In the Shinobi World...
In the Land of Earth, Iwagakure's leaders had gathered to discuss what had been shown on the Heavenly Screen, their expressions grave. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, sat at the head of the table, his brow furrowed and a hint of worry in his eyes. The first Heavenly Screen video, which showed Pain invading Konoha to capture Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, had made him realize that the Akatsuki's target might not be the Nine-Tails alone, but all the Tailed Beasts.
Ōnoki spoke in a low voice, a note of wariness in his tone. His gaze swept over everyone present as he continued, "We must be on our guard and protect our Tailed Beasts and Jinchūriki."
One of Iwagakure's leaders nodded in agreement. "Lord Tsuchikage is right. The Akatsuki's strength cannot be underestimated. We must make every possible preparation."
Ōnoki pondered for a moment before saying, "I've already sent word to Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, telling him to return to the village as soon as possible. We need his strength to deal with any threats that may arise."
However, when Iwagakure's ninja found Roshi wandering outside the village, he dismissed Ōnoki's concerns. Roshi sat on a boulder, leisurely drinking from a flask of wine. After hearing the ninja's message, he scoffed. "That old man Ōnoki always thinks too much. Even if enemies really do come after me, I can handle them easily. Go back and tell him not to worry."
The ninja who had delivered the message looked at Roshi helplessly and tried to persuade him further, but Roshi waved them away. Roshi had always done as he pleased. He disliked being confined to the village and was even less willing to obey Ōnoki's orders. As far as he was concerned, he was strong enough to handle any threat and had no need to return.
Meanwhile, in a remote valley somewhere in the Land of Earth, Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, was training hard on his own. Han was calm and reserved, and he knew full well that the Five-Tails' power inside him was immense. A moment's carelessness could cause it to run wild, with irreversible consequences. Thus, he had secluded himself in this rarely visited valley to focus on training and try to gain better control of the Five-Tails' power.
In the valley, Han's figure looked especially lonely beneath the sunlight. Thick steam covered his body, a sign of the Five-Tails' power. His brow was furrowed and his forehead was covered in sweat; clearly, the training was far from easy. He murmured, "Not enough... I still can't fully control this power."
Han trained not only to grow stronger, but also to keep the Five-Tails from running wild and harming innocent people. He knew that, as a Jinchūriki, he bore a tremendous responsibility. He could never allow a moment's carelessness to cause a disaster.
"I have to get stronger... Only then can I protect the village and everyone in it." A trace of resolve flashed in Han's eyes. He took a deep breath and resumed his training, as though nothing in the outside world had anything to do with him.
Iwagakure's ninja had also tried to find Han, hoping he would return to help defend the village, but Han had refused their request. Through the ninja who delivered the message, he told Ōnoki, "Once I've fully mastered the Five-Tails' power, I'll return to the village. Going back now would only put everyone in danger."
After learning of Roshi's and Han's responses, Ōnoki sighed helplessly. He knew both Jinchūriki were extremely stubborn, and ordering them back by force would only backfire. Yet he also understood that the Akatsuki's threat could not be ignored, and he had to find a way to deal with it as soon as possible. "It seems we can only strengthen the village's defenses while keeping a close eye on the Akatsuki's movements," Ōnoki said quietly, a note of helplessness in his voice.
In the Land of Lightning, the sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze brushed against their faces as Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, led her squad through a dense forest on an important mission.
They moved nimbly, their steps light, as though they were one with nature. During breaks in the mission, the squad members would occasionally stop and sit together to discuss the videos shown on the Heavenly Screen.
Meanwhile, in a bustling part of the village, a huge stage was nearing completion. Passersby could not help looking speechless when they saw it. "Don't tell me Lord Killer B is holding another concert?" one passerby complained. "The noise last time nearly brought the whole village down. My windows were buzzing from the vibrations. That sound was murder!" Nearby, Killer B's disciple Omoi, who had finished building the stage, broke out in a sweat when he heard the passerby's complaint.
He shook his head helplessly and silently prayed that this concert would go smoothly.
In a room, Killer B was busy putting together an outfit. As he picked out suitable clothes, he talked with the Eight-Tails Gyuki inside him. "What do you think of this one for today?" Killer B held up a brightly colored garment and posed with it in front of the mirror. "Hmph, it doesn't matter what you wear, as long as you don't sing those awful songs again." The Eight-Tails Gyuki's voice sounded in Killer B's mind, tinged with dissatisfaction.
Killer B smiled and paid the Eight-Tails Gyuki's complaint no mind. He was full of confidence in his singing talent and believed this concert would surely surprise everyone.
Deep in the mountains, far from the noise, a small, shrouded village lay hidden. Most of its residents lived peaceful lives, seemingly cut off from the world. Yet on this tranquil land lived a former missing-nin in hiding: Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki.
Utakata had once been a gifted ninja of Kirigakure, possessing the formidable power to control the Six-Tails Saiken. However, because of the power struggles in the village and the fear of Jinchūriki, he had ultimately chosen to flee, becoming a missing-nin. Now he lived in seclusion on the outskirts of the village, at peace with the world. Every morning, he would stroll through the mist-filled forest, occasionally playing a melodious tune on his flute, as though giving voice to the loneliness and tranquility in his heart.
Utakata's life seemed leisurely, but he was not entirely cut off from the world. He had taken on a disciple, Hotaru. She came from the Tsuchigumo Clan, a ninja family that had once been glorious but was now in gradual decline. The Tsuchigumo Clan was known for its unique ninjutsu and powerful Sealing Jutsu, but as times changed, the family's glory had gradually been forgotten. Hotaru had borne the duty of restoring her family from a young age, and she longed for great power to protect her people and her home.
Hotaru's talent was not exceptional, but she had an indomitable will and a relentless pursuit of power. She knew that only by training under a powerful person like Utakata could she fulfill her dream. Thus, she resolutely left her family and went to Utakata's side, embarking on an arduous path of training.
Utakata was extremely strict about Hotaru's training, but he often showed a gentle side as well. He patiently taught her how to control Chakra and remain calm in battle, and even played his flute to help her relax when she was tired. Hotaru was full of admiration and gratitude for Utakata. She saw him not only as her master, but also as a guiding figure in her life.
Watching Hotaru grow, Utakata felt both gratified and conflicted. He knew that one day she would surpass him and become a powerful person capable of standing on her own. And he would continue to protect this hard-won peace and tranquility on these mist-shrouded lands.
In a secluded place in the Land of Water, two figures quietly appeared above a mist-covered pool. Obito Uchiha and Zetsu stood on the water's surface, as though they were one with the nature around them. Obito's mask looked particularly cold and stern in the dim light, while Zetsu was split into black and white halves as always, Black Zetsu gloomy and deep, White Zetsu wearing a faintly teasing smile.
"This is already the fourth place," Black Zetsu said quietly, his voice sounding as though it came from deep underground and carrying an unsettling sense of pressure. "We still can't determine where the Three-Tails will revive, but according to our intelligence, these waters are the most likely places for him to reappear."
Obito's gaze swept over the still water, a trace of coldness flashing in his eye. "The Three-Tails' revival is only a matter of time," he said coolly, "but we don't have much time. The Akatsuki's plan cannot be held up because of a single Tailed Beast."
White Zetsu broke in with a grin. "Don't worry. Several White Zetsu have already been stationed at every possible location. The moment the Three-Tails appears, we'll know. Capturing him then will be effortless."
Black Zetsu nodded and added, "The Three-Tails' revival will be a crucial step in the plan. Once we have him, capturing the other Tailed Beasts will go more smoothly as well."
Obito fell silent for a moment, gazing deeply into the distance. His thoughts seemed to drift somewhere farther away, to the plan he had spent years working toward—the Eye of the Moon Plan. By gathering the power of the Nine Tailed Beasts, he would revive the Ten-Tails, cast Infinite Tsukuyomi, and create an illusory world without war or pain. This was a form of salvation for himself and for the world, and a promise he had made to Rin.
"The Three-Tails' revival is only the beginning," Obito said slowly, his voice low and firm. "The power of all Nine Tailed Beasts must be in our hands. Anyone who stands in the way of our plan will be eliminated completely."
The corners of Black Zetsu's mouth rose slightly in a chilling smile. "Don't worry, Obito. Everything is under our control. Whether it's the Three-Tails or the other Tailed Beasts, they'll all become tools for carrying out our plan in the end."
Obito did not reply, his gaze as cold as ever. He knew the road ahead was still full of challenges. The ninja of the Five Great Nations would not stand by and watch the Tailed Beasts be captured. Naruto of Konoha in particular, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, would be their greatest obstacle. But Obito was not afraid. He had long since prepared himself to face everything.
"Keep watching these locations," Obito said at last, his tone carrying unquestionable authority. "The moment the Three-Tails revives, notify me. Our plan cannot suffer any more delays."
Black Zetsu nodded, then slowly sank into the water and disappeared. Obito stood alone on the surface as the surrounding mist gradually thickened, seemingly separating him from the entire world. His figure flickered in and out of view amid the fog, like a ghost from the darkness, silently waiting for the right moment.
In distant outer space...
A secret unknown to others lay hidden inside the moon: it was home to the Ōtsutsuki Clan. The Ōtsutsuki Clan descended from Hamura Otsutsuki, the younger brother of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths. Long ago, Hamura and his elder brother Hagoromo had sealed the Ten-Tails together. They had decided that Hagoromo would protect the Shinobi World, while Hamura would lead some of their clansmen to the moon to guard the seal on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. As time passed, the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon gradually grew in strength, but differences in ideology also split it into a main family and a branch family.
After Hamura's death, his descendants disagreed over the meaning of their ancestor's final words. The main family believed they should continue protecting the Shinobi World and maintaining peace and balance. The branch family held an extreme view, believing that the ninja world was full of endless warfare and conflict, had strayed from Hamura's original intentions, and was not worth preserving. The branch family firmly believed that destroying the Shinobi World would be following "the ancestor's will" and providing a form of "salvation" for the world. This extreme ideology was passed down through generations of the branch family, eventually leading to civil war within the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon.
In that brutal civil war, the main and branch families fought to the death. In the end, both families were almost completely wiped out, leaving only two clansmen—an adult and a young child. That child was Otsutsuki Toneri. Toneri grew up surrounded by the branch family's extreme ideology. His father and clansmen constantly instilled one belief in him: the world created by the Sage of Six Paths was a failure, plagued by a thousand years of war, and humanity could never achieve true peace. The only solution was to destroy the Shinobi World and create it anew as a pure world without war or pain.
Toneri's childhood was filled with loneliness and oppression. He had no friends, no family; his only companions were the surviving members of the branch family and those cold beliefs. His father told him that the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon bore the mission of "purifying the Shinobi World," and that Toneri, as the branch family's last hope, had to carry it out. This belief took deep root in Toneri's heart, gradually making him cold and fanatical.
As Toneri grew older, his power gradually awakened. He had inherited the Ōtsutsuki Clan's powerful Kekkei Genkai and could control the mysterious Tenseigan. This power made him even more certain of his mission: to destroy and remake the Shinobi World. He began devising a grand plan, intending to use the Tenseigan's power to obliterate the earth.
Toneri's plan was no momentary impulse, but the product of years of careful thought. He believed that only through destruction could true salvation be achieved. He did not care whether the countless lives in the Shinobi World survived or perished, because in his view, those lives had long since been corrupted by war and desire and had lost their reason to exist. He had only one goal: to complete the branch family's mission and fulfill his ancestor's "dying wish."
However, Toneri's plan was not without obstacles. Powerful ninja still lived in the Shinobi World, and they would not stand by and be destroyed. Toneri knew this well, so he decided to wait for an opportunity to seize the Hyuga Clan's power and increase his own strength further. He sought to evolve the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan into the Tenseigan, thereby gaining enough power to destroy the Shinobi World.
Deep in Toneri's heart, perhaps a trace of longing for peace remained. But he was already bound by extreme beliefs and could not turn back. He had only one goal: to destroy and remake the Shinobi World. This obsession ran through his entire life.
In the silent space where Otsutsuki Toneri trained every day, time seemed to stand still. The dim surroundings inside the moon had accustomed him to darkness. Although he had no eyes, he could still perceive everything around him through the Ōtsutsuki Clan's gifts and the power of the Tenseigan. One day, however, his training was interrupted by an unprecedented, bizarre phenomenon: a screen of light suddenly appeared before him, like a vision materializing from thin air.
The screen emitted a faint glow that reflected in Toneri's empty eye sockets. Shocked, he stopped what he was doing, an indescribable emotion welling up in his heart. He had no eyes, and all that should have lain before him was eternal darkness, yet now he could clearly "see" the screen. The sensation was unfamiliar and unsettling, as though a power beyond his understanding were intervening in his world.
Images began playing on the screen, scenes from the Shinobi World—battles between ninja. Over a month later, battle scenes from several videos flashed before Toneri's eyes like flowing water. He seemed to see wars between the Five Great Nations, the destruction of villages, the cries of the innocent, struggles for power... He saw ninja slaughtering one another for gain and hatred, and countless lives perishing in the flames of war. These images pierced Toneri's heart and further confirmed his long-held belief: the Shinobi World was utterly corrupt, and the world created by the Sage of Six Paths was a failure.
"Just as I thought, this world is beyond saving..." Toneri murmured, his voice carrying an icy resolve. The images on the screen strengthened his determination to achieve his goal: to destroy the Shinobi World and remake it as a pure new world. He believed that only through complete destruction could true salvation be achieved.