Toneri was deeply puzzled. He turned to Sasuke and asked seriously, "Sasuke, what did you just say? Infiltrating among the three of us and then resurrecting… what kind of method is that?"
Seeing Toneri's confusion, Sasuke explained in a calm but heavy tone, "The Otsutsuki clan is extremely difficult to kill completely. Before their true death, they look for a suitable host and use a special mark to inject all of their data into that person's body. That person then becomes a vessel, waiting for the Otsutsuki to resurrect in the future."
"In other words," Sasuke continued, "one day in the future, the host's consciousness will be overwritten. Momoshiki will revive, and the original owner of the body will fall into a deep sleep or disappear entirely."
When Toneri heard this, his expression changed. He was clearly shocked. "There is… such a terrifying technique?"
Naruto put away the sealing scroll, took a deep breath, and said gravely, "Yes. In the eyes of the Otsutsuki clan, there doesn't seem to be much distinction between techniques and seals like there is for us. To them, everything is ultimately based on chakra."
"Just now," Naruto continued, "Sasuke and I both felt something abnormal. Right at the moment Momoshiki was about to be destroyed, he activated a technique that froze time itself. Our movements, thoughts—everything stopped. That alone tells us how dangerous he still was."
Naruto paused briefly before going on. "Because of that, I strongly suspect that he used that moment to leave behind his Karma mark. And if that's the case, then among the three of us…"
As he spoke, Naruto's gaze slowly moved, finally settling on Toneri.
Sasuke also looked at Toneri. When he saw Naruto's eyes stop there as well, he nodded and said bluntly, "Yes. If I were Momoshiki, I would choose him too."
Toneri froze. "Why are you both looking at me?"
Naruto explained patiently, "First of all, you are an Otsutsuki. Your bloodline is extremely compatible. Second, you awakened the Tenseigan, which is incredibly rare even among your clan. And finally…"
Naruto's expression grew complicated. "If I'm not mistaken, the reason my son was able to awaken his own special dojutsu in the previous timeline was closely connected to you. I believe you already have an idea of what I mean."
As he said this, Naruto smiled faintly. "Rather than explain it piece by piece, it's better if you see it for yourself."
Naruto activated the power of his Rinnegan. Chakra surged, and a projection directly entered Toneri's Tenseigan.
In an instant, images flooded Toneri's mind.
The future.
Boruto.
The battles that had not yet happened.
The intertwining of time, fate, and bloodline.
When Toneri saw Boruto for the first time, it was as if something deep within his soul resonated. Memories that did not belong to him, yet felt strangely familiar, surfaced all at once.
"So that's how it is…" Toneri murmured softly.
At last, he understood.
Knowing that Momoshiki might have implanted Karma within him, Toneri looked at Naruto and smiled calmly. "Naruto, I know what I should do now."
As he spoke, Toneri's chakra surged violently. He clearly intended to end his own life to prevent Momoshiki from ever resurrecting.
Naruto immediately stepped forward and stopped him. "Toneri, what are you doing?!"
Toneri smiled faintly. "If I die now, Momoshiki will lose his chance to resurrect. Otherwise, all of your efforts and Sasuke's efforts will be meaningless."
Naruto let out a long sigh. "It's still only a possibility. Among the three of us, you have the highest chance, but Sasuke is also a candidate. Didn't you hear Momoshiki himself say that Sasuke's bloodline is extremely close to that of the Otsutsuki?"
Sasuke snorted coldly and crossed his arms, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Toneri asked in confusion, "Then… Naruto, what should we do now?"
Naruto thought for a moment before answering, "When Karma activates, distinct markings will appear on the body. I remember the exact pattern, and I know where it usually manifests. So don't rush to extremes."
He continued, "It's also possible that I was marked as well. If that day truly comes, we'll know who has the markings and who doesn't. It won't be too late to make a decision then."
After Naruto finished speaking, Sasuke nodded. "That's right. For now, Urashiki is still out there. Even if Momoshiki left behind Karma, it will take time before it fully matures. Let's deal with Urashiki first."
Toneri nodded with a smile. "Agreed."
Naruto added, "Urashiki will definitely make a move again. On his own, he knows he can't defeat us directly, so he'll likely rely on sneak attacks and space-time movement to escape afterward."
Sasuke looked at Naruto and said confidently, "I've nearly mastered my space-time abilities. If Urashiki tries to flee, I can open space and chase him down."
Naruto grinned and patted Sasuke's shoulder. "Not bad, Sasuke."
Naruto himself had been researching space-time techniques as well, but for some reason, he always felt like something was missing. However, after Sasuke awakened the Rinnegan, his abilities had steadily grown more complete.
It seemed that the differences between Indra and Asura still existed, even now.
The three of them discussed their next steps for a while longer. Eventually, Naruto and Sasuke decided to return to Earth first. After such a massive battle, the entire world would have sensed something wrong. Their families would undoubtedly be worried.
Before leaving, Naruto looked at Toneri seriously. "Toneri, stay here for now. Use the Tenseigan to monitor Urashiki's movements. If there's danger, follow our previous plan. Don't confront him head-on. Wait for Sasuke and me."
"Stability comes first," Naruto emphasized.
Toneri nodded. "Understood."
Naruto placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Toneri waved at them with a calm smile.
With a sharp hum of chakra, Naruto activated the Flying Thunder God Technique. In an instant, Naruto and Sasuke vanished from the spot.
Konoha Village.
The sky was just beginning to brighten. The first rays of sunlight climbed over the hills, bathing the entire village in warm light.
Naruto and Sasuke appeared directly at the entrance of Konoha.
Since they had returned, they chose to enter openly through the main gate.
As soon as they arrived, they saw a familiar figure standing guard.
Sakumo Hatake.
"Kakashi's father," Naruto said with a smile, stepping forward. "Senior."
Sakumo was still on night duty. The morning shift had not yet arrived.
When he saw Naruto and Sasuke, his face lit up with joy. "Naruto! Sasuke! You're back safely!"
He stepped forward, gripping Naruto's shoulder firmly and patting Sasuke's arm, his face filled with relief. "Good, good. I'm glad you both returned safely."
Naruto smiled. "It wasn't a big deal."
Sakumo let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had already heard from Kakashi that Naruto and Sasuke were heading to the moon to fight powerful enemies. The entire ninja world had been on edge.
That was precisely why Sakumo had personally taken charge of guarding the Konoha gate.
The strength of Konoha's elite was its greatest guarantee.
For this reason, Sakumo had even brought all of his swords with him.
Looking at Naruto, Sakumo smiled. "Go back into the village quickly. I'll have them notify everyone."
Naruto waved his hand. "No need. It looks like the village is just waking up anyway."
Sakumo laughed. "Of course. Everyone has been worried about you."
As he spoke, Sakumo pulled down the alarm rope at the Konoha gate.
A clear, ringing bell echoed throughout the entire village.
Almost instantly, Kakashi, who was still at home pulling on his shoes, froze.
The next second, he burst out the door and flashed toward the Konoha gate at full speed.
At the same time, the Hokage's ANBU and the village guard units were mobilized.
One after another, figures moved through the village.
Konoha had awakened.
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