The moment Tsukihime finished her shy explanation, the room fell into silence. Ōtsutsuki Hamura turned to the long-haired man beside him, and the flames of fury seemed to flicker in his white eyes.
"Ancestor-sama, please don't believe her nonsense! Who would activate the Tenseigan just because it looks pretty?!"
Feeling Hamura's burning gaze, the long-haired man shrank back and shouted defensively.
"Allow me to explain."
Sensing the conversation spiraling into absurdity, Byakuya finally stepped forward, her white eyes serious and her expression somber.
"Ancestor-sama, you're aware of the crisis our clan faces—no, it's not just a crisis. It's extinction."
"Sigh…"
Hamura lowered his head, ashamed. He knew he bore some blame. If it weren't for him, his brother wouldn't have locked the gate, and the Ōtsutsuki clan might not have dwindled this far.
"The problem of declining population started long ago. We've tried everything—resources, energy, time."
Barefoot on the cold stone floor, Byakuya paced slowly, her tone laced with melancholy.
"Uwaaaahhh…"
Behind the long-haired man, a few ghostly elderly figures broke into sobs as memories of their losses flooded back.
"We found no solution. But just as we were at our wits' end, the clan leader received a response from the Tenseigan during one of her regular offerings."
Byakuya gave the weeping old men a sideways glance before turning to gaze reverently at the glowing Tenseigan.
"Wait—why didn't I know about this?"
The white-haired ghost lady looked shocked. She was in the Tenseigan, after all—how could it have responded?
"Eh? Shishō, I thought you did know?"
Tsukihime tilted her head, puzzled.
"Tell me exactly what the Tenseigan said."
Hamura stepped forward, brows furrowed. The Tenseigan was a weapon—how could it have awareness?
Tsukihime's white eyes filled with nostalgia.
"It was twenty years ago. I was still a girl—house, land, living the dream."
Then came the annual festival. That day would change everything.
"I dressed in formal attire and knelt before the Tenseigan, praying from the depths of my heart for salvation for our clan."
"To my surprise, a voice answered. Cold, yet gentle. Like a mother's."
Her expression softened with longing.
"The Tenseigan told me: 'Activate me. Open the path between the moon and Earth, and the Ōtsutsuki clan shall be saved.'"
"…She?"
Of all things, Gin caught that detail.
"Yes. A motherly voice."
Tsukihime turned to him seriously.
"That's… not how it should work."
Hamura didn't doubt her sincerity, but he knew the Tenseigan. It shouldn't be sentient.
SLAP! "I got it!"
The ghost granny clapped her hands suddenly, confidence beaming from her aged face.
"It must be that Tsukihime's sincere prayers awakened the residual consciousness of a clan member who had once offered their Byakugan to the Tenseigan! That soul responded in kind!"
Her logic was so crisp, everyone nodded in agreement, praising the noble selflessness of the clan's ancestors.
"Really?"
Watching everyone get caught in the moment, Gin nudged Hamura quietly.
"Uncle, you don't actually buy this, do you?"
"…You don't?"
"If you're happy, I'm happy."
Seeing Hamura's wide-eyed expression, Gin chose to disengage. After all, he already had the Tenseigan. Whatever weird subplot was playing out, it was no longer his concern.
—
Back in the Shadow Realm, the black aura clicked its tongue.
"Tch. That little brat really got the Tenseigan already. I was hoping to stir things up with Hamura's dumb descendants a bit more."
With the moon now boring, she turned her gaze downward.
"Time to follow this kid and mess with Hagoromo's legacy instead."
She drifted past two lifeless puppets and recoiled in disgust.
"Ugh, trash like this isn't even worth using as vessels. If I didn't still have a body, I'd be tempted to plant a Kāma in him…"
After some serious consideration, she let that idea go. For now.
The boy had potential—better to nurture him as an ally. Even if she wasn't the sharpest kunai in the pouch, she could still do basic math.
—
"Cough. This… this whole mess is my failure."
Hamura sighed as order returned. He looked at the others with deep remorse.
"I thought you had misinterpreted my legacy and planned to destroy Earth…"
"Destroy Earth? With all those amazing books down there? Absolutely not!"
Tsukihime had been using her family's surveillance tools to spy on Earth. When she discovered Earth's endless literature, her admiration grew—and her only dream was to use the Tenseigan to go down there and hoard it all.
"You guys seriously didn't notice what's happening down there?!"
The long-haired man tried to reclaim attention, insisting that something evil must be afoot.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Tsukihime tilted her head. Did she miss some must-read bestseller?
"People on Earth are fighting! Blood and chaos everywhere! And you don't want to destroy that?"
"Oi, I'm still here, you know. Watch your mouth."
Gin frowned as he opened his last bag of snacks. He wasn't about to let some washed-up side character talk smack about his home planet.
"Conflict is normal. We fought each other for years too. Look at how few of us are left."
Tsukihime, looking adorably naive as always, had surprisingly deep insight. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Clearly, she was the rightful leader.
"Grr…"
The long-haired man had no retort. He could only fume in silence.
"Alright, alright. So this was all… a giant misunderstanding."
Hamura sighed heavily. He had been misled by false information—and almost caused disaster because of it.
Turning toward Gin, who was now cracking seeds and whistling, the ancestor twitched slightly. He forced himself to maintain dignity.
"You, descendant of Earth… thank you. You've helped us avert a catastrophe."
"No worries, we're all family here. Just don't forget my mission reward~"
Gin tossed the seed shells aside and waved casually.
"I'll teach you the teleportation seal later. But first, I have one last favor to ask."
Hamura gave a serious look toward his kin, then turned to Gin, voice heavy with meaning.
"Go ahead. I won't run."
Gin patted his chest confidently.
"It may sound abrupt, but… I ask you to help our Ōtsutsuki clan on the moon… to continue our bloodline."
"…Hah???"
Gin's face froze. The air behind him grew cold—several gazes pierced him like needles.
Cold sweat poured like a waterfall.
"Gin-sama… we have only 66 precious seeds left on the moon. We beg for your help~"
Byakuya smiled sweetly, a seductive mole at the corner of her lip. Her words were tender, her tone syrupy.
But she was on a mission now—no more subtlety needed. That so-called "Clan Restoration Plan" was now scrap paper.
"NOPE! I've got a road down below! All varieties, pick your favorite! Guaranteed fresh stock, satisfaction for all ages—single or not!"
(End of Chapter)
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