As he closed within two hundred meters of Hamura's shrine—before he could even enter—a swarm of Ōtsutsuki puppets burst out...
These Ōtsutsuki puppets had clear roles: some fired yellow chakra bolts for cover, while others spread out to charge.
Shinra Tensei!
A powerful repulsive force erupted from Kageyama Kogetsu. The ground rippled like water; the pressure wall both blocked the exploding bolts and blasted every charging puppet away...
"Troublesome—these puppets are going to be my property later."
"Go. Find Ōtsutsuki Toneri with me."
Kogetsu first flicked an already-prepared Shōten clone out of Daikokuten, then took a single step and, through a space–time vortex, arrived directly at the shrine's center.
Ōtsutsuki puppets weren't weak. In straight-on combat they could trade for a while with a Hyūga chūnin; their mechanisms were clever, and the long-range light blasts packed a punch.
In terms of combat value, they were stronger than a regular White Zetsu.
Four Violet Flames Formation!
Kogetsu formed seals and slammed his palm to the floor. A purple-black cubic barrier sealed off the shrine's central zone, keeping the puppets out.
For safety, he also released another Shōten clone from Daikokuten to stand guard. Seal formations are rigid; a flexible hand was still needed.
He didn't use shadow clones—to conserve chakra.
He didn't know exactly how strong this giant golden Tenseigan was, so he had to be cautious.
If he tripped in the gutter here, it'd be the joke of the century.
Once his precautions were set, Kogetsu waved a hand. A chair and a table laden with food clacked onto the floor.
He ate as he restored his chakra...
Two hours later, fully recovered, he put away the chair and table and flashed to the giant golden orb—amber-like, gem-bright—before him.
"Ugh... so much to study and cultivate. If I hadn't jumped the gun, and already finished nailing down Isshiki's Alchemical Art, I wouldn't have to take risks."
"Forget it. I've left insurance. The risk is limited."
Clearing his mind, Kogetsu pressed his hand to the surface of the giant Tenseigan.
Lacking Hamura's bloodline, and Hamura's chakra, the orb immediately began siphoning his chakra...
"Hmph. You're not a true Tenseigan. Let's see who drains who..."
Sealing Art: Absorption Seal!
Kogetsu activated the Rinnegan's power and counter-absorbed the chakra within the orb—starting at full output.
Sensing danger as its chakra was drawn out, the Tenseigan also went to full power.
For a short while, they were evenly matched...
Sealing Formation: Suppression Seal!
The Shōten clone laid a seal. Black formulae crept over a section of the orb, tipping the balance.
The Suppression Seal binds chakra—basic sealing arts. Its upper forms are the Fire-Sealing Seal, the Water-Sealing Seal, and the like.
With one rising and the other falling, the orb slipped behind...
Sensing its fate, the giant Tenseigan's chakra turned violent. The sphere trembled, the shrine's core quaking with it.
"Don't tell me this thing's going to blow itself up?"
At that thought, Kogetsu pinged the Shōten clone.
He couldn't spare a hand—his main body was locked full-force with the Tenseigan.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Binding Seal!
Suppression Seal!
The Shōten clone split into seven shadow clones. Eight bodies split into two groups and layered different seals.
Black formulae covered most of the orb. The berserk chakra smoothed; the tremors died down.
As time passed, the golden orb's glow dimmed until it dulled to lifeless gray.
Kogetsu lifted his palm. The giant Tenseigan crumbled to ash and drifted to the floor.
"Its chakra looked pure, but there were still impurities."
"This obsession with destroying Earth is annoying. I'll grind your will down to nothing."
Frowning, Kogetsu sat cross-legged and ran the merging method from Isshiki's Alchemical Art, refining away the ideological dregs in the chakra...
Those dregs were nasty. Even the Rinnegan's Absorption Seal couldn't perfectly strip them out.
Leave them alone and they'll erupt one day—like heart-demons in a xianxia tale.
Half a day later, the impurities were gone. The powerful, pure, vast chakra flowed perfectly back into him.
Kogetsu guided that chakra toward his right eye to strengthen the Black Eye—when suddenly it slipped out of his control...
The whole stream split three ways—two-thirds surged into the Byakugan; of the rest, part poured into the Black Eye, and part coursed through his body, tempering his flesh.
Boom—an immense surge of chakra exploded from him. The gale sliced like blades, whipping out in all directions...
The seven shadow clones of the Shōten clone popped in white smoke, which vanished in a blink.
The Shōten clone itself was blown back, slamming toward the barrier.
Thankfully, it reacted in time—Shinra Tensei flared to shield it before impact, sparing it from being burned to death.
"Whew... gave me a scare. Just being cheeky—not rebelling."
Exhaling, Kogetsu pointed a finger. Water gathered into a mirror in the air.
In the mirror, his Black Eye still held six black triangles—already close to its next metamorphosis.
The Byakugan in his left socket had changed dramatically—blue-white now. The outer ring was sky blue; the inner white lines opened like a blossom; the very center was a blue dot.
"Heh. I'd meant to boost the Black Eye's power first, maybe push it past Isshiki's level..."
"Didn't expect a twist like this—to awaken the Tenseigan. Loss or gain?"
"Hard to judge right or wrong. Either way, I didn't lose."
He dispelled the mirror, recalled the still-useful Shōten clone, and started toward the exit.
Skrip—
A long, fair hand ignored the flames, gripped the barrier wall, and gave a casual rip.
A huge gash tore open; the Four Violet Flames Formation collapsed out of balance.
Seeing an intruder, the ring of Ōtsutsuki puppets outside moved to attack...
Kogetsu's left eye flashed. Every puppet froze mid-motion—then dropped to one knee in perfect unison, a pleasing sight.
Meanwhile, the puppet commander who'd been desperately guarding Ōtsutsuki Toneri—and the other puppets with it—betrayed him in the same instant and seized him outright.
Toneri was stunned. He tried to reassert control—useless.
Moments later, the Shōten clone arrived with the crowd, went to one knee, and raised Toneri up in both hands.
A mind's eye bloomed on Toneri's forehead as he glared at the man lounging in a chair, sipping red wine—his hatred outweighed his fear.
"You evil-by-nature earthling, I will not—" The Shōten clone pinched his throat at once.
Kogetsu shook his head with a smile. "Honestly—like father, like son..."
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