Shock.
Absolute shock.
Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Otogakure had remained silent before this.
But the moment they moved, they shook the entire shinobi world.
No one had expected the Fourth Great Ninja War to begin like this.
The war had only just been declared, yet Ōnoki, A, and Orochimaru were already preparing to lay siege to Konoha.
This was no ordinary opening move.
This was the scent of a final battle.
Because of that, the shinobi world once again erupted into unrest.
Countless civilians and shinobi turned their attention toward Konoha.
Everyone understood.
The Fourth Great Ninja War might truly begin in the Land of Fire, at Konoha itself.
And once it began—
the future era of the shinobi world would be decided.
At the same time—
in the endless depths of space.
Spatial ripples continued to spread.
A closer look would reveal Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki moving forward at incredible speed.
After the meeting of the Ōtsutsuki main family, they had originally wanted to send several more clan members with him to Earth.
But Momoshiki refused without hesitation.
In his words, he was not trash like Kinshiki and Urashiki.
If he could not deal with one tiny Earth by himself, then he deserved to die.
The higher-ups of the Ōtsutsuki main family did not bother arguing.
On one hand, they trusted Momoshiki's strength.
On the other, they still did not believe a mere Earth could pose any real threat to the Ōtsutsuki main family.
If Momoshiki failed as well—
then the true powerhouses of the main family would descend together and show Earth what the Ōtsutsuki main family truly represented.
In the eyes of the strong, Earth was still nothing more than a small, insignificant place.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a clear energy fluctuation spread through space.
Momoshiki stopped at once.
"Hmph. Again?"
Sensing that familiar wave of energy, a cold light flashed through Momoshiki's eyes.
"So afraid I won't find Earth that you're deliberately guiding me there?"
Yes.
Someone was releasing energy waves to point Momoshiki toward Earth.
At first, she had not cared.
But the closer she came to Earth, the clearer that faint energy became.
By now, she was certain.
There was a traitor on Earth.
As for who that traitor was, Momoshiki was not sure.
But no matter who it was, she had already made her decision.
Everyone on Earth deserved death.
Including Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
"Just wait."
"This time, Earth will disappear."
"And the Divine Tree will belong to me."
A sharp sound tore through space.
Momoshiki vanished from the void.
At the same time—
in the shinobi world, inside that mysterious dimension.
"Brother, how is it?"
Hamura looked at Hagoromo, who was still releasing energy waves, and asked in a deep voice.
"It's done."
Hagoromo opened his Rinnegan, his voice cold.
"After Kinshiki and Urashiki died, the Ōtsutsuki main family sent someone else to Earth."
"If I'm not mistaken, that Ōtsutsuki powerhouse has already sensed the energy waves I released."
A cold smile appeared on Hagoromo's face.
Without question, he was the traitor guiding Momoshiki toward Earth.
In truth, after Urashiki and Kinshiki died, Hamura had wanted to strike in fury and suppress Uchiha Ren himself.
But after thinking it through again and again, he gave up.
Hagoromo was a schemer.
A man who had hidden himself in the shinobi world for thousands of years.
He understood very well that if he acted now and succeeded, everything would naturally be perfect.
But if he failed—
the consequences would be unbearable.
Thousands of years of planning would collapse completely.
So in the end, the Sage of Six Paths chose patience.
Even when endurance reached its limit, he would endure further.
He would remain in this hidden dimension with Hamura and watch the storm unfold from the other side.
"Excellent."
Hamura's expression showed a trace of excitement.
"I hope the Ōtsutsuki main family doesn't send another useless fool this time. Otherwise, we may truly be forced to act ourselves."
"Relax."
Hagoromo smiled coldly.
"The powerhouse sent by the main family this time will definitely suppress the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren."
"We only need to reap the benefits afterward."
"Good."
Hamura nodded decisively.
"Oh, right…"
Hagoromo suddenly seemed to remember something.
"What movement has our foolish third brother, Black Zetsu, made?"
"Heh…"
At the mention of Black Zetsu, Hamura gave a contemptuous smile.
"After Urashiki and Kinshiki died, Black Zetsu secretly contacted Mother."
"Mother seems to have told him not to worry about anything else and to revive her as soon as possible."
"Oh?"
Hagoromo raised his brows meaningfully.
"Even Mother is getting anxious because of the changes in the shinobi world?"
"Yes."
Hamura shrugged indifferently.
"Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Otogakure have already declared war on Konoha. They seem intent on surrounding the village."
"If my guess is correct…"
"Our mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, will use Uchiha Madara's body to revive herself."
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