Chapter 349: Chiya Leads the Assault on the Moon; Foolish Mortals Dare to Defile the Sacred Land [HN]

Inside the Hokage’s office.

“It seems they still refuse to give up.”

Chiya’s voice was soft, yet it felt like ice scraping across everyone’s ears.

He held a top secret scroll delivered by Root, which contained detailed records of the movements of the Cloud and Stone Villages along the border, as well as evidence that they had secretly contacted other minor ninja villages.

Nara Shikaku sat on the sofa in silence for a moment before analyzing the situation calmly.

“Yes, Hokage-sama. Our counterattack has seriously damaged them, but the Raikage’s hot temper and the Tsuchikage’s cunning mean they won’t surrender easily. They are waiting for an opportunity, waiting for us to show a weakness.”

Namikaze Minato stood nearby, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Should we give them another warning?”

His tone was calm, but everyone present understood what the word “warning” really meant.

Chiya slowly stood up and walked toward the huge map of the ninja world hanging on the wall.

“No need.” He spoke calmly, with an unquestionable decisiveness. “There is no need to pay attention to the buzzing of flies all the time. After this counterattack, they have already suffered enough. They definitely won’t make any small moves for a while. We have more important things to do now.”

Uchiha Fugaku asked in a deep voice, “Hokage-sama, what do you mean?”

Chiya turned around, and his Rinnegan quietly opened.

The layered rings in his eyes seemed to contain the mysteries of the birth and destruction of the universe.

“The failure of Ōtsutsuki Aoba is a humiliation to the main family on the moon, but it is also a warning. They will not sit back and wait for death. Rather than waiting for them to prepare even more dangerous methods and descend upon us, why don’t we… pay them a visit ourselves?”

“Go to the moon… ourselves?”

Yamanaka Inoichi could not help exclaiming. Even someone as calm and skilled in mental techniques as him was shocked by the idea.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Chiya, waiting for him to continue.

“That’s right.”

Chiya nodded.

“I saw the coordinates of the passage from Aoba. It is time to let those self-important Ōtsutsuki who think they stand above everyone else witness our strength.”

Akimichi Chōza rubbed his round belly and spoke in a deep voice.

“The Hokage has given the order, so that’s all that matters! Moon or stars, we’ll smash them all!”

A barely noticeable smile appeared at the corner of Chiya’s mouth.

“I have already chosen the team.”

With that, his gaze swept across everyone.

“Minato, Fugaku, Shisui, Kushina, Shikaku, Chōza, Inoichi, Shihei, Kakashi, Guy…”

Chiya looked toward the ANBU ninja who was taking notes nearby.

“Notify everyone who isn’t here and tell them to hurry.”

“Gather at the village entrance in one hour.”

“Yes!”

The ANBU ninja’s expression became serious.

The others also answered in unison before disappearing from the office.

An hour passed quietly.

The lineup gathered at Konoha’s entrance was exceptionally impressive.

Namikaze Minato checked the special kunai in his ninja pouch.

Uchiha Fugaku closed his eyes and rested, his aura calm and heavy.

Uchiha Shisui wiped his short sword, his eyes sharp.

Uzumaki Kushina’s red hair was like fire, and her face was filled with excitement.

She looked toward Kakashi and Might Guy.

Of everyone present, only the two of them were the youngest.

She smiled at them and said, “Don’t be nervous. Just treat this as a special trip.”

Kakashi’s dead fish eyes showed little change, but the hand gripping the White Fang short sword revealed that he was not relaxed at all.

“Yes, Kushina-senpai.”

Might Guy, however, became fired up at those words.

“Osu! This is the expedition of youth!!”

Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Chōza stood together as the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, their natural understanding needing no words.

Yamanaka Shihei, a genius ninja of the Yamanaka Clan, stood silently in the shadows, with countless tiny kikaichū faintly visible around his sleeves.

Chiya appeared silently before everyone.

He was not even wearing his Hokage robe, only a simple black kimono.

Yet the immense presence he carried immediately made everyone straighten up.

“Is everyone ready?”

Chiya’s gaze swept across the group.

“Ready to depart at any time, Hokage-sama!”

“Let’s go.”

Chiya did not waste any words.

He turned and left.

Everyone followed without hesitation.

The situation here was naturally noticed by the Ōtsutsuki who had been monitoring the ninja world.

Inside the Ōtsutsuki Palace on the moon, the main family patriarch watched the scene in the crystal ball as the Konoha group crossed through space.

There was no emotion in his pure white eyes, only cold killing intent.

“They really came. Foolish mortals, they actually dare to defile this sacred land.”

Behind him, three Ōtsutsuki warriors wearing white battle uniforms knelt on one knee, their auras far stronger than Aoba’s.

Their eyes were not pure white. Instead, they shimmered with a faint blue light, as though stars were moving within them.

They were warriors who had temporarily been granted greater power by the main family through the power of the Tenseigan.

“Ōtsutsuki Cang, Ōtsutsuki Xuan, Ōtsutsuki Xing.”

The patriarch gave his cold command.

“These people actually dare to come to the moon and challenge us. Activate the Purification Sequence immediately. Erase these ants, along with their filthy chakra.”

“Understood!”

The three accepted the order and transformed into streaks of light before disappearing.

…

The surface of the moon was desolate and silent.

After passing through the passage, the Konoha group had only just stabilized themselves when three powerful waves of pressure surged toward them like a tsunami.

Three Ōtsutsuki warriors floated in midair, looking down at them from above.

They had clearly been waiting for them.

“Intruding upon the moon is a capital offense.”

The leader, Ōtsutsuki Cang, spoke coldly without the slightest emotion.

Uchiha Fugaku snorted, and his Mangekyō Sharingan opened instantly.

“Stop putting on an act!”

“Attack!”

Chiya’s command was brief and decisive.

The battle erupted instantly.

“Shadow Imitation Technique!”

Nara Shikaku attacked first, his black shadow shooting toward Ōtsutsuki Xuan like lightning.

Ōtsutsuki Xuan’s pale blue eyes flashed, and a pale blue chakra cloak appeared around his body.

Shikaku’s shadow could not penetrate it.

“Physical attacks and most ninjutsu are ineffective?”

Shikaku’s eyes narrowed.

“Inoichi!”

“Mind Body Disturbance Technique!”

Yamanaka Inoichi formed hand seals, and powerful mental energy transformed into invisible spikes that shot directly into Ōtsutsuki Xuan’s mind.

Ōtsutsuki Xuan’s body stiffened slightly, and his movements became sluggish for an instant.

“Now! Partial Multi Size Technique!”

Akimichi Chōza’s enormous fist crashed down like a mountain.

“Hmph!”

Ōtsutsuki Xuan forcibly broke free from the mental interference and swung one hand.

A blue chakra shield appeared.

It firmly blocked Chōza’s giant fist and released a deep boom.

At the same time, his other hand fired countless blue chakra senbon, covering the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.

“Insect Wall Technique!”

Yamanaka Shihei appeared silently in front of the three, and black kikaichū gathered into a thick wall that blocked all the senbon.

The insects made faint chewing sounds as they even attempted to devour the chakra senbon.

“Oh? Interesting insects.”

Ōtsutsuki Xuan raised an eyebrow.

On the other side, Namikaze Minato faced Ōtsutsuki Cang.

“Flying Thunder God Technique!”

Minato’s figure transformed into a golden flash, constantly flickering through the air as special kunai flew toward Ōtsutsuki Cang from every tricky angle.

Ōtsutsuki Cang was extremely fast as well, leaving afterimages in the air while accurately avoiding or deflecting every kunai.

“Not bad, but… that’s all.”

He raised his hand, and a highly compressed blue chakra sphere formed in his palm.

“Tenseigan Blast!”

A thin blue beam containing terrifying cutting power shot toward Minato.

Minato’s pupils contracted.

After throwing out a special Flying Thunder God kunai, he immediately activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and disappeared from his original position.

The beam silently sliced a huge lunar rock behind him in half.

At that moment,

“Sage Art, Rasengan!”

Minato suddenly appeared above the kunai that had landed behind Ōtsutsuki Cang, with sage eye markings already appearing around his eyes.

He had clearly entered Sage Mode.

The Rasengan condensed from senjutsu chakra released a sharp sound before he slammed it down.

Ōtsutsuki Cang reacted extremely quickly and turned around with a punch.

His fist was wrapped in dense blue chakra as it collided directly with the Rasengan.

Boom!

The violent explosion sent both of them flying backward.

On the other side,

Ōtsutsuki Xing faced Uchiha Shisui and Hatake Kakashi.

“Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!”

Shisui was the first to release a huge fireball, but Ōtsutsuki Xing simply waved his hand.

A blue barrier appeared and absorbed the fireball completely.

“Raikiri!”

Kakashi transformed into a streak of white light and thrust toward his opponent’s heart.

Ōtsutsuki Xing did not dodge.

He extended one finger, a point of blue light flashing at its tip, and accurately struck the side of Kakashi’s hand as he released Raikiri.

Crackle!

The light of Raikiri flickered violently, and Kakashi felt an immense force hit him, sending his entire body flying backward.

“Sharingan, Genjutsu!”

Shisui’s Mangekyō pattern rotated, and powerful genjutsu instantly enveloped Ōtsutsuki Xing.

Ōtsutsuki Xing’s body froze for a moment before the blue light in his eyes surged.

“Trivial trick! Tenseigan, Genjutsu Break!”

The genjutsu space shattered like glass.

“Konoha Strong Whirlwind!”

Might Guy roared as he appeared, swinging a powerful kick toward Ōtsutsuki Xing’s head.

Ōtsutsuki Xing raised his hand to block.

Bang!

Guy felt as though he had kicked indestructible divine steel, and his leg bones ached from the impact.

“Eight Gates…”

Guy’s eyes sharpened as he prepared to remove his restraints.

“Guy, stand down!”

Chiya’s voice came from nearby, carrying unquestionable authority.

Guy froze and met Chiya’s firm gaze.

He immediately suppressed the surging blood in his body and retreated without hesitation.

At the center of the battlefield, Chiya, who had remained still until now, finally turned his gaze toward the three Ōtsutsuki warriors.

“Had enough fun?”

His voice was calm, yet it carried the indifference of someone looking down upon ants.

Ōtsutsuki Cang’s expression darkened.

“Uchiha Chiya, you really are the strongest among them. But before the power of the Tenseigan, you still…”

His words suddenly stopped.

Chiya’s figure had appeared in front of him at some point, almost face to face with him.

“Too slow.”

Chiya spoke calmly.

Ōtsutsuki Cang was horrified.

Blue chakra exploded from his entire body as he tried to force Chiya away.

Chiya merely extended one finger and lightly touched his chakra cloak.

“Sealing Technique Absorption.”

The vast blue chakra was instantly absorbed through Chiya’s finger like countless rivers flowing into the sea.

The light surrounding Ōtsutsuki Cang faded, and an expression of utter disbelief appeared on his face.

“How is this possible?! You can absorb chakra?!”

Chiya did not answer.

He simply waved his other hand.

“Shinra Tensei.”

Terrifying invisible repulsive force exploded from him.

Ōtsutsuki Cang, Xuan, and Xing were struck by an invisible giant hammer, vomiting blood as they were sent flying backward and slammed into the distant palace wall, where they became embedded in it, their fates unknown.

The entire battlefield fell silent.

The Konoha group, except for Minato, Shisui, and the others who had already witnessed Chiya’s strength, were deeply shocked by how casually he had defeated the three powerful enemies who had forced them into a difficult battle.

Chiya’s strength was clearly even greater than the power that had once dominated the Third Great Ninja War.

Chiya did not even glance at the three defeated warriors.

His Rinnegan looked toward the depths of the palace.

“After watching for so long, aren’t you coming out yet? Ōtsutsuki… patriarch.”

From deep within the palace, an aura countless times stronger than those of the three warriors slowly spread outward.

An old and dignified voice echoed across the desolate lunar landscape.

“Uchiha Chiya… you have successfully angered me.”

“Stop putting on an act!”

Uchiha Chiya raised his hand and aimed it toward the direction of the voice.

“Banshō Ten’in!!”