Chapter 365: The Eye of the Moon
Chapter 365: The Eye of the Moon
In what was once the Land of Wind, now the territory of the Land of Snow, a zipper-like spatial rift suddenly tore open.
From within, Nagato and his group emerged, stepping onto the battlefield with unhurried ease.
Upon landing, their eyes immediately turned toward the distant war zone.
Though the Infinite Tsukuyomi could have been cast from the Land of Rain, after careful deliberation, they decided to activate it here—on the front lines.
The reason was simple…
"There are too many powerful shinobi here. Once the Infinite Tsukuyomi is cast, we can take control of them immediately, preventing Hyuga Fuji from saving them. Plus, with their chakra fueling the process, the Divine Art will activate much faster."
Bayakushi snorted, watching the allied forces being pushed back. "We arrived just in time. These people alone would never get the job done."
In the distance, colossal summons clashed in a ferocious battle. The sheer intensity of their struggle had reshaped the terrain itself.
A massive Susanoo swung its blade, unleashing razor-sharp slashes that effortlessly held back two formidable giant summons.
In comparison, the shinobi appeared tiny before them. Yet the devastation they caused was no less terrifying.
Powerful combined jutsu, rivaling Tailed Beast Bombs, rained down relentlessly. Had this battle taken place in a forest instead of the desert, the landscape would have been flattened by now.
Explosions thundered across the battlefield, sending shockwaves and clouds of dust rolling outward like a raging storm, engulfing everything in chaos.
Bayakushi withdrew his gaze and turned to Nagato.
"Begin."
Nagato gave a slight nod, no longer hesitating. He formed a series of hand seals.
There was no hiding the activation of the Infinite Tsukuyomi—Hyuga Fuji would undoubtedly notice it. The location didn't matter.
As Nagato moved, the sky darkened. A surge of immense chakra erupted from him, rapidly spreading across the battlefield.
Above his forehead, a thin crack appeared, slowly beginning to open.
…
On the battlefield, Hyuga Miyuki, who had been locked in combat with Tsunade, suddenly faltered, leaving an opening.
Tsunade's eyes flashed, seizing the chance to drive her fist toward Miyuki's chest.
With a subtle application of Gentle Fist, Miyuki neutralized the immense force and used the impact to leap out of the battle circle. Her brows furrowed as she turned to look toward Nagato's position.
Through her Byakugan, she saw an overwhelming chakra presence erupting like a miniature sun.
Her heart clenched.
Nagato…
He was making his move.
Tsunade and the others also sensed Miyuki's change in focus. They followed her gaze, frowning at the distant battlefield.
What was happening over there?
At that moment, the sensory ninjas on the battlefield also noticed the surge of chakra and quickly relayed their findings to Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama! One kilometer away, an immense chakra presence has erupted… It's Nagato, the leader of Akatsuki, who once attacked Konoha!"
"What?!"
Tsunade's pupils shrank, a foreboding sense of doom rising in her chest.
Hadn't they just received word that Akatsuki was reinforcing the command center? They had helped hold the defensive line.
Now, Nagato was here, personally stepping onto the battlefield. Was he trying to draw out Hyuga Fuji?
Tsunade doubted it was that simple.
If Akatsuki dared to intervene in this war with such confidence, they must have had their own plans in motion.
Should they cooperate with Akatsuki, or…
Before Tsunade could think further, Miyuki had already dashed toward Nagato. Seeing this, Tsunade made a quick decision, raising her hand.
"Support Akatsuki!"
Akatsuki had sent their forces to aid them—ignoring them now would be disgraceful.
"Understood!"
Yakumaru and Fugaku responded immediately, following Miyuki's lead.
As these key figures moved, the chaotic battlefield began shifting. More and more shinobi took notice of the overwhelming chakra in the distance.
The battlefront gradually gravitated toward Nagato's location.
Meanwhile, Miyuki had already reached him.
"Nagato, what exactly are you trying to do?" she asked coldly, her Byakugan locked onto him.
Nagato barely spared her a glance before refocusing on the power of the Eye of the Moon.
Bayakushi stepped forward, blocking their path.
"If you want to pass, you'll have to get through me first."
"Hmph!"
Miyuki snorted, saying nothing more.
A surge of vibrant blue chakra flared around her body.
"Is that… Tenseigan Chakra Mode?"
From the shadows, Black Zetsu watched in surprise.
He studied Miyuki's eyes for a moment but, seeing no signs of the Tenseigan's manifestation, exhaled in relief.
It was likely a technique similar to the connection between the Six Paths of Pain and Nagato.
For a moment, he had feared that another person had awakened the Tenseigan.
Thankfully, that wasn't the case…
Hakushiki, however, wasn't as composed.
"Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion!"
Four Truth-Seeking Orbs formed behind Miyuki, merging into a radiant golden sword.
In an instant, a dazzling beam of light erupted, illuminating the battlefield like a second sun.
'Such overwhelming power… and this is only half the technique's full strength…'
Even though she had expected it, actually wielding the Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion made Miyuki marvel.
For a brief moment, she felt as if she could dominate the entire battlefield.
But as she looked toward Nagato, whose Eye of the Moon was slowly opening, she knew it was an illusion.
His power was still beyond her reach—even with the strength she borrowed from Fuji.
"However, for dealing with you… it's more than enough."
Without hesitation, Miyuki swung her hundred-meter-long golden sword.
It was as if heaven and earth had been cleaved apart.
The golden arc of the sword sliced through the battlefield, its sheer force distorting the very air.
The sky roared as the attack ripped through space itself.
Bayakushi's expression shifted as he hastily summoned his shadows to block it.
Boom!
The golden sword clashed against Bayakushi's shadow barrier, unleashing a deafening explosion.
A massive shockwave burst outward, kicking up sand and debris dozens of meters high.
As Miyuki battled Bayakushi, other shinobi arrived at the scene.
Even with allied forces trying to hold them back, some of the Land of Snow's strongest fighters had already reached Nagato.
At that moment, Nagato—who had long since mastered the power of the Ten-Tails—finally completed the activation of the Eye of the Moon.
The Rinne Sharingan, adorned with spiraling tomoe, opened for all to see.
A terrifying aura radiated from his presence.
Unlike Obito in the past, Nagato had spent months refining his control over the Ten-Tails.
Mastering its abilities had become second nature.
He had long understood the process of awakening the Eye of the Moon.
Now, his already overwhelming chakra surged again, breaking through an invisible threshold.
It skyrocketed to an unfathomable level, crashing over the battlefield like an unstoppable tidal wave.
The very air trembled under its weight.
(End of Chapter)