In an instant, chakra equal to nearly dozens of Kaede exploded outward.
Even Kaede himself would find it difficult to generate such overwhelming power under normal circumstances. The Kusanagi Sword couldn't possibly contain that much energy, and his body couldn't withstand or control it either.
However,
Otsutsuki Toneri had used the Tenseigan to absorb his chakra. With the Tenseigan serving as a container, and after continuous injection of chakra, it finally reached a critical threshold and detonated with a force several times greater than Kaede's usual limit.
At that moment, the dazzling white light illuminated the entire moon like broad daylight. Even the shinobi world below was completely enveloped in a brilliant white glow.
It was as though Infinite Tsukuyomi had been cast upon the earth.
Countless people instinctively shut their eyes. The light was so intense that even with their eyes closed, they felt stabbing pain in their eyeballs.
"What's happening?!"
"What is this?!"
"That light, are we under attack?!"
Villages like Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure all fell into chaos.
Even Third Tsuchikage Onoki and Fourth Raikage A of Kumogakure assumed battle stances, ready for the worst.
Onoki even had a Dust Release technique already forming in his hand, prepared to strike at a moment's notice.
Other villages were similarly panicked.
Only Konohagakure maintained a semblance of order.
Outside the spatial gateway to the moon, Tsunade, Nohara Rin, Kakashi, and others stood guard. The portal was covered by a powerful barrier.
Kushina Uzumaki was also stationed there, maintaining a high-level sealing formation, a fully powered Eight Trigrams Seal, layered over the barrier, prepared to seal off any threat that might burst through.
"It's blinding..."
"That light… What the hell is going on up there on the moon?!"
Kakashi and the others were forced to shut their eyes as well. But unlike the chaos in other villages, they knew this light had to be connected to Kaede.
Still, at this point, there was nothing they could do. All they could do was follow Kaede's instructions, to maintain the barrier and sealing formation and wait for any further updates from his side.
"Kaede…"
Rin held her position on one corner of the barrier, her face tense with worry.
Everyone here knew how powerful Kaede was, and they all had faith in his strength. But this time, he had gone to the moon to face a legendary clan.
The very fact that Kaede had asked them to maintain the barrier and seals showed that even he wasn't entirely confident of an easy victory. If he were, he wouldn't have been so cautious.
"Please… don't let anything happen…"
Kakashi's heart was heavy with concern.
Konoha could not afford to lose Kaede now.
If anything happened to him, the balance of power would shift drastically. Konoha's dominance would immediately be challenged by the rest of the shinobi world. Another great war could break out at any moment.
=============
It felt like both a moment and an eternity had passed.
The blinding white light that had swallowed the sky finally began to fade, revealing the moon, or rather, what was left of it.
The moon was gone.
All that remained were shattered fragments, floating in the void of space.
The explosion had completely annihilated the moon.
"Cough… cough…"
A ragged coughing sound broke the silence.
Among the debris, the battered figure of Otsutsuki Toneri emerged. His Truth-Seeking Orbs had vanished, and the Six Paths cloak he wore was tattered and shredded. His body was covered in deep, gruesome wounds.
His injuries pulsed and twitched painfully, yet refused to heal.
His chakra was all but depleted, barely detectable.
"Damn it…"
"He really destroyed the moon…"
Gritting his teeth, Toneri struggled to stand.
The entire Otsutsuki clan, the Tenseigan, the moon itself, all gone. Only he remained alive, barely. His chakra was so weak he couldn't even maintain his Byakugan. He had to lean on a broken rock just to stay upright.
"Is my chakra… completely spent?"
Toneri gasped for breath.
If even his immense chakra reserves had been exhausted resisting that explosion, then Kaede couldn't have possibly survived it either.
The thought sparked a glimmer of hope in his dimming eyes. If Kaede had truly perished in the blast, then everything, everything, had been worth it.
Even the sacrifice of his entire clan.
This was all in service of the will of his ancestor, Otsutsuki Hamura!
And he was still alive. He could travel to the shinobi world, father new descendants, and continue the Otsutsuki bloodline. Their legacy would not end with him.
But,
Just as this thought flickered through his mind…
A sword blade pierced through his heart, stabbing clean out his back. The blade shimmered with Sage Chakra, eradicating the last traces of his Six Paths power.
"You really overdid it this time…"
"I didn't expect the Tenseigan to be completely destroyed."
Kaede appeared behind him, looking pale and slightly worn. His eyes scanned the scattered remains of the moon, then he extended his left hand toward Toneri.
Blood trickled from Toneri's lips. He stared down at the sword blade protruding from his chest, then up at the hand reaching for his eye, terror filled his gaze.
"N-No… no…"
"Aaaaaahhhhh!!!"
With a scream of agony,
Kaede plucked the Byakugan from Toneri's skull.
He examined the eye in his palm. As he sensed the power flowing within it, his gaze sharpened.
This was not a normal Byakugan, not like those of the Hyuga Clan.
This was a superior eye, infused with the chakra of Otsutsuki Hamura. It came from a pure-blooded, direct descendant, a different kind of Byakugan.
A true, Otsutsuki-level Byakugan.
If merging Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan with the body of a Sage produced the Rinnegan…
Then what would happen if one combined an Otsutsuki Byakugan with the Sage Body?
Could it become the Tenseigan?
Possibly.
Without further hesitation, Kaede pressed the eye into his own eye socket.
This Otsutsuki's power was abnormal, likely passed down directly from Otsutsuki Hamura himself. And from Toneri's words, it was clear that destroying Kaede was Hamura's will.
That was a serious threat.
If Hamura had his eye on Kaede, then chances were high that the Sage of Six Paths, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, was watching too.
Kaede wasn't particularly afraid of Hamura. At most, Hamura was a stage-two Six Paths-level opponent who specialized in Taijutsu, which Kaede was least vulnerable to.
But the Sage of Six Paths was different.
He was the closest in power to Kaguya Otsutsuki. Even without the Ten Tails or other divine powers, he could still bestow Six Paths abilities upon Naruto and Sasuke, bringing them into god-tier strength.
He could summon all nine Tailed Beasts at will. He could return to his prime at any moment. And worst of all, he wielded soul-based techniques, something Kaede wasn't good at countering.
Permanent illusions, banishment to distant dimensions, any of those could spell serious trouble for Kaede.
Therefore,
He had to step into the Six Paths tier as soon as possible.
As the Hamura-infused Byakugan settled into his eye socket, its hidden ocular power surged into Kaede and began merging with his Sage Body.
==========
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