Black Zetsu's expression darkened. He was increasingly certain of Uchiha Chiga's identity, and his thoughts were already racing about how to deal with him once Kaguya was resurrected.
Madara, however, looked utterly confused. The name Ōtsutsuki Kaguya was completely foreign to him—he had never even heard it. Lost in thought, he didn't notice Chiga's hand pressing firmly against his shoulder.
A sudden, overwhelming suction burst from Chiga's palm. Before Madara could react, the Ten-Tails was already being torn from him, dragged out by sheer force.
Inside Chiga, his own Ten-Tails stirred restlessly. Madara's was the perfect supplement—it opened its massive maw impatiently, ready to devour.
Black Zetsu's eyes widened in despair as he watched the Ten-Tails surge into Chiga's body. To him, this was worse than death itself. Desperation overriding reason, he lunged at Chiga in madness.
But before he could even brush the hem of Chiga's clothes, a violent repulsive force sent him crashing to the ground. Trembling, he rose again, only to meet Chiga's calm, merciless gaze.
By now, two-thirds of Madara's Ten-Tails had already been torn free. Soon, nothing would remain.
Suddenly, a woman's voice echoed within Chiga's mind.
"Please… don't feed me to the Ten-Tails!"
Chiga raised an eyebrow, pausing momentarily. So she speaks.
"Ōtsutsuki Kaguya?"
"It's me!" she answered quickly. "Senior, please spare me! I will serve you as Master if you allow me to live!"
Chiga chuckled. "Heh, I'm not your senior. You're far older than me."
He probed further. "You were once with Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, weren't you? Then you should know very well what happened to him."
Kaguya froze, shame flickering in her tone. Her betrayal of Isshiki was not something she could deny. Despair gnawed at her—was this truly the end?
But then, Chiga's tone shifted.
"Well… perhaps keeping an Ōtsutsuki as a servant wouldn't be so bad."
"!?"
Kaguya was stunned. His words turned her despair into fragile hope.
"You hesitate," Chiga teased. "Do you regret it already?"
"No!" Kaguya replied in a rush. "I will gladly become your most loyal servant!"
Without hesitation, she accepted her new role. Chiga's strength had already far outstripped her own. The Ten-Tails within him radiated a suffocating pressure unlike anything she had ever known. To her, Chiga was a prodigy of the clan—perhaps the greatest in ten thousand years.
If serving him meant survival, then it was no disgrace. In fact, it was an honor. Perhaps with his power, even her betrayal of Isshiki could be forgotten, freeing her from the shadow of fear.
Chiga, meanwhile, thought it only natural. An Ōtsutsuki warrior should indeed have an Ōtsutsuki servant. With mutual agreement, their bond was sealed—Master and servant.
Now, only one matter remained: Kaguya's full return.
It wasn't resurrection, not truly—she had never died, only been sealed by her sons. Chiga had no intention of using Madara's body for her revival. That would be pathetic. He would undo the seal directly.
Hands clasped together, his Yin-Yang Release surged outward. Black and white light erupted skyward, splitting the heavens themselves.
Far above, the Moon trembled violently. Toneri, watching from its surface, felt the shift and gasped.
"No… that woman's seal is breaking!"
But powerless without his eyes, he could do nothing to stop it.
Cracks split the Moon. From its heart burst a mass of white energy that streaked toward Earth.
On the battlefield, Chiga completed his extraction of the Ten-Tails from Madara. The descending energy merged seamlessly with the beast. A brilliant white radiance engulfed it, compressing into a humanoid shape.
As the light faded, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya stood reborn before them.
Black Zetsu gaped in disbelief. He had thought his mother lost forever, but here she was—alive and unscathed.
Madara collapsed, his Rinnegan fading to dull black eyes, his body frail and drained.
Kaguya's gaze immediately sought Chiga. To Black Zetsu's horror, she sank to her knees before him.
"Master!" she declared with solemn reverence.
Chiga nodded, vanishing in a flicker and reappearing before her.
Black Zetsu rushed into her sleeve in panic. "Mother! What happened to you?!"
"I am fine," Kaguya whispered gently.
"But you called him Master—"
"Silence!" Her voice was firm. "From now on, This man is my Master. You will obey."
Black Zetsu faltered. Though confusion filled him, he dared not argue.
Chiga smiled faintly, satisfied. "Enough. Stand."
Obediently, Kaguya rose, her demeanor that of a true servant.
Without warning, Chiga's hair lengthened, wrapping around Madara's weakened body. Effortlessly, he lifted him and set off toward the Allied Shinobi camp. Kaguya followed without hesitation.
When they returned, Minato immediately approached, his wary gaze fixed on Kaguya. "Is it over?"
Chiga shrugged lightly. "What else?"
The other Kage, except Mei Terumi, had already dealt with their own battles. Onoki stepped forward hesitantly. "So… can we finally return?"
Chiga gave a faint smile. "Of course, but before you leave, there's something we must discuss."
_____
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