"Uncle Teuchi, why are you doing this?"
Naruto stared at Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku, whom Sasuke had forced back, and demanded an answer in shock and anger.
"Idiot, can't you tell? He's the one Senior Qingyun mentioned—the person possessed by mental power from another world!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's question, then spoke with a grave expression.
"Th-this can't be! Uncle Teuchi, is that true?"
In truth, the instant Teuchi attacked, Naruto had known he was the person Qingyun had spoken of. His kind heart simply refused to accept it.
"Naruto, you're as naive as ever. That's right, I am Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku. Over a decade ago, my mental power descended into this world to devour its fortune. Unfortunately, this world's guardians intercepted me when I arrived.
"Although I gravely wounded them, much of the mental power I sent here was scattered as well. Left with no choice, I possessed this man named Teuchi.
"I had plenty of chances to kill you before, but back then, there was someone in Konoha I couldn't see through. I had no choice but to remain hidden.
"Now that he's gone off to explore Interstellar Space, even his Space-Time Dojutsu won't let him cross that boundless expanse and return here in an instant. So I no longer need to hide. Once I kill you both and devour your fortune, I will become invincible. Haha, die!"
Seeing Naruto's disbelief, Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku burst into laughter, and energy surged from his entire body.
As his energy poured out, Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku rapidly changed from a middle-aged man into a young one. A pair of forked, dragonlike horns gradually grew from his head, and his clothes transformed into robes bearing the symbols of yin-yang and the five elements.
Not only that, but as Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku transformed, nine black