Obito glanced at Kakashi before vanishing into Kamui.
Once Obito left, Minato turned toward Chiga and asked,
"Chiga, who exactly is this Jigen?"
Chiga shifted his gaze to Kaguya. Under her curious eyes, he calmly replied,
"He comes from the same place as Kaguya."
Kaguya's expression stiffened. From the same place as her? That could only mean Jigen was also an Ōtsutsuki.
So, with Chiga included, did two Ōtsutsuki truly descend upon this small world at the same time?
Minato studied Kaguya carefully. When his eyes lingered on the horns atop her head and her Byakugan, realization struck.
"Chiga, she looks exactly like you do right now!"
Indeed, Chiga was still in his Ōtsutsuki form, bearing a striking resemblance to her.
Kaguya said nothing. To her, no one here was worthy of her attention except Chiga.
Chiga reached out and stroked her silken white hair. The strands slipped smoothly through his fingers like flowing moonlight.
Kaguya's body trembled. She lifted her gaze, then wound several strands of hair around his hand, binding him there.
Chiga's lips curved into a faint smile.
"If you ever meet anyone else who looks like this, don't hesitate. Just run."
"Nani!?" Minato exclaimed.
"Even that Jigen I had Obito investigate," Chiga continued, his tone sharpening. "He's no ordinary human. His true name is Ōtsutsuki Isshiki."
Whoosh!
Before Minato could respond, Kaguya's hair spread out like a living curtain. Shock filled her expression as her voice trembled,
"Master, wasn't Isshiki already dead?"
"He isn't," Chiga said coolly. "Doesn't your clan possess the ability to imprint Karma onto vessels? Jigen is nothing more than the body Isshiki claimed."
Kaguya froze, the color draining from her face. She had never considered that Isshiki might survive inside the Ten-Tails' maw. If so, that meant he had been living on this very planet the entire time, just as she had.
Her chest tightened. Isshiki held high status within the Ōtsutsuki Clan, whereas Chiga was still a newcomer. If Isshiki ordered Chiga to hand her over, would he choose her over his kin?
Even after consuming the Chakra Fruit, she doubted she could rival Isshiki. If that moment arrived, her fate would be grim.
Noticing her pale expression, Chiga tilted his head.
"You look troubled. What's on your mind?"
Despite her centuries of life, Kaguya's heart was as unguarded as a child's. She blurted her fear without thought, her eyes filled with unease.
"Master… will you give me to Isshiki?"
For a moment, Chiga simply stared. Then a laugh slipped from his lips. Her naivety amused him more than anything.
Kaguya blinked up at him, her gaze wide and unblinking.
Still chuckling, Chiga lightly flicked her forehead with his finger. The touch carried no pain, only a ticklish sting that made her tilt her head, appearing even more innocent.
"Why would I hand you over to mere fodder?"
"Fo… fodder?" Kaguya whispered. "Master, I don't understand."
Chiga took her hand and placed it against his chest. His voice softened,
"Have you forgotten? I carry a Ten-Tails within me as well."
Her breath caught. She quickly snatched her hand back and tucked it into her wide sleeve, nervously kneading her fingers together.
The sudden movement nearly crushed Black Zetsu hidden inside. Flattened like dough, he writhed miserably.
To any onlooker, Kaguya's reddened face and flustered hands betrayed her shyness. Yet Chiga found it strange. She had birthed two children—how could she still react so timidly from a simple touch?
He recalled hearing of her past human husband. Wasn't his name Tenji?
"Didn't you have a husband once?" Chiga asked bluntly.
Kaguya blinked, then shook her head quickly.
Taking advantage of the moment, Black Zetsu popped his head from her sleeve, shouting in outrage,
"Mother never had a husband! That man was just a human! He was never worthy of her!"
Chiga frowned. Had the anime misled him again?
"And what about Hagoromo and Hamura?" he asked.
"Hmph! They were merely fragments separated from Mother," Black Zetsu snapped. "She had no choice—the Divine Tree's fruit carried too much power. That was the only way she could contain it!"
(Nobody but the MC gets to lay a hand on his girls 😉)
"And you?" Chiga pressed.
"Naturally, I was created by Mother herself!" Black Zetsu said with pride, puffing his voice.
Chiga gave him a long, puzzled look. The little shadow creature's pride didn't make sense. Splitting, creating—wasn't it all the same?
Black Zetsu, however, saw a difference. Hagoromo and Hamura were mistakes, but he had been made with intention, granted a sacred mission: to revive his mother.
To him, that made him her true son.
But to Chiga, the black creature resembled nothing more than a pool of congealed blood. He couldn't help wondering—was Black Zetsu really just born of her will, or something far darker?
Oblivious to Chiga's suspicion, Black Zetsu slipped back into Kaguya's sleeve, falling silent.
Kaguya turned back to Chiga, eyes heavy with worry.
"Master, are you planning to feed Isshiki to your Ten-Tails?"
Chiga shrugged lightly.
"Of course. His quality as fodder is impressive. I've had my eye on him for some time."
Her lips trembled. "Then… will you feed me to it as well?"
Chiga sighed. "Don't be foolish. If I wanted to, I would've done so long ago."
With that, he turned and soared into the sky. Kaguya followed quickly, her robes billowing behind her.
On the ground, the remaining shinobi stood in silence. Other than Ōnoki, none among them could take to the air.
Minato cast a glance at Madara, despair shadowing his face.
____
Milestone
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.