Dark Forest

After a long journey through the stars, Momoshiki Otsutsuki, Kinshiki, and Urashiki finally arrived in the Ninja World and joined forces with Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.

Their goal was clear: replant the God Tree, harvest the Chakra Fruit, and plunder the resources of the Ninja World.

However, as soon as they began investigating the state of the Ninja World, Uchiha Ying Yue sensed their presence.

Ying Yue didn't wait for them to attack. He struck first.

He stood high in the sky, looking down at the four Otsutsuki who had come from beyond, his vast chakra surging outward like a rising tide.

Momoshiki's pupils contracted. He stepped forward with a cold laugh. "You're Uchiha Ying Yue, the one who sent Isshiki running in disgrace? You certainly have an imposing presence."

"Enough talk." Ying Yue's gaze was icy, and cold light glimmered in his Rinnegan. "I won't allow anyone else to plant a God Tree in the Ninja World and destroy its peace."

Momoshiki Otsutsuki met Ying Yue head-on and said arrogantly, "Our Otsutsuki Clan has conquered countless planets. Never has a native been able to stop us. You're nothing but a strong ant, Ying Yue!"

As Momoshiki finished speaking, he, Kinshiki, Urashiki, and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who had recovered some of his strength, took their positions together. Their powerful chakra gathered into four astonishing waves of energy.

The four members of the Otsutsuki Clan joined forces, their killing intent palpable. Four surges of chakra rose into the air, stirring up a storm across the battlefield.

Facing their combined assault, Ying Yue showed no fear.

The Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan in his eyes shone with a mysterious light. With a lift of his hand, he summoned the Perfect Susanoo, which stood between heaven and earth like a colossal war god.

Ying Yue said calmly, "You'll soon learn that the Ninja World isn't a place where you can do whatever you please."

The battle erupted in an instant. Ying Yue wielded the Susanoo's greatsword against Momoshiki, who gathered his power into a giant shield of swirling chakra and held back Ying Yue's fierce assault.

At the same time, Kinshiki turned into a streak of golden light and launched a surprise attack on Ying Yue, enormous energy gathering in his fists as he struck.

Ying Yue snorted. The Rinnegan's ocular technique activated, and time seemed to stop. He countered with lightning speed. The Rinnegan's "Amenominaka" folded space, nullifying Kinshiki's attack. In an instant, Ying Yue struck Kinshiki from the side and sent him flying hundreds of meters.

The fierce battle continued, with Ying Yue keeping all four opponents suppressed through his formidable combat skills and astonishing Rinnegan techniques.

Yet Ying Yue's strength far exceeded what the four powerful enemies had expected.

He not only wielded immense chakra but also possessed absolute control over space and extraordinary combat experience.

The combined attacks of Momoshiki Otsutsuki, Kinshiki, and Urashiki were almost useless against Ying Yue.

Ying Yue easily fought all four at once, using his powerful Space Slash techniques to neutralize their attacks one by one.

After several exchanges, Ying Yue began to take the offensive.

First, he used Amenominaka to distort space and reflect the four enemies' attacks back at them, forcing them onto the defensive.

Then Ying Yue used Space Slash to quickly break up their coordination and defeat them one by one with overwhelming speed and strength.

After Momoshiki was struck by Space Slash, Ying Yue quickly absorbed his chakra and suppressed his power below the Six Paths level. Kinshiki and Urashiki couldn't escape either; Space Slash tore away most of their power.

The battle ended with all four lying on the ground, their chakra depleted and their bodies too weak to move.

Ying Yue stood before them and said coldly, "The Otsutsuki Clan is nothing special after all."

Momoshiki Otsutsuki glared at Ying Yue, his eyes filled with resentment and fury. "You think this is over? The power of our Otsutsuki Clan spans the stars. Even if we lose here, more of our clan will come—"

Ying Yue's expression didn't change, but his gaze held an icy disdain for the stars themselves. "Then I'll wait for them, and defeat them with my own hands."

Then Ying Yue used his Rinnegan to forcibly control the minds of all four and sealed them in a special prison somewhere in the Ninja World.

Afterward, Ying Yue used his ocular technique to delve into their memories, learning the exact location of the Otsutsuki Clan's planet and other related information.

Ying Yue learned that the Otsutsuki Clan's planet lay deep in the distant reaches of space, far beyond anything the Ninja World could imagine.

The planet possessed vast chakra resources and was the source from which the Otsutsuki family had spread and multiplied.

Although the Ninja World was currently strong enough to suppress them, Ying Yue knew that this ancient interstellar clan might have immense hidden power. Their home planet could hold even more formidable beings beyond anyone's imagination.

The Otsutsuki Clan was not merely powerful in battle. They were a predatory race with an interstellar civilization, plundering planets rich in Natural Energy, planting God Trees, and strengthening themselves with Chakra Fruits.

Their acts of plunder brought to mind the "Dark Forest" theory Ying Yue had read about in his previous life, in the work The Three-Body Problem—a theory founded on brutal laws of survival.

Ying Yue knew that interstellar civilizations competed fiercely with one another, and the "Dark Forest theory" from The Three-Body Problem held the key to addressing threats from space.

At its core, the theory held that every interstellar civilization had to conceal its location, because any civilization that revealed itself risked being destroyed by the "chain of suspicion" and the possibility of a "technological explosion."

To avoid being wiped out by an enemy civilization in a single strike, the only choice was to maintain mutual deterrence and rely on information asymmetry to achieve a degree of safety.

A complete plan gradually took shape in Ying Yue's mind. He would use the coordinates of the Otsutsuki Clan's home planet to establish a mutual-destruction deterrent and ensure the safety of the Ninja World.

He would name the plan the Dark Forest Plan.

Ying Yue decided to entrust it to the Ninja World's Science Department, with Orochimaru leading the research and implementation.

Ying Yue sought out Orochimaru in person and explained his reasoning in detail.

"Orochimaru, the Ninja World currently has the power to resist the Otsutsuki Clan, but we can't be certain of their true strength.

"Relying solely on the Ninja World to fight an interstellar race of plunderers is ultimately unworkable." Ying Yue's gaze was deep, and a trace of sternness entered his voice. "I plan to adopt a new strategy: use a cosmic broadcast to reveal the location of their home planet. It would be like exposing them in the dark forest of the universe."

A flicker of surprise crossed Orochimaru's eyes as he listened to Ying Yue's plan.

He had never seen Ying Yue so decisive, calmly plotting a deterrent strategy that spanned the stars.

At the heart of the Dark Forest theory was an extreme chain of suspicion. Every civilization in the universe had to remain silent to avoid inviting annihilation.

Ying Yue, however, planned to use this theory to threaten the Otsutsuki Clan by "exposing" them, making them afraid to act rashly.