The situation of Hamura's lineage had already been explained by the old man earlier.
The main family believed that the current shinobi world had reached a stage where it could be left to develop on its own, without excessive interference. The branch family, however, still insisted that the shinobi world had to be governed through far more drastic means.
And their reason was—
the Third Great Ninja War.
Those branch-family members who had once descended to the shinobi world had personally witnessed that war. They had seen people fighting to the death, seen far too much killing, and watched humanity repeat the same mistakes again and again through successive wars.
Thus, the branch family ultimately reached a unified conclusion—
the annihilation of the shinobi world.
Everyone's understanding of the world was shaped by the information they had been exposed to. And some time ago, when Kanda Kyoichi and Nagato used Chibaku Tensei to seal away Black Zetsu, it only reinforced those beliefs.
However…
While the intent to rebel was firm and the plans were laid out meticulously, the combat power displayed by the main family far exceeded the branch family's expectations. In the end, the two sides devastated each other, leaving neither victorious.
Had Kyoichi not appeared, the old man might have clung to life a little longer, perhaps even recovered enough to survive for a few more years.
Unfortunately…
Kyoichi's arrival on the moon became the final push toward death. In his condition, he was forced to accelerate his chakra output. Even with the physique of the Ōtsutsuki clan, there were limits.
To increase chakra output while already critically injured—
that was nothing short of burning away one's own life force.
So, he died.
Kyoichi did not know the old man's true identity, but it was clear he shared a deep connection with Toneri. Otherwise, he would not have continued worrying about the child until the very end.
Those two Tenseigan eyes were likely meant for Toneri.
After all, Toneri had been born without eyes.
Though the two Tenseigan appeared enormous due to special circumstances, with the right methods it might not be impossible to enhance Toneri's strength—or even allow him to see the outside world through them.
Of course…
That was only Kyoichi's private speculation.
The old man never revealed his identity before dying, leaving behind nothing but a mystery. Even if they hurried now and sent the body to the Yamanaka clan to extract memories, it might still be possible—but there was no need.
Let it all become part of the past. If Toneri ever became interested, he could investigate it himself.
Standing at the bow of the ship, Kyoichi's thoughts churned endlessly.
"I say, when are you going back to Konoha? Don't tell me you're planning to drift around the seas with us," Jiraiya finally burst out after holding it in for so long.
Damn it…
Flipping his boat, kicking him into the water—fine. But after freeloading the entire way, the least you could do was use some Water Release or Wind Release to help push the ship along!
Nagato was his disciple, so helping him was one thing—but you, brat…
You're freeloading shamelessly!
"Don't be so stingy. Those who are capable should work harder," Kyoichi replied casually.
"Pah! You're even worse than me. Hurry up—either say when you're going back or start pulling your weight."
Jiraiya snapped, then suddenly grinned with a lewd expression.
"You're not chickening out, are you?"
"Chickening out? Oh, you mean the kid?" Kyoichi shook his head. "That's not the issue. What's giving me a headache is deciding who should raise him. If we hand him over to the Hyūga clan… they'd definitely be happy, but the end result might not be good."
He voiced his concern.
Jiraiya pondered for a moment, then nodded. "A kid like him really isn't suited to being raised by Hiashi. Big clans tend to create all sorts of messy entanglements. When that happens, no one looks good."
"That's exactly what I'm thinking."
In theory, the Hyūga clan was the best option.
They had a complete Gentle Fist system, and with someone coming from 'another Hyūga,' Hiashi would certainly be pleased—perhaps even eager—to establish ties between the clan and Toneri.
However…
For Toneri himself, that might not be a good thing.
Moreover, the Ōtsutsuki clan matured early by nature. The worst-case scenario would be raising another "Pain." If that happened, Konoha might one day face a dramatic "Feel the pain" moment descending from the sky.
So—
it was both the optimal choice and the worst one.
Kyoichi rubbed his temples and looked at Toneri lying on the deck, a thought flashing through his mind.
"What about having Mukai or Kakashi raise him?"
"…Who?" Jiraiya was momentarily stunned.
The former at least made some sense.
The latter—are you joking?
How old was Kakashi, anyway?
"Mukai is the most suitable," Kyoichi explained. "But he's extremely busy. He's currently the top candidate for the next ANBU commander—Kazuki is only a transitional option. As for Kakashi, the Hatake clan has declined, but Kakashi himself is capable enough."
"…Mukai it is," Jiraiya said after some thought.
He had met that kid before. From his past experiences, Mukai harbored deep resentment toward the Hyūga clan and the village. After meeting Kyoichi, that resentment toward the village had gradually faded—but his disdain for the Hyūga main family remained unchanged.
"That works," Kyoichi said.
He picked up Toneri and vanished with Flying Thunder God.
Nagato had watched silently the whole time. Only after Kyoichi left did he speak.
"He'd already decided who would raise the child, hadn't he?"
"You could say that," Jiraiya nodded.
Just like flipping a coin or plucking petals—sometimes, when you hesitate, you already know the answer deep down.
"Sensei, what about us next?"
"I'll take you to the Land of Water. The situation there is very representative, and I've heard some changes are coming. Might turn out to be an educational case."
"Alright."
…
When Kyoichi returned to Konoha, he still felt a little uneasy, so he used Flying Thunder God to go straight home.
Between jumps, his chakra was nearly depleted.
Thankfully, he had soldier pills.
Mentally exhausted though he was, he could still hold on.
But once he got home, things took an unexpected turn—Tsunade, Oriri, and Shizune weren't back yet.
Not knowing what was going on, Kyoichi waited. Before long, he actually fell asleep.
When he woke up—
"Good boy—eh? Why isn't he crying?"
"No, I can sense fluctuations in his consciousness… hmm. Maybe he's just too smart."
"Alright, stop teasing him."
Tsunade's voice cut off Shizune and Oriri's shameless attempts to amuse the child. She also sensed Kyoichi waking up and walked over with a cup of tea.
"Tired?"
"A bit. Mostly from chakra depletion—I'm struggling a little."
Kyoichi didn't elaborate.
He trusted that Tsunade understood the child's origins.
"So, how do you plan to handle it?"
"I'll have Mukai's family raise him. They know the basics of Gentle Fist and don't have overly close ties to the Hyūga. As for the Eight Trigrams or Air Palm… those aren't important."
After finishing his tea, Kyoichi laid out his thoughts.
Eight Trigrams. Air Palm.
He actually knew a bit of both.
They were things he had picked up through guiding Hiashi and Mukai over time—but honestly, their practical value wasn't that great. In the end, strength was what mattered most.
A descendant of the Ōtsutsuki didn't need to follow the Hyūga's path at all.