On the moon, as the two pressed forward, the palace loomed larger with each step.
"Rinjin, what's our mission objective?"
Crouched behind a concealed hillside, Sakumo adjusted the bandages around his ankles, his expression deadly serious.
Beside him, Rinjin's eyes gleamed as he studied the distant palace, whispering:
"Strip them of their wealth, torch their home, and force them back to our planet."
Sakumo nodded grimly and asked in hushed tones:
"Planning to recruit these people into the village?"
"That's the plan, but this bunch thinks they're hot shit. We need to humble them first."
Understanding perfectly, Sakumo mulled it over before responding:
"Then we infiltrate and pillage first.
Once we've cleaned them out, we plant explosive tags and blow this palace to kingdom come!
These moon-dwelling bastards living in palaces—that goes against everything Hidden Rain Village stands for!"
Rinjin flashed an approving thumbs up.
"Now you're talking!"
With their plan set, both ninjas deployed their stealth techniques and crept toward the palace.
Sakumo's years in Konoha's ANBU had made shadow-walking second nature.
Never underestimate that kind of muscle memory.
Often, the smallest details meant the difference between success and catastrophic failure.
Rinjin, by comparison, was completely outclassed.
The lunar Ōtsutsuki all possessed permanently active Byakugan—his Mayfly Technique would be utterly useless against their all-seeing eyes.
So Rinjin activated his signature move: the Mayfly Technique.
Just his head poking above ground, he carefully trailed behind Sakumo.
The sprawling palace resembled something from a Western fairy tale—a king's castle complete with towering Gothic spires.
Surprisingly few Ōtsutsuki guards patrolled the perimeter.
Hamura's lunar descendants operated much like Konoha's Hyūga clan—strict main and branch family hierarchies.
The main family remained small and exclusive,
while the branch family swelled with numbers.
Using the wall's shadow as cover, Sakumo and Rinjin successfully reached the palace's base.
"Dog-bro, what's our next move?" Rinjin whispered.
"Hand over one of your slippers. We're going underground."
"Hell no!" Rinjin shook his head vigorously.
"You've got athlete's foot!"
Sakumo's face darkened instantly, his fist already rising to clock Rinjin.
A pair of pristine ninja shoes suddenly erupted from the ground, landing at Sakumo's feet.
"Brand new?" Sakumo asked suspiciously.
Rinjin nodded earnestly, radiating innocence.
Hehe~
Kagami wore those last time.
He's got athlete's foot too—you two can give each other a nice cross-infection. Hope mushrooms sprout between your toes!
Sakumo stared at Rinjin's expression for a long moment before reluctantly picking up the shoes.
He tested them with a couple light stomps, and satisfied with the fit, nodded approvingly.
Using the Mayfly Technique, they successfully burrowed underground and advanced toward the castle's heart.
...
Inside the massive castle, countless diminutive figures in elaborate outfits moved with mechanical precision.
Up close, these beings—male and female alike—possessed deathly pale skin and bulging, unblinking eyes.
They drifted through opulent corridors carrying brooms and buckets, working in eerie silence...
From shadowy corners beyond the candlelight's reach, Rinjin and Sakumo observed this unsettling scene with fascination.
"Dog-bro, they're all puppets~"
Sakumo nodded silently, responding in barely audible tones:
"Makes sense. I read a psychology book recently.
Said that extreme loneliness can drive people to absolutely anything."
"What book?" Rinjin whispered back.
"No author listed, but the title was 'Breaking Legs: Those Years When Big Brother Sat in a Wheelchair.'"
Rinjin's eye twitched violently...
Breaking legs?
How many exactly?
Ever since he'd started meddling with this world's entertainment industry, increasingly bizarre books kept hitting the shelves, their content spiraling into completely uncharted territory~
Making a mental note of the title, Rinjin planned to track it down the moment they returned.
Following the pitch-black corridor, their two heads advanced through every available shadow.
Soon, an ornate open doorway materialized before them.
The entrance bore intricate carvings of cryptic patterns and symbols, its massive double doors clearly crafted from the most expensive timber available.
Rinjin and Sakumo locked eyes and nodded in perfect synchronization.
In a flash, both heads vanished through the floor, slipping into this obviously important chamber.
The instant they entered, both ninjas froze in amazement.
They'd discovered a colossal semicircular room shaped like an enormous eggshell resting on the ground.
The walls housed row upon row of immaculate bookshelves, each one gilded and breathtakingly ornate.
At the room's center sat an antique low table
scattered with carelessly placed scrolls.
Looking up from the table, the ceiling displayed a riot of colorful ancient murals:
Radiant figures wielding lightning bolts, subduing colossal beasts...
Countless worshippers prostrating themselves before a sphere of brilliant azure light...
Two faceless beings holding hands while standing in the heavens...
The lunar Ōtsutsuki had clearly mastered artistic techniques centuries ahead of their time—
probably the result of having absolutely nothing better to do in their cosmic isolation.
Throughout the vast chamber, dozens of tiny puppets in frilly Lolita dresses floated gracefully, wielding feather dusters of unknown composition as they meticulously cleaned every book and shelf.
They all shared one peculiar behavior: regardless of their duties, they maintained careful distance from the central table.
Rinjin and Sakumo waited patiently in their corner.
After what felt like hours, majestic bell tones suddenly echoed from the castle's core.
Instantly, every puppet ceased its endless labor, gathered their cleaning supplies, and filed out of the room in perfect formation.
The heavy doors sealed shut with a resounding "THUD."
After another cautious wait, Rinjin and Sakumo finally emerged from underground into this spectacular chamber.
The complete story of "Naruto: Immortality and the Eight Inner Gates [Double Agent]" is now fully available on Patreon! Plus, exclusive bonus chapters featuring the wedding arc are coming soon exclusively for Patreon supporters. Happy reading!
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