Looking at the clansmen before him, Shinji's eyes burned with barely restrained fury.
He had not expected things to spiral this far.
That man from the Hidden Mist had actually taken the initiative to strike his stronghold inside Konoha. Worse, when the attack came, these people had not resisted at all. They had scattered and fled like cowards.
Utter trash.
Shinji raised a hand and gave a casual wave. In the next instant, the man who had just reported vanished, erased without even leaving a trace.
The others trembled, their bodies stiff with fear.
"Do any of you know why he died?" Shinji asked lightly.
One of the Ōtsutsuki clan members forced himself to answer, his voice shaking. "Because… we… ran away."
Shinji smiled.
"That's right. Because you ran." His gaze sharpened. "Do you not understand what was left behind? The sacred treasure of our Ōtsutsuki clan, the Golden Tenseigan."
He took a step forward, his voice turning cold.
"Even if you abandon everything else, even if you flee for your lives, your worth does not compare to that eye. Not even close. Do you understand?"
The group lowered their heads in silence, not daring to respond.
For a moment, Shinji considered killing them all on the spot. But the situation had already deteriorated too far. Slaughtering them now would achieve nothing.
Keeping them alive might still prove useful.
"Go," he ordered. "Gather every remaining Ōtsutsuki clansman."
"You have one day."
The group nodded frantically and fled. They had thought coming to the clan head would guarantee safety, but now they understood that even here, their lives hung by a thread.
Still, they did not truly run away this time. Instead, they scattered to locate the others. When they had fled earlier, they had kept track of each other's routes. With the Byakugan, finding them again would not be difficult.
"Troublesome," Black Zetsu said quietly.
Shinji frowned. "What are you worried about? That man discovering how to use the Tenseigan?"
He scoffed.
"Forget using it. The moment he approaches the Golden Tenseigan, his chakra will be drained dry. Only those who possess the Byakugan can withstand its power."
Black Zetsu smiled faintly. "That is exactly what concerns me. If he realizes this… obtaining the Byakugan will not be difficult for him."
Shinji's expression darkened.
"You're saying there's a chance he could actually control the Golden Tenseigan?"
"Unlikely," Shinji said after a pause, his tone firm. "Without the Byakugan, the Tenseigan's power cannot be guided or unleashed."
Black Zetsu did not argue further, but his instincts told him otherwise. If Shigure discovered the Golden Tenseigan, he would never let it go.
"Whether he has mastered it or not," Shinji continued, confidence returning to his voice, "as long as I see that eye again, I can take control of its power with ease."
Black Zetsu fell silent.
Soon, the scattered Ōtsutsuki began to regroup.
Shinji looked over the assembled clansmen, his gaze cold and commanding.
"We return to Konoha at once," he declared. "We will reclaim the Golden Tenseigan by force."
"If we fail, then every one of you will die to atone."
A ripple of unease spread through the group, but under Shinji's pressure, they steadied themselves. Compared to before, they now believed that only Shinji could deal with Shigure.
Just then, another Ōtsutsuki stepped forward.
"Clan Head, I have something to report."
Shinji's eyes narrowed. "Speak."
"The Golden Tenseigan… is gone."
Silence fell.
"What did you say?" Shinji's voice dropped.
"When I fled Konoha, I did not go far," the man explained quickly. "I stayed behind and observed from a distance."
"That man from the Hidden Mist… he was absorbing the power of the Tenseigan."
The clansmen stiffened.
"When I left yesterday," he continued, "he had already absorbed nearly all of its power."
"That is why I chose to escape."
Shinji's face paled slightly, the confidence from moments ago cracking.
"You're telling me… someone absorbed the power of the Tenseigan?"
"It's impossible."
Shinji shook his head, his tone firm and absolute.
"Without the Byakugan, no one can even approach the Tenseigan safely, let alone absorb its power. And even among those who possess the Byakugan, absorbing the Tenseigan's chakra is impossible."
He narrowed his eyes.
"This kind of thing simply cannot happen."
But the clansman did not waver.
"Clan Head, I saw it with my own eyes. The chakra of the Golden Tenseigan was being drained bit by bit… until it completely vanished."
Black Zetsu's expression darkened.
He did not know how Shigure had done it, but if this was true, then the situation had become far worse than expected.
If Shigure had truly absorbed the Tenseigan's chakra…
Then he would be far more dangerous than before.
"No… that's absolutely—"
Before Shinji could finish, a small figure stepped forward from the crowd.
"Clan Head," the child said calmly, "what he said is true."
"I can no longer sense any chakra fluctuations from the Golden Tenseigan. That alone proves it has been completely absorbed."
Shinji's expression turned cold as he looked at the one who had spoken.
A child?
In a moment like this, a mere child dared to step forward and interrupt him?
He was about to strike, but in the next instant, his gaze froze.
He stared at the boy carefully, scanning him from head to toe. Then, a strange light flickered in his eyes.
"Boy… you are…?"
The child bowed respectfully.
"My name is Ōtsutsuki Toneri."
"I thank the Clan Head for granting me these Byakugan."
Shinji was briefly stunned.
Ōtsutsuki Toneri… the branch family member who had been born without eyes.
Yet now, Shinji's gaze locked onto Toneri's eyes.
Those were unmistakably Byakugan. But at the same time, the chakra within them was unstable, fluctuating intensely.
Then it clicked.
These eyes… were not originally his.
They were transplanted.
And judging from the residual chakra within them… they most likely belonged to a member of the Hyūga clan's main family.
No wonder the fluctuations were so violent. The eyes had not fully synchronized with Toneri's body yet.
But even so…
They were rapidly adapting.
At this rate, once the fusion was complete, Toneri might even awaken the Tenseigan on his own.
Realizing this, a rare look of satisfaction appeared on Shinji's face.
He had not expected the Ōtsutsuki to possess such latent potential.
"Good," Shinji said, a smile slowly spreading across his face.
"Good… good… very good."
The three consecutive praises left Toneri momentarily stunned, and the surrounding clansmen were equally confused.
Why was the Clan Head suddenly so pleased?
Shinji stepped forward, his tone decisive.
"From today onward, you will remain by my side."