First Arrival on the Moon

Northwest of the Land of Fire, at the Earth's end of the space-time tunnel.

The cave wasn't completely dark. Deep within the rock walls, there seemed to be some strange mineral that could absorb and transform faint light, emitting a hazy and soft glow that barely illuminated the path ahead.

The air was slightly cool, carrying the earthy smell unique to the earth, yet it was exceptionally clean. Underfoot was an incredibly smooth rock passage, winding downwards as if leading to the earth's viscera.

Nine-Tails perched on Taiichi's shoulder, its fox-like eyes warily scanning the surrounding rock walls, its nostrils flaring. "This place—has a very ancient, very 'empty' feel to it."

"Empty?" Taiichi eyebrow.

"Hmm," Nine-Tails nodded seriously for once, "It's like—a 'emptiness' that's been forgotten for a very, very long time, a time that's too lazy to leave a trace here. And—"

He gazed ahead through the passage, his tone uncertain, "Taiichi, are you saying that the descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki are on the other side of the passage?"

"Yes, what's wrong? You're very familiar with Hamura Otsutsuki?"

This guy clearly knows a lot about ancient times, but he just won't say a word. He's incredibly tight-lipped, leaving Taiichi helpless and only able to ask him a question from time to time.

"No, not at all!" Nine-Tails quickly shook its head, "When I was born, this guy had already gone to the moon—"

Before she could finish speaking, Nine-Tails realized what was happening, her fox eyes filled with resentment. "You tricked me again!"

As it spoke, it kept lashing its tail at Taiichi's head.

"Oh dear, oh dear, don't be angry."

Taiichi scooped the Nine-Tails off his shoulder and began to pet it in his arms. At first, the Nine-Tails resisted, but later it resigned itself to its fate and began to enjoy it, eventually making a "purring" sound.

The human and the fox ventured deeper into the passage, and after another five minutes, the Nine-Tails fox pointed its small paws towards the depths of the tunnel. "There's something ahead, glowing, a very peculiar light."

Without needing Nine-Tails's reminder, Taiichi's senses had already locked onto the light source. The deeper they went, the clearer the strange, unnatural, non- Chakra energy fluctuations permeating the air became.

It is tranquil and profound, with a sense of folds and ripples unique to space.

After turning the last corner, the view suddenly opened up before me.

A huge, naturally formed domed cave appeared before our eyes. In the center of the cave, a pool of emerald green "water" lay quietly.

"This is it." Taiichi's voice echoed softly in the empty cave.

He walked to the edge of the pool, squatted down, and carefully dipped his index finger into the emerald green liquid. The sensation from his fingertip was cool and strange, neither as smooth as water nor as hard as metal, but more like touching a solidified, elastic membrane.

He flicked his fingers, trying to scoop up a little, but the emerald green "water" seemed to have its own will, condensing into beads at his fingertips, and then lightly breaking free from the shackles of gravity, like a weary bird returning to its nest, slipping silkily back into the pool without leaving a trace.

"What a wonderful thing!" The Nine-Tails also became interested, jumped off Taiichi's shoulder, squatted by the pool, and curiously put one of its front paws into the liquid light and stirred it.

The sensation from the claws made its fox eyes light up, as if it were manipulating a liquid galaxy.

"Its essence is a highly stable spatial structure, manifested in an energy state." Taiichi stood up, his gaze piercing through the deep emerald green, as if he could see the world at the other end of the passage. "Let's go, let's see what the descendants of Hamura have made of the moon."

As soon as the words were spoken, the man and the fox no longer hesitated and leaped into the emerald-like pool of light.

There was no suffocating sensation upon entering the water as I had anticipated. My body was instantly enveloped by a warm and inclusive energy, gently lifting me up.

Pulling us forward.

Ahead, a silvery-white light, like a lighthouse, appeared and disappeared at the edge of the verdant landscape.

The vast distance between the Earth and the Moon, measured in astronomical units, seemed compressed into a mere foot in the face of this magical passage. In just a minute or two, that point of silvery white suddenly magnified, resembling a circular portal!

At this moment, at the other end of the passage, about ten meters away from the blue pool, two Otsutsuki people dressed in moon-white robes with simplified Tomoe patterns embroidered on their cuffs were leaning against the stalactites with a bored expression.

They are also members of the Otsutsuki clan with Byakugan, but their eye power fluctuations are far less refined and restrained than those of Yuto Otsutsuki.

"Elder Yuto's trip took far too long—" One of the younger clansmen yawned, his pure white eyes filled with weariness, his fingers unconsciously tapping his arm. "Those guys on the ground, are they really that easy to talk to? Will they willingly come back to the moon with us?"

"Who knows?" An older member of the clan crossed his arms, a hint of barely perceptible contempt in his voice. "Just a bunch of short-sighted 'branch' members. The elders personally intervened, explaining the advantages and disadvantages, and promising them power. How could they not be grateful?"

He paused, his voice lowering, tinged with a weary hope, "I just hope things go smoothly for the elders—the clan truly cannot withstand any more setbacks."

Upon hearing this, the younger members of the tribe also showed signs of worry.

"Don't worry," the elder clansman patted his companion on the shoulder, trying to boost morale, his tone becoming firm again, "As long as the Eye of God's remains in our hands, final victory will surely belong to us! To the revival of our Otsutsuki!"

Just then----

The pale green light in the emerald pool not far away suddenly shone brightly.

The two of them jolted at the same time and abruptly turned their heads to look at the calm, emerald-green pool!

The once calm pool was now rippling, as if something was about to break through the water.

"Enemy attack?" The young clansman's expression changed instantly, and he exclaimed in shock. His pure white pupils suddenly contracted, and he subconsciously assumed an offensive stance, his Chakra instinctively gathering in his palms!

"No—impossible!" The older clansman remained relatively calm, immediately recalling Elder Yuto had gone out. "Could it be—could it be that the elder has returned?"

After all, apart from them, there are no other living people on the moon! Theoretically, only Elder Yuto knows about the passage on the other side!

However, as the light intensified, the reflection in the pool gradually became clearer.

It wasn't one figure, but two, one large and one small. Judging from their figures, neither of them was Elder Yuto.

"Be on guard! Issue a warning!" the elder of the tribe roared, his voice distorted and strained by the high pitch!

His hands moved rapidly, Hand Seals, veins bulging around his pure white eyes, his Byakugan power pushed to its limit! At the same time, he roared, "Activate the defense system! An unknown enemy has invaded!"

A sharp, metallic buzzing sound, sharp enough to tear eardrums, instantly resounded throughout the cave and continued to travel further and further away.

In the center of the emerald green pool, two figures, a human and a fox, emerged from the water and stood before the two Otsutsuki.

"Haha, Taiichi brat, you've been discovered. Do you still want to keep Scout intelligence?" Nine-Tails said cheerfully, not at all worried about their current situation.

As soon as he finished speaking, figures emerged from the passage one after another, and more and more of them appeared.

"Ha, since secret Scout won't work, let's visit openly. If that doesn't work, let's make a scene. We'll still get the information anyway."

Taiichi looked at the two people in front of him, and the increasing number of Puppet dolls behind them, and spoke casually.

On the other side, seeing the increasing number of Puppet gathering behind them, the two Otsutsuki finally calmed down.

As she calmed down, another surge of anger welled up inside her: her terrified reaction was utterly unbecoming of a "Moon People," especially since the other party was merely an "earthling" (the Nine-Tails was conspicuously ignored).

"Damn lowlife, how did you get here? This is no place for you. Surrender now!"

Nine-Tails- Tailed Fox glanced at Taiichi in surprise, and saw that the smile on his face had indeed disappeared. She couldn't help but silently mourn for the outspoken guy opposite her: He's really brave. I don't know where he got the courage. Does he really not know how to spell the word "death"?

Taiichi looked at the two Otsutsuki on the opposite side and was truly speechless. Did these people really think they were superior and unmatched?

He patiently made a final effort, announcing loudly, " From Ninja World Land of Fire, Konoha, Taichi Matsushita has come to pay a visit to the Moon Otsutsuki Clan."

But before they could react, the other side only paused for a moment before unleashing a torrent of criticism.

"Damn it, what did you do to Elder Yuto? Did you use some underhanded methods?"

"Capture him and find out Elder Yuto's whereabouts."

Immediately, the two Otsutsuki from the moon waved their hands, and a large number of Puppet behind them condensed energy blasts, which were then fired at Taiichi. A group of them even charged forward, trying to get close and capture Taiichi.

The smile that had disappeared from Taiichi's lips reappeared, becoming more and more pronounced with each passing moment.

"That's good, it saves me from feeling guilty, so they won't blame me."

Taiichi instantly sprang into action, charging towards the barrage of energy projectiles. He neither dodged nor evaded, but instead raised his hand and deflected them forward.

Wind Style: Great Breakthrough

The gale, carrying countless tiny Wind Blade, completely cleared away all attacks in its path.

With Chakra- enhanced fists, he faced the Puppet following closely behind, striking one after another, each one shattered into pieces, its parts scattered everywhere.

Such ferocity and domineering power, such unstoppable force, far exceeded the expectations of the two Otsutsuki.

Only then did their rigid minds realize that they seemed to have made a grave mistake.

Before they could make any further moves, Taiichi had already broken through numerous obstacles and arrived in front of them.

He raised his knee and delivered a side kick, sending the young Otsutsuki who was attempting to attack flying.

He shifted his feet to the side, dodging the other person's desperate counterattack.

With a twist of his waist and a hook punch, he blasted the Otsutsuki into the sky.

In a mere second, two crisp cracking sounds were heard, and the two men collapsed to the ground one after the other, unconscious without even uttering a sound.

He won't die, but without advanced medical technology, his injuries will likely leave him in serious danger for the rest of his life.

The battle lasted less than a minute; for most of the time, Taiichi was chasing after the target. Looking at the mess on the ground, he clapped his hands, quite satisfied.

"This is better. That's how enemies should be—dead or lying down, not standing and getting in the way."

These light, airy words drifted into the Nine-Tails's ears, causing its fiery red fur to bristle instinctively.

"Tch!" It flicked its bushy tail, suppressing the inexplicable unease in its heart, and muttered, "As if I wanted to stand here and get in your way—"

Hey, Taiichi, the alarm's blaring! Now the whole moon knows we've broken in! What are you doing, acting all high and mighty? Are you expecting us to put on a grand welcome for you?

"Welcome?" The faint smile on Taiichi's lips finally became clear, carrying an almost cruel ease. "Isn't that just what I wanted? It saves me the trouble of going to find them."

He stopped looking at the "obstacles" on the ground, strode forward, and walked straight through the dark passage to the other end.

One step forward, and everything becomes clear.

Even with Taiichi's unwavering will, the sight before him made him gasp for breath.

Contrary to expectations, the lunar surface was not desolate and lifeless. Instead, a vibrant "world" unfolded before our eyes!

The vast, boundless blue ocean shimmers and stretches to the horizon. Lush primeval forests cover the rolling hills, their greenness almost overflowing. Above, the clear blue sky is dotted with a few wisps of lazy white clouds.

Even—a "Sun Barrier" radiating warm light hangs high in the center of the "sky," spreading its soft light and heat to every corner of this vast space!

This is not the center of the moon; it is clearly a meticulously crafted paradise hidden deep within the star's core!

"This—it's truly—" Taiichi murmured to himself, his deep black eyes reflecting this incredible world, a rare look of awe lingering in his eyes, "—a masterpiece of nature!"

He racked his brains, but could only utter these four words in the end.

Hamura Otsutsuki's methods could not be accomplished by mere "power"; they were the ultimate utilization of his own abilities and a profound understanding of their essence.

"Tsk, there's definitely something special about that," even the well-informed Nine-Tails nodded seriously, a hint of reminiscence flashing in its fox eyes, "Back then, the Sage of Six Paths and his brother—well, let's not dwell on past glories."

It quickly stopped talking, reverting to its lazy demeanor. "But then again, even the best house is useless if it's owned by a spendthrift. Look at this place, it's empty and lifeless."

Nine-Tails' words were like a cold needle, instantly piercing the Utakata of shock in Taiichi's heart.

He examined it closely and, sure enough, behind this magnificent "world" lay a profound emptiness and decay.

The entire space resembled a vast, exquisitely beautiful yet lifeless painting. Hamura's power still remained, but the decline of his descendants had permeated every inch of the land.

"It is truly lamentable that their unworthy descendants, sitting on a mountain of treasures yet destroying their own foundation, are so pitiful." Taiichi's tone was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible regret.

He was no longer immersed in the visual impact; his immense Chakra Perception surged and spread in all directions like an invisible tide!

Without any more scruples or concealments, he was determined to unravel the secrets of this world!

As far as his perception could reach, every subtle flow of energy and spatial construction was like an open book, which he greedily read.

Analysis, imprinting. For him, this was an opportunity more precious than any treasure!

[Observe the structure of the alternate dimension to enhance your understanding!]

[Your skill Sealing Jutsu has been upgraded, experience points +1]

A cold, detached prompt surfaced in his mind, carrying with it a hint of insight, which captivated Taiichi.

The Nine-Tails perched on his shoulder, clearly feeling the Chakra surge that swept out like a tsunami, as well as the aura that instantly calmed down around Taiichi.

It pursed its lips and ultimately didn't make a sound to disturb them.

It once wondered if it had wasted its entire life of over a thousand years, how could it be no match for a mere teenager?

The longer it spent with Taiichi, the more it had to admit that there were differences between people, and even greater differences between humans and foxes.

A person like Taiichi is so rare that it would be a once-in-a-millennium occurrence, let alone a thousand.

They have talent, they're intelligent, and most importantly, they're even more hardworking than you.

Thinking back on my more than a thousand years, I've spent either sleeping or playing around, and recently I've even been captured and sealed away.

Sigh, there's no comparison, no comparison at all. Nine-Tails) is convinced.

--

Talent, temperament, and hard work—this guy has it all! It shook its head, banishing the discouraging thought.

Well, a fox should enjoy life to the fullest while it lasts; petting its fur and drinking are the only proper ways to live!

However, the Ōtsutsuki Clan clearly did not intend to give Taiichi much time for "research".

On the distant horizon, a dense cluster of black dots suddenly appeared, like a startled swarm of bees, approaching this place at an alarming speed!

"Hey! They're here!" Nine-Tails instantly perked up, excitedly patting Taiichi's shoulder with its little paws and swishing its tail. "Look, look! How hospitable they are! A huge crowd, at least two hundred!"