"Is this a mausoleum?"
Guts muttered as he stepped into the underground chamber, his eyes adjusting to the dim gray surroundings.
The land was barren and dry, similar to the moon's surface only smoother, with no jagged craters or uneven pits.
Tombstones, worn with age, stood in perfectly aligned rows.
Guts walked up to one, narrowing his eyes at the faded inscription.
The language was ancient the same script as the character "A" that had been carved into the hidden waterfall cave earlier.
Hanabi had recognized that mark in an old Hyuga text. And now, the same symbols were etched on every gravestone.
"That is to say… all these tombs belong to the descendants of the Ōtsutsuki clan buried here on the moon, huh?" Guts muttered aloud, narrowing his eyes at the neatly arranged gravestones ahead.
"You're not wrong."
A voice, deep and resonant, echoed around him.
From the rows of tombstones, a faint mist began to rise. It gathered and took shape, a pale, translucent form slowly condensing into a man.
He wore long robes, had long white hair, pale skin, and the unmistakable Byakugan eyes.
He resembled the very clan Guts had just fought.
But his body shimmered like steam, faint and ethereal.
Wrinkles lined his face, marking him as an old man...easily over a thousand years old.
Guts activated his Observation Haki. No heartbeat. No breath. Definitely not alive.
Trying to use his "Voice of All Things" to read the old ghost would take too much time and energy.
"I never imagined someone not of Ōtsutsuki blood would ever step foot here," the old man spoke.
But before he could get another word in...
"Alright, alright. Who the hell are you?" Guts cut him off, crossing his arms with an eyebrow raised.
The elder blinked in surprise and gave a small, awkward cough.
"Ahem… I am Ōtsutsuki Hamura. A thousand years ago, I led my people here, to the moon, to watch over the Gedo Statue. Also… I'm the younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths. Satisfied?"
"Ohhh..." Guts tilted his head with mock amazement. "The brother of the Sage himself? That's wild."
Hamura gave a humble nod.
"But," Guts continued with a completely deadpan face, "aren't you supposed to be super dead by now? Like, two thousand years-dead?"
Hamura blinked.
That… was not the reaction he expected.
No reverence. No awe. No barrage of curious questions about ancient history or divine bloodlines. Just a flat, casual call-out on being extremely dead.
Hamura floated there, stunned into silence.
Wasn't this the part where mortals fell to their knees or at least gave a dramatic gasp? Had the world changed that much? Were people now just… this jaded?
Did I stay dead too long? Or is emotional detachment a new trend in the living world?
He sighed inwardly.
Guts wasn't too shocked because he knew alot of things from the anime.
After all, even Hagoromo, the Sage of Six paths himself, had popped up at the Fourth Ninja War, saving Naruto and Sasuke and handing out god-tier power-ups like free candy.
If Hagoromo could do that, then Hamura pulling a ghost stunt wasn't surprising.
"I exist now only as a residual soul," Hamura explained. "Formed using the power of Yin-Yang Release. I am little more than a shadow—a ghost without any combat ability."
He paused, then added, "Roughly forty years ago, the Gedo Statue was forcefully summoned from the moon. This triggered conflict between the main and branch families. I tried to stop them, but by then, I no longer had the strength."
Guts waved dismissively. "Sounds like a moon family drama. I'm not interested in that. Are you just gonna talk my ear off? 'Cause if so, I'm out."
Hamura's eye twitched slightly at the blunt reply, but he composed himself. To gain such incredible power without Ōtsutsuki blood… even he had to admit it was extraordinary.
"Young man," Hamura said, "I have a request. The Gedo Statue must be retrieved. If it falls into the wrong hands, your world will be in grave danger."
Guts didn't react outwardly, but internally, he scoffed.
You don't have to tell me that.
He had no intention of letting Obito, Madara, or Kaguya achieve their Infinite Tsukuyomi plans. Hamura's warning, while valid, was unnecessary.
Still... since the ghost brought it up, Guts decided to trick him.
"Say, can you raise the Hyuga clan's potential? Maybe evolve their eyes?" he asked casually.
If Hagoromo could grant Naruto and Sasuke insane upgrades, then surely his little brother could do something for Hinata and Hanabi, right?
After all, their Byakugan was among the purest in existence.
Hamura looked surprised. He tried using what little chakra he had left to sense Guts' thoughts, but couldn't read him. That shocked him even more.
After a moment, Hamura nodded. "You carry the aura of my descendants... the Hyuga, yes?"
He paused again before continuing. "My remaining chakra is far weaker than my brother's, so I'm not sure how far I can go. But... I can try."
Guts eyes gleamed. He can really do it?
"How long can you maintain this ghost form?" he asked.
"If I avoid using chakra," Hamura said, "this form should last several more years."
Guts whistled. "You guys really don't play fair. Even dead, you're pulling off miracles."
He smiled. "Alright then, we have a deal."
Guts turned to Toneri, still unconscious nearby.
He had originally planned to keep the brat alive in case he had value. But now?
"Here. You can have him."
With a casual toss, Guts threw Toneri into Hamura's arms.
The ghostly elder caught him with a ripple of chakra.
Hamura sighed. "He was led astray by the branch family… consumed by extremism."
Guts turned toward the tunnel exit. "Wait here. I'll be back soon."
As he stepped out, the spatial portal Hamura once used began to shimmer again. Guts activated it and returned to Earth to retrieve Hinata and Hanabi.
If Hamura could unlock their potential, that was worth the trip.
Back on Earth
The nearest town connected to the Moon Passage.
With his top-tier Observation Haki, Guts instantly locked onto Hanabi's location.
By the time he returned, it was already deep into the night. Hanabi was fast asleep on the bed in their small hotel room.
Guts stood by the door, arms crossed, silently watching for a moment.
She had tossed her ninja jacket to the floor, her tiny frame curled awkwardly on the mattress. The blanket was kicked halfway off, and her hand rested lazily over her exposed stomach.
Her sleep posture was terrible.
Guts raised an eyebrow. "This girl... does she fight in her sleep too?"
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Whatever. I'll deal with it tomorrow."
Without making a sound, he walked to the other side of the room and sat down. Lying lazily on the sofa, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"Just a quick nap."
His expression softened as he glanced one last time toward Hanabi.
"Let her sleep. She's going to need it."
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