Ōtsutsuki Toneri.
The name itself carried weight. Living in solitude upon the moon, his ambitions were clear: to claim the Byakugan Princess, Hinata Hyūga, marry her, seize her Byakugan, and awaken the Tenseigan—a reincarnated eye of divine power.
Yet Toneri's goals went beyond just Hinata. Misinterpreting Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki's prophecy, he believed that true peace could only be achieved through destruction—the complete annihilation of the earth itself.
Naruto knew all this too well. In his previous life, when Toneri descended upon Hinata, he had stolen her away under false pretenses. Just after Hinata had confessed her feelings to him, she had been forced to go with Toneri, leaving Naruto devastated and confused. For a time, that betrayal had nearly broken him.
But Sakura had pulled him back from despair. She had reminded him of who Hinata was, of her unwavering love. Hinata would never abandon him willingly. If she went with Toneri, there had to be a reason.
That conviction was what had driven Naruto to storm the moon itself.
Still, the truth of that past haunted him. Hinata and Toneri had spent time alone together on the moon—time that Naruto hadn't been able to witness.
Later, when his son Boruto awakened the Jōgan, the Pure Eye, Naruto couldn't help but connect the dots. The thought was enough to make him hiss under his breath.
It was troubling, thought-provoking.
Yet deep down, Naruto trusted Hinata. Even in his past life, she had shown the resolve to resist, even to the point of death. Hinata would never willingly yield herself to Toneri. But what Toneri's true intentions had been during that time alone… remained unclear.
Of course, Naruto knew that Toneri himself wasn't the type to forcefully violate her. Toneri was misguided, blinded by his warped sense of duty, but not dishonorable in that way. Still, the rumors that could arise from Hinata's time on the moon made Naruto's blood boil.
This time, he would not allow it.
No matter what.
He would sever any chance of Toneri even coming close to Hinata.
Even if Boruto was destined to awaken the Jōgan in this lifetime, it would happen naturally. After all, Boruto carried the bloodline of the Sage of Six Paths through Naruto, and Hinata herself was of the Hyūga clan. The potential for the Pure Eye existed without Toneri's interference.
So this time, if words failed, Naruto was ready to fight Toneri without hesitation.
He clenched his fists. With the power he held now, defeating Toneri would be far easier than it had been in his past life.
"Just do it," Naruto muttered to himself.
Toneri had already made his move. For reasons still unclear, he had begun spying on Konoha earlier than expected. His goal was obvious: the Byakugan.
Naruto's gaze shifted toward Hanabi, who stood quietly beside Hinata.
In his last life, Toneri had stolen Hanabi's eyes. That memory still burned in him.
Without hesitation, Naruto approached her. "Hanabi," he said gently, "give me your arm."
The girl blinked in surprise but complied. Naruto pressed two fingers against her forearm, channeling chakra into the mark he inscribed there—the seal of the Flying Thunder God.
A faint glow shimmered, fading into a seal pattern.
"Listen carefully," Naruto said, meeting her wide eyes. "If you're ever in danger, push your chakra into this seal. I'll sense it instantly and come to you immediately. Understand?"
Hanabi looked down at the mark. She recognized the technique instantly. "Flying Thunder God…" she whispered. The realization that Naruto had placed such protection on her made her eyes shine. She nodded firmly. "Yes! I understand!"
At her age, Hanabi was still a teenager, and though she was proud and strong, she deeply admired Naruto—the hero who had ended the Fourth Shinobi War. To know he valued her safety enough to mark her personally filled her with warmth.
Satisfied, Naruto ruffled her hair lightly. Then, with Hinata and Hanabi at his side, he left the Hyūga compound. He wouldn't risk leaving them alone.
The Hokage's Office.
Naruto stood before Tsunade, his voice firm. "Grandma Tsunade, please protect Hinata and Hanabi while I'm gone. I have to go to the moon."
The words froze the room. Shizune, Jiraiya, Shikaku, and Kakashi all turned to him in shock.
At Naruto's request, Tsunade had already called a high-level meeting.
"...The moon?" Jiraiya frowned, his tone serious. "Naruto, what's up there that requires you to go?"
Naruto nodded. "A member of the Ōtsutsuki clan—Ōtsutsuki Toneri. He plans to use the Tenseigan on the moon to destroy the earth. Very soon, you'll see it yourselves. The moon is slowly drawing closer to our world."
The room went silent.
Shikaku's sharp eyes narrowed. Without a word, he excused himself and left to confirm Naruto's claim.
Kakashi, who had attended despite his other duties, studied Naruto carefully. He knew Naruto wasn't exaggerating.
At that moment, Shisui and Itachi entered the chamber. They had just returned from completing the handover of the Allied Shinobi Forces' matters. Their timing was perfect.
Kakashi gave a faint smile. "Naruto, just say what needs to be done. You've never led us wrong before."
Naruto inclined his head respectfully. "Then I ask you to assign Shisui and Itachi to guard Hinata and Hanabi. Also, increase the protection around the Hyūga clan, especially those with Byakugan."
Everyone understood instantly.
Naruto added, his tone grave, "Toneri doesn't have eyes. He'll seek a new pair of Byakugan to awaken the Tenseigan."
Kakashi frowned slightly. "That… sounds disturbingly similar to the Uchiha, doesn't it?"
Naruto gave a wry smile. He understood the comparison. The Uchiha had long carried the dark tradition of taking each other's Sharingan. But the Hyūga clan had strict protection over their bloodline; it was rare for outsiders to possess Byakugan. The only known exception was Ao of Kirigakure.
"Regardless," Naruto said, "until I return, the village must be on full alert. Protect every Hyūga—especially Hinata and Hanabi."
Jiraiya slammed a hand on the desk. "Leave it to me. As one of the Sannin, I'll mobilize the Anbu under my authority. I'll personally protect Hinata and Hanabi."
Kakashi nodded as well. "The Allied Forces' transition is nearly complete. Shisui and Itachi can step away for now. I'll have them return to Konoha and focus on guarding the Hyūga."
Tsunade leaned forward, her hands on the desk. "Naruto, you can rest easy. I'll declare a village-wide wartime alert. Our defenses will be at the highest level."
Shizune, holding Tonton in her arms, added, "And when the other villages hear of this, they'll definitely send reinforcements. Especially Kazekage Gaara—he'll come immediately to stand with us."
A ripple of laughter ran through the room. They all knew it was true. Naruto wasn't just Konoha's hero—he was the world's hero.
Just then, the door opened. Shikaku returned, his face grave. "Hokage-sama, Lord Jiraiya… Naruto was right. I've confirmed it. The moon is drawing closer to the earth."
The air grew heavy.
Naruto clenched his fists. "Toneri has already begun."
Jiraiya shot Kakashi a look. "Kakashi—go now. Summon Shisui and Itachi immediately."
Kakashi nodded sharply. "Understood." He placed a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder before heading out.
Tsunade turned to Shizune. "Raise Konoha's defenses to maximum alert. Immediately."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune replied and rushed out.
Behind Naruto, Hinata and Hanabi stood silently. Watching him mobilize the village for their sake brought tears to their eyes. The weight of his protection surrounded them like a shield.
For the first time, they felt the entire village—no, the entire shinobi world—was standing behind them.
Jiraiya eyed Naruto carefully. "Naruto… do you intend to face Toneri alone?"
Naruto gave a confident smile. "No. I'll take Sasuke. With the two of us together, there's no enemy we can't defeat. Toneri doesn't stand a chance against both of us."
The conviction in his voice silenced all doubts. Everyone knew it was true. Naruto and Sasuke were the strongest shinobi alive. If they fought side by side, even the Ōtsutsuki could be brought down.
With the meeting concluded, Naruto turned to Hinata, offering her a reassuring smile. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll end this before it even begins."
Then he left, heading straight for Sasuke.
The preparations were done. The moon awaited.
Dear Readers
For 60 Advance Chapters Join My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/NF25
-------
Please Support My Patreon 🥺