2/5
---
Considering Toneri's current strength, Zetsu immediately sank into the ground.
It planned to first find its most powerful pawn—Uchiha Madara.
If Uchiha Madara could regain his original strength, he might be able to defeat Toneri. Or perhaps—if he could wield a 200-meter tall Susanoo, he might not even need Toneri, just slice the Moon in half directly.
The reason Zetsu still had faith in Madara was something he'd learned just a few hours ago from Toneri.
When Hamura passed away on the Moon, some members of the clan had once considered returning to Earth to search for the Sage talismans of Mount Myōboku. According to Hamura's diary, he had actually died once—killed by the Sage of Six Paths.
But the Sage later revived him using Sage talismans he got from the Toad Sages of Mount Myōboku.
Although the Ōtsutsuki clan on the Moon ultimately abandoned that idea, Hamura's willingness to part with his power meant he had accepted the natural cycle of life and death. Still—the part about Mount Myōboku possessing genuine resurrection talismans was absolutely true.
So... Zetsu figured it was worth hoping for.
With that thought, it began tunneling underground.
"…"
Right. First, it needed to find a White Zetsu to possess.
And so Zetsu got to work.
Meanwhile, at the Hyuga compound...
Hiashi had stepped out when Hizashi came looking for him, leaving Kitahara Kaede and Hinata Hyuga alone in the guest room.
Hinata looked a little embarrassed. Originally, Dark Hinata had arranged a date with Kaede, but now she was suddenly told to bring him home instead.
"It's fine," Kaede said. "We can go out tomorrow or the day after."
But since Dark Hinata only came out once a month, it probably wouldn't be her turn again anytime soon.
While they waited for Hiashi to return, Kaede took the little ninja rabbit out of his inner pocket. Although small, it was still cramped in there.
He gently placed the bunny on the table.
Immediately, Kaede noticed Hinata had subconsciously scooted about 30 centimeters away.
"…"
She didn't say anything strange. It was clearly an instinctive reaction.
So… she was still afraid of the ninja rabbit.
Just as Kaede thought that, the bunny suddenly hugged his index finger.
Its body began to glow faintly as it absorbed Kaede's chakra—but soon after, it bit him again.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: The first time it bit Little Kaede, he awakened the Rinnegan.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: That must've been the evolution from Sharingan to Rinnegan.
[Kakashi Hatake]: Second time gave him Wood Release.
[One-Tail - Shukaku]: Then came that spatial ability—Heavenly Imperial Middle!
[Minato Namikaze]: So this time…
[Cowardly - Ōnoki]: So what, being bitten by a tailed beast is… good now?
[Timid Second Tsuchikage - Mū]: Hm?
[Cowardly - Ōnoki]: Sensei, Kaede's ninja bunny is our Five Tails - Kokuō from Iwagakure. No clue why it turned into that form.
[Cowardly - Ōnoki]: But it shares its power with Kaede through biting.
[Cowardly - Ōnoki]: That's the logic behind our conclusion.
[Cowardly - Ōnoki]: It's a shame, though… the Five Tails was ours.
[Senju Tobirama]: And you say that like it's not shameful? The tailed beasts were all captured by Konoha.
...
[Senju Tobirama]: My brother only wanted each village to have equal power to maintain peace.
[Senju Tobirama]: But the moment he died, the ninja world plunged into war.
[Senju Tobirama]: So I ask—do you really deserve to hold onto any tailed beast?
[Senju Tobirama]: Now, it's simply a matter of returning things to where they belong.
[Cowardly - Ōnoki]: Ugh…
Ōnoki was instantly silenced.
Even his teacher Mū looked resigned.
He still feared Uchiha Madara—and if the rumors were true, Kitahara Kaede had even defeated Madara.
Which meant...
Ōnoki's time as Tsuchikage was shaping up to be one of the hardest eras in Iwa history.
Then, everyone saw Kaede suddenly grab the little white bunny and toss it into a ripped-open space.
"Wuh…"
The bunny barely had time to react—it found itself inside a desert.
This was where Kaede had temporarily left One-Tail - Shukaku.
He was originally going to leave Shukaku in Suna, but without a tailed beast contract, he had placed it in the desert first.
As long as there was sand, Shukaku didn't complain.
However…
The fat tanuki yawned—and then found itself face-to-face with the Byakugan-eyed ninja rabbit.
[One-Tail - Shukaku]: Uh…
[Minato Namikaze]: Shukaku? What's wrong?
[One-Tail - Shukaku]: I think I'm going into cardiac arrest, I'm scared to death!
[Nine Tails - Kurama]: ?!?!?
[One-Tail - Shukaku]: Didn't you see!?
[One-Tail - Shukaku]: Kaede just tossed the bunny into Heavenly Imperial Middle space!
[One-Tail - Shukaku]: Wuwuwu…
[One-Tail - Shukaku]: I—I'm still inside it!
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: …
[Senju Tobirama]: Looks like you're still traumatized.
Everyone remembered that time Shukaku got dunked into magma inside that dimension.
And how the ninja bunny transformed into a humanoid and slapped Shukaku into orbit.
He'd been scared ever since.
Now that he saw the bunny again, it was no surprise he was trembling.
[One-Tail - Shukaku]: …
[One-Tail - Shukaku]: …
You guys don't understand...
But Shukaku didn't dare talk back—he just held his breath.
[Minato Namikaze]: But why did Kaede suddenly throw the bunny into Heavenly Imperial Middle?
[Minato Namikaze]: Could it be… to protect it?
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Protect?
[Minato Namikaze]: Look!
As Minato spoke, everyone turned their attention to the group's live feed.
In the livestream, after Kaede threw the bunny into the dimension, he turned to Hinata.
He gently took her left hand—and pulled her up.
---
10% Discount Voucher
FF92E
Active until the 17th.
Please subscribe at patreon.com/dzeref887 and get access to over 500chapters.