Up ahead, Arthur saw the distant palace. This palace was Toneri's palace.
The first thing he did was place a hidden Flying raijin mark somewhere close to the entrance. Once set, he took to the skies via his smoke technique and soared through the artificial atmosphere.
The clouds above him were similar to the ones on earth. Only, they seemed to swirl thicker. Even the air felt much lighter.
Suddenly figures appeared—dozens of white puppets, floating and twisting to block his path. These same puppets belonged to Toneri, constructs created by the Ōtsutsuki to intercept intruders.
Arthur didn't slow down. Instead, he weaved through them by dodging and weaving their flight pattern. They were fast, and they were catching up quickly.
By the time he knew it, the sky had multiplied with these puppets.
"Hmm…"
A swarm of them descended like a dark cloud. He moved carefully and dodged their many sharp blades. Missile volleys launched at him from all directions, but his aerial prowess was not lacking. Using his agility, he wove between their relentless attacks while analyzing their fighting style.
'Ice style: wolf fang avalanche…'
Using the gathered clouds, Arthur summoned several flying ice wolves. They howled as they lunged forward at their targets. The puppets were met with icy jaws and claws that raked through their metallic bodies.
Some of their wings froze and shattered under the assault as the wolves tore through their ranks, leaving a trail of shattered parts in their wake.
Arthur watched as the remaining puppets faltered and their formation collapsed from his icy fury.
Still, more kept coming from every direction. The remaining wolves dissolved in the sky after he flew toward the palace. When the puppets launched projectiles to throw him off, his smoky body phased right through their attempts.
This had to have confused them because now they had formed a blockade to stop Arthur in the air. As such, he shot forward faster than they could anticipate and slipped between their formation.
Now there was nothing they could do.
Using his Tamashii to look back, he noticed they refused to give chase. That was a sign—a sign that Toneri was likely aware of his presence.
For the remaining time, his flight went undisturbed.
The palace loomed ahead, larger than he had imagined. Its spires stretched high into the sky, and the entire structure was made out of materials rarely found on earth.
When he landed on a platform at the bottom, he scanned the entire palace. His senses reached deep into the stone and metal, picking up faint traces of Toneri's chakra all around.
The chakra was far clearer than anything he'd sensed before. They were just waves lingering in the air, but they were so pure and bright that he could almost see them sparkling like a radiant glow, illuminating the space around the palace with an intensity that made everything else seem dull in comparison.
He also saw ancient texts left behind by the Ōtsutsuki—scrolls and tablets etched with symbols of their history and the puppet's design.
It was no wonder those puppets were so versatile; their materials were made from palladium, a precious metal used in spacecraft and advanced electronics, often found in meteorites and space dust.
There was a reason why Arthur had not desired to use puppets in combat. From what he remembered, the puppets used by the puppeteers were humanoid constructs that had fragile points.
If blocked or damaged, the entire puppet's mobility was compromised. Most puppets were made from materials like wood or bone. In contrast, puppets made of palladium gave them better movement and resistance without limiting their flexibility.
Arthur could probably use that to fuel his army. The only thing he would need is to integrate the puppets with advanced technology embedded with chakra conductors or weaponry that could be activated through a technique.
'I'll have to remember that,' he thought to himself.
Now, while the information on the puppets seemed interesting, these other written texts were more vital. So, Arthur took a mental note of them. Perhaps there were more within the palace.
As he walked forward, he ascended up the palace steps before stepping inside a grand hall. The interior was vast and decorated with relics from the clan's history. Images of star charts and technology lined the walls.
If he were to take control of the moon, there would be no one on earth that could ever hope to stop him. But to do that, he'd have to confront the one who owned this territory.
That same owner was approaching him now.
In the center of the hall, Arthur finally faced Toneri Ōtsutsuki.
The man looked exactly as depicted in the movie—pale skin, shaggy white hair, attractive features, and six magatama tattoos on his collarbones resembling a necklace.
He wore the Ōtsutsuki Clan's attire: a white high-collared kimono with a black obi, a pale green sash tied at the right shoulder, and a yellow crest of a sun within a crescent moon on the back. The outfit was completed with black fingerless gloves, long black pants, and black shinobi sandals.
Currently, he had no eyes in his sockets, for they were ceremoniously removed after birth.
In due time, Toneri would seek out Hanabi Hyūga's Byakugan to transplant them into his eye sockets, which would mature into the Tenseigan.
That meant in the present time, Arthur could most certainly hold his own.
"What reason do you have for coming here?" Toneri asked.
Arthur first watched the boy, then plainly answered, "I came to learn more about your clan."
Toneri's face was calm. "Now why would someone from the earth wish to know about the Ōtsutsukis?"
"I've heard of your clan and wish to understand your abilities. Specifically, your clan's power over space and time."
Now Toneri became curious. "I was wary because of your chakra signature. Your eyes don't match your character at all…. They're so malevolent. Tell me how you knew about that portal to this place."
"And if I refuse to answer…?"
With a grin on Toneri's face, the palace suddenly shuddered, and the ground beneath Arthur vibrated as if an earthquake was about to commence.
"I suggest you not test me," Toneri warned. "Otherwise, I'll use every ounce of the moon to take you off it."
Arthur remained relaxed. There was no need for him to worry because this version of Toneri had yet to awaken the Tenseigan.
When Toneri sensed that Arthur was not afraid, the tremours ceased as suddenly as they had begun. They let the silence settle as Arthur spoke, "Let's just say your ancestor, Homura, left behind clues that made finding you easier."
Toneri became interested. "By that you're implying you know both me and lord Homura."
"I do," Arthur explained. "You're Toneri of the Ōtsutsuki clan, born into the Ōtsutsuki clan's Branch family, which meant your eyes were sealed inside the Energy Vessel. So instead of seeing, you learned to sense the world around you." Arthur paused to let that information sink in. "I also know that you longed for real friends, not just the puppet servants that served your family. And if I recall correctly, your father wanted you to marry Hinata from the Hyūga clan."
Upon hearing all this, Toneri was left questioning himself whether Arthur was friend or foe. If a friend, what did he want? What possible reason, apart from wishing to know more about the clan, was he after?
"You're a hard one to read," Toneri admitted.
"Then I'll make it easy for you: tell me of your clan's ability to travel through time."
"You know of my past but yet don't know the basics of time travel?"
That statement made Arthur pause. Perhaps revealing that much was the wrong choice.
"You should thank Homura," Arthur tried.
Without warning, Toneri lunged at Arthur. The man's speed was impressive as he managed to land a blow on Arthur's forearm.
Bang!
The impact was sharp, but the injury was just a scratch. Already Arthur's body began to heal instantly from it.
Toneri stepped back and admitted, "I don't know who you are, but you're strong." There was a hint of respect, but also apprehension. "Not even my puppets are as durable as you."
Arthur cracked his neck as he prepared for a fight and said, "I also suggest you not test me; otherwise, I'll gladly take this place by force."
"Even if you could, you'd never learn the secrets to time travel."
Arthur furrowed his eyebrow. "And why's that?"
"Because it's a technique only full-blood Ōtsutsuki are born with… It can't be taught. You can't learn it."
Arthur fell into contemplating silence. His expression became unreadable as he just stood there.
Toneri noticed the change, so he asked, "I hope that bad news didn't ruin your time coming all the way here."
Arthur didn't respond to anything; he simply looked at the boy as if studying his face.
"Nothing to say?" Toneri asked.
Then, finally, Arthur spoke, "I suppose you're right: perhaps I came here for no reason. So I'll take my leave without a fight."
"What?" Toneri's brow furrowed.
"You heard me," Arthur said, turning to leave. "There's no point in staying or arguing."
Was Arthur serious? Toneri was a character that could watch over the events of the entire earth. Even if one had carefully placed seals or barriers in place, he could spy on them without the other party knowing.
"You're just going to give up?" Toneri asked.
Arthur stopped to look over his shoulder and said, "You can rest assured that I won't tell anyone of your past."
This almost seemed too good to be true. Here, a child from earth came to the moon and spoke of the owner's ancestor as if it were normal. No, Toneri needed to watch this "boy."
"I'll allow you to leave," Toneri warned. "However, never come back to the moon again, as I will close off where you came from so that no one can use it."
Arthur turned around, taunting, "Homura wouldn't want that…"
"What?!" Toneri's face darkened. "You dare say that to me in my own palace?"
But before he could react further, Arthur vanished with the Flying raijin, reappearing back at the portal's entrance. He then quickly ran inside, ignoring the missing crab before diving straight through the pond.
He felt no resistance, unlike the first time. As such, he made it safely to the other side, where John and Ryugetsu awaited.
"How was it?" John asked.
Arthur didn't answer but instead stared at the portal. He was wondering whether or not Toneri would give chase.
After a quiet moment, Arthur determined that Toneri would not follow him. There was no reason to. While yes, Arthur revealed quite a lot of information regarding Toneri's past, a character like that would first wish to understand Arthur before making rash decisions.
It was worth it for Arthur. For in exchange for having a target on his back, he had gained information on time traveling.
How?
During that silent exchange where he wasn't speaking, his Tamashii caught glimpses of ancient texts stored in Toneri's palace that wrote about it. There, he was speed-reading the secret to time travel without Toneri's awareness.
Those same texts contained hints and clues that could help him recreate the technique, or at least get close.
While he didn't acquire everything, he had what he needed.
The next step was clear: return, analyze what he had learned, and prepare for what was coming. And whether Toneri wanted to make a sudden appearance, he would always be ready.