Upon hearing Toneri's words, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's temples twitched slightly, and she scrutinized him once more.
Byakugan—the strongest dojutsu for insight—is far from comparable to the Sharingan or Rinnegan. It is an eye oriented more toward perception than combat.
Although many claim the Sharingan and Rinnegan surpass the Byakugan, that is a simplification. The Byakugan is not purely a support eye; its greatest strength lies in its unparalleled capacity for observation.
When pushed to its limits, the Byakugan can even perceive fate itself. For instance, Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki, upon arriving in the Ninja World, had Byakugan capable of glimpsing the destinies of others. Yet he could not see his own fate, and what he saw was never absolute.
And so, he ultimately failed.
Moreover, the Rinnegan, evolved from the Byakugan, is truly a combat-oriented eye.
"Your bloodline… is indeed remarkably close to mine. No wonder you awakened the Rinnegan," Kaguya said calmly after the vein at her temple relaxed. Her gaze lingered on the boy.
With such concentrated Ōtsutsuki blood, even if this child's awakening was a case of atavism, it was still astonishing. Kaguya's mind stirred with new thoughts.
"Thank you for the praise, Grandmother. But I didn't come here for compliments—I need your help," Toneri said, his expression serene, pure, and earnest.
He had not come to Kaguya merely to receive acknowledgment.
"The blood flowing through you—both mine and Hamura's—means that if you acquire a pair of pure Byakugan, the Rinnegan will awaken naturally," Kaguya said softly. She assumed Toneri had come seeking guidance about his eyes, and thus offered this advice.
The Rinnegan is Hamura Ōtsutsuki's eye, an anomaly born from Toneri himself—an eye Kaguya never possessed.
Although she had been sealed away by Hamura's two children centuries ago, time is unrelenting. Her resentment had long since faded, and now she simply waited for the day she could break free of her confinement.
So she felt no hesitation in extending her goodwill to this descendant.
"It's not the Rinnegan I seek, Grandmother. I need your power. My Rinnegan can evolve further," Toneri shook his head calmly. He already understood how the Tenseigan—or evolved eyes—were cultivated.
What he sought was for Kaguya to help him evolve his Rinnegan. The Rinnegan controls life and death, and he refused to be content with a standard Rinnegan.
The Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan—that is his ultimate goal.
But only Kaguya possessed it. Naturally, later generations would have a Six-Tomoe Rinnegan, like his. Yet even a single Six-Tomoe Rinnegan could rival the power of two ordinary Rinnegan.
Hearing this, even Kaguya was taken aback. This small boy… dared covet her power?
"Although you are a descendant of mine, you must understand what your ancestors did to me. On what grounds do you expect my assistance?" Kaguya's gaze flicked to the boy's delicate, youthful face. Even her usually unreadable expression betrayed a hint of amusement.
This little boy had audacity. His ancestor was responsible for sealing her away, and yet he now sought her aid? How naïve.
"You are not being punished because you are my descendant—that is all," she thought silently.
"The matters of my ancestors have nothing to do with me. I have no interest in digging into them," Toneri replied, shaking his head. He had no desire to concern himself with Hamura's two children or their grudges with Kaguya—they were endless and exhausting.
"But I did not come unprepared, Grandmother. Do you wish to leave?" he asked, a small, confident smile forming on his lips before Kaguya could respond.
Indeed, Toneri would not have dared approach Kaguya without preparation. She was the strongest in the Ninja World, capable of casting Infinite Tsukuyomi for her own benefit and shaping the entire world!
Madara Uchiha had cast Infinite Tsukuyomi to create an ideal world of peace—but Kaguya was different. She sought it purely for herself, to counter Momoshiki and others. Her goal: to create soldiers.
Yet Toneri had seized her lifeline at this moment: freedom.
At this point, freedom was Kaguya's greatest desire. She did not wish to remain sealed here, but could not escape on her own. Toneri was her only opportunity.
Even if the Akatsuki's Black Zetsu was plotting in the Ninja World, Kaguya could not know. And even if she did, she would not let go of this chance. Any additional help was a step closer to freedom.
Kaguya remained silent, her pure Byakugan fixed on Toneri, her eyes flickering with an unknowable light.
Toneri, however, was unhurried. Time was on his side.
After a long moment, she finally spoke:
"You cannot break this seal," Kaguya said, her expression utterly calm, unshaken.
"Yes—but in the future, I will. Grandmother, you understand—once I evolve my Rinnegan, I will have the power to do so!" Toneri nodded without hesitation.
He could not undo the strongest seal that bound Kaguya yet—but that did not mean he never would.
He believed, without doubt, that he would acquire that power.