Cheating?
They were just stronger.
How did that become "cheating"?
All these accusations of "cheating" were just the last frail props holding up their crumbling pride.
"Yeah!"
"You're just weak!"
Naruto stood next to Haru, nose in the air, full of contempt.
Haru could practically feel the Branch members' desire to vomit blood.
Footsteps echoed from within the large castle ahead.
The heavy doors slowly swung open.
A Branch member who looked about the same age as Hiashi and Hizashi emerged, holding the hand of a young boy.
He seemed incredibly refined compared to the other Branch members Haru had frozen.
He carried a scholarly air about him. He didn't look like a revolutionary leader at all.
Haru's gaze shifted to the boy beside him.
White, curly hair. A porcelain, expressionless face. And those pure white eyes, staring right at Haru.
"I assume you are our guests from Earth?"
The man spoke, a soft smile gracing his lips.
Haru raised an eyebrow. No point denying it. He nodded.
"I apologize if our younger members were rude. On their behalf, I ask you to release them."
His eyes held a sincere apology. A convincing sincerity that made it hard for Haru to dislike him.
Only Haru himself could dispel the ice. Anyone trying to shatter it would just shatter the person inside.
"They'll stay like that until matters are settled."
Haru held the man's gaze. These people, from their earlier actions, were clearly extremists. He wasn't ready to kill them yet. In his eyes, they were all potential future… unpaid labor.
Puppets were useful. But living beings had more… creativity.
The Branch leader froze for a moment, then smiled helplessly. "I only hope you won't kill them."
Haru shook his head. "Don't worry. I can be very reasonable. After things are settled."
A bitter smile. Meaning, if matters weren't settled, this guest from Earth would be very unreasonable.
"This is not a good place to talk. Please, follow me inside."
The Branch leader glanced over Haru's shoulder at his companions, then extended a hand in invitation.
Haru and the others entered the castle.
Almost instantly, a gaze settled on Haru.
It wasn't intense or heavy. It was faint. Almost not there. Drifting. All around, yet nowhere.
Servants offered tea.
Haru sat opposite the Branch leader.
"Destroying Earth… you lack the strength for it. It's a waste of effort."
Haru cut straight to it. Making Earth's destruction their life goal was, frankly, idiotic.
Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura were brothers. Shouldn't Earth and the Moon help each other? Wanting to destroy Earth… their ancestor Hamura would probably crawl out of his grave just to smack them.
The Branch leader was silent for a long time. This man seemed gentle, but his ambition was deep. His mind, sharp.
Finally, a sigh escaped the man's lips.
"I understand."
Haru blinked. That was… easy. Far easier than expected.
The Main Family members behind Haru exchanged shocked looks. Was the Branch leader this… agreeable? But… they'd been hunting for Byakugan!
The Main Family could only attribute this drastic change to fear of Haru's power.
"Destruction isn't the only solution," Haru continued. "There are ways to deal with war on Earth besides wiping it out."
The Branch had witnessed the endless conflicts from their moon. They'd grown disgusted. They believed Hamura's chakra was the root cause. That destroying chakra was the only salvation.
Later, someone like Toneri would try to use the Tenseigan to crash the moon into Earth, then create a new, peaceful world.
Haru could never understand this… obsession with world-ending solutions. There were so many paths, and they always chose the most brutish one. No sane person's first thought was "blow up the planet."
The Branch leader stared stubbornly. "What other way? As long as chakra exists, people will fight."
"Chakra is a tool," Haru countered. "The problem is in the heart. Even without chakra, there would be swords. Where there are people, there will be conflict. To curb conflict, you need order."
Law. That was the answer in later eras. Human hearts were fickle. But law was the cage that held back the inner darkness.
Haru deeply appreciated its importance. There was another reason.
Shinobi in this world had too much free time. Once they all became corporate drones, who'd have time for war? Focus on your own life first.
The prime example was Danzō. Running all over other nations on business now. No time for his old scheming.
How to increase efficiency? Improve quality? Breed higher-grade livestock?
These questions had already drained his brain dry.
This shinobi world needed many changes. Haru was already sketching blueprints in his mind.
"What you say makes sense," the Branch leader conceded. "But establishing a universal order… how could that be easy?"
He understood the principle. Setting up rules was one thing. Getting everyone to abide by them… that was the true challenge.
"That's not your worry. It's mine. Why not stay here on the Moon and… watch the results?"
Haru's tone brimmed with confidence. After the Fourth War, anyone who opposed him would get a swift backhand. Gentle when possible. Brutal when necessary.
The Branch leader nodded. "Alright." He had little choice. If the Branch resisted now, they'd be annihilated. This person was a powerhouse from Earth with many followers. He would choose to believe. To see if this man could truly bring peace.
"Guest from Earth. Follow me."
The Branch leader suddenly stood, looking only at Haru. A private talk. Then he looked at the Main Family members.
"Choose one of your own to join us."
Their leader was dead. They were directionless. Their eyes turned to the elder.
The old man, carrying their hopes, shook his head. His face was calm. He took the boy Akikaze's hand.
"You go, child."
Akikaze startled, shaking his head in panic. "N-no… I… but I…"
The elder's gaze, deep as the starry void, settled on him. "The Main Family needs a new leader."
Not a weak, aging leader. A young one. Full of fire.
Akikaze calmed under that look. He pressed his lips together, glanced around. Saw the hope in their eyes.
He nodded. "Alright." Responsibility etched itself onto his young features.
The Branch leader, holding his son's hand, led Haru and Akikaze deeper into the castle.
The surroundings grew more and more familiar.
The temple. The one from the anime.
Heavy, ancient doors groaned open. Darkness swallowed their sight.
Slowly, pinpricks of pale blue light coalesced in the dark.
A figure materialized before them.
Two horns. Short silver-white hair. A robe adorned with magatama, floating slightly. He sat cross-legged in the air, opening his pure white eyes.
Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
Younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo. Son of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Akikaze gasped, then clamped a hand over his mouth. Fear of disrespect before the ancestor.
Haru finally knew where that drifting gaze had come from.
"Thank you for stopping this conflict."
Hamura's gaze rested on Haru. The distortion of his will by the Branch had led to the deaths of many in the Main Family. It was good it had not led to greater disaster.
"What is your purpose in coming to the Moon?"
His tone held no accusation. Only gentleness. He looked upon Haru as a descendant of his brother's world. For the first time in centuries, humans from Earth visited. And they had prevented a catastrophe. Avoided mutual slaughter.
"I came to ask for help."
Haru's expression turned serious. His brows furrowed, eyes full of concern.
"To be frank, a powerful enemy has appeared on Earth. They seek to gather the nine Tailed Beasts, revive the Ten-Tails, and trap the world in an infinite illusion."
Haru conveniently omitted the part about Kaguya's seal. Best not to mention that yet.
Hamura's expression shattered.
Reviving the Ten-Tails? A world of illusion? This struck directly at the core of everything he and his brother had worked for.
His brother had torn the world free from illusion. He had specifically split the Ten-Tails into nine to prevent this. And now, all that effort was about to be undone.
Who wouldn't be furious?
"The enemy is strong. Organized. They've already captured two of the Tailed Beasts. But we lack complete intelligence. The situation is critical."
Haru watched Hamura. The ancestor looked even more anxious than Haru felt. Earth was his brother's legacy. He couldn't allow this.
This world was full of brother-obsessed people. Hamura had given his life to awaken his brother's Rinnegan. What wouldn't he do?
This trip to the Moon… might just yield some unexpected dividends.
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