He was blind! He needed the Byakugan!
"Toneri, hand over the Byakugan, and we in Konoha can still coexist peacefully with you." Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened slightly at those words. He could hear the mockery in Otsutsuki Toneri's voice.
Although it was something of a pity, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never allow someone like Otsutsuki Toneri, who could harm the villagers at will, to remain!
Today, he could gouge out a villager's eyes for the sake of his own eyesight. Tomorrow, he might sell out the villagers for greater benefits.
Someone like that...
"Impossible. Those eyes are an important part of me." Otsutsuki Toneri shook his head. Hiruzen Sarutobi's words were rather too naive.
"So it really was you! Did you do it, or did Danzo?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned cold as he asked in a low voice.
Although he had suspected it and had already been all but certain, hearing Otsutsuki Toneri admit it himself still made anger stir in his heart.
What he loathed most were those who harmed the people of his own village!
Konoha was his life's work, as well as that of the First, Second, and Fourth, who had sacrificed their lives for it!
He was weak at times. For Konoha's safety, he would make some concessions to outsiders, but he did not believe he was wrong.
Konoha remained safe and sound to this day precisely because of his conciliatory methods!
"Does that matter, Lord Third Hokage? If you want the eyes back, you're welcome to try." The smile on Otsutsuki Toneri's lips slowly turned vicious, and he tilted his head as he spoke.
He was not afraid of Konoha. Now that he had the eyes, if Hiruzen Sarutobi insisted on fighting him to the death...
He would not mind dealing Konoha a heavy blow in its current state!
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
Just then, a familiar voice rang out, and a great mass of flames swept toward Otsutsuki Toneri and his companion.
The scorching heat set half the sky ablaze with red, reflecting the attacker's fury!
"Heh."
Feeling the heat, Otsutsuki Toneri lowered his head and chuckled disdainfully. He extended his left hand, the scarlet Rinnegan gleaming with an eerie light.
As though drawn by a mysterious force, the enormous blaze vanished in the blink of an eye!
"Asuma? You seem rather upset." After absorbing Ash Pile Burning, Otsutsuki Toneri turned his head toward the figure who had appeared in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi and smiled faintly.
The newcomer was Asuma, but his normally easygoing, flippant face now wore a deeply conflicted expression.
"Toneri, turn back. Why would someone like you collude with someone like Danzo?" Asuma asked gravely. He had always trusted Otsutsuki Toneri deeply.
He had never imagined that he would find himself on the opposite side from Otsutsuki Toneri so soon.
At that moment, his feelings truly were complicated.
"Someone like me? Ha..." Otsutsuki Toneri could not help repeating Asuma's words, his expression rather strange.
Those words really were...
Then Otsutsuki Toneri could no longer hold back his laughter. The grating chuckle made both Asuma's and Hiruzen Sarutobi's faces turn rather ugly.
"Asuma, you really are full of yourself. What makes you so sure the person you know is the real me?" After laughing, Otsutsuki Toneri put on the same gentle smile the two knew so well and mocked him with a smile.
There was no need to hide anything anymore. In any case, he had essentially accomplished everything he had come to Konoha for.
"Inukai Takeru no Mikoto!"
Then, without waiting for either of them to speak, Otsutsuki Toneri slammed both hands against the ground. The earth before him abruptly split open.
The ground shook violently. The next instant, an enormous monster burst out, and two huge snake heads lunged fiercely at Asuma and Hiruzen Sarutobi!
"Damn it!"
Asuma and Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly sprang backward, dodging the two snake heads' attacks. They stared in shock at the monster, which stood over ten meters tall.
The monster was roughly canine in shape, but more than a dozen snakelike tentacles extended beneath its lower body. Its entire body was grayish brown.
Clearly, Otsutsuki Toneri had created it with earth-nature chakra!
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi rapidly formed hand seals, and a massive fire dragon lunged at Inukai Takeru no Mikoto, baring its fangs and claws.
Otsutsuki Toneri sneered at the sight, then sensed Kakashi and the other jonin who had suddenly appeared around him.
"Surrender, Otsutsuki Toneri! You won't escape today." Holding a shuriken, Kakashi addressed Otsutsuki Toneri in a grave voice.
Quietly glancing at Hiruzen Sarutobi and Asuma, who were tied up fighting Inukai Takeru no Mikoto, Kakashi could not help feeling his heart sink.
He had not expected even a casually deployed ninjutsu from Otsutsuki Toneri to possess such power!
Chapter 42: A Little Pet for You! Second Update!
"I don't think so." Otsutsuki Toneri chuckled, entirely unmoved by Kakashi's threat.
He even felt a little like laughing.
They were only a bunch of jonin, yet they certainly talked big.
Kakashi snorted coldly, then charged without hesitation, leading the other jonin.
Although he had some concerns, this was no time to hesitate.
Otsutsuki Quxian wanted to act, but Otsutsuki Toneri stopped her.
"Let me. Fighting groups isn't your strength either." Otsutsuki Toneri smiled at the puzzled Otsutsuki Quxian.
Otsutsuki Quxian excelled in taijutsu. Attacks against groups were indeed her weakness.
"Trying to overwhelm us with numbers in close combat? Not a bad idea." Then Otsutsuki Toneri extended his left hand, and the scarlet Rinnegan flashed again.
As Otsutsuki Toneri's mildly mocking words fell, an incomparable repulsive force abruptly expanded outward!
Completely unprepared, Kakashi and the others were instantly struck by the repulsive force and sent flying violently.
"Young master... still has so many tricks hidden away!" Otsutsuki Quxian activated her Byakugan slightly, yet could not understand what method Otsutsuki Toneri had used.
Kakashi and the others, however, had indeed suffered considerable injuries.
Even some of their internal organs had shifted slightly, as though something heavy had struck them at high speed.
Otsutsuki Quxian pondered briefly, looking at the scarlet eye in Otsutsuki Toneri's palm!
Naturally, she recognized such a peculiar eye. It was the eye of Ancestor Hamura's elder brother, the legendary Sage of Six Paths!
As expected, young master was special!
"An invisible attack without any warning at all. This guy..." Looking at the smiling Otsutsuki Toneri, Kakashi struggled to his feet. He, too, was badly hurt.
After all, that repulsive attack had come far too suddenly, and they had been running toward Otsutsuki Toneri at full speed.
Under that opposing force, their injuries had been even worse.
"Otsutsuki Toneri, what exactly is your objective?" Kakashi asked gravely. This boy was far too mysterious.
Moreover, the abilities he was using now were unheard of. Someone like him could not possibly have come to Konoha without reason.
Besides coming for the Byakugan, he might have an even deeper objective!
"An objective? None anymore. Konoha no longer has anything I can make use of." Otsutsuki Toneri replied with a chuckle.
He had no intention of hiding his thoughts. Just as he had told Kurenai Yuhi before, he did not like lies.
Of course, he was not stupid. He understood better than anyone what to say and when.
"It's getting late. Time to give you one last big present." Glancing at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was still entangled with Inukai Takeru no Mikoto, Otsutsuki Toneri's lips curled viciously.
After all, this was a village where he had spent two days. He ought to leave a gift, right?
He would leave a lasting impression on those seeing him off!
Otherwise, if they forgot him, Otsutsuki Toneri would find that quite a headache. He would be coming back in the future, after all.
"Stop! Toneri, what are you trying to do?" Hearing Otsutsuki Toneri's words from afar, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt a bad premonition.
He hurriedly shouted at Otsutsuki Toneri while pressing his attack even harder.
This earth monster-damn it, it could even regenerate its tentacles!
"A little pet for you! Ape Rock!" Otsutsuki Toneri slowly rose into the air with Otsutsuki Quxian. Once airborne, his smile deepened, and chakra poured wildly from his entire body!
As his words fell, a gigantic black lava giant heaved itself up from the ground and roared at the sky!
It was far larger than Inukai Takeru no Mikoto, and its might surpassed both Flame Bird and Inukai Takeru no Mikoto by more than a notch.
In the original story, this lava giant could even easily overpower Naruto's Nine-Tails! It was created by combining fire- and earth-nature chakra.
"Well then, thank you all for your hospitality these past two days. Until next time?" Seeing Ape Rock begin attacking Kakashi and the others, Otsutsuki Toneri taunted Hiruzen Sarutobi and his companions with malice.
Coming to block my way?
Heh, if I didn't teach you a lesson, I'd hardly be worthy of my own Otsutsuki name!
"Toneri, stop! Konoha doesn't want to be your enemy!" Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped paying attention to Inukai Takeru no Mikoto and rushed toward Kakashi and the others, shouting at Otsutsuki Toneri.
Although furious, he had little choice under the circumstances. Letting these two monsters wreak havoc unchecked in Konoha was not something Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to see.
Although Otsutsuki Toneri did not seem to have that intention, who could guarantee it?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was already considering peace talks with Otsutsuki Toneri. Wasn't it just two pairs of Byakugan?
Could they compare to the village's importance?
Reaching Kakashi and the others, Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Enma and temporarily held off Ape Rock's attacks, giving them a chance to catch their breath.
These people were all Konoha's future. He could not let them all fall here!
"Don't you think it's a little late to say that now, Lord Hokage? Then please forgive my rudeness in taking my leave first. Oh, and these two big fellows will disappear once they run out of chakra. Enjoy yourselves."
Otsutsuki Toneri tilted his head and spoke mockingly. Hiruzen Sarutobi was dreaming if he thought he could seek peace only now.
Then Otsutsuki Toneri flew away from Konoha with Otsutsuki Quxian. He still had other targets.
(Asking for everything!)
Before you continue