188. Tenseigan Mode

With the moon as her backdrop, Ōtsutsuki Akemi’s tall, slender figure slowly rose into the sky, her butterfly wings flapping gracefully.

The luminous moon became the perfect background, showcasing the intricate beauty of her wings in all their glory. The mysterious patterns etched onto her butterfly wings resembled exquisitely carved artwork. As the owner of those wings, Ōtsutsuki Akemi stood bathed in moonlight, her beautiful face radiating a sacred aura that inspired reverence.

“So, is this your trump card?”

Though slightly startled by the burst of power from her opponent, Ōtsutsuki Tsukihime, unfazed and with a calm heart, raised an elegant eyebrow.

She looked at the cold-faced Ōtsutsuki Akemi, who was immersed in the sensation of her newfound strength and asked coolly.

Ōtsutsuki Akemi, focused on perceiving the power surging within her, ignored Tsukihime’s words.

Her pure white eyes turned inward, observing the formidable energy that filled her body, now many times stronger than when she first used her butterfly transformation jutsu.


A hint of doubt appeared in her gaze.

Could the energy in her chest really be of such high quality?

It far surpassed the combined strength of the rest of her body.

If Uchiha Gin were present, he would surely have stopped this from happening, as the preciousness of that wondrous chest couldn’t be measured by chakra alone.

“Silent? playing the expert, are you?”

Tsukihime felt slightly irritated; after all, she was the clan leader, yet Ōtsutsuki Akemi dared ignore her words.

Thinking it necessary to remind her of her authority, she eyed the preoccupied Akemi in the sky and spoke loudly, “Ōtsutsuki Akemi, if you can defeat me, I’ll spare that man.”

“Really?”

Pulled back to reality by this promise, Akemi looked down, a hint of calculation flashing in her white eyes as she stared into Tsukihime’s eyes. “Are you promise?”

“Of course.”

Sensing the battle intent radiating from her opponent, Tsukihime closed her eyes with a faint smile, summoning the clan’s treasured relic hidden within the artificial moon.

Suddenly, a wave of turquoise chakra erupted from within her, spreading across her fiery body.

Once every inch of her skin was cloaked in this tangible chakra, she slowly opened her eyes, which were once pure white but now held a turquoise-blue flower pattern in the pupils.

Her aura grew profoundly intense, overwhelming Akemi to the point of near breathlessness.

“I hate being looked down upon.”

A cold voice rang out as Tsukihime’s body defied gravity, rising to meet Akemi's gaze.

Her turquoise-blue eyes radiated an oppressive power. “Now it’s fair.”

Round two was about to begin.

“Tenseigan! The branch family has truly activated the Tenseigan!”

In the spirit realm, a long-haired, eyeless man, sensing the presence of the Tenseigan, began pacing anxiously.

Upon seeing Ōtsutsuki Hamura lounging, he rushed to him, clinging to his ancestor’s leg, and pleaded, “Ancestor, please do something!”

“Ah~ Let go of me! I’m not a genie with unlimited wishes,” Hamura sighed, pulling his leg free from his despondent descendant, who seemed as unpromising as ever.

“Things aren’t that dire.”

The long-haired man’s hollow eyes filled with despair. Meanwhile, Hamura, still calm, lay back and muttered, “Things haven’t reached that stage yet.”

Upon hearing this, the man jumped up in relief. “Are you sure?”

“It’s still immature. That descendant has only borrowed a fraction of the Tenseigan’s power; it’s not enough to move the moon,” Hamura reassured, resuming his massage chair’s gentle massage.

The scene shifted.

In the sky above the moon’s core, two differently-colored lights collided furiously, each clash releasing intense shockwaves.

The resultant airwaves created a series of striking rings in the night, accompanied by deafening sonic booms that shook the floating island below.

BOOM!

A resounding explosion echoed through the night as the azure butterfly wings snapped, and Ōtsutsuki Akemi, now plummeting like a kite with a broken string, hurtled toward the sea below.

Splash!

Ōtsutsuki Akemi emerged once again defeated. Despite her butterfly transformation being stronger than before, she still struggled against Tsukihime’s overwhelming power.

Panting heavily, her body aching, Akemi dragged herself onto the shore. Her turquoise wings were fraying, her soaked hair clinging to her forehead, and her pale lips shuddered with each breath. Her eyes reflected a deep sadness, a forlorn look that stirred sympathy.

As her chakra continued to deplete, despair crept into her heart. She had believed that her strength wasn’t far from Tsukihime’s, but reality struck her harshly, revealing a vast chasm between them. Struggling to look up, she watched Tsukihime descend, unable to command her legs to rise.

“Is this the extent of your resolve?”

Tsukihime landed before her, her Tenseigan chakra mode radiating turquoise light. Her eyes held a hint of disappointment, though she didn’t adopt a victor’s stance.

Despite her bones aching, Akemi gritted her teeth, refusing to utter a single word of surrender.

“Too dull. I didn’t even need to try, and you’re down already,” Tsukihime sighed, shaking her head as she rose again.

As Tsukihime prepared to leave, a surge of unfamiliar life force suddenly coursed through Akemi, a safeguard previously left by Uchiha Gin.

This warmth not only healed her wounds rapidly but also surged through her body, leaving her breathless with surprise at her restored strength.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Akemi stood, her legs regaining strength as she coldly stared at Tsukihime’s retreating form.

“To handle the thief who dared offend me,” Tsukihime replied coolly, not turning back.

In her eyes, Akemi was no match even with newfound power.

Suddenly, Tsukihime felt a powerful impact at her waist.

She glanced down at the slender white arms gripping her, caught off guard.

“I haven’t lost yet!”

With butterfly wings flapping furiously, Akemi, now a streak of blue lightning, shot straight toward the night sky, gripping Tsukihime tightly.

“Are you crazy?”

Unable to break free and feeling a rare flicker of fear as they ascended rapidly, Tsukihime protested, “You know that resonance requires distance, so… let’s fight somewhere farther!”

It became clear that Akemi's action wasn’t a reckless move. Being a first elder, she knew that the Tenseigan’s power would weaken the farther away it was from its source.

“Curse it, don’t even try!”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Tsukihime’s chakra armor expanded, attempting to repel Akemi, but it was too late as the moon’s shell loomed close.

BOOM!

The resounding crash echoed through the moon’s core, causing everyone to instinctively look up. They watched massive debris rain down, and a single sliver of blue light broke through the night’s darkness, spilling down.

On the moon’s barren surface, amidst gray hills and craters, no life stirred.