Kaguya Era, September 19th, 2019
Mood: Overcast, turning into a Great Flood.
Recently, the amount of time I can remain conscious has been increasing.
I know this is because the Chibaku Tensei seal is gradually weakening.
However, instead of improving my mood, it has only made it worse.
Looking back through my diary, there have already been dozens of instances over the years where I was able to stay awake for extended periods.
The first time it happened, I thought my release was imminent.
In the end, all I received was an even stronger seal and another long period of slumber.
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
So now, when I sense the seal weakening, I don't feel happy at all. Instead, I feel miserable.
It means another endless sleep is approaching, one where I won't even be able to use my Byakugan to observe the outside world.
To put it in the language of my hometown, even my recreation time has been taken away.
Still, one must have dreams.
Otherwise, what would be the difference between me and the natives of Earth?
This time, however, things seem different.
Not only has the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path been summoned away, but I can also vaguely sense that the extracted power of the Ten-Tails is gradually being returned to its body.
Stay calm.
Stay calm.
I keep reminding myself.
After all, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
But who caused such a huge commotion?
Was it you, Black Zetsu?
I knew Black Zetsu never gave up on rescuing me.
What a heartwarming child.
Thousands of years have passed, and he's still working tirelessly.
Unfortunately, when I created him using Yin-Yang Release all those years ago, I was in a hurry and didn't leave him much power.
The difficulty level was practically impossible.
He was a premature creation and looked rather unfortunate as well, all black and shriveled up.
How could he possibly compete against Hagoromo and Hamura?
Those two unfilial sons!
How infuriating!
Once I get out, I'll definitely kill both of you.
Even if you're already dead, I'll drag your souls out myself.
And that damned toad who misled Hagoromo.
Hmph.
Did you really think I wouldn't know?
The moment Hagoromo brought out that so-called Sage Talisman, I knew you were involved.
Once I escape, you're becoming soup.
Something strange happened today as well.
How should I put it...
Just as I was fantasizing about toad soup, I suddenly sensed a trace of chakra approaching.
It belonged to a young ninja dressed rather strangely.
He looked decent enough, but the way he was sneaking around made him look exactly like a thief.
Most importantly, I sensed a familiar aura from him.
He seemed to be a descendant of Hamura, and he carried the chakra of the Tailed Beasts.
I was overjoyed.
I thought Black Zetsu had finally sent someone to rescue me.
So I immediately called out for help.
To my surprise, the guy reacted as if he had encountered something horrifying and ran away without hesitation.
Is my voice really that unpleasant?
That bastard.
How rude.
I am Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Clan Head of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, the Immortal, Queen of Earth, owner of the God Tree, and mother of the Six Paths Sage.
When I get out, I'm definitely going to kill you.
Excerpt from Survival in a Foreign Land: Kaguya's Diary, Volume 6, Prison Chronicles
...
Ignoring Kaguya's cries for help and her growing frustration behind him, Hayashi did not slow down for even a second.
That was Kaguya.
Save her?
Absolutely not.
He currently possessed the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts. If Kaguya were released, the first thing she would do would probably be to reclaim the chakra inside him.
Still, one thing shocked him.
Kaguya was clearly sealed away, yet she could still project her voice through the seal.
The final boss truly lived up to her reputation.
After returning to the two-story wooden house, Himeji had already awakened.
Seeing Hayashi's unusual expression, she asked curiously,
"What happened?"
"Nothing serious. I just ran into an old lady."
Hayashi briefly recounted everything that had happened.
"She even asked me to save her. How could I possibly agree? Other people scam you for money, she'd scam you out of your life."
Himeji nodded calmly.
"So, what do we do next?"
After inheriting the memories of the moon's legacy, very little could surprise her anymore.
"We'll go get the Tenseigan. Absorbing it isn't something that can be finished quickly."
Himeji nodded again.
Although Hayashi had panicked upon hearing Kaguya's voice, he was no longer worried after calming down.
It was obvious that Kaguya couldn't break the seal herself.
Otherwise, she would never have asked him for help.
Still, Kaguya was truly terrifying.
Being sealed for thousands of years and still remaining alive was practically the definition of immortality.
Hayashi then began contemplating the true nature of the God Tree.
The thing could root itself into an entire planet and absorb its life force.
Once its fruit matured and was consumed, one could obtain immense power and even immortality.
It was impossible to say he wasn't tempted.
By consuming such a fruit, one could practically transcend mortal limits.
However, people like Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki and Ōtsutsuki Urashiki were not opponents to be underestimated either.
Since none of that would happen anytime soon, Hayashi stopped dwelling on it.
Soon, the pair left the forest and entered a massive city built upon a vast desert.
The city was enormous.
At its center stood a dilapidated shrine that had clearly existed for over a thousand years.
Hayashi had originally planned to explore the city with Himeji before heading toward the artificial sun.
However, they were attacked the very next day.
More precisely, they were attacked by Puppets.
In reality, the Puppets had been following them ever since they left Hamura's tomb.
Hayashi had intentionally refrained from destroying them because he could sense an immense force observing him.
It was undoubtedly the Giant Tenseigan.
No matter where he and Himeji went, they would eventually be discovered.
In that case, they might as well walk straight in openly.
At that moment, a white-haired man descended from above.
Hundreds of Puppets instantly surrounded the pair.
These Puppets were servants of the Ōtsutsuki Clan and an important labor force responsible for maintaining the moon.
As creations programmed to obey, they followed every order without question.
To be fair, their strength was far from weak.
They possessed decent taijutsu and could fire powerful chakra bullets.
It was essentially hand seal-less ninjutsu.
When acting together, they could coordinate seamlessly.
Their overall combat capabilities already surpassed those of ordinary jōnin.
But would Hayashi retreat just because there were three hundred Puppets?
Of course not.
At his level, overwhelming numbers alone no longer determined victory.
Hayashi rapidly formed hand seals.
"Sage Art: Magnet Release: Rasenshuriken!"
Combining Tailed Beast chakra with ninjutsu was no simple task.
After all, Tailed Beast chakra possessed its own will.
However, chakra was still chakra.
Under the suppression of the Mangekyō Sharingan, even rebellious chakra could be controlled.
At that point, the process depended entirely on chakra control.
And Hayashi excelled at that.
Even Tsunade would no longer surpass him in chakra control.
The Magnet Release-enhanced Rasenshuriken was extraordinarily powerful, at least twice as strong as an ordinary Wind Release Rasenshuriken.
Furthermore, Magnet Release was especially effective against Puppets.
With a single attack, forty Puppets were instantly obliterated.
As the battle continued, Hayashi quickly discovered another weakness.
These Puppets were operating autonomously rather than being directly controlled.
Although their raw strength was impressive, they were far more rigid than the Puppets controlled by masters like Chiyo.
Moreover, Hayashi's speed made their chakra bullets completely ineffective.
As he slowly pressed his palms together, powerful wind pressure erupted around him.
The Puppets were dragged together by the violent currents.
Cracking sounds echoed endlessly as countless Puppets were crushed apart.
The white-haired man frowned in surprise.
He clearly had not expected the intruder to be this powerful.
Hayashi also studied the man's appearance.
He looked remarkably similar to Ōtsutsuki Toneri.
Judging by the timeline, this should be Toneri's father.
Without hesitation, Hayashi lunged forward.
At the same time, he threw a specially designed kunai.
Violent Kunai.
Electric arcs danced around it as it flew forward with immense force, empowered by monstrous strength.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
The kunai closed in rapidly.
Ōtsutsuki Genjin appeared extremely confident and casually reached out to catch it.
Unfortunately for him, he failed.
The blade sliced through his palm, carrying traces of blood as it shot toward his eye.
He hastily tilted his head aside, allowing it to graze his cheek.
A second kunai followed immediately after.
This one carried even more force.
No longer daring to underestimate his opponent, a golden light sphere appeared in Genjin's hand.
His combat experience is terrible...
Hayashi's figure suddenly appeared beside the flying kunai.
His left hand grabbed it instantly.
At the same time, another sphere of chakra condensed in his right hand.
"Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"
The enormous Rasengan shattered Genjin's golden sphere before slamming directly into him.
The tremendous impact sent him crashing into the ground.
He immediately lost all ability to fight.
Electricity crackled around Hayashi's right hand as he thrust it toward Genjin's chest.
But instead of flesh and bone, he felt something hard.
A core.
His expression changed slightly.
Is this... a Puppet?
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