In the forest.
Madara Uchiha looked Urashiki up and down.
Urashiki sensed someone approaching. Judging by the Ki, it was probably the man who had appeared earlier...
"Ignorant, inferior creatures! One day, you'll pay for what you've done!" Urashiki seemed to realize he would not be killed anytime soon.
And just like that, he grew defiant again.
Unfortunately...
He had no idea what not dying meant in the Shinobi World.
Madara Uchiha tilted his head. "Does the Otsutsuki Clan really not fear death?"
"Death? Ha ha..."
Urashiki started to say more, then silently closed his mouth.
"Hmm?"
Madara Uchiha narrowed his eyes.
Elsewhere.
Shinji stared at the "rewards" before him, lost in thought.
[Challenge mission: Defeat Urashiki Otsutsuki. Complete! Reward: Pure Byakugan—fusion!] [Challenge mission: Otsutsuki's Witness, Urashiki's Eyes! Stage one: Byakugan, Rinnegan (blue), Rinnegan (red). Complete!] [Reward: Time Domain!]
Otsutsuki's Witness?
Unfortunately, he might never witness the second stage...
"..."
Hashirama Senju looked at Madara Uchiha's back.
Then he glanced at Shinji, who was staring into space. Hashirama assumed the boy had exposed Madara's plot and, all at once, learned the greatest truth of the Shinobi World.
The relief of it must have come with something he struggled to accept.
A trace of sympathy flashed in Hashirama's eyes, and he sighed. "You've worked hard, young man."
"Whether you were traveling from battlefield to battlefield to protect the village, or doing everything you could for peace in the Shinobi World..."
"?"
Shinji came back to himself and looked at Hashirama in confusion. Then he smiled. "Uh... First, I haven't done much. I just want to make this world a better place. That's all."
"But now that you mention it, I've remembered there must be plenty of things in the village that need attention."
"So I'd like to go and