Yes, just as Shikamaru Nara had thought.
Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga really had run into Otsutsuki Toneri!
It made perfect sense.
Toneri had stayed inside the floating island where the Giant Tenseigan was hidden all along. He had never left.
After splitting up with the others earlier, Hinata and Naruto had raced straight toward the floating island where the Giant Tenseigan was hidden, without stopping.
They were fast and reached the floating island in hardly any time at all.
With Hinata leading the way along the familiar route, they entered the passage directly, ready to find the Giant Tenseigan.
But before they set off, Naruto looked down the somewhat dim passage and said quietly, "How about you stay outside, Hinata?"
Huh?
Hinata looked utterly puzzled.
If she did not go inside, how were they supposed to destroy the Giant Tenseigan?
Without Hamura Otsutsuki's bloodline, destroying that Giant Tenseigan would be difficult, no matter how powerful someone was.
She had already told Naruto that, so why was he...
Wait, could it be...
Hinata immediately realized something and followed Naruto's gaze into the cave.
"That's right. Toneri's inside." Seeing that Hinata had guessed, Naruto stopped concealing it.
With his current sensory abilities, he had long since detected Toneri here.
And to be honest, Toneri had made no attempt to hide himself.
That was why Naruto did not want Hinata going inside. It would be bad if she got hurt when the fighting started.
Hinata knew he meant well, but she could not accept it. "We're going in together!"
Naruto heard the resolve in Hinata's firm tone and wasted no more words.
"All right!"
"Let's go," he said.
They continued forward. The passage grew wider and wider, while the oppressive presence coming from inside the cave grew stronger and stronger.
Clearly, this