The crowd below erupted into cheers.
They were convinced that the strike had come from Shuoye Uchiha himself. If the moon had been cut open, then he was still alive.
The various Kage-level experts stared upward in stunned silence. Only now did they begin to grasp the truth—Shuoye's strength might be far beyond anything they had imagined.
The crack spreading across the moon widened.
Then, with a thunderous roar, it shattered.
Massive fragments broke away and hurtled toward the earth—but before they could descend, an invisible force halted them midair. One by one, they dissolved into nothingness.
Shock and awe filled every heart that witnessed the scene.
"That brat… he's got real ability."
Atop the Hokage Monument of the Hidden Leaf, Madara Uchiha exchanged a glance with Indra. They had intended to act at the final moment.
Now, it seemed unnecessary.
Not long ago, in the silent wasteland of the moon—
Shuoye stood alone, gazing at the slowly approaching earth. The faint glow of the Rinnegan shimmered in his eyes.
The moment he sensed the moon's abnormal movement, he had already made his decision.
The branch members of the Ōtsutsuki clan were nothing more than obstacles—hindrances to the descent of the so-called gods of the future.
Obstacles had to be removed.
"Toneri, you're wrong."
His voice was cold.
In the next instant, he vanished—reappearing before Toneri as if space itself had folded.
"The arrival of those gods may be inevitable. But my actions can make their timing irrelevant."
Toneri stared at him in disbelief.
"You don't understand! When the Ōtsutsuki descend, the earth will be destroyed regardless—"
"I'm not interested."
The blade pierced straight through his heart.
Scarlet bloomed in the air.
Shuoye met Toneri's wide, lifeless eyes.
"That isn't your concern."
Toneri collapsed.
Across the moon, the remaining branch members sensed the killing intent and scattered in panic.
They were too slow.
Shuoye moved like a phantom. Wherever his shadow passed, blood followed.
In distant space, Momoshiki and Kinshiki felt the disturbance.
"That chakra… it belongs to our clan."
Their expressions darkened.
Space itself warped again as they accelerated toward the shinobi world.
Something had gone wrong.
When the last of the branch clan fell, Shuoye approached the colossal Tenseigan.
He reached out, touching the enormous eye. A surge of desire rose within him.
At that moment—
[System Notification]
Option 1: Extract skill — Gravitational Repulsion Enhancement
Option 2: —
Option 3: —
A new ability materialized before him.
Shuoye smiled faintly.
Without hesitation, he chose to extract it. Fresh power surged through his body, heavy and absolute.
He glanced at the Tenseigan in his grasp.
Impressive—but still inferior to his Rinnegan.
Using the branch clan's ritual and his Yang Release chakra, he separated the Tenseigan completely.
Everything worth taking was stored away.
Then he looked at the moon.
"It's time."
He pressed his palms together. Golden chakra surged around him, forming a radiant ring.
Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
A single swing.
Golden light tore through the moon's silence.
The celestial body split cleanly in two.
Fragments scattered through the void.
And Shuoye's figure streaked downward like a falling star.
Within the moon's depths, he found Kaguya's sealed dimension.
She lay imprisoned within a separate space.
The seal's core was located easily and taken.
Mission complete.
The moment Shuoye returned to earth, he sensed it—
Fear.
Despair lingered in the air.
He frowned as he passed villagers whose faces were pale with terror.
Then he felt familiar chakra signatures.
The same Kage-level figures who had negotiated with him before.
Their presence was near the village.
His expression cooled.
Were they causing trouble?
He also sensed the Tailed Beasts.
A quiet laugh escaped him.
So they had chosen rebellion after all?
"Perhaps I've been too merciful."
Elsewhere—
The Kage and the Jinchūriki stared at the slowly splitting moon.
An awkward silence followed.
The Raikage coughed lightly.
"Well… looks like our attack worked?"
Sweat dotted several foreheads.
Everyone could see the truth.
That strike had nothing to do with them.
Still, none of them wanted to argue now. If the crisis was over, then perhaps it was time to leave.
Kushina Uzumaki and the others, however, understood immediately.
That cut—
It had been Shuoye.
But there was a problem.
The Kage had already undone the sealing techniques placed on them.
If they chose to leave now, the Hidden Leaf couldn't stop them.
The Kage sensed Kushina's hesitation and felt a flicker of relief.
If they couldn't defeat Shuoye, they could at least run.
Better that than becoming chakra batteries again.
Then—
A voice echoed through the sky.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Their expressions froze.
Shuoye appeared above them, descending calmly.
Silence.
"On your knees."
He raised a hand.
The newly acquired Gravitational Repulsion Enhancement descended like a mountain.
The Kage collapsed to the ground, unable to resist.
"We helped! Kushina! The Hidden Leaf should at least be reasonable!"
They turned desperately toward Kushina.
She hadn't expected Shuoye to nearly crush them the moment he returned.
"Shuoye, wait."
She quickly explained the situation. Though the Kage had overstepped before, they had chosen to act. They hadn't taken advantage of the chaos.
Shuoye listened.
Then he nodded.
"Since Kushina is speaking for you, I'll spare you this time."
His gaze sharpened.
"But don't think you're leaving."
With a wave of his hand, an overwhelming force seized them and hurled them away—
Straight toward Orochimaru's laboratory.
"Back to being chakra batteries."
Orochimaru smiled brightly as the new "materials" appeared.
Their chakra would be invaluable.
Shuoye returned to the Hidden Leaf.
It was time to unseal Kaguya.
"Indra. Are you ready?"
Indra nodded. Ancient runes shimmered between his palms—the art of unsealing known only to Ōtsutsuki descendants.
He chanted softly.
The seal ignited.
Then it shattered.
An ocean of chakra burst forth, tearing through space itself.
The pressure forced even the strongest present to step back.
"Such chakra…"
Unimaginable.
Then—
Kaguya emerged.
Her eyes were vacant at first, lost in centuries of imprisonment.
Suddenly, she closed them.
Her hand grasped empty air—
Black Zetsu screamed as he materialized in her palm.
Moments passed.
Her gaze sharpened.
"Black Zetsu's memories… the Ōtsutsuki… their descent… time is short."
Her voice was resolute.
"Then we begin."
Her pupils rotated slightly.
The White Zetsu Plan.
"Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."
The ground trembled.
A massive black statue erupted from below, its eyes gleaming with hunger.
"I sense the Tailed Beasts… they are here."
Her gaze settled on Shuoye.
"You will surrender them. Or face the consequences."
Shuoye stepped forward.
"We're not your enemy, Kaguya. The Ōtsutsuki threaten us as well. We can cooperate."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Cooperate? Your understanding of my clan is beneath insects. Only my plan offers survival."
"Even the strongest among you could not kill the weakest Ōtsutsuki."
"…Is that so?"
Shuoye reached into his cloak.
He tossed something into the air.
A corpse.
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki.
"You mean like this one?"
Silence fell.
Kaguya stared.
Shock flickered across her face.
"You… defeated him?"
"If you're willing, we can join forces."
She hesitated.
"Cooperation…"
For a brief moment, the balance wavered.
Then she shook her head.
"I cannot trust you. Urashiki was weak. The true elites have not yet descended. I require the White Zetsu army."
Shuoye smiled calmly.
"Then it seems we'll have to prove ourselves."
A cold voice echoed in his mind.
[System Notification]
Option 1: Confront Kaguya head-on. Reward — Ryūjin Jakka, Bankai: Zanka no Tachi
Option 2: Submit to Kaguya. Reward — Magnet-Magnet Fruit
Option 3: —
"Option 1."
There was no hesitation.
Strength earned respect.
"Kaguya. You understand neither us… nor your own clan."
His chakra erupted, vast and overwhelming.
Madara stepped forward.
Indra followed.
Three figures stood side by side—immovable.
Kaguya's gaze shifted to Indra.
"You carry my aura. A descendant of the Six Paths… and yet you oppose me?"
Indra's Rinnegan turned slowly.
"Grandmother. You were wrong before. And you are wrong now. But that's fine."
His voice was steady.
"Today, I'll show you what is right—just as that old man once did."
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