The meteor shower slowly came to an end. Survivors emerged from shelters one by one, lifting their heads toward the sky.
"The moon... is back?"
"No, someone recreated it."
"They say the Sage of Six Paths once created the moon... I used to think that was just a legend. But now... I believe it!"
"It must've been the Sage himself! He's protecting the Shinobi World!"
People across the ninja world stared upward in stunned silence, their eyes wide with awe as they took in the majestic sight.
Gigantic meteors streaked across the sky like shooting stars. Then, impossibly, they began to draw together—crashing, fusing, forming into a single, brilliant sphere.
A brand-new moon took shape before their eyes.
The Five Kage were so shocked their jaws nearly hit the ground. What had happened tonight defied all logic. And the implications... were terrifying.
First off, someone had actually fought on the moon. Not only that—the battle was so intense that the moon itself was shattered! What kind of absurd power would it take to pull that off?
But even more shocking... was that someone had rebuilt the moon right after.
Changing the heavens—recreating celestial bodies—such feats were the stuff of myth. Aside from the Sage of Six Paths, who else could possibly accomplish something like this?
The most reasonable explanation seemed to be that the Sage had clashed with some mysterious, otherworldly foe—a battle so fierce, so earth-shaking, that it obliterated the moon entirely.
And yet the Sage prevailed... and created a new moon.
But that raised a far more troubling question—who was that mysterious enemy? Someone from beyond the stars? Could aliens truly exist in this world?
And if so... would they come again?
The Sage might've saved them this time. But what if he didn't return the next time?
That lingering dread settled like a storm cloud over the hearts of every nation's leaders, refusing to fade.
...
Inside the Federation Building, Kabuto Yakushi directed his men to carry away the unconscious Sasuke.
Just as Hyuga Gakuya had warned, Sasuke overestimated his abilities—he'd shattered a meteor with lightning, yes, but collapsed immediately afterward from exhaustion.
"Gakuya-sama really doesn't do anything small," Kabuto murmured, gazing up at the newly reformed moon with quiet awe.
In Konohagakure, Tsunade moistened her parched lips.
"Shizune, alert the ANBU and make contact with the other nations. We're convening a Six-Nation Summit. This could determine the fate of the entire shinobi world."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
Naruto stood frozen, staring blankly at the scene. He thought the Gakuya he'd seen recently was already unbelievably strong... but shattering the moon? Even he couldn't believe that was within Gakuya's power.
In Sunagakure, Gaara quietly exhaled with relief. If those moon fragments had all crashed to earth, the world might've ended right then and there.
In Iwagakure, Ōnoki rubbed his aching back and muttered, "Even Uchiha Madara couldn't destroy the moon... Only the legendary Sage of Six Paths could've pulled this off."
In Kumogakure, A suddenly thought of someone else—Hyuga Gakuya.
He didn't believe Gakuya was the one who destroyed the moon... but anyone carrying the Sage's Truth-Seeking Orbs surely knew far more than they were letting on.
In Kirigakure, Mei Terumī licked her dry lips and whispered, "The world is about to change…"
Now, with a power capable of ending the world suddenly revealed, it hung over them all like the Sword of Damocles. A fearsome, ever-present threat.
What if there wasn't a Sage to save them next time?
And no one was more panicked than Black Zetsu.
The moon had been destroyed—then restored—but what about her? His mother was still inside that moon!
"Hyuga Gakuya… yes, he must've seen something with those Tenseigan of his. I need to find him. I need to know the truth."
...
Consumed with anxiety over Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's fate, Black Zetsu quickly made his way to Otogakure in search of Hyuga Gakuya.
Emerging from the earth, Black Zetsu found Gakuya sitting on a chair, his expression dark. His aura was faint, his skin pale—he was clearly badly injured.
Before Black Zetsu could even begin wondering who could've wounded someone like Gakuya...
"You finally showed up," Gakuya said, his voice cold and sharp, laced with murderous intent. "Good. I've got some questions for you."
As soon as the words left his mouth, sealing arrays lit up around the room, snapping shut to lock Black Zetsu in place.
But Black Zetsu didn't move. These kinds of seals couldn't restrain him—only Yin-Yang Release could actually bind his form. Still, he had no intention of running.
He needed answers too. He had to confirm what had happened to his mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Was she taken by the Ōtsutsuki clan—or was she still trapped on the moon?
Of course, Gakuya knew these seals wouldn't hold Black Zetsu. This was theater—stagecraft for a deeper game.
"What are you doing? I'm your ally, remember? Or have you decided you don't want to become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki anymore?" Black Zetsu feigned panic, playing his role as though the seals had him trapped.
Gakuya rolled his eyes internally. He's still pretending, huh? Still trying to keep me in the dark.
Both of them were acting. Both of them calculating.
Through clenched teeth, Gakuya growled,
"What are you hiding from me? You're not Uchiha Madara's will at all. What's really sealed on the moon?"
He wasn't pulling any punches. With a single sentence, he revealed several of the greatest secrets in the shinobi world. He had to take the offensive—before Black Zetsu could.
Black Zetsu fell silent. His eyes flickered as he considered how to respond.
He could already guess some of what had happened on the moon. Gakuya must've encountered either Hagoromo or Hamura Ōtsutsuki—and had suffered a crushing defeat.
No one else in the shinobi world could possibly match Gakuya in power, let alone beat him.
That was the logical conclusion. But he needed confirmation.
After a long pause, Black Zetsu sighed heavily. He knew he had to give something up. Otherwise, the alliance between them would collapse—and with it, his hopes of reviving his mother.
"So… it was Obito, wasn't it? He's the one who told you."
Gakuya narrowed his eyes, gaze sharp as a blade. "And if he did?"
"You're right. I'm not Madara's will. The truth is… my mother is what's sealed on the moon. I am the embodiment of her will."
"You mean the Rabbit Goddess?"
"Yes. I'm sure Obito told you the story already. My mother's name is Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. She was the mother of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki—the one you know as the Sage of Six Paths."
"But in the end… she was betrayed by Hagoromo and his brother, Hamura. The two of them joined forces… and sealed her away on the moon."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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