"Did these people just betray Konoha like that?"
Haku frowned as he spoke.
Kujō shook his head immediately. "No."
There was no way a Konoha shinobi who had survived this long would casually betray the village. Even if someone chose betrayal, they would only do so if they were certain they could survive.
But the Ōtsutsuki slaughtered people without hesitation. They had no humanity at all. Joining them would be no different from seeking death.
"That's why I think…" Kujō narrowed his eyes. "They're being controlled."
Haku froze. "Controlled?"
Thinking about it, that explanation made far more sense.
"You mean the Ōtsutsuki can directly control people?"
Kujō didn't find that idea too surprising, but if it were true, the implications were far worse.
If the Ōtsutsuki forced controlled Konoha shinobi to attack other villages, it could spark conflict between the Five Great Nations. Both sides would suffer losses while the Ōtsutsuki remained untouched.
No matter how things played out, the other villages would pay a heavy price.
Even the Hidden Mist wouldn't be able to avoid disaster if faced with such a situation.
Kujō's expression darkened.
"This absolutely cannot be allowed to happen."
"Kujō, what are you talking about?" Haku asked.
Kujō shook his head lightly. "It's nothing."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"Let's move. I'm going to destroy that thing."
Without waiting for a response, Kujō turned and disappeared, heading straight toward the structure housing that strange golden light.
His movements were silent and precise, avoiding attention completely. The Ōtsutsuki never expected that someone would dare infiltrate this place, especially with so many of their clansmen stationed on the outskirts.
Kujō quickly reached the edge of the structure.
But from here on, there was no way to proceed without being noticed.
A single Ōtsutsuki guard stood in his path.
Kujō did not hesitate.
Bone spurs erupted instantly from his body as he shot forward at high speed, aiming directly for the opponent's throat.
The strike landed cleanly.
But instead of piercing through and killing instantly, the bone spike only broke the surface of the skin and failed to go any deeper.
It couldn't even cut the throat.
Kujō's eyes widened.
How…?
"Bastard!"
The Ōtsutsuki staggered back, clutching his neck. "Who are you?! You actually injured me… damn ninja!"
At the sound of his voice, nearby Ōtsutsuki rushed over.
In an instant, Kujō was completely surrounded.
He glanced at the enemies closing in and clicked his tongue inwardly. Their bodies were far tougher than he had expected. Even the Dead Bone Pulse couldn't deliver a fatal blow.
But that didn't matter.
If drawing their attention made things easier for Haku and the others, then this was enough.
Kujō exhaled slowly.
Then both of his hands slammed into the ground.
"Dance of the Clematis: Bracken!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A violent roar echoed as countless bone spikes erupted from the earth, spreading outward with Kujō at the center. In the blink of an eye, everything within a fifty-meter radius was covered in a forest of white bones.
Even the durable bodies of the Ōtsutsuki couldn't fully withstand the attack. Several were impaled, and the scent of blood quickly filled the air.
Without stopping, Kujō dashed toward the strange structure.
But the moment he got close—
His chakra began draining rapidly.
"What is this?!"
Kujō's pupils shrank.
It was absorbing his chakra… without any direct contact.
Cold realization set in.
"So this is their power…"
At the same time, far away, Shigure sensed the change through their connection.
"Something is absorbing Kujō's chakra?"
If chakra absorption was involved, then it meant one thing.
Among these Ōtsutsuki from the moon, someone had awakened the Rinnegan.
Shigure's eyes lit up slightly.
"The Rinnegan… now that's something worth taking."
Shigure sent Sasuke and his mother back to the Hidden Mist Village alongside Orochimaru.
After handing them over to Mei Terumī, he prepared to head straight for Konoha.
"Is everything ready?" Shigure asked.
Mei frowned slightly. "Time was too short. We could only gather one hundred and twenty shinobi."
That was enough.
One hundred and twenty elite shinobi would be more than sufficient to handle most obstacles.
"Who are they?"
Mei gave a brief report.
"Fifteen members of the Kaguya Clan. All of them are at least elite-level shinobi, though they lack long-range combat abilities."
"Twenty from the Yuki Clan. Their overall strength is higher than the Kaguya Clan's, and two of them have mastered your technique, Ice Release: Frozen Moment."
Shigure raised an eyebrow slightly. A technique he created had actually been learned by others.
Interesting.
"Ten from the Hōzuki Clan. Their combat strength is the highest among the group."
"Thirty from the Senju lineage."
Shigure paused for a moment, slightly surprised.
Even with the boost from his "food chain," the Senju-descended group had only numbered around a hundred in total. Yet now, thirty of them met his standards.
"The Senju lineage has exceptional talent," Mei added. "Their growth rate is the fastest among all the clans."
Shigure nodded faintly. The Senju bloodline might not have flashy abilities, but their natural talent was undeniable.
Mei hesitated slightly. "There's also—"
Shigure raised his hand, cutting her off.
"That's enough."
Through his connection, he could already sense Kujō's condition worsening. There was no time for further discussion.
"They've assembled outside the Mizukage Building," Mei said.
Before she could finish, Shigure vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared outside the Mizukage Building.
Before him stood one hundred and twenty carefully selected Mist shinobi. Most of them had grown significantly stronger through Shigure's influence, though a small number were naturally talented shinobi who had reached this level on their own.
Even without his power, there were still exceptional individuals.
"Move out."
The moment Shigure gave the order, the water beneath their feet began to surge violently. A massive water dragon rose up, coiling around them.
In the next instant, it shot into the sky.
The entire group was carried upward at incredible speed, disappearing into the distance like a streak across the horizon.
At the same time, in Konoha—
Kujō suddenly felt a surge of chakra returning to his body.
Just moments ago, his chakra had been drained by the Rinnegan's power. Yet now, it was rapidly replenishing itself.
He froze for a brief moment.
Where did this chakra come from?
There was no time to figure it out.
But one thing was certain—it had just saved his life.
(End of Chapter)
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