Return to Konoha
The wind carried the scent of damp earth as Ryūsei's feet touched the familiar soil of Konoha. The journey from the Moon had been swift, yet his heart remained heavy with the weight of what he had seen. The silence of the dead, the cold remnants of a once-proud civilization—all erased by their own arrogance.
His Byakugan swept over the village, taking in every flicker of movement. Konoha was alive with the urgency of war—shinobi patrolled the streets, weapons gleamed under torchlight, and hushed whispers filled the air. The village was preparing, but fear lingered beneath their resolve.
A war was coming. But they were not the ones who should be afraid.
The Gathering of the Elite
The war council chamber was thick with tension. Shadows flickered against the walls, cast by the dim glow of oil lamps.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the head of the table, his face lined with the weight of leadership. To his left, Tsunade stood, arms crossed, golden eyes sharp with unspoken questions. Orochimaru leaned back, his fingers tapping idly against the table, his smirk ever-present. Jiraiya, for once, was void of his usual humor, his brows furrowed in thought.
And Danzo—Danzo was absent.
The silence stretched until Hiruzen finally spoke.
"You've returned."
Ryūsei met his gaze. "The Moon Ōtsutsuki are gone."
Murmurs rippled through the room, but he raised a hand to silence them.
"There is nothing left of them but ruins and corpses. The war between the Main and Branch families consumed them all. The only survivors are a child and his caretaker—and they have been sealed away."
Tsunade's frown deepened. "And their knowledge?"
Ryūsei exhaled slowly. "Lost. They burned everything in their arrogance."
Not entirely a lie. Some knowledge had been preserved—but it was not meant for them.
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed, his curiosity barely concealed. "And what of your own discoveries?"
Ryūsei's gaze didn't waver. "I found something worth keeping."
Orochimaru smirked but didn't press further.
Hiruzen sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Then we turn our attention to the war at hand. The Sand and the Stone are advancing, and the Cloud watches, waiting for an opening. We must act swiftly."
Ryūsei's voice was calm, yet absolute. "Prepare, but do not be afraid."
The room fell silent.
"They do not know what they are walking into," he continued. "No matter how many forces they send—they are not ready for what we have become."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Bold as always."
Jiraiya exhaled. "Overconfidence has brought down greater men than us."
Ryūsei's gaze was cold. "Confidence and certainty are not the same thing. I do not guess—I know. We will win."
His words settled over them like a weight. There was no room for doubt.
Only inevitability.
The Next Step
As the meeting ended and the room emptied, Tsunade remained behind. She watched Ryūsei with unreadable eyes, her arms still crossed.
"You're hiding something," she finally said.
He didn't deny it. Instead, he reached into his cloak, retrieving a small, sealed scroll.
She raised a brow. "What's this?"
"A gift." He placed it in her hands.
Tsunade unsealed it carefully, her breath catching as her eyes scanned the first few lines.
"This is—"
"Yin-Yang Release," Ryūsei confirmed.
She tightened her grip on the scroll, her pulse quickening. This wasn't just a technique. It was the foundation of chakra itself—the force that separated gods from mortals.
Her gaze snapped to his. "Where did you get this?"
"From someone who understood the balance of destruction and creation."
She exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "You just keep pulling impossible things out of nowhere, don't you?"
Ryūsei's lips curled into the faintest smirk. "It's a talent."
Tsunade stared at him for a long moment before her expression softened—just slightly.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked.
He met her gaze. "Take it as a token."
A token of trust. A token of the future he was shaping.
Tsunade looked down at the scroll in her hands, determination flickering in her golden eyes.
She would master this. And when the time came—Konoha would be ready.
The Storm on the Horizon
The night was quiet when Ryūsei stepped outside. The air was cool against his skin, the stars burning fiercely above.
But beyond them, something else stirred.
The war on Earth was only the beginning.
And soon, the real enemy would come.