Stepping into the castle, Ōtsutsuki Toneri quickly ascended to the highest level, where his father awaited.
"Father," Toneri greeted as he entered, approaching Ōtsutsuki Hagaku with a slight bow.
"Toneri, how was your training today?" Hagaku's pale Byakugan eyes betrayed a hint of regret before he smiled gently.
Though born blind, this son's talent still left him deeply satisfied, and thus Hagaku cared for him more than most would imagine.
"Thank you for your concern, Father. My training has not lagged behind," Toneri replied lightly, a faint smile on his lips.
Despite believing that many of the branch family members were somewhat… unhinged, Toneri still maintained respect for his father—a father who had always shown him care and attention.
"Indeed. I've never once worried about you, Toneri," Hagaku said with a contented smile. His son had never caused him concern. Polite, intelligent, and diligent in training, he was nearly the perfect image of the son Hagaku had envisioned.
Yet…
The thought that he was born blind still made Hagaku silently sigh.
Among the Ōtsutsuki clan on the moon, the Byakugan was the most distinguished symbol of their bloodline. What a pity.
Even with his exceptional talent, Toneri's blindness would make it difficult to command respect among others; it could even draw criticism.
"Father, what did you wish to see me about today?" Toneri asked with a soft smile. He could not see, yet that did not mean he could not perceive.
His acute senses detected even the slightest shift in Hagaku's mood. A moment of contemplation revealed his father's thoughts—but he didn't care.
He had never intended to inherit Hagaku's position. The branch family head—sounding impressive, perhaps—but on the moon, the Ōtsutsuki branch families were nothing but a collection of lunatics.
The Ōtsutsuki clan had been brought to the moon by Hamura Ōtsutsuki, the younger brother of the Sage of the Six Paths, for the sole purpose of guarding the seal of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
By now, nearly a millennium had passed. For the most part, everything had remained peaceful.
Until roughly ten years ago, the Eccentric Demon Statue, always under the clan's watch, disappeared without a trace.
The statue was enormous—the moon itself had been searched thoroughly by the Ōtsutsuki clan, yet no sign remained.
There was only one possibility left: it had been stolen by the people of the ninja world.
It was a bombshell. The branch family erupted into outrage. They accused the ninja world of unforgivable crimes, for stealing the statue.
Moreover, having lived through countless wars, the branch family considered the world left behind by the Sage of the Six Paths a mistake—completely unworthy of existing.
The main family, however, held the exact opposite view.
Two conflicting ideologies had driven the rift between the main and branch families to the brink of explosion.
By now, it was almost a powder keg, ready to ignite.
In other words, the Ōtsutsuki branch families were all stubborn lunatics—eager to destroy the ninja world and usher in a new era.
Toneri had no interest in leading these madmen. He would rather watch them clash with the main family and, ideally, wipe each other out entirely.
"Toneri, you've always wanted to see the ninja world, haven't you? How about I take you there tomorrow?" Hagaku said with a light smile, completely unaware of what his son had been planning.
Toneri had mentioned countless times that he wished to see the ninja world, the world left behind by the Sage of the Six Paths.
The Hyūga clan there, also descended from Hamura Ōtsutsuki, piqued his curiosity even more.
Previously, Hagaku had delayed the trip due to other responsibilities. Now, he finally had the opportunity to take Toneri to see it.
"Thank you, Father!" Toneri's joy was immediate, his voice filled with gratitude.
The teleportation array between the moon and the ninja world was strictly controlled by the Ōtsutsuki clan. For Toneri to go alone would have been near impossible.
"Hehe… rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I will accompany you," Hagaku said, smiling at his son's happiness.
Toneri's mind was remarkably mature for his age. Though this was commendable, the occasional glimpse of childlike wonder pleased Hagaku greatly.
"Yes, Father. I shall take my leave for now," Toneri said, bowing slightly before turning to leave.
Tomorrow, he would finally leave the moon. A flutter of excitement stirred in his chest.
He had grown tired of staying here. This Ōtsutsuki clan, once grand, was now utterly rotten.
They looked down upon the people of the ninja world with arrogance and prejudice, unaware that they themselves were merely observing the world from the bottom of a well.
The brilliance of the future ninja world was beyond the comprehension of those confined to the moon.
Back in his room, Toneri pondered quietly, turning his attention to his left palm.
His hand was pale and delicate. The smooth skin of his palm shifted slightly—and then suddenly, an eye opened!
A single, crimson eye glowed vividly, its scarlet iris shining with a faint inner light, black concentric rings etched within.
The Rinnegan.
Yes, it was indeed a Rinnegan.
"Though it's only one, it's more than enough. I don't know why it awakened," Toneri muttered, flexing his left hand. The Rinnegan had suddenly awakened when he was four years old.
He did not know the reason, though he suspected it was due to a regression of his pure bloodline.
Hamura Ōtsutsuki had been a child specially conceived by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, who was a woman of complete abstinence—never having known a man.
Through special means, she brought forth the two Ōtsutsuki brothers. The exact method remained unknown to this day.
The brothers had indeed inherited her bloodline, which made Toneri's own regression-triggered awakening of the Rinnegan biologically plausible.
Curiously, however, his Rinnegan had awakened in his palm, just like Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki.
"It's time to meet that grandmother," Toneri thought, closing the Rinnegan.
Though he was unsure if the title "grandmother" was appropriate, it was what he called her…
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
The woman revered as the Goddess of the Rabbit Moon.