As Ōnoki wrestled with the thoughts churning through his head, Naruto casually swept his right hand to the side high above.
The gold dust wrapped around the unconscious Kurotsuchi gently lifted her body and carried her steadily toward Ōnoki.
Naruto spoke, his tone as casual as if he were handling some trivial chore.
"All right, take your granddaughter somewhere else too. We don't want her getting caught up in the fight."
He paused, then added an explanation. "She's under a genjutsu, but we haven't harmed her mind. We just gave her a 'pleasant dream.' She'll be fine after some sleep."
When Hikari used Tsukuyomi, she hadn't subjected Kurotsuchi to endless mental torment within the illusion, as she had with certain enemies.
Since Kurotsuchi wasn't a primary target, Hikari had chosen a relatively gentle approach.
She had always firmly believed that Naruto was leading her to spread peace throughout the shinobi world.
She had drawn Kurotsuchi into a peaceful, harmless dream woven from genjutsu, depriving her of movement and awareness while sparing her unnecessary suffering.
Lost in doubt and alarm, Ōnoki suddenly saw the other side voluntarily returning his granddaughter. For a moment, he couldn't quite react, his face filled with astonishment and disbelief.
He instinctively reached out to catch Kurotsuchi as the gold dust delivered her safely into his arms. Her warmth and steady breathing instantly eased his fears, only for deeper confusion to follow.
"You..."
Holding Kurotsuchi, Ōnoki looked at Naruto, momentarily at a loss for words.
What was he trying to do?
Naruto seemed to see through his confusion. He looked straight into his eyes, his voice still calm.
"My goal has always been to create a peaceful new world, not a new legacy of bloodshed and hatred."
"I'm worried that once we start fighting, the fallout from