The newly lit torch drove away the darkness in the cave, revealing objects that had been hidden in the shadows.
"Huh? What's this?" Boruto's eyes were drawn to a head-sized, slightly shimmering sphere resting near the center of a display pillar.
"But when I first came in, there was no light at all. Did it only start glowing because of the flashlight?" Boruto wondered aloud, puzzled.
"Heh, interesting," Momoshiki remarked suddenly.
"I thought you said you'd give me a hint first?" Boruto replied, startled, having been entirely focused on studying the sphere.
"This thing is fascinating. You humans always manage to exceed my expectations," Momoshiki muttered to himself, completely ignoring Boruto.
"Do you recognize it?" Boruto asked, curiosity piqued.
"In a way, this is a fusion of the Byakugan. These people actually mastered the technique to merge the Byakugan and even compress it to this extent. Human intelligence is truly remarkable," Momoshiki said in admiration.
"Wha …what! You mean this is a Byakugan!" Boruto blurted, shocked by Momoshiki's words.
"Of course. I had been wondering why they put cursing seals on clan members. It turns out it was to concentrate and merge the Byakugan," Momoshiki said, finally understanding.
"This… this is evil. How many Hyuga clan members had to sacrifice for this?" Boruto asked, his voice trembling.
"You're a ninja, aren't you? Afraid of that?" Momoshiki mocked.
"That's right. I'm a ninja. I can't be afraid." Boruto steadied himself. "So what do we do now? Should we destroy it?"
"You're wasting a divine gift. This contains an immense amount of ocular power, and you're thinking about destroying it rather than absorbing some of it. That's pure ignorance," Momoshiki shook his head.
"Then what should I do? Now that I know this, I have to act," Boruto said.
"My suggestion is to absorb it directly with Takamagahara. If something like this shows up at your doorstep, why waste it?" Momoshiki proposed.
"Let me think," Boruto said, not revealing his stance. Momoshiki knew that silence was often the clearest answer; Boruto's subconscious wasn't rejecting the option, so it was almost certain he would go through with it.
"Absorbing this could push your ocular abilities to the extreme and allow you to cultivate the Pure Eye. If this was created by someone in the Hyuga clan aiming to become head, no one else could stop them. We might as well claim it for ourselves," Momoshiki tempted Boruto.
"Can I absorb just half of it?" Boruto suddenly asked.
"You can, but if you absorb it all, you'll gain even more ocular power. Are you sure you only want half?" Momoshiki asked seriously.
"Yes. I need this power, but I can't take it all. If this is a Hyuga family heirloom, I must be able to explain my actions," Boruto said firmly.
"Fine. Do as you wish," Momoshiki said, seeing Boruto's resolve.
"How do I absorb this ocular power?" Boruto asked.
"Activate your Byakugan, close your eyes, and press your forehead against the sphere. Leave the rest to me," Momoshiki instructed.
"Got it." Following Momoshiki's instructions, Boruto activated his Byakugan, closed his eyes, and slowly pressed his forehead against the glowing sphere. The moment he made contact, a cool sensation flowed from the sphere into his forehead. Moments later, it spread from his forehead to his eyes, and after a while, he lost all sensation.
"Done?" Boruto asked.
"Yes. Open your eyes," Momoshiki said.
Boruto opened all three eyes.
"? My vision feels… strange," Boruto said, confused.
"Of course it does. I just activated the Heavenly Eye for you, so it's natural that things feel off. You should thank me for giving you the God's Eye. Members of the Ōtsutsuki clan normally can only awaken God's Eye in the second stage," Momoshiki said, arms crossed.
"Huh? A third eye?" Boruto exclaimed, utterly shocked.