When Carl stepped out of the shattered temple, even the blind Toneri could feel the blazing gaze shooting from the Tenseigan.
He was familiar with this feeling, having stood countless times beside that massive golden Tenseigan. And now, it had become Carl's, forever shaped in his own eyes.
The Tenseigan, created from the sacrifice of an entire clan's life, had, in the end, been given to someone else as a gift. Toneri's feelings were predictable—he longed to rush at Carl and rip those eyes out with his own hands, but he could not.
Carl's figure flickered, instantly teleporting in front of Toneri.
Looking down at him, he said lightly,
"The things inside really brought me some unexpected benefits."
Not to mention the power boost the Tenseigan gave Carl, even just the enhancement to his vision alone was tremendous.
The Tenseigan were the ultimate evolution of the Byakugan. The extreme long-range vision of the Byakugan only became stronger in the Tenseigan. Without exaggeration, Carl could now stand on the Moon's surface and see what was happening in the Ninja World, like a humanoid astronomical telescope.
But to Toneri, Carl's words sounded as ridiculous as someone saying,
"Your wife is very appealing."
Overwhelmed by rage, Toneri surprisingly calmed down and muttered,
"So? What do you want to achieve with the power of these eyes? World domination over the so-called Ninja World?"
Carl was momentarily stunned at the words, then let out a disdainful laugh.
"Toneri, I see you've been sitting here all alone, daft. What's the Ninja World to me? Even without these eyes, so what?"
His arrogance was unbearable. Toneri instinctively opened his mouth to retort but found nothing to argue. Considering the abilities Carl had displayed, dominating the Ninja World might not even be a challenge for him.
The blame lay solely on his own weakness—he simply could not guard the treasure of the massive Tenseigan.
Pain flashed across Toneri's face. Carl, however, suddenly withdrew the gravity field pressing on him.
His body loosened, and Toneri finally rose from the ground. He did not attack Carl, knowing it would only be suicide.
Even without activating the Tenseigan, Carl could utterly crush him—now with them open, the gap was unimaginable.
Another thing puzzled Toneri: Carl's Tenseigan felt even stronger than the previous massive ones, radiating a terrifying chakra flow that could not be faked.
After a moment of silence, Toneri slowly spoke,
"You left me here for a reason, didn't you? There's something else you need me for."
Carl smiled ambiguously.
"You know about Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, right? Do you know where her sealing core is?"
Toneri's heart sank. Frowning, he asked,
"You want to break her seal?"
"No time for that. My woman is trapped inside, and I need to get her out."
Toneri was stunned, disbelief written across his face.
"What!? Your woman??"
He furrowed his brows, recalling the recent strange fluctuation in the sealed area. He had investigated it, but the seal seemed even stronger than before, showing no sign of weakening.
Though the woman Carl mentioned was clearly not Kaguya, Toneri could not resist confirming,
"You mean your woman is also sealed on this Moon? You're not talking about Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, are you?"
Carl glanced at him.
"Of course not. My woman is much prettier than that Kaguya."
Toneri's mouth twitched.
Is that really the important part? he thought.
Taking a deep breath, he said slowly,
"So you stole the Tenseigan and now want me to guide you. Do you think that's appropriate? I don't even know your name!"
Carl tilted his head.
"My name is Figarland Carl. As for whether I'll need a guide…"
He raised a hand, golden light flashing in his Tenseigan. A golden chakra sphere appeared in his palm.
Toneri's face changed at once. Carl spoke deliberately,
"Judging by your expression, you know what this ability does. If I put this thing in your body, you won't have a choice but to obey. Though I just opened my eyes, my control isn't precise yet… might accidentally turn you into an idiot."
This was one of the Tenseigan's abilities: creating a special chakra sphere that could give life to lifeless matter, controllable by the user—similar to Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit.
If a human were affected, both mind and body would be under the user's control.
Being a descendant of the Hamura line, Toneri understood the Tenseigan's power. He knew he could not resist, so he resignedly lowered his head, saying weakly,
"Fine, I'll guide you."
Carl patted Toneri on the shoulder and chuckled lightly.
"That's better. Lead the way."
Toneri suddenly spoke again,
"If the seal is broken, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki will also be released. What will you do about her? Her power… it's immense!"
Carl replied casually,
"So what? Just guide the way. As for Kaguya, whether she survives depends on her performance."
Carl's words carried unmatched confidence. Toneri, having witnessed his strength, knew he could back it up.
But Kaguya's power was still unfathomable, the kind that had required Hamura and Hamura's descendants to jointly seal her.
Their Hamura line had guarded this desolate Moon for generations, mainly to watch over Kaguya's seal.
But that was ancient history. To be precise, it was the main family who insisted on it. The branch family sought to destroy the current war-torn Ninja World.
From that perspective, releasing Kaguya aligned with the branch family's goals. Yet according to ancestral records, Kaguya was completely insane!
The branch family aimed to destroy first, then create; Kaguya's intent was pure destruction!
Carl, though cruel in action, was still a rational person capable of understanding reason. If forced to choose between the two "threats," Toneri would hope Carl could handle Kaguya…
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg