At the same time—
Far away on the moon…
No one in the shinobi world could have imagined that on the barren surface of the moon stood a vast, magnificent palace.
But now the entire lunar surface trembled violently. Countless figures in white robes rushed out of the palace.
A closer look revealed—Every single one of them possessed the Byakugan.
"Anomalies are coming from the sealing grounds! Something has happened to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
An elderly man, leaning on a black staff, took flight and sped toward the sealing site—
but he was already too late.
The sealed chamber was completely empty.
"Not good… the Ten-Tails' husk has been stolen."
More members arrived, but all wore the same aghast expression as they stared at the empty chamber.
…
"Elder," a branch-family clansman stepped forward, "the Demonic Statue has been stolen. Disaster is upon us. The world the Sage of Six Paths created is now collapsing."
"According to the ancestral decree, should we… destroy that world?"
The Elder only shook his head.
"No. Whoever stole the Gedo Statue possesses overwhelming power. He summoned it directly—meaning he already wields the Rinnegan. Our clan is no match for such a foe."
"Begin searching for the statue. Increase surveillance of the world below. Send out our clansmen."
"As for destroying the world—we will wait."
The Elder departed, leaving the branch-family leader alone.
"Tsk. The main family prides itself on wisdom, yet they've long forgotten the words of our predecessors."
"Even now, with the Gedo Statue stolen, they hesitate out of fear."
"They have rotted."
He raised his hand, and another white-robed clansman knelt behind him.
"Prepare the Tenseigan. We will follow our ancestors' will and purify the world."
"—Yes."
---
Meanwhile, in the vast underground cavern…
Uchiha Madara kneeled on one knee, chest heaving, as the terrifying, enormous statue he had summoned loomed behind him.
"It's done. Preparations for the Eye of the Moon plan may finally begin."
But the pain surging from his eyes forced him to clutch his face with both hands.
"…I didn't think maintaining the Rinnegan would consume so much chakra. I expected it—but the gap is far greater than I imagined."
"At this rate, I'll exhaust my chakra soon. I'll have to burn through my remaining lifespan to sustain them."
A pool of black, mud-like substance oozed up from the ground.
"Lord Madara, as you instructed, I have already selected a suitable vessel to nurture the Rinnegan."
Madara relaxed slightly at the sight of the will-incarnation created from his own Yin–Yang Release.
"As expected of my creation. Where is the target?"
"In the Land of Rain. A surviving child of the Uzumaki Clan. I located several Uzumaki survivors—his talent is the highest, and he is the youngest. Easy to mold."
"Well done, Black Zetsu."
Madara turned his gaze upward.
"Since all objectives here are complete, there is no reason to remain in Kirigakure."
A surge of powerful spiritual energy burst forth, penetrating the consciousness of the Third Mizukage.
"Good. I've implanted the suggestion. He will forget everything related to me. All his previous actions will be reinterpreted by his own mind as his own decisions."
"Black Zetsu—let's go. The Rinnegan hungers. My chakra alone cannot feed it."
"If I don't find a new host soon, it will begin consuming my lifespan."
"I cannot die yet."
Madara exhaled slowly—his hair snow-white, his skin marked by age.
If only he were thirty years younger…
---
Land of Earth – The Iwa Sealing Team
There. That's the squad transporting the Biju.
From afar, Hanzo observed the Iwagakure camp, then produced a dozen shadow clones, all transforming into Kumogakure shinobi before charging forward.
This mission required only one tactic—
Overwhelm them head-on.
"Someone's approaching!"
The Iwa sentries spotted the incoming "Kumo-nin" and raised the alarm.
"No—their speed is too fast!"
The sentries scrambled to form a defensive line, but in the next moment, several more "Kumo-nin" burst from underground behind them, blades flashing.
"Cloud Style: Back Slice!"
"Cloud Style: Instant Slash!"
The sword techniques weren't truly from Kumogakure—but the names alone created hesitation. And Hanzo's own kenjutsu was razor-sharp; the Iwa shinobi could not tell the difference.
A few sacrifices later, the Iwa soldiers finally realized—they were being pincered.
More Iwa reinforcements rushed from the camp, but even though these attackers were merely shadow clones, their combat prowess eclipsed the Iwa fodder. Ten or more clones held back nearly a hundred shinobi.
The camp kept pouring out more troops, finally surrounding and containing the clones through sheer numbers.
Good. They took the bait.
One of Hanzo's clones decapitated an Iwa shinobi as he spoke.
We'll keep them busy. The real body should be finishing up soon.
---
Inside the Iwa Camp.
The sealing squad was in a panic.
"Kumo's attack means we've been discovered! If we lose the Five-Tails, we're finished!"
Four sealing specialists hurriedly slipped out the rear of the camp, carrying the water-filled container that held the Five-Tails.
Senjutsu sensory really is excellent…
Better than many A-rank sensory techniques.
Hanzo, submerged underground, tracked them silently.
That jug contains the Five-Tails. Time to move.
He erupted from the earth.
"Cloud Style: Crescent Moon Slice!"
His blade carved through two Iwa guards, slicing them into thirds.
The four sealing ninja quickly formed a defensive barrier around the container.
"Damn Kumo-nin! You can't break this barrier! You barged into our camp—you're all dead!"
"Fools. Did you really think this barrier could save you? If we've made our move, failure is impossible."
"The ground beneath you? I've already prepared it."
"What!?" The remaining Iwa-nin broke out in sweat.
"Too late."
A deafening explosion ripped upward from inside the barrier.
The four sealing specialists were obliterated instantly—the barrier only ensured they could not escape.
Hanzo leapt forward, seized the container holding the Five-Tails, and fired a signal flare into the sky.
Seeing swarms of Iwa shinobi converging, he immediately fled.
Outside, his shadow clones spotted the flare and began retreating.
"Mission accomplished. Withdraw!"
"Forbidden Jutsu: Lightning Style: Nervous System Acceleration!"
Even without true Lightning chakra, the clones' movements became impossibly fast, allowing them to carve a bloody path through Iwa's ranks.
They burst out of the encirclement and vanished into the wilderness.
"Chase them! That jutsu won't last long—once the rebound hits, they'll drop dead!"
But by the time the Iwa forces pursued them, all the shadow clones had already dispelled themselves.
Elsewhere, the real Hanzo sprinted across the rocky wasteland with the huge water container strapped to his back.
Behind him, explosions thundered and Iwa shinobi screamed.
The Five-Tails had been stolen.
---------------------------///
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