Chapter 161: Capture the Child Playing with the Tenseigan
The white dragon ascended.
A sacred, divine form spiraled upward, bridging the heavens and the earth.
At first, only the people of Konoha saw it.
Then, the entire Land of Fire.
Eventually, everyone across the continent.
Time seemed to freeze as they stared, wide-eyed, mouths slightly open, unable to find words to express their astonishment.
This…
This scene was beyond their comprehension.
The sky was torn apart.
Clouds scattered.
Clinging tightly to the dragon's scales, the selected individuals looked down upon the vast expanse of the world beneath them.
Even Onoki, a veteran of the skies, had never seen the ninja world from such a height.
He turned his gaze to Kagami, standing alone atop the dragon's head.
The last shred of resistance in his heart… crumbled.
Sakumo gripped his short sword tightly. He and Kakashi had both obtained a crystal, bound by some invisible force linking them to the white dragon.
"Kakashi… there really is nothing that Kagami-sama cannot do, is there?"
Kakashi adjusted his forehead protector slightly, his tone casual.
"I figured that out long before you did, Father."
—
Nagato and Orochimaru, having been locked in battle, found themselves among the first to reach the dragon's ascent.
Unlike the others who focused on Kagami, Orochimaru pressed himself against the dragon's scales, sensing the immense, mountain-like vitality within its body.
This was it.
This was the ultimate form he had sought.
The final evolution of all serpents—
The Dragon.
Nagato's confidence wavered.
Would his envisioned ultimate weapon even surpass this terrifying white dragon?
And more importantly…
The man who controlled it.
The legendary Moon, created by the Sage of Six Paths, was drawing closer.
Never before had Nagato imagined that a mere human could do something like this.
To cross the boundless distance between Earth and the Moon…
To set foot upon a place of myth.
—
Darkness enveloped the heavens, the full moon shining above, as it had for a thousand years.
Suddenly—
A thousand streaks of fire ignited in the void around it.
Burning meteors.
Tens of thousands of them.
They spread across the sky like a celestial army, descending toward the white dragon like divine punishment.
"What the hell is this?!"
Even without sensory abilities, anyone with eyes could see the incoming storm of destruction.
Nagato's thoughts raced back to what Zetsu had reported—
Kagami had once battled a mysterious enemy who had fallen from the sky.
That opponent…
Had the power to manipulate meteors.
Which meant…
The one who fought Kagami must have come from the Moon.
—
"Kagami-sama…"
The white dragon's voice was calm, gentle.
It was no longer the White Snake Sage speaking—
This was the newly reborn White Dragon Sage.
"Should we evade them?"
Kagami shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed upon the Moon.
In the vast palace structures that dotted its surface, a young boy stood trembling beneath a colossal Tenseigan, channeling all his power to direct the meteors.
Kagami slowly raised his hand.
Boom!
The flaming meteors, just moments away from impact, suddenly ignited brighter—
And shattered into nothingness.
If one were to look from the ninja world, they would see the Moon encircled by a breathtaking, otherworldly display of fireworks.
A celestial spectacle unlike any other.
—
The white dragon passed through the flaming remnants.
As they neared the Moon, the dragon's size began to shrink, condensing itself until it was only a few dozen meters long.
The individuals it carried were gently lowered onto the Moon's surface.
Even reborn in a new form, the dragon remained as gentle as ever.
The lunar plains stretched before them—
A silver sea, vast and barren, a world sculpted by time.
Craters pockmarked the surface, testaments to the ages.
It was a place of cold, lonely beauty.
Despite being a celestial body, the Moon was not like the true vacuum of space.
It was a construct of the Sage of Six Paths and his brother, complete with an atmosphere similar to the Earth.
"…We're really here."
"This is the Moon…"
"This… this is the legendary realm of the Sage of Six Paths!?"
"Jiraiya, I heard from the Great Toad Sage that the Sage of Six Paths created this world with his brother."
Fukasaku, still perched on Jiraiya's shoulder, spoke solemnly.
Just like Orochimaru's three serpents, the two toads were counted as part of his team.
Thus, the final ten contenders of the tournament had been decided.
The rankings were not necessarily indicative of strength.
The final ten contenders:
Akatsuki, Nagato (with Six Paths of Pain)
Akatsuki, Konan
Akatsuki/Konoha, Jiraiya (with Fukasaku & Shima)
Konoha, Uchiha Shisui
Konoha, Hatake Sakumo
Konoha, Hatake Kakashi
Hidden Fire Village, Orochimaru (with the Three Snake Princesses)
Iwagakure, Ōnoki
Kumogakure, Killer Bee
Land of Iron, Mifune
It was not necessarily the strongest ten who had advanced.
Some had luck on their side.
Mifune had nearly lost his token to bounty hunters—if the match had continued under normal rules, he wouldn't have lasted.
Similarly, Hatake Sakumo barely scraped through.
Kakashi could have fled with Flying Thunder God, but Sakumo would have fallen in battle had the round not been cut short.
And Kirigakure?
Their team had strong contenders, but they made the mistake of challenging Shisui for an entire day—
Only for Kagami to abruptly end the round.
They were eliminated.
As for Sunagakure…
No one was sorry for their loss.
After the tournament, it was uncertain if Sunagakure would even continue to exist.
Additionally, Hashirama Senju was a special guest.
Kneeling on the Moon's surface, he scooped up a handful of lunar soil.
"Checking if your Wood Release works here?" Kagami's voice was calm.
"No, just curious…" Hashirama started, but suddenly he turned and walked up to Nagato.
His keen eyes studied the young man intently.
"…You do resemble Mito… just a little."
Then, he asked—
"Do you remember your parents' names?"
In the age Hashirama came from, such questions were common.
Children often lost their families before they could even speak.
Nagato scoffed, already knowing where this was going.
"Don't try to act close to me."
"Even if my parents were related to you—"
"They were murdered by Konoha shinobi."
"You have no right to ask about them."
Hashirama's lips pressed into a thin line.
Then—
In front of everyone—
He bowed deeply.
"I am sorry."
"For allowing the world to fall into such cruel wars."
"For failing to protect you."
Nagato's breath hitched slightly.
But before he could react, Kagami's cold voice cut through the moment.
"Enough theatrics."
"The tournament isn't over yet."
Kagami pointed toward the distant palace structures.
"There's a child there."
"Capture him alive."
"This isn't the official final match."
"This is to weed out the weaklings among you."
---
Read up to 20 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*