Night was falling on Konoha. In Naruto's apartment, Kaguya, in her human form of "Hikari", was sitting by the window, her gaze lost in the moonlight. Her thoughts, however, were far removed from this peaceful scene.
Her goal was clear: to regain her full power, reunite the scattered chakra fragments, and most importantly, access the dimension where her main body rested. Although reduced to a weakened form, she still possessed a formidable intelligence.
Naruto, sitting nearby, was scribbling notes on a scroll. He had been summoned earlier by Kakashi for a mission involving Ino and himself.
"Hikari," he said suddenly, breaking the silence. "I have a mission tomorrow. It will be outside the village, so you will have to stay here."
She looked away from the window, staring at him with a neutral expression.
— A mission? What kind?
Naruto shrugged.
— Apparently there have been strange reports near an ancient sealing site. Kakashi-sensei wants us to investigate. I'll be with Ino, so this should go quickly.
Kaguya remained silent, but within her, an interest was growing. If this site contained fragments of the Biju chakra or even residue from past wars, it could be useful to her.
The plan is being developed
That night, as Naruto slept soundly, Kaguya closed her eyes and summoned a portion of her mind into Naruto's mental realm. There, amidst the vast mindscape where Kurama sat enthroned in his cage, she faced the demonic fox.
"What else do you want, woman?" Kurama growled, his glowing red eyes staring at the intruder.
Kaguya smiled slightly, a mixture of calm and mischievousness.
—I'm not here for you, Kurama.
She extended her power into Naruto's mind, projecting a spiritual form that would allow her to follow him discreetly. This would prevent her from being discovered by the other ninja.
—If you think you can manipulate Naruto, know that I won't let you, Kurama warned.
Kaguya didn't answer, disappearing into an ethereal mist.
The next morning, Naruto joined Ino at the entrance of the village. The kunoichi, dressed in her usual outfit, was waiting for him with a focused look.
—Ready, Naruto? she asked, crossing her arms.
Naruto nodded.
— Yep! Let's go!
They set off quickly, jumping from branch to branch through the forest. Kaguya, in her spirit form, floated invisibly beside them, listening to every word of their conversation.
—So what's this weird activity thing about? Naruto asked.
Ino explained:
—Scouts detected abnormal chakra traces near an ancient sealing site. Kakashi thinks it might be related to artifacts or remnants of the Biju energy.
Naruto frowned.
—The Bijus are gone, right? It could be dangerous if enemies try to play with their energy.
Kaguya, upon hearing this, smiled inwardly. A site where the Biju chakra could be present… perfect.
After several hours of traveling, the duo reached a clearing where the ruins of an ancient temple stood. The place was marked by deep cracks in the ground and fragments of broken seals, witnesses of a past battle.
—This is the famous site, Ino said as she inspected the surroundings.
Naruto placed his hands on his hips, eyeing the area warily.
— It's quiet… too quiet.
They began to search the ruins, looking for clues. Meanwhile, Kaguya moved away from Naruto, exploring the site in her own way. She quickly sensed a concentration of residual chakra sealed within an old, broken pillar.
This chakra… it belongs to Shukaku… and Gyûki. Not enough to restore my power, but enough to start.
She reached out an immaterial hand, discreetly absorbing the energy.
Meanwhile, Ino used her perception technique to scan the surroundings.
— Naruto, be careful. I sense disturbances.
Suddenly, figures emerged from the shadows. A group of bandits, empowered by traces of dark chakra, surrounded them.
— Hey, what the hell is that?! Naruto exclaimed, ready to fight.
The bandits attacked without waiting. Naruto and Ino rushed into the fray. While Ino used her mind control techniques to immobilize some enemies, Naruto struck with his brute force, combining clones and Rasengan.
Kaguya watched the fight, calculating coldly. These enemies were no threat to her, but they were distracting enough for her to continue exploring the site.
When the fight was over, Naruto wiped his sweaty forehead, looking at the unconscious bandits.
— Well, that was intense. You rocked it, Ino!
Ino smiled slightly.
—You too, Naruto. But I still wonder why they were here.
Naruto nodded, but his gaze fell on the pillar where he had felt a strange chakra fluctuation. He approached, curious.
"What's that?" he whispered, placing a hand on the pillar.
Suddenly, a strange feeling ran through him. Inside his mind, Kurama stirred.
— Naruto, be careful! There's something wrong!
Kaguya, still in her spirit form, looked at Naruto with icy calm. She almost whispered to herself:
—You are the key, Naruto Uzumaki. Your chakra, combined with that of the Bijus, will allow me to accomplish my plan.
As Naruto walked away from the pillar, Ino looked at him, intrigued.
— Naruto, you look weird. Is everything okay?
Naruto shook his head.
— Yeah, yeah, everything's fine! Just… that pillar, it gave me a funny feeling.
Ino narrowed her eyes, wary, but she didn't push further.
— Well, we should go back and report this to Kakashi.
Naruto nodded, but deep down he felt strangely drained, as if a small part of his energy had been ripped away from him.
Meanwhile, Kaguya, having absorbed some of the site's chakra, returned to Naruto's mind with a sense of satisfaction. She was still far from regaining her full power, but this mission marked the beginning of her return.
Chapter 6.2: Secrets of the Past
Back in Konoha, Naruto and Ino walked side by side towards the Hokage's office. The village was bustling, but Naruto seemed slightly distracted, thinking back to the events that had happened near the ruins.
— Do you think Kakashi-sensei will have any answers about these guys? Naruto asked.
Ino frowned, arms crossed.
— Perhaps. What intrigues me most is this site. These ruins are far too close to the Akatsuki's former activities for it to be a mere coincidence.
Naruto nodded.
—And then, that statue… I'm sure it was the Gedo Mazo. But it looked completely empty.
They finally arrived at Kakashi's office, who was waiting for them with a pile of reports on his desk.
Naruto and Ino recounted their mission in detail, describing the site, the bandits empowered by dark chakra, and the strange pillar that seemed to contain energy residue. Kakashi, who was listening attentively, crossed his arms.
"If these ruins were indeed an old Akatsuki base, it's possible that chakra residue remained there," he explained. "The extraction of the Bijus by the Gedo Mazo was an extremely powerful technique. Even if the Bijus are gone, it makes sense that fragments of energy are still present."
Naruto, thoughtful, added:
—But those guys, they seemed to be using that chakra to strengthen themselves. Do you think someone is trying to recreate the Akatsuki or something?
Kakashi was silent for a moment before answering.
— That's a possibility. We'll have to monitor the area and send an investigation team to examine the ruins in more detail.
Ino, still wary, intervened.
—That chakra was abnormal, Kakashi-sensei. It didn't look like a normal Biju's. There was something... corrupted.
In Naruto's mind, Kaguya was quietly listening to the conversation through her spirit form, hidden in a corner of her subconscious.
Corrupted, huh? she thought with a slight smile. She knew exactly why the chakra seemed strange.
When the Akatsuki extracted the Tailed Beasts from their hosts, fragments of their energy inevitably remained on the Gedo Mazo, mixed with traces of the statue's own dark chakra. These residues, while weak, were a valuable source for Kaguya as she sought to rebuild her power.
These fools don't suspect anything... she thought.
The mission had allowed him to recover a small amount of chakra. Not enough to restore much of his strength, but enough to keep his plan in motion.
Later that day, Kakashi called a meeting with several jonins, including Shikamaru and Sai. Naruto and Ino were also present to provide additional details.
"If those bandits found a way to access that residual chakra, they could pose a threat," Kakashi began.
Shikamaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
—That would explain their aggressive behavior. But for them to be organized and reinforced by this type of chakra, there must be a leader behind it all.
Sai added:
—The Akatsuki was a methodical organization. Even though it is disbanded, there are still individuals in the shadows who could seek to exploit its legacy.
Naruto, annoyed, slammed his fist against his palm.
— No matter who is behind this, we will stop them before they do any more damage!
Kakashi smiled slightly under his mask.
—I suspected as much, Naruto. But before we act, we need to know more.
Back home, Naruto flopped down on his bed, exhausted from the day. He put an arm over his eyes, thinking about recent events.
—They're making a big deal out of these ruins, he muttered. But it's true that this chakra was weird…
In his mind, Kaguya chose that moment to appear. Her spirit form emerged before him, an enigmatic smile on her face.
—So, hero, you seem troubled, she said in an almost mocking tone.
Naruto opened his eyes, groaning slightly.
— You know something, don't you?
She raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence.
— Maybe. Or maybe you're imagining things.
He straightened up, crossing his arms.
— If you want to stay here, you better tell me everything.
Kaguya just stared at him calmly.
— I have nothing to gain by sharing my knowledge with you at this time. Just know that this residual chakra is a consequence of your war. You humans created these problems by manipulating forces beyond your control.
Naruto growled, frustrated.
— You could at least be a little more helpful instead of just criticizing!
She burst into a light laugh, cold as ice.
—And you, you could learn to observe before acting. Maybe one day, you'll understand.
During the night, Kaguya continued to explore Naruto's memories, delving into his past experiences to better understand the current world.
She knew that in order to achieve her goal, she had to act carefully. Using Naruto as a catalyst was risky, but necessary.
At the same time, a small part of her, although she refused to admit it, was intrigued by this human with such a tenacious heart.