As expected.
Kyusei understood immediately.
The Otsutsuki on the moon were not merely here because Hamura had chosen to accompany his mother. More importantly, they were here to guard the seal—to prevent Otsutsuki Kaguya from breaking free.
"The Rabbit Goddess… Otsutsuki Kaguya…"
A trace of melancholy appeared in Hamura's aged eyes.
"Who is that?" Nao asked.
Kyusei remained silent, quietly watching as Hamura began to recount everything.
"Otsutsuki Kaguya… my mother."
"A thousand years ago, she attempted to control all people in the world, seeking to turn every human on this land into her weapons."
Nao's eyes widened in shock.
As Hamura spoke, a story buried for a thousand years slowly unfolded before them.
"The moon was created by my brother, the Sage of Six Paths, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, using Chibaku Tensei, as a vessel to seal our mother."
"I could not bear for her to remain here alone in isolation. At the same time, to ensure she could not break free, I brought part of my clan here to live and reproduce."
"And so, a thousand years passed…"
Looking at the frail, aged figure before her, Nao was left utterly speechless.
She had never imagined that the moon hanging in the sky held such a secret.
"Then… what are you now?" she asked hesitantly.
"I am nothing more than a remnant of chakra, barely lingering."
"No matter who it is, all will eventually be erased by the river of time."
"That is an eternal truth."
Hamura turned to look at the giant Tenseigan behind him, a trace of sorrow in his eyes. Not just him—even his brother now existed only as a chakra entity in the Pure Land, silently observing the shinobi world to prevent their mother's return.
"I already understand why you have come."
Hamura looked at Kyusei.
"To earn Kurama's acknowledgment… young man, you are impressive."
Kyusei said nothing.
"If this had been decades ago, I might have opposed your desire for the giant Tenseigan."
"But now… it no longer matters."
"You may take it."
Kyusei frowned slightly.
"Why?"
Why was it unacceptable decades ago, but acceptable now?
"The giant Tenseigan was originally used to suppress the Ten-Tails' husk—the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."
"But decades ago, that husk was taken."
"Its purpose is now gone."
Hamura continued,
"Do you understand what that means?"
"Someone on Earth has taken the Demonic Statue. No matter their intentions, the outcome will inevitably lead to one thing."
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"It is a technique that can release my mother from her seal."
"Once cast, the entire shinobi world will fall into a dream. All humans will become nourishment for my mother and die within that illusion."
"At that point, it will not be the end of humanity."
"It will be the end of the planet itself."
"And it is difficult not to think… that this was a contingency my mother prepared before being sealed."
Hamura's tone grew heavier.
"After the Infinite Tsukuyomi is cast, the Ten-Tails will absorb all life energy from the planet to nourish her."
"If it succeeds in producing a chakra fruit…"
"Then Earth will become a dead star."
"Trillions upon trillions of lives will be extinguished."
"That must never happen."
"My brother and I have protected this world for over a thousand years. It cannot be destroyed so easily."
His eyes burned with determination.
"If they possess the Demonic Statue, their goal must be to gather the tailed beasts and feed the Ten-Tails."
"Once they succeed… my mother will return."
Nao tightened her grip on Kyusei's hand.
Kyusei was the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
He was a target.
"No matter what, their plans must be stopped before they can take root."
"And for that… the power of the giant Tenseigan is indispensable."
Hamura's gaze returned to Nao. Looking at her faintly glowing Byakugan, his expression softened slightly.
"Child, I entrust everything to you."
In his eyes, Kyusei was merely a jinchūriki—strong, but not enough to face someone who had taken the Demonic Statue.
Only someone with the Rinnegan could have done that.
And only the Tenseigan could oppose the Rinnegan.
Nao was the only hope.
Her heart felt heavy.
She had only come to uncover the truth of the past.
Now, she was entangled in a thousand-year conspiracy.
"…I understand."
She nodded solemnly.
She was not someone who made promises lightly.
And once she did, she would fulfill them.
Her clan, her father, her friends… Kyusei.
They were all on Earth.
She could not refuse.
"Then I leave it to you."
A pure, pale blue light appeared in Hamura's hand. Under Kyusei's watchful gaze, it transformed into a flowing stream of light and entered Nao's eyes.
In the next instant—
Nao's body erupted with golden-green light.
Black Truth-Seeking Orbs formed behind her.
Dark patterns spread across her body as an immense chakra surged outward, filling the entire moon.
Its density rivaled Kyusei's.
But it vanished just as quickly.
Nao's body went limp.
If not for Kyusei catching her in time, she would have collapsed.
Hamura sighed softly.
Even with her bloodline, she could not fully match the original.
Looking at the unconscious Nao, he seemed somewhat disheartened.
"This is a necessary stage of awakening the Tenseigan," he said.
"She will experience temporary blindness for a while."
"It is nothing serious."
Kyusei nodded.
Then he suddenly asked,
"I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"You know about Isshiki, right?"
—
Kyusei carried the unconscious Nao, his expression calm.
His goals had been achieved.
The giant Tenseigan.
Nao's power.
Everything had gone as planned.
The only regret—
Even Hamura knew nothing of Isshiki.
"What did you do?!"
Keishin's voice was filled with shock and anger as they returned.
Her gaze was locked onto the necklace hanging from Nao's chest.
At its center was a glowing white orb, surrounded by golden rings.
The giant Tenseigan.
"It was my decision."
Hamura's voice echoed as his figure appeared behind her.
"You… you are—"
Keishin turned around—
And froze.
The man before her was identical to the ancestor in the clan's portraits.
"You have disappointed me…"
Hamura's voice carried no restraint.
"Arrogant. Self-righteous. Twisting my teachings and fighting among yourselves until only two of you remain."
"Old man, I'll leave your family matters to you," Kyusei said casually.
"I'll be going."
He had what he came for.
The giant Tenseigan.
The sealing techniques.
The puppet arts.
The Hyuga traitor from centuries ago was no longer important.
Everything on the moon meant nothing to him now.
What mattered was returning.
Waiting for Nao to awaken.
Then gathering Kaoru, Sasuke, and Menma—
And crushing Akatsuki in one strike.
Ending Madara's plans before they could unfold.
Nagato.
Uchiha Hikaru.
Uchiha Yuma.
None of them would survive.
And Black Zetsu—that rat in the shadows.
Not a chance.
Without hesitation, Kyusei left.
The previous passage to Earth had been destroyed during his battle with Yomei.
But Hamura had shown him another.
Standing before the familiar dark pool, Kyusei leapt in.
Water swallowed him.
On his back, Nao stirred softly.
"Where are we…?"
Her eyes remained closed, but she wasn't afraid.
The familiar scent reassured her.
"On our way back," Kyusei replied.
She tightened her arms around his neck, falling silent.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"You promised me something before…" her voice was soft, almost clingy.
She simply wanted to hear him speak.
"Nao… do you know what dimensions are?"
Kyusei didn't hesitate.
He told her everything.
His origin.
His past.
Nao's mind went blank.
Reincarnation?
Naruto?
What was all this?
Her worldview was collapsing.
Yesterday, she had been a normal Hyuga heiress.
Today, she was inheriting Hamura's power—
And her lover was telling her the world might be fictional.
"It's okay if you can't accept it right away," Kyusei said calmly.
"But I don't believe this world is fake."
"…Why?"
If everything was fake, then what meaning did her efforts have?
She needed him to prove it was real.
"If you write a story, the characters inside it—would they believe they exist only for someone's entertainment?"
"Then what about the one who wrote the story? Could they also be part of someone else's story?"
"Instead of worrying about what's real or not…"
He paused—
Then suddenly grabbed her from behind.
"Hey—!"
"You little—are you trying to die?!"
Nao yelped.
"Tell me," Kyusei said with a grin, "do I feel fake to you?"
Even in darkness, she could almost see his mischievous smile.
"Idiot…"
Her face flushed as she buried her head.
"…Does Kaoru know?" she asked suddenly.
"Yeah. She found out recently."
"You're the second one."
Nao pouted.
Second again.
Always second.
She didn't like that.
"Kyusei…" she whispered into his ear, her breath warm.
"When are you going to marry me?"
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