Awaken the Tenseigan, Become the Mastermind of the Shinobi World

Watching the clash between the two "monsters"—Minato and Naruto—Hyuga Gakuya smiled. Fortunately, he had kept several trump cards in reserve. No matter how flashy their resistance, his plan would proceed smoothly.

Turning to Pain beside him, Hyuga Gakuya said,

"Pain, I'll leave the rest of this battle to you. My injuries still haven't fully healed. The Nine-Tails should lose combat effectiveness soon."

He wasn't lying—his earlier exertion had indeed taken a toll. Gakuya had already been forced to deactivate his Tenseigan mode.

"I understand. Leave it to me."

The Six Paths of Pain all stepped forward in unison, advancing toward Jiraiya, Gaara, and the others, who had already fought a hard battle.

Tsunade had been taken down by the Preta Path, and now Pain's remaining opponents were Jiraiya, Gaara, Ōnoki, and Mei Terumī.

Each of them had been through an intense fight and were clearly in a weakened state. Meanwhile, thanks to Gakuya drawing much of the earlier firepower, Pain had barely used up any chakra.

The Six Paths were more than enough to finish the job.

The six puppets moved forward in perfect formation, bearing down on Jiraiya and his allies.

Jiraiya took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay upright despite his exhaustion. His eyes burned with determination as he quickly formed hand seals.

"Fire Style: Giant Flame Bullet!"

A massive fireball roared toward Pain.

But with a simple wave of his arm, the Deva Path dispersed the flames with a powerful repulsive force.

Gaara manipulated his sand to raise thick walls in defense, trying to stall Pain's advance.

The Asura Path hunched over, mechanical parts whirring, then unleashed a barrage of rocket-propelled missiles, blasting the sand barriers apart.

Seeing this, Ōnoki formed a seal.

"Dust Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"

His devastating technique shot toward Pain.

But the Preta Path immediately moved to intercept, hands outstretched. It absorbed the technique with ease—the sheer destructive force of Dust Style nullified by the Preta Path's chakra-draining ability.

Mei Terumī refused to back down. She launched a corrosive wave of Lava Style from her mouth.

In response, the Animal Path slammed her hand to the ground. A panda-like summon fell from the sky and easily absorbed the attack.

For a time, the battle reached a fever pitch. The coordination among the Six Paths was nearly flawless, leaving the defenders barely able to breathe.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Gakuya slowly made his way toward the area where Naruto and Minato were fighting. He wasn't going there to aid Minato. Rather, he wanted to give Hinata, Hanabi, and the others their chance to act alone. His role in the play was almost complete.

...

In the rear, Team Dusk had been watching for the right moment. They now saw their chance and set their sights on Gakuya.

"We can't let him help the Fourth Hokage. We need to delay him," Shikamaru said.

"This is when he's at his weakest—and it might be our only chance to awaken Chiba Mokushū."

The rest of Team Dusk nodded in unison and sprinted toward Gakuya.

He was walking at a slow, almost casual pace, like he was out for a stroll. But in truth, he was waiting for them.

Suddenly, Gakuya stopped, a smile playing on his lips.

"Shikamaru... you really underestimate me. You actually think you can stop me like this? This ambush is a joke."

Rustling came from the surrounding trees. More than a dozen figures emerged—it was the remaining members of Team Dusk.

Each of them assumed battle stances, clearly prepared to fight to the death.

"You think just because I'm injured, you can defeat me? You're wrong. You can't stop me. Just walk away—our new world is almost here. All you need to do is wait."

His tone was almost familiar, almost kind, as he continued,

"This is war. And if you insist on getting in my way... then I'll have to kill all of you."

Shikamaru's expression hardened.

"We're here to protect our village. And Naruto is our friend. There's no way we're letting you through."

This was his plan—to test whether any part of Gakuya still held on to the emotions and bonds of Chiba Mokushū's past.

"That's right," the others echoed, stepping forward.

Only Chōjūrō's expression remained conflicted. He had once harbored deep feelings for Naruto, who had been using the face of Naruko at the time.

But now that the person he admired had turned out to be a man... it was a blow he could hardly bear. It shattered his sense of love, perhaps permanently.

"I'm not even trying to kill Naruto. Look at Utakata—he's still alive even after I extracted his Tailed Beast. So don't pretend this is about justice. This is war. And war has no justice."

Gakuya rolled his shoulders.

"But... since you all helped lay the groundwork for my plan, I'll show you some mercy. I'll just knock you all out. You're not a real threat to me anyway."

Those words made Shikamaru's heart stir. This was exactly what he'd hoped to hear—proof that Gakuya still hadn't abandoned his feelings completely.

That was enough. The battle itself no longer mattered.

Five minutes later, the entire group lay unconscious on the ground. Gakuya remained standing in place. It had been less of a fight and more like a parent humoring children at play. He had held back and simply knocked each one out.

...

Just then, movement came from the side. Three girls stepped out.

Gakuya's expression darkened, as if he'd just suffered a deep betrayal.

"Hinata... Hanabi... Temari. Are you here to stop me too? If you're still hoping to awaken my 'other self,' don't even bother. Chiba Mokushū is me. I haven't changed—I've just seen things more clearly."

Before the Hyūga sisters could respond, Temari stepped forward.

"No! Mokushū-kun... maybe they came to convince you to stop. But me? I think your plan is perfect. I support you. I want to be part of it—I want to see that flawless world you're going to create."

Temari spoke with clarity and conviction—but her every detail betrayed her true intent. Gakuya was willing to play along.

Hearing her words, Gakuya looked delighted.

"That's all I need to hear. The new world is almost here. Stand behind me—I'll take care of these two traitors."

Hinata's eyes widened with fury. She stared at Temari, voice trembling.

"Temari... how could you? Have you forgotten what you believe in?"

Hanabi's voice cracked, her eyes welling with tears.

"... how can you side with him?! You're helping the enemy! How could you betray us like this?"

Temari turned her head slightly, avoiding their gaze. She bit her lip and whispered,

"You don't understand. Gakuya's plan will bring about a new world—one without conflict."

She said no more and walked to stand beside Gakuya.

"Good," Gakuya said, spreading his arms as though to embrace her. "Come to my side, and I'll give you all my love."

In that moment, he looked every bit the manipulative villain—the kind who lured innocent girls with sweet lies.

As Temari stepped close to Gakuya, she suddenly struck—her fan swinging in from a deadly angle, aiming straight at him.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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