Chapter 301: The Moon Palace
"Is this the place?"
Hyuga Saori looked at the water in the pool, which strangely didn't wet her clothes, finding it hard to believe that this was the gateway to the surface of the moon.
"To be honest, I don't fully understand the principles behind it either, but this passage is real." Kyosuke shrugged, admitting he couldn't explain why the portal existed here.
He had simply dispatched his subordinates to find this location based on the plot details in his memory. If not for that foreknowledge, who would have imagined that this inconspicuous pool connected to the moon?
Saori glanced at him silently, then leaped into the pool without hesitation. On the shore, Kyosuke rubbed his nose with a wry smile and quickly followed her.
Once inside, they discovered that the strange water not only failed to soak their clothes but also offered almost no buoyancy. They plummeted toward the bottom of the pool as if jumping off a cliff.
They fell rapidly for nearly ten minutes. Finally, after passing through a membrane-like barrier, they emerged into a damp cavern.
The cave was filled with giant, strange crystals. Based on his memories, Kyosuke calculated that they were technically still within the Earth's sphere of influence, likely a pocket dimension or a transit point. To truly reach the center of the moon, they had to keep moving.
Reaching out to grab the hand of the curious Saori, Kyosuke jumped directly into another pool.
Splash.
The moment Kyosuke entered this second pool, he suddenly felt as though he had returned to the Uchiha clan compound. Standing before him was the Second Elder, fuming with rage, surrounded by numerous clansmen.
He realized immediately that this was a defensive measure left by the Otsutsuki clan on the moon to prevent outsiders from intruding. If an intruder became trapped in the genjutsu, unable to extricate themselves, they would likely drown in the pool.
Unfortunately for the trap, compared to Genjutsu: Dance of the Moonlit Butterfly, this level of illusion was hundreds of times weaker. Forget Kyosuke; even Saori could break free from it with ease.
After successfully dispelling the genjutsu, the two continued to sink until they finally emerged into a massive forest.
Upon landing, Hyuga Saori looked around, her tone uncertain. "Is this... really the moon?"
Kyosuke silently pointed to the sky above. There, a massive blue planet glowed with a faint, ethereal light.
Seeing this, Saori finally accepted the reality that she had left Earth. To be fair, even Kyosuke felt a sense of unreality about it all, but that didn't stop them from proceeding with their mission.
The main purpose of this trip to the moon was to analyze why Saori was still unable to awaken the Tenseigan. Kyosuke surmised that the answer lay in studying the descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki.
Even though Saori had awakened the Sage Body, strictly speaking, that body inherited the power of the Sage of Six Paths (Hagoromo). While Hagoromo and Hamura were brothers, there were subtle differences in their constitutions.
The key to unlocking the Tenseigan likely lay within those subtle differences.
"Next, let's try to locate the Otsutsuki clan," Kyosuke said, looking toward a complex of buildings faintly visible in the distance.
To his surprise, Saori shook her head. "No need," she whispered. "They've already found us."
"Hmm?"
Kyosuke paused, then extended his senses. Indeed, many people were rushing toward them. The two decided to stop walking and simply waited in place.
Swish!
The sound of breaking wind signaled their arrival. In the blink of an eye, dozens of Otsutsuki shinobi appeared, surrounding them with hostile expressions.
"Who are you?" the leader of the group asked, frowning as he scrutinized them. But before Kyosuke could reply, the man's expression shifted drastically.
"Byakugan?! You are... the Hyuga clan from Earth?"
Seeing the situation change, Kyosuke couldn't be bothered to speak. He let Saori handle it. Besides, without the Byakugan himself, his words might not carry much weight with these people.
Meeting the gazes of the countless eerie eyes surrounding her, Hyuga Saori nodded nonchalantly, confirming their identity.
Receiving confirmation, the leader's demeanor changed from guarded to respectful. He bowed solemnly. "Princess of the Byakugan, if you do not mind, please accompany us to the Moon Palace. The moon... is not very peaceful right now."
"Oh?" Saori looked at the man with interest. After a moment's thought, she nodded in agreement.
Seeing her assent, the man excitedly led the way, while his subordinates fanned out around them, keeping a close watch on the surroundings.
Kyosuke and Saori exchanged a silent glance, communicating with their eyes, before following the man in silence toward the highly advanced palace.
The Moon Palace was a complex of structures floating in the sky. All the Otsutsuki clansmen lived there—truly a clan of the heavens.
The method of entering the palace opened Kyosuke and Saori's eyes. It was a massive stone platform capable of free flight. They stood upon it as it slowly ascended into the air.
Looking at the stable boulder beneath his feet, Kyosuke suddenly had a thought: if the architectural style were changed and the stone replaced with clouds, it would truly feel like entering a celestial realm of immortals.
He knew that the Otsutsuki clan could achieve such feats entirely because of the "Giant Tenseigan." According to the original story, this energy vessel was formed by the fusion of countless Byakugan eyes from the Otsutsuki clan. Its power was great enough to move a celestial body the size of the moon, let alone control a few floating palaces.
As he thought about it, a strange idea ignited in Kyosuke's heart like a wildfire. However, not knowing the specific situation of the current Otsutsuki clan, he had to suppress his restless ambition for now and continue observing his surroundings.
Soon, the group arrived at the Moon Palace. After passing through a long corridor, they finally reached a vast hall where they met a man with a powerful aura.
Kyosuke and Saori knew without asking that this man was the current leader of the Otsutsuki clan.
"Welcome, Byakugan Princess, to the Moon Palace. I am the patriarch of the Otsutsuki clan, Otsutsuki Masaki." The man spoke polite pleasantries, and Saori responded in kind.
After taking their seats, Hyuga Saori suddenly asked, "I heard earlier that something seems to have happened here. Would Patriarch Masaki mind telling us the specific situation?"
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