193. I Have People Below

Hearing Otsutsuki Tsukihime’s hesitant words, the group fell into a brief silence.



Otsutsuki Hamura, in particular, turned to the long-haired man with a look in his white eyes that seemed to burn with fury.

“Ancestor, don’t listen to her excuses. Who would activate the Tenseigan for such a reason?”

The long-haired man, sensing the anger in Hamura’s gaze, instinctively shrank back, raising his voice in defense.

“Let me explain the situation.”

Seeing things taking a strange turn, Otsutsuki Akemi, who had been silent until now, finally stepped forward. Her expression serious, she glanced around at everyone and began to speak with a hint of sorrow.

“Ancestor, you should be aware of the predicament… no, the dead end our clan faces.”

“Ah…”

Otsutsuki Hamura looked down in shame, knowing he bore some responsibility for the Otsutsuki clan’s dwindling numbers. If not for him, his elder brother wouldn’t have "locked the door," and the clan wouldn’t be in such decline.

“The population issue has existed for many years, and we’ve spent countless resources trying to address it.”

With a sorrowful look, Otsutsuki Akemi paced barefoot across the cold floor, sadness etched on her face.

“Hmph!”

At her words, several elderly spirits behind the long-haired man began sobbing, seemingly reminded of painful memories.

“Our efforts had poor results. Just when we were at a loss, the clan leader unexpectedly received a response from the Tenseigan during the ritual.”

Casting a disdainful look at the aging Otsutsuki men, Akemi rolled her eyes and turned to the Tenseigan, which was radiating golden light. Her gaze filled with admiration as she shared this secret with the others.

“Huh? Why didn’t I know about this?”

The white-haired elder spirit, residing within the Tenseigan, immediately raised her doubts.


The Tenseigan shouldn’t have any awareness; how could it respond to the clan’s prayers?

“Huh? Didn’t you know, Teacher? I always thought you did.”

Faced with her mentor’s questioning, Otsutsuki Tsukihime raised her brows in response.

“Tell us in detail, Tsukihime. What exactly did the Tenseigan communicate?”

Realizing the situation was out of his control, Hamura furrowed his brows, unable to understand how the Tenseigan, merely a weapon, could have self-awareness.

In response, Tsukihime’s pure white eyes took on a nostalgic glow, and she began reminiscing about a time long ago.

This was twenty years earlier when she was still a young girl with a home and land, living in carefree bliss.

Then, during the annual family festival, her unchanging life took a drastic turn.

“That year, I attended the festival in my finest attire and knelt before the Tenseigan, offering my sincerest prayers.”

Tsukihime’s tone was soft, as if telling a story, slowly recounting the events that took place before the Tenseigan.

“At that moment, I reflected on the worry in our clan members’ faces and prayed fervently for the salvation of the Otsutsuki clan. To my surprise, the Tenseigan responded — it was a cool but gentle voice.”

Recalling the mysterious voice, a hint of wistful yearning appeared in Tsukihime’s eyes as she continued.

“The Tenseigan told me that if I activated it and used her power, I could open a path between Earth and our realm, giving our clan a chance to survive.”

“She?”

While the others were shocked at the Tenseigan’s supposed self-awareness, Uchiha Gin picked up on another point. Was the Tenseigan… female?

“Yes, it was a voice as gentle as a mother’s.”

Turning to Uchiha Gin, Tsukihime confidently confirmed.

“This can’t be right…”

After hearing Tsukihime’s account, Otsutsuki Hamura didn’t doubt her words, but he was certain about the nature of the Tenseigan. Since when could an eye have self-awareness?

“Wait! I get it!”

As everyone pondered, the white-haired elder spirit clapped her hands with confidence, looking as if she had solved the mystery. Her old eyes sparkled with self-assurance as she explained.

“Tsukihime’s sincere prayers must have awakened the spirits of our ancestors within the Tenseigan, prompting them to respond. After all, those who sacrificed their Byakugan wouldn’t want to see our clan perish.”

Her reasonable explanation resonated with everyone, who nodded in agreement and praised the selflessness and high moral character of the Otsutsuki ancestors.

“Is that really true?”

Watching the Otsutsuki members reveling in self-congratulation, only Uchiha Gin remained skeptical. This story sounded oddly familiar to him. Nudging the gratified Hamura, he whispered,

“Uncle Ancestor, you don’t actually believe this, do you?”

“Uh… don’t you?”

“As long as you’re happy~”


Faced with Hamura's stunned expression, Uchiha Gin, following his principle of avoiding unnecessary trouble, decided not to get involved in this suspicious matter.

After all, he had already secured the Tenseigan, and any scheme behind it wouldn’t change the outcome.

A shadowy presence lurking in the realm of shadows observed the events unfold with some regret, clicking its tongue.

"Tsk! I didn’t expect this kid to get the Tenseigan so quickly. I was hoping to mess with Hamura’s naive descendant a bit more. Oh well, there’s nothing interesting left on the moon. Next stop, I’ll just follow this kid and stir things up with Hagoromo's descendants down there."

The dark presence wandered further, noticing two silent puppets nearby. It reached out with its senses but withdrew quickly, showing clear disdain.

"These are worthless—no way I’d use them as vessels. If only I could plant a mark on that kid..."

After some serious contemplation, the shadow decided against it. Its main body was fine, so there was no pressing need for such measures, especially with the kid’s potential, which could prove useful if nurtured. Even if he wasn’t particularly clever, he was strong enough to be an asset.

Cough. The elder Hamura, seeing the disturbance settle, finally spoke with a heavy tone, glancing at the other members of the Otsutsuki clan with a hint of guilt.

“I never thought your branch would have such a simple request. Here I was, assuming you’d misunderstood my legacy and planned to destroy the world below.”

“Why would we do that? The world down there has so many wonderful books! Why would I want to destroy it?” replied Tsukihime cheerfully.

For ages, the Otsutsuki on the moon had used family tools to keep watch over Earth, which Tsukihime used for her own amusement. After discovering the vast libraries down there, her longing for Earth grew stronger. Her main wish now was to activate the Tenseigan and go down to collect books.

“Didn’t you see what’s happening on Earth?” the long-haired man interrupted again, refusing to believe that the branch family had no sinister intentions.

“See what?” Tsukihime asked, confused, wondering if she’d missed some rare book.


The man pointed out the bloodshed and ruin plaguing Earth. “The people below are fighting until rivers run red from blood. Don’t you want to wipe it all out?”

“Hey, I’m right here, so watch your mouth!” Uchiha Gin's voice broke in, his face darkening. He didn’t care for Earth’s internal conflicts, and the man’s words grated on him.

“Come on, conflict where there’s disagreement is normal, right? Haven’t we fought for years and ended up with just a handful of people left?” Tsukihime’s response, despite her usual naivete, struck a chord with everyone. Her practical wisdom made her seem like a natural leader.

The long-haired man fell silent, left speechless by her words and his own biases.

“Well, well,” Hamura sighed, realizing he had misunderstood, nearly causing a catastrophe. His white eyes filled with regret as he turned to Uchiha Gin, who was munching on sunflower seeds.

“Descendant of Earth, thank you for helping to resolve this.”

“Not a problem at all. We're all family, right?” Gin said with a casual wave, tossing the shells aside. He only hoped Hamura wouldn’t forget the promised reward.

“I’ll teach you the transportation technique,” Hamura assured him. “But I have one more favor to ask.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t run away,” Gin said, patting his chest confidently.

“This might be sudden, but I ask that you help the Otsutsuki clan on the moon preserve our bloodline.”

“Huh?!”

Gin's face turned pale as he noticed the intense gazes aimed at him, and a cold sweat broke out.

“Master Gin, there are only sixty-six of us left. We humbly ask… for your help,” Otsutsuki Akemi said, her charming smile and beauty mark making Gin's unease even stronger.


This time, she had explicit permission and didn’t need to hold back.

“Hold up! Down on Earth, there are all sorts of options for you! You’re free to take your pick—guaranteed genuine quality, no tricks!”