Chapter 325: Visiting the Moon
Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 325: Visiting the Moon
The quietness of space was suddenly disturbed by the appearance of a golden spark of lightning.
Naruto now found himself on the surface of the Moon.
His hair and clothes floated around due to the lack of gravity.
The lack of breathable air or freezing cold temperatures didn't bother him all that much.
His body could survive with no water, food, or air for as long as he had access to any source of energy that he could absorb and transform into something his body could use.
His senses scanned the small celestial body and quickly found a giant structure hovering over the surface, just a few miles away from where he had appeared.
He floated for a bit while observing it with curiosity.
Thanks to the memories he acquired from Ashura Ōtsutsuki, he had a good idea of what this was.
Hamura Ōtsutsuki was the brother of the Sage of the Six Paths and also the ancestor of the Hyuga clan.
After sealing Kaguya, he came to the Moon in order to guard the seal and brought part of his clan with him to assist in his task.
He must have also been the one who created this place.
'So the one who visited Konoha must be a distant descendant of Hamura.' Naruto figured that his departure from the Moon was likely related to the seal being broken. Once Kaguya left this place and returned to Earth, there must have been little for the guardian of the seal to do.
He detected that surrounding this pristine white palace, there was some sort of translucent protective barrier.
The moment he tried to cross it, it reacted by trying to push him away.
"Hmph…" Naruto released a little bit of his divine energy and used it to open a crack in the defenses, just enough for him to cross without destroying the whole thing.
An immediate change could be felt once he ventured inside the barrier. There was air and gravity, just as if he were still on Earth.
He flew through one of the windows of the tallest tower and landed inside.
Everything seemed to be made of the same white stone and was a bit lacking in decorations, but he supposed that the man who created it didn't care that much for that kind of thing.
Still, for what little was there, the style could truly be called regal, with towering spires, vast halls, and intricate carvings resembling Ōtsutsuki symbolism.
The entire place was bathed in the energy emanating from the Tenseigan. It felt familiar but also different from Hinata's.
On a closer look, there were clear signs of decay already. It appeared as if the current owner of the castle was not able to properly maintain it by himself.
Naruto continued to walk through the halls of the palace at a steady pace while keeping track of the positions of the only other living beings here.
He had no doubt that the Ōtsutsuki boy had already detected his arrival but had made no attempt to hurry this encounter by finding him first.
Eventually, he reached a couple of massive white gates that seemed to lead to the main chamber of this palace.
The owner of the palace was on the other side, along with someone he had not expected to see again.
Naruto pushed the gates open and walked inside.
"Ahhh! What is that bastard doing here?!"
"Mmm… I should be the one asking that, don't you think?" Naruto glanced at the decapitated head that was resting on top of a small table placed next to the throne.
This one belonged to that member of Akatsuki he had encountered near the border of the Fire Country.
"You sent me here!" Hidan shouted with all of his accumulated frustration. "I spent years floating in space! Do you have any idea what I've been through?!"
"Hidan, enough!" The man sitting on the throne spoke with a tone of displeasure. "How dare you speak before me."
"Ahh, Master Toneri, please forgive me!" Hidan had lost all of his previous arrogance after experiencing indescribable agony for years. It was none other than Toneri Ōtsutsuki who had saved him from that hell.
"Mmm…" Toneri glared at Naruto. "Those eyes… I see. You are the one she spoke of. I have been expecting you to visit one day."
Hidan got excited. "I also told you about him, Master! His name is Naruto Uzumaki, and he i—"
"I said enough! I wish to speak with this human now." Toneri's cold eyes looked over at Naruto, gaining as much information as he could with his Tenseigan.
Toneri's eyebrows curved to form a deep frown. "How is this possible…"
No matter how much he tried, he could not read anything from the person in front of him. When he looked at him, he just saw his normal physical appearance but could not see or feel his chakra.
If it wasn't for the breach in the barrier, he might not have even realized that he had broken into the palace.
"I thought you wanted to speak. But all you've done is look at me," Naruto pointed out.
"Naruto Uzumaki…" Toneri said. "What is the purpose of your arrival?"
"Directly to the point? Okay, that's fine by me. I just came to find the one who tried to kidnap my sister-in-law before attempting to steal my wife. Was that you?"
"Hmph, your wife? Pff… the Hyuga clan belongs to me, human. I have the right to every woman I desire, and I think that after killing you… I will be making my way back to Earth and taking what is mine."
Naruto shook his head. "I don't see that happening."