To awaken the Tenseigan, Toneri needed a pair of pure Byakugan.
Within the Hyūga clan, only Neji and Hanabi possessed Byakugan of sufficient purity. But with Neji bound by the branch family's Caged Bird curse mark, the only viable candidate was Hyūga Hanabi.
[Regarding Toneri's origins, see Naruto Movie 10: The Last. Also, as stated previously, to use Yomotsu Hirasaka requires "simultaneously possessing" the Byakugan and either dual Six-Tomoe Rinnegan or Rinne Sharingan power, just like Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and Ōtsutsuki Urashiki. Is this really so hard to grasp? Why do some people always miss the point, forcing me to spell out every detail again and again?]
Inside the moon's temple, Toneri and Black Zetsu sat face to face.
Toneri: "Hinata—my future wife—has already awakened the power of the Tenseigan. She's incredibly strong. How am I supposed to make a move against her sister, Hanabi?"
Black Zetsu: "That's nothing you need to worry about. I have a hidden ace within Konoha. He'll stir up chaos in the village, enough that Hinata herself will be forced to intervene. That's when you step in—snatch Hyūga Hanabi amid the confusion, transplant her Byakugan, and awaken the Tenseigan you've always dreamed of!"
In the flickering candlelight, Toneri turned his hollow gaze toward Black Zetsu. "Why are you helping me? What is it you really want from me?"
Black Zetsu, ever the master of reading people, knew exactly what kind of pitch would win Toneri's trust. Having survived clan infighting since childhood, Toneri would never believe in help given for free.
Only by laying out his intentions and clarifying the stakes could Black Zetsu put Toneri at ease.
So Black Zetsu spoke with rare candor: "Heh, let's not beat around the bush. Once you awaken the Tenseigan, you'll synchronize with the great Tenseigan in Hamura's temple. From within the core of this moon—the sealing stone—you'll release my mother, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's true form!"
Toneri: "You mean…the Gedō Mazō? Decades ago, a long-haired wanderer from the surface already summoned the Gedō Mazō away!"
Black Zetsu: "The statue is the Ten-Tails' shell, a part of my mother—but her true body is the 'Rabbit'. When the Sage of Six Paths' seal was activated, the Ten-Tails' chakra and body were separated. The Gedō Mazō and the Rabbit were sealed together, intertwined. And, Toneri, there's a misconception in your understanding: the statue was first summoned away a thousand years ago."
Toneri: "How is that possible?"
Black Zetsu: "After sealing Mother together, the ambitious Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo, began to fear your ancestor, Hamura. So he summoned the Gedō Mazō from the sealing stone, injected the separated chakra, revived the Ten-Tails, and became its jinchūriki!"
Toneri: "Wasn't Hagoromo worried about Kaguya's resurrection?"
Black Zetsu: "As long as the Rabbit remains in the sealing stone, Mother can't truly return. The only ways to free the Rabbit are by using the Tenseigan to open the moon, or by casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi…"
"Later, Hagoromo realized his end was near. He split the Ten-Tails' chakra into nine parts, giving birth to today's nine tailed beasts. The Gedō Mazō returned to the sealing stone after Hagoromo's death."
"And then, nearly a thousand years later, it was finally summoned out by Uchiha Madara, the long-haired wanderer you mentioned, after he awakened the Rinnegan."
Toneri: "So that's how it is…"
Black Zetsu: "It's natural you wouldn't know the details from a thousand years ago. Your ancestors may not have known either."
Black Zetsu's story was seventy percent truth, thirty percent lies—making it all the more convincing.
"It seems you really are Kaguya's child…"
Toneri was completely taken in by Black Zetsu's tale, but there was one thing that went against his ancestral teachings—releasing Kaguya.
He hesitated. "Guarding this sealing stone is one of my ancestors' commands. I do want to fulfill Hamura's will and destroy the world created by the Sage of Six Paths, but I'd rather not violate ancestral law if I can help it…"
Black Zetsu replied with a gentle smile: "Toneri, first let me praise you—you really are a good child. Hamura would be proud to have a descendant like you. But you can't stay a child forever. You need to learn to adapt."
"Adults know how to be flexible. In this world, no one helps others for no reason. Most people fight alone for what they believe in. To find a reliable partner is a rare blessing…"
Toneri: "Are you the same?"
Black Zetsu: "Every family has its own hard-to-recite scriptures. If I weren't desperate, I wouldn't have come all the way up here to bother you."
"In any case, things on the surface are already out of your control. If you don't seize the initiative, people down there will come for you—and take what little you have left…"
"Don't think I'm exaggerating. Uzumaki Naruto is already on his way to becoming the new Sage of Six Paths. He even helped Hyūga Hinata awaken the Tenseigan. Do you really think he doesn't know you exist? Once he and his allies have carved up all the resources on the surface, they'll come for you…"
"You either break your silence with an explosion, or die in it. Toneri, this is a matter of life and death. You can't just sit around stargazing anymore. If you want something, go after it!"
"If you can't stand the Sage's ninja sect, destroy them!"
"If you like Hyūga Hinata, take her—make her bear your children!"
"With power, all of this is yours for the taking!"
"The fastest way to gain power is to work with me!"
"And as for your worries about ancestral law? That's nothing!"
"Revitalizing the moon's Ōtsutsuki branch is far more meaningful than rigidly following old rules—wouldn't that make your ancestors even prouder?"
"Besides, I'll help you accomplish all this first. Once you awaken the Tenseigan, then you can fulfill your promise to me. There's no risk to you at all!"
"So what are you still hesitating for?"
Toneri: "May I ask you one more question?"
Black Zetsu: "Go ahead."
Toneri: "Why do you trust me to keep my promise after I gain power? Aren't you afraid I'll betray you?"
Black Zetsu: "Because I trust Hamura more than Hagoromo. Hamura's descendants would never go back on their word…"
Toneri: "Thank you for your trust. I won't let you down."
Inside, Black Zetsu sneered: Go back on your word if you want—doesn't matter to me. If I can free Mother's true form through you, great. If not, I'll just move on to Infinite Tsukuyomi and revive her that way. Toneri, you're just an appetizer in my plan. A thousand years ago, your ancestor Hamura helped Hagoromo seal Mother—an unforgivable crime. And you, as his last surviving heir… Of course I'll take good 'care' of you!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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