Late at night, the world was silent and deep.
The crescent moon hung high, casting a cold, silvery glow over the ancient and austere compound of the Hyūga clan. Most of the village was asleep, and even the chakra fluctuations of the patrolling Anbu felt rhythmic and low under the perception of Menma's Kagura Shinden.
However, at the edge of the village barrier, in the shadows of a dense forest far from the bustle, two presences—utterly alien to Konoha and the earth itself—descended silently, like pebbles dropped into a still lake.
There were no spatial fluctuations or chakra explosions. They simply appeared, as if they had always belonged to that void.
Toneri Ōtsutsuki and his father, Sakuto Ōtsutsuki.
Both wore moon-white, ancient wide-sleeved kimonos. Sakuto's tall frame carried a withered, silent aura. A strange mask made of pale bone covered half his face, leaving only his closed eyes and hard jawline visible. Young Toneri, likewise with eyes closed, had hair white as snow and a face as delicate as a porcelain doll.
They did not rely on physical sight, but on Mind's Eye—a spiritual perception transcending common logic.
"Father, is this the place?" Toneri's voice was ethereal and calm beyond his years.
"Yes," Sakuto's voice was raspy, like dry leaves rubbing together. "A thousand years of exile, a thousand years of watching... we finally tread upon the land our ancestors once protected. Sadly, our eyes have already returned to the stars."
He tilted his head back toward the moon. His invisible perception swept through Konoha, precisely covering the Hyūga domain. In the world of the Mind's Eye, colors faded, leaving only chakra points shimmering like stars.
Sakuto's "gaze" lingered on two exceptionally bright chakra sources. One was warm and gentle, like spring jade; the other was tiny but even more pure, like a newborn star.
"The Hyūga... Hmph, the branch of our ancestors left in the human world," Sakuto said with condescending coldness. "Clinging to degraded eyes, trapped in the ridiculous shackles of Main and Branch families. They preen themselves in a birdcage called 'protection.'"
He paused, a hint of surprise entering his voice. "However... this generation has produced two pearls. The girl named Hinata Hyūga has a bloodline purity far exceeding the current head. And even more rare is the infant, Hanabi Hyūga. Her eyes are nearly perfect."
Toneri's mind stirred. His perception focused on the gentle warmth of Hinata's chakra. He "saw" a girl with short dark blue hair sleeping peacefully. A strange feeling—something cold moon soil had never felt—bloomed in his young heart. He subconsciously memorized the name: Hinata Hyūga.
"Toneri," Sakuto interrupted, his voice heavy with the weight of a deathbed entrustment. "My time is short. When you come of age and your power is enough to wield the Giant Tenseigan, you must descend here and wed Hinata Hyūga. Her bloodline will help you birth a powerful successor. As for the pure infant, Hanabi..."
Sakuto's voice turned cruel. "Her eyes are the key. They are the final piece to truly awaken your Tenseigan and fulfill our ancestor's wish to purify the earth! When the time comes, take her eyes and transplant them into yourself!"
"Yes, father," Toneri replied. The budding affection was pushed deep into his heart by the cold weight of duty.
They believed themselves to be higher beings overlooking the "filth" of the earth, unaware that dozens of kilometers away, another pair of invisible "eyes" had them locked on like precision radar.
Menma's Shadow Clone sat on a cold mountain peak. Kagura Shinden fed back every word, every plan, and even the decaying state of Sakuto's life force.
When the Ōtsutsuki duo finally vanished—not by moving fast, but by their chakra signals fading into the distance—the clone opened its eyes. He shot forward like an arrow, maintaining a safe 50-kilometer distance.
The chase lasted for hours across vast forests and jagged mountains. Finally, the signal vanished deep in a primal forest near the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass, pointing toward a massive, thundering waterfall.
The clone hovered above the spray. His perception scanned the wet cliffs and the deep pool. Behind the curtain of water, hidden by vines, he captured a faint lingering spatial fluctuation and a cold, ancient aura.
He passed through the water into a dark cavern. Deep inside, a soft, eerie green light emanated from a pool of water—it wasn't normal water, but a gateway. On the domed ceiling, a massive, glowing character for "A" (阿) was engraved.
"It's exactly like the movie," the clone thought. This was the entrance to the Moon.
He didn't approach the pool. Instead, he pulled out a special kunai engraved with a complex Flying Raijin formula and wedged it deep into a rock crevice near the entrance. With the coordinates set, the clone dispelled itself.
Back in Konoha, Menma's original body opened his eyes. The flood of information—the cruel plan for the Hyūga sisters, the location of the cave, and Toneri's "crush"—hit him all at once.
Cold killing intent flashed in Menma's eyes, replaced by calculation. Kid, you've already found your way to a death sentence.
"Toneri's father is likely only Elite Jonin level since he's dying, and Toneri is just a child. But I have to be wary of that Giant Tenseigan," Menma mused.
This trip to the moon was a perfect "field trip" for his subordinates.
Hizashi Hyūga: Must go. He's a descendant of Hamura; he deserves to see the source.
Hikari Uchiha: His strongest combatant. If Hamura's ghost shows up to chat, she can suppress the Ōtsutsuki duo alone.
Kushina (Uzunami) / Vanilla Uzumaki: For the sealing formulas on the Giant Tenseigan and the puppet army.
Shisui Uchiha: Can't leave him behind in the Land of Stars.
Kimimaro Kaguya: To give Hizashi a "little shock" regarding related bloodlines.
Uchiha, Uzumaki, Kaguya, and Hyūga... Yeah, the 'Orthodox Konoha' is definitely with me, Menma smirked.
That same night, in the deathly silent Branch family area of the Hyūga compound, a single light flickered in Hizashi Hyūga's study.
Hizashi sat perfectly straight, but his brow was heavy with years of suppressed resentment. The "Caged Bird" seal on his forehead seemed to throb in the candlelight.
Suddenly, the air froze. A figure appeared in the shadows. The signature black robe, the Nine-Masked cape, and the cold, expressionless white three-eyed fox mask.
The Shura of the Ninja World.
The pressure was like a volcano about to erupt. Hizashi's heart tightened. He chose the only logical path: he knelt on one knee. "Lord Shura. What are your orders?"
"Tomorrow night, at midnight. The Valley of the End," Menma's voice pierced the silence.
Hizashi looked up, confused. Menma saw through him. He didn't explain "where" they were going, but dropped a bombshell instead:
"We are going to meet the distant relatives of the Hyūga clan."
"Relatives?" Hizashi was stunned. He thought of the Kaguya clan, but Shura had previously shown him "fragments of history"—a mysterious group that hunted the Hyūga for their eyes.
Hizashi's breath became heavy. He didn't care about the history; he cared about the Giant Tenseigan Shura had mentioned once—the key to breaking the Caged Bird seal.
"Understood, my Lord!" Hizashi's heart raced with a dark, hopeful anticipation.