As the absolute core area of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, no outsider had ever entered the artificial sun.
Not only did it contain a chamber designed for long-term hibernation, known as the Tenseigan Chamber, but it also housed the moon's final line of defense, the Tenseigan itself.
The Giant Tenseigan had been created hundreds of years ago by gathering the vast majority of the branch family's Byakugan. Its power was unquestionable.
Yet today, two figures suddenly appeared within the shrine plaza that had been specially constructed to safeguard it.
The pair climbed the stone steps one after another until they arrived outside the main hall, where Hayashi stood with his hands behind his back, quietly waiting.
A short while later, the Ōtsutsuki clansmen who had received the news gathered and looked up at them.
Neither side made any move.
Sōgi had already tried.
He had fought, lost, and died.
Hayashi, on the other hand, had survived and rapidly recovered thanks to his extraordinary regenerative abilities.
Since they were incapable of overcoming the power of the Tenseigan, there was no reason to throw their lives away.
From a certain perspective, the descendants of the Ōtsutsuki Clan had already acknowledged that these two visitors from Earth had earned the right to use the Tenseigan.
Of course, they only recognized their right to use it, not ownership over it, but that was merely a matter of pride.
Hayashi glanced at the gathered group.
Besides the slightly hunched old man, there was another elderly man with a broad build standing beside him. His narrowed eyes made him look as though he could fall asleep at any moment.
A short distance behind them stood a young man with a timid expression.
Ever since receiving the enhanced perception granted by the Six Paths Sage, Hayashi had become fully aware of everyone living on the moon.
As a result, he knew someone was still absent.
However, he didn't care.
Before departing, the Six Paths Sage had specifically asked him to spare their lives.
Naturally, Hayashi intended to honor that request.
After all, these people were descendants of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, and their bloodline purity far surpassed his own.
The two old men could be ignored. Their lives were already nearing their end.
However, Genjin and Kawakui were different.
There was no reason to kill them.
Besides, Uncle Snake might eventually want some blood samples for research purposes.
Keeping them alive would be useful.
Himeji walked deeper into the shrine.
Having inherited the memories of the Ōtsutsuki main family, she led Hayashi through a hidden passageway.
Then, a giant golden eye appeared before them.
"So this is the legendary Evil Eye of the Wicked Lord... ahem... the Tenseigan?"
Even Hayashi felt his mind tremble slightly as he looked upon the enormous golden pupil.
He could sense an overwhelming amount of ocular power.
To put it into perspective, comparing Hyūga Hiashi's eye power to this was like comparing Kakashi's chakra reserves to the Nine-Tails'.
The difference was astronomical.
And this immense power was exactly what Himeji needed.
Unlike the Rinnegan, the Tenseigan could be awakened through two different methods.
The first method required a descendant of Hamura who possessed a Sage Body and a high-purity Byakugan.
This was the method Ōtsutsuki Toneri used in the original timeline.
By combining his powerful Sage Body with the high-purity Byakugan he took from Hyūga Hanabi, and after a period of adaptation, he successfully awakened the Tenseigan.
For Toneri, this method was relatively straightforward.
By sacrificing another person's eyes, he could rapidly obtain top-tier power within the ninja world.
It was one of the fastest ways to become stronger.
However, this method was unsuitable for Himeji.
A Sage Body was not something ordinary people could obtain.
Throughout ninja history, only the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, was naturally born with one.
Even then, he possessed a unique background as the reincarnation of Asura Ōtsutsuki.
Hayashi could now also be considered to possess a Sage Body.
His immense Yang Release power, combined with Hashirama's cells, had already transformed his body to a similar level.
However, it would be extremely difficult for Himeji to achieve the same result.
A Sage Body could not be acquired simply by learning Sage Mode.
It required years of continuously nourishing one's body with Sage Chakra, gradually transforming it over time, and even then, success was not guaranteed.
Himeji didn't have the luxury of waiting.
The second method involved fusing countless ordinary Byakugan together.
The giant golden eye before them was the result of that process.
In terms of functionality, there was little difference between the two forms of Tenseigan.
However, regarding long-term potential, it was uncertain whether this version could surpass the naturally evolved one.
Still, in terms of immediate power, it was vastly superior.
After all, it contained the accumulated eye power of thousands of mature Byakugan, including many that once belonged to defeated members of the Ōtsutsuki main family.
Without question, this was currently the strongest Tenseigan in existence.
Unfortunately, the present-day Ōtsutsuki Clan could only use it as a weapon.
No one could transform it into their own eyes.
It could only remain hidden within the artificial sun as a deterrent.
The reason was simple.
No one among them possessed a pure enough Byakugan anymore.
Himeji, however, was different.
All she had to do was absorb its power.
Hayashi approached the Giant Tenseigan and silently observed it.
He had no intention of recklessly extracting its power.
He wasn't a descendant of Hamura, nor did he possess a Byakugan.
Touching it carelessly would only trigger its defenses and cause it to absorb his chakra.
Himeji, however, was the exact opposite.
Almost instinctively, she reached out and touched the Giant Tenseigan.
Hayashi had no intention of transferring all of its power into her eyes at once.
That would be equivalent to killing her.
Instead, he planned to gradually inject small portions of its power into her Byakugan, allowing her eyes to adapt little by little.
To determine the proper amount, he decided to conduct a preliminary test.
Hayashi placed his right hand against the Giant Tenseigan.
His hand was coated with Himeji's chakra.
This time, the Tenseigan did not reject him.
Nor did it absorb his chakra.
Instead, his hand passed through its surface without resistance.
Using Shukaku's sealing abilities, Hayashi carefully extracted a tiny amount of the Byakugan's ocular power.
Then, he slowly transferred it into Himeji's eyes.
This first attempt was extremely important.
Once he determined the ideal amount, future absorption sessions would become much easier.
According to the inherited memories of the Ōtsutsuki main family, Himeji only needed to absorb roughly one-quarter of the Giant Tenseigan to complete her evolution.
However, that estimate would still depend on her own potential.
The greater her potential, the more ocular power she could absorb.
Naturally, that would grant her greater benefits and significantly increase her future strength.
Because of that, the two of them would likely remain on the moon for quite some time.
Perhaps seven or eight months.
At the very least, they would be spending the entire winter there.