Chapter 302: The Moon War
"Sigh."
Otsutsuki Masaki, the head of the Moon's main family, let out a soft sigh before slowly recounting the current state of the Otsutsuki clan.
"Following the orders of our ancestor Hamura, the Otsutsuki clan has guarded the Gedo Statue for generations and closely monitored the changes in the shinobi world."
Fearing they might not know the history, he explained how the Sage of Six Paths and his brother had sealed their mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Kyosuke, who knew the story well, and Saori, who had a general idea, listened patiently without interrupting.
"And so, our ancestor Hamura, along with his brother Hagoromo, sealed the Ten-Tails. After the battle, before his death, the Sage of Six Paths split the Ten-Tails' chakra within him and sealed the Gedo Statue into the moon created by the Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei. To watch over the Gedo Statue, Hamura and his clan moved to the moon."
"However, our ancestor did not agree with his brother's method of guiding the shinobi world. He left a decree: if the world strayed from the path of peace his brother envisioned, we were to purge it. To that end, he created a weapon capable of destroying the world."
Masaki sighed again, his expression heavy. "You know what happened next. The shinobi world has been in a constant state of war. People use chakra recklessly, abandoning the principles of Ninshu. Because of this, some in our clan believe it is time to end the chaos... and that brings us to our current situation."
"So," Saori interjected, "how do you view the shinobi world, Clan Leader Masaki?"
Masaki clasped his hands together and spoke slowly. "While war is constant, it is undeniable that the lives of ordinary people are slowly improving. Compared to the Warring States Period, there is relative peace. The main family and I believe that true peace will eventually come. But... the branch family disagrees."
"They have misinterpreted Hamura's decree. Their extremist ideology drives them to want to use force to eliminate those responsible for the conflict, without realizing the devastation it would cause."
"The branch family..." Saori mused. "So, they are currently trying to seize the weapon Hamura left in the Moon Palace to destroy the shinobi world?"
"Yes." Masaki nodded gravely.
The situation was clear. After a moment of feigned contemplation, Kyosuke asked, "How goes the war?"
Masaki looked at Kyosuke with a shameful expression. "I am embarrassed to say that the main family has suffered defeat after defeat against the branch family's rebellion. While they haven't reached the Moon Palace yet, without reinforcements, I fear..."
He looked at the two of them, his gaze lingering on Kyosuke.
Tasked with monitoring the world, the Otsutsuki clan had ways of observing events below. Masaki was well aware of Kyosuke's reputation as the strongest shinobi in the world.
Meeting his hopeful gaze, Kyosuke put on a righteous expression. "Hmph. A branch family daring to rebel openly? Rest assured, Clan Leader Masaki. Now that we are here, we will not let their schemes succeed."
Saori shot Kyosuke a knowing glance but nodded in agreement.
"That is wonderful!" Masaki exclaimed, overjoyed. "With your help, the branch family's rebellion will soon be crushed. I don't know how to thank you."
"Think nothing of it. As members of the shinobi world, it is our duty," Kyosuke said smoothly, ignoring Saori's disdainful look.
Then, Kyosuke put on a hesitant expression. Seeing this, Masaki asked, "Is something wrong? If you have any requests, please speak freely. If it is within my power, I will not refuse."
Although Masaki lacked worldly experience due to living on the moon, he wasn't stupid. The Byakugan Princess's arrival must have had a purpose. Since his clan needed their help, it was only natural for them to have requests.
Kyosuke stated his request plainly: he wished to study the unique constitution of the Otsutsuki clan members. Hearing this, Masaki breathed a sigh of relief.
He readily agreed, offering Kyosuke full access to their laboratory equipment.
Of course, he subtly implied that the research should not harm his clansmen, a condition Kyosuke readily agreed to.
And so, Kyosuke and Saori settled into the Moon Palace. Kyosuke made a brief trip back to the shinobi world to make some arrangements before throwing himself into his research on awakening the Tenseigan.
While Kyosuke was busy with his experiments, in a secluded canyon a hundred miles from the Moon Palace, a group of people were gathered in a room, discussing their next move.
"My lord, our spies report that the Byakugan Princess has arrived at the Moon Palace, accompanied by Uchiha Kyosuke," a white-robed Otsutsuki reported to his leader.
These were the members of the branch family rebellion, led by Otsutsuki Hane.
"The Byakugan Princess... Uchiha Kyosuke..."
After a long silence, Hane opened his eyes. He ignored the news of their arrival and asked about something else. "I heard that the Hyuga clan in the shinobi world has successfully broken the Caged Bird seal?"
"Y-yes," the spy stammered, confirming the news.
"Good. I have a mission for you. Remember, secrecy is paramount. The outcome of this war depends on your success," Hane said solemnly.
"Please command me, my lord. I will do everything in my power," the spy replied, his expression resolute.
He knew that if the rebellion failed, they would not get a second chance. The main family would show no mercy.
Hane nodded in satisfaction and revealed his plan.
"Since the Caged Bird seal has been broken, there are now many pure Byakugan available. I need you to bring me two suitable Hyuga members to awaken Hamura's ultimate power: the Tenseigan."
The room erupted in excitement.
"Why didn't I think of that? With the Tenseigan, the main family won't stand a chance!" one man cheered. Then, a thought occurred to him. "If that's the case, why not bring back more Hyuga and awaken Tenseigan for more of us?"
Hane shook his head and sighed. "It's not that simple. Awakening those legendary eyes requires more than just a transplant. From what I've observed, I am likely the only one... no, even I cannot guarantee success. The only one who can truly ensure it is probably Toneri..."
"Toneri? The young master?" The others recalled the boy born without eyes and exchanged uncertain glances.
They suspected this was just an excuse to prevent others from gaining such power.
Hane, aware of their thoughts, sneered inwardly but said nothing. He stood and left the room, leaving his subordinates to their speculation.
"Well, I'm off," the spy said, following his leader out. The others had no choice but to accept the situation.
The spy moved carefully, bypassing the main family's guards at the barrier and successfully crossing the passage into the Land of Fire.
Taking a deep breath of the different air, he muttered, "Earth is so much better. I don't know what our ancestor was thinking, leaving such a beautiful world to live on the desolate moon for all these years."
Shaking his head, he got his bearings and sped off toward Konoha.
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