Toneri Ōtsutsuki froze in shock. He hadn't expected Naruto to call him by name. For a moment, his expression wavered.
"How… how do you know my name?"
Naruto snorted and leapt down from Sasuke's towering Susanoo. The crimson cloak of Kurama's chakra burned around his body, his golden form radiating a divine aura. Even after stepping out, he continued channeling his Nine Tails chakra into Sasuke's Susanoo to shield his partner.
Kurama's chakra shone like a miniature sun in the dark lunar sky, and Naruto walked forward slowly, his footsteps echoing against the cold, ancient surface of the moon.
With a smirk, he looked straight at Toneri.
"You're still the same as in the memories I saw. It's a pity you don't have eyes right now. Otherwise, I'd let you see everything clearly through the Rinnegan itself."
Toneri frowned, his pale sockets tightening. "What do you mean by that?"
Naruto shrugged, almost casually. "It doesn't mean much. I just want you to know that what you think you understand… isn't the truth at all."
Toneri tilted his head, amused by Naruto's calm defiance. "Oh? Then tell me. How do I 'understand'? How should I interpret it?"
Naruto's smile faded. His tone became firm, carrying the weight of truth.
"You're a descendant of Hamura Ōtsutsuki, Hagoromo's younger brother. You're a branch family, not the main lineage. But you've misunderstood Hamura's will. You've twisted his teachings."
Toneri's body stiffened.
Naruto continued, his voice echoing across the ruined lunar plains.
"Hamura wanted his clan to protect the earth—not destroy it. He entrusted you with the moon so you could safeguard the balance. And yet here you are, planning to crash the moon into the earth itself. That's not what he wanted, Toneri!"
Toneri's blank gaze hardened. Though he had no visible pupils, his killing intent was sharp enough to cut.
"You talk about Hamura and Hagoromo as if you know them. Who are you to claim such knowledge? What gives you the right to speak of immortals?"
Naruto's eyes narrowed. He raised his chin defiantly.
"First of all, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. And this is Sasuke Uchiha." He gestured to the giant Susanoo behind him, its glowing blade humming with power. "The two of us are reincarnations of Hagoromo's sons—Asura and Indra. That makes us connected to you, whether you like it or not."
Sasuke's eyes flared, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan glowing red against the moonlight. He gave Toneri a sharp, silent glare.
Naruto stepped forward again, his voice steady but filled with conviction.
"Hagoromo himself called me the Child of Prophecy—the one destined to change this world. Protecting the earth is my responsibility. And if you're planning to destroy it, Toneri, then I won't let you!"
For a moment, silence reigned. Then, Toneri's lips curled into a cold smile.
"You? Protect the earth? Don't make me laugh. You dare to spout such grand words alone?" His laughter echoed eerily through the ruins.
Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "I knew you wouldn't believe me. Fine. After I beat you down, I'll drag you to your clan's shrine. There, you'll see Hamura's message for yourself. You'll find the truth written by your own ancestors."
Toneri's expression twisted. "You think I'll believe the words of an enemy? You know nothing, and yet you dare talk nonsense before me?"
Naruto's eyes darkened, his tone sharp. "You really are asking for a beating."
Behind him, Sasuke stepped out of Susanoo and scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain.
"He's just like Madara. He read words carved on a stone tablet and thought they were absolute truth. In reality, he's trapped in his own obsession, mistaking delusion for reality."
Naruto glanced back at Sasuke, surprised. That's… exactly what Itachi once told him.
He nearly laughed—Sasuke had just stolen his brother's words, but it didn't matter. The meaning was true.
Toneri's grin widened. "Enough talk. Since you've come all the way here, you'll stay here forever. I had intended to take Hanabi's Byakugan, but if I can claim the Rinnegan and the Mangekyō Sharingan as well, then all the better!"
He raised his arm. At once, the ground trembled as countless chakra puppets swarmed out of the castle gates, rushing toward Naruto and Sasuke in an endless tide.
Naruto's expression hardened. "So you're set on being stubborn… Fine. Don't blame me for what comes next. After I defeat you, I'll still drag you to Hamura's shrine myself!"
He raised his palm. "Shinra Tensei!!!"
A pulse of gravitational repulsion exploded outward. The air cracked, the ground shook, and an invisible force tore through the puppets. Metal limbs and broken masks scattered in all directions as hundreds of puppets were obliterated in a single burst.
"Not enough!" Naruto roared, expanding the repulsion field even further. The moon's surface split under the pressure, sending thousands more puppets flying into fragments.
And then, in an instant, Naruto blurred forward. His golden cloak surged, his speed rivaling the Flying Thunder God. To Toneri, it looked as though Naruto had vanished from one spot and appeared before him in the next heartbeat.
Toneri gasped. This speed—!
Naruto's palm was already spinning, the chakra grinding violently.
"Sorry, Toneri! But you asked for this—Rasengan!!!"
The sphere of chakra slammed directly into Toneri's chest. The impact ripped through the silence with a thunderous boom. Dust and stone exploded outward as Toneri's body was hurled across the ground.
But as the smoke cleared, Naruto's expression darkened.
"What…?"
Toneri's body cracked open, revealing gears and hollow joints.
"A puppet?" Naruto muttered.
The fake Toneri's mouth twitched, gears grinding as it spoke even in its destruction.
"As expected of the wielder of the Rinnegan… Strong indeed… Hahaha…"
Naruto scowled, raising his foot and crushing the puppet's head under his heel.
Behind him, Sasuke smirked. "I knew it was a puppet. Don't tell me you didn't notice, Naruto."
Naruto clicked his tongue. "Tch. Guess you're right. Mangekyō Sharingan is sharper at reading chakra flow than the Rinnegan."
Sasuke strode forward, his hand gripping his sword. His eyes glowed, his Susanoo looming once more.
"Step aside. If we're dealing with this guy, there's no need to hold back."
In one motion, he drew his sword and swung.
BOOOOM!
The blade's strike carried Susanoo's force. The castle walls split apart, the ground trembled, and three massive explosions followed in the wake of his attack. Entire sections of Toneri's fortress collapsed into rubble.
"Sasuke!!!" Naruto shouted, eyes wide. "Stop swinging like that! What if you kill him by mistake?!"
Sasuke sneered, his tone dripping with arrogance. "He's hiding behind puppets. You think a single swing will kill him? Don't be naive."
Naruto clenched his fists but couldn't argue. He knew Sasuke was right—Toneri was too cautious to put himself in harm's way without preparation.
And indeed, far away within the lunar fortress, deep inside the chamber of the Tenseigan, Toneri was watching calmly. The destruction of his outer castle didn't faze him. Instead, he spread his hands toward the enormous Tenseigan that pulsed like a second sun.
"It seems I underestimated them," Toneri murmured. "Then I'll have to awaken this power earlier than I planned."
He reached out, pressing his palms against the Tenseigan's surface. A surge of chakra flowed. Slowly, a pair of Byakugan eyes materialized, and Toneri pressed them into his own empty sockets.
At last—his true power stirred.
Though they weren't Hanabi's pure Byakugan, they were enough to channel the full might of the Tenseigan. Energy surged through him, his body glowing with ethereal blue flames. The chamber shook, the very moon responding to his awakening.
"Hahahahaha!" Toneri roared, his voice reverberating like thunder. "Naruto Uzumaki! Sasuke Uchiha! Witness the true power of the Ōtsutsuki!"
The flames around his body burst outward, wrapping him in a divine aura. Toneri's cloak of light shone against the void of space, his power threatening to crush everything around him.
With a single leap, he rocketed into the sky.
High above, Naruto and Sasuke both turned their gazes upward, their eyes locking on the glowing figure of Toneri as he rose.
The true battle was about to begin.
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