"Eh?" Hinata Haruki froze for a moment, thinking to himself, No way… could he have some connection to the Sage of Six Paths? Wait—no eyes, the conflict between the Main House and the Branch House, the Sage of Six Paths… could it be…? Isn't that connected to the moon?
Haruki nodded and said, "I've heard of the Sage of Six Paths—he's the forefather of all shinobi, the founder of Ninshū. He possessed the Rinnegan and was called Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo."
When the old man from the Main House heard Hagoromo's name, his body trembled slightly. He continued, "What you've said is mostly correct, but there's a small detail—more precisely, the Sage of Six Paths was the forefather of all shinobi on Earth."
Haruki's heart leapt with excitement. No way? Could it really be this much of a coincidence? Did I, Hinata Haruki, just hit the jackpot? I fall into a random cave and run into someone from the Ōtsutsuki clan? This is straight out of a martial arts epic—fall off a cliff, meet a hidden master, and come back with some supreme secret technique!
Wahaha!! Heaven, please, give me the Nine Yang Divine Art! No, no—better yet, the Nine Yin Manual! Or… the Muscle-Tendon Changing Scripture? No, I'll go for the North Darkness Divine Skill instead…
Haruki's absurd wish-making spree began anew, but the heavens clearly disowned this particular "child."
One of Haruki's greatest questions had just been answered—but now even more questions surfaced, all waiting for the elder to explain.
Unaware of Haruki's thoughts, the elder continued, "Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and his younger brother defeated an immensely powerful demon, saving humanity. The two sealed the demon's body inside the moon. His younger brother's name was Ōtsutsuki Hamura."
"Later, Hagoromo established Ninshū on Earth, becoming the ancestor of all earthly shinobi. Hamura became the head of the Ōtsutsuki clan, leading them to the moon to watch over the demon's remains." Pride glimmered on the old man's face as he spoke.
"Hamura then founded a shinobi settlement on the moon, becoming the ancestor of the moon's shinobi. The Hyūga clan are the descendants of the line Hamura left behind on Earth. However, the world Hagoromo built on Earth never found lasting peace—ninja fought and killed each other for thousands of years."
"Seeing that his brother's dream had failed, Hamura left a dying wish: 'If Earth remains in endless war, and ninja misuse chakra and stray from the proper path, I hope my descendants will destroy the world my elder brother created.'"
"After Hamura's death, his descendants interpreted his will differently. The Ōtsutsuki Main House believed the world Hagoromo created was the fruit of their ancestor's life's work. Though war continued, Earth had not completely gone astray—there was still hope. They believed Hamura's will was for his descendants to stop the wars and preserve peace. But the Branch House believed Hagoromo's world was a complete failure and should be utterly destroyed."
"And so, war broke out between the Main House and Branch House. The Branch House stole the Ōtsutsuki's greatest treasure—the Tenseigan—and massacred the Main House almost to extinction. They've watched the Earth ever since, ready to annihilate it should shinobi continue down the wrong path."
Haruki nodded; this matched what he already knew.
"Two hundred years ago, my great-grandfather—son of the clan head—fought alongside his father in the war between the Main and Branch Houses."
"That battle was hopeless for the Main House. Tens of thousands of shinobi turned to ash in an instant under a single devastating beam unleashed by the Tenseigan. In a single strike, brilliant orbs of light exploded in the Main House ranks. Just like that, the Main House had lost. My great-grandfather, young at the time, was gravely wounded but survived."
"Afterwards, the clan head led the remaining survivors on the moon to bury the dead and make a final stand. My great-grandfather, however, led another group through a secret route to Earth, hoping to seek aid from Earth's shinobi and warn them of the impending danger."
No wonder, Haruki thought, so the Main House wasn't completely wiped out. That explains why Hinata and the others found that underground tomb on the moon—no way the Branch House would build graves for them. That tomb must have been built by the surviving Main House! And the person Hinata met there, who could sense her Byakugan—that must have been the clan head at the time… her great-great-grandfather…
"On the way, the Branch House discovered them and sent assassins in pursuit. They had to destroy the passage. With it collapsed, the Branch House could no longer follow through that route. My great-grandfather and the others were trapped underground for a time, eventually finding an exit. For safety, they established a base here—this very place you stand in now."
Haruki considered this. A passage? Could this be what Nisshin mentioned in the Hyūga family records—'a road' connecting here to the moon?
Remembering something, Haruki asked, "Elder, could you get me a glass of water?"
As the elder turned to fetch it, Haruki stole a glance at the faded emblem on the elder's tattered robe. Though barely visible, the design was clear to him—a blazing sun with rays flaring outward, not the crescent-and-circle emblem of the Branch House.
It really is the Main House's crest… he must be telling the truth.
No wonder he had me call him 'Elder of the Main House.' He truly is one. Even with the Tenseigan stolen, the Main House surely had ways to survive. Survivors could have endured until now… and I just happened to meet one.
The elder handed him the water and continued, "My great-grandfather's group hid somewhere on Earth, trying to warn the shinobi here about what had happened on the moon."
"They sought out the Hyūga, but their plea was rejected. The Hyūga didn't want to oppose the Branch House, which held the Tenseigan. Worse, they betrayed my great-grandfather to the Branch House. The Branch House came with an army of puppet soldiers to hunt him down. The Hyūga Main House coveted Ōtsutsuki blood and conspired with the Branch House to kill him." Anger radiated from the old man's face.
Whoa—so he has a deep grudge against the Hyūga Main House, Haruki thought, alarmed.
Sensing Haruki's unease, the elder waved a hand to calm him. "Don't worry, I'm not finished. The ones who betrayed my great-grandfather were Hyūga Main House. The ones who saved him… were from the Hyūga Branch House."
"They were furious when they learned the Main House had betrayed their own kin. In secret, they helped my great-grandfather escape. From then on, distrust grew between the Hyūga Main House and Branch House, eventually leading to the Caged Bird seal—not just to protect the Byakugan, but to control the numerous Branch House members."
"Our Main House survivors remained hidden. We kept in quiet contact with the Hyūga Branch House. The world, however, remained at war. By my generation… I am the only one left. During the First Shinobi World War, the Branch House on the moon again sent puppets to gather information. I was discovered, gravely wounded, and survived only by feigning death. They took my eyes."
"I see…" Haruki nodded, then added slyly, "Elder, don't you think this cave is a bit warm?"
"Yes, it is rather hot." The elder loosened his collar, and Haruki caught a glimpse of grey magatama markings on his shoulder blade.
Magatama… He's telling the truth. That's the mark of the Ōtsutsuki's Sage Body—Hagoromo and Hamura both had them.
While speaking, Haruki kept subtly testing the old man. He wasn't the type to be swayed like Obito, Nagato, or Sasuke—easily manipulated into blind hatred and losing sight of their goals.
"Fortunately, I was saved by Hyūga Yukio of the Branch House and sheltered here in the first hideout. My injuries were too severe; even transplanted eyes wouldn't help. Yukio used to visit every few months, bringing food and water in scrolls. I grew mushrooms here, kept fish in the underground spring, and sometimes gathered wild fruit. But a year and a half ago, Yukio stopped coming. I assume he's passed away. Is that true?"
Haruki recalled a Hyūga clan meeting where the list of fallen shinobi had been read. Indeed, Yukio had been killed in the Second Shinobi World War a year earlier. He nodded. "Yes, Yukio died over a year ago."
"…So he kept his promise to the end, never betraying my location to the Main House." The elder's voice was heavy with grief.
"Isn't it tragic? They denounce Earth's wars, yet slaughter their own kin. The Branch House destroyed the Main House, but couldn't escape their own decline. We sought to protect Earth's shinobi, yet were betrayed by our own blood. Thankfully, some of our kin still had conscience."
Haruki stayed silent. Humanity was indeed a contradictory thing.
"I've told you my story because I want to know yours."
"My story?" Haruki tensed. Don't tell me this old man somehow knows I'm from another world…
"Your bloodline…" the elder said seriously, tossing Haruki a piece of fruit.
Relieved, Haruki caught it and replied, "My father was a member of the Hyūga Branch House, as I've said. My mother was from the Senju clan."
"Senju? From the line of Senju Hashirama?"
"Not exactly his direct line—just a branch family. Descendants of Ōtsutsuki Asura." Haruki took a bite of the fruit—sweet and fresh. Not bad.
"Oh? You even know about the sons of the Sage of Six Paths?"
"Uh… the Uchiha clan has a stone tablet about it," Haruki half-lied. The tablet existed, but he knew from… other sources.
"So you carry not only Hamura's bloodline, but a measure of Hagoromo's as well. No wonder you have the Byakugan and strong vitality and chakra."
"Sounds impressive, but it's just a bit of vitality. My Byakugan's been damaged by the Caged Bird, and my body's covered in injuries. Seems Senju blood isn't that great after all." Haruki glanced at his broken leg, thinking bitterly, Not every Senju has a monstrous Sage Body, just like not every Uchiha can awaken their Sharingan. I'm just one of the unlucky ones. Sigh.
"Let me feel the Main House's Byakugan," the elder said suddenly.
"Here. If you can transplant them, they're yours." Haruki tossed over a scroll containing a pair of Byakugan. He had other ways to restore his own later. Still, he kept a cautious eye on the elder.
The elder opened the scroll, took out the sealed eyes, and stroked the container with trembling hands. "Yes… pure Byakugan. A true kekkei genkai—the blood of Hamura." His expression held no greed, only quiet excitement.
Then Haruki suddenly felt dizzy. His limbs turned weak. Alarmed, he looked at the elder. "You! There's poison in this fruit!"
The elder smiled faintly, his face eerie in the pale green glow. "Hehe… just enough to make you sleep. The fusion will be quick…"
Fusion?! So he's a creepy old pervert after all! Help! I'm not dropping the soap! Haruki's thoughts spun in panic as his body went limp, slumping over the table.