"The Tenseigan will help you pierce through all mists and obstacles. Remember, you are special."
As Hamura's words echoed in his mind, Shinichi's expression turned grave. He stared at the ancient spirit, his voice dropping an octave in a serious query.
"What exactly do you mean by that? Please, speak plainly."
Shinichi sensed that Hamura was hinting at something far beyond the current conflict—a directive or a warning about a destiny he couldn't yet see. He wanted a definitive answer, not riddles from a ghost.
"There are some things you will know when the time is right," Hamura replied, his form swaying like smoke. "Even if you wish to run, you cannot escape it. Perhaps that is what we call fate."
Shinichi didn't care for the cryptic posturing. He looked down at the lunar soil beneath his feet and suddenly asked, "There is another Otsutsuki on Earth, isn't there? Where is he?"
Shinichi's eyes flashed with a cold light. He watched Hamura's face intently, searching for the slightest micro-expression that would betray the truth. He needed to know if his ancestor was being honest or merely selective with the facts.
The Secret of the Earthbound Otsutsuki
Hamura's translucent face froze in genuine shock. He clearly hadn't expected a young man from the "lower world" to possess such knowledge.
"How... how do you know of the Otsutsuki on Earth?" Hamura's voice wavered. "And your tone... You speak as if you know our entire history."
"I know a great deal," Shinichi replied coolly. "I know Kaguya didn't come to Earth alone. I know that the Ten-Tails is the true form of the Nine-Tails' origin. I don't intend to wait for a disaster to strike; I want to be the one who strikes first. Lord Hamura, with your wisdom, tell me: if I were to face the one who came with Kaguya right now, who would be stronger?"
Shinichi suspected Hamura had been tracking Otsutsuki Isshiki. Given Hamura's eternal vigil over the world his brother created, it was highly likely he had noticed the anomaly of a surviving Otsutsuki, even one as elusive as Isshiki.
Hamura took a moment to compose himself. The "mysterious sage" persona had cracked, replaced by a look of profound respect and wariness.
"You truly are the man I hoped for," Hamura laughed softly, then more loudly, his joy echoing through the graveyard. "I can answer that. Your Tenseigan has matured to a degree that is rare even among the pure-blooded Otsutsuki. If you master its power, that man will not be your equal."
"His current vessel is weak; it cannot sustain the strain of a full-scale battle with a Tenseigan user. However, finding him will be your greatest challenge. I only caught a glimpse of him by chance—a man named Otsutsuki Isshiki."
"He hides within human shells, jumping from one to another as they wither under his soul's weight. I cannot tell you where he is now, but your eyes... they will recognize him when you see him."
Shinichi nodded. He had his answer. He had come to the moon for the Tenseigan specifically to bridge the power gap between a "high-tier ninja" and a "god." While a standard Hyuga, even with Sage Mode, might only reach the level of Hashirama Senju, that wouldn't be enough for the threats looming in the future. Now, with the Tenseigan—an eye matured through natural atavism and nourished by a thousand years of clan ocular power—he was in a league of his own.
A New Big Brother
"Shinichi, I leave Toneri to you," Hamura said, his form becoming increasingly ethereal. "I will continue to watch over my brother's world from here. I believe it will finally become what he dreamed of."
With those final words, the Sage of the Moon faded into the grey mist. The chaotic realm of souls dissolved, leaving Shinichi and Toneri standing in the silent, crumbling graveyard.
"Big Brother... may I call you that?"
Young Toneri looked up at Shinichi, clutching the edge of his cloak. The boy had spent his entire life in a palace of puppets, surrounded by the echoes of a dead clan. Seeing Shinichi, a living being with the same eyes and a warm presence, stirred a desperate need for connection.
Shinichi looked at the hopeful, lonely child. He briefly thought about the tactical advantages of having an Otsutsuki subordinate, but as he looked into Toneri's eyes, his expression softened.
"No," Shinichi said sternly. Toneri's face fell, his eyes clouding with disappointment.
Shinichi reached out and patted the boy's shoulder gently. "'Big Brother' is too formal. Just call me Aniki (Big Bro). From today on, you're my family. My own little brother."
The disappointment vanished instantly, replaced by a radiant smile. Toneri squeezed Shinichi's hand, feeling the warmth of a living person for the first time. To Toneri, Shinichi was no longer just a powerful shinobi; he was the "Sun" that had finally risen over his cold, dark world.
Return to the Blue Planet
The journey back was far easier than the arrival. With the Tenseigan, Shinichi's mastery of the Flying Thunder God had evolved into something near-divine. He didn't just hop through space; he seemed to command the space to bring the destination to him.
They leaped into the cold pool on the moon and emerged minutes later from the waterfall in the Land of Fire.
As they broke the surface of the water, the biting chill of the Earth's winter hit them. Toneri shivered violently; the artificial climate of the moon had never known such raw, biting cold.
Shinichi immediately flared his chakra, evaporating the water from their clothes in a burst of steam. He pulled a heavy, fur-lined cloak from his storage scroll and wrapped it snugly around the boy.
"The weather here is different from the moon," Shinichi said warmly. "But don't worry. Once you get used to it, I think you'll find you quite like the snow."
Toneri looked at the white flakes falling through the trees, then back at Shinichi. He tightened his grip on the cloak and nodded. He was finally home.
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