patreon.com/mati6x
The lunar dust began to settle, revealing the defeated form of Toneri Ōtsutsuki. His labored breaths came unevenly, his Tenseigan eyes now dimmed of their celestial glow. The battle was over, but the cost had been immense. The moon—split asunder—drifted in the void of space, a grim testament to the destruction Toneri had sought to unleash.
Amid the chaos, Kakashi and the Raikage rushed toward Naruto and Obito. Kakashi, his usual mask in place but relief evident in his stance, spoke first.
"Well done, Naruto." He placed a hand on the young ninja's shoulder. "And you too, Obito. Thank you for your help."
The Raikage, arms crossed and expression stern, gave a curt nod. "You did good work. But we've no time to waste. The moon's been split—it won't be long before the fragments crash toward Earth. We need to leave. Now."
Obito, silent until now, met Kakashi's gaze calmly.
"Don't fret so much, Kakashi," he said, voice steady. "As long as Naruto's around, he'll handle things. What matters now—" He gestured to Toneri. "—is making sure this one doesn't cause more trouble."
Kakashi frowned, considering Obito's words. "What do you propose?"
Before Obito could answer, the Raikage cut in, tone razor-sharp. "I propose we kill him. He's too dangerous to leave alive."
The declaration hung like a guillotine, plunging the group into tense silence. No one doubted the Raikage's seriousness—but executing a defeated Toneri felt too extreme.
Then, a weak but resolute voice broke through.
"Don't... kill him..."
All turned toward Hinata, injured but conscious, her eyes burning with quiet resolve.
Naruto rushed to her side, carefully helping her up. "Hinata! Don't move—you're hurt!"
Leaning against him, Hinata strained to speak. "The eyes..." she whispered.
"What eyes?" Naruto asked, confused but attentive.
"Hanabi's eyes..." Hinata's voice was a fragile thread. "I have to... get them back."
Naruto's grip tightened. "We will. I promise."
As Naruto tended to Hinata, Kakashi and the Raikage exchanged glances. The situation was fraught—each had their own stance on how to proceed.
"We can't let Toneri escape," the Raikage insisted. "If we spare him, we ensure he's no threat."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "Agreed. But killing him might create worse consequences. There has to be another way."
Obito, observing silently, interjected. "Whatever we decide, we're out of time." His gaze flicked upward. "The moon won't wait."
"Don't worry. No one needs to die. I'll handle this."
(To avoid questions, I won't delve into the Ōtsutsuki clan's lunar lineage.)
With tremendous effort, Hinata stood, steadying herself against Naruto. Her eyes—though weary—gleamed with unshakable will. Step by step, she approached Toneri's broken form.
"Toneri," she said, voice soft yet unyielding. "Your greatest mistake wasn't your actions... but the lies you believed."
Toneri lifted his head weakly, his hollowed Tenseigan searching hers. "Lies...?"
Hinata knelt before him. With deliberate care, she reached for his face. Though he flinched, he lacked the strength to resist.
"These eyes were never yours." As she removed the Tenseigan, Toneri screamed—not from pain, but the shattering of his worldview. "And your family's truth... you deserve to know it."
"What truth?!" Toneri's voice cracked.
Cradling Hanabi's stolen eyes, Hinata met his gaze. "Your clan used you. Everything you fought for... was built on deception."
Toneri recoiled as if struck. "No... You're lying—!"
"The truth hurts," Hinata said, rising. "But now... your war is over."
As she returned to Naruto's side, the group prepared to depart. The shattered moon loomed behind them—a monument to both devastation and hard-won peace.
"Let's go home," Naruto said, supporting Hinata.
Kakashi and the Raikage nodded, while Obito lingered, his expression inscrutable. His role in this story wasn't done—but for now, seeing the world safe was enough.
Behind them, Toneri lay abandoned, Hinata's words echoing in his skull. Doubt and regret festered. His path had ended here... beneath the fractured sky of a broken moon.
And so, the chapter closed—not with triumph alone, but with the weight of scars that would never fully fade.