Chapter 440: Full Army Assault
The house was right before him, and just as Toneri prepared to investigate further...
A clear, slightly lazy teenage voice abruptly came from above his head:
"This path is closed."
Toneri's heart jolted in shock!
He jerked his head up, and the Puppet's gaze looked upward.
There, on the slanted roof of the wooden house, a blonde youth was sitting casually, though no one knew when he had arrived.
One of his legs was bent with his arm resting on his knee, while the other leg hung down naturally, swaying slightly.
The youth wore a faint, half-smiling expression. His azure eyes appeared exceptionally bright under the moon's somewhat dim light as he calmly looked down at the Puppet below.
What horrified Toneri the most was that he hadn't sensed the other party's presence at all until they spoke.
"I'll be looking for your Main Body in a moment."
When Naruto saw that this Toneri had eyes, he understood that the person before him was just a Puppet; the real Toneri was a blind man born without eyes.
"I'll take this Puppet body first."
Before the words even finished, Naruto's leisurely posture changed instantly.
His form blurred, vanishing from the roof as if teleporting. In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of the Toneri Puppet, his speed so great that he left an afterimage in the air.
A wooden sword had appeared in his hand at some point, its blade instantly enveloped in a layer of pale green Chakra that emitted a faint humming sound.
"What?"
The Toneri Puppet only had time to let out half a gasp in its consciousness. It tried to control the Puppet to dodge or defend, but Naruto's speed was simply too fast.
"Swish!"
The wooden sword, infused with highly condensed Wind Release Chakra, sliced down vertically from the center of the Toneri Puppet's head as easily and without resistance as cutting through tofu!
There was no clash of metal, no violent explosion.
There was only a slight sound, as if thick paper were being torn.
Where the wooden sword passed, Toneri's elaborately crafted Puppet body—capable of bearing the power of the Tenseigan—was split neatly in two down the middle, the cut perfectly smooth.
The severed Puppet body didn't even fall immediately; it stiffened for a moment before losing all support and collapsing with a clatter. It turned into a pile of lifeless wooden blocks, metal parts, and broken Chakra conduction wires scattered on the ground.
Naruto flicked the wooden sword, and the Wind Release Chakra quietly dissipated.
He glanced at the pile of Puppet wreckage on the ground, then looked up toward a certain direction deep within the moon, his gaze becoming sharp.
"Alright, the troublesome 'eye' is dealt with," he whispered to himself. "Next, it's time to meet that 'master' hiding behind the scenes."
He turned to look at Hinata and Hanabi, who had walked out of the house after hearing the commotion. He gave them a reassuring look, signaling them to stay calm.
Meanwhile, far away in the core region of the moon, Toneri's Main Body, who had witnessed everything through the Puppet's vision, fell into a state of immense shock and rage.
His Puppet had been destroyed so easily. That blonde youth... who exactly was he?
Why was his strength so terrifying?
Soon, a large number of Puppets began to mobilize from the palace where Toneri resided.
Naruto also knew that since their whereabouts had been exposed, continuing to stay passively in their temporary residence and waiting for the enemy to surround them was undoubtedly the most foolish choice.
The best way was always to seize the initiative.
Naruto turned quickly and said to the two sisters walking out of the house, his tone decisive, "The enemy has discovered us and is gathering their forces. We can't stay here and be sitting ducks."
His hands quickly formed seals.
"Wood Clone Jutsu!"
Poof!
As the white smoke dissipated, a Wood Clone that looked almost identical to Naruto's Main Body appeared beside him.
Naruto felt quite at ease leaving the Wood Clone here to protect Hinata and Hanabi. Even if someone came whom the Wood Clone couldn't defeat, it could use Kamui to take them into the Kamui Dimension.
However, it was unlikely the Wood Clone would be defeated.
"You stay here, guard Hinata and Hanabi, and monitor the surroundings. If the situation changes, dispel yourself immediately, and I'll know," Naruto commanded the Wood Clone.
The Wood Clone nodded to show it understood, then stood beside Hinata and Hanabi, vigilantly scanning the area.
Having arranged the rear, Naruto took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, those originally azure eyes had turned into blue Rinnegan. Within the pupils, the blue Rinnegan ripples were clearly visible, slowly rotating and emitting a heart-palpitating pressure and a light that could see through everything.
"Hinata," Naruto looked at Hinata, his voice steady and carrying unquestionable trust.
"Protect Hanabi well. While I'm away, I'll leave this place to you. Trust your judgment."
He then looked at Hanabi, his tone slightly lighter: "Hanabi, listen to your sister and don't run around."
"I'll be back soon."
Looking at Naruto's Rinnegan, which were filled with power and determination, and hearing his solemn instructions, Hinata's worry and nervousness didn't completely vanish, but they were replaced by a stronger sense of responsibility and trust in Naruto.
She nodded vigorously, her pure white eyes shimmering with a firm light:
"Naruto-kun, be careful."
Her voice was still soft, but it was clearer and more powerful than ever before.
Hanabi also put away her usual playful demeanor, her small face full of seriousness. She clenched her small fists and shouted to Naruto, "Good luck, Brother Naruto! We'll protect ourselves!"
Seeing the two sisters trying their best to be strong despite their worry, Naruto's heart warmed slightly. At the same time, his determination to quickly resolve the trouble and ensure their safety grew even firmer.
He said no more, nodded to the Wood Clone, and then his figure blurred, instantly vanishing from the spot.
He didn't know exactly which palace Ōtsutsuki Toneri lived in within the moon's interior; the precise location and path were unknown.
But for him, this did not constitute an obstacle.
He didn't need to know where the palace was.
He only needed to find those hostile Puppets that were likely converging here, and then fight his way back in the direction they were coming from.
Just as killing everyone at the target location counts as infiltration, taking down everything in sight is the best response!
In the distant darkness, the rumbling sounds of the Puppet army's movement were faintly audible, getting closer and closer.
Soon, a dense black mass appeared in front of Naruto—hundreds of Puppets.
The Puppets almost blocked his vision, surging forward like a tide, intending to completely submerge and tear apart this 'intruder' who dared to break in alone.
"Has the whole army moved out? Perfect."
The corner of Naruto's mouth curled into an arc.
Without any complex hand seals, he simply raised his right hand toward the direction of the ocean, fingers splayed as if to seize something from afar.
"Water Release: Heavenly River Tilt!"
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