"Strange, where did the lord go?"
Everyone was a little puzzled.
"Well, since he didn't return immediately, he must have other matters to deal with. In any case, we all know the lord's strength. There isn't a single being in this world who could harm him. So, the best thing we can do is wait for him to come back."
Tsunade said calmly.
"Mm, that's true!"
The others nodded in agreement.
Indeed, if someone powerful enough to harm Kaede really existed in this world, then even if they all acted together, they still wouldn't be that person's opponent. Instead of adding trouble, it was better to return to the village and focus on contributing in their own way.
So everyone went back, resuming their daily duties.
The ninja academy had finally settled into proper order.
Some of the younger ninja, at this point, had already stopped remembering their old villages. The only home they knew now was the place they lived in.
That was a good sign.
Meanwhile, the one everyone longed for—Kaede—was standing upon the surface of the moon.
The moon… the place where Otsutsuki Kaguya was sealed, and also the dwelling of Otsutsuki Hamura's descendants.
But by this time, Hamura's lineage on the moon could no longer sustain itself properly. Their numbers had dwindled drastically. By the current generation, there were only a few dozen left.
That was fewer than any clan back in Konoha.
Given more time, this branch of the Otsutsuki would completely disappear.
Perhaps as compensation for their dwindling numbers, Kaede could see machines endlessly at work with every step he took. They moved tirelessly, filling the emptiness where people should have been.
Yet those machines could never replace living hands.
Kaede sharpened his senses—he could clearly feel Kaguya's aura here.
But if he truly wanted to free her, the only way was to either use Infinite Tsukuyomi or directly unravel the seal binding her.
After locating the source of the seal, Kaede calmly made his way forward.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the moon—
"Shēren, after dinner tonight, you don't need to keep training. You've been practicing hard these past few days. Go rest early. If you take care of your body, you'll become stronger."
Ōtsutsuki Banri, Shēren's father, spoke gently to his only son.
"No, father, I want to become stronger! Only then can I leave this place and see the world beyond. I don't want to spend my life trapped in this dark and lifeless moon. I don't even understand why our ancestor's words demand we guard this place forever. It's too lonely here! Our clansmen keep dying one after another, and fewer and fewer are being born. At this rate, maybe one day, I'll be the only one left."
Ōtsutsuki Shēren shook his head, rejecting his father's words.
He didn't want to stop.
Stopping meant facing loneliness.
It had already been many years since a new child was born here.
At his age, he was the only one.
He had no companions.
All he had was the cold, silent starry sky above him.
"Sigh…"
Banri could only look at his son and let out a heavy sigh.
Of course he understood what his son felt.
Back when he was young, he too had dreamed of leaving this place. But eventually, he gave up. He wasn't talented enough. Even if he left, he wouldn't have survived on his own.
But Shēren was different.
Perhaps… his son might accomplish what he himself could not.
"Very well, but remember—you must still take care of your body."
Banri said no more, only patting his son's head with fatherly affection before leaving.
On the moon, when a clansman died, their eyes were always removed and added to the massive Tenseigan that shone with the power of all their ancestors.
"Mm, I won't let you down, father."
Shēren whispered to himself, nodding firmly.
After finishing his meal, he tidied up and went to the usual training grounds—a vast open space not far from their settlement.
Here, under the endless sky, the stars could be seen in all their brilliance.
It was beautiful.
But the more beautiful the sky, the more it reminded him of his clan's loneliness.
Bound by duty, forbidden from leaving, forced into solitude.
Shēren longed to escape and see the outside world.
He had even been told by his father that somewhere among their distant kin was a promised bride—a princess of the Byakugan.
The thought stirred his heart. Perhaps, if he could meet her, he wouldn't be so alone.
Just as he began his training—he suddenly froze.
He sensed it.
A foreign presence had appeared on the moon.
Alarmed yet curious, he rushed to the source.
And there, he saw him.
A boy—no more than a teenager.
Yet the sheer power radiating from him surpassed his own by far… and even exceeded that of his father.
"H-hey, who are you? Why have you come here?"
Shēren shouted, calling out to Kaede.
Kaede turned calmly at the voice.
Standing before him was indeed a boy around his early teens, his appearance unmistakably that of Ōtsutsuki Shēren.
"So… you're Hamura's descendant."
Kaede said faintly.
"Who… who are you?"
Shēren had wanted to ask more—about the outside world, about what it was like beyond the moon, about his destined bride with the Byakugan.
But when his eyes met Kaede's, an overwhelming pressure seized his chest.
For the first time, he felt fear.
This man's strength… was beyond anything he could even imagine.
"I am Kaede. Hmph, forget it—explaining my identity is pointless. You wouldn't understand. Now, step aside. Don't block my path."
Kaede waved dismissively, not bothering further with him. He strode forward, his senses locked on Kaguya's aura. She had clearly felt his arrival too—the seal resonated faintly in response.
"No! Where are you going? Tell me! My father said this is our clan's sacred ground, our forbidden land! Outsiders are never allowed to enter!"
Shēren cried out, quickly moving to block Kaede's way.
Kaede's gaze hardened.
"Move. The place I am going to is precisely your so-called forbidden ground. If you don't step aside… then don't blame me for what happens next."
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]