"It's the chakra of the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother!"
Kurama bristled like a furious cat, every hair standing on end. From within Kaede's body, he sensed the direction in which the chakra of that Otsutsuki clan member was departing.
Kaede wasn't surprised by Kurama's reaction, he had already guessed the figure's identity. After a brief pause, he activated his teleportation and gave chase.
Even if that person hadn't shown up, Kaede would have had to make a trip to the moon eventually. Now that the intruder had appeared on his own, peering into Konoha with chakra full of hostility, it was clear this was no friendly visit.
If his guess was right,
Their target was likely the Hyuga Clan, aiming to steal their Byakugan and gain the power of the Tenseigan!
Why the Otsutsuki would target the Hyuga at this point in time was unclear to Kaede, but he did recall that in this part of the story, the branch of the Otsutsuki on the moon had been monitoring the shinobi world closely. Perhaps his presence had triggered some unforeseen changes.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kaede didn't have to pursue far.
He soon came to a halt near a mountain range not far from Konoha. Landing beside a tranquil pool, he narrowed his eyes as he observed the shimmering light dancing across its surface.
"A barrier…" Kurama's voice echoed in Kaede's mind.
That Otsutsuki ninja had vanished here.
"I know," Kaede replied in a low voice, staring at the pool.
If he was right, the other side of this pool was connected to the moon. This was a space-time passage created by a massive Tenseigan.
Though he wasn't afraid of the Otsutsuki's power, Kaede didn't immediately give chase. After a moment of thought, his figure blurred and vanished, he headed back toward Konoha.
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On the roof of the Hokage building.
Tsunade had rushed up after him.
At first, she thought Kaede had used an excuse to slip away to avoid lending her money. But when she noticed that Kurama's presence outside the village had vanished too, she realized something was wrong.
"Kaede, what's going on?"
"A troublesome enemy has set their sights on Konoha," Kaede answered, landing in front of her.
After a brief explanation, he returned to the Hokage's office and issued a series of commands, deep in thought.
=============
Meanwhile, on the surface of the moon.
"So… he didn't follow."
A man emanating a powerful chakra stood by the shimmering portal, gazing back at it. After a moment of stillness, he spoke with a solemn tone.
This was Otsutsuki Toneri.
About a month ago, he had dreamed of his ancestor, Otsutsuki Hamura. In the dream, Hamura entrusted him with a mission, and bestowed his chakra upon him.
Toneri hadn't awakened the Tenseigan himself.
But with Hamura's chakra, his Byakugan had evolved far beyond the ordinary. It now held suppressive power, similar to the legendary Kaguya's eyes.
And his chakra had undergone a complete transformation, he had entered the Sage of Six Paths Mode!
With this newfound strength, he had swiftly overpowered the main family of the Otsutsuki clan, taken control of the entire moon branch, and forced everyone to offer up their Byakugan. Using them, he constructed the massive Tenseigan capable of opening a portal to the ninja world.
Hamura's mission for him was,
To find the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki and permanently seal him on the moon!
Staring into the mirrored portal, Toneri paused in thought. Ultimately, he chose not to cross back. Instead, his figure flickered and reappeared within a vast palace.
Inside, several figures sat quietly. Their eye sockets were empty, void of eyeballs. Sensing Toneri's chakra, they all turned to look at him.
"Toneri... did you find that ninja?"
"I did," Toneri replied calmly. "He's already aware of my presence, but he's cautious, he didn't follow me here."
One of the figures spoke grimly, "You've inherited the ancestor's power. Are you still afraid of a mere ninja? With your strength, you should be able to capture him with ease."
"No."
Toneri shook his head. "It's not that simple. That human has mastered the Nine-Tails' chakra and Sage Mode. If we fight in his territory, it would put me at a disadvantage. Only if I draw him here, to the moon, will I have the upper hand, using both my power and the Tenseigan."
After a brief silence, another elder spoke. "Then why not claim a pure Byakugan from the Hyuga Clan? That should allow you to gain the Tenseigan's full power as well."
"Indeed."
Toneri nodded. "I've been considering that too. But the Nine-Tails has an exceptional sensory ability, he already noticed me once. It won't be easy to sneak in again. I'll have to wait for the right opportunity."
With that, he left the hall and entered a chamber deeper within.
Soon, he arrived in a nursery.
Inside was a crib, and lying there was a baby, barely a year or two old.
"Toneri…"
Toneri's gaze softened as he looked at the infant and smiled gently. "Once this is over, we'll no longer be the branch family. You'll become the next heir of the Otsutsuki main family."
The baby Otsutsuki Toneri looked up at his father with wide, innocent eyes.
But just then,
Boom!!!
A tremendous chakra eruption shook the ground outside. A streak of golden light tore through the palace walls, hurtling straight toward Toneri!
His expression shifted. He shoved the crib aside and raised his hand. A pitch-black Six Paths staff materialized in his grasp, and he brought it up to block the incoming strike.
Clang!
The golden light didn't disperse.
It was infused with Sage chakra, a diluted yet similar form of the Six Paths power. Though weaker than Truth-Seeking Orbs and Six Paths weapons, it was of the same origin.
"He came after all…"
Toneri gave a cold snort, gritting his teeth. With a forceful swing, he shattered the golden slash.
His Byakugan flared wide open, and in that instant, he took in the entire lunar landscape.
Rumble!!
The palace split down the middle, collapsing in a violent quake.
Floating in the air outside was Kaede, clad in golden sage armor formed from a fusion of Kurama's chakra and Sage chakra, the Kusanagi sword in hand, his aura blazing.
"So this really is Six Paths-level power…"
Kaede narrowed his eyes at Toneri. "Looks like my senses weren't wrong after all."
He didn't recognize Toneri, but he could tell from his eyes, they were not Tenseigan, but Byakugan, albeit more powerful than normal.
That chakra, without a doubt, belonged to Otsutsuki Hamura!
Just like how Naruto and Sasuke had once inherited the Yin-Yang powers of the Sage of Six Paths, this man had inherited the chakra of Hamura himself.
In other words, the man standing before Kaede possessed a power close to that of the Sage of Six Paths' brother, Otsutsuki Hamura!
==========
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