Though the news struck Madara Uchiha like a bolt from the blue, he was, after all, one of the Twin Gods of the Shinobi World. His mental fortitude was not easily shaken.

For a brief moment, his mind faltered from the shock, but he quickly regained his composure.

To him, knowing this truth or not made little difference—he could no longer carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan.

Besides, it seemed Hikaru might be able to achieve the dream he and Hashirama Senju once shared.

Compared to Madara Uchiha's shock and despair, Tobirama Senju remained relatively calm.

He paid little attention to Madara's emotional shift. What concerned him now was the "right time" Hikaru had mentioned earlier.

"So, what do you mean by 'the time isn't right yet'?"

Hikaru smiled slightly and began to explain. "Don't be impatient. I'll get to that."

He paused, organizing his thoughts before continuing:

"After Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was sealed, Hamura Ōtsutsuki, out of guilt or a sense of duty to guard the seal, chose to reside on the moon."

"Over time, his descendants filled the moon. But they eventually split into two factions—one of which believes the Shinobi World is too chaotic and has decided to carry out an apocalypse plan."

"And that... is the moment I've been waiting for."

"Apocalypse plan?" Tobirama frowned. "What exactly are they planning to do?"

At that, Hikaru turned his gaze to Hinata Hyūga, thinking for a moment before replying, "It has something to do with the history of the Hyūga Clan."

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone turned to look at Hinata, who blinked in confusion.

As the heir of the main family, she had never heard anything about this.

Seeing her reaction, Hikaru cleared his throat, pulling everyone's attention back to himself.

"Of course, Hinata wouldn't know about any of this. But you all saw what she did on the battlefield just now, didn't you?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"The people on the moon are also descendants of the Hyūga Clan, though they refer to themselves as the Ōtsutsuki Clan."

"When a large number of Byakugan eyes are gathered, they can form a massive Tenseigan. That's what Hinata just used."

Hinata's heart churned with intense emotion.

Her long-standing confusion about the Caged Bird technique suddenly found clarity.

So that's the reason—it wasn't just for suppression. Amassing the Byakugan could awaken power of that magnitude. That was the true origin of the Caged Bird system within the Hyūga.

She finally understood why she could awaken the Tenseigan—this power was deeply rooted in her own bloodline.

While her thoughts surged like a tidal wave, a gentle warmth landed atop her head.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she found Hikaru standing beside her, gently patting her hair, offering comfort and reassurance.

The warmth bloomed in Hinata's chest. She looked up at Hikaru, her eyes filled with indescribable emotion.

After settling Hinata's feelings, Hikaru turned to address the others again.

"I've been waiting for the apocalypse plan on the moon to start—so I can both save the Shinobi World and resurrect the shinobi who died in this war."

"Use both kindness and power—to make them understand that the era of hidden villages is over. A unified world is coming."

The others were shaken to hear he could revive so many people at once.

But then they looked at Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, and Izuna Uchiha, and managed to accept it as plausible.

Tobirama seemed to realize something critical. His brows furrowed as he asked gravely:

"Then what if they rebel again in the future? How will we deal with that?"

Hikaru's gaze turned cold. "Then they die. I only give mercy once."

Mito Uzumaki wasn't thinking so far ahead. She looked at Hikaru with genuine concern.

"Reviving so many people—won't that harm you?"

Hikaru, moved by Mito's care, softened his expression.

A warmth stirred in his heart. 'Grandma Mito really is the one who cares about me the most.'

He smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry. It's not a big deal. It takes some chakra, but it won't harm me."

In today's Shinobi World, the line between life and death was already blurred. For Hikaru, reviving the fallen had become something nearly effortless.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

While military force could solve the problem, a peaceful solution was naturally preferable.

Hashirama Senju was beaming with joy. He patted Madara on the shoulder and said smugly:

"Looks like I win. Your clansman now leans toward my philosophy."

Madara rolled his eyes. 'Which eye of yours sees that? Did you forget how all of us died in the first place?'

Despite everything, the atmosphere lightened, with hope of peace spreading among them.

Only Izuna Uchiha gave a bitter smile.

Because for him, this likely meant a ton more work.

A great storm had erupted in the Shinobi World—the Four Great Nations had joined forces to declare war on Konoha.

Yet the most shocking part: on the very day of their declaration, the entire combined ninja army was annihilated. The news exploded like thunder across the continent.

Even more baffling, Konoha did not capitalize on the victory. Instead, it acted as if nothing had happened.

This behavior was impossible to comprehend. Many speculated wildly about what Konoha was planning.

Other villages, while relieved, were also deeply conflicted.

They knew full well Konoha's overwhelming strength. Provoking them again would be foolish.

Yet cries for revenge echoed everywhere—among civilians and shinobi alike.

Though the war was brief, its cost had been enormous.

Thousands of shinobi had died, and the fate of the Kage remained unknown—possibly dead.

Even a few calm minds couldn't stop the village's collective will from spiraling toward destruction.

But Hikaru wasn't surprised.

The complete annihilation of the enemy forces had not only sown fear—it had also bred irreconcilable hatred.

That was why he was offering one more chance.

He had no desire to hear daily reports of uprisings across the lands.

After all, if those shinobi couldn't beat Konoha, what hope did civilians have?