426 Learning Ninjutsu in a Glance

Outside the Archaeological Research Institute warehouse.

The researchers had been guarding the warehouse entrance for most of the day, yet the Sixth-sama still hadn't come out!

Although the Sixth-sama had instructed them that he would be conducting research and that no one was to enter unless something urgent happened,

out of concern for the Sixth Hokage, the staff eventually pushed open the warehouse door!

"Creeeak—"

As the door opened, the warehouse inside was completely empty!

"Where is the Sixth-sama?!"

"Wait, that's not right! The artifacts are gone too! ◝₍ᴑ̑ДO͝₎◞"

"The warehouse has been robbed! We need to report this to the Hokage's Office immediately!

(눈益눈) "

...

One day earlier, in Konohagakure.

Shinju and Karasuki passed through a time tunnel and landed here!

After the successful jump, Shinju noticed that Karasuki the little turtle was wearing a rather strange expression!

(ꈍᴗꈍ)

Relaxed, with a hint of satisfaction!

Like a total pervert!

Shinju: "What's with that look on your face? (´°Δ°`)"

Karasuki: [Chakra supply is sufficient! Estimated that ten more time jumps can be performed without recharging!]

[My lord, please don't inject chakra so violently next time, it'll break me... (〃∇〃)]

Shinju: o_O

[Time traversal complete. Allow me to explain the precautions for future people acting in past eras: First, you must not tell anyone about matters from the future; second, you must not interfere with anyone who has a close relationship with the traveler; third, you must not...]

Shinju: "You talk way too much!"

"It's only been one day since the jump! (ꐦ ಠ 皿 ಠ) "

Even so, Shinju still concealed his chakra presence and used a Transformation Technique to become someone else.

After that, Shinju used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to the One-Tail Shukaku's location!!

...

The Land of Wind.

The One-Tail Shukaku's habitat!

At this time, the Otsutsuki hadn't arrived yet, and Shukaku was sprawled in his territory, fast asleep!

With his chakra concealed, Shinju appeared atop Shukaku's head!

Sensing something, Shukaku raised a hand and scratched his head...

Shinju deftly dodged and hid behind a massive boulder, observing Shukaku in the distance.

A few more minutes passed!

Suddenly, several puppet figures appeared in Shukaku's habitat and launched an attack on him!

Very quickly, the Sunagakure forces received the alert and mobilized, joining Shukaku in repelling the enemies!

After that, the space-time gate of Yomi Hirasaka opened, and that Otsutsuki appeared, using a red-light fishing rod to hook chakra from one ninja after another!

Every ninja whose chakra was taken collapsed to the ground from complete chakra exhaustion!

Seeing this, Shinju suddenly recalled the news Tsunade-sensei had summoned him to discuss a few days earlier: ninja disappearances had been occurring in all the major villages, and even when bodies were found, the chakra within them was completely depleted!

It seemed that the culprit behind those disappearances was very likely this Otsutsuki holding a fishing rod!

On the battlefield.

Gaara appeared, controlling sand to fight the fishing-rod-wielding Otsutsuki, but he was quickly defeated...

Behind the rocks.

Shinju concealed his presence and held back. He was waiting for the right moment to strike!

After a while, the Otsutsuki was sealed by Gaara using a sand pyramid, and the Shinju of this era appeared atop Shukaku's head!

Immediately after—

"Crash!!"

The sand pyramid was shattered by the old Shinju's Aoki-no-Mikoto clone using Night Guy!

The moment the Otsutsuki was exposed, he opened a Yomi Hirasaka space-time gate and fled!!

Shukaku's habitat.

The old Shinju felt regretful that he hadn't activated his dōjutsu in time to pursue the Otsutsuki.

...

Urashiki's alternate dimension.

The environment here resembled Obito's Kamui space, but the lighting was even darker.

After Urashiki used Yomi Hirasaka to arrive here, his red Rinnegan with six tomoe transformed into a Byakugan, and he let out a long breath.

"Good thing I activated the Rinnegan to speed up Yomi Hirasaka, otherwise I would've been caught by that troublesome guy. (⌯︎¤̴̶̷̀ω¤̴̶̷́)✧︎"

"That pressure was terrifying... Momoshiki and Kinshiki dying by his hand wasn't unjust at all..."

Before Urashiki could finish speaking, he suddenly sensed something wrong and snapped his head around!

In the darkness, one eye glittering like a star-filled sky and one blood-red eye opened, locking gazes with Urashiki!

"Long time no see!" Shinju grinned.

Urashiki nearly had his soul scared out of him.

"You! How did you follow me here?! ヽ( ຶ▮ ຶ)ﾉ!!!"

"Even if you can synchronize space-time movement with a dōjutsu, you shouldn't be able to move this fast! Σ(っ °Д °;)っ"

Shinju answered kindly, "If it were yesterday's me, I definitely wouldn't have made it in time."

"But today's me has been waiting for you for a long time!"

"My Reversion Eye has been waiting for your Yomi Hirasaka all along. (σ≧︎▽︎≦︎)σ"

The Reversion Eye was the name Shikamaru had given to the dōjutsu in Shinju's left eye.

Shinju thought the name was short and sharp, so he adopted it!

Urashiki caught the contradiction in Shinju's words. "Yesterday? Today...?"

But soon, he realized the truth!

"Karasuki!! Σ( ° △ °|||)︴"

"Konohagakure just fished Karasuki up from the sea!"

"You used Karasuki! You came here from the future! Σ(っ °Д °;)っ"

"But you're clearly not an Otsutsuki—how could you break Karasuki's seal?! ∑(°Д°)"

Shinju spread his hands.

"I do research for a living. If I couldn't even crack a little seal like that, what would I be doing? ┐(´-｀)┌"

Urashiki still didn't believe it.

"That's impossible! You don't have Otsutsuki blood—you can't—"

Shinju smacked his lips. "Alright, drop it. In the world I lived in before, only cats and dogs obsessed over bloodlines."

"So, how about you introduce yourself first?"

Urashiki replied stiffly, "Otsutsuki Urashiki."

Shinju pointed at himself. "Shinju."

Urashiki nodded. "I know. I investigated you."

Shinju asked curiously, "Oh? And what did you find out? (´°Δ°`)"

"You may be an Otsutsuki who was left behind in this world," Urashiki said with a serious face.

"In your concepts, there is something called 'jutsu,' and the level of chakra control you display when using it is something only Otsutsuki can achieve."

"So, the two of us are of the same clan. You should join me, join the Otsutsuki, reclaim the tailed beasts, refine pills, and become a higher life-form!!! ୧⍢⃝୨"

Hearing this, Shinju actually began to think it over seriously.

Kaguya's behavior back then did seem to support that idea.

But the more he thought about it, the less realistic it felt.

After all, he didn't have horns. (ツ)/¯

And even taking a step back—if he really were an Otsutsuki—

The ninja world was where he had grown up. He couldn't let it be trampled so casually...

Urashiki: "Well? Have you made up your mind?"

"Instead of keeping company with those lower races, why not return to the embrace of the Otsutsuki?"

"I can tell—you have the potential to become a 'god'!"

"As long as you're willing to collect chakra fruits with me, we can evolve together and soon touch the threshold of 'godhood'! ୧⍢⃝୨"

Opposite him, Shinju shook his head seriously. "I've thought carefully about what you said."

"It won't work."

"I don't like you people."