Makoto was aware that Momoshiki could stop time.
It's just that Momoshiki's timing for using this time-stop ability was always peculiar.
He simply never used it during combat.
Logically speaking, a bug-level ability like Time Stop should turn the tide of any battle instantly.
If we look at JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Jotaro has range issues—Star Platinum is a close-range punch stand. If the enemy is sniping him from a roof, Time Stop doesn't help much if he can't reach them in 5 seconds.
Momoshiki was different.
His movement speed was so fast that even stopping time for just two or three seconds would be enough for him to reach Naruto or Sasuke and punch through their chests.
Moreover, since Naruto and Sasuke know that Ninjutsu is useless against Otsutsuki, they mostly engaged in close combat, making distance even less of an issue.
Yet Momoshiki strangely never used it.
It wasn't until he lost the Rasengan clash and was disintegrated that he triggered a Time Stop "Life Flashback" cutscene to chat with Boruto.
From this, it could be speculated that there were three possible reasons why Momoshiki didn't use time stop in combat.
First, Momoshiki's time stop was a semi-passive skill, similar to Bites the Dust, that could only be used in moments of life-and-death despair.
Second possibility: Momoshiki's time stop was like Makoto's King Crimson, unable to interfere with the battle outcome during combat, or interference would cause spacetime disturbances that would affect himself, hence why he didn't use it in battle.
Third possibility: Using time stop required Momoshiki to pay a significant price, so he wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary.
The last possibility actually includes the second possibility as well.
This price could be, for example, consuming massive amounts of Chakra, rendering all the pills he had previously taken effectively wasted.
Or it could require consuming the "lifespan" most valued by the Otsutsuki Clan.
If that were the case, then it would make sense that Momoshiki wouldn't use time stop until truly facing life-or-death situation.
The biggest problem with being killed by the Rasengan was that he didn't leave behind a Karma, preventing his resurrection.
So using time stop to leave a Karma inside Boruto would suffice.
Later, when Boruto awakened during the time-stop while fighting Code, it was also because Code intended to sacrifice both him and Boruto to the God Tree.
Boruto was no match for him, so he had no choice but to appear.
Now, regarding Momoshiki using time-stop, regardless of which scenario it is, it can be understood.
For Momoshiki, facing the imminent disappearance from this timeline alongside Boruto, it is indeed a critical moment of life and death, and he cannot afford to hold back.
"It seems to be a similar type of ability to mine," Makoto remarked calmly, looking at Momoshiki floating mid-air.
"Similar type? You inferior being, how dare you compare yourself to me? What nonsense are you spouting..." Momoshiki pressed his hand against Urashiki, and Urashiki's body twisted violently.
Just like Kinshiki before, he was refined into a fruit.
In the next moment, without Momoshiki making any move to eat the fruit, it vanished from his hand, and black patterns resembling Urashiki's crane form emerged on Boruto's body.
Well, Momoshiki is indeed smarter than Urashiki.
He directly activated time-stop to consume the fruit, preventing Sasuke from secretly replacing it with animal shit using Amenotejikara.
However, Makoto was still puzzled.
Using Epitaph to observe future scenes, he found no signs of Momoshiki utilizing time-stop to launch an attack within a certain period.
Was Momoshiki unwilling to do so?
"Do not attack recklessly. Ninjutsu are ineffective against him; only taijutsu and Sage Arts work—Naruto, step back. Your Chakra must not be absorbed by him," Sasuke stopped Naruto, shielding him behind.
"Sage Arts, huh?"
"In other words, it's time for the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku to make his appearance," Jiraiya clasped his hands together, beginning to gather natural energy and summon the two Toad Sages.
Thus, the master and disciple, Jiraiya and Naruto, distanced themselves from the battlefield.
One hiding, the other charging up.
Sasuke spewed flames toward Momoshiki in the air.
Momoshiki sidestepped slightly, effortlessly evading the attack.
"Such a low-level Ninjutsu isn't even worth absorbing," Momoshiki scoffed, glancing back disdainfully.
Sasuke watched the gradually thickening dark clouds in the sky, his heart growing heavy.
The fact that Momoshiki could appear now and utter words like "not worth absorbing" indicated one thing: Boruto had fully cooperate with Momoshiki.
Otherwise, given Boruto's current state, Momoshiki would never be able to take over his body and consciousness while Boruto was awake and his Chakra was abundant.
He never expected that in his lifetime, he would use Kirin once again, he use it once against his brother, once against Naruto, and now against Naruto's son.
He respected Boruto's will and intentions; he understood Boruto's desire to save the future at any cost, to protect his sister, family, and friends.
But Uchiha Sasuke had his own will and convictions!
He, too, would stop at nothing to protect the present.
In that case, only fists could settle the matter.
"Kirin!"
A flash of lightning surged from the sky.
The Thunder Release: Kirin, infused with vast natural energy, tore through the air toward Momoshiki.
Apart from a small amount of Chakra used to guide it, the rest of Kirin's power came from nature itself, making it impossible for Momoshiki to absorb.
After executing this move, Sasuke was left panting heavily.
The Chakra Makoto had transmitted to him was nearly depleted after several attacks.
Sasuke was also quite vexed—he only ever thought to use Kirin when his Chakra was nearly depleted.
After all these years, he still hadn't bothered to develop new "natural Ninjutsu" to counter the Otsutsuki.
"Leave the rest to me."
Makoto suddenly appeared in front of Sasuke, catching one of the black rods that had been shot toward them.
A single Kirin was indeed insufficient to deal with Momoshiki.
Even in the original storyline, when Urashiki transformed after consuming his own Rinnegan, the Kirin and Jiraiya's Rasengan were merely meant to disrupt, allowing Naruto and Boruto to win the energy clash.
Sure enough, a figure emerged from the lightning, hurling black rods at Sasuke.
These rods weren't advanced Truth-Seeking Balls but a lower-tier variant—Chakra rods.
Even Pain could produce them.
"Are you sure you're alright? Right now…" Sasuke frowned deeply.
Being this close, and having just manipulated natural lightning, Sasuke sensed that the natural energy within Makoto was nearly exhausted—a stark contrast to the immense, abundant presence he'd felt during their first meeting.
Though unclear about what had happened to Makoto, the current situation was undoubtedly dangerous.
"Leave it to you? Lower life form, are you so eager to die?"
"Altering the past... attempting to destroy the glorious future of the Otsutsuki Clan... don't get too arrogant!"
"And you call that power? Natural energy? With those pitiful remnants in your body?"
Whether Momoshiki had been influenced by Urashiki's tendencies to monologue after absorbing him or not, he began taunting Makoto.
But Momoshiki's hands didn't idle.
A dark purple Chakra surged from his palm, morphing into the phantom of a giant oarfish.