Feeling like something was about to happen, Gin suppressed the strange sensation within him and swung his massive axe even harder. Following the pull in his blood, he hacked through vines and trees until he arrived before a mountain cave hidden beneath layers of cedar trees.
Rumble—
Gin didn't bother showing restraint toward these ancient trees. He clapped his hands together, and a faint green glow enveloped them. Mokuton (Wood Release) chakra surged into the ground beneath his feet, spreading through the roots.
The heavy trees before him began to creak and shift as if they had a will of their own. With a loud rumble, they slowly moved aside, revealing a wide entrance.
"Alright~ The adventure begins!"
Staring into the pitch-black tunnel, Gin wasn't afraid in the slightest. On the contrary, he was full of anticipation as he darted into the cave without hesitation.
Once inside, Gin activated his mutated blue Byakugan. Instantly, the darkness lifted, making visibility easy. The interior of the cave was damp, silent, and seemingly endless. The walls were smooth and moss-covered, while the ground was unnaturally flat—clearly a man-made path. Dripping water echoed alongside a faint breeze, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Shivering slightly, Gin hugged his thin clothes tighter around him and followed the stronger and stronger tug in his blood as he ventured deeper.
Drip... drip...
Before even reaching the end, the sound of dripping water grew louder, and the humidity thickened.
Just as expected, at the deepest point of the cave, a vast chamber opened up before him. In the center, a pool of still water reflected strands of moonlight filtering in from above like a mirror.
"Tch! Why does this place look so familiar...?"
The stirring in his blood had reached its peak, but Gin didn't rush forward. Instead, he stared at the pool, a faint sense of déjà vu nagging at him. He had definitely seen something like this before, but couldn't recall where.
He pushed aside the doubt for now. There was business to do.
Slowly approaching the water's edge, he activated his Byakugan to peer deep into the dark pool.
"Ah! There it is~"
Thanks to his enhanced sight, Gin locked onto a black sword buried deep at the bottom of the pool.
However, even with the Byakugan, he couldn't fully see through it. It looked like a random chunk of black scrap metal.
Hiss~~
Gin dipped his hand into the water and immediately felt a piercing chill, drawing a sharp breath.
No doubt about it—this wasn't ordinary water. But he wasn't about to leave empty-handed.
He coated himself in a layer of chakra armor, plugged his nose, and dove straight in.
With the chakra barrier, the chill was blocked, and Gin swam toward the sword with steady strokes.
"This is harder than I thought."
The deeper he went, the heavier his body became. The water felt like molten lead, completely lacking any buoyancy.
Thankfully, his strong physique kept him from suffocating. After about ten minutes, he finally reached the sword.
The blade wasn't as majestic as Gin had expected. It looked extremely plain, almost like it was carved from charcoal. Still, with his meta knowledge, Gin suspected it must be something related to Onmyōton (Yin-Yang Release)—only something of that level would suit the Rikudō Sennin (Sage of Six Paths).
Without hesitation, Gin reached out to pull it free—only to find that no matter how much force he used, it didn't budge an inch.
"Hah! You think I'll lose in a test of strength?!"
Now he was pissed. Grabbing the hilt with both hands, he gathered all his chakra and activated his full strength. A brilliant blue aura burst out around him.
Fueled by confidence, Gin tightened his grip. Veins bulged along his arms. His feet sank into the ground from the pressure—but the sword didn't move. At all.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he shook out his arms, now sore and trembling. This... this was his second real defeat since transmigrating.
The first time had been when Butsuma punched the arrogance out of him, teaching him to lay low and grow quietly. He thought after all these years with system support, he was basically a baby Ōtsutsuki... but now he was humbled once again.
"Hm?"
Just as he was about to give up and try another approach, Gin's Byakugan caught sight of something around the base of the sword—a faint ring of script.
He crouched down to inspect it.
"Looks like some kind of jutsu formula... Maybe a summoning seal? But not quite..."
Using his limited knowledge, Gin tried to figure it out. It looked like a space-time formula, similar to Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique), but... different.
He couldn't fully make sense of it. Another reminder that he really should study more when he got back.
"Eh? It's glowing?!"
Just as he reached out to brush away the muck covering the seal, the inscription began to glow white.
Panicked, Gin instinctively tried to leap back—but he forgot he was underwater. With the heavy, oppressive flow around him, he barely moved an inch.
In that moment, the seal activated.
"I knew it! The Hagoromo clan really are a bunch of scheming bastards!"
Those were his last words before the blinding white light enveloped him completely.
Then—he shot upward, straight toward the full moon hanging in the sky above.
Damn it! I'm getting sent to the moon?!
Unable to control his body, Gin watched helplessly as he was torn apart into specks of white light and absorbed into the distant moon.
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit space...
A figure hovered in midair. A very old man slowly opened his eyes, revealing a set of purple concentric-ringed Rinnegan. He stroked his long goat-like beard, brows furrowing.
"So another descendant made it in... I told that Hagoromo boy not to open the gate so easily."
"Who is it this time? Indra? Asura?"
Feeling someone had tried to pull his sword, the old man gave a deep sigh. After sensing more carefully, he froze.
"Indra, Asura... and Hamura? What kind of mutt is this?!"
He was stunned. This descendant had a tangled, absurd mix of bloodlines. Even his younger brother Hamura's blood was strongly present.
"Hmm... maybe this kid is... useful."
A flicker of thought passed through his eyes. After all these years, he had a vague sense that a looming crisis was approaching.
This mixed-blood descendant might be just the pawn he needed to test his theory.
"If he dies in there, then he was never worthy."
With that, the old man closed his eyes again. The pale yellow space returned to silence.
"Can someone tell me where the hell I am?! Is this even still the same country?!"
After being transported by the seal for what felt like an eternity, Gin finally regained control of his body and opened his eyes.
He found himself in a dense jungle, full of heavy tropical air and towering trees.
"Did I just come out the other side?"
He looked around, confused. This wasn't the same forest he'd entered. Nothing matched.
Creak!
"Sigh~ I really did fly off the map this time."
He let out a long breath as a strange figure appeared before him—limbs twisted at unnatural angles, wrapped in bandages.
"INTRUDER DETECTED. INTRUDER DETECTED!"
The figure's pale face and stiff voice felt mechanical. Suddenly, two more long arms sprouted from its back, launching it toward Gin.
"What the hell is even happening anymore...?"
With no other choice, Gin met it head-on. His fist, empowered by monstrous strength, slammed into its face.
BOOM!!!
With a thunderous crash, the puppet shattered into pieces—limbs flying, gears and wires spilling everywhere.
"IN...TRU...DER... DE...TEC...TED..."
Even the decapitated head was still twitching and speaking. Gin noticed the mouth was full of delicate gears—it was a puppet.
"Dammit... I said I was gonna lay low... how'd I end up HERE?!"
Gin didn't even get a moment to relax. In the distance, a swarm of dark shadows was flying toward him.
Yep.
He was on the moon.
The place where his ancestor was sealed.
(End of Chapter)
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