The Ōtsutsuki Star lay in ruins, completely erased by Uchiha Chiga. Without sparing it another glance, he returned directly to Earth.
When Kaguya learned what had happened, she showed no sorrow over the destruction of her homeland. Instead, her expression brimmed with relief, even joy, as if a great burden of vengeance had finally been lifted.
Only after Chiga questioned her did he learn the truth. Within the Ōtsutsuki Clan, Kaguya had been regarded as a failure. Bonds held no meaning among them, and for the weak, there was no mercy—only a tragic fate. Had she remained among them, her end would have been nothing more than servitude, handed to some higher-ranking Ōtsutsuki as a guardian, her life stripped of dignity.
Yet in the shinobi world, Chiga reflected, one should never underestimate someone branded a failure. Isshiki had dismissed her once, and for that arrogance, he had hidden on Earth for millennia.
Chiga also told Kaguya about Hamura. At the mention of her son, her expression grew complex. Black Zetsu, however, reacted with outrage.
"That ungrateful wretch dares to show himself again! Mother gave him life, and yet he betrayed her, siding with humans! A thankless fool!"
Chiga's golden eyes slid toward Black Zetsu. At once, the creature shrank back, his tone shifting into nervous flattery.
"Of course, Chiga-sama, the humans I speak of do not include you. Since Hamura aided you, we can say he has at least atoned for his sins, don't you think?"
Kaguya said nothing. For all Black Zetsu's bluster, Hamura and Hagoromo were her true children, born from her body in a way that Black Zetsu could never match. She had once believed her sons would become her greatest allies. Instead, they had sealed her away for the sake of humankind.
Chiga found himself curious. According to Kaguya, she had conceived after consuming the God Tree's fruit, a mysterious phenomenon. To him, it resembled the legends of Amazon Lily, where the so-called Conception Spring could bring life without men. Kaguya also admitted no new births had occurred within the Ōtsutsuki for as long as she could remember. Their numbers were fixed, their reproduction stifled.
Perhaps, Chiga mused, it was inevitable. A race with such overwhelming power and obsession with God Trees could hardly be allowed to multiply without restraint. If they had, the universe itself might have long since fallen to ruin.
Kaguya sighed, her eyes filled with faint sorrow. "No, Master. I will not go to see Hamura. From now on, I will consider him a child I never had."
Her head lowered slightly. After a moment, she whispered, "Master, you know… our Ōtsutsuki bodies are not so different from humans. What they have, we also have…"
Chiga blinked. Even Black Zetsu froze, his inky form quivering. Both of them understood instantly.
Kaguya regretted the words the moment they left her lips. Their meaning was far too obvious—she was hinting at the desire to bear Chiga's child. For centuries, her life had been consumed by vigilance against her clan. But now, with the Ōtsutsuki all but annihilated, her heart had begun to yearn for something else—something simple, something human.
She envied humanity, their families, their children. Black Zetsu, for all his loyalty, was a creation, not a true child. His form bore no resemblance to her own, nor did he carry the warmth of natural life. Hagoromo and Hamura had betrayed her. But perhaps, with Chiga, she could try again, not out of calculation, but out of longing.
Chiga found himself caught between surprise and amusement. He hadn't expected Kaguya to be so direct. The idea itself was not unappealing, though the chances seemed slim. After all, if such a thing were simple, he might already have children in the Pirate World.
Black Zetsu, however, was bewildered. He muttered in a daze, "Does this mean… I'll have more siblings?"
Kaguya's face flushed faintly as she realized Chiga had not answered. Her gaze dropped lower, her voice small. "Master, forgive me. I was being foolish."
Chiga cleared his throat, his golden eyes glinting. "Not foolish. And… it isn't impossible."
Her head snapped up in shock, her pale eyes locking onto him.
"Ahem, don't glare at me like that. I only mean, if this is truly what you want, then perhaps…"
Before he could finish, Kaguya's surprise bloomed into joy. She leapt forward, colliding with his chest in an embrace that knocked the air from him.
Black Zetsu hesitated only briefly before deciding this was not his place. With an awkward shuffle, he melted into the ground, slipping out of the room like a shadow fleeing the sun.
Within Chiga's arms, Kaguya clung tightly. Her body was cool to the touch, but her figure, hidden for so long beneath loose white robes, was now unmistakable. Chiga realized, with a wry chuckle, that her form was far more striking than he had imagined.
Still, the moment carried danger of its own. He gently pushed her back, his expression firm. "Kaguya, such things cannot be rushed. There's a time and a place."
She tilted her head, puzzled. "But, Master, are we not at home?"
"Daytime is not the time for this," he replied quickly. "Not suitable. I'll step out for a while, but I promise I'll return tonight."
Her lips curved into a smile, her voice soft. "Very well, Master. I will wait for you at home."
With her feelings now out in the open, Kaguya seemed far bolder. She straightened his rumpled clothes with delicate hands, then turned toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Chiga asked.
"I wish to buy new clothes. The kunoichi of this land wear such beautiful attire."
Chiga's brow rose. "…Do you even have money?"
Kaguya froze, her pale cheeks coloring. "No…"
With a sigh, Chiga reached into the Door-Door Space and withdrew a bar of gold small enough to fit in her hand. Pressing it into her palm, he instructed, "Use this. Spend freely if you must. But remember—Black Zetsu is to accompany you at all times."
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