Chapter 43 – The Forgotten Truth of the Ōtsutsuki
The three walked silently beneath the silver moonlight. Kakashi's sharp eyes kept drifting to Akira's golden Byakugan, faintly glowing like molten light. He couldn't resist anymore.
"Akira…" Kakashi finally asked, "once, I saw your eyes glow… blue. It wasn't like this golden shine. What was that? What are your eyes really?"
Akira stopped. His gaze lifted toward the stars, and for a long moment, he said nothing. Then his voice came, low but steady—like someone opening the doors to ancient memory.
"You're ready to hear it, Kakashi. You too, Sakumo-san."
Sakumo slowed his steps behind them, his hand brushing the hilt of his blade, though not in readiness for combat—rather, as if grounding himself for what he might hear.
Akira's golden Byakugan glowed brighter, and the air around them seemed to hum.
"My eyes… the Golden Byakugan… are not just of this world. They are the mark of the Ōtsutsuki—the ones who came from beyond the stars. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the woman called the Rabbit Goddess, was the first."
Kakashi's eyes widened, but Akira's voice grew firmer, weaving the tale.
"She did not come alone. She came with Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. She was never meant to rule, never meant to live freely. She was brought here as a servant, a sacrifice to feed the Ten-Tails. But… she betrayed Isshiki. At the last moment, she pushed him into the mouth of the beast. Isshiki did not die, but he was maimed, crawling into shadows. And so Kaguya abandoned the Ten-Tails to feed on the earth's life, while she fled."
Kakashi's jaw tightened. He wanted to interrupt, but Akira's tone left no room.
"She found a small human kingdom. Its king—mortal, kind, fragile—she fell in love with him. For a time, she lived as a woman, not a goddess. She bore children, pregnant with twins. But neighboring kingdoms saw her beauty, her power. They demanded her. They wanted her unborn children. War followed."
Akira's voice darkened, his eyes flickering with sorrow.
"Hunters came for her. She fled through forests, mountains, her belly heavy with life. Her loyal servant gave her life to protect her. Betrayed, hunted, and desperate, she made her choice—Kaguya devoured the chakra fruit of the God Tree. With it, she became something more than human. She became the first wielder of chakra… and the first tyrant."
Sakumo exhaled sharply, but said nothing.
"She crushed armies, erased kingdoms, and with her power, she enslaved humanity. Villages were forced to sacrifice their own to the God Tree, feeding the Ten-Tails. To them, she was no longer woman, wife, or mother. She was the Rabbit Goddess—the demon that ruled with fear."
Kakashi shivered.
"Yet… her sons were born. Hagoromo, the elder. Hamura, the younger. They were her light, her only love. Hagoromo found joy in humans, in the warmth of a girl he loved. But one day, she was chosen as a sacrifice. Hagoromo tried to stop it, but Kaguya forbade him. He defied her… and when he saw her body taken by the Tree, he awakened the Sharingan in anguish."
Akira's eyes narrowed.
"A great toad from Mount Myōboku appeared before Hagoromo, teaching him Senjutsu—the way of nature itself. He trained, grew, and returned home. But by then, Kaguya had changed. Paranoid of betrayal, she twisted Hamura, turning him into her puppet. To free him, Hagoromo had no choice but to cut him down with his own hands. That pain awakened the Rinnegan. In grief, he revived Hamura with a talisman given by the toad sages. From that day, the brothers swore to oppose their mother."
The night air felt heavy as Akira's words spilled forth.
"For three months, the brothers fought her. Their battle scarred the earth, raising mountains, carving seas, splitting lands. Finally, they sealed her. Kaguya was imprisoned, becoming one with the Ten-Tails, bound by her own children."
Kakashi's throat went dry. "That's… too much…"
But Akira pressed on.
"Hamura, remembering the kind mother she once was, chose to go to the moon. With his clan, he built a sanctuary, watching over her prison. His descendants became the Hyūga… and others, the Kaguya clan. Hagoromo remained on earth, burdened with guilt. He walked among people, spreading Ninshū—the way of chakra as understanding, not war. People followed him. He was named the Sage of Six Paths."
Akira's voice softened, but his words still cut like blades.
"Hagoromo had two sons. Indra, genius with eyes like fire. Asura, slower, but with a heart vast as the sky. When Hagoromo chose Asura as heir, Indra fell to hatred. Their battle ignited a cycle of reincarnation—Uchiha born of Indra, Senju born of Asura. Their war never ended. Even now… it continues."
Silence fell. The night seemed to hold its breath.
Kakashi's hands trembled slightly. "…So your eyes, Akira… the Golden Byakugan, the blue glow… they're proof you carry all of this? The gods, the betrayals, the curses?"
Akira finally turned to him, golden light dimming.
"Yes. My eyes are the symbol of Ōtsutsuki royalty. If they find me, I'm dead. And if the village learns… with my Byakugan and Sharingan, I'll be branded a monster. The Second Hokage's teachings, the elders, Danzō—they'll never let me live free."
Sakumo's fists clenched behind them. His voice, quiet but certain, cut through the silence.
"Then… you will not face it alone. Not while I live."
Kakashi's chest tightened. He looked at Akira, not as a boy, but as someone carrying the weight of gods and curses. His voice broke, but his words did not falter.
"Akira… I'll protect your secret. Whatever it takes."
For the first time, Akira smiled faintly. "…Thank you."
The three of them walked on beneath the pale moon, shadows long behind them, carrying truths older than the world itself.
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