Chapter 59: The Looming Storm

A Shattered Moon's Legacy

Ryūsei stood at the edge of Konoha's training grounds, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. The air was still, the distant hum of the village filling the silence, but his mind was elsewhere—trapped in the echoes of a dying world.

The Moon, once a beacon of his people's legacy, had become a graveyard.

The last remnants of that shattered past—Toneri, his dying father, and the maid—were now secured within Konoha's underground chambers. The Hokage had granted them sanctuary, but Ryūsei's heart was anything but merciful.

The Branch Family had slaughtered the Main Family.

His family.

And yet, here they were, under his protection.

Fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of irony.

Behind him, the sound of approaching footsteps broke his thoughts.

"Brooding doesn't suit you."

Tsunade's voice was firm, but beneath it lay concern.

Ryūsei didn't turn. His gold-tinged Byakugan still gazed toward the sky.

"I'm not brooding."

Tsunade scoffed. "Right." She stepped beside him, crossing her arms. "We just had a meeting about the White Zetsu situation. You weren't there."

"I had other matters to attend to."

Tsunade exhaled. "This is about them, isn't it?"

Silence.

She studied his face before speaking again, her voice softer. "I know what they did. What their people did. But you said it yourself—the child isn't responsible."

"That doesn't mean I should forgive them."

"No," she agreed. "But it does mean you have to decide what comes next."

Ryūsei's jaw tightened. He knew that. He knew that. But knowing didn't make it any easier.

Tsunade reached out, placing a hand over his. "Come back to the war room. We need you."

After a long pause, he nodded.

Konoha's War Council

The war room was heavy with tension, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows across the assembled leaders. The map of the continent lay stretched before them, marred with inked lines of enemy movements and battlefronts.

Seated around the table were Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Sakumo Hatake, and Ryūsei.

Hiruzen tapped his fingers against the table, his face unreadable. "With this revelation about the White Zetsu, we now know one thing for certain—someone, somewhere, has been creating them for a long time."

Danzo's lone eye flickered toward Orochimaru. "You said they are designed to erase bloodlines. Explain."

Orochimaru smirked slightly, his fingers tapping against the table. "They do not merely infiltrate. They assimilate. Their cells blend with the host, altering their genetic structure while hiding their presence. If refined properly, they could erase entire bloodlines without anyone even realizing it."

A cold silence settled over the room.

Jiraiya frowned. "And you're saying they could already be inside different villages?"

Orochimaru nodded. "Exactly. We have reports of missing individuals—shinobi disappearing under mysterious circumstances. Some villages might already be compromised."

Danzo's grip on his cane tightened. "This is a direct threat to Konoha's stability."

Ryūsei, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

"It's more than that."

The weight of his voice made the room still.

"This isn't just about espionage," he continued, his golden eyes burning with clarity. "It's about control. Someone wants to dictate which bloodlines survive—and which ones disappear."

Hiruzen's expression darkened. "Which means the war is about to take a much darker turn."

Jiraiya sighed. "As if it wasn't dark enough already."

Tsunade leaned forward. "We need countermeasures. If they can blend in undetected, then we need a way to neutralize them before it's too late."

Orochimaru's lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile.

"Funny you should say that, Tsunade."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

Orochimaru tilted his head. "Your Wood Release."

Tsunade's brows furrowed. "What about it?"

Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed. "When you pulled the White Zetsu from me, your Wood Chakra didn't just suppress it. It drained it."

Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. "You mean to say…?"

Orochimaru nodded. "The Senju bloodline—specifically, Wood Release—seems to be their natural countermeasure."

Danzo straightened. "Then it should be weaponized."

Tsunade shot him a glare. "We're not turning people into test subjects."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Tsunade. We simply need to refine the method." He turned toward Ryūsei. "And I believe we already have a solution."

Ryūsei met his stare evenly.

"The Chakra Seed."

A hush fell over the room.

Tsunade's fingers curled into her palm. "It's still unfinished."

"But it's progressing," Orochimaru countered. "If we accelerate its development, we may be able to **purify and enhance bloodlines—**without Zetsu influence."

Hiruzen tapped the table. "If we can do that, we may have a way to turn their own weapons against them."

Jiraiya sighed. "Still feels like a gamble."

Sakumo Hatake, who had remained silent, finally spoke. "War always is."

A heavy silence followed.

Then, Ryūsei leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.

"We'll prepare," he said, voice steady. "We'll make our bloodlines immune, find ways to eliminate the White Zetsu threat, and ensure Konoha's defenses are impenetrable."

Danzo nodded. "Then we should begin immediately—"

"But," Ryūsei continued, his gaze sweeping over the room, "we don't need to worry about them in this war."

A flicker of confusion crossed some faces.

"They are a long-term problem," Ryūsei explained, his voice carrying an edge of certainty. "Their presence is dangerous, but they are not our immediate enemy. The war we're about to fight will be decided by power, strategy, and numbers. They may try to interfere, but they won't be the ones who determine the outcome."

Danzo's eyes narrowed. "And you're sure of this?"

Ryūsei met his gaze, unwavering.

"I am."

Hiruzen sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Then we move forward with our preparations. Orochimaru, Tsunade—continue refining the Chakra Seed project. Sakumo, Danzo—reinforce security across Konoha and ensure no infiltration occurs."

The meeting slowly adjourned, the weight of the discussion lingering in the air.

As the others filed out, Orochimaru lingered near Ryūsei, his smirk widening.

"Oh, and one last thing."

Ryūsei arched a brow. "What?"

Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with curiosity. "You never told us who created the White Zetsu."

Ryūsei's expression remained unreadable.

Then, for the first time, he hesitated.

Because deep down, in the farthest corner of his mind, a name whispered itself into existence.

A name he had long since buried.

A name that now threatened to return.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

To Be Continued…