Chapter 30

A.N. Toneri Theme: Matryoshka by NICO Touches the Walls

Naruto Theme: Rise Up (TheFatRat)

---------------------

Naruto wasn't pressured by the appearance of the legendary titans; though he was wary because they were an unknown variable.

Making a clone for each of them, Naruto sent them to handle the giants while utilizing the Kurama form. Slifer commanded lightning and wind while Ra controlled flames, and Obelisk controlled the earth. These giants contained power to destroy the moon, but Naruto's clone were able to easily handle them.

It left Naruto to handle Toneri who had cocooned himself.

Seeing Naruto's clone handle the situation, Toneri was afraid. Using the vessel, Toneri covered his golden beams with their power and launched them at Naruto.

Naruto boosted his chakra mode and summoned the sword of Nunoboko. It combined with his Truth Seeking balls and transformed into a lance that spun at insane speeds.

It grew in size, covering up his body from sight before being launched.

Toneri was fully distracted by the attack and Naruto teleported behind him again. Appearing suddenly, Naruto released a Bijuu beam point blank.

It all seemed to be working out when he started feeling restricted. His chakra was being pulled and his powers suppressed.

"Naruto, don't get close to the Energy Vessel. It will suck all your power." Hinata warned as she that it actually had an effect on Naruto. She had believed that Naruto's power would stop the absorption.

However, the energy Vessel seemed to contain more power than the Sword and Naruto.

Seeing that it worked, Toneri found his second wind and started attacking with confidence while Naruto was forced to dodge everything.

The young Sage took his distance and attacked but all his attacks were negated while the energy Vessel was getting stronger from his chakra.

Even his clones were destroyed because of the vessel and he was being surrounded by them as they tried to trap in barriers created by the vessel.

Naruto tried to think of a way to win. He had barely started his new training with the Great Sage, so he couldn't really improve his Senjutsu at this point.

The only path would be to implant Hagoromo's eyes that contained all his power.

Or he could collect the nature energy and create the Ashura mode, but this methods success was unknown.

Seeing Naruto struggle because of the vessel, Hinata flew towards him and interfered with Toneri's control.

"Let me help, mix your energy with mine and it won't stop you."

Seeing the duo holding hands like a couple burned Toneri, and his fear returned as his for was able to overcome his advantage.

Even though the Tenseigan was growing in power over the battle, Naruto was still more powerful than him.

Holding her hand and looking at her hurt form made Naruto feel some unknown emotions. He didn't like the fact that Toneri was looking at Hinata in such a manner.

Covering her up with his chakra cloak, Naruto focused on the target.

He had to focus as he didn't want to Kill Toneri.

"Thank you, Hinata. I will be counting on you." With their hands extended, blue purple chakra mixed with golden chakra to create a powerful rasenshuriken.

Toneri holed himself further when trying to escape but suddenly he found himself teleported to the attack that Naruto threw.

With Hinata's help, Naruto's abilities worked completely and Toneri was unable to tank the attack as the rasenshuriken engulfed him.

It cut the man on the microscopic level and the pain of such level sent him into unconsciousness. However just as Naruto was about to reach for him to contain him, Toneri awakened with a scream.

He looked terrified.

"Don't come closer. I said, don't move. Don't move, or I will blow everything away!" Toneri threatened with a panicking tone.

Looking at him, Naruto finally understood the person he had been fighting. Through a fight, you understood the other person. That was how Naruto operated.

Moving closer, Naruto's chakra seemed to connect with Toneri.

"I will not harm you Toneri. I just want to talk. I know that we have the same goal, so we can work together. We can be friends, Toneri."

"No, no, no"

Seeing Toneri slink away, his fear and depression seemed to show it's ugly head.

Hinata's eyes reacted to him and she went closer.

"Toneri, don't be afraid. We are your friends. We won't hurt you."

"You are lying. You want to hurt me. You want to control me.... And, you don't come closer. I hate you. You took everything from me, my position and the one person I liked."

With his words the world around them changed to reflect his darkness. It was an effect of ninshu to show the real emotions of those involved in it.

It was here that they saw Toneri's real self. It was a child hiding away from world, afraid of everything around him.

The cause was the sudden death of his father during the civil war.

Toneri awakened his Tenseigan as he had yet to go through the ceremony of donating his eyes to the vessel.

The purity of his eyes was ideal and with the intense emotions, he was able to awaken the power.

With it, he killed every living thing inside the moon with a burst of energy. It left him alone, a child of nine with no living being to guide him and love him.

His fear of his own power led to him donating the Tenseigan to the energy Vessel and he spent his life following the scriptures. He put up layers to hide from his pain and loneliness.

He was the guardian of the world. He was the last Otsutsuki. He was the inheritor of Hamura. He was the chosen one.

These were all layers that he put on to protect himself and to gain a purpose in life, as he didn't know what else to do.

"We are here for you, and we will never leave you alone." Hinata flew towards him with Naruto, and they embraced him

Toneri could feel their sincerity and care. They could see him. They could see through his facade.

Tears welled up in his eyes, as he finally felt free. Free from the burden of acting as something he didn't care about.

They had a heart to heart conversation before Toneri pushed Naruto away.

"I still don't like you. I will become stronger than you and become the guardian of this world....I will make you choose me, Hinata." Toneri cleared away his tears and stood up as he took her hand and kissed it.

Naruto pulled her away and Toneri glared at him.

"Do you like her, Naruto? Or, are you just playing around?"

"I... don't know. But, I don't like it when you are doing something she doesn't like."

Hinata already knew the answer, but his pause and wording gave her hope. She couldn't help but smile.

"Then you won't mind if I continue courting Hinata for her hand in marriage. Regardless, I won't interfere with the world forcefully anymore. But, I will be living in it now and not just watching it from above." Toneri conveyed his emotion. Though, he felt embarrassed to act like a child in front of others and even his crush.

However, it was lessened by the fact that he didn't really have experience with humans for more than a decade.

Turning around, he noticed something glaringly obvious.

"The Tenseigan Vessel!" Toneri screamed ungracefully as he looked around to no avail.

The duo also noticed the missing vessel.

"It must be Isshiki Otsutsuki. He sent Hinata away, so that she couldn't warn me about your intentions. Forcing me into a fight where you could contend against me while he took the chance to take the energy Vessel for his plans." Naruto didn't need Shikamaru or Kakashi to understand the basic problem.

"Curse that monster; I will kill him for this blasphemy." Toneri cursed as he controlled the broken pieces of the moon to join and fixed all the damage done to it.

It was a real magical sight even for Naruto, since he hadn't seen or used his powers to fix things on such a large scale.

Leaving Toneri to his own thing, Naruto took Hinata and Bee back to earth.