They say "one stone stirs up a thousand ripples"!
News of the ultimate showdown between the moon visitor "Ōtsutsuki Toneri" and the leader of Akatsuki spread faster than that of the Uchiha Massacre, the Konoha Crush Plan, the rise of the Wood-Style user, and even the destruction of Kumogakure.
Barely after the battle had ended, the four great shinobi villages—which had arranged for spies to gather intel upon hearing Kumo was about to bomb Amegakure—immediately learned the outcome.
Within a day, more detailed information was compiled into files and placed before each of the Five Kage. Even the smaller nations and minor villages heard about it by the second day.
Keywords like "moon visitor," "Ōtsutsuki Toneri," "Tenseigan," "Rinnegan," "Gedo Statue," "meteor shower," and "Wood Release" swiftly spread through every corner of the ninja world.
It quickly overshadowed any limelight on the Wood-Style ninja named "Izayoi," that the Akatsuki leader—actually descended from the Uzumaki and Senju clans—possessed not only the Rinnegan but had also awakened Wood Release, utilizing Senju Hashirama the God of Shinobi's Nativity of a World of Trees and a wooden Buddhist statue to withstand a colossal meteor.
Both may be Wood-Style users, yet the Akatsuki leader had already risen to the status of a "God of Shinobi," whereas Izayoi had only graduated last year—nowhere close to the same league.
With the Sage of Six Paths' eyes and the Wood Release of the God of Shinobi, Nagato instantly became recognized across the shinobi world as the single strongest, bar none. And no one objected!
For Nagato's feats were simply too frightening:
He founded Akatsuki, whose ranks were filled by S-rank rogues from all major villages; and the strongest duo of Kumogakure—the AB Combo—were no more threatening to him than mere children.
Had there been no moon visitor, Nagato would already have been hailed as the new "God of Shinobi" in this era.
Furthermore, just before Ōtsutsuki Toneri departed, his words caused many sleepless nights for the Five Great Nations.
In this new era, the mightiest force might no longer be the God of Shinobi's Wood Style, but rather the legendary "Sage's Eye."
That matchless power of push and pull was practically from another dimension—completely on a different scale from the ninjutsu of the Five Great Nations.
Fortunately, there were two wielders of that otherworldly power.
And they were enemies!
Had there been only one, then truly none of the Five Great Villages could have slept.
They'd go to bed only to awaken and find themselves following in Kumogakure's footsteps—reduced to rubble or turned into a vassal of Amegakure.
After all…not every super-tier power is like Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi. If some of them had such absolute might, they would likely become another Uchiha Madara.
…
"Who would've thought the mysterious figure was real—and even from the moon!"
In Iwagakure, Ōnoki clutched the documents and the secretly taken photos, his eyes trembling with shock.
The photo of that giant wooden figure especially reminded him of the day Uchiha Madara used Susanoo.
Could that rumored godlike power of the Uchiha, the Susanoo said to kill anyone who laid eyes on it even once, grow that large to rival the God of Shinobi's Wood Release?
"What on earth is the Gedo Statue?" Ōnoki murmured.
At that moment, he believed Jiraiya's conjecture:
All wielders of the Sage's Eye were fighting over some "something," powerful enough that even in such a monumental battle, the Akatsuki leader still hadn't used it.
"The era ahead might lose control…"
Floating near the window, Ōnoki gazed at the blue sky and murmured:
"Iwagakure can't remain an outsider forever."
…
"Incredible…that such power truly exists?"
In Kirigakure, Mei Terumi shook her head:
"If they had that kind of power, why didn't the God of Shinobi and Uchiha Madara unite and conquer the shinobi world back then?"
Unaware of the true might behind Wood Release and the Sharingan, Mei had only assumed that Wood Style was a group-combat trump card that suppressed Tailed Beasts.
She never imagined Wood Style could create a colossal giant capable of easily smashing down supersized meteors and unleashing moves on par with a Five-Element combo.
Such power alone would be enough to dominate the shinobi world—no need for two monsters.
That Konoha once possessed two super-tier powers yet never unified the ninja world seemed unbelievable.
"Ōtsutsuki… that's a foreign surname."
Beside her, Genshi eyed the intelligence, struggling to recall any memory of it, but found none.
He muttered:
"Gedo Statue, 'the thief,' Tenseigan… Could there be some sort of pathway connecting our realm to the moon? Perhaps an ancient shinobi clan named Ōtsutsuki relocated to the moon for reasons like the Gedo Statue. 'The loser's eyes'—maybe they were enemies of the Sage of Six Paths?"
The old master rubbed his forehead:
"What was once a myth is now reality… That ancient Ninshū power is back. Who can say if this is good or bad for our era?"
…
"In just a few months, the shinobi world's become unrecognizable, even to me."
In Sunagakure, Chiyo stared at the reports and photographs, her voice filled with helplessness and despair.
She found herself wishing Suna could trade locations with Kiri. Even if the continent was in chaos, at least they could hide beyond the sea. But that was impossible.
"Perhaps our only hope among the Five Great Shinobi Villages lies with Konoha's Wood-Style user," Ebizō noted calmly. "We can only hope the Akatsuki leader and that moon visitor remain locked in stalemate, giving that Wood-Style shinobi time to grow—or, failing that, that the moon visitor gains the upper hand. Those outcomes are the only chance we Five Great Nations get to breathe."
"At the very least, all through the Warring States Period and even these past few decades, that so-called 'Ōtsutsuki clan' never once intervened in our affairs. Their appearance now seems tied to retrieving the Gedo Statue."
"That relic able to bring ancient shinobi back into the open… must be something truly dreadful."
"Akatsuki sure isn't some bunch of rogue nin who just huddle for warmth as mercenaries, that much is certain!"
Chiyo sighed:
"No matter which side triumphs, it's more than our Sand Village can handle. All we can do is await the final outcome, hoping it won't prove too tragic."
Ebizō said nothing, looking at the pictures in silence. This is the sorrow of the weak—left at the mercy of others.
…
"Rinnegan plus Wood Release… Could the so-called Sage's Eye in legend actually be the true kekkei genkai of the Uzumaki clan?"
Back in the Hokage's office, Tsunade felt less concern at Nagato also having awakened Wood Release than puzzlement over Karin and Izayoi's Wood clone in front of her.
"Could it be the actual bloodline relates to that Sage of Six Paths from the old myths?"
And indeed, Tsunade had unwittingly stumbled on the truth, Izayoi thought to himself while skimming the Scroll of Seals.
Karin just gave a little smile. Coming from the sticks of Kusagakure last year, she'd never heard of such ancient secrets.
Seeing no response from either, Tsunade kept reading her latest intel, frowning slightly:
"So the Rinnegan, Tenseigan…both are Sage's Eyes, yet the ninja world's myths only mention the Sage of Six Paths and his Rinnegan. Logically, the Tenseigan user should be 'the loser,' so why does that Ōtsutsuki Toneri call the Sage of Six Paths a loser with 'the loser's eyes'?"
"Could the Sage of Six Paths himself have been the loser, with the Gedo Statue taken by a Tenseigan user who spirited it off to the moon, leaving this ninja world to him?"
"Argh—these ancient figures, these powers—why do they keep popping up one after another?!"
Tsunade buried her hands in her hair in frustration.
Izayoi finally spoke with a light laugh:
"And isn't that also good news? If the myths are real, that means super-tier power could yet be linked to our own bloodlines, so there's hope we might one day match that level, don't you think?"
Seeing how even a realm-shattering force failed to cow Izayoi's confidence, Tsunade, Shizune, and Karin froze a second. Then Karin's eyes shone with admiration, Shizune's with approval, and Tsunade—after a moment of resignation—smiled wryly:
"It looks like my Yin Seal can preserve my youth, but not my spirit. Guess I really am old after all."
As though making a decision, she spoke seriously:
"Take the Scroll of Seals home with you. Your strength is the village's top priority now. If anything goes wrong, I'll bear it as Hokage."
"In that case, thanks, Lady Hokage. I won't stand on ceremony."
…
"Ōtsutsuki… Tenseigan…"
In the Hyūga clan's compound, Hyūga Hiashi murmured over the photo of "Ōtsutsuki Toneri."
"Never expected that lineage to truly exist. Does that mean we Hyūga descend from the Sage's line…?"
"The Caged Bird Seal—could it be linked to that lineage? Why did our ties break off so suddenly?"
…
Whatever all the outside factions thought, Izayoi's true body had no interest.
He used the Flying Thunder God to return to the underground basement of his traditional estate, activating a barrier and remaining there all this time.
Except for Hinata, no one knew the "Izayoi" they saw outside was just a wood clone feasting on chakra to maintain the disguise.
Just like last March, Hinata gently tended to the blinded Izayoi's daily needs. But unlike before, she and Izayoi were now officially in a relationship, so she sent a shadow clone to inform her father and stayed on as though it were natural.
Whereas last year she was gentle and mild, she now had a mischievous streak—surely learned from Izayoi.
While caring for him, she or her clones would frequently snap pictures and sometimes played pranks, collecting embarrassing photos or "blackmail material," unafraid of his vengeance once he healed.
She also asked curiously, "Izayoi-kun, can your Tenseigan evolve further like the Sharingan?"
"Mhm. I can sense my ocular power growing; presumably it'll keep progressing." Izayoi nodded. "Or I'm unlocking a greater power."
Hinata's expression turned odd: "Could these Sage's Eyes really be the Uzumaki's hidden kekkei genkai?"
Izayoi, eyes wrapped in bandages, just smiled without replying.
Whenever the Konoha Eleven or Tsunade and Shizune visited, Hinata used a shadow clone to accompany Izayoi's wood clone in greeting them.
When no one else was around, she'd help him wander outside for fresh air or soak together in the hot springs, giving him byakugan-style massage therapy.
No longer shy like the previous year, both acted perfectly at ease in the knowledge they were boyfriend and girlfriend.
This shift spurred Hinata to new courage, steadily increasing her "immunity" to embarrassment. She took on caring for Izayoi like a duty of a future wife—a shift that replaced her timidness with gentle warmth, making both realize they were growing up.
Unlike the half-month "first awakening" last year, Izayoi—now having awakened the ultimate dōjutsu—entered a second awakening phase. Across a single week, his Tenseigan finished its "fetal movement," absorbing chakra exuded by his brain and cells to manifest the second stage of "all-creation" power.
When at last his brain ceased generating that chakra, his eyeballs stopped that peculiar throbbing, and the new powers stabilized, Izayoi immediately removed the bandage and opened his eyes.
Visually unchanged, Tenseigan was still as beautiful as ever. But around the faint white glow like a solar aura, the pupil had gained an even deeper depth, giving off a startling ocular power.
Any weaker foe meeting his gaze would uncontrollably tremble, as if his look could literally kill.
Across from him, camera in hand, Hinata secretly snapped photos of Izayoi in this state.
He appeared to gaze intently straight ahead; in truth, his vision was penetrating the underground chamber like a massive invisible net, encompassing the Land of Fire and several neighboring countries, even portions of the major nations.
Switching to "god's-eye" vantage, half the ninja continent lay within Izayoi's detection range. Then going back to first-person view, he looked up through the basement, through the atmosphere, and directly at the moon.
A dilapidated city, a man-made sun, the palace within that sun, and a gigantic Tenseigan. He even saw the thirteen-year-old "Toneri"—still not in his prime 15-17 years, with chakra even less than Uzumaki Naruto—managing his daily life with puppet proxies and unable to observe the ninja world. Now the boy was fully in Izayoi's sight.
"Such an insane range of farsight and X-ray…" Izayoi inwardly clicked his tongue.
The second awakening's basic power boost even startled him. The Giant Tenseigan can watch the ninja world only because it combined all the branch family's Byakugan—and possibly those of the main family as well. Meanwhile, merely on his second awakening, Izayoi could oversee nearly the entire realm.
By the third awakening, or the final stage, his Tenseigan might well rival or even surpass that Giant Tenseigan.
Certainly, it was on a wholly different level from Toneri's Tenseigan that got smashed in one punch.
"Are my eyes just that special? Or is it due to the Sage's Eye (Red) trait?" he mused, leaning heavily on the latter.
After all, the Rinnegan is about merging two polar extremes, whereas Izayoi merges three.
Toneri was nowhere near fully mature, whereas Izayoi had already completed the second awakening.
Feeling his newly expanded chakra sense, Izayoi began examining the "universal force" in stage two. Just like the first awakening, the Tenseigan's second awakening granted him immense improvements to vision plus three new abilities:
1. Yin-Yang Release, the technique he'd longed for. Like sealing arts, it can vary extremely in scope. Without skill, you can only create black rods like Nagato and Obito.
But with mastery, combining Yin-Yang and Sage arts along with all seven nature transformations can produce the legendary jutsu beneath even the highest level: the Truth-Seeking Balls! Going further, possibly even replicating the Sage of Six Paths' "creation of all things."
The Sage wasn't an innate god but transcended into one; after death, he could still wield Truth-Seeking Balls via Yin-Yang Release and Six Paths Senjutsu. Now Izayoi had the beginnings of that path. Thanks to being a transmigrator with top-tier potential, he could one day acquire Tenseigan Chakra Mode and the Truth-Seeking Orbs.
2. Mind Sphere, mirroring the Rinnegan's Human Path. It can harvest a target's thoughts, project illusions of their memories, or even forcibly implant itself to control their mind and actions.
That surpasses the Human Path's ability to forcibly rip out souls. However, the Human Path can subdue spirits and is immune to illusions. Mind Sphere is unique in controlling the enemy, but it lacks the human-soul mastery of the Rinnegan.
3. Chakra Sphere, mirroring the Preta Path's absorption. Like Mind Sphere vs. Human Path, it's similar to but distinct from Preta Path.
The latter can create a force field to fully absorb ninjutsu. Direct contact drains the opponent's chakra.
Meanwhile Chakra Sphere can't create an all-range absorption barrier. Instead, it forms a glowing green orb in the hand that can devour any incoming jutsu, then shoot out as a beam that pierces a foe, siphoning their chakra on impact.
The user may reclaim that stolen chakra or turn the orb into a bomb. The stronger the chakra, the more devastating the explosion. If you drained a full jinchūriki, its blast might rival—or surpass—a Tailed Beast Bomb.
All three are support abilities. Alongside repulsive/attractive forces and Infinite Puppet Mastery, Izayoi now had an arsenal of offense, defense, buffs, and mass creation—an all-purpose combatant.
Only a dimension-shattering finishing move akin to the Rinnegan's final arts was lacking.
Izayoi couldn't help the grin tugging at his lips, excitement plainly showing.
Hinata, noticing, quietly scooted closer:
"Izayoi-kun, are you sensing new powers?"
His memory flashed back to his first Tenseigan awakening. He turned his focus to her and gave a mischievous smile that set her heart racing.
"…Yes," he said, "Would you like to see?"
Blushing, the girl hesitated but eventually nodded.
He gave a soft chuckle:
"Come on—let's watch a movie together."
Izayoi first turned off the lamp, pulled Hinata into his arms, and the two snuggled under the covers.
A gentle green glow split the darkness like a firefly, illuminating them in a warm glow. Holding Hinata close with one arm, Izayoi raised his other hand and formed a translucent, crystal-like green orb.
Under her curious gaze, images began to appear in it—memories from Izayoi and Hinata's childhood encounters.
"Izayoi-kun, is that…?" Hinata's eyes sparkled with pleasant surprise, staring at him.
"It's my memories," he said with a grin, gently tilting her chin.
"Don't speak—keep watching."
"Mhm…"
Hinata nodded repeatedly, lying within Izayoi's embrace, eyes alight on the glowing sphere. Scenes flickered like a slideshow: their meeting at three years old in that snowy night, reuniting at age six in the Academy, vowing to train together in tree climbing and water-walking, sparring in taijutsu, picnicking, chasing each other in snowman suits…
Watching their younger selves in the sphere, Hinata grew gradually entranced.
Originally, Izayoi planned to show her some "indecent clips," but somewhere along the line, he lost that mischievous urge. Instead, he just held her quietly, face beaming with contentment.
~~~
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