The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

The trio's betrayal and decision to trap their own elders might seem extreme, but when you think about it, it's actually not that unreasonable. It may be a bit wild, but surrendering when you can't win isn't exactly an unforgivable act—at least for certain people and groups. 

Especially when they knew resisting was a death sentence. They were happy to get a new leader for their people. After all, no one knew if Shibai would ever return to help them, and even if he did, he wouldn't spare them since they had already surrendered in secret. 

So, under the influence of the Sun God Seal, they naturally sided with Earth. 

To be honest, Hyuga Hitoshi was surprised when they handed over their plan, but after thinking it through, he accepted their change of heart. Then, he personally watched as they sent intelligence back to their home planet. 

Hyuga Hitoshi had always expected a great war to conquer the Otsutsuki, but if he could eliminate some enemies beforehand in a safer way, why not? There was no reason to refuse. 

However, he was a cautious man. So before the plan was set into motion, as the Otsutsuki elders prepared to come to Earth, he began cultivating a lesser version of the chakra fruit. Using the Sun God Star as the test site, he reversed time and used the Tenseigan's revival power to restore its life force. This unconventional method caused the Ten-Tails to become obsessed with absorbing chakra and producing these lesser chakra fruits. 

Everything went as Hyuga Hitoshi predicted. When the first batch of ninja world champions awakened from Infinite Tsukuyomi and merged with the lesser chakra fruit, the trio was utterly amazed by his methods. They then reported this bizarre chakra fruit cultivation technique to the Otsutsuki clan, ensuring that every high-ranking member would be alarmed and drawn out—all at once. 

To make sure they took the bait, Hyuga Hitoshi even handed over one of the lesser chakra fruits to the trio, allowing them to deliver it to the Otsutsuki clan. This removed any doubts the elders might have. 

With everything ready, the Divine Guard had gained new power. The lesser chakra fruit fused with the Sun God Seal, making them stronger and allowing them to wield their newfound strength freely. 

And as his final preparation, Hyuga Hitoshi used the almighty power he gained from merging with the Golden Wheel Tenseigan to create a virtual battlefield. This would be the burial ground for the Otsutsuki elders. 

The Earth is mysterious, yet fragile. Hyuga Hitoshi wasn't sure if those ancient, mysterious clans that had existed for thousands or even tens of thousands of years had some kind of desperate, all-out means of destruction. It was better to be cautious. He had no intention of making Earth a battlefield. As a newly ascended god, stronger than Otsutsuki Shibai, he had no reason to start a conflict in his own domain. If a war had to break out, it would be outside. 

Inside this virtual space, he had used his omnipotent power to create a false version of Earth. The trio had already moved the coordinates that should have been in Kaguya's icy domain. When the time came, they would trap their enemies like luring prey into a cage. 

Finally, the long-awaited day arrived—the day that the ninja world would remember as the "Battle of the Gods." 

As the energy from the teleportation array grew stronger, the trio quickly went to meet Hyuga Hitoshi, informing him that the Otsutsuki elders were about to arrive. Without hesitation, Hyuga Hitoshi led the Divine Guard into the virtual battlefield. 

On this incredibly lifelike "Earth," Hyuga Hitoshi stood on the throne of the sky, with the solemn members of the Divine Guard behind him. Among them, aside from the trio, Nagato and Uchiha Madara were also present. Although they had yet to fully reconcile, they still entrusted their backs to one another. As devoted followers of the Sun God, they were ready to offer their lives at any moment. 

Beyond them, the champions of the Ninja World Tournament were also present. Naruto and Sasuke stood on either side of the teleportation array, staring intently. This was the biggest event they had ever witnessed in their lives, but they were certain it wouldn't be the last battle for planetary dominance. 

Hyuga Hitoshi had told them that today's battle was only the beginning—the first step in overthrowing the Otsutsuki clan's rule. No one knew exactly how many planets had been conquered by the Otsutsuki, but there were surely countless loyal followers of their clan spread across the universe. When the time came, the Divine Guard would move against them, and as admirals under the Sun God, Naruto and Sasuke would take the lead. 

"Never thought I'd have the chance to fight alongside you again," Madara muttered. 

Inside the virtual battlefield, Uchiha Madara glanced at Hashirama with a strange expression. In his mind, a man who had lost his fighting spirit like Hashirama was better suited to staying behind as a guardian of the Sun God's domain—keeping watch over figures like Gamamaru and the Sage of Six Paths, taking over Akatsuki's former role. 

After all, with most of Akatsuki's members now part of the Divine Guard, Nagato no longer had time to manage that responsibility. 

"Maybe I was a bit slow, but in terms of resolve, I'm no worse than you," Hashirama shrugged. Truthfully, he believed he had always had a clearer sense of right and wrong than Madara. As a man matures, so does his perspective. 

"The leader of Akatsuki has already put Hashirama in charge of internal surveillance. But this time, you don't have to worry about him targeting the Uchiha. Otherwise, the leader wouldn't have approved," someone added. 

Everyone had their flaws. Tobirama's distrust of the Uchiha wouldn't change overnight, but his talents in governance and ninjutsu research were undeniable. As long as he wasn't dealing with Uchiha matters, his decisions were sound. 

"You've grown too, Hashirama," Madara remarked. 

With a katana in hand, Uchiha Madara gazed forward and casually gave Hashirama a compliment. But Hashirama didn't feel good about it. 

Fine. 

He admitted it—he had joined the Divine Guard because he didn't want to be left behind by Madara. If Madara could do it, so could he. 

It was hard to believe that in the end, Madara and Hashirama, Naruto and Sasuke, had all ended up walking the same path. 

Times changed, the world evolved. 

But their bonds remained as strong as ever. Maybe that was the unique charm of the ninja world. 

"They're here." 

At that moment, Momoshiki, who had been watching the teleportation array, suddenly cried out in alarm and quickly retreated. 

The array erupted with blinding light, and in an instant, countless figures appeared. 

They wore matching robes, with signature horns on their foreheads, and the same condescending attitude toward humans. There was no doubt about who they were. 

"This… this…" 

Otsutsuki Isshiki stretched out his hand in shock, unable to find the right words. 

It was nothing else— 

Whether it was the floating Otsutsuki warriors or the cold expressions of the elders, it was clear they already knew about the trap set for them on Earth. 

And the most striking thing was the elder in the lead—he was holding a pair of long, imposing horns, exuding a faint sense of pressure. 

Those were the horns from Shibai's divine remains! The elder… 

"Shibai is everywhere. He has foreseen everything!" 

Holding up the horns with reverence, the elder didn't even bother speaking to the traitorous trio. Instead, he directly summoned Shibai's true form. 

This sudden change in events made the trio's expressions shift dramatically. 

Shibai had returned? And he knew about their betrayal? 

Had the elders brought their strongest warriors to wipe out the Sun God Kingdom and the ninja world? 

No… Impossible! 

"It's nothing but an empty shell. Still, even if it's just a shell, there's at least a fragment of Shibai's consciousness inside—it's not completely worthless." 

War had always followed the same rules: soldier against soldier, general against general. 

Hyuga Hitoshi calmly saw through the truth of Shibai's horns. He knew this was simply a safeguard Shibai had left for the Otsutsuki clan. Most likely, the faint trace of Shibai's consciousness had warned the elders, causing this unexpected turn of events. 

But it didn't matter. 

All this meant was that Shibai had used his horns to temporarily restore some combat power. In the end, this wasn't the real Shibai—it was just a remnant of his will. 

And Shibai had never expected that another god would emerge in this universe—one even stronger than him. 

What Hyuga Hitoshi had already locked onto was the energy of divine consciousness within those twin horns, and he had also confirmed their dimensional coordinates. 

"Well then, the main quest has been updated." 

With a slight wave of his hand, Hyuga Hitoshi sent Otsutsuki Shibai's clone back into the outside world. He then revealed a chilling smile at the resurrected divine consciousness puppet, which had no thoughts of its own and only knew destruction. A massive hand, covering the sky, pressed down upon him, and in that instant, the power of destruction jolted Shibai's divine consciousness awake. 

The twin horns were crushed effortlessly, and an enraged, humiliated projection of Shibai appeared in the sky. 

But there could never be two gods in one universe. They were destined to oppose each other. 

And this time, the victor was Hyuga Hitoshi—the great Sun God. 

He noticed Shibai's attempt to curse him, but unfortunately for Shibai, anyone who cursed Hyuga Hitoshi would earn the Sun God's wrath. And he would chase them to the ends of the universe! 

This universe was no longer big enough to hold both the Sun God and his Divine Guard. 

"Next stop—follow the trail of the Old Gods… and destroy them!" 

After crushing the last trace of Shibai's divine consciousness and setting his course for the future, Hyuga Hitoshi returned to the virtual battlefield. 

As he had said before, from ancient times, battles had always been fought soldier against soldier, general against general. The purpose of the Divine Guard was to hold off the enemy's forces while he, Hyuga Hitoshi, fought their gods. Unlike the Hokage's bodyguards in the past, who would die to protect their leader, his Divine Guard had a different mindset. From the moment they joined, they understood their role—to fight and win. 

But even so, the sheer combat power of the Divine Guard still shocked the Otsutsuki elders. Even the three who had surrendered displayed strength on par with their own elders, let alone the fearless warriors charging into battle without hesitation. 

And when Hyuga Hitoshi returned safely, the outcome of the war was already decided. 

To be honest, Hyuga Hitoshi didn't even consider this a "war of gods." His opponent wasn't a true god—just a pair of horns and a fragment of divine consciousness from Shibai. At best, it was weaker than a simple shadow clone. 

But for the ninja world and the Sun God Kingdom, this battle carried a completely different meaning. 

It marked the moment the ninja world officially moved beyond mere village conflicts and entered the era of interstellar warfare. 

The universe was vast, and from now on, the battle between the Otsutsuki remnants and the ninja world would continue. 

At last, all the remaining Otsutsuki who refused to surrender were wiped out, bringing an end to this decisive battle. 

The ninja world erupted in celebration. People cheered for the arrival of a new era, repeatedly telling the tales of the Sun God and his Divine Guard. 

They eagerly awaited the next Ninja World Tournament, and more than anything, they saw joining the Divine Guard as the greatest honor. 

But for Hyuga Hitoshi, after attending a few meetings, he quickly moved on to wrapping up the affairs of this world. 

The Otsutsuki clan had fully submitted, and there were professionals in charge of guiding them through the transition. To the average Otsutsuki, changing leaders wasn't that big of a deal. 

Especially now that Momoshiki, upon returning to the clan, seemed to have undergone a sudden transformation—following in the footsteps of Fugaku and launching an Otsutsuki beauty contest. His goal? To arrange for Hyuga Hitoshi to have more divine consorts. 

People were always evolving. 

And so was Hyuga Hitoshi. 

Now that he had immense power, he needed to ensure the ninja world remained a stable stronghold. 

So, he began "patching up" this universe, carefully concealing its presence within the multiverse. At the very least, he couldn't allow other fragments of Shibai's divine consciousness to break through the dimensional walls and revive in this world. 

He needed a secure base before he could advance further and engage with the multiverse. 

Only after using this ability did he come to a sudden realization— 

Why was it that, in his past life, humanity could only observe itself in the vast cosmos but never find other intelligent life? 

It wasn't that they didn't exist. 

It was because advanced civilizations instinctively concealed themselves for protection. 

After all, it was impossible to predict how other beings might view Earth. 

Or rather, once the walls of their reality were broken, disaster would be inevitable. 

For this reason, Hyuga Hitoshi chose to hide his universe. 

But he was certain that this would not hinder the ninja world's development. 

Even so, the ninja world was still just a small part of his universe. 

And as the god of this realm, he had to keep growing stronger. 

Yeah. 

It definitely wasn't because the ninja world's long-haired beauties were no longer enough to satisfy him. 

Of course, that was just a joke. 

As a traveler from another world, as the one and only god of the ninja universe, Hyuga Hitoshi had his own ambitions. 

While the ninja world celebrated, he simply took it as an opportunity to take a short trip. 

After all, he was quite interested in the strange fruits that Shibai had been experimenting with. 

He was a god. 

And whatever he set his eyes on—was his. 

As long as he lived, the battle would never end. 

His journey, his legend, had only just begun! 

"I have unlocked a dimensional passage leading to one of Shibai's divine consciousness fragments." 

Standing outside the spatial gateway, the Sun God pointed toward the vast ocean below and spoke. 

(The End)