Chapter 20: The Threat of the Ōtsutsuki Unveiled

The sun had begun to set over the Hidden Leaf Village, casting a warm glow over the village as Naruto and Sasuke stood side by side, their bodies battered from the battle. Despite the dust and the heavy exhaustion on their faces, there was a shared sense of victory between them.

Before them lay the defeated form of Toneri Ōtsutsuki, his once proud and defiant demeanor replaced by the pitiful state of someone who had been overwhelmed. Sasuke's Rinnegan pulsed with energy, while Naruto's chakra wrapped around him, both feeling the aftereffects of the battle. They had won, but the victory had come at a cost.

Naruto wiped the blood from his lip and glanced at Sasuke. "We did it, but... something's off."

Sasuke's gaze remained sharp, his eyes narrowing as he observed Toneri. "He wasn't even at his full power. There's something strange about him. I expected more of a challenge."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "It didn't feel like he was really trying to kill us, more like he was just... toying with us."

Sasuke's eyes flickered as he looked down at Toneri, who was now beginning to stir. "Toneri might have the blood of the Ōtsutsuki, but he's not fully one of them. Not yet."

Naruto's expression darkened. "So, what does that mean for the real Ōtsutsuki? If Toneri's weak and he's a part of their clan, then... what kind of monsters are the real Ōtsutsuki?"

The question hung in the air like a heavy cloud, and as they stared down at Toneri, who was struggling to rise, the fear began to settle in.

Toneri, now on his knees, lifted his head and sneered, his voice strained. "You think you've won, but this is only the beginning. The true Ōtsutsuki will come, and when they do, everything you know will fall."

"Shut up!" Naruto barked, stepping forward. But Sasuke held out his hand, stopping him.

"No, let him talk," Sasuke said coldly, his eyes focused on Toneri. "If there's one thing we've learned from the Ōtsutsuki, it's that we can't afford to underestimate them. We need to know everything."

Toneri's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "The Ōtsutsuki are beings of unimaginable power. I may not be fully one of them, but the true Ōtsutsuki are far beyond anything you could comprehend. They've been watching this world for centuries, manipulating it from the shadows, and they will come again... stronger than you can imagine."

Sasuke's Rinnegan glowed faintly, his mind working through the implications of Toneri's words. "We've already seen their power. But if what you say is true... If the real Ōtsutsuki are more dangerous than you, then we have a problem."

Naruto clenched his fists. "What are we supposed to do? If they're even stronger than Toneri, how do we stop them?"

Toneri, still groggy but defiant, smirked. "You can't stop them. They will come to reclaim what's theirs. You won't be able to fight them alone. Even if you are the most powerful shinobi, you are nothing compared to them. They control everything."

Sasuke's face hardened, the weight of the truth sinking in. He turned to Naruto, and the unspoken understanding passed between them. They couldn't face this threat alone, not without a plan.

"We need to tell the Kage," Sasuke said quietly. "They need to understand the true threat of the Ōtsutsuki."

Naruto nodded grimly. "Right. The sooner they know, the sooner we can prepare."

The two of them left Toneri behind, making their way back to the Hidden Leaf Village. As they entered the village, their minds were already racing with thoughts of the future—what they'd learned about Toneri and the warning he'd given them. They could no longer ignore the Ōtsutsuki as just another distant threat. They had to face it head-on.

Later, in the Hokage's office, the Kage and the rest of Team 7 had gathered. Sasuke and Naruto stood at the front, their expressions grim as they recounted the battle with Toneri. The Kage listened intently, their faces etched with concern.

Tsunade furrowed her brow. "So, Toneri wasn't even the real Ōtsutsuki?"

"That's right," Sasuke said. "He might have had the blood, but he wasn't fully one of them. He was just a pawn, trying to get something from the world—trying to use it for his own purposes. But the real Ōtsutsuki are much stronger. And they've been watching us for a long time."

Gaara, the Kazekage, leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "What kind of power are we talking about here?"

Naruto spoke up, his voice low. "We don't know the full extent of it. But Toneri said the real Ōtsutsuki are far stronger than him. He claimed they've been manipulating the world for centuries, and they've got power beyond anything we've seen."

"Great," Mei muttered, rubbing her temples. "So, we've been dealing with puppets this whole time?"

"You don't understand," Sasuke continued. "If the real Ōtsutsuki come, we're not just fighting for the future of the Ninja World. We're fighting for survival. These beings are gods compared to us."

The Kage exchanged uneasy glances. The thought of actual Ōtsutsuki, beings who could control everything, was enough to make even the bravest shinobi pause.

Tsunade sighed. "We need to prepare. But we can't do it alone. If these Ōtsutsuki are as dangerous as you say, we'll need every village working together."

Killer Bee, who had been silent up until now, stood and looked at Naruto and Sasuke. "I've seen power like this before. But if the Ōtsutsuki are even stronger, we've got no time to waste."

The Kage nodded in agreement. The threat of the Ōtsutsuki was far too great to ignore. And now, with Toneri's warning, they knew they had to be ready for whatever came next.

"We'll get our forces together," Tsunade said, standing up. "But we need to find out everything we can about the Ōtsutsuki. If we're going to win, we need knowledge—and we need to be ready."

As the meeting came to an end, Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a look, knowing that their fight was far from over. The Ōtsutsuki had been hiding in the shadows for centuries, and now, the true battle was about to begin. They could only hope they were ready for what was coming.