What appeared before everyone was the colossal stone statue of Hamura Ōtsutsuki—so immense that even calling it gigantic felt inadequate.
This was a basic ocular technique granted to those who awakened the Tenseigan. It was one of the abilities Satsuki received along with the Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion and the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
However, for the longest time, this ability had been quite useless to her.
Against enemies truly worth fighting, the Hamura Statue provided little support; and against those she could crush with ease, she had too many other means at her disposal.
Only after developing the Earthly Wheel Reincarnation Annihilation did she finally discover a way to further utilize the Hamura Statue.
But that did not mean the statue itself was weak.
In the original records, even the Hamura Statue summoned by Toneri Ōtsutsuki's inferior Tenseigan could hold its ground against the Nine-Tails with nothing but pure physical might and its indestructible nature.
The one now summoned by Satsuki's golden Tenseigan, however, was no such defective imitation.
The colossal Hamura Statue's eyes emitted a golden radiance. Its massive hands clapped together—flattening a mountain in its palms.
With just a few strides, it crushed thousands of puppets beneath its feet.
Yet those endless, ant-like puppets felt no fear and continued their suicidal march toward the Lunar Capital.
The sight seemed to enrage the Hamura Statue.
It let out a furious roar, and countless golden patterns appeared across its surface—resembling those of Sage Mode.
The moment they appeared, the once-thin natural energy of the world responded to the call, surging toward the statue from a hundred miles in every direction.
The golden lines covering the Hamura Statue glowed ever brighter as the influx of nature energy intensified.
Then the statue opened its massive mouth.
A beam of violent light erupted from within, blasting straight ahead. The diameter of that beam was nearly equal to that of a tailed beast—and nothing in its path could withstand it.
The earth roared with continuous explosions. The terrain itself was ravaged by an apocalyptic disaster.
The ground split open, trees were uprooted and hurled through the air, and turbulent currents formed wind blades sharp enough to slice through anything. At the convergence of hot and cold air, violent vortexes spiraled wildly.
The devastating laser swept across the land, carrying heat and destructive power beyond comprehension.
Under that overwhelming might, everything along its trajectory—no matter its nature—was instantly vaporized, reduced to the smallest of dust particles and swept away by the raging currents.
"Although it's just a small test, combining Status Infusion with the Hamura Statue's form seems effective after all."
Satsuki calmly observed the giant statue's rampage, evaluating the results of her latest modifications.
—Though unfit for grand battles, it's good enough for clearing out small fry.
That was Satsuki's verdict.
Of course, by her standards, nearly everyone in the shinobi world currently counted as small fry.
As the Hamura Statue unleashed its destructive might upon the puppet army, a familiar chakra signature approached rapidly from below.
Satsuki's Tenseigan instantly recognized it—it was, after all, someone who had been reborn through her own hands.
"Mother… Lady Satsuki!"
Ranzuki's voice was filled with emotion, her demeanor entirely different from when she had last been seen at the Senju Clan's settlement.
She instinctively wanted to approach Satsuki, but upon seeing the other's calm, distant gaze, her expression turned timid.
"Although we've spoken through the Giant Tenseigan, this should be our first meeting in five years."
"…Yes, Lady Satsuki."
Ranzuki's reply was quiet, her hands fidgeting nervously. She didn't know where to place them, nor whether she should maintain or deactivate her Tenseigan Chakra Mode.
"There's no need to be so tense…"
Satsuki could tell how uneasy Ranzuki was. She extended her hand, letting a soft blue light envelop the younger woman's body, restoring her to peak condition.
"Feeling better now?"
"Y-yes… much better. Thank you, Lady Satsuki."
Better, really? Then why did she start stuttering the moment her condition improved?
Satsuki looked at Ranzuki with faint concern. She was, after all, Satsuki's very first Tenseigan Puppet—her most valuable creation.
"The Hamura Statue can handle things here. You and your puppet units should return to the city."
"Yes, my lady."
Upon hearing Satsuki's command, Ranzuki immediately responded, issuing the retreat order through the Giant Tenseigan.
The puppets still lingering along the outskirts dispersed instantly, flying back toward the interior of the Lunar Capital.
Five years had passed since Satsuki last returned to this place.
Now, once again seated upon the familiar throne, she could tell that the hall had been meticulously maintained—the seat itself felt even more comfortable than it had years ago.
Standing below her were Ranzuki and Suzuki Kaguya, both bowing respectfully to their long-absent master.
"It has been a long time, Lady Satsuki," said Suzuki Kaguya.
He had changed considerably over the past five years. His hair had grown longer, covering half his face, and his already reticent nature now seemed even more reserved. He wore a white haori with the single character "Kill" emblazoned across the back—a clear sign of the path he had chosen.
Five years ago, he had only been twenty. Now twenty-five, he stood at the peak of a shinobi's prime.
Already a formidable warrior before, he now wielded the pseudo All-Killing Ash Bones—a power deadly enough to annihilate life with a single touch.
In terms of raw combat strength, Suzuki Kaguya was currently the strongest native shinobi in this world.
Not only had he mastered Satsuki's Eight Gates Technique, but he also possessed a lethal Kekkei Genkai. The only reason the current situation had escalated so far was that the enemy they faced was far too unusual.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for things to reach this point.
"With the Hamura Statue outside, we don't need to worry about the Lunar Capital's safety for now," Satsuki said calmly. "Have you gathered any intelligence on the enemy?"
Ranzuki stepped forward and spoke, "Lady Satsuki, the attack began this afternoon. I immediately used the Giant Tenseigan to observe the surrounding area."
"According to the information gathered, the source of these puppets is a place known as the Land of Demons. However, their specific origin and the identity of the one controlling them remain unknown."
Half a day was hardly enough time to collect substantial intelligence, so the lack of details was expected.
At that moment, Suzuki Kaguya spoke up. "Lady Satsuki, Lady Ranzuki—I have some thoughts about these puppets."
"Oh? Let's hear them," Satsuki said.
"Their nature is indeed similar to that of traditional puppet techniques," Suzuki began. "However, it's impossible for anyone within the shinobi world to control such a vast number of them simultaneously. Moreover, judging from their design and behavior patterns, their style differs entirely from anything native to this world."
Satsuki's eyes narrowed slightly. "So, your conclusion is…?"
"Just as the Ōtsutsuki clan came to Earth from another planet," Suzuki replied gravely, "it is highly likely that the entity behind these puppets did not originate within the shinobi world. In other words—they may be beings from another world."
Another world's existence…
Hearing Suzuki Kaguya's words, Satsuki fell into thought. Although she retained many memories of the Naruto manga, that didn't mean she remembered every single detail.
"What Suzuki said sounds rather unbelievable… but the possibility is indeed very high."
Within Satsuki's faction, most intelligence was gathered through trade and cooperation with the Senju clan, while her connection with the Uchiha—maintained through the Hagoromo alias—was much looser.
In the early stages of her plans, when the influential shinobi of the world had yet to make names for themselves and her own power was still limited, Satsuki had focused on infiltrating through the upper nobility to gradually control external forces from above.
However, after the Tenseigan's mutation within the Sage Puppet Array granted her awakening, she had chosen a far more direct approach.
"Suzuki, I'll leave the detailed investigation of this matter to you," Satsuki ordered. "Will three days be enough?"
Suzuki considered briefly before replying calmly, "As you command."
"Then go."
With a flick of her hand, Suzuki Kaguya's figure vanished instantly.
Turning her gaze toward Ranzuki, Satsuki watched with quiet satisfaction. The Heavenly Wheel Tenseigan Puppet had matured greatly. Compared to the naive girl from five years ago, she was now far more capable and independent.
—Well, most of the time, at least.
Whenever the grand hall was left with only Satsuki, Ranzuki, and a few domestic puppets, for some reason, Ranzuki always grew particularly nervous.
Fortunately, such episodes were rare.
After all, she was Satsuki's first experimental creation—some imperfections were only natural.
To ease Ranzuki's nerves, Satsuki casually brought up a new topic. "These past years, aside from your Tenseigan Chakra Mode, how has your Sage Mode training progressed?"
At the question, Ranzuki froze for a moment, her mind spinning before she stammered, "L-Lady Satsuki, since I never received permission, I haven't been able to practice Sage Mode after the changes to Sage Land…"
Ah… right.
Satsuki suddenly remembered. After she had subdued the Dragon-Headed Sage within the Tenryū Heart Cave, she had reconstructed the entire inner sanctum of the Lunar Capital into a new sage land.
By doing so, she had effectively become the master of that region's natural energy—ensuring no other sages could covet it.
However, the same principle applied in reverse: others could no longer tap into that sage land's nature energy for Sage training without her explicit permission.
In later generations, anyone wishing to train in Sage Mode within a sage land—such as Ryūchi Cave—would need the approval of the White Snake Sage, or of the Great Toad Sage in Mount Myōboku.
By the same logic, anyone seeking to train within Satsuki's domain would require her consent.
The difference was that Satsuki's claim over her sage land was highly unusual—she had gained control indirectly through subjugating the Dragon-Headed Sage, not by discovering and claiming the land herself. Thus, she had little experience in managing such a place.
In other words, she had no idea how to grant Ranzuki access to train within it.
That wasn't her fault; after all, information about the sage lands was extremely scarce throughout the shinobi world.
Still, since the topic had arisen, it naturally reminded Satsuki of Candle Nine Yin's current condition.
Its state was somewhat similar to that of the dragon species—it had entered a prolonged slumber to facilitate rapid growth.
This began after Satsuki's rebirth as the Demon Buddha in the Overlord world. Perhaps due to absorbing an immense amount of energy, Candle Nine Yin had been forced into deep hibernation.
To this day, it had shown no signs of awakening.
Although Satsuki could channel a portion of Candle Nine Yin's power while in the Fate world, that was merely its energy—its consciousness and true body remained dormant.
Thus, at least for now, unless Satsuki herself achieved further advancement in Sage training, she lacked the ability to guide others the way ancient sages—those who had cultivated for centuries—once did.
"Let's change the subject," Satsuki said after a pause. "What level is your strength currently at?"
"Lady Satsuki, according to Mr. Suzuki Kaguya's assessment, my normal strength ranks roughly among the top five in this world," Ranzuki reported respectfully.
"Only top five?" Satsuki sounded mildly surprised. "I have a clear understanding of your power. There shouldn't be anyone in the shinobi world capable of defeating you."
"Lady Satsuki," Ranzuki replied somewhat embarrassedly, "even against Mr. Suzuki, I can't guarantee victory."
She continued, "Over the years, Mr. Suzuki's Shikotsumyaku—his Kekkai Genkai—has evolved to the level of a Kekkei Tōta. If I don't use Truth-Seeking Orbs for defense, I can hardly withstand his attacks. Moreover, after mastering the Eight Gates Technique, his taijutsu has become tremendously stronger. At times, I can't even follow his speed."
Ah, Satsuki understood now.
What Ranzuki meant by "normal" referred to her strength without entering Tenseigan Chakra Mode.
In that state, facing an opponent who could wield a pseudo All-Killing Ash Bones, open the Eight Gates, and master more than two types of chakra nature and form transformations, even Ranzuki could not claim certain victory.
Still, that was already more than sufficient. Satsuki now had a clearer sense of her faction's upper-tier power.
As for herself—there was no question. She had always been the absolute pinnacle.
Ranzuki's strength was equally unquestionable. Having defeated numerous S-class rogue shinobi and even overwhelmed Madara Uchiha with just a clone, her combat prowess needed no further proof.
At the Uchiha compound, Shirakumaru was another promising figure. Once he fully adapted to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the next step toward evolving it into the Rinnegan would follow naturally.
Though the time required for that transition remained uncertain, even with just the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan eyes as a foundation, his power was already sufficient to dominate the shinobi world.
And then there was Suzuki Kaguya—though the full All-Killing Ash Bones remained far beyond reach, his pseudo version had already advanced to the Kekkei Tōta level. Within the current shinobi world, that alone made him nearly invincible.
Even if they ventured into other worlds in the future, as long as the Lunar Capital had these individuals stationed within, Satsuki could rest easy.
However—this also underscored just how extraordinary and perilous this new threat from another world truly was.