When Chiya heard Kaguya say the words "buried with it," his heart jolted.
Her tone was ice cold and resolute, as though she had long since accepted some outcome that could not be changed.
He turned his head and gazed at the side of her face.
Under the moonlight, her silver hair carried a faint glow, but hidden within those white eyes was a trace of sorrow that was barely perceptible.
"Buried with it?"
Chiya repeated quietly, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Why do you say that?"
Kaguya did not answer. She simply gazed quietly at the starry sky, as though it held secrets she could not put into words.
Seeing this, Chiya did not press further.
He raised his head and looked up at the night sky alongside her, his mind churning with thoughts.
Kaguya had called herself the guardian of the God Tree, but Chiya had not sensed the God Tree's presence anywhere nearby.
Once the God Tree took root, it would absorb the energy of the entire world. He could not possibly have missed a chakra disturbance of that scale.
'Could it be that the God Tree has not yet been planted?'
Something stirred in Chiya's mind.
'If the God Tree has not yet appeared, then the point in time when Kaguya arrived in this world may be many years earlier than I had imagined.'
As Chiya went quiet, silence spread between the two of them.
About ten minutes passed.
Kaguya glanced sideways and could not help but say softly.
"What are you thinking about?"
Chiya came back to himself and shook his head.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about the word you used just now. Buried with it. It sounds very heavy."
Kaguya's gaze turned back toward the distance, and her voice grew low.
"Some things are destined to be unchangeable."
Chiya's heart sank. He had a vague sense of what her words implied.
But he did not point it out directly. Instead he followed her words and asked.
"Can you tell me about it?"
Kaguya was silent for a moment, and then finally spoke.
"Let me tell you a story."
Chiya nodded and waited quietly for her to begin.
"A long time ago, there was a person who was given a mission from birth."
Kaguya's voice was ethereal and distant, as though she were recounting a legend that had nothing to do with her.
"Her clanspeople told her that her fate had already been decided. She must guard the God Tree until it devoured the entire world, and her destiny was to become the God Tree's sacrifice and perish together with the world in the end."
Chiya's pupils contracted slightly, and he thought to himself.
'So it is the "I have a friend" series after all.'
'Isn't this just your own story?'
Chiya recalled the original storyline.
'If I remember correctly, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki came to this world together, carrying the Ten-Tails.'
'And Kaguya was designated as the Ten-Tails' nourishment.'
'It seems everything lines up.'
A deadness lingered in Kaguya's eyes as she continued.
"She once tried to resist, but her clanspeople's power was too great. Her struggle was meaningless. In the end, she chose to accept her fate, came to this world, and prepared to fulfill her duty."
With the story told, Kaguya's eyes dimmed, as though she had already resigned herself.
And right at that moment, Chiya suddenly stood up.
"I don't like this story."
Chiya spoke abruptly, his tone firm.
Kaguya was taken aback and looked up at him.
"Why?"
"Because its ending is too tragic."
Chiya looked directly into her eyes, his voice clear and forceful.
"That person had simply not yet had the opportunity to change things, and yet she gave up the chance and gave up on herself because of something called fate. This was not fate's arrangement at all. It was her own choice!"
Kaguya's gaze flickered slightly.
"Fate has never been fixed. It is like a river that seems unable to change its course. But as long as we are strong enough, we can build a dam, or even redirect it entirely. If she truly wanted to resist, she could absolutely have gathered strength and waited for that opportunity to come!"
"Persistence always pays off!"
"Success belongs to those who are prepared. I believe that as long as you seize the right moment, when that time comes, the outcome will necessarily be different. Or perhaps the one who becomes the sacrifice in that story does not have to be her!"
"Or simply destroy the God Tree outright!"
Kaguya stared blankly at Chiya, her voice carrying a trace of disbelief.
"That is impossible. The God Tree is the foundation of our clan. Its power is matchless."
"Matchless?"
Chiya let out a cold laugh.
"Then let me ask you this. Did she ever truly seize an opportunity? Not once, because she never truly tried. Power has never been absolute. As long as you find a method, even the most powerful enemy can be defeated."
Kaguya fell silent. A trace of inner conflict flickered through her eyes.
Chiya's words were like a key, prying open her sealed heart little by little.
"Do you know this?"
Chiya eased his tone, his voice carrying encouragement.
"In my homeland there is a saying: Man can overcome the heavens. It means that as long as your will is strong enough, even the fate arranged by the heavens can be broken. Just like the story of Niulang and Zhinü I told you just now. When Zhinü was taken away, was Niulang supposed to simply accept it and do nothing? If he had, he would never have seen Zhinü again. So we must learn to fight back! The person in your story, if she does not even have the courage to try, that is the only true failure."
Kaguya's gaze gradually brightened, as though she had caught a glimpse of light in the darkness.
She murmured softly.
"Man can overcome the heavens."
Chiya pressed on while the moment was right.
"If you are willing, I can help you. We will find a way together and change the ending of this story."
Kaguya raised her head. A resolve and seriousness appeared in her white eyes that had not been there before.
She looked at Chiya as though she were truly seeing him clearly for the first time.
"Why do you want to help me?"
Chiya smiled slightly, his gaze sincere.
"Because I don't want to see you walk toward that kind of ending. You deserve a better future."
Kaguya's heart jolted sharply.
He had indeed guessed that the story she told was her own.
A warmth she had never felt before spread through her chest.
Kaguya gave a slow nod.
"Alright. I am willing to try."
A trace of quiet relief passed through Chiya's eyes.
He knew that Kaguya's heart had begun to waver, and that was precisely the key to changing everything.
"However, we need to form a plan."
Chiya stood up and extended his hand toward her.
"First, we need to find out when your clanspeople will arrive, and the specific situation with the God Tree."
Kaguya hesitated for a moment, and in the end placed her hand in his palm.
Chiya gave a gentle pull and brought her to her feet.
The distance between them closed in an instant. Kaguya could even feel the warmth of his breath.
Her cheeks flushed faintly, but she did not pull away.
"I will tell you everything I know."
Chiya nodded.
"Then we start taking action tomorrow. For tonight, let's rest properly."
Kaguya gave a soft sound of agreement, but her gaze lingered on Chiya's face without her realizing it.
She suddenly found that this man from another world seemed to shine even brighter than the starry sky.
The night wind blew past, carrying away the last of the silence.
Chiya gazed into the distance, an unusual light shifting within his eyes.
He knew that changing Kaguya's fate was the key first step in drawing her closer.
Kaguya!
'An immensely powerful woman with a simple, pure heart.'
'There is only one like her in the entire ninja world!'
He naturally could not miss this!
Of course, facing a "high-tier" figure like Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, Chiya's current strength was still lacking.
But it was not as though Chiya had no ability to fight.
'After all, there was this intercept task's reward!'
'A Divine Technique!'
Kaguya!
'For your safety, I, Chiya...'
'Have no choice but to intercept you!'
'Kaguya, you don't want both of us to die at Isshiki's hands, do you?'
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