The Second Elder felt as if he had seen a ghost!
He had anticipated that the Ōtsutsuki Genshiki on the Moon would come looking for him eventually—after all, he had used the power of the Tenseigan.
But he never imagined that man would come so quickly!
'Could it be… he was actually in the shinobi world all along?'
There was no time to think. Through his Byakugan, he could already see that person looking in his direction.
That gaze was calm, yet it gave him the illusion of plunging into an icy abyss!
In that instant, he even felt as if he could no longer breathe.
'I can't stay here. Those two Byakugan princesses have probably already been chosen by him. Staying means only death!'
Though he didn't know what purpose a "celestial being" like the Ōtsutsuki had in targeting those two "lower creatures," he was very clear that if he didn't act now, he would not only die here but also drag Toneri down with him!
[Boom—]
A burst of chakra erupted, and despite being on the verge of exhaustion, he didn't hesitate for an instant.
Amid that roaring chakra, his body shot off into the distance!
...
'Running that fast?'
Kitagawa Gen hadn't expected that a single glance would send the man fleeing.
But that was precisely part of his plan—to completely eliminate the threat, he needed the elder to escape and regroup with Toneri.
Most importantly, he had confirmed one thing: that man had definitely recognized him!
'He ran fast on the Moon too. He shouldn't have seen me then, so did he recognize my chakra instead?'
"Gen-senpai, thank you."
As Kitagawa Gen pondered, both Neji and Hinata couldn't help but speak up.
"If it weren't for you, we probably would have—"
"Enough, don't say that."
Kitagawa Gen shook his head. He looked at the three Hyūga before finally speaking.
"Now I'll give you a task. Evacuate the women and children here and make sure everyone's safety is prioritized."
"Also, cooperate with the village's shinobi to encircle and eliminate the invaders, and support the other battle zones, understood?"
"Yes, Senpai!"
Neji immediately nodded. Hinata pressed her lips together, her eyes firming with resolve.
"Senpai, we'll do our best. We won't let you down."
"It's not about letting me down. You're both competent shinobi—you shouldn't let yourselves down."
Kitagawa Gen lightly shook his head. His gaze turned toward the distance, and for a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
After a brief silence, he slowly said, "Also, if you get the chance, go reinforce your clan head. There might be a surprise waiting."
"Eh?"
"Father?"
Neji and Hinata both froze, but Kitagawa Gen merely shook his head.
"All right, enough talk. I'll be leaving now."
As he spoke, Kitagawa Gen had already vanished before their eyes.
"Senpai really is amazing…"
Neji murmured as he stared at the spot where Kitagawa Gen had disappeared.
"Who exactly was that old man? Why does he have the Byakugan, and why is his strength so terrifying? But…"
But that same Kitagawa Gen had defeated, with a single move, the very man who had nearly suffocated him, leaving him utterly unable to resist!
Most importantly, while striking that old man away, he had also managed to save all three of them at once.
Such power—he didn't even dare to imagine how terrifying it truly was!
"Senpai really is incredible."
Hinata nodded beside him, while Hanabi, held in her arms, couldn't help but murmur softly.
"So that's the legendary Kitagawa Gen-senpai… why does he feel so familiar somehow?"
"Senpai has always been that way. It's not surprising."
Hearing that, Neji spoke up, and Hinata nodded again. Clearly, both of them felt a strange sense of warmth and familiarity from Kitagawa Gen.
It was a curious feeling—one they couldn't quite explain.
"All right, let's stop talking and do as Senpai said."
Neji shook his head and spoke seriously.
"You two handle coordination and guidance. I'll go support the clan head—huh?"
But the moment Neji's gaze turned toward where Hyūga Hiashi's chakra was located, he froze completely!
He saw Hyūga Hiashi locked in a fierce battle with someone, while his guards stood motionless in shock, none daring to intervene.
And the one fighting against Hyūga Hiashi was—
"Father?!"
...
"Granduncle?!"
Toneri had been waiting anxiously, an extreme unease gnawing at his heart.
When the barrier suddenly opened and a figure stumbled inside, a sharp stench of blood immediately filled the air.
"Toneri—no time to explain."
The Second Elder's voice was strained and breathless. Grabbing Toneri's arm, he pulled him quickly toward the exit while taking out a pair of Byakugan from his robes.
Panting, he pressed the Byakugan into Toneri's eye sockets.
"Endure it—it'll feel uncomfortable. These eyes aren't 'Pure Byakugan,' but they also aren't tainted by the Caged Bird. You can use them for now."
"Granduncle…"
"Listen to me, Toneri. That man came faster than we ever imagined—and he might have been in the shinobi world all along!"
"That man…?"
Toneri immediately understood—it was that "celestial being" who had seized their family on the Moon!
And now he was here, in the shinobi world—and had even encountered his granduncle?!
Realizing this, Toneri's heart was filled with pure terror.
"Toneri, once the transplant is complete, I'll hold him off. You must run with everything you have—no matter what, you must escape this place."
The Second Elder looked at Toneri, whose new eyes had now fully fused, their pale pupils regaining light—and only then did he continue speaking.
"In that so-called Konohagakure, there are two 'Byakugan Princesses.' Their eyes can grant you the true power of the Tenseigan, and through them, the Moon lineage can continue."
"Granduncle…"
Toneri's eyes were still adjusting. For the first time, he could see the world around him so clearly—and for the first time, he truly saw his granduncle.
But his expression changed instantly, filled with terror—because he saw a person already approaching them!
"From here on… it's all up to you, Toneri."
The Second Elder seemed to sense the one behind him as well. A faint smile appeared on his pale face.
"Farewell, Toneri."
As he spoke, he gave Toneri a forceful push forward, and his entire body erupted with chakra.
He was instantly enveloped in a brilliant aura of chakra—clearly, he had entered the Tenseigan Chakra Mode!
Whirling around, he unleashed his full power, the chakra roaring within him as he let out a furious shout and charged straight toward the approaching figure.
"You're using my own power against me?"
Yet the voice from behind was calm—so calm that it carried not a trace of disturbance even in the face of that attack.
[Buzz—]
With gentle chakra rippling through the air, the Second Elder suddenly saw a black sphere appear before him.
The sphere then transformed into a ninjatō, which was lightly swung—its stroke carrying an irresistible force that swallowed everything in an instant!
"This…"
As the blade swept through, the Second Elder suddenly felt his chakra slip out of his control!
He stared in shock as the edge of the sword passed through his body, and in that moment, his 'chakra cloak' was cleanly sliced apart.
Not only that—his connection to the Moon was severed completely at the same time!
[Boom—]
The next instant, the figure before him drove a powerful kick straight into his chest.
The force was so immense it felt as though his ribcage had been shattered; his entire body shot backward like a meteor!
When he crashed heavily into the ground, it felt as if every bone in his body had splintered.
But that wasn't what concerned him most—because to his horror, he saw Toneri standing right beside him!
"Did you really think I let you leave just now by accident?"
The calm, resonant voice echoed again. A figure approached leisurely from not far away.
Amid the surging chakra, that figure's form began to transform—the black robe that had once covered him vanished, replaced by a flowing, ethereal robe of pure white.
The moonlight-like chakra swirled endlessly around him, making his entire being seem divine.
Those azure eyes, shining with a faint, luminous radiance, were so overwhelming they seemed to suffocate all who looked upon them—revealing his true identity!
"Ōtsutsuki Genshiki!"
The Second Elder gritted his teeth, feeling as though his entire body had been bound in place.
He couldn't even move—no, even breathing had become nearly impossible!
That formless pressure, as if it stemmed directly from their shared bloodline, made him feel just how close he was to death.
"So, you do remember me—and you recognize me as well."
Kitagawa Gen nodded slightly, his gaze turning toward Ōtsutsuki Toneri beside him.
"The reason I let you leave earlier was to have you lead me to him. Otherwise, why do you think you were able to wield the power of the Tenseigan? Why do you think you're even still alive right now?"
Kitagawa Gen's words made the Second Elder's breathing grow heavy, and even Toneri's body trembled slightly.
How could they not understand what this man meant—he intended to wipe them out completely!
Could he truly be this ruthless?
"In that case…"
Seemingly unwilling to waste any more words on these descendants of the Moon, he raised the ninjatō once more—the blade formed from the Truth-Seeking Orbs.
Brilliant light gathered along the edge of his sword as he spoke softly, "Then, farewell."
The moment his words fell, his blade descended—but at that exact instant, his brow lifted slightly.
[Boom—]
A deafening roar shook the earth, a deep fissure splitting the ground beneath his power!
Yet Kitagawa Gen's expression remained unchanged. His gaze shifted toward another direction—where three figures were standing.
"Space–time ninjutsu?"
He murmured as, at the instant his blade fell, a spatial vortex appeared out of nowhere, pulling the two of them inside at the last possible moment.
"I didn't expect that, under such circumstances, I'd meet you, my kin."
On the other side, a monk-like man suddenly spoke.
"Allow me to introduce myself—my name is Ōtsutsuki Isshiki."
"I already know your name."
"Greetings… Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
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