Ino's blushing face was enough to confirm it—she had officially acknowledged her relationship with Sai.
Seeing the two of them come together like this, Naruto felt a rush of happiness. This was good; this was how things were meant to be, just like the path he remembered from before. It was in accordance with the flow of history, and Naruto, who carried memories beyond this life, was relieved.
As they sat together eating, Naruto chatted with them warmly. But midway through the meal, he suddenly froze, his brows knitting together. His body stiffened slightly as his senses sharpened.
Sai, sitting opposite him, noticed the change instantly. "Naruto? What's wrong?" he asked with confusion. He turned and glanced around, but saw nothing unusual.
Even Ino picked up on his strange behavior. "Naruto?" she echoed softly.
Naruto didn't answer immediately. His eyes narrowed as he lifted his gaze to the night sky beyond the window. It wasn't sight that alerted him, but rather a familiar pressure, a surge of energy that swept across the village. He could feel it brushing over Konoha like an unseen wave.
It was a sensation as though someone—something—was peering down at him from the vast starry expanse above.
Both he and Sasuke now carried the powers inherited from the Sage of Six Paths. Naruto bore the power of Yang, while Sasuke held the power of Yin. That duality made them sensitive to fluctuations in chakra on a level beyond normal shinobi comprehension. And right now, Naruto could sense that foreign chakra presence keenly.
The power felt oddly familiar. His instincts screamed at him—it was something tied to his memories, to the Ōtsutsuki.
But no… the time of their invasion shouldn't have arrived yet. So who could it be?
Before he could unravel the thought, a voice rang clearly in his mind. Sasuke's voice—through telepathy.
"Naruto. Come quickly."
Naruto snapped upright. Excitement and wariness stirred in his chest. He turned to Sai and Ino, forcing a quick smile.
"Sai, Ino—I'm glad to see you two together. I feel relieved now. But I have something urgent to deal with."
Neither Sai nor Ino fully understood, but they saw the seriousness in his eyes.
"Then go," Sai said simply. "Do what you need to do."
Ino nodded in agreement.
Naruto clasped his hands together, forming the seal for his marker. "Flying Thunder God!"
With a sharp buzz, space folded around him, and he vanished instantly from the room.
Sai scratched his head awkwardly. "What happened to him? He didn't even finish his food."
Ino folded her arms, her sharp intuition kicking in. "It must be something big—probably an emergency in the village. Naruto wouldn't act like that otherwise."
Sai slowly nodded. "Yeah. That makes sense."
Meanwhile, Naruto reappeared at the Hokage Rock in a flare of chakra. The world blurred back into clarity, and he immediately saw Sasuke standing at the edge of the cliff, his eyes locked on the starry heavens.
Naruto strode over. "Sasuke, you felt it too?"
Sasuke gave the faintest nod. His Mangekyō Sharingan glowed in one eye, the Rinnegan active in the other. Both eyes pierced the layers of distance and space as he focused intently on a fixed point above.
Naruto followed his gaze, but he saw only the endless starry dome. "What are you looking at? I don't see anything."
"The source of that power," Sasuke said without turning his head. He raised his hand and pointed. "It's coming from that direction."
Naruto squinted, still unable to perceive anything concrete.
"You really don't see it?" Sasuke asked, finally glancing at him. "Behind the lights and shadows… it's the moon. The moon that does not shine."
"...The moon?!"
Naruto's eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat as the memories surged forward.
Sasuke caught the change instantly. "What? Do you know something I don't?"
Naruto hesitated for a moment. Sasuke hadn't lived through the events of the moon mission in his previous life—it made sense that he didn't know.
Finally, Naruto exhaled slowly. "Sasuke… there's a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan who lives on the moon. His name is Ōtsutsuki Toneri. He's a descendant of Hamura Ōtsutsuki, the younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths."
Sasuke frowned. "The moon was created to seal Kaguya, wasn't it? Then Toneri is one of Hamura's descendants—the clan tasked with guarding it?"
"Exactly." Naruto nodded grimly.
"No wonder," Sasuke murmured. "The chakra felt familiar… it's an echo of that same lineage."
Naruto gave a humorless laugh. "At first, I thought the invasion of the Ōtsutsuki had come earlier than expected. But when you mentioned the moon… I realized. It must be Toneri."
Sasuke turned his full gaze on him. "You sound like you've met him before."
"I have," Naruto said flatly. "In another life, I fought him. He's stubborn, like you. The type that won't change unless you beat the conviction into him."
Instead of taking offense, Sasuke smirked faintly. "So, what? You're saying we'll have to fight again?"
Naruto sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "I hope not. But even if it comes to that, he won't win. Not in this lifetime. I'll never let him get the Tenseigan again."
With that declaration, Naruto turned, already preparing another jump.
"Sasuke—I need to confirm something first. I'll call you when I'm sure."
"Fine," Sasuke said. "But don't leave me out of this. If you're going to face him, I'll go with you."
Naruto didn't argue. With Sasuke's Sharingan and Rinnegan, seeing Toneri with his own eyes would be crucial.
Another flicker of the Flying Thunder God, and Naruto reappeared—this time outside the Hyūga compound.
He strode quickly inside, calling out, "Hinata! Hinata!"
As he slid open the door, he froze. Hinata was sitting in her room, pale and shaken, with Hanabi by her side. It was clear something was wrong.
Naruto rushed forward. "Hinata, what's wrong?!"
The moment Hinata saw him, tears welled up. She immediately threw herself into his arms, trembling.
"Na–Naruto…!" she sobbed.
Naruto held her tightly, heart pounding with worry. Hanabi explained, "Brother Naruto, Onee-chan was just napping when she suddenly screamed. She was crying in her sleep. It scared me so much I ran here right away."
Naruto lifted Hinata's chin gently, brushing her tears away with his thumb. "Hinata, tell me—what happened? What did you see in your dream?"
Hinata hesitated, lowering her gaze. "…It was just a nightmare. Nothing important."
But Naruto wasn't convinced. His expression hardened. "Hinata… was it a white-haired man? Dressed in robes like the Ōtsutsuki, floating before you… calling you the Byakugan Princess?"
Hinata's eyes widened in shock. She gasped. "Naruto—how… how do you know?!"
Hanabi's jaw dropped. "No way! Brother Naruto guessed it exactly?!"
Hinata turned to her younger sister, then nodded silently.
Naruto's eyes darkened, just as he expected. That bastard dared to touch his wife's dreams.
Hinata saw his anger and asked softly, "Naruto… do you know who he is?"
Naruto stroked her cheek gently, forcing a calm smile. "Yes. I know exactly who it is. Don't be afraid. He's real—he lives on the moon. But I promise you, Hinata—I'll go there and beat the shit out of him before he can even think about laying a hand on you."
Hinata trembled. The dream had been so vivid—the man had claimed he lived on the moon, had come to take her away, even spoke of marriage. She remembered the swarm of puppets chasing her, the terror, the desperate struggle. That's when she had screamed herself awake.
Now she told Naruto everything, every detail.
Naruto listened quietly, his jaw tightening. It all matched the memories of his past life.
"That bastard…" Naruto growled. "He really is looking for a fight."
Anger flared hot in his chest. Who wouldn't rage when someone dared to lay claim to his wife?
To calm Hinata, Naruto explained everything—the truth of Toneri, the legacy of the Hyūga clan, and why she was called the Byakugan Princess.
Hinata listened with wide eyes. When he finished, she whispered, "So… Toneri is also a pitiful person, in a way."
Naruto nodded reluctantly. "Yeah. Pitiful, but dangerous. That doesn't change what he's trying to do. I'll stop him. I'll drag him to the Hyūga clan's grave, let him see the truth for himself. Only then will he understand."
Rising to his feet, his eyes blazed with determination. "Hinata, Hanabi… I'll gather a team. We're going to the moon."
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