Natsume had no idea what Konan and Nagato were discussing, but he could guess their intentions.
After all, Nagato's personality was quite straightforward.
He wouldn't feel intimidated just because of the Wood Release.
Even though Natsume had been described as somewhat overwhelmingly powerful,
he was still nowhere near as powerful as the Sage of Six Paths.
Nagato wouldn't take him seriously.
In any case, Akatsuki's next target would most likely be Konoha Village.
However, they also had to be wary of Kirigakure.
There were two tailed beasts there after all.
Given Akatsuki's large number of members, there was a chance they would send someone over.
Fortunately, with the Flying Thunder God Technique combined with the Heavenly Network Login Device, Natsume could instantly rush to Kiri, or rather, send reinforcements.
At the same time, to prevent Konoha from being destroyed, he intended to intercept them beyond the Death Forest.
Therefore, recently, he had all the snakes from Ryuchi Cave dispatched to patrol the surrounding areas.
If anything unusual was detected, an immediate report would be sent.
But snakes were just snakes—they couldn't be fully relied upon.
Natsume had a backup plan.
At the Fire Daimyo's Mansion in the Land of Fire, spatial fluctuations had barely manifested when Kaguya Ōtsutsuki already sensed them.
In a flash, her figure vanished, reappearing instantly at Ena Uzumaki's palace.
Natsume hesitated briefly, suddenly feeling like he'd been caught red-handed.
After all, his first move hadn't been to look for Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Well, not exactly.
He had come today specifically to seek Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's assistance.
That's why he wanted to greet Ena Uzumaki first.
He just hadn't expected Kaguya Ōtsutsuki to rush over so eagerly.
"Good morning."
Natsume smiled and said.
Once the brief awkwardness faded, everything returned to normal.
After all, among the three present, everyone had long been open with each other.
Ena Uzumaki glanced at Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and wisely kept her distance.
Although Natsume had never mentioned hierarchy between them, this woman simply radiated an overwhelming presence.
Every time she appeared, her overwhelming presence made Ena feel somewhat inferior.
This, Natsume could understand.
It was mainly because of the immense pressure stemming from raw power and bloodline.
Ena belonged to the Uzumaki Clan.
Strictly speaking, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was her ancestor.
Though their bloodlines originated from the same source, their ranks were completely different.
"Mm."
Kaguya gave a slight nod, stepped forward, and patted his head.
Ena silently observed the scene.
Since Natsume had grown up, he had surpassed her in height.
Unlike before, when they occasionally looked like mother and son.
Yet now, standing beside Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the two of them carried a strong mother-and-son resemblance.
Actually, Ena was quite curious.
Given Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's personality, why did she like Natsume?
Not that Natsume lacked appeal—it was just that Kaguya was simply too distant, like a celestial fairy untouched by worldly affairs.
"We're going out for a bit."
Natsume turned to Ena and said, "We'll be back soon."
With that, he took Kaguya Ōtsutsuki with him, leaving the Fire Daimyo's Mansion and reappearing in the Death Forest.
Precisely—he aimed to deploy an ultra-large-scale Sensor Barrier.
Konoha already had a barrier—but quite frankly, it was almost nonexistent.
Many people came and went as they pleased.
The reason was simple: it lacked sufficient security.
It couldn't stop someone like Nagato or Itachi Uchiha.
In that case, it was time to raise the stakes.
Natsume decided to bring Kaguya Ōtsutsuki herself here. It had to work.
"Help me set up a sensing barrier," Natsume said.
Kaguya didn't get angry. She slowly raised her hand and released chakra.
Though she'd never learned sensing barriers before, at her level, understanding them came naturally.
An invisible barrier expanded outward, completely enveloping both the Death Forest and Konoha Village.
Natsume gave a slight nod in satisfaction.
The range was wide enough.
Once the Akatsuki entered, they would be in for a surprise.
Still, it wasn't secure enough.
Kaguya lowered her hand and looked at Natsume.
Her snow-white eyes glimmered with anticipation.
Natsume understood what she meant.
She expected a reward.
He gazed at her faintly crimson lips and leaned in, capturing them in a gentle kiss.
Their kiss deepened into something passionate.
Minutes later, they finally broke apart, reluctant to let go.
"Shall we go back now?" Kaguya asked softly, her expression softening with subtle allure.
Even a goddess who once stood aloof now wore human emotion on her face.
"Not yet."
Natsume gently stroked her smooth white hair. "It won't take long."
"What else is there?"
Though eager, Kaguya still listened carefully.
"Do you remember the Tenseigan on the moon?"
Natsume pointed toward the sky.
"Mm-hmm."
Kaguya nodded slightly. "I noticed it the moment I arrived in the ninja world."
"There's also a descendant of Hamura Ōtsutsuki up there."
Natsume continued.
Suddenly, Kaguya remembered an earlier conversation about this very topic.
"Do whatever you want," she said.
She hadn't cared much about Hagoromo or Hamura Ōtsutsuki either, so how much more insignificant could someone from countless generations later be—an absolute stranger named Toneri Ōtsutsuki?
"Then let's pay the moon a visit," Natsume stated his goal clearly.
There was a passageway from the ninja world to the moon.
But he had no idea where it was.
Even the Hyuga clan didn't have any records of it.
Only Toneri Otsutsuki knew how to reach it.
But when exactly he would appear remained uncertain.
In the original story, that part belonged to the movie version.
This chapter isn't over yet—more excitement coming!
Based on Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga's age back then, it could take years.
By then, Natsume would have already unified the ninja world—the Tenseigan would no longer be needed.
But now—he needed it immediately.
He planned to install the great Tenseigan in Konoha Village for protection.
And incidentally, help awaken Hinata's own Tenseigan.
Kaguya said nothing. She firmly took Natsume's left hand in hers, fingers interlaced.
The Rinne-Sharingan on her forehead flared open.
Before them, space trembled and soon formed a dark portal.
[Yomi Bidanshaku (Otsutsuki Teleportation)]!
The ultimate spatial ninjutsu—a Kekkei Genkai—that enabled travel across dimensions.
Taking Natsume by the hand, Kaguya stepped into the portal.
The next second, they appeared on the desolate surface of the moon.
Natsume sighed thoughtfully.
He never imagined that something impossible in his past life would actually come true in this lifetime—the dream of landing on the Moon.
Toneri Ōtsutsuki appeared in the final movie of the Naruto series.
Natsume's strongest impression was of Hinata Hyuga in a wedding dress—she was breathtakingly beautiful.
And then came the absurd ending where Naruto Uzumaki actually forgave Toneri Ōtsutsuki.
Good grief!
Someone who stole Hanabi Hyuga's eyes and planned to marry Hinata Hyuga could still be forgiven?
It's completely absurd.
"He's noticed our arrival."
Natsume turned his gaze toward the grand hall in the distance.
Within his perception, countless puppets had already begun moving.
These were no ordinary puppets—they were more akin to Sasori's Human Puppets, controlled by the Tenseigan.
In other words, Toneri Ōtsutsuki was currently manipulating everything from near the Tenseigan.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki remained unfazed. She held Natsume's hand and walked toward the grand hall.
As they drew closer, swarms of puppets rushed toward them.
Kaguya merely widened her eyes slightly, barely moving at all, before every single puppet disintegrated into nothingness.
Natsume didn't even need to lift a finger.
There was something uniquely satisfying about leaning on someone else's strength.
As he walked, he observed his surroundings.
This grand hall wasn't too bad looking.
It felt completely devoid of life.
At this point, there was only one living person left on the entire Moon.
No wonder Toneri was obsessed with marrying Hinata Hyuga.
If he didn't marry soon, his bloodline would die out completely.
But Toneri's goal was also absurd—
He wanted to destroy the entire ninja world.
He'd even tried summoning meteorites before.
Though he hadn't done it yet, his ideology had already solidified.
Sooner or later, he'd follow through.
Natsume had no moral qualms about dealing with him.
Unless he had nothing better to do and felt like giving him a personality upgrade—
But there was no need.
His only use was to awaken Hinata Hyuga's Sharingan.
Beyond that, Natsume couldn't care less.
Before long, the two stood directly in front of the Tenseigan.
This eye was formed from an immense gathering of Byakugan, so it was extremely large—nearly two meters tall.
If Natsume wasn't mistaken, this Tenseigan must be incapable of shrinking.
Otherwise, Toneri would've already placed it inside his own eye socket.
"Who… are you?"
Toneri skipped over Natsume and focused on Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
His voice trembled slightly.
Born blind, he had no way of recognizing Kaguya.
However, the intense pressure and familiar chakra fluctuations radiating from her unsettled his heart.
He suspected she was from the Ōtsutsuki lineage—the descendants of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths.
But that shouldn't be possible, right?
Why did it feel like she could kill him with a mere wave of her hand?
He possessed the Tenseigan after all.
There was no reason for such a sensation.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki didn't answer his question. Instead, her gaze settled upon the Tenseigan.
A flicker of interest passed through her eyes.
Hmm, seems like there's still quite a bit of chakra left.
To her, only Chakra and Natsume mattered. Everything else was irrelevant.
A crushing pressure continued to tighten around Toneri Ōtsutsuki's chest.
He gritted his teeth and immediately activated the Tenseigan.
No matter who this person was, there was no way they could rival the power of the Otsutsuki Clan's ultimate treasure—the Tenseigan.
He knew very well just how powerful it truly was.
The war between the main family and branch family on the Moon had been decided precisely by the Tenseigan.
The Tenseigan pulsed violently as a massive surge of chakra began to accumulate.
Toneri Ōtsutsuki wasted no time unleashing his ultimate technique.
[Truth-Seeking Balls].
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki frowned.
She casually raised her hand and flicked her finger.
Toneri immediately lost control over the Tenseigan.
He froze in place, shock written all over his face.
"Impossible! That can't be happening!"
Natsume let out a quiet chuckle.
In truth, controlling the Tenseigan wasn't complicated at all.
It obeyed the one with the higher bloodline purity.
There were no special techniques or seals required.
With Kaguya Ōtsutsuki herself present, the Tenseigan naturally submitted to her authority.
Natsume turned his gaze toward Toneri.
According to the original story, after acquiring Hanabi Hyuga's Byakugan and awakening the Tenseigan, Toneri's power should have barely rivaled that of the Sage of Six Paths.
But now he lacked eyes—his actual strength was questionable at best.
Natsume believed he could easily overpower him now.
Still, with Kaguya already handling the situation, he saw no need to get involved.
Besides, Toneri had no combat experience.
From birth until now, he hadn't experienced any real battle.
He only relied on the Tenseigan.
Kaguya ignored Toneri's furious shouting.
She was now deeply studying the Tenseigan.
Interestingly, the setting never mentioned Kaguya having the Tenseigan.
This mini-chapter isn't over yet—more excitement coming!
She possessed two Byakugans and a Rinne-Sharingan.
There were two known ways to awaken the Tenseigan.
One was through the gathering of large quantities of Byakugan.
The second was combining a member of the Otsutsuki Clan's chakra with a Byakugan.
By that logic, Kaguya should have been able to awaken the Tenseigan without issue.
Why she couldn't remains unexplained in the original story, so Natsume didn't understand it either.
Perhaps it was due to Kaguya being born into the branch family instead of the main family.
She had never received eyes from the main family before.
Like Isshiki Ōtsutsuki.
Now that she had obtained the Tenseigan, she suddenly became very interested.
"You bastard!"
Toneri had already lost his mind, screaming wildly, "Give me back the Tenseigan!"
Kaguya cast a sidelong glance at him before abruptly raising her hand.
Golden light flickered from the Tenseigan as a barrage of Truth-Seeking Balls erupted from it, engulfing Toneri.
However, honoring Natsume's earlier plea, she held back—leaving him severely wounded but alive.
"Do you think you can awaken the Tenseigan yourself?" Natsume asked curiously.
"Possibly," Kaguya replied after a short pause. "Let me analyze this Tenseigan first."
"No problem."
Natsume agreed without hesitation, feeling somewhat excited.
In the original story, Kaguya's powers largely came from the Rinne-Sharingan.
Her Byakugan had never proven particularly useful.
But if she could master the Tenseigan, her power would skyrocket.
For Kaguya otsutsuki, even the smallest increase was significant.
The stronger she became, the safer Natsume naturally felt.
"Let's go back."
Natsume stretched out his hand and guided the unconscious Toneri otsutsuki using chakra. He asked, "You can take this large Tenseigan with you, right?"
In the original tale, Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga opted for destruction.
Therefore, he doubted whether ordinary methods could even move it.
Otherwise, bringing it back to Konoha would be a major advantage.
Even Naruto, naïve as he was, wouldn't have missed that point.
It was very likely he couldn't bring it back.
"Mm-hmm."
As expected, Kaguya otsutsuki gave a slight nod.
She raised her hand, and the Tenseigan immediately lifted into the air, then rapidly shrunk to the size of a regular basketball.
Once again, she used [otsutsuki Teleportation], and the two returned to the Hokage's Office.
"I'll handle Toneri otsutsuki. I'll come find you later."
Natsume leaned in, kissed Kaguya, then said, "You take the Tenseigan and go to the Fire Daimyo's Mansion first."
"Mm-hmm."
At that moment, Kaguya's attention was fixed on the Tenseigan, so she wasn't reluctant to leave.
After she left, Natsume headed to the newly established Research Division.
"Who is this?"
Kabuto Yakushi spared a glance at him before turning his attention to Toneri otsutsuki.
Though unconscious, the man was radiating an unusually intense chakra.
This guy was definitely not ordinary.
"Toneri otsutsuki."
Natsume smiled slightly as he replied.
Kabuto's eyes instantly widened.
Because they had discussed studying the Tenseigan before, Natsume had told him about the otsutsuki Clan's story.
But he never imagined he'd ever see one in person.
"Where did you meet him?"
Snapping out of his shock, Kabuto crouched down, reached out, and lifted open Toneri otsutsuki's eyelid.
He let out a soft "hmm"—there were no eyeballs inside?
"Did you remove them?"
Kabuto asked again.
"No, he was born without eyes."
Natsume explained, "But if he installs Byakugan, he can activate the Tenseigan. What if we reversed the process—would that work too?"
"You're saying you want to activate the Tenseigan for Hinata?"
Kabuto understood his meaning and responded solemnly, "It should be possible."
Four thousand words.
(Chapter End)
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