Chapter 387: The Battle Begins

Kaguya's icy voice, devoid of even the slightest warmth, swept across the ruins like a frigid polar gale, snuffing out the fragile sense of peace that had only just begun to emerge.

She remained where she stood, while the Chakra surging around her grew ever more violent and oppressive. Her pale white eyes settled upon her two sons, who now stood shoulder to shoulder.

Especially Hamura—the son who had just returned from the brink of death, yet had unmistakably chosen to stand beside his elder brother.

There was no trace of a mother's affection left in her gaze.

Only the cold fury of someone whose authority had been challenged... and profound disappointment.

Hamura's expression tightened as he felt the overwhelming pressure bearing down on him like a tangible force.

Yet he did not retreat.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened his back and met Kaguya's gaze without flinching. His voice rang out across the silent ruins with unwavering resolve.

"Mother... this isn't betrayal."

"This is a choice."

"My brother is right."

"You... are wrong."

"You were wrong to treat all living beings as insignificant insects and sacrificial offerings."

"You were wrong to accelerate this world's destruction simply because of an unknown threat."

"And you were wrong..."

"To rule your children—and this world—with control and coercion instead of understanding and trust."

Hamura's declaration was the final challenge.

For an instant, Kaguya's Chakra froze.

Then it erupted with even greater ferocity.

The very air seemed to solidify beneath the crushing pressure.

Her voice became colder than ever, carrying absolute finality.

"Then, Hamura..."

"Do you also wish for me to reclaim your Chakra?"

"Will you, like your brother, become my enemy?"

"Mother! We only want to stop your madness! We don't want to fight you! Whatever enemy you're preparing for, we can face it together—"

Hamura made one last attempt to explain that they sought not to oppose her, but to save her from her own path.

Before he could finish, Hagoromo shouted, cutting him off.

Stepping forward, he subtly shielded his younger brother behind him.

His newly awakened Rinnegan radiated a brilliant violet glow as he stared directly at Kaguya.

Gone were all traces of hesitation and grief.

Only unwavering determination remained—the resolve to protect the world.

"No!"

"I will never let you harm Hamura again!"

"And I will never allow you to continue your madness of destroying this world!"

His voice thundered across the battlefield.

"This world..."

"This land..."

"It belongs to the countless lives that dwell here!"

"They alone have the right to choose its future, govern it, and protect it!"

"They do not need a ruler who stands above all others—one who treats life as worthless and is willing to destroy everything to fulfill her own desires."

"They do not need a dictator."

"A dictator?"

Kaguya let out a cold laugh, as though she had just heard the most ridiculous joke imaginable.

Her laughter was filled with disdain and absolute contempt.

Looking at Hagoromo, the disappointment in her mismatched eyes had become complete indifference...

Along with the faintest hint of pity.

"I am a god, Hagoromo."

"I bestowed Chakra upon this world."

"I brought peace."

"I established its laws."

"Everything in this world should naturally be ruled, guided, and judged by a god."

"That is the natural order."

"Who are you..."

"My own creations—beings who exist only because I granted you power..."

"...to question me?"

"...to judge me?"

"...to rebel against me?"

Kaguya slowly shook her head, as though looking upon a hopelessly naïve child.

"I thought that after everything that had happened..."

"After witnessing the threat of having your power taken away..."

"After personally experiencing the pain of losing someone precious..."

"...you would finally understand the true nature of power."

"You would understand the responsibility of being born from a divine bloodline."

"You would understand..."

"...that some sacrifices are necessary."

Her voice lowered into a chilling sigh.

"But, Hagoromo..."

"...you are still so childish."

The gulf between their beliefs had become an insurmountable abyss.

On one side stood the Creator—the ruler who believed in the supremacy of divine authority, that might made right, and that necessary sacrifices were justified.

On the other stood the awakened sons—those who believed in the value of all life, in resisting tyranny, and in protecting the world.

Words could no longer bridge that divide.

Only power remained.

The atmosphere beneath the Heavenly Curtain grew unbearably tense.

Kaguya's cold declaration sounded like the trumpet announcing the final battle.

The instant her words fell silent, the taut silence between mother and sons shattered.

In its place came the violent collision of overwhelming power.

The images within the Heavenly Curtain accelerated into a dazzling blur.

Everything unfolded with the speed of lightning, too fast for the eye to follow every exchange.

Only the most breathtaking moments of the battle remained frozen in history—etched forever into heaven and earth, and into the souls of everyone watching.

Hagoromo wore the orange pigmentation of Sage Mode around his eyes as Senjutsu Energy and Chakra merged into perfect harmony, his aura vast as the sea.

He pushed both Sage Mode and the Three Corpse Technique to their absolute limits.

At times, he commanded the power of nature itself, causing mountains to split apart and violent storms to howl across the battlefield.

At others, his body divided into three—the original body fighting alongside his Good Corpse and Evil Corpse.

Their minds were perfectly synchronized.

Their attacks poured down like a relentless tempest, striking Kaguya from impossible angles.

Every blow possessed enough power to split mountains and tear through space itself.

He had become the unquestioned spearhead of their resistance against Kaguya.

At first, Hamura was clearly at a disadvantage.

Facing both his mother's ocean-like reserves of Chakra and his brother's newly awakened Rinnegan, he focused primarily on holding the line and supporting Hagoromo whenever opportunities arose.

But under the relentless pressure of a life-or-death battle, his potential exploded forth.

The Chakra within him surged like a boiling river, growing denser, purer, and vastly more powerful with every passing moment.

Even more astonishing—

His pair of pure white eyes, inherited from his mother, gradually began to glow with a deep, icy blue radiance, like the frozen depths of the sea.

Unlike the Sharingan, whose evolution was born from emotional upheaval, this transformation was something far more profound—

An evolution toward even greater insight into the very essence of perception.

His Byakugan had transcended its previous limits amid the baptism of blood and battle.

Its visual prowess, penetrating vision, and perception and control of Chakra all reached an entirely new realm.

The two brothers fought as one.

Hagoromo wielded his newly awakened Rinnegan to dominate offense and adaptability.

Hamura used his evolved Byakugan to anchor their defense while perceiving every subtle movement on the battlefield.

As they fought side by side, their coordination improved with astonishing speed.

From unfamiliar cooperation...

To practiced teamwork...

To flawless synchronization.

Together, they formed a perfectly complementary system of offense and defense.

The longer they fought, the stronger they became.

Their grief and newfound resolve transformed completely into strength.

Even Kaguya—whose power was overwhelming, whose Chakra was seemingly inexhaustible, and who possessed the supreme dōjutsu of the Rinne Sharingan—

...

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