In a concealed corner not far from the battlefield, a figure with Byakugan glared bitterly in Uchiha Hikaru's direction.
He was a branch member of the Ōtsutsuki clan residing on the moon. Ever since they eradicated the peace-favoring faction, they had been secretly plotting the world's destruction.
Their plan was simple: to bring the moon crashing down and annihilate the shinobi world, thus fulfilling their ambitions.
But what they never expected… was that this seemingly flawless plan would be utterly derailed by a sudden, unforeseen obstacle—Hikaru.
Just moments ago, refusing to give up, he had activated the Tenseigan and unleashed an earth-shattering energy blast, hoping to turn the tide.
But the result was as devastating as it was hopeless. The attack vanished before Hikaru like a stone sinking into the ocean—without even causing a ripple.
Now, his heart was consumed by fury and defeat. The world-ending plan, years in the making, had been effortlessly dismantled.
Worse yet—Hikaru had noticed him.
He saw Hikaru's gaze sweep toward his hiding spot and panicked. He instinctively tried to evade it.
'He only has Sharingan. No way he can see this far like the Byakugan can,' he thought, desperately clinging to hope.
But in the very moment that thought surfaced—
The world before him twisted.
And suddenly, he was face-to-face with Hikaru.
The Uchiha's mocking gaze seemed to pierce his very soul, sending a chill down his spine.
Then came the cold voice:
"You little rat. Where do you think you're going?"
That voice—it was like a freezing wind from the depths of the abyss. He trembled all over. There was nowhere to run.
Yet perhaps in his terror, some buried instinct flared up. He forced himself to raise his head and meet Hikaru's eyes.
"You filthy creature of the shinobi world... how could you ever comprehend the greatness of those who dwell above?"
"Why can't you people just accept your fate and embrace death as it was meant to be?!"
But his defiance rang hollow—like the dying wails of a caged beast.
Hikaru watched him, eyes dull with disinterest, as if witnessing a farcical play.
"Have you lost your mind? Very well. I'll grant you a final shred of dignity."
As he spoke, flames erupted.
In less than a second, the man was incinerated—nothing left but ash, no trace to speak of.
Gasps rang out across the battlefield.
Fear gripped everyone who witnessed it. Even seasoned shinobi of the Allied Shinobi Forces averted their eyes, heads lowered like mice before a lion.
They knew—if this man wished to kill them, it would be child's play.
And yet, Hikaru made no further moves.
Instead, he turned to face an empty patch of air and spoke:
"Stop hiding. Come out… Rabbit Goddess."
Silence followed.
The crowd was stunned, confused—but too afraid to ask questions. They could only watch and guess at what was unfolding.
Then…
A disturbance shimmered through the air, like a stone tossed into a still pond.
A figure slowly emerged.
She was elegant, noble—wrapped in a flowing robe of violet and white, like a ghost stepping from the mist.
Her Byakugan eyes gleamed like polished jade, fathomless and radiant, as if seeing through the fabric of the world itself.
Two horns curved upward from her head, lending her an aura both mysterious and commanding.
Her very presence sent an inexplicable shock through all who beheld her.
And yet, none could sense the inner turmoil beneath her serene surface.
The seal was broken. She was free. By all rights, it should have been a moment of joy.
But as her feet touched the soil of this long-forgotten world, she sensed something deeply wrong.
Her power—gone. Nearly all of it. What once answered her effortlessly had vanished without a trace.
And what unsettled her most… was the Rinne Sharingan on her brow—her greatest source of strength—refusing to open, no matter how she tried.
The sudden, inexplicable weakness shook her to her core. It was as if she'd fallen from the heavens into a bottomless pit.
And when her eyes finally met Hikaru's—
The unease intensified.
She remembered the radiant pillar of light that had torn the heavens open upon her release. In her prime, she might have resisted it.
But for Hikaru to casually deflect it with only Susanoo?
To her, that bordered on absurdity—an impossible fantasy.
For a moment, she feared the Ōtsutsuki clan had arrived before her and struck first.
Thankfully, Hikaru's appearance did not match any of their kind.
That realization brought her a sliver of relief.
Still—whether he was friend or foe, she dared not act recklessly.
But fate had other plans.
Hikaru had already called her out. She could no longer hide.
And so Kaguya Ōtsutsuki stepped forward to face what came.
Her gaze locked onto Hikaru, searching his expression for any clues.
He met her look without flinching, patiently awaiting her next move.
Finally, she broke the silence.
Her voice was faint, but carried an undeniable weight:
"Who are you?"
Hikaru smiled faintly.
"I am Uchiha Hikaru, Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure."
Her brow furrowed deeper.
He had called her by her ancient title—Rabbit Goddess. He clearly knew secrets lost to time.
But in all her memories, no one bore the surname "Uchiha."
She was still puzzling through that mystery when Hikaru continued, his voice calm and resolute:
"Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the shinobi world is on the path to unity and peace. If you are willing to abandon the past and live as an ordinary person, I will guarantee your safety. No one will harm you. What say you?"
Her answer was immediate.
A cold refusal.
"Impossible. All chakra in this world… belongs to me."