No matter what methods he used, Momoshiki couldn't locate Kinshiki—not even a clue as to whether the man was alive or dead. The uncertainty gnawed at him.
Could it be... that on this seemingly degenerate planet, a force had emerged that defied all logic, reaching a divine level even beyond his comprehension?
Even if that were the case, as a proud scion of the Ōtsutsuki clan—the very aristocracy of heaven—Momoshiki would never allow himself to retreat.
Gods? His ancestors had crushed gods before, wiping them out entirely.
Even the Shinobi World, which once rivaled the Ōtsutsuki's Takamagahara in power and divinity, had been shattered under their might. The largest remnant of that world had become today's Shinobi World... and even that had been used to plant a God Tree!
Those who only dared to hide in the shadows, remnants of past defeats squirming like worms, held no fear for Momoshiki—even if they possessed more strength than he did.
Still, to draw these vermin out...
He would need to use a few tricks.
Momoshiki activated his newly acquired Tenseigan, coordinating with the red Rinnegan embedded in both palms, attempting to pierce through the thick white fog that blanketed the Shinobi World.
But this time, he wasn't aiming for Naruto or Kinshiki.
He was targeting anyone connected to them.
First and foremost was that seductive man with serpent-like eyes—the one who had performed surgery on Naruto. With the time-based powers of his Rinnegan, Momoshiki tried to reverse and peer through Orochimaru's life.
But the moment he began, he collided once again with that white mist.
Fortunately, this time the mist wasn't as impervious as the one blanketing the entire Shinobi World. Gathering his strength, Momoshiki unleashed the Ocular Power of both supreme dōjutsu.
With a hiss, the white fog was pierced!
Joy welled up in Momoshiki's heart. Just as he was about to trace Orochimaru's life—
A massive, grotesque serpent head suddenly appeared. Its vertical golden pupils locked onto him with immense pressure—this was a battle of Ocular Power.
Boom!
The serpent seemed to falter slightly, retreating a little.
But the next moment, the eyes of the White Phosphorus Snake were shrouded by a strange tissue that nullified dōjutsu. Then, with its massive body, it rammed straight at Momoshiki.
"Argh!"
Momoshiki didn't have time to react. His head split open, blood gushing out, and his body cracked apart, nearly exploding on the spot.
The serpent's maw gaped wide, unleashing a powerful suction force, ready to swallow the heavily injured Momoshiki whole.
At the critical moment, Momoshiki regained consciousness. All four of his supreme eyes burst with repulsion force, forcibly repelling the serpent. At the same time, he disengaged the divine technique he had initiated.
His spiritual projection within the Shinobi World was rapidly dispelled just in time to avoid being devoured by the White Snake Sage.
...
On the moon, Momoshiki lay sprawled in the ruins of a half-destroyed structure, gasping for breath like a dog that had barely escaped death. He gulped down the thin, frigid air of this satellite.
Though his spirit had returned, the sensation of having one's soul shattered and reassembled was no trivial matter. Even with the Tenseigan nourishing his soul, blood still flowed from his hands and eyes...
That brief exchange had already confirmed it:
The Shinobi World hid a divine-level power of resistance.
One he could not face right now!
But as a genius with no equals among his peers, Momoshiki's pride would never allow him to retreat just because of the White Snake Sage's existence.
In his eyes, if that so-called sage hadn't struck when they first arrived, it could only mean one thing—he feared the Ōtsutsuki clan deep down.
As long as Momoshiki remained in space, remained on the moon, the other side wouldn't dare act.
And from here, he could freely send various forces down to the Shinobi World to stir chaos—forcing the so-called gods into the open.
Once they stepped out of the Shinobi World... Momoshiki was confident he could toy with those backwater deities to death.
After all, the Ōtsutsuki clan's divine arts were vast and profound. Even in decline, they were still among the mightiest forces in the cosmos. The treasures they'd accumulated over countless millennia were far beyond what these makeshift, self-proclaimed gods could ever match.
As for how to lure these Shinobi World gods into space—
Momoshiki already had a plan.
His first spiritual clash with the White Snake Sage had taught him one thing: certain unique individuals in the Shinobi World were under divine protection.
Those individuals were undoubtedly of critical importance to their guardian deities.
They might carry the bloodline of a god, or inherit their techniques, or serve as vessels to guide the world's destiny...
But Momoshiki had no intention of continuing his spiritual probing into Sasuke, Neji, or others who exhibited unique traits.
After all, he had not yet reached the level of a true god. To confront wild gods in their own domain using only spiritual power... was far too taxing.
That said, he was certain: among the Shinobi World's gods, none had surpassed the true divine realm.
In the vast cosmos, even a planet with mere "True God" was considered a force the Ōtsutsuki clan typically avoided. Such worlds were generally ranked mid-to-high second tier, or at best, low first-tier on the universal scale.
And such worlds could never spawn these skulking, wild gods...
With his status within a first-rate universal power—and as a fated divine seed himself—Momoshiki understood all too well the desires and weaknesses of these rogue gods.
In short, all he had to do was place the chosen vessels of these gods in extremely dire situations.
The gods would have no choice but to cast aside their pride and intervene personally.
At that moment, Momoshiki would strike.
In the boundless stars, he would use the true power and techniques of the Ōtsutsuki clan... to hunt gods.
Though he was destined to become a god, if he could slay multiple gods before his own divinity had fully awakened upon returning to his clan, he would receive far more attention and cultivation!
Right now, he was merely a seed destined to become a true god. But if he succeeded in this feat, he could elevate himself to the level of a True God seed!
That would place his future beyond that of any ordinary Ōtsutsuki elder.
He would be revered even by common members of the clan—a god among gods.
...
Despite having no rival among his generation, Momoshiki still held himself to a genius's pride and standards.
Unfortunately, this expedition had been too distant from home.
Among his companions, he had only brought Kinshiki—a branch clan bodyguard. Urashiki, who carried numerous prototype Divine Tools, had that infuriatingly carefree attitude Momoshiki loathed. The man had even vanished without a trace...
In Momoshiki's possession now were only the spoils taken from Isshiki and one captive:
A full-blooded Ōtsutsuki criminal...
A God Tree that had been cultivated and induced into a juvenile Ten Tails...
And Ōtsutsuki Toneri—stripped of his Tenseigan.
Though Toneri's bloodline was excellent, he was currently in his weakest state. Combined with the remaining puppet materials on the moon...
A little refining and he might become a more useful tool than even Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki.