Shinji had firmly decided to steer clear of the Otsutsuki branch family on the Moon for the time being.
As for whether Toneri Otsutsuki would, as in the original timeline, infiltrate the Hidden Leaf to steal Hinata or Hanabi's Byakugan to fuse his own Tenseigan, Shinji could neither predict nor prevent it.
After all, he couldn't guard the Hyuga clan compound indefinitely.
With Toneri's strength and the giant Tenseigan's overwhelming power, ambushing the Hyuga clan would be effortless for him, requiring little time.
Unless Shinji happened to be nearby, there was no way to stop it.
However, based on the original timeline, that event was at least five or six years away. Even if Shinji's actions had triggered some butterfly effect, prompting Toneri to initiate his world-ending calamity sooner, it still paled in priority compared to the immediate threat of the Demon Slayer world's corruption.
"Next, I'll use Izanami no Mikoto to further optimize the Third-Generation Aging Agent."
With his plan set, Shinji pushed aside his thoughts and began his training.
At a training ground outside the Shinobi Academy…
Thud, thud, thud.
After a flurry of rapid punches and kicks, two figures disengaged, each stepping back.
Landing, Sasuke wiped the sweat from his face, his expression serious.
Opposite him, Kakashi said, "Sasuke, don't push yourself too hard. Your skills already far surpass those of your peers!"
"What's the point of just surpassing ordinary people?" Sasuke paused, then added, "Let's go again!"
Kakashi waved him off. "Enough. Morning sparring ends here!"
He could see Sasuke's stamina was nearing its limit. At just under eleven years old, Sasuke's endurance couldn't match that of an adult like him.
Sasuke's competitive drive was intense, so Kakashi stopped the spar to avoid provoking him further.
As the village's assigned jounin to supervise and care for Sasuke, Kakashi could only patiently treat him like a child.
Seeing Kakashi call it off, Sasuke didn't press further.
After resting and drinking water at the field's edge, Sasuke suddenly said, "Kakashi, are there any missions in the village I could take on?"
Kakashi was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled. "None suitable for you right now."
Sasuke's face darkened. "Is the village worried I'm not capable enough?"
Kakashi explained, "Sasuke, though you've awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, those eyes place a heavy burden on your body. For now, you should focus on building your foundation and let your body mature. You're already far ahead of your peers."
Sasuke replied coldly, "Someone who became a jounin at eleven hardly has the right to say that. Besides, Yakumo and Shinji have completed three S-rank missions combined, while I, with my Mangekyo Sharingan, haven't done a single noteworthy mission. That's ridiculous!"
Kakashi, helplessly, continued to placate him. "Their situations are unique. Tell you what—I'll relay your request to the village today and have them assign you a suitable mission."
"I'm not trying to prove how strong I am. I just don't want to be underestimated!" With that, Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and headed toward the Shinobi Academy.
Whoosh.
After Sasuke left the training ground, a figure landed beside Kakashi, teasing, "Quite the difficult kid to deal with, huh?"
"Jiraiya-sama!"
Kakashi shrugged.
Undoubtedly, the figure was none other than Jiraiya.
Jiraiya withdrew his gaze from Sasuke and patted Kakashi's shoulder. "The old man's called us to the Hokage Building for a meeting!"
Kakashi asked, "What's happened?"
Jiraiya replied casually, "Not entirely sure, but it seems they've spotted traces of Upper Moon Two in the Land of Iron."
Meanwhile, Sasuke, hands in pockets, strolled to the Shinobi Academy.
After weeks of recovery, his right eye, previously drained of dojutsu power from using Izanami no Mikoto, had fully restored.
This was why he'd suddenly requested a mission from Kakashi today.
On the training field, Sasuke habitually scanned for Yakumo and Shinji. As he paused to look around, someone bumped into him from behind.
Before he could turn, Rock Lee, the culprit, apologized profusely. "Sasuke, sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Sasuke glanced at Lee.
Lee's presence at the academy was hard to miss—a watermelon-headed, thick-browed teen known to nearly every student for running laps around the village.
Sasuke had heard of Lee's grueling training regimen and said coolly, "Training like that is pointless. Only real combat can truly improve you."
"But…"
Sasuke cut him off. "Forget it. People like you wouldn't understand!"
At that moment, Shion appeared before Sasuke, pointing at him and declaring loudly, "Sasuke, I challenge you!"
Her shout drew the attention of the students on the field, with many casting curious glances.
Sasuke frowned slightly. "Shion, stop messing around!"
Shion insisted, "I'm serious!"
Sasuke's face hardened. "If you keep saying that, I won't pretend I didn't hear you!"
Undeterred by his intensity, Shion raised her voice again. "Sasuke, I challenge you!"
"One after another, you people are clueless!" Sasuke snorted. "Fine, I accept your challenge!"
Shion's challenge reminded him of Yakumo, who had similarly confronted him boldly and defeated him. This time, he wouldn't hold back—he'd show Shion the cost of challenging him!
Noticing Lee still standing nearby, Sasuke waved a hand. "Both of you, come at me together! Today, I'll show you just how vast the gap between us is!"
"Me!?"
Lee looked stunned.
Shion glanced at Lee, thinking an extra ally might boost her chances, and nodded. Pulling Lee onto the field, she said, "Rock Lee, let's coordinate well this time!"
Sasuke followed them to the center of the field, a smirk on his lips, his peripheral vision catching Yakumo and Shinji nearby.
The long-awaited challenge sparked a commotion on the field. Given that the challenger was facing Sasuke, who had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, the students abandoned their training, flocking from all directions to watch.