After emerging from the underground passage, Boruto walked over to examine the Rabbit Goddess statue. He noticed a vertical marking on her forehead and immediately realized that she, too, possessed a third eye.
"Hey, Momoshiki, do you think someone who isn't part of the Ōtsutsuki clan can activate this third eye?" Boruto asked internally.
"Brat, show some respect!" Momoshiki exploded in anger the moment he heard Boruto's casual tone.
"Calm down, calm down. I still need him to separate this dangerous thing, so I have to help him," Momoshiki said after regaining his composure. "Only someone closely related to the Ōtsutsuki or a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan can activate it. And now, you're considered part of the Ōtsutsuki clan, so you can open it."
"So that means the owner of this statue was also an Ōtsutsuki?" Boruto said.
"She was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, a traitor to the Ōtsutsuki clan," Momoshiki said through gritted teeth, confirming what fit the story's trajectory.
"What? You have traitors too? Kinshiki seems so loyal; I thought all Ōtsutsuki were like that," Boruto exclaimed in surprise.
"The Ōtsutsuki clan rarely has traitors. Yet this woman betrayed her family for some unknown reason. She was ignorant and should have faithfully served her clan. As a guardian, she ambushed those she was meant to protect and even consumed the chakra fruit. It was audacious," Momoshiki explained.
"Whatever, that's in the past. Do you still really want to take her down?" Boruto said, trying to ease the tension.
"Of course. She's still alive. When I have the time, I'll finish her," Momoshiki said bluntly.
"Wait, she's still alive? She came to Earth and hasn't died yet?" Boruto was stunned by Momoshiki's revelation.
"She must have eaten the God Tree's fruit, which drastically altered her life form. Otherwise, even for the Ōtsutsuki, surviving this long without elixirs would be impossible," Momoshiki explained.
"Enough, that's my concern. What matters now is finding the person you mentioned this Orochimaru," Momoshiki interrupted, redirecting the conversation.
"You're right. Let's hurry," Boruto replied.
Their mental connection was instantaneous. It reminded Boruto of when Jiraiya had tossed Naruto into the canyon; Naruto had stayed in the sealed space for a long time while only seconds passed in the real world. After a brief mental exchange with Momoshiki, Boruto dashed out of the shrine and ran toward Mitsuki's home.
After Boruto left, several people holding cameras emerged from the forest. Their eyes betrayed their identity it was clear they were Hyuga clan members. They were discussing something.
"The Second Elder wants us to film the clan leader's grandson going to the shrine, then enter the secret passage to retrieve that item and frame him. This way, we can force the clan leader to step down, allowing the Second Elder's son to take over. The entire Hyuga clan would then fall under the control of the traditionalists," one said.
"Exactly. The Second Elder promised that once the plan succeeds, we'll receive substantial benefits," another added.
After speaking, the two smirked sinisterly, completely unaware of the shadow lurking behind them.
"So that's how it is. I was wondering why someone was nearby now I understand the plan. Interesting," the shadow muttered. It was none other than the Momoshiki-controlled clone that had escaped earlier.