Blue flames erupted from the ship's rear thrusters.
A terrifying surge of thrust exploded out, and the massive hull began to tremble violently.
Inside the bridge, Shinju's body refused to cooperate, pinned hard into his seat.
The scenery in front of him streaked past at high speed.
He endured the discomfort, his gaze still locked on the Moon.
The spacecraft was accelerating.
Down on the ground, the Allied Shinobi Forces could feel the earth beneath their feet shaking.
Under countless pairs of eyes, Kaguya-1 finally vanished into the azure sky.
A deathly silence.
The people on the ground simply stood there, heads tilted up at the now-empty heavens, waiting for an unknown outcome.
The ship's trembling stopped.
Shinju felt his body turn light—weightlessness had arrived.
He unbuckled his safety harness and stepped back up to the holographic star chart.
On the screen, the blue planet was shrinking rapidly. The outlines of continents and the white layers of cloud were clearly visible.
"We've successfully escaped the gravity well and entered the planned course," Tobirama's voice broke the quiet on the bridge. "Flight is stable. Initiating secondary acceleration. Estimated time to target orbit: two hours and ten minutes."
Shinju nodded and turned toward the window.
Through the specially treated glass, he could see the vast, bottomless darkness outside.
Countless stars glittered in the distance—no trace of life, anywhere.
In the Legends Corps' rest cabin, the atmosphere was strange.
These powerhouses who once shook the entire shinobi world were all gathered by the porthole, staring at the planet growing smaller and smaller.
None of them had ever imagined that after death, they would get another chance to look down at the home they once lived on—from this angle.
"So beautiful…" Hashirama couldn't help sighing.
Madara stood beside him, silent.
The blue world reflected in his Sharingan, his eyes complicated.
He had once been willing to drag the whole world into genjutsu for a so-called peace.
But now, looking at this real world again and again, it didn't seem so unbearable after all.
"Hmph. It's nothing but a cage," Madara snorted at last, stubborn to the end.
Hashirama didn't refute him—he only smiled faintly. For his eternal rival, he understood too well. He saw through it, but didn't say it.
They both knew this battle was to protect that "cage."
Shinju left the porthole and returned to the bridge communications station.
He pressed a button and connected to the ground command center.
"Command Center, this is Kaguya-1."
On the other end, Shikaku's voice came through, weary. "Kaguya-1, this is Command Center. Do you read?"
"Signal is clear," Shinju said calmly. "We've successfully escaped the gravity well. Flight is stable. Tell Hiashi—his daughter, we'll bring her back."
There was a few seconds of silence.
"…Understood. Command Center wishes you all… martial fortune and victory."
The connection cut.
Shinju's eyes returned to the star chart.
The silver-white Moon filled the entire display, drawing closer and closer.
Time passed in silent flight.
"High-energy reaction detected ahead!" Tobirama's voice suddenly rang out, shattering the calm.
Everyone's attention snapped over.
"Switch to main screen," Shinju ordered.
The holographic projection at the center of the bridge immediately changed.
An eyeball radiating ominous light appeared on the screen.
It was composed of countless Byakugan (White Eye), slowly rotating as it released a wave of energy that set the heart trembling.
"This is… the Tenseigan (Reincarnation Eye)?" Orochimaru's eyes burned with research-madness. "Such a massive energy aggregate… a perfect creation."
"It's the energy core inside the Moon," Tobirama said, fingers moving rapidly across the controls. "By reverse-tracing the energy, we can lock its exact position. It also provides power to the artificial sun in the Moon's interior."
"Can we destroy it directly?" Shinju asked.
"We can," Tobirama answered immediately. "Kaguya-1's main cannon, Ama no Hoko (Spear of Heaven), is seventy percent charged—enough to pierce and destroy it from outside. But if we do that, the interior ecosystem collapses, and Hinata's safety can't be guaranteed."
"Then we discard that plan," Shinju decided without hesitation. "Our top priority is rescuing people."
"Understood." Tobirama continued operating. "I've bypassed the Tenseigan's energy detection range and am scanning the Moon's internal structure. Found it."
The display shifted again. A 3D cross-section of the Moon appeared, with a vast hollow region marked in red.
The image zoomed in continuously, until a magnificent palace came into view.
"Based on heat signatures and chakra analysis, the target, Toneri, is in the core area of this palace," Tobirama said, circling the location. "Hanabi's chakra signature is also nearby… vital signs stable."
Hearing that last line, Shinju's nerves loosened by a fraction.
"Good. Prepare to execute the landing plan."
Inside the Otsutsuki palace on the Moon—
Toneri stood by the window, gazing toward the distant blue planet.
It was the place his ancestors once lived, and the place he intended to "purify" with the power of creation.
He was immersed in his own world, fantasizing about marrying the Byakugan princess, then rebuilding a brand-new world in the posture of a god.
Of everything outside, he knew nothing.
Of the danger closing in on him, he sensed nothing at all.
"Entering the Moon's gravity range. Beginning deceleration."
"Adjusting hull posture. Preparing to enter the interior hollow."
"Landing engines online. Reverse thrust normal."
Tobirama's voice echoed through the bridge, calm and precise, as each order was executed flawlessly.
Kaguya-1 was like a silent blade, slipping through the Moon's cratered surface without a sound, precisely entering the massive opening that led into the inner world.
The ship entered the illumination range of the artificial sun.
The view opened up all at once.
An inverted world appeared beyond the window. The "sky" was a rocky dome, and the "ground" was a chain of floating islands.
A colossal palace was built on the largest central landmass.
"Landing point locked—palace front plaza."
"All personnel prepare. Hatch opens in thirty seconds."
Shinju moved to the bridge exit. The Legends Corps had already assembled behind him.
Madara, Hashirama, Itachi, Nagato—
Every face carried a cold killing intent.
The countdown to hatch opening flickered across their visor displays.
Three.
Two.
The massive alloy hatch slid open to both sides.
No wind. No sound.
Shinju stepped out first.
His foot landed on lunar soil with a faint crunch.
Behind him, the members of the Legends Corps filed out one after another, quickly forming up in the plaza.
He raised his head, staring at the gorgeous yet hollow palace ahead.
His powerful sensory field spread out in an instant, locking onto the chakra deep within the palace—Toneri's chakra.
And also locking onto another chakra—one he knew incomparably well, gentle and warm.
"I'm here, Hanabi."
The battle that would decide the Moon's fate officially began at that moment.
(End of Chapter)
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