The Final Struggle

"Shut up, you stupid fox." Taiichi hissed, holding down the Nine-Tails, who was about to cause more trouble.

He did not force his way through, but instead carefully extended his perception like the most precise probe, covering that invisible barrier.

He would also occasionally swing his fists and pound on the barrier, even intensifying his attacks to unleash its stronger defensive capabilities.

At this moment, the research results since stepping onto the moon came into play. After all, the entire lunar space uses a consistent set of technologies. With the previous analysis as a foundation, Taiichi had a better understanding of the barrier.

His mental energy was highly concentrated, and countless runes seemed to be flowing, combining, and disassembling in his mind, analyzing the structure, frequency, energy nodes, and flow patterns of this energy barrier.

Time ticked by. Taiichi hovered in mid-air, like a sculpture. Although the Nine-Tails impatiently flicked its tail, it knew it couldn't disturb him at this moment, and could only anxiously look around.

Suddenly, Taiichi's tightly closed eyes snapped open, his gaze flashing with brilliance!

"Found it! The core node!"

He whispered something, his right hand forming a sword shape with his fingers together, and a highly compressed Chakra instantly gathered at his fingertips!

This amount of Chakra was not a violent attack energy, but rather a "key" containing a sophisticated Sealing Jutsu.

Laugh-!

His fingertips pierced a point on the barrier with unparalleled precision, a point that was completely invisible to the naked eye!

Buzz-!

The point that was hit instantly lit up with a blinding light. Taiichi's Chakra spread rapidly through the barrier along this point, and the entire invisible barrier that enveloped the "Sun Barrier" fluctuated violently, like ripples spreading rapidly on the surface of a lake where a stone had been thrown in.

Immediately afterwards, spiderweb-like cracks appeared out of nowhere, centered on that node, and spread rapidly!

Crack--!

A crisp cracking sound rang out, and the incredibly sturdy energy barrier, like a shattered glass dome, collapsed, creating a ten-meter-square hole!

The last obstacle between Taiichi and the core of the "Sun Barrier" has disappeared!

"Well done!" Nine-Tails couldn't help but praise.

However, at the very moment the barrier shattered, an even hotter and more violent torrent of energy surged out through the gap in the energy barrier! It wasn't an attack, but rather more like the natural release of energy after it was no longer restrained!

A scorching wave of heat rushed towards us, carrying devastatingly high temperatures, as if the air itself were on fire!

"Watch out!" Taiichi reacted extremely quickly, Chakra wings on his back suddenly folded forward, like two huge shields, protecting him and the Nine-Tails in the middle!

Boom!

The violent energy surge slammed into the winged shield, producing a deafening roar.

Their wings trembled violently, the azure light flickering erratically, and long blue trails were even carved out from the edges by the torrent of energy! The enormous impact propelled Taiichi and the Nine-Tails Fox backward dozens of meters!

"Ouch! That's scalding hot!" The tip of the Nine-Tails's tail was accidentally grazed by a wisp of leaked high-temperature energy, instantly charring and curling several strands of its red fur. It grimaced in pain and cursed, "These lunar bumpkins! They even brought a self-destruct trap to this lousy planet? No sportsmanship whatsoever!"

Taiichi steadied himself, dispelling his winged shield, his expression turning somewhat grave. That attack just now was comparable in power to a full-force strike from Kage Level expert. This "Sun Barrier" core was indeed extraordinary.

The barrier was broken, and the path to the core was no longer obstructed. Taiichi flapped his wings once more, and with his grumbling Nine-Tails, he shot into the broken barrier entrance like a meteor.

The moment you pass through the entrance, it feels like you've entered a completely new world, with an architectural style entirely different from the Ninja World, full of mystical charm. Floating islands drift near a huge main island, following a specific trajectory.

On a slightly larger island stands a majestic, ancient white palace, similar in style to the Otsutsuki Palace complex but even more magnificent.

At the top of the hall, a huge blue-white sphere with a diameter of over five meters floated, slowly rotating and emitting a terrifyingly large energy fluctuation—this was the treasure of the Moon Otsutsuki Clan, Giant Tenseigan formed by the fusion of countless Byakugan!

It is the heart of this miniature world, providing a continuous source of energy for the entire Moon Core World.

On all the floating islands, all sorts of weapons were already prepared, and countless Puppet were densely arranged in several square formations. Their eye sockets were inlaid with crystals resembling Byakugan, exuding a cold killing intent.

Behind the largest Puppet formation were the remaining thirty-one Lunar Otsutsuki Clan. They were all pale-faced, their eyes filled with despair and resolve.

Leading the group was none other than the Katsuya Otsutsuki. He stood at the very front of all the clan members, his only remaining right hand gripping a strangely shaped long sword, his gaze fixed intently on the intruder Taiichi.

Behind him, several elders and elite clansmen were also surging with considerable Chakra, clearly preparing for a final resistance.

"Intruders! Halt!" Katsuya's voice, resonating through the space with Chakra, carried the last vestiges of his authority. "This is the sacred ground of Hamura's ancestors, and it shall not be desecrated! Retreat at once!"

Taiichi hovered in mid-air, his gaze sweeping over the tight Defensive Formation around him, finally settling on the Giant Tenseigan and Katsuya. He calmly spoke, "Katsuya Otsutsuki, I come on behalf of Konoha. The matter of Yuto, and your schemes against the Hyuga, demand an explanation. Surrender. Konoha is not a land of bloodshed; we can preserve your clan's survival."

"Explain? Continue?" An elder with a hideous scar on his face roared beside Katsuya, his eyes filled with grief and indignation. "Look around us! Look at those wounded and dying members of our clan! You earthlings, you slaughtered our elite, and now you want us to surrender? Dream on! The honor of the Otsutsuki cannot be tarnished!"

"That's because you attacked first. Besides, I already showed mercy; otherwise, they wouldn't be alive."

Taiichi looked down at the Otsutsuki below from his Otsutsuki perceived as a blatant provocation.

Katsuya Otsutsuki didn't want to say more; things had come to this point, and further words were pointless. He waved his hand, "Then let's see who's the best! Attack!"

At his command, the eye sockets of all the Puppet on the platform lit up simultaneously! They moved in perfect unison, raising their arms, and the energy emitters in their palms, chests, or shoulders instantly charged, converging into a chilling burst of energy light!

The next instant, it was like a torrential downpour!

Thousands of energy beams of various colors tore through the air, forming a death net that covered all of Taiichi's dodging space, and rained down from all directions!

"Hmph, a mere trick." Taiichi sneered, his hands rapidly Hand Seals, the speed of which created afterimages.

Water Style · Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave.

A massive amount of water materialized out of Taiichi, enveloping Taiichi in the blink of an eye and forming a giant water sphere. The sphere continued to expand: 5 meters, 10 meters, 20 meters...

At that moment, the beams of light and energy blasts also came crashing down.

The beam of light was deflected by the water sphere, entering from one side and exiting from the other. It missed Taiichi, but destroyed many fixed turrets.

The energy projectiles struck the water sphere, causing explosions that splashed water everywhere.

However, the spray from the explosion, drawn by some unknown force, flew a short distance before turning and merging back into the water sphere. Furthermore, as Taiichi continued to increase his Chakra, the water sphere did not shrink but instead continued to grow larger.

Seeing that the battlefield was set up, Taiichi's hand seal in the water sphere changed.

Water Style · Wild Water Dance.

The giant water sphere began to spin, faster and faster, and then the first high-pressure Water Arrow shot out from the sphere, followed by a second, a third, and finally, like a water sphere covered with Gatling guns, the continuous stream of Water Arrow tilting in all directions.

Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk.

The sound of Water Arrow piercing through the Puppet never stopped from the beginning, and Puppet fell from the sky like rain.

"Chieftain, this won't work! The power is too weak to break through his defenses. Use the Eye of God!" an elder shouted anxiously, sweating profusely.

Katsuya Otsutsuki glanced at the battlefield, said nothing, and Body Flicker Giant Tenseigan, beginning to Hand Seals.

The space in Giant Tenseigan began to distort, and a thick silver storm instantly formed, shooting towards the water sphere in the air like a beam of light.

"Holy crap, what is this?!"

The attack came too fast; Taiichi didn't even have time to react before the silver storm pillar pierced through the water sphere, followed by several horizontal cuts from top to bottom. In the blink of an eye, the huge water sphere was already in pieces.

If Taiichi hadn't used the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape quickly, he would have been killed by this attack.

"Attack! Don't give him a chance to breathe."

Instantly, an even denser barrage of attacks poured down like a torrential rain. This time, it wasn't just the Puppet, but also the various cannons on the floating islands, launching a multi-dimensional attack on Taiichi from all directions.

"Not good!" Taiichi's pupils contracted slightly; the speed and density of the attacks already made him feel threatened!

"Nine-Tails Taiyi!" Taiichi shouted.

"Okay, okay! Troublesome!" Although Nine-Tails was unwilling, it knew that this First Shinobi World War was no small matter. It leaped off Taiichi's shoulder, its size increasing as it landed.

Roar!!!

With a defiant roar, a five-meter-tall fox, its body ablaze with crimson Chakra, instantly appeared on the platform!

The Nine-Tails Fox opened its blood-red maw, and miniature versions of Tailed Beast Bomb instantly formed within it. Without any charging, they were fired directly at the various turrets.

Boom boom boom boom boom!

Tailed Beast Bomb is Tailed Beast Bomb; even if it's small, its power should not be underestimated.

Each one can basically destroy a turret.

As the Nine-Tails unleashed its power, it naturally attracted the enemy's attacks, with at least a third of the firepower shifting to the Nine-Tails.

This relieved Taiichi's pressure, and with his high-speed movement and continuous Flying Thunder God, Taiichi was quickly eliminating the Puppet warriors.

While Taiichi was having a good fight, the Nine-Tails wasn't doing so well. Lacking Taiichi's high mobility, it was hit by quite a few attacks.

"Ugh! Is this never going to end?!"

Although ordinary energy blasts were unlikely to cause it any real damage, the feeling of being constantly bitten by ants was incredibly irritating. To make matters worse, a beam of Tenseigan shot past the edge of its tail at a tricky angle!

Sizzle!

This caused real damage; a small tuft of bright red fox fur was instantly charred and carbonized by the high-temperature energy, leaving an unsightly charred bald spot on the Nine-Tails's beautiful tail!

"Aww! My fur!"

The Nine-Tails instantly bristled! Its vertical pupils turned blood red with rage! Since regaining its freedom, its most prized possession had been its glossy, majestic fur! Now, these "ants" in its eyes had burned off a patch of it!

This is an absolute disgrace! It's a million times more infuriating than being Tsunade!

"Damn it! You bunch of damned lunar bumpkins! I'm going to roast you all to a crisp!"

The Nine-Tails went completely berserk, its terrifying Chakra erupting like a volcanic eruption, and its crimson malice almost materialized.

It suddenly opened its massive maw, and an even larger Tailed Beast Bomb began to rapidly condense, its target pointing directly at the group of Otsutsuki members gathered there!

It wants to completely destroy these guys who "disfigured" it!

"Nine-Tails!" Taiichi's voice boomed in the Nine-Tails' mind like a thunderclap, instantly restoring the Nine-Tails' reddened eyes to their clear state.

"Why are you stopping me! They burned my fur!" Nine-Tails roared angrily, but the formation of the Tailed Beast Bomb did not stop.

"Have you forgotten our objective?! Control your temper!" Taiichi weaved among the Puppet, leaving a trail of explosions in his wake. "Spread the fire! Take down those Puppet and fortifications! If you dare to cause trouble again, I'll tell Tsunade when we get back that you not only stole her sake but also called her an old woman!"

"You----!" The Nine-Tails trembled with rage, its golden eyes glaring at Taiichi as if it wanted to devour him whole.

But Taiichi's last words were too threatening! Faced with the enraged Tsunade — the Nine-Tails- Tails weighed the consequences and ultimately chickened out.

"Damn you Taiichi! You win!" It roared in resentment, forcefully dispersing the Tailed Beast Bomb that was about to take shape in its mouth, feeling so frustrated that it almost suffered internal injuries.

With nowhere to vent its rage, it could only turn its attention to those Puppet.

"Roar--!! Die, all of you!!" The enormous tail, like a giant flaming whip, lashed wildly at the ground and the air! Each strike carried immense force, shredding swathes of Puppet into pieces!

It moved between the various positions, constantly cursing: "Burn my feathers! I'll dismantle your Puppet!" "Damn artillery! So annoying!" "Lunar bumpkins! Not a single one of them is any good!"

The human and the fox moved back and forth, and although there were many Puppet and the formation was dense, they could not stop their attacks.

Katsuya Otsutsuki watched as his clan's last defensive force crumbled rapidly under the combined attack of Taiichi and the berserk fox. His clansmen fell to the ground under their precise strikes (most of them were injured and rendered incapable of fighting by Taiichi), and his heart ached.

He knew that these alone were not enough to stop the two monsters. The Giant Tenseigan was their last and only chance.

When the last still-movable Puppet was smashed into a pancake by Nine-Tails's claw, only a handful of seven or eight core members of the Lunar Otsutsuki Clan, led by Katsuya, remained standing on the platform, leaning against the last staircase leading to the core hall.

Taiichi landed opposite Katsuya Otsutsuki, the two being no more than ten meters apart.

"Clan Chief, do you still wish to resist?" Taiichi asked casually, clearly confident of victory.

"Taichi Matsushita, is that right?" Katsuya Otsutsuki remained silent for a long time before finally stepping forward to face Taiichi directly.

"I'll use all the Otsutsuki's scriptures, and this Giant Tenseigan behind me, as my bargaining chips for one last one-on-one battle with you."

Taiichi remained silent, only looking at the other person with a mocking expression.

Seemingly understanding Taiichi's mockery, Katsuya Otsutsuki added, "I've placed those scriptures beneath the Giant Tenseigan, and I've also placed a restriction on that Tenseigan. The moment I have a thought, it will self-destruct, and everything will vanish into nothingness. You'll gain nothing."