One month of forced inactivity gave Sasuke time to research his most ambitious objective yet.
The Giant Tenseigan on the moon.
He sat alone in his quarters, ancient texts spread before him—documents he'd "discovered" through careful research, though in truth he'd always known where to look.
The Otsutsuki clan split into two branches after Hamura's death, he thought, reviewing the information. One branch remained on the moon as guardians. The other returned to Earth and became the Hyuga clan.
The moon branch created the Giant Tenseigan—a massive construct formed from thousands of Byakugan. It powers their entire civilization and contains enough ocular energy to move the moon itself.
His Rinnegan gleamed as he analyzed the implications.
If I can access the Giant Tenseigan, I won't need to collect forty more Byakugan individually. I can absorb the entire construct at once. Thousands of Byakugan worth of power concentrated in one location.
The plan was audacious even by his standards.
But there are complications. The Otsutsuki branch on the moon—they're descended from Hamura directly. They'll have Tenseigan themselves. They'll be powerful.
He pulled out more notes—calculations on how to reach the moon, what defenses to expect, how to extract the Giant Tenseigan's power.
The moon has a gateway. Hidden in Earth's magnetic field. Accessible only to those with Otsutsuki chakra or...
He looked at his hands—Hashirama cells flowing with Senju chakra, which itself descended from Hamura through Asura's line.
Or those with sufficient Senju genetics. Which I have.
I can reach the moon. The question is timing.
Three Days Later—Before the Seven-Tails Mission
Sasuke called Team Taka together one final time before leaving with Akatsuki.
"I need to tell you something about the actual plan," he said, his Rinnegan active. "The Byakugan collection from the Hyuga clan is... secondary."
"Secondary to what?" Karin asked.
"To the moon."
Silence.
"The moon," Suigetsu repeated flatly. "You want to go to the actual moon."
"There's a Giant Tenseigan there. Created by the Otsutsuki clan centuries ago. Thousands of Byakugan worth of concentrated power in one location." Sasuke's voice carried absolute certainty. "If I can absorb it using Takama-ga-hara, I'll awaken Tenseigan immediately. No need to harvest the Hyuga clan member by member."
"How do you even know this?" Jugo asked carefully.
"Ancient texts. References in Uchiha records about Hamura's descendants. Logical deduction from studying Byakugan evolution patterns." All lies covering future knowledge. "The moon has always been more than just a celestial body. It's a storage facility for divine power."
"And you think you can just... go there and take it?" Karin's voice was skeptical.
"Yes. Because I have the necessary components." Sasuke counted on his fingers. "Rinnegan gives me access to Six Paths chakra. Senju genetics from Hashirama cells provide Hamura's bloodline. Flying Thunder God allows instant travel once I establish a marked location. And Takama-ga-hara lets me absorb dojutsu directly."
"What about the Otsutsuki who live there?" Suigetsu pointed out. "If they created this Giant Tenseigan, they're probably guarding it."
"They are. And they'll have Tenseigan themselves—at least one member of their clan." Sasuke's smile was cold. "Which makes them valuable targets for collection as well."
"You want to kill them and take their eyes too," Karin whispered.
"Obviously. Why would I leave functional Tenseigan uncollected?" Sasuke's logic was ruthless. "The moon mission accomplishes multiple objectives: absorb the Giant Tenseigan for mass Byakugan power, collect any individual Tenseigan users, and study Otsutsuki biology directly."
"When?" Jugo asked quietly. "When are you planning this?"
"After I've collected enough tailed beasts to be confident in my power level. The Otsutsuki on the moon are descended from Hamura—they're not standard shinobi. They're closer to... gods." Sasuke's Rinnegan blazed. "I need to be certain I can win before attempting the mission."
"So the Seven-Tails extraction now, then what?" Suigetsu leaned forward. "Eight-Tails? Nine-Tails?"
"Seven-Tails, then I reassess based on Akatsuki's stability. If Pain becomes problematic, I eliminate him and take his Rinnegan first. If not, I continue with Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails." Sasuke pulled out a timeline he'd marked. "Estimate: six months until I'm ready for the moon mission. Maybe less if opportunities present themselves."
"And us?" Karin asked. "What happens to Team Taka during all this?"
"You remain here. Train. Prepare. When I go to the moon, you'll be my anchor point on Earth—maintaining marked Flying Thunder God seals so I can return instantly if needed." Sasuke's tone was practical. "You're insurance. Emergency extraction if something unexpected happens."
"You mean if you bite off more than you can chew," Suigetsu said.
"I don't make that mistake. But contingencies are logical." Sasuke began sealing scrolls into his cloak. "The moon mission is the highest-risk operation I'll attempt. Having escape routes is simply intelligent planning."
A knock interrupted them.
"Sasuke." Konan's voice from outside. "It's time. We leave for Takigakure now."
Sasuke stood, adjusting his Akatsuki cloak. "Remember what I told you. Six months. Prepare accordingly."
He walked out, leaving Team Taka in stunned silence.
"He's actually going to the moon," Suigetsu said after a moment. "To fight gods and steal their eyes. This has officially become the most insane thing I've ever been part of."
"We should leave," Karin whispered. "Before he drags us into something that gets us all killed."
"We can't leave," Jugo said quietly. "He'd let us go, yes. But then we'd lose the only protection we have. Sasuke is terrifying, but he's OUR terrifying monster. Out there, we'd be targets for everyone."
"So we're prisoners," Karin said.
"We're survivors," Jugo corrected. "And we survive by staying close to the strongest piece on the board. Even if that piece is a monster who plans to assault the moon itself."
Leaving Akatsuki Base
Sasuke joined Konan, Deidara, and Kisame outside the base.
"Quite the team Pain assigned," Sasuke observed. "Three of Akatsuki's strongest members just to observe one extraction."
"He wants to make sure you don't decide to keep the Seven-Tails for yourself," Konan said flatly.
"Smart. Because that's exactly what I'll eventually do with all the bijuu." Sasuke's honesty was brutal. "But not today. Today I'm being cooperative."
"Why?" Deidara asked suspiciously. "What changed?"
"Nothing changed. I simply recognize that maintaining this alliance serves my purposes for now." Sasuke began walking. "You'll all understand eventually. When I've achieved what I'm building toward, the reasons will be obvious."
"And what are you building toward?" Konan pressed.
Sasuke looked back, his Rinnegan gleaming with purple light.
"Godhood. Complete and absolute. Power beyond anything this world has ever witnessed." His voice was utterly certain. "Rinnegan was step one. Tailed beasts are step two. Tenseigan from the moon is step three. And then..."
He smiled coldly.
"Then I'll surpass even the Sage of Six Paths himself. And everyone who helped me get there—willingly or unwillingly—will have contributed to something magnificent."
"You're insane," Konan said.
"I'm visionary. There's a difference." Sasuke's purple eyes blazed. "Now let's go extract the Seven-Tails. I want to test some new techniques I've been developing."
They moved through the landscape in silence.
Behind them, the Akatsuki base stood dark and foreboding.
Ahead, their target waited—unaware that the Dojutsu Hunter was coming.
And beyond that, far in the future, the moon hung in the sky.
Containing secrets ancient and terrible.
Containing power beyond mortal comprehension.
Containing the next prize in Sasuke's collection.
The Giant Tenseigan.
Thousands of Byakugan concentrated into one divine construct.
Waiting to be claimed.
Waiting to be absorbed.
Waiting to transform the Dojutsu Hunter into something unprecedented.
Something beyond human.
Something beyond shinobi.
Something that would look at gods and see equals.
Or perhaps... inferiors.
Sasuke walked toward his destiny with absolute confidence.
Six months until the moon mission.
Six months until he challenged the Otsutsuki on their own territory.
Six months until the greatest collection of his existence.
And nothing—not Akatsuki, not villages, not even celestial guardians—would stop him.
The path to godhood was clear.
The monster walked it without hesitation.
And the moon waited.
Silent.
Watching.
Unaware of what was coming.