Destroying the moon wasn't actually difficult. Everyone gathered in the Mizukage's office at that moment was more than capable of doing it.
With the right specialized instruments or weapons, it would be even easier—because destruction had always been the simplest of tasks. All it required was amassing energy and unleashing it. With the power Kirigakure commanded at this stage, forget the moon—even the entire shinobi world could be annihilated with relative ease.
The real challenge was doing it without being detected by Ōtsutsuki Toneri and Uchiha Obito!
"This operation must be carried out at lightning speed. Everything must be finished before they realize what's happening."
Yuki Kiri spoke coldly. "To balance speed and secrecy, we cannot bring too many people. But at the same time, we must guarantee the moon's destruction—so the firepower has to be sufficient."
Her gaze swept across the room, finally settling on Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Hikari.
In his Bankai state, Minato no longer needed Flying Thunder God marks to perform spatial transfer. With Yin and Yang Kurama now fully united inside him, he had more than enough energy to anchor the mission.
As for Uchiha Hikari, his technique "Eight Thousand Spears" could channel a sea of spiritual power, massively amplifying himself or a target's energy—ensuring a true one-shot kill against the moon.
Truthfully, the best candidate would have been the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu. In his Bankai, Gengetsu wielded the power of Infinite Steaming Danger Tyranny. Once unleashed, even the moon would be reduced to nothing but smoke under endless detonations.
But unfortunately… after the Konoha mission, both Gengetsu and Hyūga Hinata had gone missing. They were most likely already dead.
With that in mind, Yuki Kiri didn't hesitate any longer. She gave the order in a steady voice:
"This mission will be executed by Minato and Hikari. Hikari, you are authorized to use Eight Thousand Spears and draw upon all spiritual power within range. Remember—this mission must succeed. Failure is not an option."
"Understood!"
Minato's expression was grave, and Hikari's was ice-cold as they accepted the command.
"Captain Orochimaru."
Kiri turned toward Orochimaru. "How is Plan No. 3 progressing?"
"Not bad," Orochimaru answered with his usual sly smile. "Since the base for Plan No. 3 is in Hueco Mundo, it wasn't affected by the last battle. But their stability is still lacking. If they enter the war now, there's a significant chance they'll go berserk."
"There's no choice. Bring them in. Once the Moon Destruction plan begins, Obito will inevitably wage full-scale war on Kirigakure. We'll need to mobilize every force available."
"As you command."
"Miroku."
Kiri's eyes softened slightly as she turned to him.
"You are the village's first line of defense. I need you to constantly monitor the area outside. The moment you detect anything unusual, you must stop it and report it immediately."
"During this period, Kimimaro will cooperate with you. Together, you will form our strongest—and most unbreakable—defense line."
"Don't worry." Miroku pledged firmly. "As long as I live, the village will stand."
Yuki Kiri's gaze swept over everyone one last time. Her voice carried weight:
"This operation and its outcome will determine not just Kirigakure's future, but the future of the entire shinobi world. Even though we still have Yoru-sama, until he emerges, it falls to us to bear this banner."
"So hear me—this battle must be won. Defeat is not an option!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The crowd dispersed after receiving their orders, leaving only Yuki Kiri, Uzumaki Hiromi, and Terumī Mei in the Mizukage's office.
The three women exchanged glances. Both Mei and Kiri's eyes turned toward Hiromi. With a faint sigh, Hiromi nodded.
"It's a bit rushed, but with the power Yoru-sama left behind, it should be fine."
"Then what are we waiting for!"
Hearing this, Mei's eyes lit up. Her earlier tension vanished in an instant, replaced by barely contained eagerness.
"If it'll work, let's begin at once!"
"…Alright. Follow me."
Hiromi exhaled softly, then placed her hands on Kiri and Mei's shoulders. In the blink of an eye, the three women vanished from the office.
When they reappeared, what met their eyes was a massive underground laboratory, packed wall-to-wall with instruments and machinery.
The laboratory was crowded with instruments, shelves lined with jars and bottles. Inside several massive containers, twisted humanoid figures floated in suspension.
When Hiromi and the others appeared, some of those figures even opened their eyes, staring directly at the three of them with a chilling, eerie presence.
The women, however, paid no attention and headed straight toward the depths of the lab.
"So you've come."
As if she had anticipated their arrival, Fuyuna Yukiko put down the instrument in her hand and looked up. "Follow me."
Yukiko led them deeper inside. With a sequence of special hand seals, she unlocked a barrier, revealing a hidden chamber.
The room was empty except for a single specially-made vessel. Inside it rested several pitch-black crystals.
"These are the spirit crystals Yoru-sama left us. But with Hiromi's help, I've specially modified them. Each one now contains Shinigami and Hollow power, and even a measure of natural energy."
She lifted one of the dark crystals as she explained.
It was clear and glasslike, with liquid energy flowing within. Though black in color, it shimmered with prismatic hues. Upon closer inspection, countless tiny eyes seemed to ripple inside the liquid, locking stares with whoever looked at it.
"I can't believe it… The powers of Quincy, Shinigami, and Hollow actually stabilized together…"
Terumī Mei was momentarily stunned as she gazed at the surreal crystal.
For context—Kirigakure had long been researching power fusion, breaking down the barriers between Hollow and Shinigami. But in truth, only Uchiha Shisui had ever truly achieved a stable form.
The others, though they possessed immense Hollow and Shinigami power, were dangerously unstable—currently all under Orochimaru's supervision.
And yet here Yukiko presented something far more advanced: a crystal not only fusing Hollow and Shinigami powers, but also Quincy energy and natural energy. Absorbing it would grant all those powers at once.
It was like living in the Stone Age and suddenly finding a Gatling gun—utterly outrageous!
"In the end, it all comes down to Yoru-sama's spirit crystals." Yukiko said softly. "His energy is the origin of all spirit power. Using it as the core allows us to fuse these forces together."
"That said, the burden of wielding such power is enormous. Even though these crystals are customized to match our souls, that doesn't mean we can easily control them."
"Ah, I get it." Mei waved her hand dismissively. "We're already taking a shortcut to gain power. If we don't endure some suffering along the way, I wouldn't feel comfortable using it anyway."
"So, how do we use it?"
"Just channel your spiritual power into it and absorb it." Hiromi explained. She summoned her power and quickly identified the crystal meant for her. Taking it in hand, she pressed her energy into it.
The crystal instantly dissolved into a streak of inky light, sinking into her body.
In that moment, Hiromi's body hunched involuntarily. A muffled cry of pain tore from her throat, her brows knitted tightly, and her face twisted with strain.
"It's that intense?"
Mei was stunned by the sight. For Hiromi—of all people—to be reduced to such a state, the pain of absorbing this power must be unimaginable.
Heart stirring, Mei activated her own energy.
With a dull thud, her body convulsed and collapsed to the ground, her face slack with shock and pain.
"S-So painful!"
Terumī Mei felt as if a blazing fire was burning inside her body, yet at the same time, she was unbearably cold.
If it were just alternating heat and chill, she could have endured it. The real torment was that beyond the sensation of fire and ice, her very soul felt like it was being kneaded and hammered by some overwhelming force—as though she were being reforged on an anvil.
The unspeakable agony surged from within. Her eyes flooded with bloodshot veins, and a guttural growl of pain escaped her lips, heavily suppressed yet trembling with suffering.
The scene was so harrowing that Yuki Kiri's eye twitched slightly, but she didn't hesitate. After exchanging a look with Yukiko, the two of them each picked up their own spirit crystal and absorbed it.
Soon, muffled cries—stifled, strained, and almost suggestive—echoed one after another in the sealed chamber. If anyone had been watching, they would have been utterly shocked.
Waves of pitch-black spiritual power cocooned the four women like layers of silk, wrapping them completely. The intensity of that energy was terrifying—each cocoon held enough spiritual power to rival the Bankai of a Shinigami captain.
Perhaps even surpass it.
...
Konoha Village.
Memorial Stone.
Obito Uchiha, now the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, had not gone directly to Kirigakure. Instead, he came to Konoha, returning after so many years to stand before the Memorial Stone.
Gazing at the grave marker, the man who now styled himself the second Sage of Six Paths slowly lowered himself to one knee. He placed a bouquet of fresh flowers at the stone's base and began to clear the weeds around it with practiced movements.
"Rin, just wait a little longer. I'm almost there—just a little longer!"
"This pitiful world will soon vanish completely. The perfect world is about to be born!"
"No one can stop me. No one!"
Not far away, Uchiha Madara and Ōtsutsuki Toneri stood watching the kneeling Obito in silence.
After a long moment, Madara turned away.
"Where are you going?" Toneri asked.
"To visit Naka Shrine." Madara's voice drifted back, calm and low.
Toneri said nothing more.
He knew the Uchiha clan was an intensely emotional people. The stronger they were, the more extreme their emotions became.
For men like Obito and Madara—Uchiha who stood at the very peak of the shinobi world—their hearts had long since become warped. In truth, they were little more than complete lunatics.
At this moment, Obito was mourning his lost love, performing what looked like a ritual blessing before battle. It was only natural that Madara, as his clansman, would also be stirred by the sight.
Toneri understood.
Madara Uchiha's steps were unhurried. On his way to Naka Shrine, he took in the sight of Konoha as it now stood.
Under Danzō's rule, the village was under high-pressure governance. The top-tier shinobi were almost all caught in genjutsu, stripped of self-awareness. But the lower- and mid-level ninja were untouched, not to mention the ordinary villagers. Compared to a few years ago, things had not changed much—though development had clearly stalled.
Yet for Madara, today's Konoha was nothing like the one he had left behind.
As he walked, everything along the way entered his eyes. With those eyes—capable of seeing through the truths of the world—he could not help but stir with memories.
Once, as boys, he and Hashirama stood across a river, skipping stones, each trying to be the first to send one across.
Once, as youths, the two of them stood in this very forest, speaking of their dreams and ideals.
Once, the pair stood atop a mountain, and a leaf with a hole in its center drifted past them. Back then, the village was still small, but through that tiny hole one could see the whole of Konoha.
Now, things had changed. The world had changed. Everything was different.
"Hashirama, in the end I was right. In this pitiful, broken reality, peace cannot be achieved through naïve ideals."
"Great empires will crumble, peace brought by strength will fade… So long as humans exist, greed and desire will always be born. Only by binding all in endless dreams can eternal peace truly come."
So thought Madara as he walked, and before he realized it, he had reached Naka Shrine.
The layout was no different from decades past, but the vast grounds felt empty, desolate. Thinking of what Black Zetsu had told him about Obito's deeds, Madara's steps faltered for a moment.
The Uchiha clan was gone. This was the cost of choosing wrongly.
If they had followed him when he left, the Uchiha would never have met such an end. But reality was cruel. The future could never be predicted. That was the truth.
Madara entered the shrine. With a stir of chakra, candle flames lit, casting their glow into the hidden chamber.
There stood the stone tablet left from the Sage of Six Paths' era. Madara gazed at it in long silence.
"It won't be long now. Very soon, everything will finally be—who's there?!"
His words broke off, Sharingan glowing crimson as his gaze locked on a shadowed corner, sharp and deadly.
"It seems I've disturbed you, Madara Uchiha-sama."
From the darkness, Hiruzen Sarutobi's figure slowly emerged, deepening Madara's frown.
"A brat of the Sarutobi clan… What business do you have in the Uchiha's sacred grounds? Is Obito preparing to attack?"
"No. I wasn't sent by Uchiha Obito." Hiruzen shook his head. "It was my master who wished to meet you, Madara-sama."
"Your… master?!"
At those words, Madara's eyes narrowed dangerously.