The storm of chakra within Hyuga Shinichi finally subsided. He looked around the desolate cavern one last time. With a flick of his wrist, he condensed a massive orb of chakra and left it hovering in the center of the base.
Before the detonation could occur, Shinichi vanished using Flying Raijin.
Moments later, a mountain in the Land of Lightning erupted in a pillar of fire. The explosion roared like a thunderclap, vibrating through the earth for miles. In the distant Hidden Cloud Village, ninjas looked toward the horizon, wondering if a sudden summer storm was approaching. They had no idea that a secret Otsutsuki stronghold—and everything within it—had just been buried forever.
A Safe Haven
Shinichi reappeared in his room at the Hyuga estate. The entire excursion had taken very little time. He immediately went to check on Toneri, who was still unconscious. Ryushiki's strike had been brutal, and the boy's body wasn't yet durable enough to handle such force.
Shinichi placed a hand on Toneri's chest, channeling Yang Release chakra. The warm energy mended internal bruising and stabilized the boy's breathing. After a few minutes, Toneri's eyelids fluttered.
Suddenly, Toneri's body jerked. On pure survival instinct, he threw a punch at the figure beside him.
Shinichi caught the small fist effortlessly. "Easy, Toneri. It's me."
His voice was calm and steady. Toneri's vision cleared, and as he recognized Shinichi kneeling beside him, the fear vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief. He threw his arms around Shinichi.
"Big brother..."
For the first time, Toneri let his emotions pour out. Back on the moon, he had been alone, surrounded only by puppets and duty.
Seeing Shinichi after facing a "god" who intended to kill him shattered his remaining walls. Shinichi didn't push him away; he simply patted the boy's back until the trembling stopped.
"Who was that man?" Toneri asked eventually, his voice muffled.
"His name was Otsutsuki Ryushiki," Shinichi explained. "He was of your clan, but he was no friend. He was drawn here by your Tenseigan. But don't worry—he's dead. You're safe here. No one will hurt you while I'm around."
Shinichi tucked Toneri back into bed. The boy was exhausted, and within minutes, he was snoring lightly. Shinichi quietly stepped out and returned to his own room.
Predatory Ambition
Sitting in the moonlight, Shinichi reflected on the night's events. The harvest was massive:
Strength Assessment: He confirmed he was now firmly at the Six Paths level.
The Treasure: He had secured the Karasuki, the time-traveling turtle.
The Power-Up: By absorbing Ryushiki's "Golden Karma," his chakra reserves and ocular power had expanded exponentially.
He felt as though his body had perfectly fused with this alien energy. He realized that if he pursued Senjutsu (Sage Mode) now, the amount of Natural Energy he would need to balance his current chakra would be staggering. The difficulty of mastering Sage Mode had increased, but the potential payoff was now god-like.
He pulled out the Karasuki turtle. It was silent, looking like a simple stone carving. No manual, no inscriptions. I'll need time to study this, he thought.
As he lay down to sleep, a dark, ambitious thought drifted through his mind:
If absorbing one lower-tier Otsutsuki gave me this much power... what would happen if I "ate" more of them?
Back to Reality: The Academy
A week passed.
Hiashi had pulled every string possible to get Toneri enrolled in the Ninja Academy. Since Toneri had spent his entire life in isolation on the moon, he lacked even the most basic cultural and academic education.
Even with Minato's blessing, Toneri had to start in the foundational classes with the younger children.
At nearly 11 years old, Toneri was going to be in a classroom with 6 and 7-year-olds. Shinichi found the mental image hilarious but also a bit concerning.
"Listen, Toneri," Shinichi had warned him several times during the week. "People might stare. They might even try to bully you because you're older. Ignore them. Focus on the books. If you learn fast, you can skip grades and join Hinata's level soon."
Toneri had nodded with a determined look. "I won't let you down, Big Brother."
On the first day of school, the entire Hyuga "inner circle"—Hiashi, Hanako, and Shinichi—walked Toneri and Hinata to the gates. It was a rare display of family unity that drew many eyes.
At the entrance, they met Mizuki (the academy instructor), who led Toneri inside. Shortly after, Hinata spotted her friends and hurried off to her own classroom, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement.
Ino's Curiosity
As Hinata walked toward her classroom, Ino Yamanaka ambushed her, grabbing her arm.
"Hinata! What was that?!" Ino whispered loudly. "Your parents actually walked you to the gate? And who were those two guys with them? I've never seen them before!"
Ino, like many girls her age, was already highly attuned to "handsome newcomers." She had seen Shinichi's sharp, mature features and Toneri's exotic white hair.
"Which ones?" Hinata teased, though she was still a bit annoyed that Shinichi had been spending so much time training Toneri. "The black-haired one is my older brother, Shinichi. The younger one with white hair is Toneri."
"Your brother?!" Ino's eyes widened. "I didn't know you had a brother like that! And who is Toneri? Is he a relative?"
"He's my... adopted brother, I guess," Hinata replied. "My big brother brought him back to the clan. Why? Thinking of ditching Sasuke already?"
Ino didn't even blush. She just tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, your brother is definitely good-looking... but that Toneri kid has a really unique vibe. What class is he in? Is he strong? How does he compare to Sasuke?"
Hinata burst into laughter and started running toward the classroom. "You change your mind so fast! I'm going to tell Sakura she has one less rival to worry about!"
"Hey! Don't you dare!" Ino yelled, chasing after her. "I never said I was giving up on Sasuke! Hinata, wait up!"
As the girls disappeared into the building, a passing Iruka-sensei sighed, already feeling the onset of a headache.
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