"What exactly happened?"
Hyuga Hizashi's heart was filled with uncertainty. Even though the surroundings were familiar, he remained on high alert, afraid that he had somehow fallen into a genjutsu.
He tightly gripped the golden orb in his hand, his gaze sweeping the area with caution.
Then a voice rang out, immediately dispelling his confusion.
The tension in Hizashi's expression relaxed, and relief spread across his face—the joy of someone who had narrowly escaped death.
"The higher one climbs in strength, the more the difference becomes heaven and earth… just what realm has the Supreme Leader reached now?"
Hyuga Hizashi touched his Byakugan, unable to help sighing at the disparity between people.
The difference between eyes… could also be worlds apart.
"Bloodline Seeds, Jinchūriki, and the Heavenly Eye System… the future of the ninja world will no longer belong to rigid old clans."
"Perhaps the Hyuga clan has truly reached the moment where change is necessary."
Having walked along the edge of death and returned, Hizashi sighed softly as he began walking back.
However, halfway along the road he was intercepted by ninjas from the Military Affairs Department.
They informed him that an enormous amount of merit debt had been recorded under his name.
The number was so large that Hizashi almost believed he had fallen into an illusion.
"I'm finished… I'll never be able to retire peacefully in this lifetime!"
The joy of surviving instantly turned into gloom.
Soon after, he returned to the Royal Court Ninja Army.
However, the position of Reconnaissance Division Commander had already been replaced by Senju Momoka, the deputy commander transferred from the Southeastern Ninja Army.
Meanwhile, the Southeastern commander Uchiha Baru was currently handling the peace negotiations between the Empire and the Hidden Rain Village.
Hyuga Hizashi merely activated his Byakugan and silently gazed toward the direction of the Great Tomb.
The once lush green grasslands had turned completely barren.
The ground had crystallized into hard particles, and when the wind blew, it raised endless clouds of yellow dust.
Not far away stood the Great Tomb of Nazarick, still wrapped in its barrier.
It resembled a bottomless abyss that seemed ready to devour any invading enemy.
"If I hadn't been teleported away in time… perhaps some of this dust drifting in the wind would have been me."
"But there's still plenty of time."
"As long as I have the golden orb from the Moon's main Hyuga lineage, sooner or later I'll repay all the merit debt."
"And perhaps… the position of Ninja Army Commander isn't impossible for me either."
The Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki clans controlled most of Konoha's important positions.
If the Hyuga—who called themselves a prestigious clan—didn't start fighting for influence now, they might soon end up competing with the Ino–Shika–Cho alliance just to maintain relevance.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Hyuga Hizashi headed toward the central command camp and paid his respects to Uzumaki Minako and Uchiha Hikari.
After a brief conversation, Hizashi lowered his head and withdrew, reporting under Senju Momoka's command.
"Minako-sister… is that the end of it?" Uchiha Hikari asked.
"That's enough," Uzumaki Minako replied calmly.
"With your brother around, the enemy won't be able to stir up anything significant."
According to Minako's true thoughts, she would have preferred sending Hyuga Hizashi to the Council Nation, forcing him to fight the Platinum Dragon Lord, who controlled the Platinum Armor.
Whoever died would simply make things cleaner.
It would also allow Uzumaki Mito, who was stationed in the royal capital, to devote more attention to the Royal Court Ninja Army.
Besides Uchiha Soren and Uchiha Hikari, the next strongest figures were Uzumaki Mito and Minamoto Kaori, both capable of unleashing attacks at the Six Paths level.
"Brother Soren must have seen the battle earlier," Uchiha Hikari said thoughtfully.
"And he once went inside the Moon and met Otsutsuki Hamura."
She paused before continuing.
"The golden orb in Hyuga Hizashi's hand… might be related to the Tenseigan."
"Most likely," Minako said with a mocking smile.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch falling from the sky."
"And even if there were… never believe it would land on your own head."
"Hyuga Hizashi shows no signs of genjutsu or mental control."
"That means he's simply lost inside a dream he built for himself."
"And it's very difficult to wake someone who is pretending to sleep."
"But we don't need to wake him."
"I'll just wait for the results."
After Uchiha Hikari left, she returned to her own tent and picked up the newest bestselling novel from Konoha to pass the time.
Meanwhile—
Inside the warm chamber of the Tenshu Tower in the Hidden Snow Village.
The flames in the fireplace crackled softly as the heavy snow continued to fall outside.
Through the Heavenly Eye System, Minamoto Kaori watched as Hyuga Hizashi and the remaining battle ninjas suddenly disappeared under the destructive power of Fallen Down.
Her eyes shifted slightly.
"I remember you once saying you wanted to build an invincible cannon on the Moon."
"Is this spatial teleportation ability the prototype for that weapon?"
"It's one application of the Heaven's Punishment Spear," Uchiha Soren replied.
"But it still hasn't reached the level I want."
Leaning comfortably back in his chair, Soren casually pulled Kaori and Uchiha Zhili into his arms, wrapping an arm around their slender waists.
Ignoring their mildly annoyed protests, he laughed softly.
"Don't worry."
"This campaign against the Great Tomb won't require my real body to go."
"Besides, Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Hamura are both watching closely."
"I can't leave the ninja world unattended."
"If I expose even a slight weakness, those two old ghosts will definitely seize the chance to deal with me."
"Can't this be resolved through negotiation?" Zhili asked gently.
Perhaps because she was pregnant, her personality had softened. She didn't want to see Soren constantly fighting.
"Whether it's the Sage of Six Paths brothers or the Great Tomb…"
"In the end, we were the ones who provoked them first."
"Zhili, you're wrong about that," Soren replied.
He lightly smacked her waist as he spoke in a half-teasing tone.
"Our conflict with them was inevitable from the start."
"It's like the ninja wars of the past."
"The cake was only so big."
"The Five Great Ninja Villages all fought to grab a larger share for themselves."
"Now the ninja world itself is that cake."
"The conflict between me and the Otsutsuki brothers may not appear to involve tangible benefits…"
"But at its core, it's about who holds the authority to speak for the ninja world."
"If they stand with us, that's fine."
"But if they stand against us…"
"Then when the villages face a decision, who will they listen to?"
"The Supreme Leader of the ninja world—me?"
"Or the Sage of Six Paths, who stepped out of legend into reality?"
Born in the Daimyo's court, Minamoto Kaori understood conflicts of power like this.
However, there was still something she didn't understand.
She looked up at Soren and asked,
"Darling… is power really that important to you?"
Usually Soren behaved like a hands-off leader.
He never seemed obsessed with authority.
"In a world where overwhelming power rests in the hands of individuals…"
"Authority means nothing to me."
Soren's answer confused both women.
"If it's not important, then why fight for it?" Zhili asked.
"If the Sage of Six Paths wants it, why not give it to him for now?"
"Once you become stronger later, he could simply step down and pass it back."
"That sounds good," Soren replied calmly.
"But I don't trust them."
"And they don't trust me either."
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