Konoha Prison.
Hyuga Hiashi arrived with a group of Hyuga clan ninjas, making his way to the cells where the Fourth Raikage and his subordinates were imprisoned.
The Fourth Raikage scoffed when he saw them. "What, another attempt to persuade me?" His sharp gaze swept over the group before settling on Hiashi. "Hyuga, huh? I don't think we're particularly well acquainted."
Over the past few days, either Yugito Nii herself or others had come to try and convince him to surrender. He was already used to it.
Hiashi smiled faintly. "Not familiar, are we? Back then, you sent envoys to Konoha with the intent to seize the Byakugan, framed our clan, and ultimately forced my younger brother, Hyuga Hizashi, to his death."
The Fourth Raikage's eyes flickered in realization. "Ah, now I remember. That did happen. So, is Konoha playing the 'tragic past' card now?" His lips curled into a sneer, assuming they were here to guilt-trip him over past transgressions.
Hiashi's expression remained composed. "Playing a tragedy card?" he echoed with a chuckle. "I'm just curious—do you even recognize the sins you've committed?"
The Fourth Raikage remained defiant, his voice filled with conviction. "I have no regrets! Everything I did was for the growth of the Cloud Shinobi Village, and I take pride in all of it."
Hiashi nodded slightly. "I see. Well, whether you feel remorse or not is irrelevant. It won't change the fact that today, I will personally beat you to death."
The Fourth Raikage's smirk faltered for a moment before he let out a mocking laugh. "You? Do you even have the guts?"
Hiashi's smile widened. "Fourth Raikage, do you still believe Konoha is the same as it was in the past? Let me enlighten you—you and your men have all been sentenced to death."
Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
Hiashi's eyes sharpened as he activated his Byakugan. His chakra surged, gathering into his palms as he launched a relentless barrage of Gentle Fist strikes.
Even with his formidable physique, the Fourth Raikage couldn't withstand the precision of the Hyuga clan's technique. Each strike sent bursts of chakra into his body, ravaging his internal organs and meridians. Blood seeped from his mouth as pain wracked his body.
Yet, even in agony, he forced out a scoff. "You didn't kill me outright? I take it you still don't have the resolve."
Hiashi's tone was cold. "No, that would be too merciful. You made me watch my brother die—I will make you suffer the same pain."
The Fourth Raikage's expression finally shifted. "What… What are you planning?"
Hiashi's gaze was eerily calm. "Didn't I just tell you? Those who refuse to surrender have all been sentenced to death. But I am giving you a parting gift—I'll execute your people first, one by one, until you're the last one left."
The Fourth Raikage's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible! You wouldn't dare!"
For the first time, panic seeped into his voice. Was this really Konoha?
Yes, he had been shaken by Lucas' overwhelming strength when Cloud Shinobi Village fell. A part of him had even considered surrendering. But after days in captivity, being subjected to constant persuasion, his ingrained arrogance had resurfaced.
Unfortunately for him, times had changed. Lucas had no intention of indulging him, and his strength and decisiveness far exceeded the Raikage's expectations.
And so, Hyuga Hiashi carried out his vengeance. He personally oversaw the execution of the Fourth Raikage and his loyalists, watching with satisfaction as the once-mighty Raikage clan, the ruling lineage of Cloud Shinobi Village, was wiped from history.
Hyuga Clan Compound.
Upon returning home, Hiashi immediately sensed something was wrong. The atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Where was everyone?
A figure with pale white eyes suddenly appeared before him, wearing a knowing smile. "Hyuga Hiashi, you've finally returned."
Hiashi's expression hardened, his body tensing for battle. "Who are you?"
The man bore the unmistakable features of the Hyuga clan—Byakugan, and notably, an unmarked forehead.
The stranger's smile deepened. "Ōtsutsuki Tsukihiko. Hyuga Hiashi, we are both descendants of Ōtsutsuki Hamura, the younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths." [*Tl:Toneri father, since Toneri is way too young at this time]
His gaze was filled with superiority. "I heard that your Hyuga clan has also divided itself into a main and branch family? Compared to us, the true lineage that remained on the moon, you are nothing more than a branch house."
Hiashi remained composed but wary. "You didn't come all this way just to boast, did you?"
Tsukihiko chuckled. "Of course not. I've come to ask for your cooperation—to fulfill our ancestors' ambition. This rotten world, built upon the ideals of the Sage of Six Paths, must be destroyed so that a perfect new world can be created."
Hiashi's expression remained neutral, but his words were laced with mockery. "Destroy the world? You must be mistaken. Even if you somehow overcame Lord Lucas, this world is far from rotten. It's improving."
Tsukihiko's face darkened. "Nonsense! That outsider resurrected the Ten Tails and became its Jinchūriki! Everything he does accelerates this world's decay. It must be destroyed!"
Among the Ōtsutsuki clan in the moon, a severe conflict had broken out over their stance toward the ninja world. Some believed they should use the Tenseigan to obliterate it and rebuild anew, while others thought interference was unnecessary.
In the end, the radicals won. They sacrificed their own eyes to merge them into a great Tenseigan, leaving their numbers dangerously low. By Tsukihiko's generation, their once-proud lineage had nearly dwindled to extinction.
Through the Great Tenseigan, the Ōtsutsuki clan could vaguely observe the ninja world. Though their perception was hazy, one presence stood out like a blazing sun in the dead of night—Lucas.
His chakra was so immense and overwhelming that anyone with even a trace of sensory ability could easily detect him. When Ōtsutsuki Tsukihiko learned of Lucas' actions, an unsettling fear took root in his heart.
If Lucas truly was improving the ninja world, then what had the Ōtsutsuki clan sacrificed for?
It was as if their struggles, their losses, and their ultimate goal had become nothing but a joke. This thought gnawed at Tsukihiko, making him abandon his original plan to wait for his son to mature. Instead, he took action himself—descending to the ninja world to capture Hyuga Hiashi and his two daughters.
Tracking Lucas was simple. The man never concealed his chakra fluctuations, making him easy to locate. However, Tsukihiko also discovered something else—there were times when Lucas' chakra signature would completely vanish from the ninja world.
This revelation led Tsukihiko to a chilling conclusion.
Lucas had the ability to travel to other planets.
This realization strengthened Tsukihiko's resolve. If Lucas truly had the means to leave, then there was hope. So long as he was not present, their plan to destroy the world could still succeed.
Because if Lucas remained in the ninja world, no matter how powerful the Tenseigan was, Tsukihiko knew he wouldn't stand a chance. Even the Moon's ancient weapon, the one designed to destroy the world, wasn't something he was confident could withstand Lucas' power.
But if Lucas left—if he went somewhere else—their goal could still be achieved.
Moreover, there was another reason for Tsukihiko's urgency, one that made him abandon waiting for his son's growth.
Lucas was actively reshaping the ninja world.
If he invested too much into it, its destruction would impact him deeply. And if Lucas lost control in his rage, anyone connected to the ninja world would perish with it.
Thus, Tsukihiko made his move.
"Come with me."
Tsukihiko's voice was calm, almost amused, as his Byakugan shone with an eerie azure glow. It was the power of the Tenseigan, temporarily granted to him through the energy of the Great Tenseigan.
Hiashi barely had a moment to react before his vision blurred. His daughters, Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Hanabi, stepped forward with vacant expressions, their movements stiff and unnatural. They had been completely subdued by the Tenseigan's power.
Tsukihiko seized the three of them and vanished in an instant.
At that time, Lucas had already left for the Pirate World, taking Senju Tobirama and Orochimaru with him. Namikaze Minato had gone to Kusagajure Village, and Hōzuki Gengetsu had taken Jiraiya to Iwagakure.
Though Konoha still had Tsunade and several elite Jōnin, their sensory abilities weren't sharp enough to detect Tsukihiko's presence.
And so, no one in Konoha realized what had just transpired.
In the Chat Group.
Namikaze Minato: "I've infiltrated Kusagakure and uncovered some of their secrets. Many small and mid-sized villages are conspiring to use relics from the Sage of Six Paths era against us."
Lucas: "The Box of Bliss? Ignore it. That so-called weapon is nothing more than overhyped nonsense. Let them be. In fact, let them gather all their opposition against me. That way, I can deal with them in one fell swoop."
Senju Hashirama: "Minato, did you come across any Uzumaki survivors in Kusagakure?"
Namikaze Minato:: "Yes, I did. There's a mother and daughter barely surviving there. The mother has a unique physique that allows her chakra to be absorbed for healing, so the villagers have been using her as a living medical battery."
Senju Hashirama: "Damn it! That's barbaric! Draining someone's life force to sustain themselves?!"
Uchiha Madara: "That's the reality for ninjas who have no village to protect them. It's the price of weakness—one that has always existed in this world."
Lucas: "Don't worry. This kind of exploitation will cease to exist in the future. @Hōzuki Gengetsu, did you find your descendants?"
Hōzuki Gengetsu: "Yes, I did. That kid's had a miserable time. The researchers in Iwagakure have been experimenting on him because of our clan's secret techniques. I'm taking him with me to clean up Iwagakure—he's going to get some real training along the way."
In the ninja world, Hōzuki Gengetsu stood before his descendant, Hōzuki Suigetsu, his expression filled with disappointment and frustration.
"My Hōzuki clan has so many powerful water techniques, and yet you're obsessed with collecting some useless swords?!"
His voice was sharp as he scolded the younger ninja.
"From now on, you're forbidden from using swords. Focus on mastering water jutsu instead!"
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