Smells of sulfur and gunpowder. Sound of blast and guns.
She opened her eyes wide open, only to find herself in the battlefield.
What's… what's going on… Her eyes contracted violently, she looked around in disbelief, in shock, and even fear.
"Commander…! Get yourself together…" Visha held onto Tanya's hand. She never saw her like this.
"No… no no no… wait… this… this can't be… was that… all a dream…?"
"Commander…"
"Ahaha… ahaha… no… that… couldn't be."
"Visha, quick. Punch me. Punch me!"
"... I… but."
"THIS IS AN ORDER."
Visha hesitantly punched her face.
"More..!"
Visha bit her lips as she kept punching her face as Tanya kept shouting more and more.
"Commander…" Visha stopped her punches, unable to bear it any longer.
Tanya looked up in the sky, feeling empty and lost.
But then she closed her eyes. A grin carved on her lips as she laughed like a maniac.
"HAHAHA! AHAHAHA!"
"AHAHAHA…." She stood up, letting herself be a free target as she danced on the battlefield.
"Ahahaha! Was it all a dream…~"
Explosions and bullets shoot to her surroundings. She felt a bullet graze her leg. It felt real. The blood is real.
Her grin and laughter stop. She looked up at the enemy above, aiming their guns towards her.
She smiled as she raised her arms, letting herself be exposed.
But none of them shoot her. Tsuyu snickered.
"Being X… you think such a cheap illusion can trap me? I have seen better."
Crack. Crack. The space shattered, revealing Tanya's figure chained in barbed wires on a cross, crucified. Like a sacrifice to God.
Her eyes glared at the being in front of her, sitting on a throne surrounded with golden light. Like a tall giant man with white hair and beard, his golden eyes carried no hint of emotions.
"Have you gone desperate? You cannot gain my approval, and now you hijacked my body. Truly… you are proving yourself to be something other than God you claimed to be." Tsuyu chuckled, the barbed wires clanged as she struggled to get free.
Being X looked at her, his expression frowning slightly.
"Look outside. Those two, trying to save you…"
She glanced at the screen, seeing Naruto and Sasuke fighting her.
***
Tsu-chan… please come back!
"Such an ungrateful human. To even kill your own flesh and blood. What a sin."
Tsuyu! Sasuke shouted as he clashed his chidori blade with her golden chakra blade.
"To pardon the sin of slaughter, even the blood of one's own father and mother. Gods would weep."
Reibi and Nue that were expelled from Tsuyu's body worked together with them to stop Tsuyu's rampage, calling out to her.
All the Bijuus were crucified in pillars, golden light covering their eyes.
***
"And. What are you saying?"
"Like I have said, you need to learn to rely on others."
"Oh. And so you hijacked my body, made them 'had' to save me. What logic?"
"The same way you let suffering happen, or perhaps you sow the seed yourself. You simply needed their faith. Like a parasite. You are really like those Otsutsuki's."
The whole space trembled, Being X's expression turned to that of anger slightly, as if her words hit a spot on him. But his expression turned calm.
"Why didn't you break, Tanya?"
"... Hah. So you really had some hands on what happened then."
"... No. Really. I just knew it would have happened, given you are you. I only showed what would happen, and it did. Whether I show them or not, it won't change anything. I really didn't make a move like you think."
"Hahaha… is that so. Then maybe that was why I don't break like you wanted. Let me guess, you want me to 'pray' to you hoping things would be different after arranging me to break? That you would come at my lowest? Is that it?"
"Unfortunately, Being X…" Crack, crack. The barbed wires had cracks on them.
"You are wrong. I know Naruto cared for me. Even if he doesn't, that's that. And so that's that. Why would I beg for things to change? It was enough as it is. Even if things were worse, it was just natural consequences. And 'I', had done what I could. If I couldn't, I wouldn't succumb to nonsense like you expect me to."
"You…" Being X clenched his fist. He really didn't expect it. That perhaps by having Tanya learn to love, she would learn to depend on others, become desperate and believe. But she surpassed his expectation, and almost evolved into a human rarely seen in the world.
"I will kill that boy with your own hands."
"..." Tsuyu turned her eyes sideways.
"Then that's your own action. Not on me. You expect me to beg you to stop? What a 'God' you are."
Just then, golden chains appeared and bind Being X out of nowhere. Even Tsuyu was as shocked as Being X.
"Mother…?"
Kushina, who had remained silent all this time appeared.
"I won't let you take my daughter…" Her eyes filled with conviction.
***
On the screen, Tsuyu's golden blade plunged straight into Naruto's stomach, making him cough out blood.
Naruto moved closer, even letting the blade pierce him through deeper, hugging her closer.
"Tsu-chan… please…" Naruto shed tears as he held her down.
"Naruto…! We have to seal her!"
"No… no… I…"
Tsuyu's golden iris turned to blue for a moment. Her expression was soft as if he returned for a second after releasing herself from Being X control for a moment with Kushina's help.
"Seal me then… I am not going to let 'it' win. I will win."
"What…Tsu-chan…? What are you saying… stop…" Tsuyu just smiled softly, taking Naruto's warm hand. His hand already grew so big, and really rough from his training.
"I am proud of you, even if things were rough between us. You grow up strong…" Tsuyu pulled Naruto's hand to touch her. While Sasuke used Amenotejikara to switch places and tap her back with the Moon seal at the same time.
Six Path Chibaku Tensei!
"NO.. NO! TSU-CHAN! NO! DON'T!!" Naruto tried to stop the jutsu, pulling away all the rocks that started to gather around her. He broke his hands, his arm bled as he tried hard. Sasuke pulled Naruto away, even with his screaming.
A smaller moon formed in a matter of minutes next to the bigger moon.
Naruto fell to his knees, clenching his heart in pain. No… No… not…again…
***
"To think you would do such a thing…"
Kushina was unable to hold him for too long, and her chakra dissipated.
"I would rather be sealed than to have you use my body to gain faith, like a parasite. In a way I am a real God, while you are a fake one. Look at how benevolent I am at saving the world from you. Haha." Tsuyu joked to herself.
"How blasphemous, for a mortal to claim to be God."
"I definitely did a better job than you." Tsuyu snorted.
"..." Being X gradually disappeared, as if giving up now that his plans were ruined. In fact, it was ruined the moment Tanya was able to let go with love and acceptance over her fate. It was a matter of time before Tsuyu regained control of her own body, even if it was years of struggle. Only those who defy fate would hate, would hope, would pray. Those who are grounded to reality, do what they could, know what they couldn't, would never need God.
"Hah… running away now?"
Silence filled the room. The barbed wires all broke completely as she came down from the cross.
She sighed softly, her eyes looking over the Earth with her consciousness.
What a sad way to die. Don't tell me I am locked in her for eternity… isn't this white room torture. Reibi and Nue were gone too…
"..." Just then, Tsuyu heard footsteps from behind her. In her white mindscape, she turned around.
"K-Kaguya? How are you…" Tsuyu was startled. How was this possible!
She looked calm, and it seemed like she had a soft expression on her face. Being freed from Juubi influence after she finally died.
"... Human… we get to talk again. I saw you struggle with that being."
"... How are you here?"
"I left Karma on you… before you killed me. Thanks to you… I was able to get rid of Ten Tails' influence."
She looked over the Earth.
"I only wanted to talk to you a little more… someone who had understood me. And that… we share a similar life." Fragments of Tsuyu's memories appeared in front of Kaguya. Her eyes filled with sadness.
"This Being X, it seemed he might have transcended. Like from my clan, an Otsutsuki who reached Godhood… to use faith and worship… I have heard of a clan like that. Though, I didn't know many details."
Kaguya tried to recall the little education she had.
"Hah. That thing was not God at all. Just a parasite."
"... I believe the same… even my own clansmen."
"After I became one with Juubi, a part of myself was lost to its desire for all chakra. You made me regain my humanity for a moment…"
"I was just a branch member of my clan. A slave. I didn't know becoming one with the Juubi would… make me lose myself. I didn't know how to fight. They kept their knowledge away from branch members like me. I only wanted to take the chakra from my sons, not kill them… and not from the entire world…"
"What is the point of protecting a world with no life? I have learned many things since I came to Earth… things that my clansmen never had."
"I wanted to protect this world. From them." Kaguya looked over the Earth.
"... You are a kind person, Kaguya." Tsuyu had a soft expression.
"... You are similar. But… you are stronger. I still grieve for what happened…"
Tsuyu shook her head.
"What mother could accept such an unfilial child? Though… at times you just need to communicate better."
"... I see. I didn't want to burden them."
"While me and Naruto never reached an agreement, even if we understood… but at least we never hated each other. And that's enough."
"..." Kaguya looked a little sad.
"So we are both sealed in this place then?" Tsuyu summoned a set of tables and chairs, even gourmet coffee. Divine chakra was ultimately condensation of spiritual power, thus creating things were possible in her own mindscape.
"Perhaps… if it's you… once you gain the strength, you could be free. I never intended to take over your body… but through Kama, your body would turn into an Otsutsuki, much like me. You would gain my strength and abilities."
"Hm~ I will try to create a vessel for you once we get out of this place. I had an acquaintance who was too good at switching bodies. So we both can live."
Kaguya sat down on the chair, a gentle expression on her face, though doubting.
"Can humans truly possess such knowledge?"
She took the coffee. She frowned while tasting it.
"Ah. Well, he was immortal too really. Maybe he was not a human anymore."
"Is that so… this Earth filled with different beings…"
"What kind of delicacy is this… it's really bitter…"
"You can add milk to make it taste more acceptable for newcomers…" Milk flowed into them.
"I see." Kaguya took them, drinking them much like a noble.
"It does taste unique."
"So… just us then…" Tsuyu sighed. At least she had company. Both were former Gods.
"... In a few years, once you possess a body much like mine, and the chakra I had possessed. I believe you can escape. I couldn't stop you nor the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra because I was never taught nor trained to fight… a branch member like me, in my clan, were just disposable tools and weren't taught much."
"... You clan sounded similar to the Hyuga clan in my village. They too possess Byakugan…"
While Tsuyu and Kaguya seemingly became friends, the Shinobi World continued its trajectory.
Each night, Naruto would look up to the smaller moon.
Tsu-chan… are you still alive… or have you truly been gone…
Hey Tsu-chan… like you wanted I let all Bijuus free. I revived the temples of Bijuu, though they somehow became your messengers or something. Uh. Not sure what those are about… and they keep asking people to give them food or brush their fur or fan them.
Haha… it's a bit weird when I think about it. They would say you would punish them if humans did anything wrong again.
People are scared and believe them. Haha…
***
Years passed, Naruto was 19 now. Kakashi became Hokage after Danzo stepped down due to old age. It seemed he was too stressed after hearing the details from Naruto and Sasuke about what happened to her.
No one dared to touch Konoha, because the news of Tsuyu being sealed was kept a secret. For them, Tsuyu only retreated to let the world run on its own after freeing the Bijuu. It was as if she was always there, ever watching.
But most of Konoha knew she was truly gone…
***
A figure with blonde hair and blue eyes dined in Ichiraku. Slurping the hot ramen.
"Teuchi-san, your ramen feels like home as always."
"Haha. Thank you young lady." Teuchi looked at the figure, with a veil on her eyes. He felt she was very familiar.
Naruto walked in, feeling a little down somewhat today. As his eyes looked forward, he thought he saw Tsuyu's back. But maybe, it was just his imagination.
There was only an empty ramen bowl left. Teuchi blinked a few times. Genjutsu?
He looked at the money left on the counter.
"Hey Teuchi-san! As usual please! Make it twice as big-ttebayo!" Naruto smiled as he sat down.
"Coming right up!"
Teuchi went ahead to prepare them. But his eyes were a little sad. Tsuyu, won't you meet your brother?
***
Konoha Temple
Kurama, Reibi and Nue were lazily sprawled after being fed food by the people offering them stuff.
Just then, Kurama's eyes snapped open from his lazy nap, turning his head to the black crack of space slowly opening.
"Tsuyu…!" Kurama was shocked. Wasn't she sealed and turned into the second moon? Reibi and Nue always shed tears as they went to her.
"You guys seemed to be living too well."
"How did you…" Kurama was baffled.
A slit on her forehead became visible, a Rinnesharingan popped out, scaring the shit out of Kurama.
"Ah! You were possessed by Kaguya!" Kurama was about to launch a Bijuudama right at her face but was quickly slapped with a God's Vacuum Slap with a swing or her hand.
"Ouch…" Kurama whimpered in pain, rubbing his head.
"Don't talk nonsense. Since you three are fine, I am leaving."
"... Where are you going, Tsuyu?" Reibi looked at her with one big eye.
"Rest…"
***
Kiba visited the temple in Konoha. He knelt down on the cold floor, placing flowers instead of offering.
I never… told you how I feel… Tsuyu. I am still waiting for your punishment back then… but… you would never come back right…
Kiba sniffled slightly, wiping a tear in the corner of his eyes. He didn't notice, silently, cracks in space appeared behind him. From the crack, a figure walked out of it.
Step. Step.
Kiba heard footsteps behind him. He didn't think much and thought it was just another worshipper.
"Really… you are worshipping me too Inuzuka?"
"HUH?" Kiba turned to look behind him, his eyes widened.
She looked tall, her blonde hair tied neatly. Her blue eyes appeared bright and human. She had never looked more human and beautiful.
"Oh shut it. I am just visiting. Don't tell anyone I am alive though."
"Tsuyu…" Kiba wanted to cry.
"? Didn't know you are that sensitive." Tsuyu said jokingly.
Tsuyu was stunned that Kiba went ahead and hugged her.
"Inuzuka. This is inappropriate physical contact. I didn't give my consent." She said calmly, her brows frowning, but her heart didn't mind. And perhaps, the warmth was welcomed. His scent was nice too, like the forest.
"Hey. Just… just give me some chance… I… I was such a mess without you… Tsuyu." Kiba had tears in his eyes.
"..." Tsuyu's eyebrows turned softer.
"Is that so…"
"Tsuyu… I… I have always…"
Tsuyu quickly closed his mouth with a finger.
"I know, Inuzuka. You know me. And you were obvious enough. Besides…"
A slit on her forehead became more visible, it opened to reveal 9 tomoe Rinnesharingan, shocking Kiba.
"Now you are scared huh." Tsuyu said, but Kiba's hold on her hands only got firmer.
"No. I wasn't scared. You are beautiful, as always."
"Really now. Was that a pickup line from Icha-icha paradise? It didn't work." Tsuyu said with a calm expression.
"... Well… yeah… I figured. I mean, I never expect anything really. I am just me so…"
"... I don't mind. I guess. It's not bad, if it's you… thank you, for accepting who I am. Even now." Tsuyu muttered, considering it.
"What… what did you say?" Kiba's ears turned red, his cheeks blushing, his heart racing at hearing some words he couldn't believe came out of her mouth.
"But I want to take some time off… far away… I experienced a lot. So… I need a break. I just got out recently really. It's close to white room torture. Maybe someday, we can meet again, Kiba."
Cracks in space appeared behind her as she slowly pulled herself away from Kiba.
"Huh… wait!"
"What."
"Did you have to go?"
"I just want my own peace… and that's enough for me. Don't tell Naruto I am alive. Unless, a threat like the Otsutsuki clan reappears. Let him think I am dead, it's better that way. He would complain a lot and that's annoying."
"Tsuyu…" Kiba chased after her and held her hand.
"Then I will go with you…"
"...?"
"Inuzuka. You can't possibly desert the village." Tsuyu rolled her eyes.
"Hey, you can send me back to Konoha anytime, right? Um… it's just a vacation! Yeah!" KIba rubbed the back of his neck. He badly wanted to go with her.
"...Sigh. Such a troublesome guy… I want a peace of my own. If you want to go with me so much, find me on your own. Tch." Tsuyu rolled her eyes.
"What? Really?"
"No." She said coldly.
She just walked right into the space gate and disappeared.
"Tsuyu! Wait..!"
"... Damn it… Okay… Okay I will find you, wherever you are out there…!" Kiba's journey to find Tsuyu, begun!
***
Kiba didn't know Tsuyu really would return to Konoha often to see Danzo and Orochimaru.
"Hnhnhn… your body is truly interesting, Tsuyu…!"
"If you want a clone body of me for yourself just make it. But a body for a 'friend' of mine should be prioritised first."
"Hnhnhn… You are too giving… aren't you afraid I would do anything with it?"
"The way I see it, it's an exchange. Knowledge about my body means knowledge about the Otsutsuki, our enemy that would come later. We better be prepared otherwise your lab would be gone someday once they appear."
"Hnhnhn… you understand me well, Tsuyu. I wouldn't let your expectations go down… You contributed a lot to me…"
Danzo had a chat with Tsuyu. His hair already turned greyish.
"If you want to become immortal I can have Orochimaru teach you his technique to switch bodies."
"Haha… Tsuyu, you are the first person to allow me to do such things."
"But I am satisfied with how we are now. Konoha had gained peace. Even if you aren't in the world, your name remains as a leash. No one dared to touch us."
Danzo suddenly sighed.
"But a lot of our reforms were changed. Due to recent losses, the recent Kage summit agreed to lower down the minimum graduation age even."
The entire room vibrated with power, the coffee on the table spilled as Tsuyu's frustration leaked out.
"Just what was Kakashi thinking…"
"He is the only person who disagreed… besides, after the threat of white zetsu and the war, everyone lost too many, and they wanted to replenish their shinobi."
"Hah… I knew it. So many excuses… I really might become God again and make those people obey."
Danzo's eyes widened, a smile grazed his lips.
"I agree."
"I was just saying, Danzo-sama. I am too tired. My brother might try to kill me again if I do that. Even with everything we never agreed on certain things. Haha. I just want to retire. I had my own peace now. I would visit at times though… This place has become my home."
"Tsuyu… very well… if that were your wish. You made me feel like I have a grandchild of my own."
"Oh Grandpa Danzo~ didn't know you were sentimental."
"Hahaha…Tsuyu, you are the only person who could make me. Then, have a good rest, Tsuyu."
"You too, Danzo-sama…"
A space gate appeared behind them. Tsuyu slightly nodded before disappearing, having her own time in her own peace, travelling the world as an unknown lady, experiencing the beauty of the world, and perhaps spreading deeds as the Goddess, like it was myths to keep this world afraid of her existence so it remained peaceful silently. Along with a friend she made of course.
***
The End.