Chapter 128: Black Box Data: The Otsutsuki Eradication Plan

[Mission Log Record: SSA-Themis-005]
[Primary Mission Review:]
[Execute the Otsutsuki Eradication Plan in surrounding star systems.]
[Confirmed that the Otsutsuki planted a God Tree in this world. The vanguard mission is to eliminate destabilizing factors, assassinate high-tier combatants, and incite chaos. A request for aid from a nearby unit was abandoned due to the higher priority of the attrition mission. Aware that another unit is tasked with destroying the Rinnegan and Tenseigan to prevent regeneration.]
[Intelligence Report:]
[[SSA-Themis-005] executed the mission to assassinate local high-tier combatants and technical personnel, meeting stubborn resistance. The local resistance forces are powerful, and the battle has proven more difficult than anticipated. This mission aims to weaken local combat capabilities. During execution, two sets of spiritual energy were detected. One resembles the Otsutsuki clan, while the other is similar to our own.]
[Reason for Incomplete Mission:]
[Encountered high-intensity electromagnetic attack during combat...]
[Error Type: Alphabet Error. Use of invalid...]

"Eradicate the Otsutsuki? Eliminate the remaining Guardians and those they protect?"
Looking at the mission log extracted from the black box, Naruto’s face was filled with shock and suspicion.
A wave of intense disbelief surged within him; he never imagined that this was the true purpose of these visitors from beyond the stars.
He pondered to himself, "Because the Otsutsuki once planted a God Tree in the ninja world, they pursued them all the way here? This is complete madness."
These robots were the vanguard units of the faction to which the visitors belonged.
Their primary goal in the ninja world was to weaken its combat strength, assassinate high-tier fighters, and manufacture chaos to dismantle the local resistance.
Images of these robots ravaging the ninja world flashed through Naruto's mind, filling him with dread.
The SSA robot they had fought had been assigned a new rescue mission before landing.
Its command center claimed that another unit had issued a distress signal during its mission, prompting it to redirect.
However, eliminating local high-tier combatants like Naruto and Sasuke, as well as technical personnel, was a higher priority.
Thus, it had resolutely abandoned the rescue mission to launch a fierce attack on Naruto and Sasuke.

"The unit that sent the distress signal... its mission was to destroy the Rinnegan and Tenseigan to prevent their regeneration?!"
Naruto exclaimed, an intense feeling of unease rising within him.
"Hinata is in trouble!" His expression turned grave, and thoughts of the danger Hinata might be facing flooded his mind. He clenched his fists, silently swearing, "I must find Hinata as quickly as possible and protect her."
"Sakura!" Naruto said urgently to Sakura, "Go back to the village immediately! Deliver this intelligence. Tell everyone that the robots' weakness lies in neutralizing their shields with spirit-mechanical energy, then using a combination of Lightning and Fire Style ninjutsu to be effective!"
Naruto paused briefly, then emphasized, "Remember, you must tell Senior Kabuto—Yakushi Kabuto!"
"Understood!" Sakura straightened her back, her eyes filled with resolve. A sense of responsibility welled up within her.
"Sasuke, you escort Sakura back."
Naruto turned to Sasuke. Hearing the arrangement, a spark of joy involuntarily rose in Sakura’s heart. She thought to herself, "Naruto! Thank you! You’ve created a moment for me to be alone with Sasuke."
But quickly, Sakura tapped her own face, warning herself, "No, there is a more critical mission at hand. This is no time to be love-struck!"
Sasuke was initially displeased with the arrangement.
He frowned slightly, thinking, "I wanted to fight alongside Naruto."
But hearing Naruto urge him, "Sasuke, only you can escort Sakura! If you don't, she’ll have no chance if she runs into enemies! With you there, at least you can protect her and help her escape!"
Sasuke thought it over carefully, realized the gravity of the situation, and nodded in agreement. He silently resolved to protect Sakura and complete this vital task.
After relaying the instructions, the three immediately split up. Naruto, clutching his homemade tracker, rushed off in anxious pursuit of Hinata’s trail. He was so focused on finding her that he didn't notice that inside his seal space, the Nine-Tails was staring eye-to-eye with two figures.
After a long silence, the red-haired woman among the two broke the stillness.
"So... who is this Hinata that Naruto mentioned?"
She furrowed her brows, looking puzzled. "Judging by Naruto’s expression, he cares about her quite a bit. She isn't some strange woman, is she?"
The yellow-haired man beside her also stared intensely at the Nine-Tails, his eyes filled with anticipation; he, too, was desperate to know about Hinata.

Opening its mouth, then thinking for a moment, the Nine-Tails shook its body. The red-haired woman expected the beast to speak, waiting expectantly for an answer.
Instead, to her astonishment, the Nine-Tails rapidly shrank until it was the size of an ordinary fox.
It then lazily sprawled out on a beanbag chair in the center of the seal space, its nine large tails swaying back and forth. The Nine-Tails squinted, looking deep in thought.
After a while, it waved its small paw and opened its mouth again.
The two expected it to speak, but it had no intention of doing so.
Instead, a small tea table appeared out of thin air beside it, set with a plate of mochi, a teapot, and several cups. The Nine-Tails swallowed a piece of mochi, sipped its tea leisurely, and said comfortably:
"Ah... refreshing. The brat’s craftsmanship is truly excellent."
"You two should know, the brat has a truly pure heart. Knowing I live here all alone, he went out of his way to provide me with all these things."
The Nine-Tails shook its head slightly and continued, "And these snacks—he spent a long time researching sealing arts and mental energy to build a system here. As long as I pay a bit of chakra as rent, he can generate whatever I want."
"As for the taste of this tea and mochi, it’s all made by the brat himself. In other words, whatever the brat’s skill is like, that’s what these taste like. Well? Want some?"
As it spoke, the Nine-Tails pushed the plate of mochi and the teapot toward them.
"Oh, really? Then thank you..."
The red-haired woman smiled innocently and reached out toward the teapot and mochi. But suddenly, as if remembering something, she pointed at the Nine-Tails and roared:
"You! Stop putting on airs! You’re just a Tailed Beast! You haven't answered a single one of our questions and you're changing the subject! Start talking!"
"Who exactly is Hinata? What is her relationship with Naruto? Is she his lover? Regardless of anything else, I, as his mother, must vet her!"
The yellow-haired man watched his wife and the Nine-Tails interact, smiling helplessly.
The red-haired woman was none other than Naruto’s mother, Kushina Uzumaki. And the yellow-haired man beside her was none other than Naruto’s father, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.