"It seems someone down below truly has their eyes on our Tenseigan."
The First Elder frowned as he looked at the now-still Tenseigan, uncertainty flickering across his face. This situation was far from normal.
They held full control over the Tenseigan. Even during the last activation, it hadn't reacted like this.
That could only mean… someone had quietly begun sharing control over the Tenseigan with them.
"Could it be those traitors?"
The Third Elder scowled, his voice dripping with contempt. He harbored deep hatred for all creatures from the lower realm.
"They do possess 'pure Byakugan.' It's not impossible that they've managed something."
"We can't confirm that. But we also can't rule it out."
The Second Elder shook his head and turned to the First Elder.
"First Elder, did you manage to trace anything earlier? Is it still possible to attempt a trace now?"
"No, nothing was tracked. We could try again… but I don't think we should."
The First Elder paused in thought, then ultimately shook his head.
"We're well aware of our own condition. Just cutting off the Tenseigan's chakra has left us completely drained."
"If the people of the lower world make another attempt to influence the Tenseigan… would we even be able to stop it?"
That question left the Second Elder silent. Given their current state, another episode like this might truly be beyond them.
"So that's it? We just let it go?"
The Third Elder gritted his teeth. He had always been the one most determined to fulfill the will of their ancestors. But the First Elder could only shake his head in reply.
"We're not letting it go. We will investigate further. But right now, we simply aren't in a condition to act."
"Even if we're not afraid to die… we must still consider Toneri's future. He still needs our guidance."
At the mention of Toneri, the Third Elder finally fell silent. It was true—Toneri was their future, their only hope.
Right now, Toneri was still too young. Though born with a natural affinity for the Tenseigan, he had yet to awaken his own pair of eyes. The child still needed their guidance and instruction.
"Hmph. I get it."
The Third Elder let out a cold snort, speaking with frustration in his voice.
"We'll let it slide this time—but next time, we will find that damned thief!"
As the angry elders of the Ōtsutsuki clan brooded on the Moon, far below in Konohagakure, Kitagawa Gen quietly deactivated his Tenseigan.
"They really are sharp… One move and they noticed, huh?"
He glanced up at the moonlit sky, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
That experience just now had been… something else. The eye on the Moon had resonated with his own—and for a moment, he had even gained a degree of control over it.
"The insights into the Tenseigan's abilities were useful, but compared to that control… they feel secondary."
Under his guidance, that massive Tenseigan had been able to channel chakra directly into him.
And beyond that—
"Seems like I could even command it to gather power… and fire off a blast?"
For some reason, an image surfaced in his mind—of an internal war among the Moon's Ōtsutsuki clan, the branch family unleashing a barrage of purple Tenseigan blasts at the main house.
"Even if I can't pull off something on that scale… just one shot would be enough."
The thought sent a jolt of excitement through Kitagawa Gen. This kind of "orbital cannon" attack could absolutely become his ultimate trump card.
If anyone dared to cross him… maybe he could let them witness what it truly meant for justice to rain down from the heavens.
"Still, it's clear there are others on the Moon besides Toneri. And their control over the Tenseigan isn't weak."
His gaze remained fixed on the Moon, but after a moment, he broke into a smile.
"Well… at least now I've pretty much pinpointed their location. Just a few more years—and I'll be paying them a visit."
...
"Haven't they decided who to recruit yet?"
In the Land of Rain, Uchiha Obito stood beside Black Zetsu. He hadn't attended the meeting himself, so he relied on Black Zetsu for updates.
The outcome of the meeting had sparked some thoughts in him. Recruiting new members meant he could insert his own people into the ranks—and strengthen his influence. Why not take advantage of it?
"Any thoughts? Which of those guys seems like a good pick?"
"They're all more or less the same. Actually, the rogue ninja Kurosuki Raiga from Kirigakure isn't bad. We've had deep roots in Kirigakure for years—it's worth a try."
Black Zetsu understood what Obito was getting at. After thinking it over, he spoke up.
"Of course, the others aren't out of the question either. Every one of them has their own unique abilities, their own ambitions, their own desires. All of which can be used."
"Hmph. This world is filled with far too much ambition and desire… and that's what gives rise to so many tragedies."
Uchiha Obito snorted coldly.
"But without desire, there would be no weaknesses—and without weaknesses, no way to control them. That's exactly what works in our favor."
"Sigh… Then, Obito, what about your desires—mmph, mmph, mmph—"
Before White Zetsu could finish his question, Black Zetsu clamped a hand over his mouth and calmly cut in.
"Besides that, it seems Sasori and Kakuzu are both planning to head toward the Land of Wind. Neither of them has fully recovered yet."
"The Land of Wind? Just a barren wasteland."
Obito shook his head, clearly unimpressed. He didn't think much of that place—but suddenly, something came to mind.
"Right. What's the situation with Shimura Danzō? Has he made any moves lately?"
Obito had become increasingly convinced that Danzō was the one who'd uncovered intel on their activities. He was the kind of man that caused too much trouble—and even someone as proud as Obito couldn't help but ask again.
"Shimura Danzō seems to be trying to contact Hanzō of the Salamander. But he doesn't know that Hanzō is already dead."
Black Zetsu spoke plainly.
"Then again, that's not surprising. Hanzō was incredibly well-hidden—so much so that no one knew when he died. That's something we might be able to take advantage of."
"Besides, Danzō seems to be in contact with Orochimaru as well. That guy really isn't simple."
"Hmph. Disgusting bastard."
Obito nodded, his expression darkening with thought.
"Looks like we'll need to find an opportunity to deal with him. If nothing else, we should at least teach him a lesson."
"Naturally. And there's something else… something interesting I've picked up."
Black Zetsu showed a sly grin as he continued.
"According to our scouts, there's been a sighting of Orochimaru near the Land of Wind. We might be able to take advantage of this situation."
"The Land of Wind, huh?"
Hearing that, Obito fell into deep thought. This might be the perfect opportunity—to deal with both of them at once.
Seeing Obito's thoughtful silence, Black Zetsu quietly let out a sigh of relief. It seemed Danzō had firmly taken the blame this time.
"Still… we have to proceed carefully. After all—"
Black Zetsu was still thinking, when suddenly his eyes widened in shock. His gaze shot instinctively to the sky.
Because in that instant, he sensed a faint, obscure chakra—something completely undetectable to ordinary people.
And that chakra… was coming from the Moon!
'What the hell is going on?!'
...
"Hey, Black One, what's with you again?"
In the Land of Rain under the cover of night, the torrential downpour continued as always, relentless and unending.
Yet Black Zetsu stood alone in the curtain of rain, head tilted upward, blankly staring at the sky in a daze.
This behavior irritated White Zetsu, who shared the same body. Whenever Black Zetsu acted crazy, he had to suffer for it too.
"And what's with you lately, always staring up at the sky? There's clearly nothing up there."
"...Can you shut up for a second?"
Annoyed by White Zetsu's incessant chatter, Black Zetsu let out a deep sigh as he continued gazing at the sky.
"You wouldn't understand. Sometimes I really wish I were as empty-headed as you... or Uchiha Obito. Life would be a lot less complicated."
"Eh? Obito's head is empty too? No way!"
White Zetsu glanced at Black Zetsu in confusion.
"Oh—I get it! You're saying Obito and I are both idiots, right?"
"So you do have some self-awareness."
"But why would you want to be an idiot?"
"..."
Black Zetsu refused to answer. He was in no mood for jokes.
The power that had just erupted on the moon—if he wasn't mistaken—felt like it belonged to his "beloved second brother," Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
Even though he had been hiding in the shinobi world and targeting the descendants of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, that didn't mean he was unaware of where Hamura had gone—to the moon.
Fortunately, thanks to the Rinnegan's special properties, it could bypass the moon's defenses entirely and directly summon their mother, Kaguya. That had saved him a lot of trouble.
But now, this sudden turn of events had truly caught him off guard.
Lately, he felt the shinobi world had grown more and more unfamiliar. First there was that brat Kitagawa Gen, who constantly made him paranoid.
That strange feeling of familiarity mixed with unfamiliarity had already left him unsettled—now add to that the sudden eruption of chakra that resembled his "good second brother's"...
If things kept going like this...
'Don't tell me all of Mother's kin are going to start showing up?'
A chill ran down Black Zetsu's spine. He didn't dare pursue that line of thought any further.
"Forget it. No point dwelling on this—we still have a job to do."
He shook his head, refocusing on the task at hand.
Who the hell knew what was going on up on the moon. For now, all he could do was remain vigilant. Especially when victory was so close at hand—just a little more and everything would be complete.
Even if every single one of his "dear second brother's" descendants descended from the moon, he wouldn't flinch!
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