already completed it."
Madara could sense the difference in Aoba. There was no chakra in him anymore. Instead, something else, something even more terrifying, flowed within him.
At first, Madara refused to believe it. Had Aoba really abandoned all of his chakra just to deal with some mysterious enemy? It wasn't until Aoba demonstrated his new power that Madara finally accepted that he was serious.
"Even with this level of power, it's still not enough? Not even close. This isn't a simple contest of strength. It's a war on a higher plane. In a normal battle, if you lose, you can always retreat and try again But this time? That's not an option. This war, whoever loses is finished, utterly and completely. But other than us, how many people can even participate in a battle of this scale?" Madara proclaimed.
"And that's where you and I differ," Aoba replied.
"I never believed that I alone was the world's savior. This is the ninja world's war and the entire ninja world should be involved in fighting it."
Madara narrowed his eyes. "So, you want to use that genetic technology to clone a true descendant of the Ōtsutsuki?"
"More precisely, I want to reconstruct the Ōtsutsuki genetic sequence using their kin. But there's a problem with the experiment. I thought I had all the necessary pieces, but I was still missing something crucial.", Aoba replied casually.
Madara smirked. "According to your theory, the so-called Sage of Six Paths and his brother are both descendants of this Kaguya, correct?"
Aoba confirmed, "That's right. One inherited chakra abilities. The other inherited physical abilities."
Madara's smirk widened. "Then tell me, if the Sage of Six Paths is currently trying to steal the full chakra authority, doesn't that mean that the chakra abilities he inherited weren't complete? That they were a lower-tier version of the original?"
Aoba's eyes widened slightly, then glowed with realization. "You're right!"
"If that's the case, then why are you assuming that the physical abilities the other brother inherited were complete?" Madara mockingly pointed out.
Aoba fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"I see it now. I was too naive. Kaguya might not have been the smartest being in existence… But she definitely wouldn't have been so stupid as to leave her true legacy in the hands of her children. I finally understand what I was missing. I should have realized this sooner."
If you would like to read more...
The novel has be completed (Chp. 362) on the patreon -> SaintXI