Chapter 7: Covetous Hearts
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's words were not exactly direct, but Minamikawa Yuu still understood what she meant.
If she were alone, she might have been tempted by that chakra fruit and unable to resist eating it.
Even though she belonged to the extraterrestrial Ōtsutsuki Clan, her status within the clan was not high. Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for her to ever consume a chakra fruit. Now that the chance was right in front of her, letting it slip away would be a waste.
With her identity and bloodline, as long as she swallowed the fruit and awakened a purer Ōtsutsuki bloodline, she might even gain the ability to face the pursuers from the Ōtsutsuki Main Family when they eventually arrived.
There was still a chance to win.
And if all else failed, she could abandon everything here and flee.
But while she could do that, Yuu could not.
So in the end, she hesitated. She did not consume the chakra fruit directly, choosing instead to seal it away.
After finishing all of this, she lightly caressed her abdomen. A rare trace of maternal affection appeared in her usually indifferent eyes.
Two brand new lives were growing there.
They were the children of her and Yuu, the most precious treasures in her life.
"Let's go."
In front of her, Yuu spoke with a smile. He reached out, took Kaguya's hand, and the two of them slowly walked back the way they had come.
On the path back, their figures gradually blurred, then vanished.
The years continued to pass.
Just when Yuu thought everything was progressing smoothly, a new change began to brew in the distant Land of That.
Inside the palace of the Daimyo of the Land of That, the Daimyo held a folding fan, his gaze lingering on the letter in his hand as he fell into thought.
"The Celestial Goddess, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya?"
Looking at the intelligence recorded within, interest surfaced on his face.
"Is there really such a thing?"
"A goddess from the heavens…"
According to the rumors, that Goddess Kaguya had white hair and white eyes, and her appearance was said to be exceptionally beautiful.
Below the Daimyo, the minister, Suzaku, spoke respectfully.
"I believe only Your Highness is worthy of such a goddess."
"Legend says the Daimyo of the Land of Ancestors went so far as to drive away all the women in his court for her sake, favoring her alone."
Suzaku's voice softened, as if sighing in admiration.
"What a beautiful and moving woman she must be."
Hearing this, the Daimyo could not help but feel a stir in his heart.
In terms of status, the Daimyo of the Land of Ancestors was considered his son in law, engaged to his daughter.
And he had heard plenty about that son in law.
He had heard that the man once avoided women, dedicating all of his energy to governing the land. Even in his spare time, he would rather teach at a tea pavilion than waste time on meaningless pleasures.
For even such a person to become so enamored with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, she had to be an incredibly beautiful and moving woman.
"If Your Highness is interested, why not have the Daimyo of the Land of Ancestors take the initiative and offer the goddess to you?" Suzaku said earnestly. "After all, she is only a concubine. Your daughter is the future wife of the Daimyo of the Land of Ancestors."
The Daimyo was tempted, but after thinking for a moment, he shook his head.
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
"As long as Your Highness is willing, leave everything to me." Suzaku's expression remained respectful and certain. "If you give the word, I will bring you a satisfactory result."
"In that case, I'll leave everything to you."
In the end, the Daimyo nodded.
From that moment on, the gears of fate began to turn.
A month later, on a certain night.
Minamikawa Yuu sat in his tent, handling affairs as usual.
This had become a habit.
Because of chakra, his body was far stronger than an ordinary person's, so he needed very little sleep. Aside from the time he spent accompanying Kaguya, he devoted almost all of his free time to work.
"Is Kaguya asleep already?"
He turned toward the maid nearby and asked.
"The Madam is already asleep," the maid replied respectfully. "She has been for a while now."
"Good." Yuu nodded. "Remember to remind me when she wakes up."
"Yes."
The maid nodded. As her eyes fell on Yuu's handsome face, she could not help but feel a quiet envy deep in her heart.
In the eyes of the world, Yuu's doting on Kaguya was extraordinary.
As Daimyo, he not only cared for Kaguya in every possible way, he was also willing to accompany her whenever he could, fulfilling her requests as much as possible.
Before, just because Lady Kaguya liked a certain type of flower, Yuu had ordered the existing garden cleared and had that flower planted throughout the entire palace.
To ensure Lady Kaguya's comfort, the same Daimyo who had once been stingy and frugal with himself had spent a massive amount of wealth to build a brand new Kaguya Palace for her to live in.
Because of this, rumors outside spread like wildfire, and many elder ministers voiced strong objections.
Yet every rumor, every slander, had been personally resolved and suppressed by Yuu in the end.
No matter how turbulent the talk outside became, he never allowed it to reach the court, lest it sour Lady Kaguya's mood.
What was even rarer was that this Daimyo had avoided women in the past, and now he only had Lady Kaguya. Rumors even claimed he did not keep a single maid for bed service.
Such behavior would be rare even for an ordinary man, let alone a Daimyo.
The maid felt envious, but she did not dare say more in his presence. She quietly left, heading to wait at Lady Kaguya's palace.
Time passed slowly.
After handling some of the affairs, Yuu was about to rest for a while.
"Is Kaguya not awake yet?"
He asked the attendant beside him, then suddenly realized something was wrong.
In the distance, plumes of smoke rose into the sky, accompanied by streaks of firelight.
That direction…
"It's the direction of Kaguya Palace."
Yuu's gaze turned sharp in an instant.
At that moment, instinct screamed at him that something had happened.
Inside the vast, magnificent Kaguya Palace.
When Kaguya opened her eyes, her vision was already covered by a sea of flames.
She froze for a brief moment, then instinctively turned, as if searching for a certain figure.
"Madam!"
The maid in front of her looked anxious to the point of panic.
"There's a fire outside! We have to leave quickly!"
She grabbed Kaguya and tried to pull her up, preparing to lead her away.
However, in the next instant, shouts and the sound of killing erupted from outside.
A group of samurai suddenly appeared.
They stared at Kaguya with shining eyes, then charged straight at her.
The retainers responsible for protecting Kaguya immediately felt a chill run through them.
"It's the samurai of the Land of That!"
"How can this be?"
The guards were shocked, but they reacted quickly, resisting with all their might.
They escorted Kaguya and retreated step by step, trying to force a path out of the area.
As they withdrew, the samurai and the guards fought continuously, the guards doing everything they could to ensure the Madam's safety.
Unfortunately, time was not on their side. The resistance they managed to organize was too weak, and their combat power was far inferior to the well prepared samurai from the Land of That.