Ōtsutsuki Isshiki lay hidden in a monastery deep in the northern ice fields, closely tied to Kara. He seemed to be in poor condition, but he was a wily schemer.
Urashiki Otsutsuki wandered from place to place, his whereabouts uncertain. He had a keen interest in chakra, especially high-quality chakra, and his movements were more flexible and proactive.
"Then let's start with... a relatively stationary target," Sōkyū Hatake murmured to himself.
He needed more experimental subjects for comparative research, to verify the star chart and uncover the deeper secrets of the Otsutsuki.
As Kaguya's superior, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki might possess crucial information that even Momoshiki Otsutsuki did not know. His severely wounded, dormant state also made capturing him directly less difficult. As for Urashiki Otsutsuki... he could be set aside for now, as a target for observation and subsequent handling.
"Make preparations," Sōkyū Hatake said to the air beside him. "I'm heading north to pay a personal visit to our guest who's been hiding for a thousand years."
He did not take a large force with him, nor did he even tell Sara and the others exactly where he was going. Against an ancient monster like Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, more people might only get in the way. He took only the necessary equipment, along with a few little gifts Orochimaru had prepared at short notice specifically to target Otsutsuki life-forms.
Before leaving, he took another look at the dying Momoshiki Otsutsuki in the Laboratory, and at the rotating star chart.
You'll have company soon, he silently told himself. His figure became a silent streak of lightning, cutting across Rōran's night sky as he sped toward the bitterly cold lands in the north of the continent.
On the outskirts of Sunagakure, amid the endless sea of sand.
An Intelligence Scroll marked top secret