Greetings, readers:
Thank you for reading this fan-made work...
...
When Kaguya awoke from the climax and absolute ecstasy of the most intense night she had shared with Giotto, the morning light filtered softly through the rice-paper windows. She smiled faintly with an expression of complete satisfaction, stretching her arm across the silk sheets to search for her beloved's body... but found only emptiness.
His side of the bed was cold.
An icy shiver pierced her soul instantly. The echo of a terrifying suspicion invaded her mind, and the foreboding sense of betrayal gave way to heart-wrenching panic.
"Giotto...?" she murmured in a trembling voice, abruptly jumping to her feet.
Desperate, she unleashed the full extent of her overwhelming sensory power. Her divine perception spread like an expanding wave through every corner of the palace, then across the gardens, the neighboring forests, and the entire kingdom. She desperately searched for the vibration of the Sky Flames or any trace of the presence of the man she loved.
Nothing. There was absolutely nothing. Giotto's signal had completely disappeared from the surface of the earth, blocked beneath the inaccessible depths of the Vongola tunnel network.
The terrible certainty struck her like a mortal blow: he had left her again. The man to whom she had given everything, the only one who had touched the deepest fibers of her being, had used her as nothing more than a temporary stop and vanished into the darkness.
A scream of pain, rage, and pure desperation erupted from the depths of Kaguya's chest. The roar echoed throughout the ancestral territory, shaking the foundations of the castle and making the heavens tremble as crystalline tears rolled down her cheeks. The emptiness of twenty-five years had returned, but this time it was fueled by consuming fury and heartbreak that threatened to devastate the entire world.
Kaguya's heart-wrenching scream thundered through the stone corridors like a shock wave that shook the foundations of the castle. Frightened and alarmed by the anguish in their mother's voice, Hagoromo and Hamura hurried toward the main chamber, bursting through the door with their hearts in their throats.
"Mother! What's wrong? What happened?" Hagoromo exclaimed, scanning the room before noticing the deserted bed.
Kaguya stood in the middle of the room, trembling with rage and resentment, her fists clenched and tears of fury streaming down her face.
"He abandoned me again!" Kaguya screamed, her voice broken and threatening. "That man abandoned me again!"
Without offering them any further explanation, Kaguya brusquely adjusted her robe and began striding toward the palace exit. The two brothers exchanged confused glances at her sudden outburst, and Hamura hurried to catch up with her.
"Where are you going, Mother?" Hamura asked worriedly.
"I'm going to find your father!" she declared without slowing down, releasing an aura of chakra so icy and suffocating that it forced the brothers to retreat.
Hagoromo and Hamura exchanged uncertain glances. Although they still harbored serious doubts about the true nature of the relationship between that mysterious man and their mother, they had never seen her so completely out of control. Without offering any resistance, they watched as Kaguya unleashed her abilities and shot through the skies at blinding speed toward the domains of the Vongola Famiglia.
Guided by her memories of the City of Entertainment and the locations of the Vongola's various commercial and imperial headquarters, Kaguya stormed into outposts and fortresses where she suspected Giotto might have hidden.
However, to her utter frustration, she found only emptiness and silence.
Having anticipated the Goddess's furious reaction and the infallibility of her senses, Giotto and his Guardians had carried out a complete and flawless evacuation. Every headquarters, casino, intelligence hub, and surface hideout that openly displayed its affiliation with the Vongola Famiglia had been dismantled and abandoned. The records had been destroyed, and all personnel had withdrawn into the impregnable underground tunnel network, shielded by the Mist and Rain Flames, rendering the entire organization completely invisible to Kaguya's eyes.
Deep within the underground network, protected by the isolation provided by the Mist and Rain Flames, Giotto presided over an emergency meeting in the command room of the new hidden base. Facing him were his loyal Guardians: Alaudi, Demon Spade, G, Knuckle, Lampo, and Ugetsu Asari.
Giotto surveyed the faces of his men and broke the silence with a voice full of firmness and composure:
"Well, boys... From now on, we'll operate in complete secrecy. We must keep as low a profile as possible so that Kaguya doesn't discover me, find any of you, or locate any other member of our organization. A single misstep that exposes us, and she'll destroy us all. Starting today, we'll minimize the use of the Vongola name on the surface."
G frowned, visibly annoyed, and planted his fists on the wooden table.
"But, Primo... Everything we've fought for, everything we've built over this past quarter of a century... Are we really going to hide underground like rats?"
Giotto glanced at him from the corner of his eye, forming a faint, expressionless smile.
"We're the underworld, G. As a mafia, our true power is never supposed to be seen in broad daylight. From today onward, the Vongola Famiglia will become a silent legend in this world. Besides... this radical shift toward covert operations was worth it."
Before Giotto's eyes, the System's holographic screen glowed with a faint golden light, updating the global progress figures: 95%.
"The System has just rewarded this strategic move. We've gained two percentage points toward our global goal. We only need five more points to complete the mission at 100% and unlock the Trinisette's full activation."
The Guardians exchanged nods, feeling the tension give way to renewed determination.
"Understood," G said, adjusting his waist. "We'll devote ourselves to training like never before. I'll give direct orders to the chief administrators—Haru, Sana, Daiki, and Reijiro—to reorganize the entire logistics network from the shadows. I know they'll handle everything flawlessly while we prepare for the final battle. We'll fight by your side against that woman when the time comes."
Giotto slowly shook his head, looking at the map of the continent spread across the table.
"No, G. We won't be the ones to initiate that direct conflict against her... It will be her own sons, Hagoromo and Hamura."
"Are you absolutely certain that her own sons will take up arms against her, Giotto?" Alaudi inquired in his icy, analytical voice, crossing his arms.
"I'm absolutely certain," Giotto affirmed, his gaze fixed on the void. "I know perfectly well what is destined to happen in this timeline. When that battle erupts on the surface, I know that this family feud will shake even these foundations beneath our feet."
Giotto clapped his hands firmly, the sound echoing throughout the chamber and marking the end of the meeting.
"Then, gentlemen... get to training."
The Guardians nodded in unison, dispersing toward the underground training grounds to sharpen their weapons and refine their Dying Will Flames, aware that the countdown to this world's ultimate fate had just begun.
Time did not stand still in the surface world. Several years passed after Kaguya unleashed her frustration upon the empty Vongola Famiglia headquarters. Deep within Mount Myōboku, Gamamaru, the future Great Toad Sage, finally emerged from his hiding place after a long period of deliberation.
Foreseeing the world's fate and the imminent catastrophe posed by the Divine Tree's ambition, Gamamaru secretly met with Hagoromo. With calm yet forceful words, the Toad Sage began persuading the eldest son of the dark and unsettling truth behind his mother Kaguya's actions.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Hagoromo accepted Gamamaru's proposal and began rigorous training in the arts of Senjutsu and various elemental techniques. Thanks to his innate talent and the supernatural lineage running through his veins, the young man mastered natural energy at a prodigious speed.
Upon completing his training, Hagoromo rose to his feet, exhaling a breath infused with natural energy as he gazed at his hands.
"Thank you, Lord Gamamaru..." Hagoromo said reverently. "I believe that with this power and a little more training, I'll be able to face my mother, put an end to this madness, and save the world."
Gamamaru stared at him with his ancient, half-lidded eyes, gently shaking his head.
"You'll need more help, young Hagoromo... Your mother isn't someone who can be subdued through natural energy alone."
Hagoromo furrowed his brows, perplexed.
"But... who else could help me? My brother Hamura is the only reliable ally I have..."
"Your stepfather is another," Gamamaru declared in a measured voice.
"My... stepfather?" Hagoromo exclaimed, blinking in surprise as he remembered the mysterious man who had vanished from the palace. "Are you talking about the man who disappeared overnight?"
"That's right. He's as strong as you can possibly imagine, perhaps even stronger," the Toad Sage revealed. "I've known of his existence for a long time. In fact, he's a friend of Saruo's."
"Are you talking about Sage Saruo, from The Iwakuma Jungle?" Hagoromo asked in astonishment.
"Yes... that idiot monkey," Gamamaru grumbled with a hint of annoyance.
Hagoromo smiled faintly in silence, already knowing that Gamamaru had never gotten along with Saruo because of their old disputes and opposing personalities.
"I understand..." Hagoromo nodded. "But how will we find my stepfather if he disappeared without leaving even the slightest trace for my mother to follow?"
"With the old monkey," Gamamaru replied. "He'll know how to put us in contact with him or point us toward his whereabouts."
"Lord Gamamaru... Lord Saruo isn't that old. I believe he's from the same era as you," Hagoromo remarked, a small bead of sweat running down his face.
"It makes no difference. We'll meet with him and have him reveal where your stepfather is hiding," Gamamaru declared, beginning to move forward. "I can't even clearly fathom the power that man possesses. I don't know the limits of his strength, but I assure you, he is no weaker than you are."
"I understand. Let's go, then," the young man agreed.
Leaving the landscapes of Myōboku behind, Hagoromo and Gamamaru set out on their journey, crossing a dense spiritual swamp and venturing into the lush, mystical territory of The Iwakuma Jungle.
After passing through dense vegetation shrouded in ancient mist, they finally reached the heart of the jungle. There, atop a great bed of lotus flowers and holding a ceremonial staff engraved with ancient mineral inscriptions, sat Saruo, the Sage Monkey King, meditating in perfect harmony with his surroundings.
Despite sensing Hagoromo's overwhelming presence and Gamamaru's arrival, the great ape remained motionless upon his lotus bed. With his eyes closed and his breathing slow and steady, Saruo continued meditating, though he knew that this was Kaguya's son—and his rival.
When the two approached close enough, Hagoromo bowed slightly in deep respect.
"Greetings, Sage Saruo. How are you?"
Saruo let out a deep murmur, barely lifting one eyelid before replying in a calm, measured voice:
"Mmm... Very well. And you, Hagoromo? How has life treated you?"
"Well, sir. Since the day I met you during my training, I've given everything I've got to strengthen my body and spirit."
"It shows in your posture and in the flow of your yang and yin energy. I'm glad to hear it," Saruo nodded, then twisted his mouth into an ironic smirk. "Although... I sense a strange vibration in the air. It's like the unpleasant omen of a stupid frog coming to ask me for a huge favor."
A cold bead of sweat trickled down Hagoromo's nape as the atmosphere immediately grew tense. Behind him, Gamamaru stood with his arms crossed over his chest, returning Saruo's gaze with pure hostility.
"Hagoromo," Gamamaru said without looking at the ape, "please tell this arrogant monkey that we need his help finding his friend's whereabouts."
Before Hagoromo could utter a word, Saruo interrupted him in a mocking tone:
"Hagoromo, would you be so kind as to ask Gamamaru exactly which friend he's referring to? I have plenty of friends, unlike the loner standing over there. I'm an immensely popular figure in this world. My connections are endless, and I even have a girlfriend."
"Hagoromo," Gamamaru shot back immediately, clenching his jaw, "tell the stupid ape that we all know he has only one friend, because ever since I've known him, he's never had anyone else close to him, has he? Besides, his girlfriend is just as ugly as he is."
Tired of the exchange of barbed remarks between the two ancient sages, Hagoromo raised both hands and spoke firmly:
"Wait, wait! I'm not the interpreter for either of you. If you have something to say to each other, please settle it directly between yourselves."
Saruo opened both eyes fully, abandoning his meditative posture as he fixed his golden gaze on the Great Toad Sage.
"All right... What do you really want, you stupid toad?"
"We need you to reveal the whereabouts of Giotto, you talking idiot," Gamamaru declared with complete seriousness.
Saruo narrowed his eyes, furrowing his brow suspiciously.
"Why do you want to know where Giotto is? He's not looking for trouble with your people."
"It's a matter of vital importance," Gamamaru interjected, pointing toward the young man accompanying him. "As hard as it may be for you to believe, this boy standing here is Giotto's stepson."
The Sage Monkey looked Hagoromo up and down in evident astonishment.
"You're Giotto's stepson?... Well, that's quite a tremendous surprise, and the worst part is that neither of you told me." Saruo fell silent for a moment before crossing his arms. "However, being his stepson doesn't seem like a sufficient reason to betray my friend's secret location."
Hagoromo stepped forward, looking Saruo directly in the eyes, his gaze clear and his voice laden with gravity.
"Lord Saruo... I'm asking you for the sake of the world. A catastrophe is approaching, one that threatens to consume everything we know, and I need to speak with him."
Sensing the overwhelming sincerity and the weight of destiny in Hagoromo's words, Saruo's expression grew solemn. He planted his staff firmly on the ground and rose to his feet.
"I understand... If the fate of the world is at stake, then the situation is serious," the ape said, adjusting his grip on his staff. "All right, I'll take you to him."
"Which way will we go?" Gamamaru asked. "For the past few years, the natural sensory arts of the surface have been unable to detect him."
"I have a teleportation well deep within this jungle," Saruo revealed. "An underground passage that connects directly to Giotto's secret base network."
"A special well?" Hagoromo murmured.
"That's right. Follow me."
Saruo began walking through the dense vegetation of the Iwakuma Jungle, leading Hagoromo and Gamamaru to an ancient clearing where an old stone well, surrounded by glowing glyphs and hidden energy, descended into the depths of the earth. Without hesitation, the Sage Monkey was the first to throw himself into the depths, followed closely by the young man and the Great Toad, as they plunged into the darkness toward the refuge of Vongola Primo.
As they jumped into the ancient well, their descent was anything but gentle. Instantly, the three of them were engulfed by an immense, thunderous whirlpool of water spinning with overwhelming force. The liquid dragged them through the dimensional current at dizzying speed. Gamamaru, tossed about in the water, began hurling curses at the ape's recklessness, while Hagoromo struggled to catch his breath, his heart racing as he experienced the impact of such a chaotic form of transportation for the first time. Saruo, by contrast, descended with his arms crossed over his chest and an expression of absolute serenity, as though he were enjoying the journey.
With a thunderous splash, the current violently spat them out onto the surface of a large underground pool.
Hagoromo surfaced coughing and gasping for air, placing both hands on the damp stone edge as he struggled to catch his breath.
"What... what kind of journey was that?" Hagoromo exclaimed, wiping the water from his face. "Portals aren't supposed to feel like that, are they?"
Gamamaru emerged beside him, vigorously shaking himself to remove the excess moisture from his skin while shooting Saruo a hateful glare.
"Of course not!" Gamamaru growled. "A proper transportation portal should be smooth and imperceptible!"
Saruo rose to his feet with complete composure and began wringing out the edges of his garments over the water, shrugging with a shameless grin.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... It was my first portal created directly to this sector. Well, it's normal for minor mishaps to occur when you're just beginning to master the sage energies of a natural territory."
Gamamaru and Hagoromo stared at him, their expressions a mixture of resignation and annoyance.
Gamamaru looked around, examining the cold, carved stone walls and the damp atmosphere enveloping the chamber.
"This looks like an underground crypt," Gamamaru commented.
"That's right," Saruo admitted casually. "This place is precisely the main reservoir where a vital portion of Giotto's base water supply is stored."
Gamamaru narrowed his eyes, suddenly understanding the situation.
"Are you telling me you placed your exit portal right inside the reservoir where your friend drinks and gets his water?"
Saruo quickly brought a finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture with a wild look in his eyes.
"Shhh! He doesn't know! If Giotto finds out I'm using his water reservoir as an entry and exit route, he won't stop scolding me for months. Consider this a small, harmless act of resentment toward his absolute perfection... It's incredibly frustrating being friends with someone who's perfect at everything he does."
Hagoromo let out a tired sigh at the two sages' reasoning, drying his tunic as the three of them proceeded through the vaulted corridors of the Vongola underground complex.
As they ventured deeper into the galleries illuminated by Dying Will Flame torches, the guards and sentries stationed at the checkpoints immediately recognized Saruo. Although the ape usually visited Giotto only once a year, his presence was not unusual. Saruo was a figure of immense importance within Primo's inner circle, enjoying a level of authority and trust comparable to that of the Guardians and administrators themselves.
However, what did provoke murmurs of astonishment among the guards was the identity of his companions: a young man with an imposing presence and a giant toad radiating an ancient aura. Knowing that no one accompanying Saruo posed a direct threat, the guards bowed their heads respectfully and allowed them to pass freely toward the central office.
Upon reaching the imposing reinforced wooden door of the command center, Saruo didn't bother knocking. With a powerful shove, he flung the door wide open and burst into the office with a loud, boisterous laugh.
"Hello, my friend! Long time no see!"
Giotto, who was sitting behind a desk cluttered with maps, tactical charts, and Famiglia documents, slowly raised his gaze. His intense golden eyes revealed a hint of skepticism at the ape's noisy and mocking entrance.
"I know my last visit was only about four months ago, when we celebrated your much-publicized return..." Saruo continued, stepping aside with a grandiose gesture. "But today, I've brought you a couple of visitors you might be interested in meeting!"
Behind Saruo, Hagoromo's imposing figure and Gamamaru's solemn presence stepped forward into the office, leaving Giotto momentarily silent at the convergence of destinies that had just walked through his door.
Giotto raised his eyebrows slightly as he immediately recognized Gamamaru of Mount Myōboku. Some time ago, when Saruo had left to train in the land of Mount Myōboku, Giotto had already had the opportunity to cross paths with Gamamaru. However, what truly sparked a flash of genuine surprise in Vongola Primo's eyes was the firm figure standing right beside him.
The silence in the office, broken moments earlier by the Sage Monkey's boisterous entrance, seemed to settle all at once. Giotto set his pen down on the pile of maps and tactical reports, folded his hands on the desk, and regarded the young man with a calm gaze, tinged with the warm, regal tone that characterized him.
"Hello, Hagoromo... Long time no see," Giotto greeted him, his voice perfectly composed.
Hagoromo stepped forward, carefully observing the figure of his "stepfather." The man standing before him was no longer the one who had lived in his mother's castle under a constant atmosphere of tension, but rather the undisputed leader of an underground empire operating from the very heart of the earth.
"Hello, Giotto... How are you?" Hagoromo replied, nodding with a sober demeanor and respectful distance.
Gamamaru silently observed the exchange from the side, assessing the calmness with which the Vongola leader filled the room, while Saruo, leaning on his staff, smiled smugly at the sight of the key players who would soon determine the fate of the world gathered together.
Giotto let a faint, sidelong smile slip across his face, leaning back in his chair as he surveyed the three visitors crowding his office.
"Gamamaru, my old monkey friend, and my stepson... What an interesting combination," Giotto remarked in a measured, melancholic tone before fixing his golden eyes on the young man. "Hagoromo... I think by now you already know perfectly well that I'm not your biological father."
Hagoromo nodded silently, listening attentively.
"Your real father was a man who led the country where you live, someone I knew well in the past," Giotto continued, turning toward the arched window overlooking the underground galleries. "Tenji and I shared a good friendship back then... A simple and honest bond of camaraderie, as often happens when two men respect each other. But things involving Kaguya and the tensions between us led everything down a tragic path."
Saruo adjusted the grip of his staff against his shoulder, while Gamamaru narrowed his eyes, evaluating the honesty of Vongola Primo.
"I didn't come here to rewrite the past or deny what Gamamaru told you," Giotto added, folding his hands on the desk with absolute composure. "But if you're here with Gamamaru and Saruo, I know very well that it's not to discuss genealogy or reminisce about old memories. Tell me, Hagoromo... What brings you to the depths of my Vongola organization?"
Hagoromo listened carefully to the mention of Tenji, but kept his gaze fixed firmly on Vongola Primo, gently shaking his head.
"I understand, Giotto... But during all the time you lived with us, I realized something: my mother never truly loved my father. The person she always loved, desired, and waited for was you."
Giotto nodded silently with a sober gesture, accepting the undeniable truth without saying a word. He knew better than anyone the unrestrained devotion and absolute attachment Kaguya felt toward him.
Then Hagoromo stepped forward and revealed the true reason for his presence at the underground base:
"I want you to help me defeat my mother."
The silence in the office became as heavy as lead.
"She's doing terrible things on the surface... harvesting people to give energy to the Divine Tree, her... things you might not know about," Hagoromo continued, raising a hand firmly.
A whirlwind of calculations and alarms erupted in Giotto's mind in an instant.
"Fuck!" Giotto thought, suppressing a stunned sigh. "I knew perfectly well that I'd have to intervene in the confrontation against Kaguya, but I never thought this kid would come recruit me right now!"
In the original course of the story, Giotto had planned to wait for the conflict to erupt on the surface, feel the shock waves from the depths of the Vongola Underworld, and then make his tactical entrance at the decisive moment. But Hagoromo descending into his refuge accompanied by the two Sages changed his plans completely.
Giotto regained his composure, interlacing his fingers on the desk as he looked at Hagoromo with the calm demeanor of the man who would one day become the creator of ninjutsu.
"I know perfectly well what your mother has been doing, Hagoromo," Giotto replied in a deep, measured voice. "And I know how serious it is."
Gamamaru's large toad eyes widened, deeply surprised by the statement.
"If you've been aware of so many things... why haven't you done anything before?" Gamamaru asked inquisitively. "If you possess such a high level of information and power, why didn't you come out to confront her?"
Giotto stared at Gamamaru, keeping the System's complex restrictions and the need to preserve the course of destiny to himself.
"Everything has its precise moment on the chessboard," Giotto answered calmly. Then he fixed his golden eyes on the group and added, "I accept. I'll go with you to fight Kaguya. But in exchange... you'll be coming with us too, Saruo."
The Sage Monkey jumped backward, adjusting his staff with an expression of shock and disbelief.
"What!? Why do I have to go!?" Saruo protested, pointing at his chest. "Why should I get involved in a war between a crazy woman and humans?"
Giotto tilted his head, giving Saruo a look filled with icy yet restrained fury that chilled the ape to the bone.
"Because you use the purified-water spring well at my base to bring in your damned clandestine portals," Giotto declared in a terrifyingly calm tone. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
Saruo felt a shiver run down his entire spine. He took a step back, swallowing with difficulty.
"H-How did you find out...?" the monkey murmured, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
"Do you think I wouldn't notice where you come from every time you arrive at my base through the drinking-water flow of my own complex?" Giotto reproached him, narrowing his eyes. "I know every square meter of this base. So either you come and fight by our side... or I'll unleash the full wrath of the Vongola upon you right here and now."
Saruo looked at the golden aura beginning to glow around Giotto's hands and sighed deeply, resigned to his fate.
"All right, all right... I'll help you with your lousy fight," the ape conceded, shooting Gamamaru a deeply hostile look, which the latter couldn't help but respond to with a mocking sound.
Giotto stood up, adjusting his combat gloves with precise, elegant movements.
"Sana, call G... Alaudi... Demon... Get all the Guardians ready. The end of everything was waiting has arrived."
…
In the celestial palace, immersed in a solitude interrupted only by the echoes of her own thoughts, Kaguya held a small silk-wrapped bundle in her arms.
Inside rested a newborn, the fruit of countless nights of unrestrained passion and the overwhelming love the Goddess felt for Giotto. Vongola Primo had departed for the depths of the earth without even suspecting that, in the wake of his escape, he had left the sovereign of the heavens waiting for another child, one that had slowly formed in her womb over the course of several years.
Something unique that had not even happened with Hagoromo or Hamura...
Kaguya gazed at the little one with a mixture of devotion and absolute fascination. The child's appearance was entirely different from that of his older brothers, Hagoromo and Hamura. He possessed neither the horns nor the pale, divine complexion of the Ōtsutsuki; his skin had the warm tone of an ordinary human, and his delicate features were a living portrait of Giotto.
The fact that her body, blessed by the Divine Tree, had given birth to a child without a single trait of her own lineage left her deeply intrigued. This miraculous quality only confirmed once again just how special, extraordinary, and irreplaceable Giotto was in her existence. With a tenderness she had never shown toward her first two children, Kaguya caressed the baby's face and nursed him with almost sacred care, protecting him as her most precious treasure.
Meanwhile, just a few steps away from her, Hamura stood motionless, his gaze lost in the void.
Without Kaguya suspecting anything at all, the young man was under the influence of a powerful Genjutsu his mother had imposed on him after noticing his first doubts. To prevent Hamura from interfering or attempting to rebel alongside his brother, the Rabbit of the Night had reshaped her second son's mind, keeping him trapped in an illusion of absolute loyalty.
"Mother... how are you?" Hamura asked in a measured voice devoid of emotion.
"I'm fine, my dear Hamura..." Kaguya replied without taking her eyes off Giotto's son. "Tell me, have you managed to locate Hagoromo?"
"No, Mother... I haven't found him yet," the young man answered, controlled by the illusion.
Kaguya nodded slowly, pressing the newborn against her chest as a flash of sternness crossed her gaze.
"All right... I'll wait for him. And when he returns, I'll cast a Genjutsu on him as well, an illusion like yours, so that he stays by our side forever, as the family we are meant to be."
"I understand, Mother..." Hamura repeated mechanically.
"You'll help and protect me and your little brother, won't you, Hamura?"
"Yes, Mother... I will."
While the illusion kept her secondborn captive, the balance of the impending war suffered a tragic shift: Hagoromo's side would face the final battle with one fewer key ally, forced to confront not only his mother's overwhelming presence but also the puppet Hamura had become.
Meanwhile...
Hagoromo was absolutely determined to fight this battle. Ever since the tragic day he had witnessed his girlfriend's fate and the emotional fury had awakened the Sharingan in his eyes, the burden and responsibility of protecting life on this planet had fallen upon his shoulders.
As he crossed the doors of the main hall, his eyes fell upon a scene that chilled him to the bone: Kaguya stood holding a newborn in her arms, while Hamura remained at her side, his gaze empty and devoid of free will.
"Mother..." Hagoromo murmured, clenching his fists.
"Oh, Hagoromo... Have you finally come?" Kaguya said in a soft but warmthless voice. "Return to your mother's side. We have many things to do."
Hagoromo observed his brother's catatonic state and stepped forward, his gaze burning scarlet.
"No... What did you do to Hamura?"
"He lied to me, but I finally learned the truth of things," Kaguya replied with complete coldness. "I'm sorry about what happened to your beloved, Hagoromo... but we can still fix all of this as a family."
"No! We aren't going to fix anything," Hagoromo declared, summoning the full resolve of his spirit. "You and I are going to put an end to this right now. Free Hamura!"
Kaguya narrowed her eyes, letting out a faint sigh.
"You've become very disobedient, Hagoromo... But tell me, who did you bring here with you?"
"Who...?" Hagoromo managed to say before being interrupted.
"I can sense several people hiding right behind you," the Goddess stated in a threatening voice.
At that moment, a familiar, calm, and resonant voice echoed throughout the hall:
"Come on, Spade... dispel the illusion. She's already found us. There were too many of us for a single illusion."
"Understood, Giotto," the shadow behind him replied.
The veil of the Mist Illusion dissipated in a flash of violet light, revealing the entire group.
There stood Giotto, wearing his imposing Vongola Primo attire, complete with his characteristic black, high-collared cloak, his metal combat gloves ready for battle, and the Sky Flame burning pure upon his forehead. Behind him, perfectly positioned in combat formation, stood his six Guardians: Alaudi, Demon Spade, G, Knuckle, Lampo, and Ugetsu Asari.
Beside Giotto stood Saruo, holding his ceremonial staff engraved with ancient inscriptions. The Sage Monkey wore a mystical robe that complemented his golden fur perfectly, radiating a commanding presence and spiritual pressure that directly rivaled Giotto's own aura. He watched the scene with absolute gravity, understanding that the fate of the world would be decided in that hall.
Kaguya froze. Seeing Giotto standing at the head of that group and noticing the tiny baby in her own arms, her eyes widened as shock shook every fiber of her divine being.
Kaguya's expression changed completely when she caught sight of Giotto's silhouette in the doorway. For a second, the coldness of the Goddess of Infinity vanished, replaced by a smile overflowing with affection and hope. She gently pressed the newborn against her chest and took a few steps toward him, proudly showing him the child.
"Giotto..." she murmured, her voice filled with tenderness. "Look... this is our baby. Please, come back to my side. Help me, and let's live happily together as the family we were always meant to be."
Giotto gave her a heavy, blank stare. He gazed at the little one in her arms, feeling a sharp clash of emotions in his chest.
"That's our baby...?" Giotto replied in a surprised, measured voice, bewildered by the infant's fragile appearance. "System... analyze him. Is this child really mine?"
The System's voice immediately echoed through his consciousness in its usual direct, unflappable tone:
"Affirmative, Host. You would have to be blind not to notice the shared genetic traits. The child is one hundred percent yours."
"But... why is he so small? I haven't been with Kaguya for several years," Giotto questioned, perplexed. "Unlike Hagoromo and Hamura, whose gestation followed a normal course, a prolonged period of years has passed since my departure..."
"The explanation is simple, Host," the System clarified. "This child remained in Kaguya's womb for years as an adverse effect caused by your condition. Due to your extraordinary concentration of Yang energy, it is nearly impossible for you to reproduce unless you unite with a vessel possessing immense Yin energy, such as Kaguya. The overwhelming energy density of both of you caused the fetal development process to slow dramatically, keeping the child protected in gestation for years before birth."
"I see..." Giotto thought with a slight grimace. "Does that mean all my future offspring will experience this same phenomenon?"
"Negative. This effect is unique to you and exclusive to the combination of your pure Yang energy and Kaguya's divine nature."
Returning from the internal dialogue, Giotto let out a heavy exhalation and fixed his eyes on Kaguya, responding in a deep, measured voice:
"At long last, I have a child with you after so many hardships... But listen carefully, Kaguya: showing me this child won't make me join your cause. On the contrary, I will ally myself with Hagoromo. And as for that little one in your arms, all I want is for him to grow up in a safe place, where he can know what a warm home and a real family feel like."
Kaguya took half a step backward, her smile freezing on her lips as her eyes filled with painful disbelief.
"You... are you betraying me too?"
"I'm not a traitor, Kaguya. I'm simply seeing things with absolute clarity," Giotto replied firmly, narrowing his eyes. "Hand me the baby. A devastating battle is about to break out right here, and that child must not be caught in the middle of our quarrel."
Hesitation crossed Kaguya's face for an instant. She looked at the newborn, then at Giotto, and finally at Hagoromo. Her expression hardened into one of absolute coldness.
"Hamura, attack!" she ordered sharply.
Under the influence of the Genjutsu, Hamura lunged at Hagoromo and the Vongola entourage in a blinding burst of speed. The hall erupted into chaos, filled with blows and fluctuations of energy. Hagoromo intercepted his own brother to restrain him, while the Vongola Guardians and Saruo took up positions to secure the perimeter.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Kaguya turned around and disappeared in the direction of her private chambers. Giotto didn't hesitate for a second. Propelled by the purifying burst of Sky Flames in his hands, he charged after her, leaving the others to fight in the great hall.
Upon bursting into the Goddess's room, Giotto found Kaguya carefully placing the baby inside a small, carved wooden crib.
"This child is incredibly special..." Kaguya whispered without turning around, stroking the newborn's blanket. "He wasn't born like Hagoromo or Hamura... He has none of my outward lineage. I truly love him, Giotto. I love him more than anything... Are you really determined to fight me?"
"It's necessary, Kaguya. Absolutely necessary," Giotto replied, clenching his combat gloves into fists. "And I assure you that I will stop you."
"You won't..." she murmured, turning around.
"Yes, I will," Giotto declared.
As Giotto stepped forward to intercept her, the floor and walls of the room began to creak. Dozens of White Zetsu burst from the shadows, living masses of organic energy that surged toward Vongola Primo in waves to block his path.
Giotto clenched his fists. The Sky Flames erupted around his body with blinding intensity, enveloping his gloves in pure, golden fire.
With fluid, precise, and devastating movements, Giotto began landing Sky Flame-infused blows against the creatures. Each punch disintegrated the White Zetsu upon contact, reducing the horde to ashes through his Flames' Harmony property.
Kaguya watched this display of pure power with a mixture of fascination and melancholy.
"You truly are someone incredibly special, Giotto..." she said in a whisper laden with mystery.
In the blink of an eye, the space around Kaguya distorted, and the Goddess vanished completely from the room.
Giotto halted his advance, breathing calmly as the last remnants of the horde fell at his feet. His golden eyes turned toward the outside of the palace, and he immediately understood Kaguya's desperate maneuver: the Goddess was heading straight for the core of the Divine Tree to absorb the entirety of the Ten-Tails and become its ultimate Jinchūriki.
Giotto had no time to lose. The newborn's cries echoed in the distance, awakening a raw and heart-wrenching instinct within his chest. He needed to retrieve his baby at all costs before the Zetsu surrounded him in the small room.
"Get out of my way..." Giotto murmured, his icy voice making the surrounding air tremble.
The White Zetsu surged toward him in waves, extending their deformed limbs to bury him beneath a mass of flesh and parasitic chakra. But Vongola Primo didn't even blink.
With fierce determination, he executed an entirely new sequence of movements, the result of years of experimentation and energy adaptation. He raised his right hand in front of his chest, curving his fingers to form a hollow, circular channel. Immediately afterward, he extended the index and middle fingers of his left hand in the shape of a gun, fitting them with millimeter precision into the hollow formed by his other hand.
It was the ultimate channeling stance: the culmination of his new technique for piercing attacks and the massive condensation of Sky Flames.
"XX-BURNER: LINEAR CONCENTRATION!" Giotto roared.
The Dying Will Flame, charged with the immense Yang energy of his body and the pure property of Harmony, was not released in an ordinary expansive burst. Instead, it erupted as a hyper-concentrated column of high-frequency golden-orange fire. The pressure was so devastating that the space around his hands seemed to distort.
BOOOOOOOM!
The devastating blast pierced through the horde of White Zetsu like a bolt of divine judgment. The energy did more than scorch or disintegrate physical matter on contact; the Sky Flame's petrification and harmonization properties instantly neutralized the chakra within the plant mass, turning dozens of clones into white dust and ashes in a fraction of a second.
A clear, unobstructed corridor opened in the middle of the battlefield. With the thrusters on his gloves spewing incandescent sparks, Giotto launched himself through the cleared path at blinding speeds, his eyes fixed on his ultimate objective: rescuing his son and putting an end to Kaguya's attempt.
Taking advantage of the gap in the defense, Giotto crossed the chamber at full speed, approached the wooden crib, and carefully lifted the baby into his arms, wrapping him in a fragment of his cloak to shield him from the dangerous energy beginning to accumulate outside.
As he strode back into the main hall, he was met with a tense scene: Hagoromo was cornered and practically overwhelmed by the relentless attacks of an enraged Hamura. However, thanks to the timely intervention of the Vongola Guardians and Saruo's agility, the process of freeing Hamura from mind control became considerably easier. Alaudi and Demon Spade used binding illusions and pressure chains to immobilize the younger brother, while Knuckle and G channeled energy to blunt the assault, allowing the influence of Kaguya's Genjutsu to fade without leaving any fatal aftereffects or demanding an excessive sacrifice from Hagoromo.
Holding the baby securely against his chest, Giotto walked toward the corner where the Great Toad rested solemnly and held out the fragile bundle to him.
"Gamamaru... can you take care of my baby?" Giotto asked, his voice heavy with solemnity.
Gamamaru gazed at the little human with his large, wise eyes, extended his enormous yet careful claws, and nodded with imposing seriousness.
"I'm counting on you to take care of your student's brother," Giotto told him.
"Yes... I will protect him with all the responsibility in the world, even at the cost of my own life," Gamamaru replied, securing the infant in a safe shelter far removed from the battlefield.
Giotto then turned toward his allies, assuming the bearing of an absolute commander. His golden gaze swept across Hagoromo, Hamura, the Guardians, and Saruo.
"Well, boys... What we're about to face here surpasses anything you've ever known," Giotto declared firmly. "We'll need superhuman endurance and perfect coordination. Hagoromo, Hamura, you two will take the front lines. You'll know how to put an end to your mother. I'll remain in the middle support line alongside Saruo, ready to counterattack. My Guardians will take up positions in the strategic rear."
Giotto looked at them intently, warning them:
"Listen carefully: don't expose yourselves unnecessarily. The battle that's about to begin is on an entirely different level. Your assistance will only be required at the most critical moments, when we need to open a breach to land a decisive blow against Kaguya. Understood?"
Although the Ōtsutsuki brothers still did not fully comprehend the complex strategic scope of the Vongola Primo's tactics, the absolute confidence and overwhelming authority emanating from him made them nod without hesitation. Each of them already knew their role in the formation.
Outside the palace, the sky began to tear apart.
A thunderous roar shook the continent as the great Divine Tree began to crumble, dissolving into a shapeless mass of pure chakra that gave rise to the monstrous, titanic figure of the Jūbi, the Ten-Tails. At the heart of that catastrophe, Kaguya floated in the air, merging completely with the beast and crowning herself the first Jinchūriki in history, enveloped in a mantle of absolute power.
Witnessing the monstrous scale of the divinity before them, everyone finally understood the terrifying reason why Giotto had organized his group with such pinpoint precision.
Giotto exhaled deeply, allowing the Sky Flame to envelop his hands completely in an incandescent glow.
"It's time to end this. Prepare yourselves."
...
"Hello everyone, I'm Wisumi Wizaki.
Ah, I published this chapter very late because I was at church and lost track of time. And now, next week, I don't know if I'll be able to publish as many chapters as I did this week. I think I might post just one or two. Those will probably be the final chapters to wrap up this saga. I still need to polish a few details to make the last chapters really interesting and ensure they don't end up feeling too simple. I want to finish this arc quickly, but I don't want to ruin something good either.
My writing style—well, I'm not sure if you all like it. But anyway, I hope you have a great read!
Oh, I almost forgot. Does anyone know how to publish these chapters on Patreon? I want to do it, but I don't know how. Does anyone have a link or a guide explaining how to set up a Patreon and how to upload this novel there? Living in Venezuela is really tough with all the blackouts and everything, and I'm currently working. I'd love to turn this into a profession and dedicate more time to it, but well, I don't know how to do these kinds of things. Don't worry, though—I'm not taking down your chapters! This was the first place where I published, and I'm keeping it here. But it's best to look for alternatives because the situation in the country where I live is quite difficult."
...
Happy reading! Bye-bye!
— Wissumi Wizaki
Until the next chapter!