Chapter 314: Obtaining the Tenseigan
Through his interactions with Hamura, Haneda could sense the similarities between him and Sasuke—both had a deep bond with their brothers. Hamura, in particular, might even be what one would call a "brother complex."
Thus, nearly every other sentence out of Haneda's mouth invoked the name of the Sage of Six Paths.
First, Haneda explained that his mastery of power was not driven by selfish desires but by a love for the world, akin to the Sage's own selflessness.
Then, he declared his intent to inherit the Sage of Six Paths' will, aiming to reconcile the Sage's two feuding sons, Indra and Ashura.
Despite Hamura's previous disdain for Indra, Haneda speculated that Hamura likely once held a fondness for his brilliant nephew during Indra's youth. After all, who wouldn't admire a gifted child?
Perhaps Hamura's disappointment stemmed from betrayal—Indra's descent into darkness, his rebellion against his father, and the endless battles with his brother, Ashura.
Haneda imagined Hamura's sorrow at his brother's death, picturing Hamura silently watching from the shadows as Indra declared his intent to wage eternal war against Ashura's reincarnations.
True to form, Hamura seemed pleased by Haneda's words.
He smiled, saying, "Indeed, power itself is neither good nor evil, but one's stance determines its use. My elder brother foresaw a calamity in this era, yet also prophesied that Indra and Ashura would eventually reconcile."
Hearing the word "reconcile," Haneda couldn't help but twitch slightly.
From what he'd observed, Indra and Ashura's reincarnations—like Madara and Hashirama, or Sasuke and Naruto—always seemed to "reconcile" by beating each other senseless.
Their ideals rarely shifted, even as their conflicts grew more personal and intense.
At that moment, the golden barrier protecting the Tenseigan shattered, and the immense Tenseigan floated toward Haneda.
Hamura turned to the elder Otsutsuki, his descendant:
"Let the enmity between the Otsutsuki's main and branch families end here. Tonari is still a child, and you are nearing the end of your life.
"The Tenseigan is a cursed eye. Any branch family member who wields it will only bring disaster upon themselves."
The elder's expression was conflicted, but the thought of Tonari inheriting the Tenseigan and losing his ability to bear children made him clench his teeth.
"Very well, I shall follow the ancestor's decree."
Hamura nodded slightly, then addressed Haneda:
"The Tenseigan is now yours, but you must swear an oath under my and the Tenseigan's watch.
"Protect Tonari and ensure the continuation of the Otsutsuki bloodline. Beyond that, stop its schemes and bring peace to the Shinobi World by reconciling Indra and Ashura."
Hamura did not make excessive demands, asking only what Haneda had already claimed he would do. Even the promise of bringing happiness to the Shinobi World—a goal Haneda had mentioned—was omitted.
Hamura knew that creating a world of happiness was far more difficult than achieving peace.
Not even his elder brother, the Sage of Six Paths, had succeeded. His creation of Ninshu had failed to achieve this lofty ideal—how could Haneda do any better?
As for connecting humanity through love and mutual understanding, Hamura recognized the beauty of the idea but doubted its feasibility.
It was beyond human capability.
Suppressing his excitement and desire as he stared at the glowing golden Tenseigan, Haneda swore his oath under Hamura and the Tenseigan's gaze.
Yet despite inheriting the Tenseigan, Haneda could not fully control it.
Without the Byakugan, he lacked the innate connection to the Tenseigan. The oath he made was essentially a binding curse upon the Tenseigan itself.
Nonetheless, Haneda intended to fulfill the promises he made, with or without the Tenseigan.
After Hamura vanished, Haneda prepared to test the Tenseigan's power. However, the elder Otsutsuki interrupted him:
"Where is Tonari now?"
"Right here, Grandfather!" Tonari emerged from behind a nearby boulder.
Neither Itachi nor Shisui had harmed Tonari, as he was just a child.
Thanks to his training as a ninja prodigy, Tonari had managed to escape and hide. When Hamura appeared, he seized the opportunity to rejoin them.
The elder stared at Tonari's pure Byakugan and momentarily lost himself in thought.
After a moment of silence, he said, "You heard the ancestor's words, didn't you?"
Tomari nodded.
"From now on, you no longer need to sacrifice your Byakugan to the Tenseigan or inherit its power.
"Nor will you need to journey to Earth in search of a Byakugan princess and force yourself to love someone who does not love you.
"Earth is not a mistake; the world created by the Sage of Six Paths has its reasons for existing.
"From now on, follow him."
The elder gestured toward Haneda. Seeing Tonari's confused expression, he continued:
"My time is nearly up. I had planned to kill them and use my remaining life force to control the Tenseigan and wield the power of the Six Paths to seal the Rabbit Goddess.
"But now, that seems unnecessary.
"The Moon is a lonely place, and you're still so young. You should interact with friends your own age.
"Besides, without the Tenseigan's power, all the puppets on the Moon will cease functioning. You won't be able to survive here alone.
"As for me, it's time to return what I borrowed."
The elder removed his own Tenseigan, which reverted to a Byakugan after leaving its socket.
The Byakugan floated in the air and merged with the Tenseigan.
These eyes had originally belonged to Shiren's father. Since Tonari's father had passed, the elder saw this as a way to fulfill their ancestor's will.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, the elder lay beneath the Tenseigan, closed his eyes, and passed away.
A child stood nearby, bewildered, while Haneda and the others gazed at the body with complicated expressions.
"Let's bury him properly," Haneda finally said.
...
Half a day later, unable to remove the Tenseigan from the Moon for now, Haneda left a wood clone behind to study it while Kakashi and the others returned to Earth.
Tonari joined the group, and as they prepared to leave, Kakashi couldn't resist teasing Haneda:
"Not bad, 'Orphanage Director.'"
The remark reminded Haneda of Gaara back in the Sand Village. He had sent Pakura and others to infiltrate the Sand Village's upper ranks—how was that progressing?
Shaking off the thought, Haneda focused on the Tenseigan.
After studying it for an entire night, he concluded:
The Tenseigan's immense power made it highly resistant to him, and his Amenominaka could only establish a minor connection.
Furthermore, maintaining this connection required constant effort. If he stopped, the progress would rapidly regress.
To fully synchronize with the Tenseigan, it would take at least fifteen years.
For an 18-year-old like Haneda, fifteen years didn't seem excessively long—it would bring him into his physical prime.
But the likes of Black Zetsu and Akatsuki wouldn't wait.
According to the original timeline, Akatsuki would begin capturing tailed beasts in eleven years. Even if Akatsuki didn't act, Obito would likely make his move.
Haneda had no intention of spending years secluded on the Moon.
"Is there any way to shorten the time and reduce the Tenseigan's rejection?"
...