"Mother? No, is that really Kaguya? Why are their chakras intertwined!?"
Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths, and his brother, Hamura, extended their perception towards the moon, their eyes narrowing in concentration.
But just as they were about to get a clearer view, a pair of crimson Rinnegan, embedded within a nine-tomoe Sharingan, burst into their sight, eclipsing everything.
"Begone."
Uchiha Shin's voice was as cold as the void, and with a mere flicker of his ocular power, their connection to the scene was severed as if crushed beneath an overwhelming force.
Hagoromo and Hamura staggered slightly, their vision blank for a moment before they exchanged troubled glances.
"This is bad."
"The seal... Kaguya isn't just within him. They've broken it together. He helped her escape."
Hagoromo clenched his fists, and for the first time in eons, a sense of dread crawled through his veins.
Yet Uchiha Shin didn't even spare them another thought. He had more important things to do.
His first action after fully returning was to extend his hand towards the fallen Mikoto.
"Mikoto, it's all thanks to you this time."
Shin's voice softened as he gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. If not for the power she carried—the mark of the Crying Lady—his rebirth would have been significantly more difficult. She had been the perfect medium.
Mikoto, still weak but smiling, reached up and caressed his face with delicate fingers.
"Shin… you're back. I can feel it... the baby is looking forward to meeting you too."
Her free hand instinctively cradled her belly. Within her, their child stirred, as if recognizing its father's presence.
Shin's gaze softened further. "Then let's make sure you're both well-nourished first."
He leaned in, pressing his lips against hers, his chakra subtly flowing into her, restoring the energy she had lost. He had constructed his body from scratch, but in doing so, he had taken from her. Now, he would return that energy tenfold.
A day later, Shin and Mikoto stood on the moon's barren surface, overlooking the desolate, ancient palace of the Otsutsuki.
Their footprints traced lazy paths across the dusty ground before, at last, they returned to Earth.
When they arrived, the reaction was immediate.
Kanako, Kushina, and the others had nearly lost their minds in his absence.
As soon as Shin stepped into the compound, they surrounded him, a chorus of relieved and exasperated voices filling the air.
Tsunade, usually composed, visibly relaxed. The ache in her heart that she hadn't realized was there finally eased.
Even without doing anything, Shin's mere presence gave them an unshakable sense of security. Something irreplaceable.
Shin sighed, his plans momentarily disrupted by their need for reassurance. For now, he would indulge them.
As Shin sat in the courtyard, Kaguya Otsutsuki materialized nearby, her pale gaze unreadable as she observed him.
"I don't understand you," she finally said, her voice carrying an ancient weight. "Why do you concern yourself so much with these humans?"
She emphasized the last word with disdain.
"You and I are alike, yet you lower yourself to their level?"
Shin exhaled and, with a flick of his wrist, sent a controlled burst of chakra to her forehead. A light thump echoed in the space between them.
Kaguya blinked, stunned.
"I don't need you to understand," Shin said smoothly. "But if you want to survive in this world, you better learn how to coexist instead of lording over everyone like some divine being."
Kaguya scowled, clutching her forehead. "I am not stupid!" she protested.
Shin chuckled, shaking his head. "You're just stubborn."
The interaction didn't go unnoticed. From the side, Konan, who had been lounging comfortably in Shin's arms, raised a delicate brow.
"After being sealed for so long, are you sure you're not suffering from some kind of split personality disorder?" she asked, half-joking, half-concerned.
Realizing her words might have been a bit too harsh, she quickly added, "Don't worry, though. Even if you are, I'll stay by your side."
The others nodded in agreement, offering similar reassurances.
Shin, now sporting an unmistakable black line on his forehead, stared at them blankly.
"Idiots. My mind is perfectly intact."
To make his point, he pinched Konan's cheek, tugging slightly.
She let out a small yelp. "Ouch! That actually hurts, you bastard!"
Shin smirked. "Good. Now stop overthinking things."
Before Konan could retaliate, Kanako tackled her to the ground.
"I KNEW IT! You're trying to seduce him again, aren't you?!"
"No, no! You're mistaken!" Konan protested, but the mischievous glint in her eyes betrayed her.
Karura, ever the peacemaker, merely sighed and continued rubbing Shin's shoulders.
At that moment, Miroku appeared, her eyes locked onto Shin's right arm.
A jet-black mark pulsed along his skin, twisting in an intricate design that gave off a sinister energy.
"…Your tattoo," she murmured, a rare seriousness in her tone. "It's not just a marking, is it?"
Shin flexed his fingers, observing the way the dark ink seemed to move beneath his skin.
Miroku continued, "That mark… It feels like another presence, as if something—or someone—is inside you."
Hearing this, the rest of the women fell silent. They turned their gazes towards the ominous mark, suddenly more aware of the entity lurking within Shin.
Kushina poked at it, frowning. "Last time, your hair turned white. Now this? What the hell is going on?"
Shin sighed. "It's called Karma. A legacy left behind by certain individuals."
He took a moment to explain the concept, how it functioned, and what it meant for him.
After listening, Tsunade, who had been acting as his human pillow, clicked her tongue.
"So, in other words," she said, stretching her arms, "you've got an Otsutsuki parasite freeloading inside you?"
At that, everyone instinctively tensed, some even glancing over their shoulders as if expecting an invisible threat.
Shin smirked, waving them off. "Relax. She's not going to pop out and kill you."
He leaned back, eyes glinting. "Though she did complain about my fondness for humans. Thought you were all 'unworthy.'"
Silence.
Then, in unison, the women scowled.
"The HELL does she mean 'unworthy'?"
Tsunade cracked her knuckles. "You're the one who came late to the party, Shin. Not us."
Shin merely chuckled.
Whatever the future held, at least he knew it wouldn't be dull
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