Once he left the atmosphere, Ryosuke lost his ability to fly.
The research institute had individual flight devices. As long as they were modified to function in a space environment, Ryosuke could fly all the way to the moon.
Fifty thousand kilometers sounded very far, but on a cosmic scale, it could be called within arm's reach. With no air resistance, Ryosuke's astonishing physique, and a heavily modified individual flight device with the speed pushed to the maximum…
In about four to five hours, Ryosuke could reach the moon.
"There are two problems."
Nakajima Daishi raised his hand. Before being arrested, he had been a core researcher in aerospace projects, so he naturally understood the conditions of space very well.
"First, how long can you survive under the extreme conditions of outer space?"
Part of Ryosuke's ultra-fast regeneration ability came from his constantly evolving body, and another part came from natural energy. Once he left the ninja world, natural energy would gradually thin out until it disappeared completely.
Without ultra-fast regeneration, vacuum, lack of oxygen, extreme cold, cosmic radiation… any one of them could be fatal.
Ryosuke waved his hand.
"That's not a problem."
In the past, he truly couldn't survive long in space, but now, Ryosuke had the projection of the past.
The vast dragon vein power stored within it was enough for Ryosuke to drift in space for several months without any issues.
Nakajima Daishi nodded and continued, "Then that brings us to the second, and most critical problem."
"How are you going to deal with the enemy's interception fire?"
Kaitian No. 2 had been blown apart by a green beam. The camera had captured the beam's range, roughly five to seven thousand kilometers.
Ryosuke understood what Nakashima meant, and even more clearly grasped the core of the issue.
In space, vision was an extremely weak means of detection. Compared to the moon, Kaitian No. 2 was like a sesame-sized black dot. Against the pitch-black background of space, it was completely invisible.
And yet, it was still precisely shot down by Toneri in midair.
Rather than saying Toneri had good eyesight, Ryosuke was more inclined to believe that there were detection devices on the moon left behind by the Otsutsuki ancestors.
"Once you enter the enemy's firing range… Ryosuke, I believe in your physique and strength, you won't be killed. But as long as your flight device gets blown up…"
Nakajima Daishi pulled out a strand of hair and gently blew on it.
"You'll drift through space just like this strand of hair, until you die. And if even you die..."
He looked out the window.
Outside, a fine drizzle was falling, but not a single drop landed on anyone. All the rain drifted toward the coastline, forming a barrier that blocked the surging waves nearly twenty meters high.
At the same time, every kilometer or so, a pale golden crystal hovered in the high sky, radiating warmth and easing the cold caused by the falling temperature.
The weather forecast could shelter a hundred and fifty kilometers.
With the help of the Dragon Core effect, Ryosuke's ripple energy could radiate about two hundred kilometers.
That meant that no matter how the world collapsed or changed, within those two hundred kilometers was an absolute sanctuary.
"If even you die, humanity will lose its final shelter and its last hope."
"Wait."
Samui, who had been quietly listening nearby, felt something was off. "If the moon has a defense mechanism, doesn't that mean that even if Kaitian No. 3 is completed, it still won't be able to reach the moon to stop Toneri?"
Nakajima Daishi nodded heavily.
"With the current intelligence… yes."
Samui took off her glasses and casually placed them on her head like a hair clip. She rubbed her face hard with both hands, feeling utterly exhausted.
This won't work, that won't work.
"I'll go with Brother Ryosuke."
Sasuke's voice echoed through the conference room.
"I can treat the flight device as a 'sword' and cover it with ninjutsu nullification. That way, the moon's defense mechanism won't detect us. The only problem is…"
Sasuke didn't have the ability to move through space.
Short-term combat was possible by covering the body with chakra, but for long-distance flight, they could only wait for the rocket to be completed.
And the rocket still needed nine more days…
Sasuke's expression dimmed.
If only he were a little stronger.
Suddenly, a hand landed on Sasuke's shoulder.
Ryosuke patted him and smiled. "It's fine. You stay and protect everyone. As for the final seven thousand kilometers of the defense network, I'll find a way..."
Crash!
The conference room doors were suddenly flung open.
"Stop forcing yourself, Ryosuke."
"Even though I curse you to die every day, you still can't die, especially not right now."
The voice was hoarse, deep, and extremely familiar.
A tall, burly figure walked in.
It was someone Ryosuke knew well, Jiraiya.
But the one who had spoken wasn't him. It was the one coiled in his palm, wearing a cowboy hat and biting on a cigar,
The White Snake Sage.
"Number Eighteen," it said. "I'm Clone No. 18. Among those still alive, it's probably just me and No. 1, who's mixed in with a bunch of idiots."
As it spoke, it pushed down its sunglasses with its tail, cold vertical pupils glaring over.
"I still have another method. Want to hear it?"
Ryosuke looked at White Snake Sage No. 18, then at Jiraiya, completely unable to understand how these two had ended up together.
Before he could speak, Tsunade, who had just ended the meeting not long ago, also walked in.
Seeing Ryosuke's confusion, Tsunade explained, "No. 18 approached the Great Toad Sage and the Slug Sage with a proposal. After hearing it… we found it highly feasible, so we transmitted it over immediately."
Ryosuke and Sasuke exchanged a glance.
They had just been racking their brains, and now a turning point had come so quickly.
Ryosuke took a deep breath. "Please, go ahead."
"You've seen Jiraiya enter Sage Mode, right?"
White Snake Sage No. 18 jerked its chin toward Jiraiya, chewing on the cigar and exhaling a puff of smoke.
"He hasn't trained enough, so every time he enters Sage Mode, he has to carry Fukasaku and Shima on his shoulders like accessories. My plan is..."
It pointed its tail at itself.
"I, the Great Toad Sage, and the Slug Sage, three of us, will all become your 'accessories' and help you enter Sage Mode."
"At that time, you'll simultaneously possess three abilities, danger premonition, earth manipulation, and infinite energy."
"Your power will radiate across the entire ninja world, without a single blind spot."
This was White Snake Sage No. 18's plan, Ryosuke would sit at the center of the ninja world, sheltering all, buying time. The others would seize the opportunity to complete the migration and reach safe zones.
After that, all that remained was to wait for the research institute to manufacture stronger, longer-range interstellar weapons, or interstellar warships with faster speed and defensive capabilities.
Humanity would no longer face large-scale extinction.
No. 18 blew out a smoke ring and grinned.
"Of course, it's not without a price. If this goes on long enough, you'll become the firewood that ignites the world. One day, you'll burn out completely."
"Burn out?"
Ryosuke shook his head slightly and raised his fist.
On the other side, Sasuke lightly bumped fists with him and said, "I'll go to the moon."
White Snake Sage No. 18 snorted. "You fight Toneri? You can't win."
It admitted that Sasuke's ninjutsu nullification was a very good ability, but Toneri's Tenseigan was power on an entirely different level.
In the current ninja world, only Ryosuke could deal with him.
"Who said I'm going to fight Toneri?"
Sasuke pointed at the moon. "I'm going to open the door."
As long as the teleportation channel was reactivated, fifty thousand kilometers of space travel and seven thousand kilometers of defense network wouldn't be problems at all.
At this point, a pieced-together plan took shape.
With the help of the three sages, Ryosuke would enter Super Sage Mode, sheltering the entire ninja world and buying time for the completion of Kaitian No. 3.
When Kaitian No. 3 was finished, it would be the ninth day. If Ryosuke left the ninja world then, the earthquakes, tsunamis, and cold winter that had been suppressed would erupt all at once.
So, a "Door-Opening Squad" led by Sasuke would be formed. Under the protection of ninjutsu nullification, they would bypass the moon's detection network and land on the moon.
Without alerting Toneri, the Door-Opening Squad would activate the teleportation formation. Ryosuke, waiting before the formation, would cross it and descend directly onto the moon.
And then… Reunite Toneri with his father.
With the plan finalized, everyone once again used the Heavenly Transfer Technique and arrived at the moon teleportation pond Kakashi had found earlier.
Tsunade and Jiraiya slapped their hands onto the ground at the same time.
"Summoning Technique!"
The true body of the Great Toad Sage.
The true body of the Slug Sage.
After several hundred years, they descended upon the ninja world once more.
Ryosuke sat cross-legged and nodded to the three sages.
"I'm counting on you."
The Slug Sage smiled gently. "Let's do our best together, Ryosuke."
The Great Toad Sage took a sip of strong tea. "I hope we can tear through this absolute darkness."
White Snake Sage No. 18 saw that the two of them had both said something polite. It opened its mouth but didn't know what to say.
Suddenly, Ryosuke asked it, "Why did you show up?"
"You should know that from our respective positions, once this is over, I can't let you leave. This plan even harms me. Aren't you afraid I'll refuse and kill you instead?"
By comparison, White Snake Sage No. 1 was much more "clever."
No. 18 sneered.
"Some people don't care about this world. I do. And I know you do too."
Because of everything Ryosuke had done in the past, everyone knew his stance. That was why Nakajima Daishi, White Snake Sage, and the ninjas and civilians spread across the land were all willing to trust Ryosuke.
Those who follow the Way receive much help, this was exactly that.
White Snake Sage No. 18 spat, ground the cigar into the dirt, and said, "Stop dragging it out."
It stepped forward and bit down on Ryosuke's arm, transmitting its unique chakra.
Next, the Great Toad Sage placed a hand on his shoulder.
The Slug Sage pressed its body against his arm.
Three completely different Sage Mode powers flowed in. Snake scales, toad skin, and slug mucus appeared on Ryosuke's body.
In the blink of an eye, the three transformations vanished, becoming faint patterns that flowed through his body like swimming dragons.
This was a sight that had never appeared since the founding of the ninja world.
Three sages who walked through the past, present, and future, jointly assisting a single human.
Not even the Sage of Six Paths a thousand years ago had enjoyed such treatment.
The next moment... A complex barrier spread outward with Ryosuke at its center.
Hundreds of kilometers, thousands of kilometers, tens of thousands of kilometers…
Continents, oceans, hills, snowfields…
Until… The end of the world.
Ryosuke slowly opened his eyes. His black-and-white pupils shimmered with vast streams of information, as if the entire universe lay within them, or as if he were gazing down upon the world from a higher dimension.
He raised his hand and lightly tapped the void.
Like pressing a switch.
And then… Day broke.