Chapter 329: Gaining Initial Control Over the Tenseigan
The night was quiet, and under the moonlight, Haneda activated the spatial transfer array.
Due to the immense distance between the moon and the earth, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to traverse this gap would consume a tremendous amount of chakra. Therefore, Haneda always relied on the transfer array to reduce the burden on his chakra reserves.
Upon arriving on the moon, Haneda headed straight for the core of the Ōtsutsuki clan—the location of the giant Tenseigan.
Thanks to the records left by the Ōtsutsuki branch family, Haneda had learned the method of offering the Byakugan to the Tenseigan.
The process was simple: by integrating his Byakugan with the Tenseigan, he could establish a chakra link through his bloodline, thereby gaining initial control over the Tenseigan.
The purer the bloodline and the more flawless the Byakugan, the stronger the connection. This was why the clan leader traditionally controlled the Tenseigan without contest.
The Tenseigan was highly selective, as shown by its recognition of Ōtsutsuki Toneri and Hyūga Hinata in the future.
But now, with Haneda being the only Byakugan bearer on the moon, the Tenseigan had no choice but to accept him.
Standing before the colossal Tenseigan, Haneda began the ritual described in the Ōtsutsuki scrolls.
The Byakugan implanted in his arm floated out of his body and hovered in midair before slowly drifting toward the Tenseigan.
Bathed in golden light, the Byakugan fused seamlessly into the giant Tenseigan.
"Begin!"
Haneda formed a single-hand seal, attempting to connect with the Tenseigan. Its massive pupil shifted, focusing directly on Haneda.
For a moment, the Tenseigan seemed to scrutinize him.
Haneda's bloodline wasn't purely Hyūga or Ōtsutsuki, and the Tenseigan hesitated. However, it eventually recognized Haneda.
The Tenseigan's vast chakra radiated across the entire moon, and it could detect no other Ōtsutsuki or Hyūga presence on the celestial body.
Since Haneda had offered his Byakugan in accordance with the ritual, the Tenseigan reluctantly acknowledged him as its master.
"It worked!"
A glimmer of excitement flashed in Haneda's eyes, but as he sensed the Tenseigan's faint disdain for him, he quickly calmed himself.
He began testing the Tenseigan's capabilities, attempting to activate the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, which Toneri had wielded in the future.
A faint green chakra emanated from the Tenseigan and flowed into Haneda, but the amount was pitifully small—barely at the level of an elite Jōnin.
This was a far cry from the Tenseigan Chakra Mode Haneda sought.
Haneda sighed in disappointment. The Tenseigan held an almost immeasurable amount of chakra, but it allocated power based on the purity of the user's Byakugan.
Even though Haneda was the only person on the moon, the Tenseigan strictly adhered to its "rules," providing him only the minimum chakra proportionate to his offering.
While the chakra it supplied was significant for an average shinobi, to someone of Haneda's caliber, it was utterly useless—neither here nor there.
No wonder the Ōtsutsuki clan had dwindled to a single survivor, Toneri, who later had to resort to stealing Hanabi's Byakugan. It seemed only another Tenseigan could fully dominate the giant Tenseigan.
"If that's how it's going to be, don't blame me," Haneda muttered.
He activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. The solar pattern in his eyes locked onto the Tenseigan's pupil.
Using the link he had established, Haneda unleashed the full power of his Senrigan to invade the Tenseigan.
Assimilation. Integration. Domination.
Slowly but surely, Haneda's green Tenseigan chakra began to grow in intensity, its color deepening and glowing more vibrantly.
Sensing something amiss, the Tenseigan attempted to resist. However, it was bound to Haneda through the Byakugan he had offered.
Programmed to recognize Haneda as a partial master, the Tenseigan couldn't sever the bond of bloodline and chakra that tethered them.
By the time dawn broke, Haneda opened his eyes once more.
After calculating his progress, he estimated that, at his current rate, it would take seven years to fully assimilate the Tenseigan.
This gave him ample time before the eight-year window Obito had mentioned.
However...
Haneda relaxed his Senrigan's absorption, and the Tenseigan immediately retaliated, attempting to reclaim the excess chakra he had drawn from it.
"Seven years, but I'd have to stay near the Tenseigan the entire time. The moment I leave, it'll reject me again," Haneda noted.
"If I stop now, half a night's progress will be undone in an instant."
"Unless..."
Haneda gazed up at the colossal Tenseigan, its sheer size and overwhelming chakra making him seem minuscule in comparison.
"Could I forcibly integrate it into my body? Like a Jinchūriki sealing a Tailed Beast?"
His hand touched the purple diamond-shaped seal on his forehead—the Yin Seal. Within it resided the Dragon Vein, a potent chakra source he had once absorbed.
"If the God Tree can be absorbed, as Hagoromo and Madara demonstrated, why can't I do the same?"
Releasing the Yin Seal, Haneda activated his Dragon Vein Chakra Mode.
Golden chains erupted from his back—Uzumaki sealing chains known as Adamantine Sealing Chains.
The chains coiled around the Tenseigan, binding it tightly as Haneda attempted to drag it into his body.
The Tenseigan drew closer and closer to his forehead, but as its green chakra clashed with the purple Dragon Vein chakra, the balance began to tip.
The Tenseigan's overwhelming power started to suppress the Dragon Vein, and the star-like presence within Haneda's Yin Seal trembled under the strain.
Haneda could feel his body nearing its limit.
Forcing the Tenseigan into his body would be no different from what Toneri had attempted with multiple Byakugan—an act that nearly tore his body apart.
Knowing this, Haneda halted the process. The golden chains retracted, and the Tenseigan floated back to its original position, its golden glow dimmed slightly.
As the Tenseigan began to recover, Haneda pondered his options.
He saw two viable paths forward:
1. Grind it out with time. Haneda could spend the next seven years on the moon, merging with the Tenseigan bit by bit. However, this would require him to sacrifice sleep and dedicate nearly every waking moment to the task.
2. Create a new vessel. Similar to the God Tree or Tailed Beasts, he could find or create a container capable of housing the Tenseigan's immense chakra.
A third option existed—seeking out more Byakugan to artificially enhance his compatibility with the Tenseigan. But this was a last resort. Haneda would not harm the Hyūga clan unless he had no other choice.
For now, Haneda decided to pursue the second option.
"I'll track down Hiruko first and test whether the Chimera Technique can aid in fusing with the Tenseigan. If that fails, I'll have to rely on Orochimaru's technology."
Though this plan risked exposing the existence of the Tenseigan and the moon, Haneda had a backup plan in the form of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.
If Orochimaru proved untrustworthy, Haneda wouldn't hesitate to use it.
…